I did my morning rounds at the hospital and ended up staying longer than I expected. There was always some hatting or something unexpected happening with a patient that made my shifts hours long than they were supposed to be. I exited the hospital with only two places in my mind, to get tome grub and then heading straight home to get in the bed.
I walked into the local pastry shop, my mouth set on having a strawberry cheesecake scone and a black cup of coffee.
“What’s up big dog?” I greeted the owner. This little shop wasn’t far from the hospital so I supported whenever I could, and it was black owned.
“My guy,” Hector extended his hand to shake mine.
I ordered my things and talked with Hector for a while just catching up on the things that I had missed within the last few weeks since I had last visited.
“And man wasn’t that crazy how Pops just died like that? That was my brother from another mother,” Hector stroked is bald head. The pained look on his face was apparent. He really missed his friend.
“Yeah, that shit got to me, you know pops was the closet to a father figure that I ever had. I really messed me up that I wasn’t able to say goodbye,” I shook my head.
“Man, and ain’t it crazy that I was just as I was going to the hospital. I saw his daughter leaving out. When I got up there to see him, I saw that no one could go in his room and then fifteen minutes later, they were saying that he was dead. I didn’t know what to do man,” Hector went on.
As I half listened to him go on, my mind was stuck on hearing that Sandy had been leaving the hospital while her father was dying. That shit was odd because Hector never mentioned her coming back and no-one else had ever mentioned that Sandy had even been there visiting her father before he died. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something smelled fishy.
“Well, Hec, I’m going to get out of here. You enjoy the rest of your day old man,” I rested my hand on his shoulder and he smiled a warmly.
“And you be good youngin’ and send Fancy my love.”
I turned to walk away and was met with the eyes of a stranger. I smiled and tried to walk around her, but she stopped me.
“So, you are a doctor?” she randomly asked.
“Excuse me,” I commented.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the older woman laughed bashfully. “I met you briefly the other day. You know, your wife was showing me the house.”
“Ohhhh, forgive me. I couldn’t place your face,” I joked.
There was a moment of silence between the two of us and she just stared making me a little nervous. Her gaze was so powerful.
“Well, you enjoy your day,” I said, trying to break away from her hold.
“Can I ask you something?” she finally spoke up.
“Sure.”
“Would you mind just sitting with an old lady. I know that you may be busy and all, but—" the words trailed off as she looked away. She seemed embarrassed by her own request, but I couldn’t just blow this sweet woman off no matter no tired I was.
“I can do that,” I smiled escorting her to a nearby table. She ordered coffee and a bagel, and we talked for about an hour. She stated that she had just lost a son and a daughter and how I reminded her of him from the first day that she had seen me so she had to stop me.
Yeah, she seemed a little strange at first, but after getting to know her, I learned that she was just lonely and needed some company.
I made it home finally and I was surprised to see that Fancy’s car was in the driveway. I hope that she wasn’t coming with no bullshit because I was tired out of my mind and just didn’t have time for the dramatics. I walked into my home and I was immediately hit with the scent of some soulful cooking in the kitchen. It was Sunday and Fancy usually cooked a big meal on Sunday’s, but I hadn’t experienced that in forever.
I walked in the kitchen and peeped my head in the oven to see baked macaroni and yams cooking. I rubbed my hands together as I could already taste Fancy’s southern skills on my tongue. Cooking was just one of Fancy’s many talents that I had taken for granted. I peeped my head in the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and when I closed it, Fancy was just standing there.
“Boo,” she said, without much enthusiasm at all, but it still scared me.
“Damn girl, you can’t be sneaking up on folks like that.”
“Do I scare you?” she asked, with a sadistic smile.
“A little.”
She smiled. “So, lets chat,” she purred me a glass of wine even though it was only two pm and I had just worked an overnight shift. I looked at her like she was crazy when she started to pour herself a glass.
“Calm down, the doctor said one glass is fine,” she attempted to take a sip, but I snatched it from her grip.
“I’m your doctor, now what on your mind?”
“So, I’m willing to give this another chance; us another chance,” she started.
I perked up at her mention of us getting back together. She didn’t know how badly I wanted this, how badly I wanted her.
“But under one condition. There will be no bullshit this go around,” she walked to the drawer where I the knives were housed and grabbed the biggest butcher knife that she could find. Walking back over to be with a sultry strut and that same sick ass smile on her face.
She twirled the knife, “There will be blood, preferably yours if you screw me over this time Kiyan,” her tone was so calm compared to the look in her eyes that it was scary.
She walked a little closer to me with the knife and started to poke at my chest with it. My eyes never left her and she poked me with the knife deeper and deeper until she saw the crimson colored blood started to seep through my light blue scrubs.
“You understand?” she asked, unfazed.
I grabbed the knife from her even more unfazed by her little threats.
“So, go and shower, the food should be ready in about an hour,” she turned away and went to the oven. Her voice was no longer laced with venom and it was like she had turned into a different person just that quickly. All I could do was shake my head, knowing that Fancy had always had a dark side to her that not many had seen or would ever want to see. She was the Yin to my Yang.