CHAPTER 2 - GOODBYE AND HELLO...I SAID HELLO!

LATE SATURDAY MORNING

MICHAEL

I was left alone for the rest of the night and I’m still fuming! They didn’t even call to tell me what was wrong with the brat! I look round the apartment to make sure I have everything and head to Ted’s place. I know I could walk but I can’t be bothered, so I head to Ma’s only to find she’s not there, but her car is. I find the keys in the usual place and head to Ted’s; some people would think that leaving the keys where they are is asking for trouble, but nobody would steal that car! When I get to Ted’s, he’s just pulling up.  

“Hey Ted! Where have you been?”

“Crashed at Ems and just dropped Debs off. What did you need?”

“What did...well since we didn’t get to hang out last night, I thought we would go to the diner and then the gym. Let me call…”

“You can do that if you want, but we had a stressful and long night. So I’m going to bed. And don’t phone Brian! He’s on silent and has unplugged the landline. She dislocated her shoulder, in case you were wondering.”

“I was going to ask!” I protest, but he just shakes his head and opens his front door. I follow him in.

“What are you doing, Michael?” He stops me from proceeding further.

“I can watch TV until you wake up and then we go…”

“No, Michael. You need to find your own form of entertainment away from here!”

“Fine.” I grumble and head back to the car. As I drive down the Avenue, I decide to see what Emmett is doing. When I get to his place, I park up and head upstairs to his apartment. I take out his key and open the door, but am surprised to find the chain on. “Emmett! It’s me, Michael! You need to take the chain off so I can get in!” I wait a few minutes before rattling the door to get his attention...still nothing. I slam the door closed to see if that works and it doesn’t, so I head back to the car.

EMMETT

I watch him go back to his car from the corner of the window and heave a sigh of relief, thankful that Ted told me to put the chain on. I jump as my phone rings. No prizes for guessing who. Oh well never mind, I’m still asleep...I put it on silent and go back to bed.

DINER - AN HOUR LATER

DEBS

I smile at Kiki and sip the coffee gratefully. “Let me guess? She’s been trying the turnpike again?” I chuckle and nod. “You got to admire her persistence!”

“She will get it nailed. She’s a Kinney, after all!”  Ernesta, the other waitress, calls out. “Hon, why don’t you catch some more sleep? The hangry crowd aren’t up yet.”

“Who are we talking about?” Michael surprises us by coming out of the back.

“What are you doing back there?” Ernesta demands.

“I was watching some TV. Ma doesn’t mind, do you?” He looks smugly at me for confirmation.

“Well we do!” Kiki retorts before I can reply then holds her hand out for the key to the office.

“Now, Michael!” Ernesta orders.

“But Ma…” He begins, but I shake my head. They are completely right! I have told him that he can’t go back there without me being present. “Fine!” He gripes and hands the key back. “So who were you talking about before?”

“Kemi.” Kiki rolls her eyes. “Who else would we be talking about with the surname Kinney?”

He slides into the booth and nods. “How did she do her shoulder?”

“Turnpike.” I snicker at the memory of her last night. “Also got a black eye. Oh, and the keys for the car…”

He shakes his head. “I need it still; I’m going to Shadyside this evening.”

“So that’s this evening. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s still daytime and I have shopping to do. So give me my keys, Michael.”

“Can you drop it off at mine afterwards?” He gives me his pleading look, holding the keys hostage in supposed supplication.

“No, you collected them this morning, so you can do the same thing this evening. You know what, Ernesta, I think I will take your advice and catch some sleep for a bit.”

“Good! Give me the keys so I can move your Ma’s car.” Ernesta replies and waits for Michael to hand them over. Between the pair of these women, they stop me from killing Michael when he gets the way he gets!

“Call me when the hangry crowd comes in.” I call over my shoulder and hear Michael’s coming behind me.

“What do you want, Michael?”

“Is she going to be okay for the rest of the weekend, do you think?”

“If you are asking me, will Brian be coming out to play, the answer is going to be NO. You know how he gets with Kemi. Now really, I have to get a couple of hours sleep. So go watch TV or whatever…. at your house!”

HOME OF KENYA- FOX-WORTHY, ALABAMA - SATURDAY AFTERNOON

KITCHEN

JUSTIN

I look across at my beautiful daughter and would do anything to take the pain away. Her grandfather, my dad, my supporter and all around good guy has died. Craig Taylor was everything to us. He never judged or was angry when I told him I was pregnant. Yes, he was shocked as any parent would be, but he and mom doted on her from the minute she was born.

“How you guys doing?” Kenya, my penpal turned best friend comes in, rubbing her eyes.

“Okay.” Kendi immediately heads for a hug that only her godmother can give. “I miss him so much.”

