Page 2 of Jagged Edges

See you in a few.

This time, my decision to shut my camper down was for a different reason. One that brought a bit of joy to my soul and pumped my insides with glee. Had it been anyone else,I would’ve ignored their text and carried on with my nightly routine. But, it wasanythingfor Melonie and vice versa.

In under four minutes, my headlights were beaming and I was pulling off the mound where the campers were stationed and headed to Edgewood. It was a 35-minute drive from the Hills, but I had every intention of shortening it by ten minutes. Checking the time on my cell, I noted that I was already twenty minutes late. The celebration was set to last for four hours so that in itself was a blessing.

Getting a ticket wasn’t in my deck of cards, so I was mindful of that as I pushed the pedal of my 1975 camper to the floor. Under the city lights, I cruised, praying that Melonie wasn’t overwhelmed with the demands of the guest or her mother. Mrs. Frank could be a handful, but she meant well. She was a diva in every sense of the word, and she’d passed it right on down to her baby girl.

Like me, Melonie was an only child. In fact, her parents hadn’t planned on having any children. Melonie fought through birth control to make it to planet Earth and her mother reminded her of it every chance she got. While my mother was resentful of my birth, Mrs. Frank was grateful for Melonie’s. She often spoke about how Melonie had given her and her husband new meanings.

As I crept into Edgewood, home of the middle and upper class, I slowed the speed of my van to match those of the neighborhood streets. Four minutes after exiting the expressway, I was turning onto the Frank’s street and searching for parking near. Luck was nonexistent in my world, so I wasn’t surprised when I was forced to park nearly a block over.

Open the back door.

I texted Melonie as I approached. With a small overnight bag in hand, I waited at the door that led to the part of the house that received the least foot traffic and that I was sure guests weren’tcoming. They were all toward the front of the house and hanging out on the enormous wrap-around porch that I loved so much.

“Finally!” Melonie hugged my neck, suffocating me, almost.

“It’s riddled with people,” I acknowledged.

“You know mom. Go big or don’t go at all. It’s over forty people here. I was expecting twenty-five, thirty at best,” Melonie whined, leading me through the house as if I wasn’t familiar with it already.

My silence caused a halting in her stride as she turned to confirm, “This is okay, right?”

Anxiety. She knew about it, too. What others couldn’t understand about the mentally and emotionally handicapping condition, Melonie did. I was appreciative of her consideration before tossing me to the wolves.

“It’s going to have to be, Mel. Do you think I’d hear the last of Mrs. Frank if I didn’t at least show my face a few times before the night is out?”

Both of our heads nodded, knowingly. Trinity Frank would have both of our heads. She’d swear Melonie was an awful friend for not reminding me and she’d swear I was an awful friend of the family for not celebrating one of the best days of their lives with them. Yes, she felt like she was the best thing that happened to the Frank family. Sometimes, I’d have to agree.

“You know what… you’re right, babe. I’m going to head back out front. Once you’re finished, just come find me. Put your stuff in the basement. That’s where you’ll end the night.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I responded, sarcastically.

“Goodbye, Brisk,” Melonie rolled her eyes with a chuckle and disappeared into thin air.

Two

The hustle,bustle, and intrusiveness of the airport was uncomfortable and unnecessary. Invasive and too fucking time-consuming to say the least. Those reasons amongst others were why I avoided the catastrophe at all cost. However, the occasion at hand was well worth the hassle and discomfort.

Stepping out of Channing International, I shielded the sun with the brim of the hat that I pulled onto my head.Home. It didn’t matter what city I resided or what country I vacationed in for months at a time, Channing would always be home for me. It held my heart captive, no matter the distance between us. Though I hadn’t gotten to visit as often as I wanted in the last eight years of my life, that shit was about to change.

The red beamer with the obnoxious music and plates that readCASHwas impossible to miss. So was the weed smoke trailing from the driver’s window. I stalked toward the rear of the SUV to close it. I hadn’t brought any bags. Never did. That was just more reason for the hassle in the airports and anything I could do to minimize that, I did. It often included traveling empty-handed or with a carry-on that housed my valuable necessities. Never large luggage or checked baggage.

Tap. Tap.

Before pulling the door open, I startled the driver who was knee-deep in her phone and unaware of her surroundings. I’d warned her about that several times before, but she was as hard-headed as they came. That was obvious by the tags that I’d suggested she got rid of long ago. It could be hazardous, someone knowing who you are wherever you are.

“Belloooooo!” Cash squealed with excitement after noticing me on her passenger side.

“Stuck in that phone, huh? I could’ve been one of them niggas you’ve finessed or one of the bitches you’ve beat about the niggas you’ve finessed.”

“But, you’re not and they know what’s up with me,” Cash poked at her chest with the long, flamboyant nails that looked like they made it hard for her to function on a daily basis, “And, besides, they don’t want to meet their maker any time soon, so they know to lay low.”

“Ummm. Hmmm.”

“You’re always so uptight. Here,” she attempted to pass me the blunt she was enjoying a little too much, “hit this a loosen up a bit.”

Gently, I shoved her hand back in the opposite direction and reminded her, “I don’t smoke, Cash. Never have. Save yourself the energy and quit trying to make me start.”

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