When I was in my early 30's, my wife, daughter, and I moved into our house. We were the new family on the block and we didn't know anyone. About a year after we moved on that block, another couple about our age moved into the house directly across the street. I'll call him E. and I'll call her J. Me, being the social animal that I am, quickly went over and introduced myself to the new neighbors. I told them that my wife, daughter, and I had only moved on the block ourselves about a year earlier so, we had our "newness" in common.
E. was maybe two or three years younger than me, had a wicked sense of humor, and seemed to know everybody and everything about the area, even though I had been there a little longer than him. We became fast friends and would often talk about "guy" things... sports, cars, women, etc.
E. was maybe two or three years younger than me, had a wicked sense of humor, and seemed to know everybody and everything about the area, even though I had been there a little longer than him. We became fast friends and would often talk about "guy" things... sports, cars, women, etc.
Within a few more months, I made another friend and I will call him S. We were the same age and S. had his own business (I believe it was a towing business and a garage). He had "inherited" his house from his recently deceased mother. S. is the type of black man rarely (if ever) portrayed in a Terry McMillan novel, a Tyler Perry play or movie, and never on any television show. He was a hard working man who took care of his kids BY HIMSELF. S. never told me all of the details but, he had been in a bad relationship with a troubled woman who had been committed to a mental institution. He fought for and won custody of his four young daughters. This man worked all day, came home, cooked for his daughters, and went to the school (as I did) for parent-teacher meetings. He took his daughters to the park and enrolled them in "Math Camp", which they were very excited about... E. and I used to laugh at how excited his little girls were about going to "Math Camp!"
Soon, the three of us became good buddies. When I was home on the weekends, we would sit on S.'s steps... We would talk and laugh for a long time until my wife or E.'s "wife" would call and tell us dinner was ready.
S. soon moved his new girlfriend in with him and she had two little girls of her own from a previous relationship. Now, he lived in a house full of women. Nobody envied him. As a result, he had less and less time to hang with us but, he found the time when he could. I lived in a house full of women too but, unlike him, one wife and one daughter was my limit.
E. on the other hand, had no children and as I was to find out later, no wife either. He and J. were not actually married as I had thought... just living together. Because they weren't married, (I guess) E. felt no reason to be a "one woman" man. It seemed that everybody but J. knew that he was seeing a hairdresser on the sly... she lived about two blocks from all of us. There was also a "girl" about 20 or 21, who lived right across the street and had recently lost her virginity (she was so relieved that she told everybody). Well, guess who lovingly brought her into "womanhood"? The E. man!
Well, S. and I were "thrilled" by the stories of his two major conquests and we laughed it up with him but, we both warned him... If we knew what he was doing, it wouldn't be long before J. found out. He sighed and admitted that he had a good woman and that he planned to marry her soon but, that he had to get all of the play out of him first. Ladies, I'll let you in on a secret... If you're with a guy and he keeps saying that, RUN LIKE HELL! He's never going to get all of the play out of him.
Well, one day I came home from work and what did I see? Suitcases and boxes on the front porch of E. and J.'s house. A cab drove up and started packing all of E's belonging's in the trunk and backseat. E. looked like he was trying to explain something but, J. wasn't hearing it! He walked down the steps, managed a weak goodbye to me and S., and got in the cab and pulled off. It also turned out that the fly car he was always driving wasn't his... it was J.'s, just like the house. Needless to say, I never saw E. again.
As for S., he married his girlfriend and moved her and his now family of six little girls into a bigger house out in the suburbs last year. I've seen him maybe twice since he left the block. I miss E. and his funny stories and I also miss S. and his heroic life and easy-going mannerisms.
I am now waiting for my 2 year old grandson's budding maturity... Only then will I have another male to talk to, kick it with, and bond.
Note: This post was for my new blog friends, Zack and Mizrepresent.
