BOMAW 1-3 (76 page)

"Em hm, and I love you too... now what you want?" Sylvia asked matter of fact.

"Okay... this is the deal, our car's engine is gone, threw a rod. Its gonna cost us five hundred eighty-nine to fix it, plus labor. We kind of got it, almost all of it, but we need two hundred more."

Sylvia sighed, yep... they were definitely getting on a budget.

"Yeah ah'right, I'm coming that way anyway."

"I know, and that's the next thing."

"What's the next thing?" Sylvia asked.

"See, our car is going to be in the shop for a week or more, so we need a car to drive, Shawn already said we could use yours and you can drive his SUV."

"When he say that?!" Sylvia snapped.

"Just a few minutes ago when I called to talk to you. He said you were coming to La Crosse to buy things for the wedding. I told him what was going on with us, and he said you probably wouldn't mind loaning us your car until ours got fixed and you could drive his SUV."

"I know you trippin'! Shawn is too! You know I don't loan my car out!"

"Come on mama, let me get the car. How we gonna get to school and to work?"

"Can't you rent a car?"

"It cost too much. Our insurance is just liability."

"Girl... I don't like driving no body else's car either!"

"Ma... hellooo, he's gonna be your husband... I think its okay for you to drive his vehicle."

"Girl, I'm telling you now... you all better be careful driving my car! And do not... I repeat - DO NOT - let Mundo drive my car! He is too reckless! Do you understand me?!"

"Yes... I already said that to him. So can you come and get me and the boys, because I need to get me something to wear too, and then I can drive you back home."

"Yeah girl!" She clicked off the phone and shook her head. Realizing suddenly that Angela and her daughter were about to meet, and Angela's tendency to speak her mind, something occurred to her. "Um Angela, I need you to do me a favor sweety. This is really important."

"Em hm?" She nodded and mumbled looking to Sylvia to hear what.

"I don't want you to mention that your father and I are going to have a baby to Crystal. I want to tell her, okay... because I need to ummm...shoot - just... do me that favor and let me handle it, okay?"

"Okay. Will she be mad at you?"

"Well, how can I explain this? You see when I was raising her Angela, I insisted upon certain principles and morals. I insisted that she carry herself a certain way that would keep her from looking back on her life with regret. I tried really hard to guard her from making mistakes that would make her feel bad about herself later in life. Like... for instance, I honestly believe that it is better all the way around, for every aspect of ones life, to remain a virgin until you're married."

"Oh." Angela responded.

"You know what a virgin is?" Sylvia asked.

"Someone who hasn't had sex before."

"Yes... exactly. When boys lose their virginity, no one bats an eye. But no matter how far we proceed into a modern world, a woman is still categorized and slotted by how she carries herself. I always told my daughter, to place the value of what she is, really really high, so high, that it would take a special kind of man to reach it. Because the man that could reach it, is deserving of the prize that a woman can only give once in her life. Holding onto ones virginity can be a source of pride, dignity and self-respect. Anyway, because of me drilling that into her head, she might be upset with me, that I'm pregnant and your dad and I aren't married."

"Oh...I see. But - you had sex before Sylvia, you have kids already... so its okay for you."

Sylvia sighed. "No Angela... I don't want you thinking its okay. I should have stood strong and not gotten so caught up with your dad that I lost my conviction. Granted, I wasn't a virgin, but its the principle of the matter." She finished thinking about it.

"So...does that mean, since you're like my mother now, that you want me to stay a virgin too until I'm married?"

"Yes... I would like you to. There's nothing I can do to assure that you will, but I will always be here to talk to. And I would really love it, if you always always talked to me before you made any decisions that will alter your lifestyle for your future. I can't force you to do the right things in life Angela, but I can always hope with all my heart that you will. I promise you this, I will never lie to you. I will always tell you the truth straight up the way it is. The truth is, I should not be pregnant right now. Your father and I should have waited until we were married."

They both fell quiet thinking.

