Page 66

Tea and Trespassers

A couple of weeks later…

K age served Poet a cup of green tea with a slice of lemon from her farm.

She had four thriving lemon trees on her property, and the fruits were selling fast at the monthly farmer’s market.

He was a lucky duck who often got the surplus.

She sat at the kitchen table sipping it, wearing her oversized, worn overalls and showcasing a rather peaked complexion.

She’d been battling a cold, so he’d insisted on picking her up and bringing her to his home to rest, especially since Aunt Huni was on some afternoon senior excursion to an electronic bingo hall with an all-you-can eat restaurant.

“I never take off work, but I had to today.” She sneezed, then took another sip of the tea. “I rarely get sick, but I suppose I was overdue. I look a mess.” She ran her fingers through her tousled curls.

“You look beautiful, actually.” She offered a watery smile. “You’re glowin’. Don’t fret, you’ll be better in no time.”

“A, Kage, I hope you don’t mind, but I started lookin’ into wedding venues. I knew you were busy trying to heal and cleanin’ up your house after what happened, so I did it on my own.”

“I don’t mind at all! I told you that the sooner we get married, the better in my eyes. So, did you see anything you liked?”

“Well, maybe, but one of them is booked clear out until two years from now, and the other—” The doorbell rang, stopping her train of thought. “You expecting company, honey?” she asked.

“Naw, I’m not.” He grabbed his phone and looked at the door camera. After blinking, he focused his gaze. No, it couldn’t be… He looked closer, then clenched his mouth. Shit. I think it is… The doorbell rang once again.

“Kage, you okay? Who is it?”

“Hold tight, sweetheart.”

He left the kitchen and paraded to the front door. Checking the security camera one more time, he shook his head, then opened it.

Two familiar hazel eyes looked right back at him.

The woman stood there dressed in a long yellow, white and pink floral dress.

She had a thin, yellow shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and thick-soled flat sandals on her feet.

Her chest displayed a tattoo of his name…

He remembered it well, though now it was faded with time.

“Hey, stranger.” She chuckled. “Long time, no see. Damn, you still look good, Kage.”

“Lorna, what are you doing here? I told your ass I never wanted to see you again, and that’s what I fuckin’ meant.” He stood in the doorway, but left it cracked a hair. Her smile faded, and she looked rather puzzled.

“I thought you… I thought… Well, I guess now I’m not a hundred percent sure.”

“What the fuck do you mean you’re not a hundred percent fuckin’ sure?

I ain’t seen you in years, and then you show up outta the blue, uninvited and unannounced.

How’d you know I lived out here anyway, and why’d you presume I’d be home on a damn Thursday afternoon?

Some of us work for a livin’, instead of playin’ hooky for some nookie…

skippin’ away from work to a rundown, roach and bedbug infested motel to fuck a coworker that looked like a meth and crack addicted Phillip Seymour Hoffman. ”

She crossed her arms and rolled her tongue around her jaw, shaking her head.

“I see you still have a mean and vindictive mouth on you.” The woman sighed loudly and turned away. “Just awful as can be, down to the bone.”

“I ain’t awful. I’m truthful, and if the truth happens to be awful, then that ain’t my fault.”

“I also see all this time has passed, and yet you’re still sore over my lapse in judgment.

” She looked into the distance. “I was wrong… there’s no denying that.

I paid the price. Lost a good man and a good marriage over a fling, but damn it, Kage, we was practically kids,” She faced him again, her eyes pleading.

“Kage. Jesus… I said that I was sorry. I meant it, too.”

“You’ve got it all wrong. I got over it just fine, Lorna.

I ain’t still sore about your affair. That was a long time ago, just as you said, but you ain’t try and call first, send an email, nothin’.

You just show up on a man’s doorstep with no explanation, and that makes me feel a lil’ froggy.

Now, what can I help you with so that I can go on about my day? I got company, and I’m busy.”

She readjusted the shawl on herself, and he noticed old bruises and strange marks along her arms. Stepping closer to him, she looked into his eyes.

Lorna used to be beautiful, but now, she was a shell of her former self.

