11
Taste the Rainbow
Christmas didn’t stop Alex’s studies, not personally and not at her school. The teachers were trying their best to keep the students up to speed for their very important exams in the coming year. This meant there were classes even during the holidays, inclusive of exams and assignments and very little time for leisure. Yet the little free time she and Nicka had was what they would use to hang out together. Nicka however, hadn’t called or attended any of their planned arrangements since the start of the season and Alex knew exactly why.
They met up after a Chemistry class for lunch at Freddie’s. It was the day of their last class, exactly one week before Christmas, and Ryan had given Alex a pretty good Christmas allowance so that two pieces of chicken with fries didn’t burn a hole in her pocket or make her cringe at the cash register. He’d also given her a cell phone, and despite the fact that she thought he was trying to buy her respect and her silence, she didn’t mind the shiny new Samsung flip which she kept in her bag pocket, right next to her flick knife.
“So how you been,” Nicka asked carefully, as she twirled a fry in a bit of ketchup nervously.
“Alright,” Alex replied, without even looking up at her.
“What’d you do this weekend?” another tentative question.
Alex glanced up at her, “nothing much,” she replied.
Nicka shifted in her seat and looked about her, “guess that’s fine too,” she muttered.
Alex kept her attention on her lunch and Nicka kept staring at her bent head. They sat in silence as the Christmas carols floated over their heads from the overhead speakers.
“You know, you’re being difficult right?” Nicka snapped.
Alex frowned at her and Nicka groaned in exasperation.
“Are you gonna be like this all day?
“Like what?” Alex stared at her blankly.
Nicka rolled her eyes, “like a miserable old lady with a grudge. So I stood you up a couple times, sorry. But couldn’t you at least be angry at me and get it over with so I can ask you about what’s really on my mind.”
Alex shook her head and looked up at her, “Maybe I was angry at you Nicka, but now I’m over it.”
Nicka didn’t look convinced, “you mean you’re not mad that I stood you up ten thousand times for the past two weeks?
“I’ve been pretty busy myself,” she said, picking up a napkin and swiping it across her lips to conceal the secret smile that had subconsciously eased itself on her face at the thought of Reuben dragging her to church every Sunday. She had to admit though, she was getting the hang of it, last Sunday she paid attention to about one third of the sermon; that was one third less of how much she looked over at the handsome boy sitting next to her.
“Look Nicka, you’re growing up, you’re interested in a boy who is interested in you too, it’s completely normal to want to spend all of your time with him. It’s fine,” she said.
Nicka lifted a brow, “okay then.”
“Now eat, we have to get back to school.”
Nicka stared at her for another tentative moment, then reached out and touched her hand.
“How’d you do?” she asked, her eyes masked with worry.
“Do what?”
Nicka looked about her as though she was disclosing something very illegal or top secret, “in chemistry, you got your paper back right?”
Alex nodded, “yeah,” she replied, smirking at her friend’s odd behaviour.
“So how’d you do?” she persisted.
“Okay, I guess,” she replied slowly.
Nicka gripped her hand tightly and leaned forward, “what’s okay? Please tell me you got a measly pass and the whole grading system is messed up,” she pleaded.
“Nicka what’s up?” Alex asked, her brows furrowed in concern.
Nicka exhaled through her teeth, “forty-two percent Al, forty-two dried up percent. That was my overall grade for the final exam we did for the vacation class.”
“Hold up, did you check with Ms. Roobin?”
“Of course I did. All she said was what you get is what you work for, man she is so annoying. If I didn’t care about graduation I would...”
“Stop it Nick” Alex interrupted, “look we’ll meet up tomorrow and compare answers okay.”
“Fine,” she sounded calmer now, “so... how did you do? In numbers please.”
Alex sighed, “ninety-six.”
“yuh lie!” Nicka blurted, then she grinned, “you see, you’re made for this stuff, you’re practically running with Ms. Roobin and she’s got like a PhD or something...”
“She doesn’t have a PhD; then she’d be Doctor Roobin.”
Nicka rolled her eyes, “Gosh, Alex it’s an exaggeration, you know, the literary device. Why do you always have to be so logical, get some colour in your life.”
Alex had been attending Sunday morning services with Reuben for four weeks now, the first time she’d felt like an Orang-utan in a city mall, but Reuben’s warmth along with the people’s friendliness helped her relax. Reuben came by to pick her up as usual, asked for her parents and she made up an excuse as usual. He drove her to church and they sat side by side for the entire service as usual.
