Keyshia and Clyde (7 page)

Chapter 10
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After Keyshia finished getting her hair done, she and Clyde fought each other tooth and nail about what Clyde would wear to the show. Clyde wanted to wear his regular urban city gear: sweatshirt, Timberlands, and jeans. But Keyshia had another vision for him.

“You ever seen the movie
Set It Off
with Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah? And when what's-his-name came and pick Jada up for a date, yo, he looked smooth in the suit, and plus y'all look something alike.”

“So?” Clyde said quickly. “That ain't got nothing to do with this boring-ass suit you want me to try on. Naw, fuck that, that ain't my style. I'm a 'hood nigga, and I'm always gonna be a 'hood nigga!”

Keyshia would not back down, “Clyde, you's ain't in the 'hood right now, boy. All I'm asking you is to try something new, that's all.”

Clyde seemed to calm down as he looked in her soothing eyes, but suddenly he snapped out of it. “No, fuck that! I ain't falling for that shit again. I ain't wearing no suit and that's that!”

By the time they left the mall, Keyshia had compromised and agreed to let him wear the Timberlands and jeans but said she would pick out the shirt and jacket. They both walked away happy. They'd stopped off in McDonald's to have a bite to eat when Keyshia told Clyde that she had to pick up one more important thing before they left the mall. She quickly ran into Macy's again while Clyde continued to eat his food. When she came back, happy-go-lucky as usual, she carried a small shiny Macy's bag in one hand and a larger bag in the other and said, “I'm straight now, let's bounce.” They now had to haul all their bags outside to a cab. Keyshia, ever the resourceful one, spotted a group of young white kids at another table and asked them, “Any one of you want to earn twenty dollars?” All the boys' eyes lit up.

At the hotel, Clyde showered first and got dressed. An hour later, Keyshia was still in the bathroom when Clyde knocked on the door and said, “Yo, Keyshia, the show starts in forty-five minutes, we got to be out.”

“I'm coming,” yelled Keyshia. When she finally came out ten minutes later, Clyde was blown away. He had to look twice because he couldn't believe she was the same girl. Keyshia wore a sleek, body-fitting red dress that ended slightly above her knees, complemented by a pair of high-heeled boots in a matching color. Her makeup made her look totally ravishing and sexy, and her hair gave her that Halle Berry look. Clyde was speechless.

“Well,” Keyshia said, arms spread out, mouth smiling widely. “How do I look?”

Clyde still couldn't find the words as he shook his head and blinked rapidly. Finally he stuttered, “You look . . . you look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”

Keyshia was taken aback for a moment, because she'd just realized that was the first time in her life someone had ever told her that. Even more, she saw it in his eyes and believed him. She looked down and smiled and asked, “I do?”

He shook his head and said, “Yo, you look like a dime, and that's real talk! When you first came out, I had to look twice 'cause I didn't know that was you, for real.” Clyde, now feeling underdressed, looked at himself and said, “I don't think I look good enough to go with you now. ”

Keyshia walked toward him. She was inches from his face and licked her lips and said, “I'm glad you said that.” She walked toward where all the shopping bags were kept and picked up two of them, one small and one larger bag. She set both bags on the bed and reached in the big one first and pulled out a stylish blue suit jacket. She undid the buttons and put it on Clyde. He looked into the mirror and nodded. Next Keyshia reached inside the smaller bag and pulled out what appeared to Clyde to be a glass case that read
FENDI
on the front. Clyde opened it up, more excited than he wanted to be, and a fresh pair of black Fendi shades were inside.

He looked at Keyshia and said, “You crazy.”

She smiled even brighter and said, “Go 'head, put 'em on, and let me see how you look.”

“Not bad, not bad,” Clyde said as he profiled in the mirror. “I've got that Jay-Z, Usher thing going on. I can live with this.”

She reached into the smaller bag and pulled out a brand-new box of cologne and handed it to him. Excitedly he smiled and said, “You got me some cologne, too?” He looked closely at the brand and said, “Sean John, eighty-five dollars. Damn, girl, you ain't have to buy me some expensive stuff like this, I would've—”

Keyshia stopped him and simply said, “You only live once.” He smiled and thanked her. She shrugged and said, “Hell, the glasses cost me two hundred fifty, but you worth it, right?”

