Authors: Monique Miller
The Marrying Kind (15 page)
Chapter 20
Travis stuck true to the word he'd made to himself about his life checklist. When it came to his finances, he now knew where each and every cent he spent was going; from the money he spent the few times he allowed himself to splurge and get a soda from the drink machine, to the money he spent to send the clothing he'd borrowed of Brent's to the dry cleaner.
Ever since he had decided to let Jade go ahead on her merry way, Travis had stopped wearing his friend's clothing. He had also ceased sleeping in the other man's bed. It was bad enough he'd eaten most of the man's food in the freezer, but he had to stop taking even more advantage of the guy.
Monday through Friday, Travis worked hard and on Saturday and Sunday, he rested. But he still made sure to mow the grass every other week on Saturdays. On Sundays he made sure to make it to at least one of the church services. He had pretty much ceased doing double services after he and Marla stopped speaking anyway.
He had seen Marla a couple of times, but he had only spoken to her once. At first he thought she had been avoiding him, but she dispelled that thought when she told him she'd been sick with a touch of the flu and had missed a couple of Sunday services. He took that small opportunity of speaking with her to tell her what had been weighing on his mind about the double services he'd been attending and how he wasn't the man of God she thought he was.
She surprised him by saying that she already knew about the game he had been playing. While she was at home sick with the flu Marla had viewed some of the older broadcasts of the services online. It was then that she realized that there were eight o'clock services during which Travis appeared in the congregation. When she looked at the dates she knew that on those same Sundays they had attended the second service together. And that was when she started putting two and two together.
It was at that point that she bid him a good day. Travis had no choice but to do the same and he did so with the utmost sincerity. She was a good woman and he prayed she would find her Mr. Godly and Right, someday.
One afternoon while eating his lunch on his lunch break at work, Travis got a phone call that seemed to come out of the blue. He'd almost choked on his sandwich when he saw Beryl's name on the caller display.
“Hello,” Travis said.
“Hey, Travis. It's Beryl.”
“Don't you think I know your voice by now?” Travis said.
“I know, but I don't talk to you that often so I just figured I'd state what would normally be obvious.”
“So what's going on?” Travis asked. “How have you been? How are the boys?”
Beryl chuckled.
“What's so funny?” Travis asked.
“You're funny.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You don't call for weeks; then you finally call and when I call back you're Mr. Twenty Questions. It's just funny to me.”
“What the heck are you talking about? I have been calling you. I've left messages and everything ever since I saw you all at the mall.”
“Okay, Travis, whatever,” Beryl said.
“Okay, whatever nothing,” Travis said. He knew the volume of his voice was escalating, so he got up and walked outside so that others would not hear his conversation.
“You know how you like to exaggerate and embellish the truth,” Beryl said. “I got one message from you yesterday and I am calling you back. I mean it hasn't been more than twenty-four hours.”
Travis wondered why Beryl was lying straight through her teeth. He wondered if that new guy she was seeing was being a negative influence on her. He took a deep breath. “Look, I don't want to argue. I just want to know how the boys are doing and set up some time when I can see them, plain and simple.”
“You can see the boys, Travis. No one is trying to keep you away from them. You made the decision to fall off of the face of the earth, remember,” Beryl said.
For some reason he felt like Beryl was trying to bait him into an argument. He heard a click that sounded like maybe Beryl had a call on the other line.
“Hold on a second, Travis,” Beryl said without waiting for him to respond. She clicked over to her other call. When she came back she said. “Okay, so when do you want to see the boys?”
“I am off on Saturdays and Sundays. So would it be possible to get them on Saturday and then I can get them back to you on Sunday?”
“Oh so you are working again now? I got the notice from the child support office that you were no longer working.”
“Yes, I am working now. I have a good and steady job with good benefits,” Travis said.
“How long are you going to keep this one?”
“For a very long time.”
“Humph, we'll see,” Beryl said. The sound of her voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Look, I am working on some things in my life right now, and that is all I am going to say about that. So what about me being able to get the boys?” Travis said. There was no use in trying to tell Beryl all the strides he'd made and was currently making. She didn't want to hear his talk; she would want to see his walk. He'd have to show her what he was doing so that she would be able to see how far he'd come and how far he intended on continuing to go.