The only difference this time was that Alex actually listened and tried to understand, she even made notes as Reuben had suggested. It was supposed to help her with her personal studies, which she had not even considered doing, but the idea seemed to please Reuben so she pretended it pleased her. He looked over at her scribbling on the little notebook she’d gotten as gift from the church.
“Told ya,” he mouthed, causing her to blush.
The sermon was about love and being your brother’s keeper, and it got Alex thinking about her relationship with her family and her friend and Reuben. Cane in the book of Genesis, took his brother’s life because he was jealous, he wasn’t his brother’s keeper, he was supposed to be, but he wasn’t. Alex couldn’t imagine hurting her siblings much less to take their life, because a person could never do that to the one he or she loves.
She wondered if she had ever been someone’s keeper and how she could be, of course the pastor was kind enough to explain what it meant and how to do it but how practical was it? It was never as simple as it sounded, and was it okay for her, being the youngest to be her older siblings’ keeper? Could a daughter keep her parents? Her thoughts bounded about her mind until she focused on one, did Reuben like her as a sister? More importantly, did he love her? Alex slapped herself mentally and ducked her head to avoid his eyes. When had she started being so silly? Alexis Moore did not swoon over guys.
After church, the congregation greeted and chatted on their way out as usual, but this time Alex did it too. She knew the other teenagers from the only youth meeting she’d ever been too, she knew Carol the youth leader, and she’d even spoken to the Pastor once or twice.
She was speaking with Carol, when Reuben snuck up behind her and joined the conversation with a smile, “yes that is a brilliant idea Car, Alex should come to youth meeting on Friday.”
He touched her shoulder and winked, “it’ll be fun, you’ll get to meet my very evasive friend James. He’s doing a presentation that I guarantee you’ll find interesting and you’ll meet my even scarcer best friend Craig. I have this gut feeling that you’d like them; they’re two of a kind.
Alex tapped her chin thoughtfully, “I don’t know if this week’s any good though, I’m spending Christmas with my brother and sister so... “
Reuben sighed, clearly disappointed, “Alright then, I’ll bug you when you get back.”
Reuben talked non-stop during the ride home, he went from spiritual advice to pointless jokes to knock-knock jokes and Alex enjoyed every moment of it, simply because it was Reuben, not because they were funny. They were driving by the spot where Alex and Nicka usually hung out and attended parties, when Reuben slowed down.
“Want a d
rink?” he asked.
“Yeah sure, that’d be nice.”
He parked along the roadside and climbed out, “what would you like?” he asked.
“Sprite is fine,” she replied, the truth was she didn’t really want a drink at all, but he’d offered and she didn’t have the guts to say no. Especially if it meant prolonging the ride home.
“Be right back.”
After he left, Robbie came knocking on her partially rolled up glass, “hey pretty girl,” he greeted with his lopsided grin.
“What’s up Robbie?” she asked, turning down the car window fully.
“I cool,” he poked his head in and looked about the interior of the car, then at her Sunday attire.
“Wow, you looking hot ma! I have to tell Nicka I see ya liming, dress up nice and thing. So I take it this is the guy you keep ditching us for these days huh?” he teased, wiggling bushy brows.
Alex scowled at him, “whatever, Where’s your girlfriend?”
“Hanging out with my buddies inside,” he replied.
“Let me guess you came out for a drink?”
Robbie laughed, “nah, she had her own, we’re past that.”
“Oh yeah? Well don’t let your guard down, am watching you,” she warned.
“a’ight ma,” they laughed.
“So seriously though, who’s the dude?”
Alex shrugged, acutely aware of the little somersault her stomach just did.
“A friend,” she replied, just as she noticed Reuben coming from the building, two drinks in his hands. She immediately started to compare him to Robbie, he was way better looking, had better posture, he oozed maturity. Not to mention those strong broad shoulders that filled out his dress shirt, unlike Robbie’s thin build and bony shoulders. She smiled to herself, watching him walk toward her, it almost felt like he belonged to her.
“I get it,” Robbie said with a smirk as he backed away from the vehicle.
“Afternoon brother,” he greeted as Reuben climbed into the car.
“Hi.”
“That your boyfriend,” Reuben asked, tossing his head in Robbie’s direction while he handed her the bottle of sprite.
“No, he’s my best friend’s boyfriend actually,” she replied, the little school girl part of her thinking of all the reasons he would ask.
“Okay,” he said with a grin as he swerved back onto the road, “just checking up on ya, he doesn’t really look like your type.”
“Oh really, and what would my type be?” she countered.
