As The Negro Turns (Part 3)

"So nigga are you going to say something or just stand there and look stupid?"

The condom was staring at me, mocking me even. Looking at me as if to say "Yeah boy, we got your a** now!"

I immediately went into battle cat mode. If I was going to go down, I was going to go down with one hell of a fight. I leaned my back against the wall, crossed my arms, and began chuckling to myself.

"Is something funny?" Pam said while throwing the condom to the ground.

"Yes it is actually," I said with all the swagger I could muster.

"What is funny is I would love to know where it came from too! I mean, there are only two people with keys to my apartment, my brother and you. Now, my grandfather used to say that he may not be able to read the writing or write the reading….but daggonit, he could add! With this situation, two plus two does not equal four!"

What in the hell are you talking about Jaden? Man, talk about just babbling. I am trying to buy myself sometime but with these words I am spitting out, hell, I wouldn't believe me! Well I am in too deep now, might as well play this out.

"Just what are you trying to say to me Jaden?" Pam said with what seemed to be a signature black woman head roll.

"What I am saying is this," I said as I began to take small steps walking around her in a circle.

"I am saying that I know what I have or have not been doing, and that my brother hasn't been over here; however you stayed here the entire week before I got back in town on Friday. It's only Monday, how do I know it's not yours?"

"What? Nigga you must have lost your mind!" Pam said outraged.

Whispering in her ear from behind her I said "Oh no woman, I very well know where my mind is. What I don't know is, is where was my woman or who she had up in here when I was gone!"

Lord you are trippin' now. We know it is ours and you have went into accusation mode of this innocent woman. You should be ashamed of yourself.

My personal version of Jiminy Cricket, my conscious, was eating me up about what I was doing to Pam. I know its foul, but right now, it's either get down or lay down. Trust me when I tell you, that I am not about to lay down.

Pam stood in silence.

"Answer me Pam!" I said with a little more bass to my voice.

"I mean I had some friends over but it was nothing like that?"

"Male friends?" I said in an accusatory tone.

"No baby, not at all. It was just some of the girls. You know Tee-Tee, Maria, and Tay." Pam said turning around to face me in an attempt to calm me down.

"Woman you had Tay in my house? You know I can not stand that girl!" I said with my fake attitude. I will say this, if the Academy Award committee could see this performance, I would get the Best Actor in an urban drama award hands down!

"I'm sorry baby and I apologize for having her here." Pam said while trying to reach out for me.

I gently pushed her hands back from me and began pacing the floor.

"That still does not explain where the condom came from because it damn sure ain't mine, and I take it that you are standing here claiming it isn't yours?"

"That's right baby. It isn't mine. I wouldn't do anything like that to you Jay. You know that. Wait, are you sure your brother didn't come by here? He has been known to bring women in here before."

I stopped pacing as if to ponder her statement before I appeared to have an epiphany.

"You know what, you are right! I bet he did because I was working late on Saturday and I bet that's when he came in here. I am going to curse him out."

"Now baby don't take it that far, he is still your brother." Pam said while walking up behind me and rubbing my shoulders.

"Naw baby I am sick of this. I mean look at what his actions almost caused? He almost caused a whole bunch of unnecessary confusion between me and you and I am not having that!" I said as I marched over to my bed and sat down forcefully.

Pam made her way to the bed, sat beside me, and put her hands on my face.

"Baby I am so sorry. I shouldn't have even come at you like that. I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I have just been lonely, I have been stressed at work, and I guess everything just came to a head."

Pam then leaned in and gave me a slow, sensual kiss.

"You forgive me?" She said smiling.

"Depends…" I said looking her up and down. "How well do you think you can dance in those heels?"

Pam slightly smiled, nodded her head, stood up, and walked over to the stereo. She turned on some random slow song and began moving her body slowly and sensually.

Watching her dance, I could see the condom on the floor behind her and I never have felt as low as I did right then.


Driving in my car the next day, all I could do was think about the night before. I mean good Lord, Pam has never put it down like that before. I guess that was her way of saying she was sorry and boy did I get the message. My pleasant thoughts of Pam and the many wonderful things she did to my body were soon interrupted by my cell phone vibrating in my lap. It was Keith, my brother. I looked down at it, rolled my eyes, and answered the phone.

"Yeah?"

"Yo, how long before you get to mom's house?"

"I will be there in less than 5 minutes why?"

"Because this will be the first time Janice has had a chance to actually sit down with our family since we have been engaged and you know mom hasn't really had a chance to grill her yet. I need you there to play wingman, for support ya know?"

I haven't heard my brother this nervous in a long time.

"Jaden you there?"

"Yeah I'm here. Look don't worry, I got you."

"Cool, I will see you when I get there. I should get there right after you. See you in a few."

I hung up with my brother as soon as I turned into the driveway. I got out the car and knocked on the door. My mom came to door the irritated.

