True Colors

Angel was in the hospital, packing and getting ready to take her baby home, when Khiry crossed her mind. She wondered where he was, and what he was doing with his life. Steve and Marques walked in, and she pushed him out of her mind.

“Are you ready, Angel face?” Steve asked.

She looked at Steve and smiled. He was such a wonderful man. He’d taken care of her and Marques, and was excited about the new baby. She kissed home on the cheek.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Everything,” she replied.

She went home with Steve, and the two of them began to move forward in their relationship. She gave up her apartment to move in with Steve. Even though Khiry crossed her mind every now and again, she was happy.

Soon Kevin joined his brother in day care, and she was back at work. This was the time that Steve began to change. When she first began sharing a bed with him, everything was perfect. He treated her like royalty. Every night, when they got home, he would run some bath water and they would get in together. He would wash her body from head to toe, and then they would get out and make love for almost the entire night. She loved every moment she spent with him. Now, in just the four short months the had been together, he had begun to show his true colors. He became upset whenever she spoke to male customers. He watched her working all day, like a stalker. Everywhere she turned there he was, with his eyes on her, watching her every move. He would get unreasonably upset whenever the girls from work wanted to hang out with her. He wanted her to be with him all the time, no friends, no time to herself. She had enough and wanted to leave, but couldn’t. She had no access to her own money. Steve deposited all her pay checks into his account. He told her he wanted her to learn how to manage her money, and she couldn’t do that if she had full access to it. Whenever she needed something, he would not put the money in her hand. He would go out and buy it for her. It left a heavy burden on her shoulder. Little did she know; she wouldn’t have to bare it much longer.

It was a Thursday afternoon, and the restaurant had been busy all day. Angel was tired, annoyed, and ready for her shift to be over. She just wanted to be home with her babies.

She was wiping down on of the tables, when suddenly she heard a familiar voice say, “Heard you had another kid.”

She turned around and came face to face with the love of her life. Khiry stood before her in his uniform, handsome and tall. She looked into his eyes and melted at the sight of him.

She cleared her throat and said, “Yeah, another boy.”

“What’s his name?” he asked.

“Kevin,” she replied.

“Does he look like me?” he asked.

At that moment, Angel turned her back on him, and continued to wipe the table.

“Why would you ask that?” she asked, as coldly as her voice could manage.

“He’s mine, isn’t he?” Khiry asked.

“No, he’s mines,” she thought to herself. “Yes, he is,” she spoke out aloud.

“Why did you leave, Angel?” he asked. “I woke up that morning, went looking for you and Marques, and you were gone. I called your mom and dad. No one had seen or heard form you in weeks.”

Angel turned to look at him again. She wanted to answer his question but, when her eyes rested on his face, no words came out. She looked away, hoping it would make it easier for her to stay mad at him. She spotted Steve heading towards them.

“Angel face,” he called out as he approached them, “we have a lot of tables that need to bussed. We don’t have time for conversations right now.”

Angel put her head down. She just couldn’t bear to look at either of them now.

“I’ll talk to you later,” she told Khiry.

She walked away from him without another glance at his handsome face.

Khiry wanted answers, so he waited around in the casino for Angel to get off from work. He was outside, leaning up against his car, when she came out to the parking lot.

He called out to her, “Angel, can I talk to you?”

She approached him. “Khiry, what are you still doing here?”

“Waiting for you. You never answered my question. Why did you leave, Angel?”

Once again, before she could answer, Steve interrupts them.

“Angel, are you ready to go?” he asked.

“I can drop her home, Sir,” said Khiry.

“I don’t think so,” said Steve.

Khiry could hear the venom in Steve’s voice.

“What’s your problem?” he asked Steve.

Angel didn’t want a nasty scene, so she jumped in before it got heated.

“Steve, Khiry and I have some important things to talk about. I’ll just see you when I get in.”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll be waiting right over there. You’ve got thirty minutes,” Steve warned.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked away.

“So, I guess that answers my question,” Khiry shouted at her. “You run out on me with my kids so you can pick up some rich white man. Is that why you’re acting like you don’t wanna see me, huh Ms. High and Mighty?”

“You ran out on me first!” she shouted back.

“I didn’t have any control over that. I was a kid.”

“Doesn’t matter. You broke your promise to me. You said

you would never leave me. But you did, and it really hurt.”

Angel crossed her arms stubbornly to let him know she was not letting that go. There was a short silence between them as tears began to spill from her eyes.

She finally mustered up the courage to say, “I was trying to forget you.”

“Come here,” he said calmly. He grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her close to him. He put his arms around her. “You know how much I love you. I never left you,” he said.

She put her head down. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it. They stood there, for what seemed like an eternity, looking into each other’s eyes. She had completely forgotten about Steve. He was still standing there, waiting and watching them. Just as Khiry was about to press his lips against hers, Steve’s angry booming voice slapped her back into reality.

