On Sunday, Sally visited Monique, Bev had gone to study on campus and Morgana had gone to the beach with Stewart while Darren was asleep in his room.
They had eaten dinner and Monique was tidying up the kitchen when Sally broke the unexpected news.
"Monique, Vernon has asked me to marry him and I've said yes.”
Monique couldn’t hold back herself at the news. Her daughters and several friends and neighbors had been willing to take bets as to which of the two gorgeous young widows would revisit the altar first. Sally had won that race and fittingly so, she being the elder sister and the first to get married.
"Wow, I don't know when I'll recover from this shock,” Monique shouted, hugging her sister.
"I always said that after Sid’s untimely death that Vernon was the right man for you, sis,” Monique said as they pulled apart.
"I've phoned Tania and Billy and they couldn’t be happier,” Sally said, referring to her daughter and son, who were grown adults although she had no grandchildren despite the fact that both were married.
"I'm sorry we can't make it into a double wedding. I don’t know what Val’s waiting on.”
"His divorce isn’t final as yet and I'm not sure about getting married again.”
"I'm sure more wedding bells will be ringing soon, especially for Morgan and Stewart,” Sally said.
"Maybe you know more than I do, but I'm not sure we’re going to hear those bells anytime soon.”
"Morgana is such a lovely girl, any young man would be rushing to get married to her. You let Stewart stay, he’s going to lose her,” Sally warned.
"But you haven't told me the date and of your wedding plans.”
"It's next month, it’ll be a private ceremony and we’ll have a reception afterwards. Vernon wants us to go on vacation afterwards, but I’m not sure what I’ll do with the business.”
"You go on your vacation; you forget that I used to help you run it. I’ll get Morgana, Bev and Darren to help me.”
"So is Bev still seeing Rick?"
"Everything seems to have cooled between them. I figured that Bev maybe felt that she was the cause of the fights between Rick and Celia. I’m relieved because I just didn’t want any trouble between her and that she devil. Somebody said that one night she came by here circling around, apparently believing that Rick was up here.”
"I’m not sure that Celia would have an easy time of it if she took on Bev, but I think she did the right thing. At least if they break up, Celia can’t blame her,” Sally said, looking at her watch.
"I don't think that either Morgana or Bev should have a man whom anybody can accuse either of them of stealing from them," Monique opined.
“Monique, I'm leaving, Vernon must be home by now and I haven’t started dinner yet,” Sally said and the two sisters embraced. Monique followed her to the gate and watched her drive off.
***
The woman was about five feet six inches tall and was twenty five years of age. April English was returning to Jamaica for good. She had gone to New Jersey in August last year. She had broken up with Stewart Brown, her lover of nearly seven years. She had now gotten over the hurt she felt when he told her that he was going to get engaged to Morgana Simmonds. She and Morgana had an enmity going back to high school days. When Morgana went away she thought she had him to herself only for Bobbette Greene to intrude in their relationship. April had been determined to fight her for him.
She was therefore quite deflated by his announcement about Morgana and they had a big quarrel. She had left the island to get away from Stewart and the embarrassment of him leaving her and getting engaged to her arch enemy. Now she was back in Jamaica and wanted to be with him again. She had heard that Bobbette was getting married shortly. She knew that Stewart had no intention of getting married to Morgana.
She didn’t think that either Bobbette or Mogana could make love to Stewart the way she could. There had been nights of endless ecstasy that it was a wonder they had survived the ravaging heat and fire that had consumed them both. So why had he left her and gotten engaged to that frigid girl while hot April had to run away to get over him.
April didn’t think she wanted to be married anytime soon. She just wanted to have fun and enjoy life. She didn’t want to have to look after dinner or have kids hanging onto her skirts. That would come later in life and it had to be with a rich man. Somebody who had money like Bobbette’s soon to be husband. Like Bobbette if she found such a man she would immediately forget about Stewart. After all, she would have everything to her comfort so why spoil it? April hated introverted guys, they were so predictable. She preferred the bold, unpredictable types like Stewart.
She knew that she didn’t have a lot of money. She only planned to spend a week at her parent’s home before getting a comfortable apartment in an area that wasn’t too expensive. Her mother felt she was wasting her time with Stewart and the two of them had quarrelled on numerous occasions.
