The Forgotten:
A Love Story
“Once upon a time in a sleepy little village in a forgotten time and place.” No, No that’s not right. Jillian said to herself frustrated that she was up against a dead line that she was desperately trying to meet. Jillian put her head in her hands. She just couldn’t think with this dark looming presence over her. “I just don’t know what to do. I can’t believe that bastard.” Jillian said to herself.
Deep in thought Jillian barely heard the phone ringing. She purposely did not bring it into the office with her as not to disturb her but she didn’t want to turn it off afraid she may miss an important call.
“Hello” She said breathless.
“Wakie Wakie.” This chipper voice sang out to her from the other end.
“Girl, I thought it was someone important.”
“I am important, and damn what are you doing sounding all out of breath.” Shay Sang out.
“I’m running to get the phone, heifa.” I yelled. Shay and I have our morning routine. She calls me on her way to work so I can get her through the horrific Atlanta traffic. She’s traveling on I-285 which is a nightmare in itself no matter where you get on at and at what time.
“Girl what you doing up so early?”
“I always get up this early.”
“No you don’t. What’s the matter?”
I contemplated telling her cause I know how she could be. I still didn’t know how to process it all myself.
“Oh, nothing girl. I’m just a little tired. That’s all. What the hell you so chipper for? You must have gotten some last night. Come on spill the beans.” I said instead of telling her the real deal.
Shay went into another one of her stories about her fabulous lovers. I love her to death but she has the inflated idea that prince charming is coming to rescue her. I guess we all do to some extent but man she’s got it down to a T.
Shay’s man has to be light skinned, good hair awesome abs and body, and a good job. Now, let her tell it she doesn’t mean the man has to be making six figures but she would take the six figure negro over the one that doesn’t have it even if it means sacrificing a little bit of love. “I can just as well love a rich man as a poor one.” She would sing out.
“Ok Shay time out, where we hanging tonight?” I said. I had to break up this madness. I didn’t want too many details, especially since I’m not getting any.
“We are FNGC’ing at Uptown this evening, so no excuses this time. Get your ass ready now so you can be ready to hit the spot at 9:00 PM Sharp!” She said with a laugh. “I told Delanie to call your ass too to make sure you’re hanging tonight.” She went on.
Lately I hadn’t felt like hanging with the Friday Night Girls Club. I was definitely in a funk. This one I couldn’t shake. I handled the ones in the past but this one, something’s different this time.
As Shay droned on. My mind drifted to the night I first met her. I was hanging with my girl Delanie and her bougie friends. One of them was having a birthday party. I was bored. Now I can be bougie when I want to be but that night I wasn’t in the mood. The place was packed. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t have been a problem but since the place was so damn small it was not only packed in there but hot as hell. It was January for Christ’s sake.
To make matters worse, this dunk out of his mind English African just spilt his drink on me. He profusely apologized by trying to hug me with his stanking breath. I told him it was ok. He had the attitude that every woman in there wanted his ass. He wasn’t a bad looking brother. Had a nice body. Easy on the eyes but I’ll be damned he was missing a few teeth.
I went around on the other side in hopes of escaping stanky breath. I was standing up by the stair railing watching the dance floor, looking at these forty-something women trying to go as low as they can go in their too tight spandex. Shay was standing behind me. I noticed her because she’s 6’ tall, light skin, green eyes, hair down to her ass and gorgeous. I knew she had to be a model or something.
A few minutes later stanky breath came up to her harassing her. She was trying to be polite trying to ignore him. She finally said something to him but he just wasn’t getting it. I couldn’t take it any more. I turned around and yelled at him, telling him to step off. Shay just cracked up laughing cause the brother didn’t know whether to curse me out or laugh too. He finally just left humiliated. We’ve been best buds ever since.
“Jillian are you listening to me?” Shay said bringing back to the present.
“Yeah, I just got a lot on my mind about my book release and all.” I replied trying not to get suspicious. I didn’t want her to ask me a thousand questions on what was going on.
“You don’t sound good. What’s going on? Spit it out.” She demanded.”
Beep. “Shay that’s my phone beeping, I have to get this.” I said. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was just Delanie and that I just didn’t want to talk about my issues right now.
All though Shay hung up, I didn’t click over to talk to Delanie. I just didn’t want to be bothered. Delanie was the papered princess of the bunch. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and everyone who wasn’t just didn’t measure up. To be brutally honest, Delanie got on my fucking nerves. I just couldn’t stomach her right now.
I took a deep breath and called my attorney. He was supposed to call me to keep me abreast of what was going on but I hadn’t heard from him in two days. I was becoming anxious. My empire that I painstakingly grew on my own was being threatened by my conniving ex-husband. He was a bastard back when I was married to him and he’s a bastard now. I see some things just don’t change.
“Attorney Davis office.” The receptionists said lacking the enthusiasm she should have since it was still pretty early in the day.
“Yes I need to speak with the attorney. This is Jillian McGill.”
“Yes Ms. McGill, the attorney’s not in shall I put you through to his paralegal?”
“Yes. Please.”
I spoke to the paralegal. She had no new news for me. She empathized with me. I don’t see how though because it wasn’t her being sued for a million dollars for her own creativity! I slammed the phone down with a huff. I was just plain angry. My ex-husband is trying to get rich off my blood sweat and tears.
I can’t believe I married that fool. But back then he wasn’t like that. We met in collage. I was green. I didn’t date much in high school thanks to Daddy. Just thinking about my father makes me shutter. I would have done anything to get away from him. I ran straight into the arms of Roger Stahlright. He was the big man on campus. He had it going on. He wasn’t the finest man but was very charismatic. He was very confident, darn right arrogant. I have a soft spot for a confident man. Not to mention he was tall, dark chocolate and had a basketball player’s physique. I was infatuated the first time l laid eyes on him.
