Drama Queen (14 page)

Kayla, Jennifer and Roni shopped well into the evening. By the time they returned to Kayla's townhouse, they found John knocked out on the sofa and Terrell long gone. Kayla and Roni took the bags into the nursery. They cut on the light and smiled when they saw that the room was completely done. Not only had they done the walls and trim, there was a neon moon in the corner and glow in the dark stars had been applied to the ceiling.

“Grandpa and godpimp did a good job,” Roni whispered to Kayla.

“They always do,” she replied and almost cried.

The first few weeks of September went by so fast that the days began to run together. Kayla was standing in front of her closet one afternoon when she heard Terrell blowing his horn. She looked at the clock on her nightstand, making sure she had the correct time. The clock read ten forty. She went to let him in.

“You up yet?” he asked her.

“Naw, I'm still in the bed opening the door,” she retorted. “I don't feel like going to work today. Let's call in.”

“What?”

“Let's call in. I gotta start looking for a car anyway. I'm gonna need one by the time the baby gets here and I got my money saved, plus my trade-in. So, you can help me find a car.”

“You're serious?”

“Yeah, I'm serious. Then we can go to lunch, my treat. We need a mental health day.” She picked up the phone and called their manager, letting him know she would be absent. Then she passed the phone to Terrell who followed suit.

“I think they're gonna put two and two together and see that we're both calling out.”

“Why give us vacation days if you don't want us to take them?” she said. She got dressed and they departed for their day of mental relaxation. They enjoyed test-driving all the latest vehicles, although Kayla knew she couldn't afford them. But by the end of the day, thanks to fast talking Terrell and her nice savings, Kayla was driving a black Maxima.

“Now you gotta get a system and some tint. You already got rims on it. Whoever had it before you took care of that.”

“No, now I gotta get a car seat.” She laughed. “Thanks, Terrell. I appreciate this.”

“No, thank you, Kayla. It was almost enough to make me forget my own drama for a change.” His cell began to ring and he checked it. “Hello. Hey, yeah, I took the day off. Um, sounds good. I'll be there in twenty.” He clicked the phone and put it back on his hip.

“I don't even wanna know. You are so pitiful.”

“Don't hate me 'cause I'm a player. I'll call you later,” he told Kayla as he got in his car. She opened the door of her new ride and he rolled down his window. “That car almost looks good enough for me to push.”

“It doesn't have any tint or rims, jerk.”

“You're right. But you look a'ight in it.” He pumped up his music and drove off.

“You still working everyday?” Karen asked her as she completed her exam.

“Every day.” Kayla tried to sit up. Karen had to reach out and help her. “You okay with that? I mean, you only have a few weeks left. Are you tired?”

“Tired, hungry, exhausted, fat, can't breathe. But if I stay home, I'll be bored. And I wouldn't be able to stand that.” Kayla put her hand on her stomach. “Is being home gonna stop him from doing pull-ups on my ribs?”

“Unfortunately, no. But look at the bright side. It's almost Veteran's Day and by Thanksgiving, he'll be out of there.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. I'll see you next Wednesday.” Karen smiled as Kayla left. When she got home, Craig was waiting in her driveway.

“What did the doctor say?” he asked when she got out of the car.

“She said by Thanksgiving I'll be able to breathe. What are you doing here?”

“Came to check on you, Beautiful. I swear, Kayla, pregnancy agrees with you.”

“Shut up. Where is your wife? And why aren't you at work?”

“I go in at four and she's my soon-to-be-exwife.”

“Whatever. You still live there.”

“Not for long. I'm gonna move in with Darrell.” He followed her into the house and she turned to face him.

“Not a good idea,” she said.

“Why not? He has an extra bedroom and I definitely ain't staying there with her much longer.”

“Look, I need to let you know. We bumped into your brother a couple of months ago at IHOP. He's been trying to holla at Yvonne ever since. Before you freak out, he has no idea who I am or that this baby is yours. I know you haven't told anyone about the baby.”

“Really? I guess I need to let him know then, huh?”

“You're gonna tell him?”

“Yeah. That's my brother. Don't worry, Kayla. You just worry about getting my baby outta there.” He put his hand on her big tummy. “I'll take care of announcing his arrival.”

“You'd better make it quick. He ain't gonna be in there for long. Believe that,” she warned him.

“So what are we gonna do with this head?” Roni asked the Saturday before Veteran's Day.

“I don't know. I don't care. I can be bald at this point and it wouldn't matter,” Kayla whined.

“What about some braids, Kay?” Tia suggested.

“I can't sit on the floor that long. My back is already aching.”

“I'll do it at the shop,” Roni told her. She looked knowingly at Tia.

“That'll take all day.”

“Who's doing it, me or you?”

“You.”

