Page 47 of Obsessive Love
PYRITE
We stood at Ms. Arlene’s gravesite, surrounding Hood, Legacy, and Mr. Bowlin.
Ms. Arlene had requested a graveside service with nothing but her close friends and family present.
Pastor DeCorte gave a sermon that had all of us in tears.
He preached about love, living life to the fullest, and never regretting anything.
He knew Ms. Arlene had a long fight, but she never let cancer stop her from living.
She’d fallen in love, had a child, raised that nigga, and let him live.
When Hood and I became friends, we were young and thought we knew everything, not realizing we didn’t know shit.
Ms. Arlene cursed us out plenty of nights when we walked into her house. She even put us out a few times.
“When Arlene told me she wasn’t going to fight this time, I remember thinking that I was going to die with her,” Mr. Bowlin, Hood’s daddy, said from his seat. “She looked me right in the eyes and told me, ‘Bowlin, yo bowlegged ass ain’t following me to heaven just yet, so just sit tight.’”
I laughed and shook my head because that sounded like some shit she would say.
“Anyway, Arlene knew I would come back and try to take care of her.” He wiped his face and sighed.
“She put me out the first few times I came by. Every damn time, she would let me sit on her porch, cry and beg her to change her mind, and she’d tell me to get off her porch.
” He let out a humorless laugh. “And I did it because I knew I was coming back the next day to do it all over again.” He shook his head.
“She was so damn strong all these years; every time it came back; she would just let me sit there, cry and complain about how unfair it was, like I was the one with cancer.” He patted Hood on the shoulder.
“She fought until she couldn’t. She held on to see our boy fall in love.
” He reached across Hood to touch Legacy’s leg. “She’s at peace because of you.”
“Arlene and I have been friends for almost twenty years,” Mrs. Mary said from her seat across from Mr. Bowlin, Hood, and Legacy.
Her grandchildren stood behind her, looking like the deadliest army any person could have.
“One day, Krude started talking about this boy, some doctor he knew was friends with. He swore that his friend would be something special, so I told him to invite him over for dinner. We were all used to Krude bringing new people around, so having a new face at the table wasn't uncommon. Anyway, in walks Hood, this high-yellow boy dressed in ball shorts, a tank, and some slides. I knew my grandson had finally lost his mind. Wasn’t no way this boy was a damn doctor.” She laughed and shook her head.
“Then he started talking, and I realized I had judged him by his looks and was wrong. Not only was he smart, but he was respectful. I apologized to him during our conversation, and Hood laughed. He said that his mama would kick his ass if he were ever disrespectful to his elders. So I told him to bring her to the next Sunday dinner. He did one better; he brought her to church the next Sunday. Arlene sat next to her son, right on my family pew; as soon as church was over, she pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear that her son hadn’t stepped foot in a church in years; she said he was angry with God because of her diagnosis and battle.
But he came home last week and told her they were attending church.
After that, we talked daily. Sometimes about nothing, other times about life.
I was there for every doctor's appointment, diagnosis, and remission. We laughed, joked, cried, and lived for the last twenty years.” She looked up at me and smiled.
“We did some shit that ain’t worth mentioning and other things that will never leave this graveyard. ”
“I remember the first time I met Ms. Arlene,” Givens said beside me.
“She cussed my ass out so bad for missing a shot that cost her thirty dollars.” He chuckled and shook his head.
“I offered to pay her the money back, and she declined; she said that it wasn’t the money she was mad about; it was the potential that I was wasting that pissed her off.
I was a rookie with a chip on my shoulder and a kid at home to care for.
She said I was wasting my talent, and if I wasn’t going to play like I had shit to prove, then I needed to get off her son's friend's team. She said Hood went through all those years of college and med school and was only going to take care of niggas worthy of her time. If I didn’t impress her, then I couldn’t sit my ass on the bench, let alone wear a Kings jersey.
I took that shit to heart, too, because I’d never had someone talk to me like that.
Don’t get me wrong, people talked, but no one said that shit to my face like Ms. Arlene did. ”
For the next hour, we all spoke our peace—some stories funny, some serious, some sad, but all of them real. Ms. Arlene’s impact on our lives was monumental, and she would be missed.