Clyde had never met anyone like her before. He was excited that someone had thought about him enough to buy him something. She urged him to put on the cologne.

He opened up the box and sprayed some of the expensive cologne in his hand like it was going out of style. Keyshia stopped him. “No, Clyde, you don't put this shit on your body like that shit from the ninety-nine-cent store. This is that good shit; you don't need a lot to smell it.” She took the bottle and told him to extend his hands with the palms up so she could show him how to apply it. She then sprayed his wrists, his jugular, and behind his neck. She said, “And that's it. You good for the rest of the night and then some.”

Clyde smiled at her and asked, “How old are you?”

She looked at him. “Why you wanna know?”

“ 'Cause you seem so smart, like you been around for years, and got mad wisdom.”

Keyshia wanted to cry right there on the spot. Never in her life had anyone called her smart, only dumb. Clyde watched her put her head down. He took his hand and lifted her chin softly and asked, “What's the matter, I said something to offend you? If I did, I ain't mean to.”

She said quietly, “You really think I'm smart?”

“Smartest girl I ever met.” Clyde frowned. “You ain't ever know that?”

She gave him a huge smile and said, “I do now.”

They stared into each other's eyes, at that moment unsure of what they should do next. It was gravity, and they were no longer in control of their lives from then on, and destiny was its course. There were Adam and Eve, Samson and Delilah, and now there was Clyde and Keyshia, forever.

They snapped out of their momentary trance and suddenly realized another half hour had passed, and they were late.

Keyshia looked at the time and said in a panic, “Clyde, call the cab!”

Chapter 11
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At the show, Keyshia and Clyde were having the time of their lives as they sang along to Lyfe's lyrics. Just one of many things they would soon learn that they had in common. Lyfe was at his absolute best that night—singing all his hits, “Smile,” “Greedy,” “Stick Up Kid,” “Cry,” “Made Up My Mind,” . . . but he saved the best for last: “Must Be Nice.” He then started singing the song, and it was as if he were talking directly to them.

Must be nice
Having someone who understand the life you live . . .

Lyfe instructed all the ladies to “grab hold of your man and look him in his eyes, and listen to this.” Clyde felt Keyshia take his hand as she turned toward him and they gazed into each other's eyes.

After they had dinner at a fancy seafood restaurant on the boardwalk, they decided to take a slow walk on the beach. The evening was incredible. Shoes off, they walked hand in hand as the moon shone down upon them. It was as if they were on another planet, far away from the urban jungle that they both inevitably would have to return to.

“You never answered my question,” Clyde said softly as he admired the sand between his toes.

“What's that?” Keyshia asked.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen. I be eighteen in three more months.” Keyshia studied his face and asked, “Why. Does it matter any?”

Clyde pondered the question. “Naw, not really. I ain't nothing but eighteen myself.”

Keyshia smiled and said jokingly, “Shit, I thought you was 'bout forty years old the way you act.” He smiled. Keyshia searched his face, noticed he still had questions that needed to be answered, and offered him an out. She stopped and said, “Listen, Clyde, I ain't got nothing to hide, so you can ask me whatever you want. But I can basically tell you that I ain't have too much of a pretty life to talk 'bout. My mama from down south ain't want me, so they send me up to New York to my aunt Ninny. She ain't like me or want me there. I ain't too smart enough for them schools, got left behind plenty of times. I can't even read or write good. I ain't got no friends I could think of, and I'm always by myself.” They walked up to the boardwalk and sat on a bench.

They sat face-to-face, and Clyde still had an inquisitive look on his face. He began to stare off into the ocean, and he said gently, “What about that, you know, that crack shit you be fuckin' with?”

Keyshia knew it was coming and was kind of embarrassed to discuss it, but he had a right to know what he was getting himself into. Above all, she wanted the relationship to be open and honest from the beginning. She thought about it hard and long before she answered, still unsure what to say, so she just got honest. Brutally honest.