When the plane landed and stopped taxiing and they got the go ahead to leave she took down her bags and went through immigration without any problem.
Upon coming outside the airport, she saw a taxi man she knew from Prembroke Hall. The two of them agreed on the fare and the driver helped put her bags in the back of the car and she got in. She was glad to be back on Jamaican soil again.
As April sat in the back of the taxi going up the Palisadoes Road she knew that she would stay in limbo for the rest of the week before she made any moves or contacted anybody. She would try to get a job. April did freelance secretarial services. She had thought that she wanted to get some money to upgrade her associate degree into a first degree in business administration but had changed her mind and wanted to pursue courses in hospitality management. Her parents lived in Patrick City and she knew that Stewart lived in the Red Hills Road area. It was hard to imagine that the whole time she was away she had only spoken to Stewart twice after he called and apologized. Apart from him she had spoken to no other man except her sister, Melody’s husband.
April stopped thinking and tried to stretch out her legs in the taxi. She just wanted to reach home and get settled into the local life again.
***
Monday morning, Rick was in his office looking over some information systems reports when his telephone rang. He picked it up, Teddy was on the line.
"Rick, is that you?" the voice on the line asked. Rick answered in the affirmative.
"My name is Teddy, you remember that," the man said and hung up.
Rick sat there still digesting what the man had said and didn’t even realize that he hadn’t hung up the phone. He didn't know anybody by the name of Teddy and he knew of no reasons why anyone should be threatening him. He wondered if he should call the police and report the threat. He decided he would wait and if the man called back, he would definitely report it.
Over lunch he told Alex, Brad and Maria about it and they were as perplexed as he was. They all agreed that if the man called back, he should go to the police.
***
That afternoon Dudley Chen was about to leave the island after attending the funeral of his brother, Oraine. Oraine had been the only brother left in Jamaica and now he was murdered. Dudley had put up a five hundred thousand dollar reward for information leading to his brother’s killers. The other members of their large family had put up a similar amount. Dudley knew that it was probably one of the largest rewards ever offered on the island and he hoped that it would lead to the capture of Oraine’s killers.
***
That evening Celia and some friends went to Ruddy’s after work jam. Rick had gone to Randy Chin to play some dominoes. Brad, Alex and some of their friends were also there.
Celia was talking to Yola Price, one of her colleagues when a thickset man of average height came over to their table. It was Greg Sharpe. He had been one of her classmates at primary school.
"Hey, Celia, what's up? It's a long time I haven't seen you,” he said, hugging her as she stood up to greet him. She introduced him to Yola.
"So when did you return, Greg?"
"Only last week, I came by your mother asking for you, but she told me about the big move you’d made,” he told her, obviously referring to her decision to go and live with Rick.
Yola excused herself and went to talk to some other friends.
"Cho, Greg, you know how it goes."
"So can I buy you a drink?" he asked as she invited him to sit at her table.
"Sure, why not, but I want something light, maybe some apple juice. I have to drive home.”
"What! You all driving these days," he congratulated her as he called a waiter over and ordered their drinks.
Their drinks arrived and they were having it when Greg noticed a change developing in Celia’s countenance. He saw a man approaching her with a serious expression on his face.
Teddy came up to where Celia and Greg were seated.
"Mister, that’s my seat you're occupying," he said to Greg.
Greg looked at Celia for some guidance. He knew Rick, maybe this was a new boyfriend Celia had. Nevertheless, Greg wasn’t the type of man to run away from anything or anybody. He thought the man’s behavior was uncouth to say the least.
"Who's he, Celia?" Greg asked, still seated as some of Celia’s colleagues were looking on apprehensively.
When Celia failed to answer, Greg turned to Teddy staring him straight in the eyes.
"Hey, guy, that's not how you operate. I don't know what you and her have going on but you came and saw me talking to her. It seems as if you want to scare me or stop me from talking to her. If I saw my woman talking to a stranger that’s not how I would behave. I don’t scare that easily, so you’d better think again.”
"I'm going over by the bar to buy some drinks and if you’re not gone by the time I return, watch what’s going to happen.”
Greg sprang up out of his seat and faced off with Teddy.
