Chapter 11

“Family is not an important thing, it's everything.” Michael Fox

 

It was Friday, the day for Anaya to sleep over at Adanya’s place. After Adanya picked her up, the mother-daughter team set out to Target where they spent some fun time sifting through DVDs.

Anaya insisted on paying for the Shrek 3D movie she chose with a portion of the allowance Mr. and Mrs. Kaplan dispensed to her monthly from the SSI check Anaya received. Afterward, they stopped at McDonalds and carried their meal and movies home. When they arrived at Adanya’s flat, they ate their food after taking Snoopy for his walk.

“Would you like to go back outside before it starts getting dark? We have a park here. I can take you there. They have a walking trail. They even have swings.”

Anaya clapped her hands in joy. “I want to go.”

“Great. Get Snoopy’s leash again while I tidy up the kitchen and get the trash together.”

“Come on, Snoopy. Let me put your leash on so I can take you to the park.” Snoopy turned around and around and barked once.

“Are you ready?” asked Adanya.

“Yes, Snoopy and Anaya are ready for the park.”

“Let’s go, then.” Adanya picked up the trash bag. “I’ll put this in the trash bin when we get outside.”

“Okay. Lock your door, Pretty Adanya. Mommy says you should always lock the doors so strangers won’t hide inside to get you.”

“She’s right. Always lock the door when you’re in the house and lock the door when you leave the house.”

“I always remember to do that.”

“Good for you. Real good,” commented Adanya.

They reached the giant blue garbage bin and Adanya chunked the bag of trash inside and then wiped her hands, one inside the other. She haphazardly glanced at the building next to the garbage bin. Building E. Bleak’s unit. For a moment, she stood frozen in place. That funny sensation filtered through her belly.

Anaya infiltrated her thoughts. “Come on, Pretty Adanya. Let’s go.”

Adanya shook her head slightly to clear her mind. She jogged a few steps until she reached Anaya. “We have a swimming pool near the park.”

“For real?” Anaya’s eyes opened wide. “I can swim like a fish.”

“You can? Who taught you how to swim?”

“The swimming school. I can swim like a fish.”

Adanya giggled. “Then when it gets warmer, we can go swimming. Would you like that?”

“Yep. I like to swim. I swim like a fish,” she said again. “Mommy and Pops said it.”

“Well, if Mommy and Pops said it, then I’m sure it’s true.” They reached the park and Anaya took off running with Snoopy keeping up with her. The park was deserted, all accept for a teenage couple who were cuddled on one of the benches. Adanya watched Anaya get on the swing. She continued to hold on to Snoopy.

Adanya followed and stopped behind Anaya. “Why don’t I hold on to Snoopy while you swing?”

“Thank you, Pretty Adanya.” Anaya pushed back against the swing until her feet left the ground, and she sailed forward then backward. With each movement, she swung higher and higher. Shrill screams of joy pursed her lips.

Adanya’s phone signaled that she had a text message. She reached inside pocket of her pea coat jacket.

“Hope u had a good week.”

“Bleak?” Adanya smiled. She had not seen or heard from him since his visit. She pretended that it hadn’t affected her one way or the other, but the truth of the matter was she had truly enjoyed his company and hoped he that she might see him again. Before all the family drama, she had her father to spend time with. Now there were no more father-daughter outings, no more deep conversations around the fireplace in the winter, or long walks at Tom Lee Park where she and her daddy talked about her future, and engaged in father-daughter conversation. She missed her father’s companionship.

Kenneth Anniston knew her like no one else, including her mother. Of everything that had happened over the past few months, the wound couldn’t quite seem to heal. The wedge the family secret caused between Adanya and her father was far too deep.

Adanya pulled herself from her thoughts and looked at Anaya who was singing and swinging. Adanya felt her hands begin to tremble. “Girl, what’s wrong with you?” she whispered. “The man only sent you a text. Don’t read anything into it,” she chastised herself. “Should I respond? I mean, why wouldn’t I?” She felt Snoopy’s tug. “Anaya, honey, will you be all right if I walk Snoopy to the doggie area? It’s right over there,” Adanya pointed to the front of where she stood, not far from the swing area.

“I’m having fun, Pretty Adanya.”

“Okay, I’ll be right over there where you can see me. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t.”

Adanya walked Snoopy around the special doggie area. When he stopped at a nearby tree, she used the time to text Bleak. “Thank u. I did. hope u had 1 2.”

