“So, how was the job interview?”
“Regina, it went so well! Mr. McKinley offered me the job on the spot!”
“Really?”
“What you say it like that for?”
“Say what like what?”
“’Really?’ Like you don’t believe I could get a job like that!”
“Oh, that’s not how I meant it girl, stop trippin’. I’m just shocked to hear that they hired you on the spot. That doesn’t always happen to people. What about the other candidates?”
“What other candidates? It’s all about me now, girl!”
“Don’t get a big head, Candace.”
“Okay girl, what is wrong with you? Are you not happy for me? This is a big step for me, and I have a lot at stake. Like the ability to use hot water. The ability to flip a light switch on and actually see a light come on. And the ability to not have to move back to Richmond with my mamma.”
“Candace, it doesn’t really matter. You’re still gonna be broke. $16.50 an hour is not a lot of money these days.”
“Regina, why are you doing this?”
“Candace, what am I doing?”
Regina wasn’t even looking at Candace. She was moving back and forth, finding things to pick up, clean up, or scrape off. Why was she avoiding her?
“You’re ignoring me, and now you’re acting as if my news isn’t important to you. I have a job now, Miss Regina! We need to be celebrating. You’re acting as if you’re….”
“As if I’m what?” Now Regina was looking at her. Dead in the eyes she was looking at her.
“As if you’re jealous, which I don’t understand. Doesn’t your cousin pay you about the same thing, if not more?”
Regina didn’t say anything; she just kept pretending that she had something to clean. She was rearranging the couch pillows when Candace walked over, snatched the pillow from out of her hand and flung it across the room.
“Regina, come on!” Candace screamed.
“Candace why are you throwing my stuff around like that! Don’t you see me trying to get my living room straight?”
“Your living room is fine, Regina. You need to tell me what’s going on.”
Candace folded her arms and looked Regina straight in the eye.
Try to lie, Candace thought, as she waited for Regina to respond.
“Candace, get out.”
“Regina, what is going on?”
“Candace, I want you to leave my apartment. Now. I don’t want to talk to you right now. When I feel like talking to you, I will talk to you, but right now-”
“Fine, Regina. Fine. I’m out.”
Candace called for her kids, and heard the usual sighs, murmurs and complaints about having to go home.
“Why does Auntie Gina look mad, Mommy?” Misha asked.
“Don’t worry about Auntie Gina, baby. Get your stuff, and let’s just go.”
“Did you make Auntie Gina mad, Mommy?”
“Misha! Leave Mom alone and let’s go.”
Nicholas let himself out of the apartment and marched down the stairs. Boy did he think he was the man of the house; but at ten years old, Candace had news for him. She stepped outside of the apartment and yelled for him to come back up the stairs.
“Nicholas, first of all, you don’t yell at your sister. That’s my job. Second of all, I know you’re not about to step outside of this apartment building without me, and cross that street without me. Are you?”
“Mom, I’m ten years old.”
“And you’ll be staying ten years old forever if you talk back to me again.”
Embarrassed, Nicholas looked down. His friends were outside, and he didn’t want them witnessing his verbal lashing.
“Sorry, Mom,” he said.
“All right now. Let’s go see what we have to eat.”
“Nothing,” Misha said, and the sad thing was, she was right.
“Well, guess what. Mommy got a new job today, and she’s going to be making some really good money.”
“What’s really good?” Nicholas asked.
Candace couldn’t believe what Nicholas had said.
“Are you serious?” she asked him.
“Yes,” he said. Candace just laughed, because her son obviously didn’t realize he was being so rude.
“What’s good money, Mom?”
“Stop asking her that, Nicholas,” Misha said.
“Thank you, Misha. You know Nicholas, it’s not good when a five year old has to teach you a lesson in manners.”
“Mom, is it good money or not? Because sometimes parents tell their kids little white lies because they think those little white lies will make their kids happy, or shut them up, or ease their minds. You get it? Are you one of those parents?”
Why don’t you ask your father that question? Candace thought, but she could never say that to her child. And where does he get off being ten years old and using phrases like, ‘ease their minds?’ Who was this boy hanging around?
“Um, no, son, I’m not that kind of parent. I really will be making some good money. Or at least better money than I’m making now at the community center.”
“Will it be enough to get me an allowance? Say…ten dollars a week?”
“Um, no, son, it won’t,” Candace said, and she left it at that.