"Don't go over by the bar, make it happen now. See me right in front of you.”
Celia at last got over her shock and found her voice.
"Greg, Teddy, don't bother with it here."
Teddy moved away from Greg.
"You're a lucky guy, it’s because she’s begging for you," he said as he moved outside.
"Beg for what? I’ll do this guy something.”
Celia was tense all the way home after assuring Greg that she could drive herself. She made two unnecessary stops, one at a petrol service station for them to check on the car and the other at a supermarket. She didn’t need the items she bought at the supermarket and the car had already been checked out at another service station this morning.
She was glad that Rick wasn’t home as yet; he must still be at Randy Chin she thought.
Later, as they were having a light meal for supper, Rick asked her.
"Do you know anybody by the name of Teddy?"
Celia nearly dropped the glass she was drinking some wine from.
Rick didn't seem to notice her nervousness or if he did, he gave no indication.
"No, I don't know anybody by that name."
"Strangely, some guy called me today and told me to remember that name.”
"Are you sure it wasn't a crank call."
"That's what everybody is saying. If he calls again, I’m definitely bringing in the police.”
"I'm sure you should," she replied. She wasn't sure in her mind after this latest episode with Teddy whether or not to get a restraining order put on him. Calling Rick was the last straw, she had to do something about Teddy fast or say goodbye to her relationship with Rick.
Later on that night after they retired to bed, Rick began to caress her legs but she pushed his hand away. He noticed the tension in her body.
"I'm tired, I want to get some sleep, maybe in the morning."
Rick rolled over on his back, but didn’t say anything, only watch her fall asleep.
***
Tuesday evening Bobbette was at home when her cell phone rang. Stewart was on the line. They greeted each other as usual. Bobbette knew that it was all right for Stewart to call her at home as Robert was in Old Harbour and wasn’t expected back until after nine o’clock.
"What's going on, Stewie? I still want us to be good friends even if we can’t be lovers anymore."
"You know how I feel about you."
When she didn’t say anything he continued.
"I want to let you know that I'm still concerned about you marrying Robert. I believe that you’re marrying him for all the wrong reasons."
"Why are we going over that again? There's nothing anybody can say to me that will make me change my mind.”
"Well, what more can I say?"
"You should know that I'm a very ambitious girl. I want my children when I have them, to go to the best schools and to provide them with all the comforts they’ll ever need. If I make this opportunity pass me, I’ll only be playing second fiddle to Morgana, hating her every time I see her because she won’t let you go so that I can have you.”
"You can have me anytime you want, why lose me now?"
"You belong to Morgana, don't stay too long and don't marry her or else you might lose her.”
"So you've become a marriage counselor now?"
"Robert and I have to be going to church for counselling. The pastor asked us some questions that if I hadn’t made up my mind already, I wouldn't bother with it."
"I know I won't be facing anything like that anytime soon."
"Stewie, I'm tired, tell me sweet dreams because I might dream about some of the good times we used to have.”
"All the best and if you don't hear from me again, I'm wishing you a happy marriage.”
"Thanks," she said before ending the call.
***
Wednesday morning Morgana was having some breakfast in her office when Brad came in.
"How are you this morning, Morgana?"
"I'm fine, Brad."
"How come you've never cooked anything and bring it to the office so that I can taste your cooking?”
She laughed and replied.
"I'm in such a hurry in the mornings that I don't have time to prepare breakfast.”
"They say that not all gook looking women are good cooks. I’m sure you’re one exception.”
"I have a wedding to invite you to. Sally is getting married, I’m sure she’s sending you an invitation. So I’ll cook something for you.”
"There seems to be a lot of weddings about the place. My girlfriend, Jenna, says that her former boyfriend, Robert Parsons, is getting married to Bobbette Greene.
"What did you say? I can't believe it, Bobbette is getting married.”
Morgana wondered if she was shouting.
"Isn't she your friend? I suppose you'll be getting your invitation soon."
"You know the type of girl Bobbette is. I never expected anything like this so soon,” she told him. “As for an invitation to her wedding, I'm not sure about that."
"What are you and Stewart waiting on? If he doesn't want to propose, why don’t you? And why wouldn’t she invite you to her wedding? I don’t understand.”
