The Realest Ever

Chapter SEVEN

RUTH THE SCHEMER

The following Wednesday Donovan was surprised that there were no students waiting for him after football practice. There was usually at least one member of the team who needed tutoring or a ride home or just a man they could talk to about man stuff. Roughly half of Donovan’s players lived in a home without a father-figure. Donovan didn’t mind filling in the gap for them.

He called Kyra before he locked up the gym.

“Hello.”

“Hi. Busy?”

“No,” Kyra said, “just looking at this paper.”

“How are the kids?”

“They’re fine.”

“Q started at Sunrise, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he started Monday. He likes it.”

“I loved that school,” Donovan said. “Do you remember when…” He trailed off because Kyra was giggling. “What?” Her laughter put a smile on his face.

“Do you remember when,” Kyra said. “How many times have you said that since I’ve been back?”

Donovan chuckled. “I don’t know. A lot, probably.”

On Sunday night Donovan and Kyra stayed on the phone until well after midnight. Donovan paid for it the next morning when he had to get up at 6:30 for work, but he didn’t mind the baggy eyes. He loved reliving the past with Kyra.

“Do I remember what?” she said.

“Forget it. I’m not telling you now.”

“Come on.”

“Uh-uhn. You shouldn’t have laughed at me.”

“Come on, Donovan. Now I’m gonna keep wondering what it was.”

“Maybe later,” he said. “Can I come over?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I want to bring you some papers I printed out. There are a few openings in the school district. I think you should apply for them.”

“That’s what I’m doing right now,” Kyra said, “looking in the newspaper for a job.”

“You see anything hopeful?”

“I found a lot of hopefuls. It’s just a matter of whether I want to flip burgers or not.”

“You don’t want to flip burgers.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind. I just need to save up some money so I can get out of here.”

“That’s fine, but you can’t move out of your aunt’s house with a minimum wage job,” Donovan warned. “Unless you want to keep struggling, or stay on public assistance.”

“I’m not tripping on public assistance,” Kyra said. “I used to think I didn’t want it, but now I don’t care what it takes to get my own place.”

“Why are you in such a rush,” Donovan wondered. “Did something happen?”

“No.” Kyra sighed. “Nothing in particular. It’s an everyday thing, with my aunt.”

“I’m on my way to bring you these papers. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Wait. I don’t have anything to wear.”

“What? Are you serious?”

Kyra’s face grew warm. “I didn’t bring a lot of clothes down here, Donovan. I had to make sure I got all of the kid’s stuff first.”

“What are you wearing now?” Donovan asked.

“Just some jeans and a tee shirt.”

“Then you’re fine. I don’t have anything to wear?..” He frowned. “Kyra, that’s ridiculous. You used to come to my house in flip flops and sweat pants.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“But you’re still my best friend, and I don’t care what you look like. I’m on my way.”

He hung up, which was a good indication that was non-negotiable.



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan knocked on Aunt Ruth’s door twenty minutes later. Kyra answered wearing the blue jeans and tee shirt she promised. What she failed to mention was how well the outfit accentuated her figure. Her jeans weren’t that tight, but her tee shirt was. It clung to her flat stomach and stretched over her perky bosoms.

Donovan’s eyes widened. He already ironed out his feelings for Kyra, but every time he saw her she looked more stunning. Why couldn’t…

“Thanks for stopping by.” Kyra cut off his train of thought with not only her words. She also stepped to him and gave him a brief hug.

Why does he always smell so good? Kyra wondered as Donovan wrapped his arms around her. She knew that he showered after football practice, and he took the time to put on cologne. Or maybe it was just Axe body spray. Either way, Kyra found it irresistible.

Donovan wore a tee-shirt with canvas shorts today. His arms were as muscular as Kyra expected. His shoulders and biceps were incredible. He belonged on the cover of a Men’s Health magazine. Each one of his pectorals was roughly the size of Kyra’s head. She knew there was a nice crease between them. She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there.

When they separated, Kyra wondered how long these forbidden feelings would last. While it was natural for her to be attracted to a fine specimen of a man like Donovan, her conscious usually kicked in when someone was off limits. Surely she wouldn’t have to go through this every time she saw him. No way was God that cruel!

“Kyra, you look beautiful,” Donovan said. “Talking ’bout you don’t have anything to wear.”

“These jeans are a year old,” she told him. “But thanks.”

“I brought those papers I told you about,” Donovan said.

Kyra took them and scanned the first page. “What do I do, go online to apply?”

“Yeah,” Donovan said. “Have you applied for any jobs in the school district?”

Kyra shook her head.

“Then you’ll have to set up an account,” Donovan said. “It’s pretty easy.”

Kat took a step into the room, supporting herself with a hand on the doorframe.

“Hey, I didn’t know she could walk,” Donovan said. He grinned at the toddler. She really was precious, the spitting image of her mama.

“Of course she can walk,” Kyra said. “Hey, bookie bookie.” She went to retrieve the little girl. “Kat, you remember Mr. Donovan, don’t you?”