“Hmm, I would peg you as the type of girl who goes for the more poetic types, you know. Pick you a flower on the way home from school, writing you poems, confessing his undying love for you with mix tapes, serenading you with a banjo outside your window, waking up the neighbours and driving the dogs insane…”
Alex couldn’t stop laughing, “You’re killing me! Please stop!” He was laughing himself. She loved his laugh.
After a moment of thoughtful, silent drinking and driving Alex broached the question that had been playing on her mind since he’d returned.
“So...uh, what about you?”
He looked over at her with a puzzled frown, “what?”
“You’d asked me if Robbie was my boyfriend, I was wondering if you had anyone... special?”
“Well...” he waved his hand aimlessly, “I’m kind of in between places right now,” he glanced over at her, “there is someone that means a lot to me and am waiting for God to show me how to go about it, before you know...” he chuckled, “I must sound silly.”
“We all have our moments,” she replied and they laughed again, but in Alex’s mind she thought she had him all figured out, It thrilled her to know he felt that way about her.
When Alex got home, she went right to her room, that is, her and Rachel’s room. She tossed her bible on the dresser, jumped out of her dress and pulled on jeans and a T-Shirt. She picked up her bag and hurried out the room.
She was hurrying down the stairs when Sherry stepped out from the kitchen, “Where you come out from?” Sherry asked, her arms folded over her chest with a disapproving frown on her face.
Alex rolled her eyes, “Mom, Mike’s coming to pick me up soon, I can’t be bothered with this now.”
It was that, as well as the fact that Sherry hadn’t so much as batted an eye at her since they moved here. She was just too busy with the grand affairs associated with Ryan’s life, going out to dinner every other night, trying to outdo the cook. Alex had to admit though; the cook wasn’t doing such a great job indeed, if Ryan needed to save money, he needed to start there. Then there was impressing the neighbours, buying new dresses, getting that new curly hair do; as it turns out Ryan wasn’t a weave man. She couldn’t help thinking that maybe it would be wise of Ryan to tell Sherry what was going on with him before she ran his finances into the ground faster than he was doing for himself.
“Alex you go answer me,” she commanded.
Alex sighed, “I went to church alright.”
“Alex come on...”
“It’s the truth, Sherry. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past few Sundays, I’m going to church.”
Sherry looked at her blankly for a while, and then burst into laughter, “you? Going to church? What happen? Doctor tell you you have a few more days to live, they giving out scholarship, or is some boy?” she paused and narrowed her eyes at Alex, “Is a boy ain’t it? You going to church for a boy?”
“A boy mom, seriously, you think am going to church for a boy? You really don’t know me at all do you?” and she turned toward the front door.
“And where you heading for now with all this speed?” she asked.
Alex stopped, took a deep breath and turned around, “Look...” she paused and her lips parted into what would have been a gasp of shock and disapproval.
“Is that alcohol?” she looked at the almost empty glass in Sherry’s hand.
Sherry looked down at it and sighed, then turned to the mini bar in the corner of the living room and poured herself another glass. She turned to look at her as she lifted the glass to her lips, emptying the contents in one gulp, “I really did miss this thing oui,” she said, shaking her head contentedly.
“You can’t drink when you’re pregnant. Is that why Mike flunked out of high school?”
Sherry rolled her eyes at her and sat down on the sofa, “look Alex, the thing is... there ain’t no baby.”
“Oh God, Mom,” Alex went to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “did you lose the baby?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern as panic stirred like hives beneath her skin.
It occurred to her that that baby might have been both their green cards; with that baby gone Ryan had no need to keep them here, unless he genuinely cared about Sherry, something Alex was sure no man was capable of. And then of course there was Sherry’s emotional state to be concerned about.
Sherry shook her head, “I never was pregnant Alex,” she said wearily.
She shook her head, “after you nearly kill me, you think I was taking chances with that again. No sah.”
“Well, why did you say that you were?” Alex asked, stepping back from Sherry like she was the most poisonous snake in the world.
Sherry sighed and sat down, leaning forward with an uncomfortable frown, “I don’t know. I really like Ryan and he the kind of man that…” she shook her head, “I had to find a way to make him stay.”
“See this is the reason Daddy left. You and your lies and your schemes to have things happen your way. No one likes that Mom, no one likes to be lied to like...”
“Shut up!” Sherry bellowed, “Yuh don’t know nothing about why yuh father leave us,” she took a deep calming breath.
“Look Alex, I going to tell him.”
“Tell him what? That you lied to him all this time? He’ll toss our bags on the side of the road and kick us out on our behinds. Then it’s back t
o that messed up place.”
“Alex I will fix it, is no problem,” Sherry assured her.