“I don't know about that, Travis. It's been awhile since you've seen them. Jayden still gets a little clingy around other people,” Beryl said.
“Other people?” Travis wondered if he had heard her right. “I am not other people, I am his father.”
My son seemed to be clinging just fine to Urkel,
Travis thought.
My son seemed to be clinging just fine to Urkel,
Travis thought.
“Yeah, a father who has not been actively in the boy's life for well over a year now,” Beryl said.
“I know that, Beryl. Don't try to rub it in my face,” Travis said.
Again Travis heard what sounded like Beryl's other line. She said, “Hold on again a second.” And with that she clicked over to answer her other call.
Travis knew that it was about time for his break to be over.
As soon as she clicked back over he said, “Could you please stay on the phone long enough to answer my question? It seems like you are pretty popular,” Travis said, referring to her double, almost back-to-back phone calls on the other line.
“That was Darrin and it doesn't matter if he calls two times or ten, I'll click over each time.”
“Oh wow, homeboy's got it like that, with his Urkel-looking self.”
“Really now. Are you going to resort to name calling?”
“I mean really, what is so important that the guy has got to call you twice in the time span of three minutes?” Travis asked.
“None of your business,” Beryl said. “And you have no reason to call my fiancé names. He hasn't done a thing to you.”
“I don't like him,” Travis said.
“You don't have one valid reason not to like him,” Beryl said.
“He's not your type and besides he's funny looking. That is reason enough not to like him.”
“Oh, please, Travis. You don't know what my type is. Please go get a life, a hobby, a woman, something, and focus on it.”
“Tried that, tried that, and tried that too,” Travis said.
“Oh please,” Beryl said.
Travis could just imagine her as she was probably rolling her eyes at him through the phone.
“What if I told you I tried all those things and came to the realization that you are the only woman for me?”
There was silence for a moment; then Beryl said, “You really have lost your ever-lovin' mind.”
Again he heard Beryl's line click. “Hold on.”
When she returned she said, “Look, I've got to go. I'll think about letting the boys stay with you this weekend. I'll let you know.”
“Beryl,” Travis said.
She cut him off before he could say anything else. “As for all that other stuff you were just mumbling about, forget it. I am a happy woman who has a caring and attentive man, who is seeing to all my needs.” She let out a huff. “I'll call you tomorrow to let you know what I've decided.”
“Beryl, don't keep me waiting. I want to see my boys,” Travis said.
“I won't, Travis. Unlike you I tell the truth and keep my promises.” And with that Beryl clicked the phone to end the call.
Travis had to take a moment before returning to work. Beryl was hitting below the belt. She had never been that way when they were together. He wondered if it had something to do with Darrin, the man who sounded like he was taking care of all of Beryl's needs, so much that she could be taunting and callous in the comments she made. It was as if she were a completely different woman from the one he'd been married to.
He had to shake it off and get back to work. He had to focus on work and his mission at hand. There was no way he was going to let a few choice words from Beryl deter him from his goal. When he told her he wanted her back, she had paused. He didn't think it was a pause due to a lack of words, but a pause because for a millisecond she too might have been thinking about the possibility of their being together again. If what he was thinking was true and there was a millisecond of hope, then it was better than nothing. And where there was a will, there most certainly had to be a way.
Chapter 21
True to her word, Beryl called Travis the next day. She told him she didn't feel comfortable with letting the boys stay with him all weekend. And as she started to talk about not really being comfortable with even letting the boys visit him for a couple of hours, Travis had cut Beryl off and told her that he had some money for her and the boys.
She agreed to meet with him the day after so that he could give her the money. She also agreed to talk with him more about the possibility of the boys being able to come visit him.
In addition to being able to account for where all of his money was going, Travis had been able to put money aside for Beryl for child support, put aside money for housing and a car fund, and he was even able to pay his tithes each paycheck. The budgeting was working and in the end he was in the black instead of in the red. He saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Now that he was seeing light, he knew he needed to move on through the tunnel and get his wife back. Time was running out.
