Chapter Twenty-One
Cuddling an autographed basketball, Joi lay under the Christmas tree listening to a classic Luther Vandross holiday CD. The basketball was a gift from Jerome. He had used his WNBA connections to track down Sheryl Swoopes and have her sign the ball. In Joi’s eyes, the only thing that could’ve topped Jerome’s gift would’ve been Sheryl delivering the ball in person.
With Lance’s permission, Joi had called Jerome early in the morning to thank him. It was the first time she’d actually spoken to him since he was admitted into the hospital. Jerome didn’t sound like himself, but did his best to appear in great spirits, joking that a rematch on the court was needed.
Leah danced around Joi in her new ballet shoes, holding tight to the souvenir booklet she purchased at a recent Rhianna concert. Besides the new basketball that Joi received, going to the concert was the highlight of Christmas. Joi tucked the basketball under her arm and played a game on her new iPod, a gift from her parents.
This year, Christmas was not the same. In previous years the holiday season was the one time the house was full of joy and extended family time together. But, so far, there was nothing but tension in the air. Jerome’s sudden illness had caused a strain between her parents. They barely talked to one another, and family time activities were often split between the females and the males. Their lack of communication affected everyone in the house. The twins stopped their pranks, and Leah was quieter than she’d ever been, reading a book every spare minute she had.
Taylor and Lance were supposed to go away for a few days, but postponed the trip. Taylor claimed she had a lot to do at work, and Lance wanted to finally finish Gram’s house. Joi was disappointed. She had looked forward to staying with her aunt for a few days.
The one thing that had remained the same was Taylor’s passion for cooking. She was in the kitchen more than any other part of the house. No one disturbed her, especially not today; not even Lance. He spent the day assembling toys and helping the twins build a Star Wars scene with a bunch of Lego® pieces.
The doorbell rang, and Lance got up from the floor to answer it. They were expecting Gram and Gizelle’s family for dinner. Initially the plan was to have dinner at Gram’s, but Taylor refused to go. “She can’t have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s,” Joi heard Taylor say to Lance one night.
Joi put down the iPod and braced herself for her family, praying there wouldn’t be any drama. On Thanksgiving, Gizelle and Taylor had cut eyes at one another all evening. Although Taylor and Gizelle never disagreed at the dinner table, Joi had learned that anything was possible.
“Merry Christmas,” Kara said as she walked in the house.
Joi smiled. She hadn’t expected to see Kara or her husband until after the New Year.
“Harold and I just wanted to stop by and leave a few gifts for the kids,” Kara told Lance. “We’re on our way to Stephanie’s, and since you were on the way.” Kara pointed to Harold, his cue to pass out the gifts in his hand.
Taylor came out of the kitchen, the tiny specs of glitter in her black velour dress sparkling under the light. “God’s birthday is a special occasion,” she’d say whenever someone asked why she was so dressed up, although Taylor didn’t need an excuse. She happily embraced every opportunity to put on fancy clothes.
For the next hour, Joi watched her parents talk as if nothing was wrong, like they’d been one happy married couple all week.
Joi’s cell phone vibrated against her leg, and she checked the text message. It was from Markus, and he wanted to know what time he should be at the mall. They had planned to meet downtown the day after Christmas and do some shopping together. Taylor didn’t have any suspicions about Joi’s plans. As far as Taylor knew, Joi was going out with Rayven to spend the many gift certificates she’d received for Christmas.
Joi raced upstairs, the basketball tight under her arm, and closed her bedroom door. She plopped on her bed and placed the ball on her lap. No sooner than she flipped her cell open, someone tapped lightly on her door. The softness of the knock told Joi that it might have been Leah, but she was wrong.
“Hey, lady,” Kara said. “I came up to see your room. Taylor said you finally cleaned it.”
Joi shook her head. What else had Mother told her friends? Stepping aside, Joi invited Kara inside.
Kara browsed the medium-sized room, initiating conversations about school and sports.