"To answer your first question, I'm not proposing to any man. And Bobbette and I, we don’t get on too friendly these days.”
"I don't know what's the matter with you girls," Brad remarked. I'll see you around, Morgana.”
"Wait, before you go. So it's official now, Jenna is your girlfriend now. You see how wicked you are. I could never get you to admit that you and Dania were anything but good friends and you and she just broke up overnight.”
"Looks like you're pleading for her. She was the one, who broke up with me.”
"I know that you’re capable of breaking a woman's heart. I want to keep mine safe from men like you.”
"I'm sure it's safe where it is," he replied, laughing as he left her office.
Bobbette was getting married to Robert! Morgana felt like calling Stewart. Could it be the reason for his unusual behavior? Yet she didn’t know why she felt that way when Brad called Jenna his girlfriend. She had seen them at Corners last week. Nevertheless, she had to have some serious discussions about her future relationship with Stewart. She was sure that the change in his behavior, especially when they went to Bob’s place week before last was due to Bobbette’s forthcoming marriage.
***
On Thursday Celia agreed to have lunch with Greg. Rick
had gone to work in Montego Bay.
They were at the Guango Tree restaurant in the Clock Tower Plaza. They were having their appetizers, having already ordered lunch.
"So is everything okay with you, Celia?"
"Yes, things are fine. I have no problems to speak about. Rick had to go out of town today."
"I'm glad you decided to have lunch with me. At least we can talk about old times. I still don’t like the way that guy was treating you. You have to do something about him before he hurts you. I can see that you were very embarrassed.”
Their food arrived and both of them started eating. Greg had ordered fried fish and locally produced food while Celia was having curried chicken and rice and peas.
"I made the biggest mistake of my life when I got involved with that guy. He called Rick at his office and virtually threatened him.”
"What! I don't believe you. I think that guy is crazy. I’m sorry for repeating myself, but you've got to do something about him.”
"Short of going to the police, I don't know what to do. Rick will kill me if he finds out that I was involved with him.”
Celia then, despite Greg's protests, went on to explain how she became involved with Teddy. Apparently a year after Rick left for the States she became extremely lonely. She met Teddy at Reasons nightclub one Friday night in August 2002. He was charming, drove a 2001 Toyota Camry motor car and had plenty of money to lavish on her and her friends.
He told her that he liked her and some of her friends encouraged her to get involved with him. They had broken up in July 2004 when she caught him in bed with one of her friends. But Teddy still hung on issuing one threat after another. Then this last time when she and Rick were having this bust up, she had sought him out. They hadn’t gone to bed, but apparently he thought she still cared about him in seeking him out in her time of distress.
Greg was nodding as he pushed away his plate. It wasn’t the first time he was sitting in, listening to a girl telling a distressing story like this.
"I hear you, Celia. Still, I know that you’re a strong woman and you'll overcome."
Celia finished eating and pushed away her plate. She drank some of her fruit punch. Greg had finished his beer.
"I was so ashamed the other day. So many of my co-workers
were there and saw him behave that way. You must have seen when I didn’t say anything. I was wishing that I could have been somewhere else.”
Greg looked at his watch.
"I have to go now, but thanks for coming and listen anyhow I run into that guy again, I’m just going to tell him to leave you alone. Anywhere you go and see him, just ignore him.”
***
Brad visited Jenna that evening and they were sitting on her patio. She had her head in his lap. Kailen and Jaimie were watching television in the living room.
"Brad, you make me feel so good, just being here with you."
Their relationship had taken time to heal from the wounds inflicted on it when Dania came to fight Jenna. They
had learned a lot about each other and felt that with time their love affair could go where they both wanted it. Brad took a sip of his wine.
Jenna had good skin tone. He thought that she used a lot of body washes and oils to keep her skin looking so healthy. She had on a pair of white shorts and a tank top. Her legs were well toned and her breasts, very firm.
"You look ravishing, Jenna. You must have the greatest legs in the world.”
"You make me feel so nice and comfortable," she said snuggling closer to him. She took another sip of her wine.
"We ought to spend more time together."
Jenna laughed and took another sip of her wine.
"You should rent an apartment. That way I could come and look for you whenever I want.”
