Jacquelin Thomas - Teach Me Tonight

“Sounds good,” Kyra said. “The school needs all the free press we can get.”

The waiter returned, carrying a tray of food, which he set down on the table. Tamara blessed the food.

She sampled her gumbo while Kyra cut into her chicken.

“I’m actually looking forward to homecoming this year,” Tamara announced. She didn’t add that it was because Micah might be attending.

“It’s going to be nice.” Kyra stuck a forkful of macaroni into her mouth. “I can’t wait. It’s always good to see old friends.”

Tamara agreed.

They continued making small talk as they finished off their meal.

“I need to get back to work,” Tamara murmured, checking her watch when they were done eating.

“I can’t believe how disciplined you are,” Kyra declared. “If I worked at home, I think I’d be doing everything else around the house instead of focusing on my job.”

An easy smile played at the corners of her mouth. “I like getting paid.”

“As if you need the money,” Kyra retorted with a chuckle. “Tamara, who are you trying to kid?”

“My mother has money,” she corrected, pushing away from the table. “I don’t.”

After paying the check, she and Kyra rose up and walked out of the restaurant.

They paused at her car to hug.

“It was so good to see you,” Tamara told her. “We should get together more often”

Kyra agreed. “We need to do this again real soon, soror.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tamara responded. “Talk to you later.”

Tamara got into her car and drove the two miles to her home in midtown.

The telephone rang as soon as she walked through the front door of her apartment.

“Hello,” Tamara uttered.

“Hey, this is Samantha.”

Tamara broke into a smile when she heard her editor’s voice. They had recently discussed her becoming the features writer for the entertainment section.

“How would you like to interview Justice Kane?” Samantha asked. “You would have to fly out to Los Angeles for his album release party.”

“I’d love it,” she responded. Justice Kane was a performer signed to Micah’s record company, Ross Red. If she did a great job on the story, this would better her chances in getting the position.

Tamara was sure that he would be attending the party so she considered this a sign. She would finally get that chance to mend her friendship with Micah. She knew that he never married and had read about his relationship with the model.

I had my chance and I blew it.

Micah hadn’t only been her tutor but he’d been her friend—her best friend. They had spent a lot of time together. She and Micah used to attend the college football and basketball games together; there were times they went to the movies, clubs and even attended church together. Micah would even join Tamara on her visits to see her grandmother.

“This has to be a sign,” she whispered.

Tamara knew that wanting to see Micah again had so much more to do with the fact that she was still in love with him. She had tried for years to get Micah out of her system, but to no avail—he still owned her heart.

She winced at the memory of how cruel she had been to Micah and desperately wanted the chance to explain why she had been so fearful of getting involved with him.

She prayed that once they sat down and talked he would understand and find it in his heart to forgive her.

Tamara wanted to share her good news with someone, so she called Kyra later that evening. “Hey, girl…you won’t believe where I’m going this weekend,” she said when her friend answered the phone.

“Where?” Kyra questioned.

“Los Angeles,” she announced. “I’m covering Justice Kane’s album release party. Luster magazine wants me to do a story on him. Can you believe it?”

“That’s great,” Kyra responded with excitement. “Tamara, this is the kind of story you’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Hey, isn’t Justice Kane with Micah’s record company?”

“That’s why I’m so excited,” Tamara told Kyra. “I’m hoping to reconnect with him. I really miss our friendship.”

“We used to have some good times back in the day. I used to try and get you to party with us, but you wanted to stay home and read. The only time we could get you out was when Micah asked you. Why didn’t you two ever get together?” Kyra inquired. “I know you had feelings for him back then.”

“Micah was my tutor and my friend,” Tamara stated. “That’s really all it was. I had too many issues for anything more.”

“So you didn’t have any feelings for him?”

“I didn’t say that,” Tamara answered. “Kyra, I was crazy about Micah, but the timing was all off and things just never worked out. You know how it goes.”

“I always felt that something was bothering you,” Kyra said. “It was just a feeling though because you were always walking around with a smile and you seemed really happy…still, I felt there was something.”

Tamara considered Kyra one of her best friends, and they were close, spent time together often, but there were things from her past that she never shared with anyone—including her soror.

She had never told Kyra what happened between her and Micah on graduation night and decided against mentioning it now. Deep down, she didn’t want anyone to know just how gullible she’d been back then.

“So what about now?”

“Kyra, he’s seeing someone,” Tamara responded. “His relationship with Sunni has been plastered all over the tabloids and People magazine.” She tried to sound as neutral as possible.

“Tamara, you know that you can’t believe everything you read in the tabloids. Micah says that he and that model are nothing but friends. At least that’s what he told Kevin.”

Kyra’s words delighted Tamara. She silently prayed that her friend was right because the thought of Micah being involved in a serious relationship with another woman bothered her to the core.

“Whatever their relationship, I hope she doesn’t trip if Micah and I grab a few minutes to sit down and talk when I get to Los Angeles,” Tamara said.

“Tell him that I said hello when you see Micah,” Kyra responded. “I’m so proud of that boy. He came from the Greenwood projects, and look at him now. He left us back here in Atlanta and really made a success of his life. Now all he needs is the right woman to share it with.”

Tamara had to hide her inner feelings as a sense of inadequacy swept over her. She thought about Kyra’s words and wondered if after all this time had passed if she had anything to offer Micah.

Like everyone else, Tamara had her own share of past pain and trauma but she had worked past the betrayal of trust, discovered her wholeness, the experience shaping her in a way that no other has.

She learned early on that along with happiness, life brought pain. Her grandmother had taught Tamara that in order to heal, she had to forgive and that forgiveness is essential as a means of personal transformation.

Tamara still had seeds of unforgiveness rooted in her. She desired forgiveness, but until she could forgive she would never be completely free.

She and Kyra stayed on the phone for almost an hour, talking about their college days and the upcoming Pi Beta Gamma fundraiser.

After promising to get together soon, Tamara ended the call, then stood up and walked over to the window to stare out at the beautiful Atlanta skyline.

“I miss you so much, Micah,” she whispered.

Amused, Micah hung up the telephone, but not before Samantha, the editor of Luster magazine, thanked him for the fifth or sixth time during their conversation.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax now that the initial part of his plan had succeeded.