C H A P T E R
F I F T E E N
"A sister is both your mirror – and your opposite." – Elizabeth Fishel
✨A R M A N I
"Is this area cool with you?" I asked my sister Manny. I decided to take her out to lunch and just vibe for a hour or two.
Me and my sister use to be tight. We was each others back bone, but somehow we just grew apart. But now that she's adding an addition to the family, I wanted us to get back to how we use to be.
Believe it or not it use to be me, Stephanie and Manny. We use to run all over Brooklyn, just enjoying each others company and obviously looking damn good while doing it.
"Yeah this is cool. How you knew my fat ass was starving?" She joked.
"Cause you pregnant, don't all pregnant people be hungry?" I asked in a duh tone while I raised an eyebrow. We laughed.
"Not all pregnant people bitch, but I do be."
We took our seats. We was at Linden's Diner. After this I was thinking bout catching a movie with her. But it all depended on if she got sleepy after this meal.
We took our seats and hurried and got comfortable as we looked over our menus. I already knew what I wanted because I use to come here on the regular.
"So what's up sis?" Manny asked, as she flung her 28" bundles to her back.
"Oh nothing sissy. I just thought we needed a date. Catch up on something's and resolve some issues." I said honestly.
"Issues?"
I nod my head, "Yeah issues.. you don't think we have any?"
She shook her head, "No I don't recall, honestly."
She can not be serious? I'm not even gonna' get mad and my ass get mad fast.. This lunch was for us to talk and rekindle our relationship. Not get mad and argue.
I took a breath.
"You ending up with Dave. That was an issue. Not only did you talk to him and gave him some pussy, you knew me and him was a thing."
" I honestly apologize to you if I ever made you feel some type of way. Yes, I knew you and him had a thing. But I honestly didn't expect me and him to come this far anyway." She exclaimed.
I wasn't even mad. How could I be?
Dave and I wasn't exclusive. Hell, I knew he was messing with Sadie behind my back, so it's basically like Manny didn't take him from me, she took him from Sadie. If that makes any sense.
"Well listen sister, no hard feelings between us. I'm happy for y'all two." I smiled.
She returned the smile, "Thank you little sis. I'm glad we can patch things up. I didn't want no animosity between us, we family at the end of the day." She shrugged.
A couple minutes went by as we joked and laughed about other things, a waiter finally came over to take our orders.
Me and Manny looked over the menus as he waited with his pen and pad. I couldn't help but notice him staring back and forth at me and Manny. Giving us hella eye contact.
This motherfucker was blowing mines. Didn't he know that it was very disrespectful to stare at people? Especially give off these creep ass vibes?
"Damnnnn, y'all two is fucking beautiful for dark skin females." He complimented us both, as we looked up at him.
Now what the hell was that? I thought.
"So darkskin people aren't beautiful?." I asked screwing up my face.
I don't give a shit if it was a compliment or not. There's other ways to compliment someone, but that one ain't it. Try again sir.
He held up his hands in surrender, and gave us a chuckle.
"No disrespect ma. Just don't usually see two females with y'all skin complexion as beautiful as y'all two. Everyone is beautiful in they own way, it just y'all took my breath away." He stated.
"Oh well thank you." Manny said as she took a sip of her Orange juice.
"Yeah I guess, thank you." I said dryly.
"No problem," he said with that cheesey ass smile of his.
I looked at his name tag and it read, Shawn. Shawn was cute in a way, but the way he came off at first wasn't.
Shawn finally took our orders and headed towards the kitchen to tell the chef to prepare them.
Manny looked at me and laughed.
"What?." I asked.
"Bitch you was about to take that damn boys face off." She shook her head smiling.
I laughed, "Nah cause I hate when a male figure say shit like that. Like oh okay so if we was light skin we would already be pretty?."
She agreed with me.
That's one thing about me and Manny, we always bonded because of our skin tones. Us two was always the "darkest" ones around, whether it was in a classroom, a group of friends, some family members that were very close with.
We was always the outcast because some people was darkskin but we had that dark Melanin magic sprinkled a little more into our favor.
We didn't care, we embraced that shit. Why? Because at least we made this melanin skin fucking popping.
"Sooooooo.. you know I have to ask.." Manny said talking in codes as Shawn placed our food in front of us.
"Enjoy ladies."
"Thanks Shawn." I smiled, then looked back at my sister, "Go' head and ask.."
"How have you really been? Since you know, that whole Kevin shit?" She scooped up some eggs and ate them.