“I know darling, I know. But you gotta admit as ways to go out with a bang, he certainly did that!” She quirks her head and gets the laugh she wanted.

“You’re terrible!” I snicker.

“Oh, come on!” She grins shuffling to make some coffee, while Kendi is still holding on. “He came and went! I bet it took ages for them to get that grin off his face!”

“Kenya!” Kendi shrieks, giggling. “That’s my grandfather you are talking about! Can you imagine the sourpuss expressions at the country club when she had to explain just how he died?!”

“Wish I was there when she told them! But she would’ve done it with aplomb, as usual!” I smile. “So the funeral is on Monday and then the will reading on Tuesday.”

“So let’s get cracking. We need to be at the airport in a couple of hours.” Kenya orders, downing the rest of her coffee and putting the cup in the dishwasher. “And yes, for the 400th time, before you ask, I am happy to come with you, and stay as long as you need me to!”

MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - TORONTO - SAME TIME

LOUNGE

JENNY REBECCA

“But mom, I don’t want to move from Toronto and I especially don’t want to have to share a room with her!”

“I know that.” Mommy tries to placate me. “But we have to live somewhere and it’s only temporary.”

“Why can’t we live in a hotel temporarily instead, then? Kemi is so uncouth.”

“Hey, that’s my sister you’re talking about!” Gus snaps, making me jump. He’s very protective of Kemi.

“Well compared to me, she’s…”

“Jenny, enough! Apologise immediately.” Mom orders me and I mutter my apologies. “I didn’t hear that!”

“Mel, she said sorry. I heard her.” Mommy tells her.

“Well I didn’t, so say it and mean it, Jenny!”

“Sorry for calling Kemi uncouth.” I tell Gus, mentally adding even though she is!

“Of course, you are.” He retorts. “I’m going to phone dad to finalise the arrangements. Any message that I can pass onto him? You know like thanks for letting us stay with you, for example?” He looks meaningfully at mommy and me.

“Gus, we shouldn’t have to thank him for this. You are…”

“His son, his firstborn and it’s his duty to provide for me. Did I get that right? And speaking of rights…”

MEL

I roll my eyes at him bringing this up again! “Gus, we have given him his rights back and…”

“Still expect him to support Jenny, even though she continually dumps down on his biological daughter.”

“You know her father was anonymous!” Lindsay interjects.

“Which you chose to do! Look…” He sighs. “The fact remains that you two should be the ones doing it, not Dad. I hope you stick to your promise to do so now that we’re moving. He’s got Kemi to look after and with you both going to be…”

“Well, whose fault is that? He has a drunken one night…sorry, weekend fuckfest...” Lindsay sniffs in disgust and I cringe. I may not like, okay I don’t like Brian Kinney, but her attitude is not helpful!

“Fault?! Did you just say fault? Well, I bet he had a much better time getting her as opposed to the way you got me and Jenny!” He snarls and stomps upstairs.

“He is far too much like his father sometimes!” I grumble.

“I like Uncle Brian. He spoils me, well he tries to, but Kemi won’t let him!” Jenny Rebecca twists her mouth in frustration. The amount of times, when we’ve made our way back to the Pitts that Kemi, according to Jenny, has stopped her from getting the things she wants, is galling! Lindsay strokes Jenny’s hair.

“Come on darling, let’s go and finish packing, shall we?”

“I suppose so, but before that, I’m going to call my friends to say goodbye to them. I don’t know what they are going to do without me to guide them!” She decries and I fight not to roll my eyes.

As I am left to double check the lounge before we move back to Pittsburgh, I wonder if Kemi had been Lindsay’s would she be this pious. She has always wanted a sibling for Gus, but Brian said no. He pointed out that he agreed to do it once and that’s all he was doing. So when he found out he was pregnant, it was such a shock! Of all the people to get knocked up, the Stud of Liberty Avenue would’ve been the last one anyone thought of, especially when he barely showed for 7 months!!

When Michael found out, he went ballistic. I’m still not sure if it was because he got pregnant or that his ‘Brian doesn’t bottom’ ideals were blown out of the water. And the fact that Brian didn’t know who the father was and it was a one weekend long fuckfest, made it worse! Naturally, Lindsay assumed that she would be bringing up the child, but she got even more of a shock when he announced that he would bring her up himself. She was spitting feathers! Michael tried to change his mind, but to no avail. For the last two months of his pregnancy, he was barely speaking to him. And while Brian sort of understood, he was still hurt at Michael’s attitude.

