Earl Sewell - Back to Me

“I didn’t attend school for most of my junior year. I haven’t earned the credits needed to pass, okay? Are you guys happy now? I said it!” It was very hard for me to admit that. It was an awful burden weighing on my heart.

“That explains a lot,” Maya remarked and snickered.

My humiliation immediately evaporated. I wanted to reach across the table and scratch up her face like a dog digging a hole in the backyard. I slammed my hand against the table and rose to my feet. I was ready to leap across the table and kick her butt for making me feel like crap. “I’ve got more smarts than you’ll ever know about, Maya!” I barked at her.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Aunt Raven wasn’t about to let my hostility go unchecked. “There is absolutely no need for that. Maya apologize to her.”

“What for?” she asked.

“For being so insensitive.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Maya looked as if she’d just been asked to pick up dog crap with her bare hands.

“No, I’m not.”

Reluctantly, Maya mumbled, “Sorry.”

Aunt Raven released a deep sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “Okay. So, you haven’t been in school for a while. How did that happen?” she asked.

Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “It just did. Mom was always moving. She’d pack our things at the drop of a dime and move on. It didn’t matter if I was in the middle of the school year or not.”

Aunt Raven focused on me and remained silent for a long moment. It was as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know exactly how to phrase her words.

“It’s not that serious,” I snapped. I wanted to disappear. I reasoned with myself that it would be best for me to go back to the city and do my own thing. I didn’t need or want their pity. I hustled toward the back door that led out to the driveway. I was more than willing to hitchhike all the way back to Chicago, to Grandmother Esmeralda’s house.

“Viviana!” I heard Aunt Raven call my name, but I ignored her.

Just as I was about to sprint down the driveway, I saw an old, brown, rusted-out Chevy pickup truck pulling in.

“Who in the hell is this?” I heard Aunt Raven ask from behind me.

“I have no idea,” I said, trying to make out the face of the driver. It was difficult to do because of the sun’s glare reflecting off the windshield.

“They must be lost or something,” said Aunt Raven as she walked toward the vehicle.

The car came to a halt, and the passenger door swung open. I was in total shock when I saw my mom step out of the truck. I rushed toward her, happy to see that she was okay. I wrapped my arms around her, not caring about the stench of cigar smoke that had saturated her clothing. I stepped out of our embrace to look at her once more. She was wearing a burgundy top with white capri pants that were see-through. I could see the pink-and-white-striped underwear she had on. It was without question a major fashion mistake, even I knew, but my mother probably thought it made her look sexy.

“It’s so good to see you, Mom. I’ve missed you,” I admitted, embracing her again and holding on to her even tighter.

“I’ve missed you, Vivi,” my mother said, calling me by the nickname she’d given me.

Not wanting to let go of her, I said, “I want to go with you.”

Ignoring my comment, she said, “Look at you, Viviana, living all fancy with your cousins.” She admired Aunt Raven’s house as if she were visiting for the first time.

“Will we ever get a house like this?” I asked, hoping she’d somehow been able to do better.

“Someday, baby. You, me and Martin will be a happy family, living in a big, fancy house. One even better than this one,” she said, detaching herself from my embrace as she continued looking around the property.

“Well, for your sake, I would hope that someday is pretty soon.” Aunt Raven gave my mom a brief hug.

“Do you have anything to eat? Martin and I are starving,” my mother said.

“Martin? Who is Martin?” asked Aunt Raven.

“The love of my life.” My mom turned back to the truck and waved for Martin to step out.

“How is everybody doing?” Martin asked as he got out of the truck. As he walked around to where we were, he had to jack his pants up in order to cover his butt crack.

“Ew-wee,” I mumbled as he approached.

My mom introduced them. “Raven, this is Martin. Martin, this is my sister, Raven.”

“Nice to meet you.” Aunt Raven greeted him with a handshake.

I glanced at Martin, noticing his bad eye, and had to immediately look away out of fear I’d go cross-eyed if I stared at him too long.

“Is it all right if I leave the truck parked right here?” Martin asked.

“Sure. It’s not a problem,” Aunt Raven answered.

“So, are you going to invite us in?” my mom asked.

“Yeah, sure. We were just finishing breakfast,” Aunt Raven said. As we walked back toward the house, Martin noticed the gas barbecue grill.

“See, baby. That’s the kind of grill I want to get once we find a place to settle down. You know how important my food is to me, and I’ll barbecue at the drop of a hat,” Martin said jokingly.

“I can’t wait for that day, baby,” said my mom. The fact that she was still with Martin made my stomach flip.

When we walked back inside, Maya and Anna had cleared the table and placed the dishes in the dishwasher. I assumed they had gone back to their rooms and didn’t realize that my mom and Martin had arrived. We made our way to the family room.

“This is a real nice place you’ve got here,” Martin said, admiring the decor.

“Thank you. Why don’t you have a seat?” Aunt Raven said as she grabbed the remote control for the television. She turned it on for him and quickly showed him how to change the channels. “Would you like something to drink?” Aunt Raven offered.

“A beer would be great,” said Martin as he got immediately comfortable.

“It’s still very early in the morning, and you’re driving,” Aunt Raven pointed out. I guess she thought it would make a difference to Martin.

“Honey, I can drink tequila and ride a motorcycle backward with my eyes closed. A beer isn’t going to do much to me.”

I could tell by the way Aunt Raven threaded her eyebrows together that she didn’t like what he’d just said. “I’m sorry. I don’t have any beer or tequila.”

“Don’t worry about it, baby. I’m sure I’ll find something for you. My sister always keeps something around the house,” said my mom, who was once again bending over backward to accommodate this jerk’s every wish.

“Salena, we need to talk,” I heard Aunt Raven say.

“Yes, we do,” my mother agreed, as if nothing about the situation seemed awkward. We went back upstairs and into the kitchen. I sat back down at the table with my mother and Aunt Raven.

“Isn’t Martin wonderful?” my mom asked, glowing as if she were truly in love.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really gotten to know the man, but first impressions make me think he has an alcoholism issue.”

“There you go already, Raven. You’re about to start with the crap!” My mom had gotten offended.

“What? I’ve never been around the type of man who drinks tequila and rides a motorcycle backward. Is he a stuntman or something?” asked Aunt Raven.

“He’s a good man, and that’s all that matters,” my mother replied, defending her relationship with Martin.

“Mom, where have you been?” I asked.

“Yes. Why did you abandon your daughter?” Aunt Raven added.

“What the hell are you talking about, Raven? I didn’t abandon her. I left her with Mom.”

“You know our mother has health issues and can’t take care of Viviana.” I could tell by the pitch of Aunt Raven’s voice that she was getting irritated.