I shrugged, I honestly wished I killed that motherfucker. It's like he would not go ahead, I would have bad dreams about him that'll wake me up and I would not go back to sleep until I felt comfortable. It was driving me crazy.
"You know.. I've been alright.." I lied.
"Stop lying! Talk to me Mani, I'm here for you."
I shook my head, "I wish I would've killed his ass Manny. That man broke me in so many ways possible that I just felt like I wanted to die instead of having to deal with this man." I was losing my appetite just talking bout this man, but I continued talking, "I hope I never run into his ass cause them ain't nothing stopping me from sending him to god."
Manny shook her head, "Well just know you got me sis. That man ain't gonna' hurt you anymore while I'm alive. I promise you."
Changing the subject. I had to bring up that little show that Manny and Dave put on the other day. I couldn't believe her ass embarrassed that man in front of all those people.
"Bitchhhhhh." I began to say.
✨ D A V E
(AT MOMMA T HOUSE)
"Sorry I didn't have time to clean up." Momma T said as she moved the magazine papers off the couch.
I brushed her off, "It's cool. Sorry for coming by at short notice."
She took a seat on the opposite side of me. Crossing her legs and gave me her undivided attention.
"So what's up?" She asked.
I sighed. Of course I was here to talk about what had happened between me and Manny at the gender reveal. I would've talked to my own mother about it but I rather talk to the mother of the mother that's carrying my child.
Shaking head I began to speak, "I don't know ma, it's like Manny give me vibes that she wanna be with me. Before all this we talked about sharing a life together, and now that I proposed she dubbed it."
"Just because y'all talked about sharing a life together.. what made you feel like right now was the best time to ask her to marry you? Don't say because she's having your baby." Momma T said. She looked at me.
Looked at me like she wasn't all moved with this conversation, basically telling me that she don't even know why she's entertaining me.
"Nah it's not about the baby. I guess it's about the way she makes me feel, the love and happiness we share—.."
She stopped me, "You guess? What you mean you guess?"
"I mean, I don't guess.. I know." I assured her. "She's my heartbeat ma, outta' this little time I got to know her she took the time and got know and love me." I added.
Momma T nodded her head. She got up from the sofa and proceeded towards the back but before she cut that corner to where the bedrooms was she turned back to me.
"You wanna know something? Take her out on a date. Tell her how you really feel, what's your plans, your goals and then when you feel like you said it all and when you feel like it's the perfect time. Pop the question again."
She turned around and continued to proceed towards the back but I had stopped her.
"Where should I take her?"
She looked at me like 'boy I know you not serious', she sighed and turned to face me.
"Dave, you know what Manny like to eat. Please stop playing dumb and just put two and two together."
I chuckled at her sudden outburst. She then joined in.
"I'm serious boy. If what you saying about her is true and how she makes you feel then just follow your heart and be yourself, you are the most kindest, sweetest, most loving man a girl can ever dream to have." Momma T said as she held my face.
Even though me and her only knew each other for but so long, she always fell through every time a nigga was stuck or needed something. Whether it was just advice or just needing someone's presence.
Nodding my head and embracing her into a hug, I thanked her for giving me in such a short notice and for listening to me.
"You know if you ever need anything I'm here." I assured her.
"Oh nigga I know that shit, cause if you not you better watch ya back. No threat just promises." She smiled.
I laughed and embraced her into a hug before gathering whatever I came here with, to leave.
After leaving out of momma T's place I hopped into my car and decided to call up Manny. Hopefully she answers, it'll mean a lot to me if she did.
Starting up the car, I had to let it warm up before taking off so this was a good time to make the call. I went into my call logs and pressed on her name, my phone was connected to the Bluetooth so the sounds of the call filled the car up.
"Hello." She answered on the third ring.
"What up wit'chu ? How my baby doing?" I asked very concerned.
Manny took a deep breath, "she fine, been making me feel sick all day other than she good. What's up with you?"
I smiled once the question left out her lips, she's making conversation, that means she wanna talk.
"I'm chilling just been thinking bout my girls, you know.. anyway, Manny..."
"I'm listening.."
I paused for a second, "Get dressed and come down in about two hours, I got something planned for us.."
"Dave—.."
"Nah I'm not taking no for an answer, get dressed, make sure you look good like you always do and come downstairs in two hours. I love you. See you soon."
Hanging up the phone, I checked the time and headed home to get ready and make a couple of calls. Tonight is going to be a night I'll make sure she never forgets.