His Proposal

Chapter 22

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that you get to spend all the time you can with him while you're here."

"I do, the only time I come out is Saturday nights. I come here and people watch; you'll see some interesting stuff here on the weekends."

"I don't really come out; I have three children to take care of at home."

"I have children too, I've got seven of them, four boys and three girls."

"Wow, that's a big family; I thought I was done after I had my first one."

We laughed and he showed me pictures of his children. All of them looked just like him. I never showed people I didn't already know pictures of my children. There is too much going in the world for me to do this. 

Kendra waved me over, said she and the girls were ready to go. It looked like she would need help because she was stumbling as she walked towards me. I shook hands with him, wait, I didn't catch his name.

"Excuse me, what is your name? I've been talking to you all this time and hadn't asked you your name."

"That's funny I was about to ask you the same thing. My name is Excalibur like the sword, don't ask it's a long story. What's your name?"

"My name is Adassa, it was nice meeting you tonight. I have to get these ladies home.

"Will I see you again?"

"Maybe," I say as I walk over to my stumbling sister.

 He reached into his jacket pocket and handed me a card. The card read Excalibur Colon Attorney at Law.

"My cellphone number is on the back of the card. You can call me anytime you want."

"Thanks again, it was nice meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine."

I walked over just in time to catch Kendra before she fell, she had stumbled away from the table. There was nothing to hold her up. Her friends could walk, but they were moving slowly as we left the club. It would have been nice to sit and talk to Excalibur for a little while longer. I may have to come out to the lighthouse again.

Kendra put her arm around my shoulder as I helped her out the front doors. Her friends begin to pick up speed after we were outside. They saw the car and went straight over it, but they wouldn't be able to go anywhere. I had the keys.

I took my time sliding Kendra into the front passenger side of her Volvo. Once I strapped her into her seat belt, I made sure both of her friends were in the backseat safely wearing seat belts.

I climbed in the driver's side, made sure all the mirrors faced where they were supposed to. As I was doing this I could see Excalibur walking to his car. That was one interesting man, it would be nice to converse with him again.

 I put the key into the ignition, started the car, and drove into late-night traffic. It was quiet for a while as we drove through downtown Chicago. Kendra started mumbling, she was having some sort of dream, she screamed out in her sleep. I woke her to let her know she was still in the car, and we were on our way home. Once she noticed where she was she drifted off to sleep again. It was pretty late; I hoped and Gavin and the children would be asleep by the time I got home.

I would be keeping Kendra's Volvo tonight. Once we got back to the neighborhood, I made the rounds to drop everyone off. Finally, I was back on the road to drive myself home. Surprisingly, this only took about twenty minutes.

 When I got home my house was quiet. I went from room to room to check on the children. They were all asleep. I came back out to the living room to see if Gavin was awake. He wasn't on the couch. I went into the kitchen. He wasn't in there either. Maybe he was in the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush, and I let out a sigh of relief. I waited for the bathroom door to open. When it opened it wasn't Gavin. It was the woman I usually paid to sit with the children when I wouldn't be home. 

She told me that he called her at about 10 pm. He said that there was a family emergency and that he needed her to sit with the children. He paid her double her usual fee. I thanked her for coming over at the last minute. I made it seem like I knew what the emergency was. Mrs. Macklemore was good with the children, but she was also the neighborhood gossip. I didn't need the entire neighborhood all in my personal business. I have enough issues with Gavin and his infidelity. I wonder what the emergency was. I picked up the phone to call him, but it kept going straight to voice mail. I could feel my face begin to get hot and burn with anger. 

I'm glad he wasn't stupid enough to leave my children alone. When I see him again, we are going to have a full-on discussion about priorities. Whatever it is he had to go and do could have waited, at least until I got home. I'm so upset right now. I went into my bedroom to change into my pajamas and climbed into bed. Maybe a good night of sleep will calm me down. 

What in the hell are you doing, Gavin? I can't believe you just left again. He's been doing all this bitching and moaning about being treated like an outcast, and then he goes and leaves again. I bet he ran off to see that woman. Maybe she decided she'd take to take him back. In any case, I'm worried. Where are you? What in the hell are you doing?