"Why didn't you just use your key?" She said as she scurried off back into the kitchen.

"Because its not my house mom and hello to you too!" I said laughing.

"I'm sorry Jaden." My mom hollered from the kitchen. "It's just that I am trying to finish up this dinner before your brother and that woman get here."

"That woman is now his fiancé so it seems like you should try to make nice with her. "

"Well I have only met the girl a couple of times and every time she was around, she acted like she didn't have anything to say. Jaden you know I don't trust those sneaky quiet ones."

I laughed at my mom as I sat down in the living room. I grabbed the remote, turned on the tv, and continued our conversation yelling back and forth between living room and kitchen.

"So because this girl is not chatty Kathy, she is now plotting on your son?"

My mother exited the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron.

"Exactly!" She said pointing at me. "I just don't trust that girl Jaden. Now if she was more like Pam…"

I instantly sunk down into the chair because I knew where this was headed. Every chance my mother got, she berated me about why I haven't made an honest woman of Pam yet and how I wouldn't find another woman like Pam in a million years.

The only thing that stopped my mother's little tirade was the sound of Keith's horn as he pulled up. My mother instantly dashed to the window.

"Oh Lord the pies still aren't done yet. Jaden let them in as I try to finish up in here." She said as she scurried back into the kitchen.

I got up from my comfortable spot on the couch to open the door for Keith and Janice. When they entered, Janice came in first followed by her soon to be husband.

"Hey Jay. It's good to see you" Janice said as she gave me a hug.

"Good to see you to Mrs. Sasser." I said jokingly.

"Where is mom?" Keith said anxiously.

"Calm down negro she is in the kitchen. Why are you trippin? You alright?"

Keith was obviously sweating how this dinner was going to turn out. Keith was always the type of person where other people's opinion of him mattered. Not me. I was never on that time. I always thought that what you thought about me was your business….not mine.

As Keith, Janice, and I made our way into the living room, I screamed out to the kitchen "Mom, they're here!"

My mother came to the edge of the doorway and stood. Keith stepped around Janice to re introduce her to my mother.

Grabbing Janice by the hand Keith smiled and said "Mom, you remember Janice right?"

"How can I forget her Keith, you are engaged to her aren't you?" my mother snapped.

"Hi Mrs. Sasser, it is a pleasure as always" Janice said as she stuck out her hand to my mom. My mother however, being extremely catty, did not shake her hand.

"Forgive me if I don't shake your hand. Cooking and all. You understand don't you?"

"Sure" Janice said quietly. I gave my mother a look as if to say "stop it!" She shrugged her shoulders like a child who did nothing wrong.

"Yall go ahead and sit to the table, dinner is ready."

We all sat down to the table and were joined by my mother's on again – off again boyfriend Rufus. I decided to check some of my work emails from my blackberry before dinner, but my mother caught me and slightly hit me in the back of the head.

"What did I tell you about having that thing at the dinner table? No work here. Give me that thing."

"No way mom, do you know what happened the last time you held one of my phones? You accidentally dumped it out of your apron into the gravy. This is a $400 phone. No maam."

My mother put her hands on her hip and instantly had an attitude.

"Jaden you are going to give me that phone!"

"I can hold it for him Mrs. Sasser." Janice interjected.

My mother looked at her as if she had lost all good sense for interrupting a conversation between her and I. I decided I should say something before my mother read this girl the riot act.

"Great. Cool. Janice can hold the phone. Is that better?"

My mother gave me a look as if to say "don't play with me boy" and continued to sit down and began to say the blessing over the food.

While saying the blessing, we could hear my phone vibrating on the mahogany table. My mother continued the grace in a stern tone, a clear sign that she was irritated by the phone vibrating. When the grace was said and done, my phone was still vibrating.

"Janice can you tell that boy who it is calling him so he can get that phone to stop making all that damn noise!" My mother said angrily.

"Sure. Jaden the number is 976-1772."

Janice paused for a second and then looked back down at the phone.

"I know that number." Janice said with a confused look. "That's my mom's cell phone number. How do you know my mother?"

I was sipping on some of my mother's famous Lemonade/Ice Tea mix when I jokingly answered Janice.

"I don't know, who is your mom? Mrs. Jackson?" I said laughing referring to Janice's last name.

"Well it used to be Jackson until she got remarried, it is Jacobs now. Sheila Jacobs."

I spit that drink out as far as I could.

"What?" I said surprised.

My brother instantly turned to me, leaned in with a puzzled look and asked "How in the hell do you know Sheila, Jaden?"

As I looked around the table, everyone was giving me the exact same look. It seemed to be a mixture of confusion and disgust.

I just sort of smiled, shrugged my shoulders, and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Turkey anyone?" I said trying to ease the tension, but alas, it didn't work.

"We're waiting..." My mother said sternly.

Ahhhhh hell. I knew I should have just wrapped up some food and gone the hell on home!