The baby was not as shy today. She didn’t smile at him, but she did look Donovan in the eyes.

“Hello again,” he said. “I hope you’re not afraid of little, old me.”

He had the sweetest smile on his face. Kyra had never seen him with a child, but she knew he was good with babies.

“Hello, sir.”

Donovan turned and saw Kat’s older brother in the other hallway.

“Hey, what’s going on, big man?” Donovan went and shook his hand casually. “I heard you’re going to my old school.”

Quinell nodded. “I go to Sunrise.”

“You like it?”

Q smiled. “I like my teachers, so far.”

“You know me and your mama climbed on top of that school one time?”

“Don’t tell him that,” Kyra said, but she was smiling. “I don’t want him trying to do it hisself.”

Quinell nodded. “She already told me.”

“What?” Donovan gave Kyra a playful frown. “It’s okay for you to tell him, but I can’t?”

“I told him so he wouldn’t try it,” Kyra said.

“Yeah right,” Donovan said. “Hey, have y’all eaten dinner yet? Wanna go to McDonalds?”

“Yeah,” Quinell said.

But at the same time his mother said, “No, that’s alright.”

Quinell’s smile fell.

“Come on, Kyra,” Donovan said. “You already cooked dinner?”

“No, but we–”

“You might as well go,” Aunt Ruth interrupted. “We ’bout out of food anyway.”

Kyra’s eyes flashed with humiliation and annoyance. She turned slowly towards her eavesdropping landlord. “Auntie, we do have something to eat in there.”

She spoke calmly, but Donovan knew it was a strain. He felt like he stepped into an ongoing argument. Normally he would’ve backed out and let the women deal with it on their own, but he really wanted to get Kyra out of the house now, so she could tell him what was going on.

“Come on, y’all,” he said and opened the front door. “Y’all ready? Where’s your car seat, Kyra?”

“It’s in the back of my car,” Aunt Ruth said. “You can get it. The door’s open.”

“Okay, thanks.” Donovan took a step outside and looked back at his best bud. “You coming?”

Kyra’s nostrils flared. But other than that, she didn’t look upset. “Yeah. Go put your shoes on, Q.”



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan paid for everyone’s meal. Kyra appeared to be in a chipper mood until they finished eating and Quinell went to play video games. Kat headed for the bounce house.

“That was not cool,” Kyra told Donovan when they were alone.

“I’m sorry,” Donovan said. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“Not you. Her,” Kyra said. “My damn aunt. Well, you too.”

Donovan frowned. “What did I do?”

“Forcing us to come here with you.”

“I didn’t force you,” he said with a chuckle.

“You didn’t give me much of a choice. You were already going to get the car seat.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I only wanted to get you out of the house. Y’all looked like you were going to start arguing.”

“I’m not mad at you,” Kyra said. She sighed. “Thanks for bringing us. I’ll pay you back.”

“That’s okay.”

“No, for real.”

“Kyra, I don’t want you to pay me back, alright? You think I’m gonna hold fifteen dollars over your head?”

She shook her head. “Donovan... I don’t mean to take it out on you.”

“Tell me what’s going on,” he said, “with you and your aunt.”

“She’s trying to use me,” Kyra stated. “And I don’t have nothing. Ain’t that something?” She laughed, but there was no humor in it.

“How is she using you?”

“She been bitching about me getting food stamps since I got here,” Kyra explained. “We went to the welfare office on Monday. She woke me up at six o’clock, so we would be the first ones there. They gave me $300 on a EBT card. While we were there, Aunt Ruth started asking about other stuff, like if she can get money for letting me live with her.”

“How does that work?” Donovan asked.

“It doesn’t work,” Kyra said. “At first she wanted to know if she could get money for being a foster parent for us.”

Donovan narrowed his eyes.

“Exactly!” Kyra said. “They told her she couldn’t be a foster parent because the children’s mother – that would be me – is still taking care of them. They told her that’s a totally different agency, anyway. And then she asked if she could get Section 8 money, like if she was renting her house to me.”

Donovan’s eyes narrowed even more.

“That’s what I was looking like!” Kyra said. “I was thinking, How you gon’ bring me in here for food stamps and then start asking about all this other stuff?”

“You asked her that?”

“I did when we got back to the car.”

“What’d she say?”

“She said if they got money to give, why shouldn’t she take it?”

Donovan shook his head, grinning. “I guess you can’t blame her for trying.”

“I can blame her if she’s trying to use my kids for her scams.”

Donovan wiped the smile off his face. “Okay. So you if you got groceries on Monday, why is she saying she doesn’t have any food?”

“I don’t know,” Kyra said. “I think she sold those food stamps. I never saw her bring a bunch of groceries in.”

“Didn’t you get groceries when you left the welfare office?”

“No. Aunt Ruth said she had to run some other errands. She dropped us off first.”

“Why didn’t you keep the card, so you could get them yourself?”

“It’s kinda hard to get $300 worth of groceries home on the city bus.”

“Kyra, I’m trying to help you. Why you getting an attitude with me?”