“Angel face!” he shouted, as he walked up to them, “your thirty minutes are up.”

He grabbed her arm, and pulled her away from Khiry.

“I have to go,” she said to Khiry.

“Okay, but if you need anything, I’m at the Charleston Inn,” he said.

“She won’t be needing anything from you,” Steve replied, nastily.

As they walked away, Khiry observed, as Steve roughly pulled her by the arm towards the car.

When Angel and Steve got home, Steve began to flip out.

“who in the hell was that?” he shouted.

“Nobody,” Angel replied.

“Yeah, well that nobody had his hands all over you.”

“He’s Marques and Kevin’s father. He was just hugging me.”

“I don’t want to catch you or those kids around him, ever. Do you understand me?”

“But, he’s their father.”

“I don’t care if he’s the Pope. If I catch him hanging around you, I’m gonna kill him, and then I’ll kill you.”

Something about the look in his eyes told Angel he was dead serious, but she was still willing to risk it. Khiry’s return made her realize that what she felt for Steve, was nothing compared to what she felt for him. She did not want to turn her back on Steve, but her love for Khiry was too strong a force. She tossed and turned all night, thinking about Khiry and how his arms felt around her in that short moment they embraced each other. By the time the sun came up Angel had her mind set on one thing.

She was off from work that day, and was no longer worried about the treats Steve had made. She had to see Khiry. As soon as Steve was out the door, Angel packed a baby bag and called the Charleston inn. She had them connect her to Khiry’s room, and she asked if he could send her a cab.

When the cab pulled up at the hotel, Khiry was waiting outside for them. He paid the cab fees, and turned and greeted Angel and Marques with a loving embrace. He took Kevin out of her arms, and kissed him softly on his fore head, as they headed up to his suite.

“This is a nice room,” she said, as they entered. Is it one of those deluxe suits?”

“Something like that,” Khiry said, with a smile.

“You must be doing pretty well for yourself,” Angel implied.

“I get by with what I have. I normally stay in a regular room, but I wanted something with a least two rooms. I wanted my family to have a comfortable stay before I take them home.”

Khiry was sitting on the sofa playing with Kevin. Angel sat next to him.

“I’m not going with you,” she said.

“Why? Did your boss say you couldn’t go?” Khiry asked, without looking up from his baby’s face.

“He’s not just my boss. He’s my boyfriend,” Angel said, with an attitude.

“That’s not the impression I got,” Khiry said, with a look that cosigned his statement. “He seems to have a problem remembering what time his shifts begins or ends.”

“So, he’s a little jealous,” she said with a shrug. “So are you.”

“Of course I’m jealous. He’s got my girl and kids, but I would never man handle you the way he did. I had to fight hard not to come over to that car and knock his a*s out. Now here’s the deal, either you come home with me, or I’m taking my kids.”

She jumped up from the sofa. “Khiry, why are you doing this to me?”

“I don’t want him raising my kids. I don’t want him handling them like piece of meat. He acts like you’re his property. You know I’m better for you than he is. Come home with me, Angel,” he begged.

Angel just stood in the middle of the room. She knew he would never take her kids from her, still she wanted to take him up on his offer just because it was him.

Khiry lays Kevin down on the sofa, and walk up to angel. He grabs her hand and looks deep into her eyes.

With a deep breath, she finally said, “Khiry, I’m sorry. Steve has done so much for me. I can’t leave him. I shouldn’t have even come here. I have to go.”

“No, don’t go. You just got here,” Khiry said, grabbing her arms, before she could gather any of her things.

“I know, but the kids are tired. We were up pretty early this morning.”

Khiry turned and looked at his babies. Marques was dozing off on the floor and Kevin was already asleep on the sofa. No need to wake them. Let’s just put them sleeping in the bed, and you and I can chill out here.”

Khiry was in the room tucking the kids in. Angel sat nervously on the sofa. She already knew what was going to happen next. He came out and sat on the sofa next to her. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly. She lay down, and he climbed on top of her

She stops him. “You have to wear a condom.”

“A what? Hell, no! I ain’t putting on no condom,” said Khiry.

“But you have to. Steve always wears one”

“But I’m not Steve. I’m Khiry, and I don’t want to hear about what he does in bed.”

“You know what happens every time we’re together.”

“Of course I do. Do you really believe that Kevin and Marques were accidents?”

“I just don’t want Steve to find out.”

“He’s gonna find out. We’re bound to make another baby, because I’m not putting on no dam condom.”

“He’ll flip out if he finds out we were together.”

“Let me ask you something. Do you love him?”

Angel let’s out a sigh.

“Well, do you?” Khiry asked again.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m with him now. I’m happy, and you trying to get me pregnant on purpose is just going to ruin that.”

“You’ve already ruined when you came up here to see me. And, him flipping out on you is just the excuse I need to whip his before I take my family back.”