Then Angela said after a few minutes, "I'm glad that you love my daddy so much that you couldn't wait. Because maybe you wouldn't be having a baby now if you did and I want you to have this baby Sylvia - I don't care if its a boy or a girl... as long as we get to keep it."

"Aaah, you are so sweet. But in two years, maybe three, hormones are going to possess you, so... for now, I'm going to enjoy you while I can." Sylvia cooed, stroking her hair. Angela looked up at her strange not at all understanding. Sylvia laughed, "Later, you will understand." Thirty minutes later they pulled into La Crosse and Sylvia went straight to her daughters.

"Oh my goodness look at her! She just like her daddy! Man! Hi again Angela!" Crystal smiled brightly.

Angela was all teeth meeting her "older sister" for the first time. She thought Crystal was beautiful. She was lighter in complexion than Sylvia, a light caramel color, with light brown eyes and braids in her hair to her shoulder blades, she looked a lot like DJ and said it "You look like DJ... my tia Meribel's oldest son."

"I do? Well I can't wait to meet him." She said as Isaac and Darren stared at Angela, she sat on the sofa next to them when Isaac said, "You a kid just like me. I'm almost big as you. Why you wit' my grandma?"

"That's because she lives with me now Isaac, she's my baby now." Sylvia informed him and then pulled Angela to her, hugging her to see what he would do.

"She not no baby...Darren the baby, grandma! She a girl." He corrected her. Crystal and Sylvia laughed at him, "Come on boy put on your shoes so we can go." Crystal ordered. Darren kept leaning forward to look at Angela and then falling back laughing. Victor was in the room sleeping because he had to work nights and Mundo was gone. Mother and daughter talked as Angela got to know Isaac and Darren. In no time at all, it was clear to see that Darren had taken to her and she was eager to carry him around as they all loaded into Sylvia's car, buckling in the car seat and setting off for the shopping they had to do. Crystal talked to Angela getting to know her better and decided that she would take her along when she and Victor took his young brother and sisters to Six Flaggs.

"Girl... you have to get Shawn to agree to that, I don't know about that one. How long you all gonna be gone?" Sylvia asked as they walked the mall with Angela looking on the verge of begging to go with her.

"For two days, it'll be fun for her mama! She don't wanna be staying around yah'll all day everyday! She need to have some fun too you know."

"As if we're not gonna see to her entertainment, I did with you and Mundo didn't I?"

"Yeah but you too old now mama to be doing stuff like that! You ain't gone be going on no rides at Six Flaggs and stuff. So yah'll just have to get use to me coming and getting her on the weekends so she can come and stay with me when we do stuff."

"Oh yes!" Angela eagerly agreed.

Sylvia shook her head, "As I said... you gone have to talk to her daddy about that." She returned as they turned into a jeweller, going to the display case with the wedding sets and rings.

"Hi... can I help you?" The clerk asked.

"Yes... I need a mans wedding band today... I must leave here with it, and it has to be able to fit my thumb loosely, that's his size for his ring finger." Sylvia commanded and the clerk, Angela and Crystal went about selecting Shawn's wedding band. The one all agreed that was the nicest, had to be resized, the clerk promised it would be back in 4 days. Sylvia was a nervous wreck. "There cannot be a delay... this ring must be back and ready to go in four days, or else I don't get to put a ring on my husband's finger and that is just unacceptable!"

"I assure you, it will be ready in four days... that won't be a problem at all." The clerk promised.

"Don't worry mama, I can pick it up for you too, so it'll be fine."

Sylvia was growing more and more nervous as the day drew near. They finished shopping, finding Angela the perfect dress, stockings, under-things and shoes. She also stopped in to one of the salons and had her some bangs cut and her ends trimmed. If that weren't enough, Angela wanted her ears pierced, which Sylvia thought strange that it hadn't been done already, and let her get her ears pierced, telling Angela the first 'No' from her when she asked for two holes in each ear. Crystal found herself an outfit, which Sylvia ended up paying for as well. Four and a half hours later they pulled back up to the house.