Brad knew that he had thought of that. Rick had done that a few weeks after returning home. Dania lived at her mother's house. She practically had the whole house to herself as she was an only child. Maybe if they hadn’t broken up, he would have done just that. Now that they were no longer in a relationship he wasn’t sure if it was such a great idea after all.
"I've been thinking about it for a long time now. It's just because it’s only my parents who are at home. You know my little sister, Nicole is at school abroad and my brother, Xavier, at boarding school in the country.”
"I'd really like you to get somewhere where we can have our own privacy,” she said and laughed.
"Why did you laugh?"
"I am a very passionate woman. I like to express myself, especially when I’m with a man like you,” she said getting up and going inside.
Presently she returned and said.
"Jaimie and Kailen are fast asleep. We have the whole house to ourselves.”
Jenna had taken both of them to their room and made sure that they were comfortably tucked in their beds before returning to Brad.
"Maybe we should start from inside the living room,” he told her, taking her into his arms and kissing her.
"What did you mean by expressing yourself?"
She laughed and said.
"Keep on doing what you're doing and you are going to find out. But I don’t want to start anything out here. We might wake up those kids,” she said and led him into her bedroom.
Brad could see from her candle lit bedroom that she had set it up for a night of lovemaking.
Brad began kissing her, playing with her most sensitive areas. Jenna’s hands were all over his body and she was making small sounds. Finally, she reached for a condom and rolled it on to his member.
Later as they lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking, she said.
“I wanted to scream but I knew I would have woken up those kids.”
“Now I know what you meant when you were telling me how passionate you can be,” Brad said as he lay beside her.
"Oh, Brad, you make me feel so wonderful. You have to stay with me tonight,” she said." I want to sleep in your loving arms.”
Brad knew that it was probably the happiness she was feeling from the huge amount of satisfaction she had just received.
"You forget that we have to go to work tomorrow. I certainly don’t have a change of clothing here and what would Jaimie and Kailen think if they knew that we slept together?”
"Okay, but spend some time with me. I want to fall asleep in your arms.”
"Yeah, honey, you're one hell of a woman," Brad complimented her. Jenna was smiling.
"It's you, who are tremendous, the things that you did to my body,” she congratulated him.
"We might as well go to sleep if we want to go to work in the morning.”
"Yes, darling," Jenna replied before dropping off to sleep.
***
"I can't understand it, Maria, he looked so sad and now I’ve heard about Bobbtte’s intended marriage, I feel that this was the reason.
They were talking in Maria's office over an early morning cup of coffee. Morgana had arrived early and had gone to talk to her about her problems with Stewart that had kept her awake all night.
Maria thought over what she said, carefully. Before she knew Morgana, she could swear that she had seen Stewart in several nightclubs with several girls, but most of the times it was with either Bobbette or April.
"If you confront him he’ll just deny it. I suppose now that she’s getting married, she’ll be forced to give up Stewart.”
"I know Bobbette; we use to attend nearby schools. She used to run around with boys from very early. They were all kinds of stories about her just swirling about the place and yet every time I confront him about her, he denies that they ever had or are having an affair.”
"Like I said, Bobbette will in all probability stick to her husband and forget about Stewart.”
"A man, who cheats on you once, will continue doing it, especially if he believes you don’t know about it. I don’t intend to let Stewart get away with this one even if it means breaking up with him,” Morgana said as Brad pushed his head into the office.
"It seems like a big conference is going on. Am I invited?"
Brad came into the office but didn’t sit down.
"No, you're not, but Brad, you look absolutely happy these days. I suppose your new girlfriend is really looking after you,” Morgana remarked.
"Yes, Brad, Jenna is really taking care of you," Maria added.
"I'm still the same person. I don't see what has changed."
"You leave it to a woman, she can always tell when a man is being looked after by a woman," Maria said.
"I think you're in love. That girl is certainly doing a lot of things to you,” Morgana said.
"She's just a nice girl. Anytime I'm in love with a girl I'll come here and say it out loud.”
"But you've got to be in love at some point in your life," Maria told him.
"There's a girl, who I would dearly love to fall in love with me, but try as I might I can’t get her to.”
"Do I know that girl?" Maria asked.
"I wonder who that could be?" Morgana in turn asked.