Reality (Sequel to Future)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Today marked five months since Chresanto has been in jail. It also marks a week since I exploded on Devin and he was still giving me the cold shoulder. He wouldn't speak to me unless he absolutely had to like asking me if I needed him to go out and buy something or letting me know that he had just put Deon to sleep. Even though he deserved every single word that I said to him, he still had a way of making me feel like I was the one who needed to apologize. Honestly, if he wasn't staying with me, I wouldn't even care but I hated having to walk past him every day and not say anything. I hated being at odds with anybody really. I chopped up the cabbage for dinner tonight and put it in the big pot that was boiling on the stove. Miss Mabel added the scallops and looked at me suspiciously.

"Something wrong, Miss Mabel?"

"Oh nothing, honey, nothing. I was just wondering...what's wrong with you and that boy?"

"We're fine" I dryly answered.

I really wasn't in the mood to talk about Devin right now. It was either going to make me feel bad or make me pissed for feeling bad.

"So it's just all in my head that he's been moping around here for the past week? And that ya'll won't talk to each other?"

I stopped chopping and sighed.

"I may be old but I don't miss much, baby" she said looking at me waiting for a response.

"We just had a little falling out is all" I answered.

"Is it worth ya'll not talking ever again? I mean he's gonna be here a while"

"I don't know. I mean he's wrong but I don't want him to be. Does that make sense?"

"You want to be mad at him but you can't" she said with an understanding nod.

"Yeah, exactly"

"Then don't be. If you still feel like talking to him, it must not be that important"

If only she knew.

"Just talk to him, hon. He looks like whatever it is that ya'll argued about has him hurting awful bad. Reminds me of when that girl of his died"

"You were here for that?"

"Oh yes. He was depressed for the longest. Never had to make so much comfort food in my life. From what I understand, he's had really bad abandonment issues since he was young. So when somebody in his life who he cares about leaves him..."

"It brings that back" I said suddenly feeling bad.

Even though Devin was completely wrong for coming onto me all of the time, I somewhat understood better now. He cared about me a lot apparently. I cared about him too but just not as seriously as he cares for me. Maybe I just need to have a heart to heart with him.

"But you ain't hear that from me" she shrugged. "Devin don't really like people knowing about his personal business but I felt like you needed to know that to better understand him, you know?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"Good. You got the rest of dinner? My niece is visiting from college and I should go see her"

"Oh yeah, sure. Um...thank you for talking to me"

She washed her hands and smiled.

"Anytime, baby" she said.

I gave her a hug and she grabbed her purse to leave. Eventually, I finished putting everything in the pot and put the lid on top of it. I heard footsteps coming down from upstairs. I looked behind me to see Devin.