‘Then quit complaining. Come on, let's go.”

“You're gonna do it now?”

“Yes, and you'd better hurry up because I have a date with Toby tonight.”

“You coming, Tia?” Kayla looked at her girlfriend, who seemed preoccupied.

“Uh, no. Theo's on his way to pick me up. You two go ahead. I'll call you later, Kay.”

Roni insisted on driving and they stopped at the beauty supply store to get some bags of hair for Kayla, then proceeded to Jett Black.

“Well, look who wobbled in. Hi, Kayla and company.”

“Hi, Ms. Ernestine.” Kayla dragged herself to the nearest empty chair and plopped down.

“Miserable, huh?” her friend's mom asked.

“Beyond miserable. And now Roni wants to braid my hair,” she moaned.

“Well, at least your hair will look good in your delivery room pictures.” Roni began to comb through Kayla's hair.

“What delivery room pictures? I'm not having any pictures taken in the delivery room.”

“You think that I'm gonna be your birth coach and not take pictures? This is the birth of my nephew.”

“She already bought a new camera, Kayla.” Ms. Ernestine shrugged.

“And she can take all the pictures she wants in the hospital nursery,” Kayla told them. They laughed and joked until the sun set and Roni finished the last braid.

“That looks good, Roni. Well, it was nice having you, Ms. Kayla. I guess the next time you visit us you won't be by yourself.”

“I guess not.”

“Do you need anything?” Ms. Ernestine asked her, helping her out of the chair.

“No, I pretty much got everything. Between my mama and the Lonely Hearts Club, I am pretty well set.”

“Well, call me and let me know. No matter what time it happens.”

“You know we will, Mama. I'll see you later.” Roni kissed her mother's cheek and they headed for Kayla's house.

“I would invite you in, Ron, but I know you have a date. I wish you could keep me company for a little while at least.” Kayla reached in her purse and pulled out her keys.

“Fine, Kayla. I'll call Toby and tell him I'll meet him later.” Roni pouted as she followed Kayla inside.

“Thanks, Ron. You know I love you.” Kayla went in.

“Surprise!” People yelled when Kayla turned on the light. There were blue, yellow and white balloons everywhere and what looked like a hundred people in her house.

“I'm gonna kill you, Roni.” Kayla hugged her friend.

“It was Tia, Yvonne and Terrell, too,” Roni told her. Kayla greeted all of her guests and looked at the big banner hanging in the living room, welcoming baby boy Hopkins. There was a long table spread with food on top of food and a huge, blue and white cake in the shape of a rocking horse.

“Thank you so much,” Kayla said as she wobbled to her lounge chair and sat down.

“Surprise, baby,” she heard her mother call out. She turned to find her.

“Mama! Where's Daddy?”

“You know he was not trying to come to no baby shower, although Terrell told him other males would be here.” She pointed to Terrell who was talking to Theo and Toby in the corner of the room. “But your sister did come.”

“What?” Kayla looked at her mother and she felt her heart pounding. Her mother walked off before Kayla could speak.

“Hello, Kayla,” Anjelica said. Kayla looked at her pretty sister. She looked nice in a red, sleeveless sweater and some jeans. Her hair was pulled back off her face and fell past her shoulders. “Congratulations.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kayla asked as her sister bent down to hug her.

“Look, I don't wanna be here any more than you want me here, but mama made me come. So calm the hell down before you embarrass you and her in front of all your friends.”

“I don't give a damn. I want you outta my face, Now!” Kayla yelled. Roni quickly came over to her friend's side. She was glad the music was loud enough to drown out the two sisters' arguing.

“Anjelica, I think you might wanna go in the other room for a while, please,” Roni told her.

“Fine.” Anjelica rolled her eyes at Kayla as she walked by.

“I want her out, Ron. Please get her outta my house.” Kayla grabbed Roni's arm.

“Your mother made me invite her, Kayla. I couldn't say no. I'll keep her out of your way, I promise,” Roni assured her. She had no idea what had gone down between Kayla and Anjelica, but she knew it was deep.

Kayla calmed down and began talking to her other guests. Some of her co-workers were there, even though they had given her a huge shower at work. Ms. Ernestine arrived shortly after she and Roni did. And the most surprising guest of all presented Kayla with a huge box.

“Congratulations, my Kayla,” Ms. Gert said as she gave her a kiss.

“Ms. Gert. I . . . Thank you.” Kayla was lost for words.

“For what? Child, I keep telling you we are family no matter what. You are still my daughter-in-law. I love you, okay? Where's your mama? I haven't seen Jennifer in ages. Let me go find her.” Ms. Gert set off to find Kayla's mother.

It was a shower like no other. Kayla got everything on her gift registry and more. She got enough diapers to last a year and even Toby surprised her with a blue stereo system for the nursery along with some classical and jazz mix CDs.

