A Good Dude by Keith Thomas Walker

Author:Keith Thomas Walker [Walker, Keith Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, African American, General, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9781585715046
Google: moiqlGMvmI4C
Amazon: B005OKPFEC
Publisher: Genesis Press, Inc.
Published: 2010-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

CELESTIAL

“Some Mexican dude?” Trisha asked.

“He’s not just some Mexican dude,” Candace said. “He’s my age. He’s smart. He’s cute. He makes me laugh.”

“Ain’t nothing special about him?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. It just seems that if you go from a Puerto Rican to a Mexican, it must be something about them.”

Candace shook her head. “Look, Trish, I go out with whoever I like. I don’t discriminate. It’s just a coincidence.”

“Oh, okay. I didn’t want to think you had something against the brothers . . . .”

“Not at all.”

They were in Candace’s apartment. Trisha had all three boys with her. She cradled Willie Jr. in one arm and he sucked at her breast complacently. The other two monsters ran around the new apartment like they were on a playground. Candace never noticed how bad Trisha’s kids were. The behavior was no doubt always there, but she didn’t really see it until it was her house in danger of demolition.

“You wanna check on them?” Candace suggested. “Y’all quit running around in here!” Trisha yelled without looking back.

“You don’t think I should go out with a Mexican?” Candace asked. She sat on one end of her sofa with Trisha on the other side. Trisha wore a large, shapeless dress. One shoulder strap was down, providing an escape for Willie’s meal.

“What about Rilla?” Trisha asked.

“We’re through.”

“You talked to him?”

Candace shook her head.

“You just gon’ move on with your life without him?”

“To the best of my abilities.”

Trisha laughed. “You a cold bitch. Okay, tell me about Celestial.”

Now Candace laughed. “It’s Celestino. He goes by Tino. But I think you’re right. It does have something to do with heaven and the stars.”

“That’s why he’s got your head all up in the clouds?” Trisha joked.

“I just think he’s cool,” Candace said. “He’s a good guy. He cared about me when I didn’t really know him. He always wanted to help. When I was with Rilla, he would come and talk to me to see how I was doing. He knew I had problems.”

“Did you tell him about your baby?”

“No,” Candace said, and the guilt changed her demeanor. “I can’t. I don’t want him to know I went to jail.”

“If it’s meant to be, he’ll—”

“Yeah, I know,” Candace snapped. “He’ll accept me no matter what. You sound like a TV show.”

“There’s some truth to that,” Trisha said, slightly offended.

“I know,” Candace said. She sighed. “The whole situation is real stressful. I’m lying to my parents. Now I’m lying to Tino.”

“Maybe it’s time to give it up,” Trisha suggested.

Candace shook her head. “I’ve made it too far, Trisha. Today’s the eighteenth. I get my baby back on the first. No sense telling them now.”

“So you gonna stay down here for another semester?”

“Yeah. I want to prove I can do it.”

“And you’ll get to see Celestial, too, huh?”

“Yeah,” Candace said with unconcealed affection. “I’ll get to see Celestial, too.”

“It won’t be that hard,” Trisha said. “I can watch your baby whenever you need.”

“Girl, I already had you booked.”

There was a knock at the door.

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