Beep.

Adanya read his reply. “Plans 2nite?”

Adanya looked over her shoulder. Anaya was still swinging. Snoopy pulled her by his leash. Adanya stroked her brow. “Umm.” She texted, “Yes plans with my mom And u?” she sent the text.

“@ home working.”

“Pretty Adanya.”

Adanya jumped, and Snoopy immediately started barking when he felt his master jump. “Ew, you scared me.” Adanya placed one hand over her heart. “I didn’t hear you come up.”

“I’m sorry.” Anaya looked sad.

“It’s all right.” Adanya patted her mother on the back of her shoulder.

“I want to go home.”

“Anaya, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by what I said.”

“I want to go,” she repeated.

“But I thought you wanted to spend the night with me and Snoopy.” Adanya felt disappointment form inside. “Don’t you want to sleep in your new bed?”

“I want to watch my movie; the one I bought with my own money.” Anaya pointed at her chest. “Snoopy is ready too.”

“Oh, that’s what you mean. I thought you were talking about going to your house. All right, all right. No problem. We can go. It’s going to be dark soon anyway.”

Anaya removed Snoopy’s leash from Adanya’s hand. “Come on, Snoopy. We’re going home. I have a new bed, and I have Shrek 3D,” she said to the dog who walked slightly ahead of her.

Adanya moved slowly because she was still pleasantly surprised to hear from Bleak. “u no what they say about all work.” She hit the send button.

“Makes lots of money?” he texted back.

“that 2 but no time 2 spend it,”

“Ur mom there 4 the night?”

“Ooooooh, what should I say?”

“hey, u still there?” he texted again, probably because she hadn’t replied to his previous text.

Adanya was caught up with Anaya and Snoopy who were making the turn toward her building. Adanya was often in awe of her mother’s uncanny abilities to recall places, memorize numbers, and the full lyrics to hundreds of gospel tunes.

“Why are you slow, Pretty Adanya?”

“I’m coming. I was sending a message on my phone. That’s all,” Adanya answered and approached the door to her flat. She retrieved her key and opened the door. As they went inside, Adanya’s phone beeped again.

“Is somebody testing you?” asked Anaya.

Adanya smiled. “It’s called texting and how do you know about texting anyway?.”

“I know how to use a cell phone,” answered Anaya. “Mommy lets me talk on hers sometimes.”

“That’s good. I tell you what, take off Snoopy’s leash for me and hang it up. Then why don’t you get a bath and we can get ready to watch our movies. Would you like that?”

“Yes. I want to see my movie.”

“I’ll go to my room and get ready, and you have your clothes in your bedroom. There are clean towels in the bathroom.”

“Thank you,” answered Anaya in her always polite manner.

Anaya disappeared into her room. Adanya walked toward her bedroom while she speed called Nanette and told her everything that Bleak had texted. “What should I tell him?” she asked Nanette.

“See, I told you that you should have been listening to my advice all along. But nooo, you were always so wrapped up in your daddy. Now you don’t even know what to say to a man who obviously finds you appealing or something.”

“Look, I don’t have time for the I-told-you-so. I have Anaya here and we’re supposed to be watching movies tonight. I don’t know what to tell him.”

“Listen, you said that he asked if your mother was going to be there for the night, right?”

“Right.”

“Just tell him the truth. Tell him that she’s there for the night. If you want to see him, this would be the perfect time. I mean, think about it. You’ll have Anaya there with you, so you wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable.”

“Yeah,” Adanya paused. “But he doesn’t know about Anaya.” “Doesn’t know what about Anaya? Are you talking about her being autistic?”

“Uh, yes. I don’t want her to feel awkward. I don’t know how well she’ll take to him. As for Bleak, I don’t want to put him on the spot either.”

“Just go with the flow. Invite the man over. It’ll be a purely innocent night of watching a movie. Put on some popcorn, fix something to drink, and sit back and enjoy the company. What movies do you have?”

Adanya chuckled before she answered, “Shrek 3D and The Preacher’s Kid.”

Nanette laughed into the phone. “Can’t get more innocent than that. Go for it, girl.”

“Yea, you’re right. But I’m still a little on edge.”

“About what?”

“Why would he consider coming to my house when he’s never met my mother?”

“Duh, I don’t see anything wrong with it. Frankly, I think it’s a good sign if he agrees to come over. That says something positive about the guy.”

“Okay, let me go. I’m going to text him back.”