Travis sat, ironically enough, on a bench in front of the Piccadilly where he'd last had lunch with Marla. Beryl had agreed to meet him at one o'clock and she was now officially ten minutes late. As the minutes ticked by he wondered if she was actually going to stand him up. The old Beryl he knew would have been prompt, but the new Beryl had been acting pretty strange.
Finally at 1:20, Beryl came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey.”
Travis turned around. “Oh, I thought you would be coming in the front door.”
She was wearing sunglasses and a scarf over her head. “I parked on the other side of the mall,” Beryl said. She continued to stand and look around as if she wanted to get their meeting over with.
“Have a seat for a second at least,” Travis said.
“No.” She was abrupt when she said this.
“Well okay then. I know you are in a rush and everything but at least tell me you've thought more about the boys coming to visit me.”
Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at it. She let it ring three times before answering it.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Beryl said. “Yeah, I was trying to get to it. You know I don't like to talk on the phone while I am driving without my hands-free device.” She paused. “Yeah, I pulled over.” She paused again. “Yeah, I'm at the mall.” Then Beryl looked around. “I'm going to run into Belk and pick up some lipstick; then I'll be on my way home.” Beryl paused again. “Yes, I'll be straight home after that.” She nodded her head. “Love you too, babe. Bye.” The whole while she spoke she kept the glasses on and her back to the front entrance of the mall.
Travis cocked his head. “What was that all about?”
“Are you thirsty? I am,” Beryl said. She looked toward the Piccadilly Restaurant. “Why don't we get something to drink?”
Without waiting for a response from Travis, Beryl started walking to the entrance of the restaurant. Travis stood and followed her. They each got a drink and then Beryl found a seat in the back of the restaurant far from the windows.
When she sat it seemed to Travis as though she let out a sigh of relief. Finally she removed the shades and scarf. And then she looked at her watch.
“Beryl,” Travis said. “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”
“Okay, the boys can come visit you. Just let me know where you want to meet me. How is next Saturday?”
“Saturday is fine. How long?”
“They can stay until Sunday,” Beryl said.
Beryl's phone rang again. She looked down at it and didn't pick it up this time. She put it back in her purse.
Travis was getting more of a distinct feeling that something was going on. “Don't you need to pick that up?” he asked, fishing for an answer.
“No.” Beryl stood to leave. “I'll call you back to set up a place to meet with the boys.”
Travis stood too and held her arm. “Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Here.” Travis handed her three envelopes.
Beryl looked at the envelopes as if they were something foreign. “What is this?”
“One is for Cameron, one is for Jayden, and the last one is for you,” Travis said. He had purchased a card for each of them. And inside Beryl's card he'd written her a message and placed some money in it for her. It wasn't enough to call it full child support, but it was a start. He wanted to show her that he could be a man of his word and that he didn't need some other man taking care of his children.
“Please give the boys their cards and you can open yours later,” Travis said.
“You shouldn't have done this.” She stuffed the envelopes in her purse and looked around.
“What's the matter, Beryl?”
She stopped. “Nothing is wrong. Nothing really.” She forced a smile.
“I know you better than that,” Travis said.
“Look, Travis. Everything is fine. Now I've got to get going.” She pulled away from him and walked to the front of the restaurant to exit it. As she walked she put her shades back on and the scarf over her head.
Before she could get completely out of earshot Travis yelled out, “Don't forget to pick up your lipstick.”
He sat back down and sipped his Pepsi for a few more minutes. Something wasn't right. The smiling-faced Beryl he'd seen the last couple of times was now replaced with a face he'd never seen before. With him she was always angry, but that wasn't the face she was portraying just now. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew something just wasn't right.
He bowed his head to pray. “Dear Lord. I am coming to you in prayer this afternoon, standing in the gap for Beryl. Lord, I don't know what is going on but there is something wrong. I can feel it. I see fear and confusion in Beryl's eyes. Please, Lord, protect Beryl and my sons. Keep them from all hurt, harm, and danger. I pray this in your son Jesus' name. Amen.”
