Chapter Twenty - Jeremy

I never slept that night. I made love to Marsha and watched her sleep, but I was too rattled to sleep. I felt horrible as I caressed the scratches on her buttery-smooth skin. She didn’t have a blemish anywhere on her body until the fight, and it was all my fault. The next morning, I drove to Hill Avenue to get her favorite Antiguan breakfast, then picked up some roses for her on White Plains Road. When I returned, she was still in bed. I needed to meet with Uncle Marvin, so I left the roses by her bedside, the food on the back of the stove, prepared a cup of ginger tea, and headed back out the door.
Except for the weekend receptionist and Uncle Marvin, the law office was empty.
“What’s going on?” Uncle Marvin asked, seeing the distress in my face. “You look like you haven’t slept in days, and I just saw you on Thursday.”
I shook my head in shame, and I told the story. I couldn’t even believe myself as I relayed the tale. “She was like the fuckin Hulk,” I told Uncle Marvin. “She punched that girl square in her face. I never seen her that way before.”
“Maybe now it’s time to stop the bullshit,” Uncle Marvin said, taking a sip of his coffee.
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“Seriously. She’s a good woman. I don’t know why you do what you do and in such proximity. At least take your shit somewhere else.” Uncle Marvin shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Marsha’s more than a good woman,” I said, as I thought about how good she made me feel. The way she looked at me, the way her touch felt on my skin. I was so proud to be seen with her, and I didn’t say it often, but I was just as proud of who she was. She came to the States, excelled in school, landed a job, and became good at it in no time. Her family bragged about her, while my family was frustrated with me. At first, I couldn’t let her go because there was no way I would lose the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. Now there was more to it. I knew she could make me somebody. I secretly prayed that whatever she had in her would eventually rub off on me and make me successful, and eventually the apple of my parents’ eyes.
“Kidonk koupe l!” Uncle Marvin yelled, snapping me out of my trance.
“I am, Unc. I’ma cut it out. I’m done. I might even make that move to Jersey like you said. I gotta do better. I am. I’m gonna do right by her, and I’m gonna get better at handling family business, and I been thinking about going back to school.”
“Thinking and going are not the same thing,” Uncle Marvin commented in an even tone.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
Uncle Marvin was right about everything.
After confiding in him, I headed back home. When I got there, Marsha’s cousin Steven was parked outside our building.
“Sup, man?” I said as I approached his car and reached to give him a pound.
Steven returned the gesture, but his face was blank and hard-looking.
“Mek this the first and last time muh tell yuh this,” Steven said, wasting no time on small talk.
I nodded, knowing what was coming, and praying it wouldn’t be followed by a blow. I didn’t want to fight Steven.
“Don’t fuck around on Marsha. She ah good gyal. Is not the first time mi hear yuh cheat pon her. But this ah di first time mi hear Marsha come to the club and find you there. Before, muh jus mind muh business cuh Marsha never like nobody in she business, but now everybody know everyting. Nuthin is left in the dark. So mek this the last time mi have to tell yuh this. Next time, mi nah goh waste time wid talkin.”
I swallowed my fear and relief. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You was tinkin she like Tina and everybody else yuh fuck around wit. She not. That’s all mi ah say.”
I nodded.
“Go tell Marsha yuh sorry. Not me. Mi nah need ya sorry. Mi nah hab nuthin fa lose. Mi nah ‘fraid of jail.”
“You good,” I assured Steven. “It won’t get there.”
Steven nodded, and his expression finally softened. He dapped me up one more time. “Muh check yuh later.” He rolled his window up and pulled off.
I walked back into his apartment, telling myself enough had happened. I was going to straighten up and fly right.