Joi could tell there was something on her mind. She actively engaged in the casual dialogue, waiting for the true purpose of the visit to arise. Whenever there was something Taylor couldn’t get Joi to confess, she sent in reinforcements. Usually it was her godmother, Sherry. Although Kara and Sherry were her mother’s best friends, Joi didn’t mind talking to them. They often listened to Joi without judgment and ridicule.
“I hear Jerome is doing better.” Kara sat on Joi’s bed, her face more serious than before.
“Yeah, I spoke to him this morning,” Joi replied and hugged her basketball. “Did you know him?”
“I knew him way before I met your mother. We all worked for SEPTA at one time,” Kara answered, her petite frame sitting in a perfect posture. “Learning about Jerome must’ve been tough. How are you feeling about it?”
“Aunt Kara, I feel like I caused more problems in everybody’s life,” Joi began. “Jerome wouldn’t have had a heart attack if he wasn’t here playing ball with me. Then his wife showed up out of nowhere. That was a lot on him.”
“You look like your father, but you think and feel the way your mother does,” Kara said. “She blames herself for what happened, and you’re doing the same thing. You had no control over what took place. The heart attack could’ve happened anywhere, and Renee would’ve found out eventually.”
“And what about Mother? Her and Daddy are not doing too good either, and I know it’s because of me. Why do I keep hurting people? What’s wrong with me?”
Kara hugged Joi warmly. “There’s not one thing wrong with you, sweetheart. You are a child of the King. That means you’re royal. You just don’t realize it yet. Your mother and Jerome both have their own battles to fight. You just happen to be the common thread between them.”
“But bad things keep happening when I’m around,” responded Joi as she placed the basketball next to her.
“It only feels that way. If you stop for a moment, you’d see that there are tons of great things going on, too.” Kara touched Joi’s basketball. “You’re a gifted player. Do you know how many people wish they had your talent? You have a beautiful sister and fantastic brothers that love you. Not everyone can say that. You’re smart and attractive.”
Joi smiled, covering the gap between her teeth with her tongue.
“I could go on, but do you know how many people wish they had your life? Instead of focusing on all the bad stuff that’s going on, hold on to the good.”
There were many things for Joi to be thankful for, but out of everything that came to mind, very little involved her mother. Especially within the last few years, Joi felt like an outsider when it came to Taylor. “Everyone I know seems to be so happy, and their families seem so perfect.” Joi traced the lines of her ball with her finger.
“Seem is the operative word. You never know what a person is dealing with. Some people do a wonderful job at hiding their problems,” Kara said. “Don’t judge what you think is going on in someone’s life by their appearance. Appearances can be deceiving. And don’t base what your life should be like on someone else’s. We all have our personal crosses to bear. God tailored a road map specifically for each of us that would make our lives better. That road map is not the same for everyone.” Kara lifted Joi’s chin with her index finger. “Just do your best, and remember that you are royal, precious.”
Gram’s hearty laugh echoed from downstairs. Kara and Joi were so busy talking that they hadn’t heard anyone come in the house.
“I’d better go,” Kara said. “My child is waiting for me, and you have company. We should really do this more often.”
Joi agreed and followed Kara to the stairs. “Wait a minute,” she said halfway down the steps. “I forgot something.” Joi ran back to her bedroom. Quickly she sent a text message to Markus, grabbed her autographed basketball, and ran back to Kara. “Now I’m ready.”
Seated at the dinner table, Joi and her family enjoyed the feast Taylor had prepared. She’d outdone herself this year, like she had something to prove. Joi and Taylor didn’t agree on much, but Joi had no complaints when it came to her mother’s cooking.
Joi looked around the table. Everyone appeared happy. They laughed, reminisced, and shared stories as a family should.
But when the plates were near empty and bellies were getting full, Joi smelled trouble in the air. Gizelle had been quiet for the last five minutes, something no one was used to. Lance often joked that as the youngest of Gram’s children, she craved attention; thus the reason she talked so much.