It was love at first sight when Kemi was born, pretty much like the way he looked when he saw Gus for the first time. They are only two months apart! Lindsay did not like sharing the limelight with a pregnant Brian Kinney! Ted made such a fuss over him, going to all his appointments that he ended up being his birthing partner. A lot of people on the Avenue were proud of Ted, but really pissed at Michael, including me, if I am honest! Never one to quit beating a dead horse, Lindsay tried to convince him to donate again two years after Kemi and Gus were born, but again, he told her no. So we went down the insemination route, with me carrying this time. Although Jenny looks like me, she is all Lindsay when it comes to being spoilt! I am so glad we didn’t go for Michael as we were originally going to do. I shudder to think what our lives would have become!

But now after 5 years in Toronto, we are moving back. As loathed as I am to admit it, Gus is right. We can’t keep relying on Brian for Jenny’s support and upkeep. Although he has more than enough money, it wasn’t his decision to have another mouth to feed, but ours. We’re both going to be working when we get back to Pittsburgh and it’s time we woman up and start doing it all ourselves!

TAYLOR’S HOUSE - TUESDAY MORNING

LOUNGE

JUSTIN

The funeral was well attended and very touching. Kendi got through her reading brilliantly and I’m so glad that we took the time away right after his death. The amount of well-wishers, who suddenly came out of the woodwork was irritating. Vultures circling carrion Kenya called them. She has been excellent at keeping people away. Nobody wants to mess with a brawler from Alabama...her words, not mine!

I’m suddenly Mr Popular with a delightful daughter, who is a credit to the Taylor name now that I have inherited the house and the business as opposed to the freak of nature who had a bastard child. Mom has already moved to Cape Cod. She has proper friends there so she’s escaped. But Kendi and I have to come back and sort this out. Luckily, it’s the summer and she’s off school so we don’t have that to contend with as well.

Kendi wants to scope out the area, especially the infamous Liberty Avenue. Despite living in Pennsylvania, I never returned to Liberty Avenue after that weekend! Kenya wants to see it too so they’re going tomorrow.

DINER - WEDNESDAY MID-MORNING

BRIAN

She looks so proud of herself! Not many girls would be pleased to have a black eye and a shoulder in a sling, but Kemi is not most girls. Debs has been trying to cover up her eye, but she’s not having it. Gus is meeting us here in a few minutes and she’s excited to show off her battle scars! She was relieved when she didn’t end up sharing her room with LP Junior, as she has taking to calling Jenny. They ended up in a hotel, which surprisingly enough they paid for! I have to admit that there are times I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. She’s definitely Lindsay’s child as opposed to Mel’s. At least, Mel pulls her up on stuff.

“Dad, I’m going to the bathroom. Grandma, can you help?!” She calls out and Debs bustles in after her.

The door opens and Michael comes in. He almost runs to the booth, smiling. “Hiya, you’re finally out and about?!”

“Yeah, she’s off the painkillers and was going stir crazy!” I laugh.

“I’ll bet. So can we meet at Woody’s tonight, then?” He looks hopeful.

“I’ll see. I’m not happy to leave her too long by her…”

“Can’t Mel or Lindsay come over and look after her until you get home? You must need a break, too?!” He argues.

“Michael, they've only just got back and are settling in…”

“What about Ma?” He suggests.

“What about me?” Ma comes out, but with no Kemi in tow and I frown. “She’s fine. Just a little tired, so is lying down for a bit.”

“You can look after Kemi for tonight so that Brian can come out with us, can’t you? You love spending time with your granddaughter, don’t you?” Michael’s wheedling, yet demanding voice is grating on my nerves.

“Honest Debs, you don’t have to…” But she shakes her head, making Michael’s smile widen.

“No, you go out tonight, you’ve earned a break! That’s an order!”

“See? Sorted!” Michael crows and I catch the head shake of Ernesta and hide my smirk. “I’ll be round at seven then.”

“Why come round? I’ll just meet you at Woody’s.” I tell him firmly. He tends not to leave the loft once he’s in there!

“Okay, I suppose. So let’s order!”

GUS

I can’t wait to see Kemi! She refused to send me pictures of her battle scars as she wants to show me face to face. As I walk down Liberty Avenue, it feels so good to be home!

“Hey Kemi! Hey!” I shout at her as she crosses the road with someone I don’t know and run to catch them up. “So you don’t have any battle scars!” I tease and punch her arm. The next thing I know, I am doubled over winded as she punches me in the stomach.

“What the hell are you doing?!” She shouts at me. “How dare you punch someone you don’t even know?!”

“Kendi, what the hell happened?! Who is this creep?!” The woman, who had walked ahead, comes running back.

“I don’t know! He just punched me and…”

“What do you mean you don’t know?!” I finally get my breath back then stand up properly and find myself staring at the outraged expression of someone, who is not Kemi! “Wait a second...who the fuck are you and why do you have my sister’s face?!”