“Our last person to speak is the person we are here celebrating.” Pastor DeCorte stepped aside, and Nine stood.
“Nigga with grey eyes, you about to do some Tony Stark shit and play a hologram?” Krude asked, and we all laughed.
“Nah, man,” Nine said, shaking his head.
“Then what the hell is the point of having a tech genius in the family?” he threw his hands in the air and shook his head. “Cross, your next husband needs to be more helpful than this nigga.”
“I still owe you for shooting me; don’t make me cash in that bullet plus another one,” Nine warned Krude.
“We are at the cemetery, so pick a plot,” Krude threatened him, and all I could do was shake my head.
“Krude, leave him alone,” Mrs. Mary said, turning around to face him. “Shit.” Krude put his hands up like he was surrendering, and she nodded, then turned around. “Hurry the hell up, Nine; you know he’s going to start back up any minute.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, nodding. A projector screen was already set up, playing a continuous video of pictures of Ms. Arlene throughout her life. Nine stopped the video and loaded another video.
“Is this thing on?” Ms. Arlene sat in her living room, dressed in the same outfit from when they jumped Legacy’s mama.
“Yes, ma’am, it’s playing,” Emrick chuckled. “I’ll edit that out later.”
“Oh no, don’t,” she waved him off and shook her head. “My family knows how I am. I want this to be authentic.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emrick said. “So, you can start whenever you’re ready.”
Ms. Arlene took a deep breath, nodded, and straightened her shoulders.
“If you’re seeing this, then that means my time is up, and I’ve gone on.
Wipe your eyes; this ain’t the last time you’ll see me.
” She laughed softly and shook her head.
“Oh no, this definitely isn’t the last time.
I got plans, even though I’m no longer here.
I’ll be around, waiting for the perfect moment to show my face or for you to hear my voice.
” She smiled brightly. “I hope y’all followed my instructions and kept it simple.
I only want my family around, whether we’re related by blood or friendship.
Y’all are my family, no questions asked.
My sisters, son, daughter, nieces, nephews. The love of my life. Y’all are family.”
“Oh, she is talking about me with that one,” Krude said, shaking his head. “I thought she forgot about me for a second.”
“Shut up, Krude,” his cousin Judge said, shaking his head.
“Y’all are the reason I fought for so long.
I knew Bowlin, Aceyn, and my Legacy would need a strong support system, and they have one.
I’m leaving them with y’all to look after until it's their time to come be with me.” She narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger.
“Which won't be for a long time, so enjoy your life until then.” She lowered her hand and smiled. “I want you all to promise me something: love hard while you can. Hold on to your person while they’re here. It won't be easy, but nothing in life is. It doesn’t matter what kind of love it is, easy or hard, obsessive or stolen. It will be hard like a corner short and exhausting like countless sprints.” She laughed.
“But it’s going to be worth it, okay? Just trust me.
It’s going to be worth every second of it.
” She looked over her shoulder to the window and smiled.
“It will be worth it because life is meant to be spent with someone who loves you just as crazy as you love them. I had it, my son has it, and so will all of you. For those who have found it, hold on to it. For those who haven’t, don’t worry, it's coming. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.
When it gets scary, hold on to it. When it's hard, hold on to it. When it wants to run, let it go; it’ll come back, trust me.
” She turned around to face the camera and winked.
“It will come back.” A truck echoed in her background, and Ms. Arlene rolled her eyes.
“Alright, let me wrap this up; my boyfriend is coming to visit me and bring his affair baby.”
“Ms. Arlene!” we heard Krude yell in her background. “Whose car is in my spot, baby?”
“Lord, Mary, sister friend, I love you more than you know, but you shouldn’t have dropped that boy on his head so many times,” Ms. Arlene laughed. “He never behaves. Anyway, let me off here so I can enjoy my last days for what they are. They are my eternity. I love y’all, I’ll be back.”
The video ended with her smiling at the camera. We waited, hoping something else would play, but it didn’t. It went black, and the dam finally broke. Our laughter ended, and the tears flowed. She was really gone, and there was nothing we could do to change it.