Alex shook her head, “you can’t progress on lies Sherry, you’ve got to learn that. And don’t forget that it’s your fixing it that got us here in the first place,” she said with a scowl and stomped out the front door.
It would have been appropriate and greatly appreciated if Michael were to drive up the front yard right about now. When Alex stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her for added effect, fuming over her mother’s confession. It was the kind of confession that rendered the hearer to a state of unrest and panic and to some surprising extent, guilt and Alex wanted nothing more than to be as far from this place as possible. Even if it meant risking being bitten by the haunted pit bull in the corrupted neighbourhood, infested with dangerous vermin; dancing to the music of gunshots in the sky after night fall. She preferred that any day over the nest of lies she was now being forced to live in.
She dropped unto the wooden chair in the veranda and folded her arms across her chest, pouting her lips in aggravation. She turned tired eyes to the sun, now subtly easing its way to the west, which at the moment appeared to be behind the incredibly huge mansion facing Ryan’s house.
Alex sighed, and looked at her watch, it was obvious she had been forgotten. If Michael hadn’t picked her up an hour ago as he’d promised, he wasn’t going to show up now, and the day had started off with so much promise. She reached into her bag, which had slid to the floor and withdrew a blue packet of Skittles.
“One thing remains constant,” she said as she poured the colourful candies into her hand, she shuffled them about and sighed, she threw her head back and tossed them into her waiting mouth.
“Ahhh, the addictive taste of the rainbow.”
An evil cackle suddenly rose from the bottom of the steps, and Alex jumped, visibly frightened.
“What are you doing?”
It wasn’t the sudden appearance that surprised her so much, but mostly the fact that it was Sonti and no one else.
She glanced down at the colourful splotches in her hand then back at Sonti, “we all have our vices okay,” she replied defensively, between a mouthful of candy, “this is the most constant thing in my life right now, please just leave me alone.”
Sonti looked down at the packet tightly held in Alex s hand and snorted, “That is really pathetic kid.”
Alex shook her head, suddenly feeling like she needed to defend her Skittle grabbing habit and her definition of it.
“Well, it has no dietary fibres whatsoever, it’s high in carbs, twenty-five grams to be exact, which means it could result in a rapid rise in the blood glucose levels and the long term effects include hyperglycemia, hyperinsulimia, obesity and even diabetes. Which you should know is highly likely in my case considering my family’s medical history, not to mention it’s bad for your teeth,” she ended with a short nod and a snort.
Sonti was staring at her as though she was the biggest dork she’d ever met, she might’ve been quite correct in that assumption too.
“You’re not serious,” she replied after a brief moment of unnervingly staring at the blue lipped girl scowling at her.
“You really need to get out more, you’re weird and there’s a chance you may never recover from this phase of your life and be doomed to loser town for the rest of eternity.”
Alex glared at her, “Just gimme a break!” she blurted, shoving the packet between the cushions of the chair.
“Not everyone is as privileged as you Sonti. Life isn’t a joy ride for me as it is for you, so could you please just let me enjoy the one thing that I love. That doesn’t disappoint me, or have hidden agenda’s…” she stopped suddenly, hearing the pathetic croak in her voice. There was no way she would start crying in front of Sonti.
Sonti looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then sat down next to her. Alex glanced over at her warily; she didn’t even trust what was left of her eyebrows.
“It’s finally getting to you eh?” she seemed as though she was genuinely interested in understanding and might actually care.
Alex frowned, if she was referring to life, then it’s been getting to her since birth, she thought.
“Somewhat,” she replied, she wasn’t sure how much was safe to say.
Sonti nodded, “I understand,” she paused, looking out at the front yard with a thoughtful frown, “Tell yuh what, I’m gonna do you a favour.”
Alex lifted surprised brows at her but didn’t respond, still feeling as if there was some unavoidable trap door in this conversation.
Sonti nodded, “yep, I’ll help ya out. You ever been to a Kane Collins party?”
“Huh... oh... I don’t think so,” she replied.
Sonti nodded, “I figured,” she sighed, “come on I’m heading to one of em right now and you don’t seem like you have anything much to do,” she got up and looked down at her, “you want a vice I’ll introduce you to a couple.”
She turned and started to descend the front steps, expecting Alex to follow.
“Wait! Should I change or something,” Alex asked.
“Nah that’s fine, you have to wash your mouth though, no one will take you serious with blue lips.”
“Right, of course. Gimme a moment.”
Later when Michael finally arrived, all that was left waiting for him were his sister’s two bags and an opened packet of Tropical Skittles sticking out from between the chair cushions and no one could tell him where she’d gone. Michael went back home.