The People in the Park (19 page)

“What’s this?”

“Mama gave this to me when I went to the prom. She scraped and saved from her grocery money all year. She wanted me to have something special to wear.”

I opened the box. A cultured pearl bracelet lay delicately within. I was speechless. Mom had changed. We embraced for more than a moment. I felt all her hopes and dreams for me inside that embrace.

“I hope you have a good time this evening. I’m passing this bracelet to you. You can give it to your daughter one day when she goes to her first prom.”

I was especially touched by her thoughtfulness. She had held onto this bracelet all these years so she could give it to me on this night. A real treasure from her mother now passed on to me. A treasure from Meré.

Cool!

I hurried upstairs and started preparing for my night out. I filled the bathtub with water and jasmine scented bubbles. I slipped into the silky water. The soothing fragrance enveloped me. I laid my head back against the tub and relaxed as all my troubles vanished. The only thing that mattered was the anticipation of the evening ahead.

Mom called me when Patrick arrived. She came in and helped me finish dressing.

“Your young man is handsome.”

“His name is Patrick.”

“He’s of Italian descent. His father is second-generation American. His mother was born in Italy. An arranged marriage that endured the test of time.”

“You found all that out?”

“Your father is down there quizzing him.”

“Then I better get downstairs.”

“Let me look at you.”

I twirled around and around. I was indeed very happy. I picked up the velvet box from my dresser and handed it to Mom. “Put it on for me.”

I held my arm out as she fastened the clasp. I felt one step closer to Meré. She probably put the bracelet on Mom’s arm those many years ago. We went downstairs together.

Patrick’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“You’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”

I smiled, beaming at his compliment.

“You clean up well yourself.”

My eyes took in every inch of him. Black wavy hair. Dancing dark eyes. Appreciative smile. Black tuxedo. Shiny black shoes. Remembering my newspaper story, I briefly wondered if the tux was rented or bought.

And then, I could only see Patrick. I didn’t know what Dad was doing or even if he approved of my dress. My eyes stayed on Patrick. And his on me.

We rode in his father’s black Chrysler 300. As I slipped into the leather seats, I felt like I was riding in a chariot piloted by my knight in shining armor.

Patrick had come into my life at just the right time. I didn’t know what the future held since we were going our separate ways after graduation. I’m just glad that for one moment in time, this time, everything was going right.

43

I hadn’t been this excited in a long, long time.

Callie, Melanie, Stacie and I were hanging out in the food court of the mall. They hung on my every word as I told them about my evening with Patrick.

“Did he kiss you?” asked Callie.

I blushed.

“He did!” Melanie screamed. “What was it like?”

“Nice.”

“Nice?” asked Stacie. “That’s all?”

“Well, hot,” I said.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Stacie said.

Steffy walked up with a garment bag in her hand.

“What’s up with you?” she asked. “I just picked up my prom dress. It was a special order.”

There’s one thing about the mall. You never know who you’re going to run into, or who’s going to invade your space.

Nobody answered Steffy.

“Look, I’m trying to be friendly,” she said.

“We hadn’t noticed,” Callie said.

“Do you mind if I sit down?” Steffy asked.

“Yes, we do,” Melanie said.

Tears formed in Steffy’s eyes. “You don’t have to be so mean!” She walked away.

We were stunned.

“What’s wrong with her?” I asked.

“Apparently, you haven’t heard,” Melanie said. “It’s all over the neighborhood.”

“What?” asked Callie.

“It happened last night,” said Stacie. “Late.”

“Swarms of FBI agents invaded Steffy’s house. They took away lots of stuff, including computers,” Melanie said.

“Really?” Callie said.

“There are rumors that her father’s assets are being seized. The dealerships and everything,” Stacie said. “Something about non-payment of taxes.”

“I wonder if she’s still driving your car.” Callie asked.

“Maybe you can interview her for your story on the recession,” Melanie said. “I’m sure she’s going to have to cut back if her father’s assets are being seized.”