“Start him out early as a music pro.” He laughed.

Terrell had purchased his first leather coat with fur trim.

“Where did you find that?” someone called out. “What size is it?”

“A small.” Kayla read the tag.

“'Cause my godchild has to look player.” Terrell smiled at Kayla.

Tia, Yvonne and Roni took the job of writing down what was from whom, and Theo and Toby carried armloads of gifts to the nursery.

“Thank you all for coming.” Kayla stood and said as the shower ended.

“Let us know when he makes his arrival,” everyone told her as they left. Her girls were busy cleaning up and putting away the food. Kayla wanted to change into something more comfortable. She passed the nursery and noticed the door was cracked. She pushed it open and startled Theo, who was pushing Anjelica away from him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kayla demanded. Her sister stared at her and Theo wasted no time evacuating the room. Anjelica looked at her with no remorse.

“Nothing happened, Kayla. Chill,” she said, running her fingers through her hair.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You try to push up on my best friend's boyfriend in my house?”

“You need to calm the hell down. I already told you nothing happened. And the key word here is boyfriend. I don't recall seeing a ring on his finger or hers. To me, he's free game.”

“You really are a skank! You know Tia and him are together and you still pushed up on him? You are a trifling wench!” Kayla yelled, getting angrier and angrier by the minute.

“True words from a pregnant woman knocked up from a one-night stand. And I am the trifling one?”

Those words hurt Kayla and she swiftly moved and raised her hand to slap her sister back to reality, but a strong hand caught her before she could make contact. She turned to see everyone crowded in the doorway watching the entire incident unfold.

“I think you need to leave,” Terrell told Anjelica, turning Kayla away.

“Who the hell are you supposed to be? Her bodyguard?”

“No, I'm her friend and the brotha that's keeping her from whooping your ass, whether she's pregnant or not. Now, if you can't respect your sister or her friends, then you need to leave her house.”

“Whatever! I didn't want to come here anyway.” Anjelica stormed out of the room and they heard the door slam behind her. Kayla went into her room and sat on her bed. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead and she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute.

“You okay, Kayla?” Roni asked and sat next to her friend.

“I hate her. Always have, always will.” The tears fell from her cheek and onto the bed.

“Don't say that, Kay. That's just her. Always has been, always will be. She's just her.”

“Ain't that the truth.” Tia came and joined them on the bed. “We all know how she is.”

“Can I have a moment, please?” Kayla's mom tapped on the door.

“Sure. We gotta go finish cleaning up anyway,” Roni said. She and Tia left Kayla and her mother alone to talk.

“Your sister was wrong. Terrell was right. She disrespected you, your friends and your home.” Her mother rubbed her back.

“Why did you even invite her? You know we hate each other. She only came to do something like this.” Kayla wiped her face.

“Because like it or not, she's your sister. And she was right to come. I don't know why she does what she does. And I am not gonna make any excuses for her obnoxious behavior. Maybe she's jealous.”

“Of what?”

“You.”

“Why would she be jealous of me? I am single, pregnant, broke, and I don't know what life holds for me from one day to the next.”

“But you accept every challenge that is presented to you, Kayla. No matter what it is. When Anjelica caught her boyfriend with that white girl, she didn't get out of bed for a week. When she found out she was pregnant, she got rid of it and then got so depressed she nearly lost her mind. She's never really had any close friends and here you have Tia, Roni, Yvonne
and
Terrell. She would never move twenty miles from home, let alone two hundred. You are a conqueror, Kayla, and she resents that.”

“Mama, I know she is your child and you think you know her, but you don't. Anjelica is evil. She's done some wicked, hurtful things to me and I couldn't care less whether I ever see her again. Sister or not.” Kayla went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

After a few minutes she came out, expecting to find her mother still sitting there. To her surprise, her room was empty. She went into the living room and found her three best friends sitting next to a pile of gifts, still wrapped.

“I thought I opened all the gifts,” she said as she sat down. “Where's Mama?”

“She went to get something out of the car. She'll be right back,” Yvonne answered.

“I just want to thank all of you. This really meant a lot to me. I thank you and love you, as my son will too.” She told all of them. Her mom came in carrying another wrapped gift and Roni lit some candles on the mantle.

“Now, we have some things for you,” Tia told her.

“I got enough things. Where did these gifts come from?” Kayla was still wondering what they were about to do.

“The shower gifts you got earlier were for the baby. Now this shower is for you,” Yvonne said and handed her a box. Kayla opened it and smiled at the foot massager and pedicure set. “Thanks, Von.”

“For those tired feet, girl. Walking that baby to sleep at night.” She hugged Kayla and sat back down on the sofa.