Chapter 5.
1137 Words
“Dad, I thought you had plans?”
“Yeah. But your grandma called and I couldn’t say no.”
I knew it. My mother was the one who invited him over. I knew he was aware that I was at my mother’s house. That was the only reason he agreed to come. He had no shame. I felt like stabbing him with his cutlery.
“Happy Anniversary, and happy birthday to you my darling,” my mother said, and I felt pain.
Lorenzo looked at me then forced a smile, “thank you.”
“Ohhh, I forgot. Happy anniversary to the best parents in the world!” Lisa said excitedly.
If only they knew what was going on. Saying happy anniversary to me dug a hole into my heart. I felt nothing but pain.
“Sarah, are you okay?” Martha asked after seeing the way I was glaring at Lorenzo.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”
“How long has it been?” Kelvin asked. We were all surprised. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with that information. “Ohhhh, it's just that Lisa is 20, and you know most people don’t get married until after they give birth, so I was just wondering…” he paused as everyone looked at him. “Never mind.”
“Actually, it's been 21 years,” I said. It was supposed to be a thing to be proud of, but it was a nightmare.
“Whoa…” he pushed back his head. “That’s ummm. A very long time,” he said.
“Yeah.” I scoffed.
“So that makes you, what? 40? 41? 42? 50?”
I gasped, with one hand on my chest. Did I look 50? Was I so old? What in the world was wrong with this kid.
“Kelvin! My mom is just 40.”
“Ohhh. That’s strange,” he said.
“Excuse me?” He was pissing me off. All of a sudden I felt old.
“No, don’t get me the wrong way. I mean you look…” he was finding it difficult to speak, and I placed my ears down to listen attentively. “Like someone who is in their early twenties.”
Phewww! I took a deep breath. That was tense, but that put a smile on my face.
“Thanks.”
Lisa looked back and forth at me and Kelvin. “Kelvin, are you hitting on my mom?”
I spilled out my wine. “Ahem! Ahem!” I coughed, then wiped my mouth. “Sorry what?” The fact that Lisa sounded serious scared me.
“Merry Xmas everyone.” Kelvin stood up, and took his plates to the kitchen. Me and Lisa shared a gaze, then I shrugged. Her friend seemed weird.
After dinner, my mother asked Lisa to do the dishes, and Lisa gave me a frowned look.
“Don’t worry mom, I’ll do it,” I insisted.
“I’ll help out.” Kelvin, who was playing with Martha’s daughter, said.
I looked at him, shocked. I hoped he wasn’t hitting on me because that would be weird. But I didn’t know him that well to judge.
“Is there anything I can help out with?” Lorenzo asked. The sight of him made me nauseous. It was okay for him to disrespect me, but it wasn’t okay for him to disrespect my mother. He knew his decision to divorce me would break my mother’s heart, but he didn’t care, and he had the guts to show his face to her. Well, after what I saw, I wouldn’t want him back. There were so many women he could have cheated on me with, but he chose my best friend.
“No.” I forced a smile.
“Who wants to play hide and seek?" Little Madison asked.
“Me!” Lisa said. “But first, how about we check out some ugly photos of mama?”
Madison nodded her head, smiling.
“Ohhh, come on!” Martha uttered. Lisa jacked Madison from the floor and took her upstairs.
“Shall we?” Kelvin said.
I wasn’t so happy with Kelvin helping me in the kitchen. But it was either him or Lorenzo, and I would rather pick a monkey over Lorenzo. Not that Kelvin was a monkey, but he was definitely not acting like a normal human. How could a handsome guy be this weird?
I took a deep breath, “okay.”
We got into the kitchen, I did the washing and he did the rinsing. He wasn’t saying anything, just looking out the window. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought he was the type that talks a lot.
“So, are you and Lisa a thing?” I tried making a conversation.
“What’s a thing?” He asked.
I looked at him, confused.
“I’m just kidding. No, no, we are just friends.”
“Ohh, okay.”
“What about you?” He asked, and I looked at him, muddled. “Are you and your husband a thing?”
He wasn’t being clear enough. But I didn’t expect him to ask me about my relationship with my husband.
“What’s a thing please?” I thought maybe we both had different understanding of what a ‘thing’ was.
He smiled. Ohhh, his dimples, his eyes…God! He’s so handsome. He would have been a perfect boyfriend for Lisa.
“I mean, are the both of you close?”
I stopped washing, and stared into his eyes, hoping I would see what gave him the audacity to ask that question.
“Do you go around asking married couples what their relationship is with their partner?”
“Nope! Just you?” He was so calm. He didn’t care what I would think of him.
I flattered my lashes, and continued with the dishes. What could I say? I didn’t know him well enough to tell him my 21 year old marriage ended yesterday.
“Nope.”
“Are you happy about that?”
Every word that came out of his mouth kept perplexing me. “Boy, what’s wrong with you?”
“I’m 21, I’m not a boy.”
“You are to me.”
“Because you are almost twice my age?”
“No, because…because?” I was short of words.
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Does that make George a boy?”
What had this got to do with George?
“George is 35.”
“To your mother, he’s just a boy, right?”
I blinked. Then I smacked my lips. What was this? Whatever it was, I was tired and I wanted it to stop.
“Fine, you are a man. Satisfied?” I dumped the sponge, and left him in the kitchen.
- Writer