“When I was eleven, I was raped a lot by my preacher from the church doing Sunday school. He tells me not to tell nobody, and if I did, God gon' strike me down with lightning. I's useta tell my mama I's didn't want to go to Sunday school no mo', but since the preacher help my mama out with groceries, he say just keep sending me to Sunday school so I can learn God's word. Few months later, my stomach start ta grow.”

A knot grew in Clyde's stomach, and he continued to listen. “They carry me down to the doctor, and he confirm I's was pregnant. The sheriff come and everything, and they ask me did I trys ta force myself on him and I's tell 'em no. They turn silent, and the next thing I know they start making like it was my fault. Keep tryna make me say I throw myself at 'em and things like that. I tell 'em, I's never like what he was doing, him being on top of me, hot breathin' and all, but they still make like he the victim.” Keyshia spoke almost robotically as she recounted the incidents that happened next. “They found out that I was too far gone to get rid of the child, so they carried me away ta stay with this old, old lady, and I's wait there all the while till the baby come.” Keyshia closed her eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Clyde squeezed her hand in comfort. “Keysh, you don't have to tell me the rest, I understand.”

Keyshia shook her head. “No, I gots to do it. I never told nobody 'bout this.” Clyde put his head down as his insides raged for her. “I had a baby girl.” Keyshia smiled. “She much prettier than me, I remember.” She put her head down and said, “Right after that, the old lady hand my baby off ta somebody and I ain't seen her since. They say I can't never have no babies again, 'cause I was so young and all.” They stared far off at the ocean. Keyshia continued with a little more confidence. “Since I's was trouble, they sent me off to New York to live with my aunt Ninny. She couldn't stand me from first day. She always call me black and ugly looking, that I's was nasty.” Keyshia rubbed Clyde's warm hands. He instantly took off his jacket and placed it around her. She thanked him and snuggled in it.

“Back then I was nothing like I am now. I was quiet and afraid of anything that moved. I was so country and country soundin' that I didn't open my mouth fo' nobody 'cause I was too shamed.” She began rocking back and forth. “A year or so ago, I was coming home from playing hooky at one of them department stores downtown, and this boy . . .” Keyshia sneered when she mentioned his name. “Omar, he come up to me and asked me could he walk me home.” She shook her head and fretted, “I, I didn't know what to say, I was scared and just say okay.” She paused to get past the lump forming in her throat. “He follow me up to my apartment, and that's when I saw three of his friends coming up the stairs.” Keyshia began to break down. “He punched me in the face and pushed me in the apartment and they locked the door and ripped my clothes off of me and took turns—” Keyshia couldn't go on any further as she hugged Clyde tightly and cried her heart out on his shoulder.

He kissed her tears and cheeks and reassured her that things would be okay now. He reached in the jacket she was wearing and pulled out a tissue to hand to her. Wiping her tears, she took a deep breath and continued, “When the police came to the house, they convinced my aunt that I basically brought it on myself because I brought him to the door. They got away with it, and my aunt beat the living hell out of me.” Keyshia's jaws began to grind. “After that, I turned cold as stone and didn't have love or innocence left in my heart for nobody. No matter how many baths I's take, I's still dirty feelin'. I didn't care anymore, so I just get numb by smoking weed and stuff like that. But I found out that if I put that crack in it, I feel different. I don't feel so dirty no more, I don't feel so lonely no more, I don't have to feel, period.” Misty-eyed and puffy, she looked at Clyde. “There it is, boy, everything in a nutshell about the ho called Keyshia, love me or leave me.”

Clyde looked her in the eye and caressed her face gently with his finger. “You ain't no ho, you are a smart, beautiful young woman who didn't deserve what happened to her. But you are worthy to live the way God intended for you, and that is not the stuff you doing now. You much, much better than that.” Keyshia stared deeply into his strong eyes and gripped his hands tighter. “As long as I'm alive, you will always have someone there for you in me. You saved my life and I'm forever thankful and loyal to you, Keyshia, and I mean that!” They searched each other's faces, and then Clyde said seriously, “If nobody ever told you that they love you, let me be the first to say it: I love you, Keyshia.”

They embraced and kissed for the first time. Keyshia's body trembled uncontrollably, but this time it was not from fear, nor was it from hurt, and certainly not from pain. She shook because for the first time in her short, turbulent life, she felt the power of being loved.