In past years, Gram or Gizelle would wait until the plates were cleared and the guests were out of sight before they’d exchange unpleasant words with Taylor. Joi never heard any of the disagreements, she just knew they occurred, and usually the first woman that flew out of the kitchen was the one who grabbed their family and left the gathering early.
Gizelle buttered one of Taylor’s homemade rolls, her lips ready to speak. “So, I hear there’s a lot going on in this house.”
Everyone seated around the table grew silent, their smiling faces casually subsiding.
“Jerome’s in town and in the hospital, huh? Have you heard any news about his condition?”
Joi swallowed a huge amount of cranberry punch. She thought Taylor was going to respond, but her mother sat at the end of the table twirling her fork in a seafood linguini dish. “He’s going to be fine,” Joi replied.
“We’re praying for a speedy recovery,” added Lance, cutting a tender slice of roast beef in half with a fork.
“Send him my prayers the next time you talk to him,” Gizelle said and scooped another heap of stuffing onto her plate. “Taylor, I hear you’re also looking into a second store.”
Taylor gave Lance an eerie glare. “I’m considering it, but nothing’s been set in stone.”
Gizelle frosted her third piece of ham with a special glaze and directed her next question to her niece. “How do you feel about that, Joi? You won’t get to see a lot of your mother if she has two stores.”
Wanting nothing to do with the argument in progress, Joi shrugged her shoulders. She loved her aunt, but was finally on good terms with her mother. “If that’s what she wants to do, I guess it’s all right.”
Taylor stopped chewing the food in her mouth. “My kids and I will be fine. If you have concerns, please address me after dinner.”
Under the table, Leah grabbed Joi’s hand. This had, by far, been the worst Christmas Joi ever remembered.
“Glad to hear your business is doing well enough for a second location,” Gram interjected.
“I’m not sure of the logistics, but I believe it can work,” Taylor responded and resumed eating.
“It’s a hard enough job being a wife and mother. Can you handle all of that responsibility?”
Gizelle’s husband, seated on her left, subtly asked her to be quiet. Last year, Gizelle decided to stay at home, accepting only temporary and short-term projects from her previous job.
“Some women like going to work,” Gram said. “When your father died, I had to enter the workforce again after being home for eleven years. I’m glad I did it. It felt good being around grown-ups and having meaningful conversations.”
Taylor, her smile masking her anger, looked at Lance. Joi had seen that look many times. “As long as I have my family’s support, I should be fine.”
“Lance works, too,” Gizelle bounced back. “Another store will put more pressure on him. Have you considered—”
Joi felt Gram smack Gizelle’s leg. “Taylor will find a way to make it work. She’s done a good job this far. Let’s just enjoy Christ’s day.”
“My tournament is in two days,” Joi announced to break the tension.
“You sure you want us there?” Gizelle’s husband joked.
Lance put a forkful of string beans in his mouth. “We’ll be there, Boss. And we’ll all be on our best behavior.”
The family was able to get through dinner without further incident once the topic of discussion shifted. Gram had done most of the talking. She was excited about her move to Maryland.
Before eating dessert, all prepared by Taylor, it was family tradition to watch a movie and let dinner digest. This Christmas, starring Loretta Divine, Idris Elba, and singing sensation, Chris Brown, was the featured selection. While everyone found a comfortable position in the family room, Taylor cleaned up alone, despite Gram’s repeated offers to help.
The house was full of excitement and love, just as Joi liked. But as soon as everyone left, things were back to the way they were before the guests had arrived. Lance watched sports highlights in the family room, Taylor went to bed, Leah sat under the Christmas tree reading Bud Not Buddy, and the twins played Monopoly in their bedroom. Joi’s once vibrant home was again cold and distant.
It was the day before her tournament, and Joi had not seen Jerome. That bothered her more than she admitted to her mother. Before meeting Markus at the Gallery downtown, she’d decided to make a trip to Delaware County Memorial.
Walking into the hospital, Joi stopped at the front desk for directions then headed to the gift shop. With the money she earned at Second Chance, she bought Jerome a card and single Get Well balloon. This was the first time she’d been in a hospital. She walked up two flights of stairs and paused at the nurses’ station, in case she needed to sign in. “H-Hi,” she said softly and coughed to clear her throat. “I’m here to see Jerome Thomas.”