Travis got up from the table paid the bill for the two sodas he and Beryl drank and headed out of the mall. Thoughts of Beryl's actions weighed heavy on his mind. He decided to go by one of the office buildings he normally cleaned to check and see if anyone had come in earlier that day to work. Sometimes people would work on Saturdays and leave trash in the bins. He'd once gotten a complaint from someone stating that he had not cleaned the building, but the person who actually came in to work that Saturday had gotten the whole matter straight.
But it still bothered him because he didn't want another mishap like that to happen again. His night janitorial job worked perfectly with his day job and he wanted to make sure things kept working well for him.
After leaving the office building Travis stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food for the next day and upcoming week. After he confirmed that his boys would be coming that next Saturday, he'd make another trip to pick up some things they might like to eat.
On his way out of the grocery store he passed the lottery ticket machine. He contemplated buying a scratch-off but thought better of it. When he got outside he changed his mind again. He hadn't splurged any of his money in weeks, nor had he done anything for recreation for himself. So he decided to buy a couple of scratch-off tickets.
While riding on the bus he took out a coin and scratched off the numbers of each of the scratch-off tickets. First he scratched off the top numbers on each card and then he scratched off the bottom numbers, only revealing the numbers. He figured there was no reason to reveal the prize amounts, especially if he didn't win anything.
On both cards he had two numbers that matched top and bottom. He revealed the winning prize on the first card and found that he had won a whopping five dollars. At least he had gotten half his money back for the ten-dollar purchase he had made. When he scratched off the winning prize for the second card, Travis stared at it in disbelief.
Then he looked around trying to make sure no one else was watching him. When he saw that no one else on the bus was paying him any attention, he looked closely back at the card again. He had just won $15,000.
Travis called in to work as soon as he woke up to tell Kevin he needed the day off. When the lottery office opened he was standing in front of it. He presented his ticket, and after a couple of hours of doing paperwork and the deductions taken for taxes, back taxes, and the back child support he owed, he left the lottery office with a check for $8,945.25.
All weekend he had thought and pondered about what he could do with the money and how the money would be best spent. And, in the end, Travis knew that he needed transportation more than anything else. By his calculations he could take the $15,000 along with the money he had already put aside in his savings and he would be able to get a nice car and be able to go ahead and start paying for the auto insurance.
With a car that was paid for free and clear, he wouldn't have to worry about car payments and finance charges. That money could be funneled somewhere else, like to pay for housing as well as many of the other necessities. When he had found out that his $15,000 would be cut down he wasn't pleased, but knew that the back tax situation he'd had looming over his head and the back child support were now taken care of. He could start those two areas of his life on a clean slate.
With his check in hand he pulled out the business card that Phillip Tomlinson had given him.
Phillip answered on the first ring. “Hello, this is Phillip.”
“Hi, Phillip. This is Travis Highgate.”
“Travis, hey, man. How's it going?”
“Pretty good, I can't complain right now.” Travis subconsciously patted the wallet in his pocket.
“Is anything wrong?” Phillip asked with concern.
“No, nothing is wrong. Quite a bit has happened since the last time you and I spoke.”
“Oh really?” Phillip asked.
“Yes, and all on a positive front,” Travis said. “But first and foremost, this is not just a social call.”
“Oh, no?”
“Nope. I am calling because I am in the market to buy a car.”
“Oh, you are? Well I am the man who can help you in that department, that's for sure.”
“Great, I knew you could.”
“How soon are you looking to get one and when do you want to come by to see what we have?”
“How about now?” Travis asked.
“You want to come by now and see what we have?” Phillip asked.
“Yes, literally. I want to see what you have and I want to buy a car, now.”
“Wow. Okay then. Come on down. I am here all day. I am sure we can find you something.”
“Great, I am on my way,” Travis said. He hung up the phone and caught a bus headed over to Phillip's car dealership. The whole while he rode, he was filled with hopeful anticipation that his days of having the catch the bus would soon end.
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