Unloading the car, Isaac saw Shawn and lit up like a Christmas tree. "Hey man! How you doin'!"

The greeting sent all of them into laughter as Shawn scooped him up laughing and rubbing his stomach. "I'm straight! What's up with you?" Shawn asked.

"You can ride me on yo' moto'cycle if you want to?!"

"No Isaac - not today, we have to get back!" Crystal informed him helping her mother with her things. Before she left, she told Shawn about her plans in two weeks, asking could she take Angela with them for the two days. Shawn's eyes got big, she could see he was battling with it.

"I promise you, I will be super careful with her. Believe me, I will watch her like a hawk! Believe it or not, I'm probably more protective than my mother, she'll be safe."

"Please daddy please... please let me go... oh please?!"

Shawn looked from Angela to Crystal.

"Let me think about it okay? I mean... two days?"

"Look... I know she's your little girl and you're right for protecting her the way you are, but there is always gonna be a time when you're not going to be there for her. Something can happen to her at school. Something could have happened when she left earlier with my mom. I can reassure you this, I will not let her out of my sight. She will be with two other little girls her age, and one boy, Victors little brother and sisters, and they're good kids, they're mom is like my mom. Anyway... think about it, but if you think too long - you won't do it, because your imagination will kick in with all the what ifs. Its up to you, I gotta go. See you guys later, thank you Shawn and mom for the car... I'll take good care of it. Bye bye Angela, we gone get together lil'sis... don't you worry."

Angela followed her all the way outside helping her get the boys in the car leaving Shawn and Sylvia in the kitchen.

"You know what... I was prepared for everything from the time she was born till now... but it just occurred to me, she's not a baby anymore. She already wants to go off and do things, what the hell am I suppose to do now?" He asked Sylvia.

"What every other parent has to do, get ready to slowly, carefully, gradually...in time... let go. Remember what you told me? Now its your turn to realize it."

That night, they had the talk with Angela, letting her know that her mother had given him custody of her, after she came down from the roof in overwhelming joy, they discussed what they expected from her. Shawn spoke as Sylvia sat by listening as silent support.

"Now I want you to know right now, that what we expect from you is really simple. Obedience. If Sylvia tells you something, you do it. Keep your room clean, help her pick up around here, attend school, set goals for yourself, then reach them. You get home, out of your clothes, grab a snack if you want, and then get on your homework. If you have homework that needs doing on the computer, let me know... I'll connect the laptop for you here on the kitchen table. Sylvia and I have discussed something else as well. You're going to end up with friends, and really good ones. They're welcome to come here and visit as long as you ask first. We don't want them just showing up. I have work to do here as well Sylvia, so you'll have to clear it first so one of us can be in supervision. Spending nights over someone's else's house, no... no... no... firm - set - unyieldingly
no!
That will be until the day you turn eighteen, or maybe seventeen... we'll see. But for now... absolutely not. So don't ever ask. If that friend wants to sleep here, and their parent lets them... that's fine on the weekend if we don't have plans."

Angela stared a moment, sighed and then asked. "What about slumber parties?"

"If its not here... no."

"Well what about at Uncle Derricks, or at Crystal's?"

"Certain family members...yes. Your grandma's - yes. Derricks, yes - Crystal as well, I think that will be fine. But that's it." Shawn was very straight forward and unyielding. Sylvia almost felt sorry for her if it wasn't for the fact that she agreed with all, because the spending nights out was stopped by her. She was the one that gave Shawn all the reasons why she didn't agree with letting her child sleep elsewhere, when she was done - he was behind her one hundred percent.

"Now... in return, what you can expect from us is this. Absolute unconditional love, protection, support, guidance and fun. We will make arrangements to do things together. Often meeting up with Derrick and Meribel, as well Crystal. You'll also have time to spend with your mom. So I think with all things considered, you'll be pretty busy. Now...its your turn, what would you like from us?" Shawn sat back and pulled Sylvia to his side, she leaned there, remaining quiet and waited.