We laughed. Although part of me felt sorry for Steffy, part of me felt that it couldn’t have happened to a better person.

“Hey ladies,” said Rick. Jay and Jared were with him. They pulled up chairs to our table.

“What’s going on?” Jared asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“Suddenly, when we walk up nothing is going on,” said Jay. “We saw you laughing and talking.”

“It’s just nothing that concerns you,” Callie said.

“OK, be like that,” Jay said, nodding his head.

“What are your prom plans?” Rick asked.

“To have a good time,” said Callie.

“Come on, girls. We used to be cool,” Jared said.

Rick said, “I want to apologize to you, Lauren. You probably heard that Jared and I sort of wrote on your car.”

“I heard,” I said.

“I’m sorry,” said Jared. “It was all in fun.”

“I wasn’t laughing.”

“Yeah, I know,” Rick said. “If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t. I hope you haven’t taken out your anger on my boy, Jay. He had nothing to do with it.”

“He was out of town,” Jared said.

“If I’d been in town, I wouldn’t have been involved,” Jay said. “I would’ve stopped them.”

Somehow I believed him. “It’s over and done with,” I said. “Let’s move on.”

Jared, Rick, and Jay each kissed me on the cheek, and they left.

“Wow!” Callie said. “What’s got into them?”

“It was probably a requirement of their probation that they apologize,” Melanie said.

We nodded, agreeing.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” I said. “It sure took them long enough.”

44

The next week was a repeat of last week.

Callie, Melanie, Stacie, and I were preparing for our prom every evening after school. We went to the spa and had facials and a massage on Monday. The next day we went to Callie’s house. Callie’s mom had hired a makeup artist to pick the right colors for our skin tones and to show us how to apply our cosmetics. Wednesday night we had manicures and pedicures. The evening after that we were back at Callie’s for new hairstyles. Callie’s mom had a stylist flown in from New York to give us the latest cuts and styles.

It was only when I got home that things were not OK. Mom still didn’t want me going to my prom with Patrick. She couldn’t articulate what she didn’t like about him. Just that he was not up to par. To me it meant that he wasn’t from her social circle. Because of how she had been treated in her so called social circle, I thought class and social status wouldn’t matter to her anymore.

But, of course, members of her social circle would be chaperones at the prom, and they would talk about me and my prom date. “Keeping up appearances” is how she put it. The only appearance I was interested in keeping up was to show that I was happy and normal. I didn’t care that Patrick wasn’t from the upper class. His parents were hard working people who were doing their best to give him a good life. What more was there to expect?

Patrick was a great person. I loved talking to him. Patrick and I talked for hours and hours, even more so after his prom. We discussed our dreams for the future. Not our dreams together for the future. But our separate dreams, the dreams we had before we met each other, the dreams we still had.

Patrick was interested in politics and how the world is run. He volunteered on the last presidential campaign. I loved hearing all the stories about his adventures knocking on doors and the people he met. He regaled me with stories of the caucus held at a community center and how unorganized it had been because they expected a few people to show up but thousands came, and there had been nowhere to put them. The crowd hadn’t left even though they had to stand in long lines for hours.

Meanwhile, Jay still sent me texts saying he hoped I would save a dance for him at the prom. He had finally asked someone else to go with him since I had a date. And he called every night to see who I was bringing. I told him he would see Saturday night. I asked who he was bringing to the prom. He told me I would see Saturday night. Not that I cared. I was just curious.

Mom had started coming into my room every night to sit. She stayed while I talked to Jay and to Patrick. Then she would tuck me into bed, something she had stopped doing years ago, and just sit there at my desk in the dark. Sometimes we talked and sometimes we didn’t. Tonight she wanted to talk.

“I admire you,” she said.

“Why?”

“You have your own mind and you don’t care about these things.”

I sat up in bed. Curiously, I was interested in where she was going with this train of thought.

“What things?”