“Mommy, will it be enough to get the lights turned back on?”
Candace nearly cried when her daughter asked that question, and she told her daughter that it would be enough. She felt so ashamed.
Who lives like this? Who let’s their children live like this? But at least she didn’t have to ask herself that for long. She’d be starting her new job on Monday and she could hardly wait.
“Mom, we really don’t have anything to eat. We should’ve stayed over Auntie Gina’s. She was ordering Pizza before you came. Can I call her and ask her if we can come back over.”
“No,” Candace quickly said. “You cannot. Grab your things. We’re going to McDonald’s.”
She expected her kids to scream, shout, jump up and down and do cartwheels. But they both stood with their mouths and eyes wide open. Pure, unadulterated shock.
“McDonald’s?” Misha asked.
“Will we have to share? The burger? The fries? The free cup of water? Cause we had to last time.”
“No, babies. Everyone gets their own meal this time.”
Candace grabbed her purse and headed towards the front door. Just as she reached for the knob, she heard a knock, and it startled her.
She looked through the peephole and saw that it was Regina.
“I’m ready to talk,” she said, letting herself in.
“Right now?” Nicholas asked.
“I was about to take the kids to McDonald’s. Wanna come with?”
“My kids have pizza. Look, just meet me at my place when ya’ll get back, all right?”
“All right. Are you sure?”
“She’s sure Mommy, she’s sure!” This time it was Misha’s mouth running.
Candace shot both her children a warning stare.
“She’s right, I’m sure. Take care of your babies.”
“All right, girl. Whatever it is, you know I’m here for you, right?”
“Just go,” Regina said.
They all left her apartment and again, she found herself running to the bus stop, realizing she still had her interview clothes on.
Running was easier this morning. When I didn’t have the kids, she told herself.
They reached the bus stop, and she sighed when she saw there was no where to sit on the bench. All that running in those heels, and she had to stand up. She started praying for the bus to get there soon.
“Hello, Miss. You can have my seat.”
Candace looked down and saw the same man from the bus this morning. The same man who asked her if he could sit down next to her. The same man she had snubbed on the bus was being nice in spite of her snotty attitude, and boy did conviction strike her hard.
“No, that’s okay,” she said. She couldn’t possibly take a seat from this man. She was so embarrassed.
“Please, Miss. Take my seat.”
“Mommy, if you don’t take it. I will!” Misha said. She didn’t even wait for an answer, she just took the seat.
“Go ahead baby. You can have it.”
Candace couldn’t take her eyes off that man. She had disrespected him so badly, and now here he was; being the perfect gentleman.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he said, and Candace still couldn’t take her eyes off him. She had to force herself to look the other way, and she decided that it wasn’t just because he was sweet. He was fine too!
He had smooth, chocolate brown skin, gorgeous brown eyes, and luscious lips. He was clean shaven, well dressed and he smelled like heaven!
He looked like a model from the cover of GQ magazine, and Candace just had to ask him, “What is your name?”
“My name?” he said, startled. Apparently he hadn’t expected her to give him a second thought.
“Yes. What is your name?”
“Quincy. Quincy Middleton. Might I ask what your name is?”
“Her name is Candace Alicia Parsons. And I think she likes you.”
Candace covered up her son’s mouth with her hand. She expected that crap from Misha; but not from the ten year old boy who thought he was a man.
“Is that right?” Quincy asked.
“No, that’s not right,” Candace said. “I don’t even know you.”
“Things could change, mom. Things change everyday. This man looks like he’s got some money.”
Nicholas was working Candace’s nerves, but at least he set her up for her next question to Quincy.
“If he’s got so much money, why is he riding the metro bus?”
“Dang Mom! All in the man’s business!”
Candace playfully pushed her son to the side, though she never took her eyes off Quincy.
“I believe that’s the type of question you ask on a first date.”
“A first date, huh? Wow. I just found out your name five minutes ago.”
“More like one or two minutes ago, Miss Candace Alicia Parsons.”
He walked over to her and pulled out a business card. “Give me a call when you get the chance,” he said.
Candace took the card and studied it, and then she looked up and said, “You’re an attorney?”
Quincy didn’t say a word. The bus had arrived, and all he did was wink at her as he hopped on.
Oh, my life is getting more interesting by the minute, she thought. She and her kids boarded the bus, and headed to McDonald’s; for the first real meal they’d had in weeks.