We met at a fraternity mixer. I wasn’t really into sororities or fraternities but my girls were. They wanted to go and begged me to tag along. They wanted to become little sisters to the fraternity. I wasn’t interested. I heard that the little sisters were nothing but the fraternity’s whores. I just didn‘t get down like that.
It was so lovely in the beginning. I adored him. He loved me. We did everything together. I felt I couldn’t live without him. Now I can’t stand to even think about a slight remembrance of him.
I have fiend off depression all my life. I was always able to break free. When things weren’t quite working out, I was always able to reinvent myself. Now it’s getting harder and harder. I drag out of bed every day. I force myself to smile. I cry for no reason.
FNGC
“What up girl!” Melanie yelled across a crowed room in this dark dank lounge she picked for our FNGC. I looked around afraid to put down my purse let alone sit down.
“Hey girl.” I said less then thrilled to be there.
“Girl there’s some Nigga’s in here tonight.” She yelled over some head hurting rap song.
“Oh.” I said with my nose tooted up. My bougie was showing. Melanie was my girl but damn it if she wasn’t ghetto as hell. She was raised in Louisiana by way of Callie. She’s a black valley ghetto girl. Smart as a whip though. All five feet of her. Her whit was as sharp as her intellect.
I can just imagine the reaction Shay and Delanie’s going to have. Shay may go with the flow but Delanie, well that’s some piece of work right there. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She loved the finer things in life. One thing I couldn’t figure out about her was what happened to all of here family money.
“Hello Bitches.” I hear Delanie call out in her high pitched nasally voice. Melanie looks at me and rolls her eyes.
“Hello.” I say as I get up to greet her with a kiss on each check. You would think we were living the life of the fabulously rich!
“Smooches.” I hear from behind Delanie. Shay just walked up looking absolutely fabulous as always. You would never catch her with her Dolce & Gabana or what ever designer was in vogue.
“Smooches.” We all said in unison.
Melanie and Delanie go at it as soon as everyone sat down. They have a love hate relationship. I don’t understand why though. They come from the same place although on opposite sides of the track. I asked once if they knew each other growing up. Delanie of course tooted up her nose and said a resounding “no”. Melanie just looked at me with this far off stare of longing, anger and resentment. I left it alone.
The evening kicked into high gear. “Ew did you see that one.” Shay said. He has the nerve to have dreds when he’s bald on top!” She continued.
“Who picked this place?” Delanie said with disgust.
“I did.” Melanie yelled. “I don’t know what y’all are talkin bout. There’s some fine niggas in this joint”
“Must you use that word.” A voice said from behind us. Saveon just walked in. She was the holly roller of the group.
“Hey Saveon!” We all said.
Melanie nudged me and whispered, “You didn’t tell me the church lady was coming.” She said with a chuckle.
“Girl hush.” I whispered with a laugh.
Saveon went through a horrible divorce two years ago. In the midst of an ugly custody battle that she lost she found the lord. Now her sole purpose was to save her heathen friends even if it meant coming into a dive like this. But, I suspect she was still secretly hoping to find love. Just like the rest of us.
I sat there staring at all my friends. Delanie and Melanie arguing as usual, Shay scoping out all the guys and Saveon scowling wanting to get out of there and go to a more dignified place. The sadness I was so desperately trying to keep at bay, crept over me. I thought about my dismal life. I didn’t want to be here. I just wanted to go home and put the covers over my head and cry.
“Jillian, you don’t look so good. What’s wrong girl?” Saveon leaned over and whispered in my ear. I just looked at her about to answer but she answered her own question. She had the nasty little habit of being perfect and professing to know what was wrong with all of us. She continued, “I know. You want to get out of this dump just as bad as I do.”
Saveon Pritchard
“I will not let my circumstances rule me. I am a child of God and he loves me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I say my affirmations every day so I won’t get insane. Divorce is an ugly thing. Last year this time I was wallowing in pity. My ex-monster- husband handed me divorce papers. I was surprised. Shocked was more like it. Thinking about those two long painful years of agony gives me shivers.
“Saveon, we have to talk.” Carrington said.
“Yes dear. But first sit down. I made your favorite, lamb chops, garlic mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad.
I keep going back to that awful day. I have to get that out of my mind. I’m running late for church. Going to church is my salvation. I try to get my heathen friends to go with me. I know each have their own church homes but they don’t seem to be changing. Their churches are not working; they seem to be getting worse. Now my pastor can really break down the word and teach you a few things. Mel has been telling me I’m way into my pastor, but he was really there for me when I needed him. He was my rock unlike my husband.
Mount Hope Baptist Church was my second home. Every time the doors opened, I tried to be in the place. I have my special pew. Pastor said that was my seat and no one better sit in it. He was so good to me after my divorce. I was so messed up. I thought Trevor and I would be together for ever. He was my savior back then. I was a confused teenager. My mom just kicked me out of the house. She accused me of fooling around with her snake, child molester; want to be business man boyfriend. Her boyfriend was a gangster dressed up as a deacon.
Deacon Rush always had his hand in one get rich quick scheme or another. First it was the failed chicken and laundry mat idea. Then he had a real estate business. Then it was the sell phone scam. I didn’t understand it. My mother was a PHD. She ran Safe Haven a safe house for battered women. She sat on several boards around the city. I just didn’t get it.
I only had a month to go when my mom kicked me out of the house. That crushed me. I was a straight A student. I never got into any trouble. I could barely talk to a guy let alone have sex with him. Why couldn’t she believe me? I was her child. Why did she believe that no good lying son of a bitch two bit hustler?