“What if it doesn’t work out that way? What if you don’t get me pregnant, and I go back to Steve?

“We’ll still have Marques and Kevin.”

“Steve doesn’t me or the kids nowhere near you.”

“Because he knows that those babies are the only thing holding us together. Those are my kids. He can’t keep me away from them, or you. If he has a problem with that, then he can always walk away. I don’t want to talk about Steve anymore. The kids can wake up any minute now, and we have another baby to make.”

She was going to protest but, then he started kissing and touching her. He made her feel things that she never once felt with Steve.

Angel walked into the house later that evening. Steve was sitting in a chair in the corner of the living room, waiting for her. It startled her to see him there when she turned on the lights.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“Marques, go into your room, Angel commanded.

She didn’t want him to witness the ugly argument she knew was coming. She put the baby carrier down on the sofa, while she tried to think of a lie.

“Answer the question. Where were you?”

He was unusually calm, and that freaked her out.

“I had some business to take care of,” she said as casually as she could manage.

She goes into the kitchen, walks over to the fridge, but before she could open it, she felt Steve breathing down her neck. She turned around, and he grabbed her by her neck and pinned her to the fridge.

“I warned you, and you went meet him anyway,” he said.

Angel thought she saw the devil in his eyes.

“What’s it gonna take to get through to you?” he continued. “Is it those brats? Is that what made you run over to him? Tell me, If I killed one of those b******s of yours, would that keep you two apart?”

Angel couldn’t breathe. She fought to loosen his grip.

“Are you scared?” he asked, with an evil grin on his face.

“Yes,” she said.

She truly was afraid for her life.

“Good,” he said, and released the hold he had on her.

She fell to the floor.

“Put the baby to bed,” he said, as if none of it never happened.

Angel sat on the floor against the fridge, starring at Steve and wondering what kind of monster was she involved with. As she stood to obey his orders, it began to sink in. Her children’s lives would be in danger if she tried to leave him. She made up her mind. She would never see Khiry again.

Khiry stayed at the hotel for two more weeks. He hadn’t seen or heard from Angel. On the day, he was scheduled to leave, he went to the restaurant in his uniform with his suit case in his hand. She was clearing a table when he walked up to her. She glanced at him for a moment, but puts her head down, as she could not bear to look at him.

I’m heading home, now. I’ll be at Fort Lincoln in Hampton, Virginia if you change your mind,” he said.

She knew Steve was watching her, even if she couldn’t see him. She held back the tears as she pretended to ignore him and continued to work.

“Can you look at me,” Khiry begged.

“No, I can’t. I don’t want to see you walk away again,” she thought to herself.

“I love you,” he said, and then walked away.

Still fighting tears, her heart began to race and her hands began to tremble. It took all her strength not to run after him. She could feel the distance between them as walked further and further away from her. Suddenly she could no longer sense his presents and knew that, once again, he was gone. Her became weak in the knees. The tears were coming. She through the dish rag on the table and ran to the bathroom. She entered a stall a sobbed uncontrollably.

The relationship between Angel and Steve continued to deteriorate. It all came crashing down on the day she discovered she was once again carrying Khiry’s seed. She had taken a home pregnancy test, and the positive results had her afraid for her life. To keep her secret, she put it in the trash, and immediately took it out to the dumpster. Steve was always suspicious of everything she did, and this was very unusual. So, he went behind her, dug in the dumpster, and found the test. He went back inside, test in hand, and entered the kitchen. She was at the stove stirring a pot of grits for breakfast. He charged after her, grabbed her by the arm, slapped her to the ground, and threw the pregnancy test at her.

“You slept with him,” he shouted.

Angel was on the floor, still shocked at the blow to her right check. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“What? Slept with who? I didn’t do anything.”

“You lying, b***h!” he said grabbing her off the floor by her shirt and slamming her against a wall. “You slept with that m**********r. You were gonna try to bring another one of his damn babies into my house.”

“Steve, I’m sorry,” Angel said through tear drenched eyes.

“You’re not sorry yet,” he said. He threw her back to the floor, climbed on top of her and began choking her. She tried fighting him off, but he was too strong.

Marques heard the commotion, came into the kitchen, and saw Steve was hurting his mother.

“Get off my mama,” he said with a sharp kick to Steve’s groin.

He immediately let go of Angel and she fell to the floor in pain. She grabbed Marques and ran upstairs. Steve soon ran after her. He went into the kids’ room to grab Kevin. She was ready to run out, however, Steve had run in behind her, and now had them cornered.

“I warned you. Now, I’m gonna kill those babies. Then I’m gonna kill you,” he said in a satanic voice.

He grabbed her by the hair and she dropped Marques. She was pulling on Steve’s arm, trying to get him to release her. Suddenly Marques sunk his teeth into Steve’s leg. Steve let her go and grabbed his leg in pain. She grabbed Marques and ran out of the house. She kept running until she was out of the neighborhood.