“All good things must come to an end.” H.H. Riley
Xavier arrived at home and all was rather quiet. The house was dark. He didn’t sense life anywhere. He stopped in the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and got himself a bottled water and made two hoagie sandwiches out of some shredded barbeque chicken he saw in the fridge. He piled both sandwiches with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and lots of mayo, his favorite condiment, followed by a sprinkle of pepper before topping it with the top parts of the giant size hoagie buns.
Next, he looked inside the kitchen pantry and moved around some bags of tortilla chips, popcorn, and cookies until he found a bag of potato chips. He got the bag of chips and took his sandwich and water upstairs to his bedroom.
That was another thing he thought about as he walked up the stairs. He was a grown man. He needed his own spot. He could afford it now that he was on Holy Rock’s payroll, and making a darn good salary.
As he walked past his mother’s room, he saw the door cracked. He walked over and peeped inside and saw her lying across the bed. He tapped lightly on the door. “Mom, you awake?”
Fancy quickly raised her head. “Xavier, honey. You’re back. Did you have a good time?”
“Yea, I did. I needed that break. New Orleans is the bomb,” he said, laughing lightly.
Fancy sat up and then got up off the bed, hoping her baby boy wouldn’t notice her red swollen eyes, but that was not the case.
“Mom, what’s wrong? Have you been crying?” He walked all the way into her room until he stood in front of her. “What happened? What has Dad done now?” He knew that had to be the reason for her tears. His father was practically the only person on earth he knew of who could make her cry.
“It...it’s nothing. At least nothing me and the good Lord can’t handle.”
“Tell me what it is. I know it has to be something involving my father.”
“I don’t want to bother you with me and your father’s problems, Xavier. You and Khalil have already been through enough dealing with that man and his foolishness.”
“Tell me, Ma,” Xavier insisted.
“I…we…have to move. Your father sold the house to a private buyer. We have two weeks to be out of here.”
“That’s low. I can’t believe he would do something like this. It was bad enough when he had the lights turned off and stopped paying the mortgage, but to throw you out, that’s foul, even for him.”
Fancy began crying again. This time her tears came slowly. She wiped them away as quickly as they fell. “I should have listened to your brother when he first told me to find a place of my own. I went looking but I guess I just couldn’t let this place go. Now I don’t have a choice.”
“Ma, it’s going to be all right.” Xavier wanted to console her so he placed his plate of food, chips, and bottled water on the bed, and then he gathered his mother into his arms and held her while she cried. “Lately, I’ve been thinking that it’s time for me to get my own place anyway. And you, well, finding you another spot will be easy. There are lots of folks at Holy Rock who sell real estate, manage apartment complexes, and rent houses, the whole nine yards. We’ll find you a nice crib in no time. Don’t you worry, Ma. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
Fancy pulled away from her son’s arms, stood on tiptoes, and kissed him on his cheek.
“Thank you, son. I know everything will work out. It’s just a hard pill to swallow. So many memories have been made in this house and now to think that your father has sold it, and he doesn’t want to be married to me anymore, it’s tough to think about.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t want to be married to you anymore? What would make you say that? I know Dad has put you through a whole lot, but in the end, I guess I thought you two would eventually work things out. You always do. You’ve said it yourself. You and dad have been through some troubling times during all the years you’ve been together, but you persevered and made it through them all. What makes you think that once he gets better, and clears his mind, that he won’t ask for your forgiveness and try to rectify the things he’s done. Don’t you want that?”
“He’s done so much this go round, sweetheart. I don’t think our marriage can be salvaged, and even if I had hoped it could, your father doesn’t feel the same.” She turned around, leaned down, and picked up the brown envelope and gave it to Xavier. This is what came today, delivered by a sheriff I should add, along with a priority mail package about us having to move.
Xavier scanned the papers, looked up at his mother, and a frown caused a deep crease in his forehead. “What is wrong with him, Ma? He’s nothing like the father I grew up with. I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.” His voice was tender and sad.
Fancy reached up and brought his head down to her shoulder. “It’s all right, Xavier. Like you said, I’m going to be fine. We’re going to be fine. God has a reason for all of this. I just have to trust that He will handle it. Now, go on and eat your food. I just grilled that chicken last night. Your brother came over and had dinner with me. He said it was good,” Fancy said, trying to smile and talk through her pain.
“I know it’s going to be good. I love your barbeque chicken.”
“You love anything I cook,” she said, patting him on his back as he leaned down and picked up his food and bottled water.
Xavier cracked a smile. “Get some rest, Ma. If you need me, holla.”
Xavier walked back toward the open bedroom door.
“Oh, son,” Fancy said. “We have to talk about you moving into your own place. Don’t think I let that fly over my head. I don’t see why you feel you need to be out on your own. I love having you with me.”
“Ma, I’m not a kid anymore. I need my own space, a place I can call my own. I don’t want to be living with my momma. That’s meant as no offense to you. I’m just saying, it’s not cool.”
Fancy waved a hand toward him. “Go on so you can eat. We’ll talk about it later. Goodnight, Zay.”
Goodnight, Ma. And promise me you won’t worry. First thing tomorrow, we’ll start looking for a place for you…and for me. Have you told Khalil?”
“Not yet. I guess I’ll call him now. Goodnight.”
“Gnite, Ma.” Xavier exited the room, closing the door behind him. He was angrier than he cared to show at his father’s latest antics. What had gotten into that man? He used to have the utmost respect for his father when he was growing up. He thought he was the equivalent to some of the strong black men he read about and admired so much, but seeing how things were going in his family, Xavier lost respect for his dad and looked at him in a totally different light. He shook his head as he walked toward his room. His father had literally evicted his mother out of the house she called her dream home. What a shame.
Xavier opened his bedroom door with one hand while balancing his food in the other when his text notifier sounded. He kicked the door closed with his foot, then set his food on the nearby desk in his exceptionally large bedroom. He eyed the text message as he set the phone down next to his food.
It was a message from Ian.
You made it to the crib?
Xavier smiled and then texted back.
Yea. Bout to eat something. You good?
Yeah, I’m straight. Just checkin with you. Still thinking about NOLA.
Me too. It was better than I could ever expected,
Xavier replied, thinking about the experience he had with Ian.
Go on and eat. I’m bout to do the same then I’m crashing. Ttyl.
GN ttyl,
Xavier texted back, laid his phone down, and exchanged it for his plate of food that was now cold. He picked up the plate and ran back downstairs, rewarmed it in the microwave, and then raced back up the stairs where he sat at the desk and devoured the meal.