“Okay, good. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Adanya ended the call and proceeded to text Bleak. “goin 2 watch couple DVDS w mom. Free 2 join us”

No answer. Adanya stripped down out of her clothes and walked into her bathroom. She started the shower. By the time she was ready to step into the shower stall, she still had not heard back from Bleak. Guess he decided he doesn’t want to be bothered. Adanya pretended like it didn’t bother her one way or another. In a way it didn’t, because as long as she had her mother with her, she knew she was in for a special night. She felt her body being massaged by the jetted shower heads. The heated water relaxed her body.

“Anaya,” she called out after she finished her shower.

“Yes.”

“What are you doing?” Adanya asked as she finished drying off. She dressed in a lightweight pair of low rider slacks and a waist length, short-sleeved, tangerine shirt.

“I’m in the tub.”

“Okay, I was just checking.” Adanya looked at her phone. The message light was blinking and her heart started racing.

“Ur call. Do not want 2 intrude on time with ur mom,” he had texted.

Adanya had a change of thought. She couldn’t invite Bleak to come over when she hadn’t explained to him that her mother did not know that she was her mother. It would be too confusing. No, she had to wait. This was her time to spend alone with Anaya. There would be other times she could spend with him, if she decided to.

Adanya exhaled. She was glad that she had thought about the repercussions of what could have happened, had Bleak came over not knowing the truth about Anaya.

She texted, “rain check” Part of her felt disappointed that she wouldn’t see him tonight. The other part was relieved.

“understand hav good time w ur mom. gnite.”

Adanya read the last text message and heard Anaya exiting the bathroom. “Do you need anything, Anaya?”

“No, my bag is in my new bedroom. Mommy helped me pack my things.”

“Well, I’ll get the popcorn started and we’ll have us some fresh, homemade lemonade. When you finish, come to the den.”

“Okay.”

Adanya heard Anaya close the door to her bedroom. She took the time to call Nanette and tell her what happened, or rather what didn’t happen.

“I think you were right. I really hadn’t looked at it like that. I mean, who knows how it would have turned out if he walked in and said, ‘Oh, so you’re Adanya’s mother?’ Girl, that may have been hard to explain. But there’ll be other times. You better believe that. If he texted you that many times and practically invited himself over, then I know you’re going to be hearing from him again. And who says you have to wait for his call. Maybe you can invite him over during the week, or on a Sunday afternoon,” suggested Nanette.

“You’re right. It’s no big deal anyway.” Adanya pretended like she wasn’t bothered. “Let me get this popcorn started. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Sure, I’ll be around.”

That evening mother and daughter cuddled on the sofa and watched their movies, ate popcorn, and gulped lemonade while Snoopy relaxed on his doggie bed.

 

◊

 

Morning ushered in a gorgeous, crisp, clear Saturday. Adanya was in her galley styled kitchen preparing homemade waffles, turkey sausage, and scrambled egg whites while she listened to Anaya singing in the bathroom. It felt good to hear the joyous sound of singing.

After they finished breakfast, they took Snoopy for a walk and then decided to take a ride downtown. Once they made it to downtown Memphis, Adanya found an available parking space and they traded the car for a ride on the trolley.

Adanya hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time. The time with Anaya was priceless. Despite Anaya’s challenges, Adanya felt exhilarated just by being around her.

Several hours passed, and it was time to take Anaya home. “Did you have a good time, Aunt Anaya?”

Anaya nodded. Her face was void of expression. She’d gone off into her own world, one where no one was allowed.

Adanya didn’t press her. She focused her attention on the road ahead. The remainder of the drive echoed silence.

Adanya turned into her grandparents’ driveway. Anaya, without saying a word, opened the car door just as soon as Adanya turned off the ignition.

Anaya ran up to the door and rang the doorbell. Before Adanya barely had time to get out of her car, Gram had opened the door. Anaya hugged her before dashing past her and disappearing inside the house.

“You’re coming in, aren’t you?” her grandmother asked.

“No, I’m beat. Me and Aunt…Anaya were on the go. She’s tired too, I’m sure. She didn’t say anything to me on the drive over here.” Adanya frowned and stretched out her hands. “She went into her zone.”

Gram nodded. “She’ll be okay. She’s home now. Don’t worry about it, ‘Danya. It’s the nature of your mother’s illness.”

“Yes, I know that. I just hope that she doesn’t get stuck in that zone.”