Page 15 of Saved By A Small Town Country Boy
It didn’t take us long to make it to Zion Hill Baptist Church. When I pulled into the parking lot, people were already crowding into the church. I peeped Pops’ white Cadillac Escalade parked not too far from the door and already knew they were inside, probably sitting on their pews, waiting for Khali to get here. We weren’t late, but we weren’t on time either, and Ma hated it whenever we weren’t on time. That woman likes to be on time for everything.
“Grandma!” Khali yelled soon as her lil feet touched the ground. She ran toward the front steps of the church before I was even able to turn ’round and stop her. One thing she knew was that she didn’t play in no parking lot like that out in public. People couldn’t drive for shit, and I’d hate to have to shoot one of these mufuckas, but I definitely would.
Shutting the door, I spun on my heels and trudged over to where they stood. “I’ll be back to get her after service.”
“Well, you know that you can just come in here with us.” Ma pursed her lips as she gazed up at me. This woman stood every bit of five four. She was slender, but damn sure didn’t eat like she was, nor did she cook like it either. Ma could cook like the best of ’em, which is why she owned the best diner in the town—The Front Porch Café. Everybody in Magnolia Falls loves my mama’s cooking. Simone used to be hooked on it when she was alive. She’d spend so much time over there with Ma, trying her best to learn all of my favorite dishes so she’d be able to cook ’em for me. It wasn’t anything that woman wouldn’t do for me or my love.
“You already know how I feel ’bout that.” Leaning down, I pecked Khali on the center of her forehead. Ma mugged me when I straightened my posture.
“Did you really have to bring that up here?” If her skin wasn’t so rich, one would be able to see the redness from the anger that washed over her facial features.
“You know I don’t leave the house without it.” I kept my gun on me at all times—it’s for protection. One never knew what was gon’ happen once they left the house. Shit, I have several hidden ’round the house everywhere. Khali was familiar with a gun ’cause I taught her how to handle it for just in case purposes. This was nothing new, yet Ma always made a fuss ’bout it whenever she saw me.
“I’ll be back for her after service,” I made known again.
“You can just meet us back at the house. C’mon, Khali, baby.” Ma craned her arm ’round Khali’s neck and walked her up the steps of the church. I stood there ’til they were safely inside before turning to leave. Soon as I turned, I bumped right into someone. Out of instinct, I caught her by the back before she could hit the ground.
Remedi. The vanilla notes of her perfume wrapped ’round me. Her gaze sank into mine as I held her close, and my heart beat a soft melody against my chest. Her plump lips slightly parted, but nothing escaped from ’em. I positioned her upright and released her from my grasp. She stood there, looking like a goddess in this white, ankle-length skirt trimmed in black and the matching shirt that showed the lower half of her flat stomach. Tilting my hat at her, I maneuvered ’round and headed for my truck.
That afternoon
“I don’t understand why you just won’t hire Remedi to take care of all the animals,” Dallas said as she tossed out scraps for the pigs that were near her house. I’d stopped by there to check in on her since Ma said she didn’t come to church, and I hadn’t picked up anything from her on the cameras. Turns out, she was just chilling in the house, not wanting to be bothered for the day. I’on blame her. Sometimes I don’t be wanting to be civilized either.
“Do y’all really not realize that this girl is only here temporarily? She’s eventually gon’ go back home.”
“How about you give her a reason to stay?” Stopping, she stood there with the bucket hanging in one hand and her other resting on her right hip. Her brow arched upward toward herhairline. I don’t care how sternly she stares at me, that’s not gon’ make me ask Remedi out on a date. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Remedi’s sole purpose was to be here for me.
“No thanks.”
“Khalif, you’re my brother, and I love you to death, but I really think it’s time for you to move on from Simone’s death. She’d want you to find someone new and fall in love again. I’m sure that she wouldn’t want you to grieve her death for the rest of your life and be alone. That lil girl needs a mother. I’m not saying for you to replace her, but she needs someone, and so do you.” With that being said, she brushed past me out of the barn with the bucket in her hand. I’m not gon’ lie, Dallas is right. Eventually, I plan on moving on, but I’m just not sure if I’m ready right now.
Exiting the barn, I stepped to my truck and hopped inside. Dallas was supposed to be going over to our parents’ house for dinner with me. She may have gotten away with not going to church, but if she didn’t show up for dinner, Ma was gon’ personally hunt her down and drag her ass there herself.
As I sat there in my truck, I thought ’bout when I ran into Remedi earlier and how beautiful she looked. It was a bit hard to resist her. A good-looking woman like herself, she’s smart as fuck… has to be to be a veterinarian. I know it’s not hard for her to find a man. I ain’t saying that there’s anything wrong with me, but I don’t think we have common interests to even think ’bout pursuing anything. We were from two totally different sides of the tracks. I’on even think that she’d be able to keep up with my lifestyle.
“I’m ready,” Dallas said when she pulled the truck door open and removed me from my thoughts. Hopping inside, she shut the door behind her, and I pulled out of the driveway.
Our parents’ house wasn’t too far from our home. We made certain that we didn’t stay too far away. It was important that wewere close enough ’cause I wanted Khali to have access to her grandparents whenever she needed ’em. When I was growing up, both of my grandparents were dead. They’d died years apart, both from cancer. I never knew what it felt like to have grandparents. That’s something I didn’t want for Khali.
Turning into my parents’ driveway, I drove down toward the house and noticed Remedi’s truck parked. “What’s she doing here?” I asked out loud. It was supposed to be a thought that remained in my mind.
“I don’t know. Let’s find out.” Dallas beamed a smile at me before gripping the door handle and getting out. I followed closely behind her up to the front door. We entered the house, not even having to use a key ’cause our parents knew we were on our way and didn’t bother to lock the door as always. I’m not certain why they did that. I’ve said numerous times that anyone can just walk up into their house at any given time. Ma still lives in a fantasy that people weren’t crazy enough to do that. Of course, they weren’t in Magnolia Falls, but that doesn’t mean that someone wouldn’t try it.
Everyone from Magnolia Falls knew who my family was and wouldn’t dare fuck with anyone in my bloodline. They knew I didn’t play ’bout my family, and that’s the quickest way for me to crash the fuck out.
Coming back to reality, I saw Remedi and Khali sitting at the kitchen table exchanging snickers. I’m not sure how they pulled it off for Remedi to be sitting in my parents’ house right now. Ma didn’t fuck with strangers too often—she has a trust thing. Khali had to have begged her to allow Remedi to come over for dinner.
“There’s my baby boy,” Ma spoke, gaining my attention. She stood over by the stainless-steel stove with a pan in her hand. “Y’all can wash up. Dinner is already done.”
Remedi glanced up at me, and her face turned red as tomato paste. I’m not even sure why. She knew this was my parents’ house, so of course I was bound to show up here.
I went over to the sink and washed my hands. “You missed a good service today, son,” Pops said when he entered the kitchen. I was the spitting image of my pops. We stood ’bout the same height, almost the same complexion—I was just a couple shades darker. The only difference between us was the fact that I had a beard and he didn’t.
“You sure did, Daddy,” of course, Khali had to add to it.
“Can you remove that hat before sitting at my table?” Ma questioned me when I reached for a paper towel to dry my hands. She of all people knew that I didn’t sit down at no dinner table with a hat on my head.
Taking off the hat, I slid it onto the counter closest to the door and went over to the table to sit down.
