Chapter 35
“Mama, What?..What are you doing here?” I asked her
“What am I doing here? Is that a way to speak to me Child?” she said
“I'm sorry mama, it's Just that..”
“Just what?! I'm not allowed to see my own Daughter?! You young girls have No Respect for your elders..”
Mama kept going on & on about stuff but I wasn't listening. I was too busy looking at her. Golly how she changed. Well first she had on this tight fitting all pink dress with a white belt and some white pumps on and She was no longer little but curvy, she gained a lot of weight but in a good way. She looked really good. Like she was happy but she still was mama with the mouth.
I didn't know if I should be happy that she was here & fine like nothing happened to her in the first place or if I should be pissed off for her chasing her own daughter out of the house she grew up in and for having a problem with Bruno. Oh no..he's upstairs, I hope that he don't come down stairs but knowing him, he'll won’t hear a thing at all. He sleeps like a log.
“Well are you going to let me in or not?” mama said
“Oh, sure yeah. Come in.” I said
She walked in and looked around the kitchen for a little and I didn't say a word. I knew what she was doing. She was comparing her kitchen to mine, to see whose was better. Mama always did this to everyone's kitchen because she built hers from the ground up. Opening up the icebox, she grabbed the lemonade and opens the cupboard for a glass & poured her a cup.
Mama walked into the living room with her drink and stopped. She was looking at the coffee table with no glass. She sat down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table and took a sip.
“So, what happened to the table?” she asked
“It’s a long story.” I said
“Well then another time then.”
“Mama, what are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? Am I Not welcome here?!”
“I didn't say that.”
“Well you're making it loud & clear honey so i'll guess I'll go.”
“No, mama stay.”
“That's what I thought.”
“Mama..”
“Aren't you going to sit down? Only poor people stand in their own house child.”
I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch. See this is the whole reason why I had to move the hell out. I have to talk proper with her or she'll get all in my ass about it, which is freaking stupid and a waste of breath. I hate the fact that she has a smart mouth but when I use it, all hell breaks loose. I may have a smart mouth but mama is far worse than mine and people think I’m bad. Ha. Compared to her I’m an angel.
“So mama, where..” I said
“No, that's not how you do it. I taught you better than that child.”
“...Mama, Can I ask you a question?”
“No.”
“But mama..”
“I said No child.”
“How do you even know what I’m going to ask you?”
“I just know OK, so leave it alone.”
“You don't even know!”
“Don't raise your voice at me Child!”
“I'M NOT A FUCKING CHILD! I'm so SICK of you calling me a Child! I'm 22 fucking years old for goodness sake. Don't get me wrong, I’ll respect you but you're ALWAYS crossing that line to where I don't have any respect for you! Goodness! First you pop up out of Fucking No-Man’s-Land at my door step without an explanation! Then you just go into MY icebox and pour you a drink WITHOUT ASKING! Then you put your feet up and act like everything is OK!”
“I THOUGHT IT WAS OK!”
“IT’S NOT FUCKING OK!”
“WELL EXCUSE THE FUCK OUT OF ME!”
“What the Fuck is going on here!”
There was Bruno, on the steps with Linda. Shit. They both looked at each other and I felt like I was in a western & the cowboys are about to Draw their pistols. I looked at Bruno and he was just staring at mama but I could see his jaw line moving back and forth. He's pissed that she's here but he don't want to show it. I know of this. But when I look at my mom, she's showing it all. Glaring her eyes at Bruno and furrowing her eyes brows making her look even older than what she really is.
I looked at Linda and she was just as serious as her dad, staring at her grandmother as if she’s telling her not to mess with her dad. I couldn’t help but to smirk because that’s how I was with my dad. She is a daddy’s girl to the fullest, just like me.
I looked back over at my mom and was on her feet looking back and forth between Bruno and Linda. Back and forth she went with her eyes, she looked at Linda and as she did so her face softened a little bit but then she looked me up and down with a face and shook her head.
“Well, you’ve been a busy girl.” Mama said
“I’ve just grown up.” I said
“I see..Does John know about this?”
“Yes, he has met Bruno..”
“I didn’t ask for all of that, it was just a yes or no question.” She said putting her hand up
“Well then YES.”
“I see that you have a ring on your finger.”
“Yes.”
“How dare you..”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, how dare you. You get married without me?”
“What was I supposed to do mama?”
“Wait for me!”
“Wait?!”
“Yes!”
“Heck NO! I didn't even know if you were coming back!”
“I was going to come back Alicia!.”
“HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW!”
“WHY WOULD I JUST UP AND LEAVE YOU WITH OUT COMING BACK!”
“I DON'T KNOW! YOU JUST UP AND LEFT!!”
“ALICIA!..You know what child, I just came over here to see how you were doing and to apologies..and to tell you that..but you know what, it's what ever.”
“No, mama. What happened.”
“It don't matter chi..”
“Don't you DARE, call me a child. Tell me what happened.”
She didn't say anything. She just stood there looking at the floor with her hands folded and biting her lip. I looked over at Bruno and seen that he was sitting on the step with Linda's head on his shoulder with her thumb in her mouth.
Mama finally sat down on the couch and put her hands on her head. She started rocking back and forth, She started breathing hard and her hands were shaking. Linda started fussing and crying, Bru started to rub her back and rock her back and forth,then I heard a noise. Looking over, it was mama,crying. Putting my hand to my chest, I'm taken aback because never have I ever seen mama break down in tears like that. She looked over at me then to Bruno and started glaring at him once again.