“You know, where people come from. You judge people because of who they really are. That’s a good thing.”

I remained silent, processing what she had said.

She continued, “I used to be like that when I was your age. Your grandmother and grandfather didn’t want me dating your father. He was from a working-class family, whereas Daddy was a college professor, and Mama was a schoolteacher. Your dad’s father worked in the rail yard and his mother cleaned people’s houses.

“You remind me of me. Your father’s parents were good people. I could see something in your father that made me love him more than the boys who were supposed to be of my class. You are just like me.”

“You and Dad turned out all right,” I said.

She smiled, as if remembering years long ago. “Yes, we did.”

“And?”

”I just want you to know that I understand. And it’s OK. It’s just that I want the best for you.”

“And that is Jay?”

“No!”

It was my turn to laugh. In fact, we both laughed until we cried.

“A few motherly words of wisdom,” Mom said. “Do not paint all African-American boys with the same brush as you paint Jay. Don’t give up on dating black boys because of the way you were treated by him.”

Mom moved over to my bed.

“I had to take a good look at myself, baby girl. I’d gotten so caught up in who knows who and getting on the right committee so I could get to know so-and-so that I forgot what’s real. I had a rude awakening when this situation happened with your father. Nobody gives you the benefit of the doubt. It’s first and foremost about the color of your skin.”

“Mom, everybody is not like that.”

“I know, and you seemed to have figured out what is important despite having me for your mother.”

I reached out to hug her.

“We’re in this together,” I whispered. “I still need you.”

In reply, a tear slid from her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek. “You know what?” she asked. “I want to move to Atlanta so I’ll be around more black people.” She paused, as if searching for the right words. “I’m hoping I’ll have positive experiences, too. Maybe I’ll get it right this time.”

I sensed we’d come to a deep understanding. I didn’t know if we could go back to how things were before the situation with Dad. I felt like we had moved beyond that, to a more grown-up relationship. She’d never shared as much as she had tonight about what she wanted. And she’d never told me that Meré and Granddad didn’t want her to date Dad.

There’s one more thing I needed to know, even though it might mar our bonding moment.

“Mom? Is everything all right with you and Dad?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Things have been different the past months.”

“That’s all in the past. Don’t worry. We’re not getting divorced.”

“I’ve overheard some things.”

Mom sighed. “Things have been rocky between us. But your dad and I are committed to working it out. The move to Atlanta will help. Both of us are staying in this marriage.”

What a relief! I wanted our family to come though this situation intact. I hadn’t thought much about marriage before, but I wanted a relationship like Mom and Dad’s. Their relationship before the scandal.

Patrick and I were far from marriage talk. I doubted we would marry each other, but who knew what the future held? We were at different places in our lives. He had his life all planned out for the next five years. Me? I didn’t know what I’d be doing past next week. I definitely hadn’t had time to think about what qualities I wanted in a husband. Getting married was far from my thoughts.

I just wanted to get through the next few weeks of school and get to summer break. I was doing the one-day-at-a-time thing. I tried to get back to myself. No matter how I tried, I just couldn’t quite get there. Aunt Ira had said this faith journey I was on would take time. I’d try to remember that as I forged a new path. A new direction for my life.

45

Patrick arrived with a wrist corsage for me.

He had a bouquet of flowers for Mom. I could practically see her heart melt. At least, her countenance softened.

“Thanks, Patrick,” she said, trying not to grin too widely. “How thoughtful!”

“My mom taught me to always show appreciation for a lady, and you are a first class lady.”

Mom ate it up. In fact, she was speechless.

Then he turned to me. His gaze was as if he were looking at me for the very first time, even though I wore the same dress last weekend. “And you have a first class daughter.”

Dad walked in at that moment, his overnight bag in his hand. “Good! I made it in time. I was late leaving Atlanta because of a business lunch. Then the plane was late getting here. You look like an angel,” he said, kissing the top of my hand with the corsage.