She looked as if her soul had been sucked from her form, and her life, too.

She was unhealthily skinny, her hair thin and dull, and she didn’t look as if she were taking care of herself, despite the pretty dress and shoes.

“…He lied to me. You ain’t pining over me no more,” she said in almost a whisper, then shook her head, her face flushed.

“Who is he ?”

“Your—”

“Don’t even say his name. I know who he is.” He grimaced. “So that fuckface son of a bitch set you up to do this, huh?”

She nodded. “Yes… offered me money, too.”

“Not surprising. Did you take it?”

“…Yeah. I wasn’t going to tell you, in fact, us even talking about this is not on code or part of the plan, but after I realized he’d not been truthful regarding your feelings for me, there was no point in continuing the charade.

Anyway, your grandpa said he’ll give me more, too, once I swing by here.

It’s a nice amount that he offered, but not enough to last more than a couple of months.

Speakin’ of which, that brings me to the second reason I’m here.

” I knew it… “I, uh, I’m a little desperate.

I’m behind on my bills. My old man unexpectedly died,” She cleared her throat and blinked hard, as if trying to forget something dreadful. “And uh, I need some money.”

“Well, the nearest easy loan, cash advance place is about fifteen minutes into town from here. You want me to give you the damn address?”

She grimaced and put her hand on her hip. “Let’s see how much you laugh and joke around at my expense at this next revelation. It says here that you owe me.” She reached into her purse then handed him some folded papers. “Your grandfather gave that to me. I uh, checked it out, and it’s true…”

Kage snatched the papers from her grasp, and began reading them. Each sentence he read made his blood boil.

“This can’t be right… this can’t be!”

“Kage, everything okay, baby?” Poet called out before falling into a fit of coughs.

Lorna craned her neck, trying to look past him.

“Yeah, baby. Everything is fine!” He balled the papers up and tossed them at her feet.

“That shit ain’t right. You fuckin’ fooled around on me, and you think you’re now entitled to half my land? My house?!”

“I’m not going to pretend to be proud of that moment in our past, or even this one, Kage, and normally I’d just let it go because you make a damn good point, but,” she looked at the house, then around his yard, then back at him.

“This place gotta be worth millions… I promise to be fair, and I hope you will be, too.”

“You listen here, bitch,” he closed the door behind himself, then pointed his finger at her, causing her eyes to buck, and her to take a step back.

“That woman you heard talking just now? That’s my damn fiancée.

She’s had enough recent action to be in a Marvel film, all on account of my grandfather.

Enough to last a lifetime. You know what that bastard put me through, Lorna!

I told you every sordid detail, and you had the nerve to make a deal with him? ! How the fuck could you?”

Lorna looked down at the ground.

“Look, I’m tryna keep my cool here, but you’re making it hard. The last thing me or my fiancée need right now is a ghost from hotel, motel, Holiday Inn past, showin’ up here demanding shit that you ain’t worked for!”

“I never wanted the divorce, Kage. You did! You filed! We’d probably still be married, and you wouldn’t even have to deal with this!”

“Do you hear yourself? Are you serious right now?! I poured my heart and soul into building this damn house! It’s not the material aspect of it—it is the principle!

This house is a home. It’s a home for me and my woman, not you!

It was me who cleared this land, with my own two hands and equipment to make it livable!

Wasn’t shit here but thigh high weeds, venomous snakes, and mud.

It took over a year, but I did it! I wanted a place that I could leave to my family, Lorna!

Something I created myself! A nice private oasis away from chaos and mayhem, which are the only two languages you and that old man know!

Ha! This is rich!” He laughed maniacally as he rubbed his hands together.

“You get your rotten ass off my gotdamn porch. That’s what the fuck you need to do. ”

“Kage,” she put up her hands and took another step back, “I don’t want no trouble now.

I just want what’s mine. I actually thought maybe you and I could reconcile, too, at least be friends maybe, but I see you definitely have moved on.

I’m happy for you, I am. I loved you, and still do, but I really just want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me. ”

“That’s mighty gracious and thoughtful of you, you fucking viper.”