“You must be his daughter. You look just like him,” a friendly nurse replied. “C’mon, I’ll walk with you. It’s time for his checkup.” The nurse walked from behind the desk, her long ponytail bouncing with each step. “Your brothers have been here all morning.”
A look of concern crossed Joi’s face. The possibility that they were going to be there was a thought, but Joi was certain she’d be able to handle meeting them. They should have known about her by now for sure.
“Don’t worry, precious,” the nurse said. “Your dad is recovering very well.” She took Joi’s free hand and led her down the hall.
Jerome’s room was full of visitors. Although she’d only met Brandon, Joi felt like she knew the other people in the room from the family pictures Jerome had shown her. She had rehearsed this moment in her head, but now that it was happening, she was more nervous than before.
“I found your daughter roaming the hall, Mr. Thomas,” the nurse said, pulling Joi inside the room.
“His daughter?” Joi heard one of them say, and like a motion picture, the activity in the room suspended. All eyes stared at Joi, then at Jerome.
“Pop, do you know this young lady?” Jerome Jr. inquired.
With a look of shame, Jerome confirmed Joi’s identity. “This is what I wanted to talk to you boys about,” he said.
Reggie couldn’t take his eyes off Joi. She resembled him the most. “Is this why Mom left?”
Joi wanted to leave. Her legs were numb and her mouth dry, but she’d come too far, and the damage had been done.
“Need I remind you that your father just had a heart attack?” a woman Joi recognized as Zora, from the family pictures Jerome had previously shown her, asked then stood next to her. “I think this is something we should discuss later. We are in a hospital.”
“Zora, I’m trying to find out what’s going on here,” Jerome Jr. said and looked at Joi. In a strong and powerful voice, he asked a series of questions. “What’s your name? Who is your mother? Where do you live? How old are you?”
Joi flinched after each inquiry. “Her . . . her name is Taylor, and I’m Joi. I live in West Philly.”
“Taylor?” Reggie said before Joi could reveal her age. He walked to Jerome’s bed and looked his father in the eye. “The same woman from Germantown?”
During all of the questioning, Joi noticed Joshua standing in a corner completely clueless, his head twisting from person to person as they spoke.
“Is she the reason why Mom left?” Jerome Jr. asked.
“I’m sorry,” the nurse chimed in, “but I’m going to have to ask you to settle down.”
Upset that she had possibly ruined the day for everyone in the room, Joi handed the nurse the card and balloon in her hand and ran out the door.
Not sure where to go, she knew she didn’t want to go home. Without thinking, she boarded the 21 bus to Markus’s apartment. When she got off at 43rd Street, she walked to the middle of the block and climbed the steep stairs leading to Markus’s house. Joi had held herself together long enough to travel back to West Philly, but as soon as Markus opened his door, she burst into tears.
“What happened, Boss?” Markus asked repeatedly, but Joi couldn’t speak from crying so hard. Markus pulled her inside and led her to his previously-owned suede couch. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” He tenderly stroked Joi’s head that was now resting on his shoulder. “Just please try to calm down.”
Joi looked up into his eyes and saw a concerned friend. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, she tried to steady herself.
Markus got up and returned with a tall glass of water.
“Thank you,” Joi managed to say and drank a quarter of the water.
“Wanna talk about what’s going on?” Markus asked.
Joi shook her head and placed her glass on a cup holder on the coffee table.
She inched closer to Markus and kissed him. She wanted him, and it didn’t matter that she hadn’t started taking birth control pills. Markus could use a condom. She just wanted him to make her pain disappear. As she had seen in the movies, Joi attempted to seduce Markus.
Although he was affected by her touch, Markus grabbed Joi’s hands before things got too far out of control. “We can’t do this today. Not like this, Boss. You’re too upset.”
Joi pouted, slow tears rolling down her cheek, and Markus pulled her into his arms, where she stayed until it was time for her to leave.