“Your mother was very beautiful.” She said
“What?, you know..” Bru asked
“Knew, I knew of her yes.”
“So, you don't know where she is.”
“Nope, I haven't seen her since February 11th 1955.”
“Wait, that's my birthday.” I said
“..Yep.” Mama said
“So, wait. You mean to tell me that Dad was cheating on you with Bruno's mom?”
“Sort of.”
“What do you mean? You told me it was my teacher.”
“Well I lied OK.”
“Wait, what did you mean by sort of mama?”
“It's Bruno's mom but his God mother..”
“Kim!?” Bru & I both said
“Yes,her.”
“But how did you know, she was Brunos God Mom?” I asked
Mama sighed and took a deep breath while she was staring at the wall. I looked into her eyes and they were glistening, like she was reminiscing about what happened.
Mama shook her head and stood up off the couch. She straightened her dress, drank the rest of her lemonade and sat the glass back on floor.
“Well it seems like this is my que to leave..” she said
“..Mama..”
“What ever, Child or should I say Mrs. Hernandez”
“Mama you just can't up and leave like this.”
“Yes I can.”
She started walking towards the front door but I was right on her tail. I turned around to see what Bruno was doing and he just walking up the stairs to lay Linda back down in her room. Mama put her hand on the door nob and opened the door but then turned around and looked me dead in my eye.
“I see you're happy with him, you've grown up a little and that makes me happy but you have a lot of growing up to still do Alicia.” Mama said
“I know.” I said
“..Look, I know that I showed up unexpected but I was ready to tell you things but I guess I wasn't ready.”
“Yeah, I guess not.”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you staying.”
“..Let's just say, i'm in a place that keeps me safe. OK?”
“..So is this good bye again?”
“No, i'll see you around. Just keep and eye out for me.”
Mama grabbed my chin, smiled and she walked off. I watched my mom walk away but as she did I seen her in a new light. Maybe she was still the same but there is something about her that is different.
I closed the door and locked up. Going into the living room, I picked up her glass and looked at what used to be a coffee table. I started looking around the room and jeeze, the walls were plain and boring but that was my fault. The television is still here but smashed into pieces, also my fault..i put my head down in shame. Mama and Dad are right, I may be grown but I had a lot of growing up to do. Smashing and breaking things don't fix nothing and I guess now that I know that, I wont be so quick to break a dish or two..or a television or what ever.
I walk over to the kitchen,put the glass in the sink, turn off all the downstairs lights, walk upstairs, strip down to nothing and get in the bed with Bruno. He was quiet but o know that he's up because I don't hear any snoring nor feel any drool on my pillow because he likes to do that too.
“Hey Babe?” Bru asked
“Yeah?” I answered
“I was thinking about what your mom said”
“About the whole Kim situation?”
“Yeah that too but I'm talking about how we got married and she wasn't there.”
“Yeah, well that's her fault. She shouldn't of just ran off like that.”
“True but still, how would you feel if Linda or Jojo got married without you?”
“..I guess I would be hurt.”
“No,you know you would be mad and make a whole dramatic scene.”
“What ever.” I said nudging him in his chest
Bru puts his fingers through my hair and licks my forehead. I roll over on top of him and sit on his stomach and tickle. He jerks back and forth, trying to hold his laugh in but I have thunder thighs so he wont be going anywhere.
Well I thought so but was so wrong, Bru sits up and grabs me then rolls on top of me and starts squealing in my neck. I fight back the laughter so hard that I start crying but he keeps at it but I just can take it anymore, so I burst out a laugh.
Next thing we knew, we hear a baby fussing. Bru get's up to see what's going on but I grab him and sit him back down onto the bed. It sounds like Jojo is crying but we hold our breath and give it another minute,he goes right back to sleep and we let out a sigh of relief.
Bru kisses me then rolls over on his back, I roll on my side and cuddle up next to him. He put his arm around me, moving me closer to him and I start to trace his golden cross necklace on his chest.
“Well that was Close.” I said
“Yeah, but we could get closer.” he says with a smirk on his face
“Yeah, we could but you moan like a girl.” I said sitting up trying to get away from him
“What? No one can even hear me over you saying Oh Bruno, go faster.” he said mimicking me
“What Ever, I don't sound like that either piggy.”
“Yeah, OK do you not hear yourself?”
“Yes, i'm the one making the noise.”
“Exactly”
I roll my eyes and he pulls me back down next to him. I cuddle up and start to play with his cross again, just tracing it over and over with my finger on his chest. It was quiet for a while like he was thinking about what to say but then he says this
“But in all seriousness babe, I think we should get married again” he said
“Again? Bruno. Are you serious?” I ask
“Yeah, babe.”
“Why?! That's Stupid.”
“Think of it this way..The first two weddings weren't so good. Bad memories..”
Gi..Jeeze I haven't thought him in so long that it hurt my heart to do it. I miss him so much, and I feel guilty that I’ve haven't gone to see him yet at his grave. The First wedding was just a spur of the moment kind of ordeal. So he was right on this one.
“Also, the twins are going to be there this time and your mom & my..father.” Bru said
“Yeah, that's true.” I said