Soon, the three of us became good buddies. When I was home on the weekends, we would sit on S.'s steps... We would talk and laugh for a long time until my wife or E.'s "wife" would call and tell us dinner was ready.
S. soon moved his new girlfriend in with him and she had two little girls of her own from a previous relationship. Now, he lived in a house full of women. Nobody envied him. As a result, he had less and less time to hang with us but, he found the time when he could. I lived in a house full of women too but, unlike him, one wife and one daughter was my limit.
E. on the other hand, had no children and as I was to find out later, no wife either. He and J. were not actually married as I had thought... just living together. Because they weren't married, (I guess) E. felt no reason to be a "one woman" man. It seemed that everybody but J. knew that he was seeing a hairdresser on the sly... she lived about two blocks from all of us. There was also a "girl" about 20 or 21, who lived right across the street and had recently lost her virginity (she was so relieved that she told everybody). Well, guess who lovingly brought her into "womanhood"? The E. man!
Well, S. and I were "thrilled" by the stories of his two major conquests and we laughed it up with him but, we both warned him... If we knew what he was doing, it wouldn't be long before J. found out. He sighed and admitted that he had a good woman and that he planned to marry her soon but, that he had to get all of the play out of him first. Ladies, I'll let you in on a secret... If you're with a guy and he keeps saying that, RUN LIKE HELL! He's never going to get all of the play out of him.
Well, one day I came home from work and what did I see? Suitcases and boxes on the front porch of E. and J.'s house. A cab drove up and started packing all of E's belonging's in the trunk and backseat. E. looked like he was trying to explain something but, J. wasn't hearing it! He walked down the steps, managed a weak goodbye to me and S., and got in the cab and pulled off. It also turned out that the fly car he was always driving wasn't his... it was J.'s, just like the house. Needless to say, I never saw E. again.
As for S., he married his girlfriend and moved her and his now family of six little girls into a bigger house out in the suburbs last year. I've seen him maybe twice since he left the block. I miss E. and his funny stories and I also miss S. and his heroic life and easy-going mannerisms.
I am now waiting for my 2 year old grandson's budding maturity... Only then will I have another male to talk to, kick it with, and bond.
Note: This post was for my new blog friends, Zack and Mizrepresent.
3 comments:
I do miss that about being married. We lived on a cul-de-sac full of married black couples and a few singles in various stages of life and we were all friends. We even had an annual bbq/crawfish boil in May. They were invited to or get togethers and family events vice-versa. I even had the men of the sac try to talk me back into not leaving my husband and tell me how bad he had been since I left and his infidelity was a mistake on his part.
My ex got the neighbors because I left when we got divorced in an effort not to make it the next war of the roses of material things!! I have a new set of neighbors mostly older retired folk a different kind of vibe but I like it too!
You'll be fine, I think 2 years old is old enough to sit on the curb with your grandpa and talk about the game over some root beer. NO??
BTW Tyler Perry did make a movie about your friend S it’s called Daddy's Little Girls pretty similar to his story. Anyway, great post.
I too will be dropping in and see what it do over here, fellow Aries!
-OG
First of all, THANKS SO MUCH for the personalized shout out (once again).
I thought you were in a frat! Tell them brothas to come over for some man talk- if time permits. I'm kidding.
But the 2 year old wouldn't make a bad friend. He's your grandson, and you will always be his favorite dude no matter what.
GREAT, GREAT POST! It's true. What You See is not always What You Get.
Thank you Keith, wow, i really loved the story, a little inside into your world. I felt like i knew both E and J, and S...or at least i knew of them or some folks like them. I remember when i was married and the couples, like Tony and Angela, and Mark and Sissy, who lived on each side of us...i believe they are still together, i wouldn't know bc i don't hear from them as much, but i still miss them. I miss the way we all came together to form a union of sorts...i wonder if they ever think of me, and i also wonder why we still can't be friends, the minuses of divorce, and that's for real.
Thamks for the shout-out!
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