“I’m sorry, Donovan.” Her features softened. “I don’t mean to. I get frustrated. You’re the only person I can talk to about this stuff.”

“It’s alright,” Donovan said. “Did you ask her what happened to your card?”

“I was going to, but you were there. I’ll ask her when we get home.”

Donovan thought for a second. He checked his watch. “Hey, let me take you to get some groceries when we leave here.”

Kyra’s mouth fell open. She shook her head emphatically. “No, Donovan.”

“Kyra, stop it.”

“No, that’s not right.”

“Why can’t I buy you groceries?”

“’Cause she already got that card! She should’ve bought the damned groceries herself.”

“So what do you wanna do, go home and argue with her? You gonna accuse her of selling the card? Is it really worth it? Kyra, you told me you don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“But that doesn’t mean she can steal my money like that.”

“You can’t right all the wrongs in the world,” Donovan said. “You just have to be the best person you can be and let God deal with everyone else. I’ll get you some groceries today, and then when you get your card again, call me and I’ll take you to get some more. That way it will always be food in the house for you and your kids.”

Kyra’s eyes glossed over. She looked towards the ceiling and managed to keep the tears in this time. “Why don’t you take your own advice?” she asked when she met Donovan’s eyes again.

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t right all the wrongs in the world.”

Donovan smiled. “I don’t want to right all of them. Just yours.”

Kyra’s heart swelled with love and foreboding, but mostly love. “Do I remember what?” she said.

“Huh?”

“On the phone you asked if I remembered when… something. You said you’d tell me in person.”

Donovan’s smile grew broader. “Well, now I don’t think it’s appropriate.”

“You said you would tell me.”

Donovan snickered. He looked down at the table sheepishly. “I was gonna ask if you remembered when you stole Tabitha Spencer’s dollar, and I had to walk you home because she and her friends wanted to beat you up…”

Kyra laughed at the memory. “I thought I told everybody I didn’t do it.”

“You did,” Donovan said. He looked into her eyes. “Except me. You told me the truth.”

He smiled. Kyra wanted to kiss him so badly right then. His lips had a magnetic force that was pulling her face straight to them.

Give it a few weeks, she told herself. You’ll be able to look at all of that delicious man flesh over there without batting an eye.

“I could’ve beat Tabitha up,” Kyra said. “If it was just her by herself.”

“I know,” Donovan said. “I never doubted that you could take care of yourself.”

Kyra raised an eyebrow.

“It’s true,” Donovan said. “Now let’s go get your groceries.”



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan took them to Kroger’s and filled Kyra’s basket with everything from fruits and vegetables to Totino’s Pizza Rolls (Quinell’s favorite). When they got to the register, Kyra felt sick to her stomach when Donovan swiped his debit card for the $174.35 total. It was one thing for Ruth to scheme the county out of welfare funds, but Kyra would be damned if her mean-spirited aunt would pull another slick one on Donovan.

Donovan noticed Kyra’s unease as they stood at the register. He reached and put an arm around her. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. This was the first time he touched her outside of the hugs they exchanged in greeting. Kyra felt the same electricity she felt when they embraced on Sunday. She was comforted by Donovan’s touch. His eyes told her, Everything will be fine, and Kyra believed him. As long as she’d known him, Donovan never let her down.

When they got home, the look on Aunt Ruth’s face as Kyra, Donovan and Q brought in bag after bag of provisions was priceless. A few minutes later, Kyra couldn’t help but grin at Donovan as she stood on the porch, bidding him farewell. Donovan stood in the lawn looking up at her.

“I like to see you happy,” he said.

“I know,” Kyra said. “You been telling me that for as long as I can remember.”

“Don’t forget to check out those papers I gave you,” he said. “There’s a lot of jobs in the school system that you don’t need a degree for.”

“I will,” Kyra promised, then, “What’s your girlfriend going to say about you spending $200 on me?”

“I reckon she won’t like it,” Donovan admitted. “I hope she doesn’t ask.”

“Aren’t you going to tell her?”

“I, I don’t think I’ll volunteer the information,” Donovan said. “Why, do you think I should?”

Kyra shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s your woman. I just don’t want her getting mad at me, like I’m the one who told you to do it.”

Donovan laughed softly. “I don’t think she can dislike you any more than she already does.”

Kyra pondered his dilemma. “Nope. I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“Do what?”

“Let my man spend time with another woman like that. Like this. If I had a man.”

“What if she was your boyfriend’s best friend?”

“I don’t care who he said she was. Ain’t no haps.”

“What if you still lived in Arkansas,” Donovan ventured, “and I was the one who came to your city. And I looked you up on Facebook, and I didn’t have any friends in Little Rock except you. You wouldn’t spend time with me?”

Kyra smiled big and bright. “Of course I would!”

“What if your boyfriend told you not to hang around me?”

She smacked her lips. “Please. If he don’t like it, he don’t have to stay with me. I wouldn’t choose him over you.”

Donovan’s heart glowed. “But you just said–”

“I said I wouldn’t let my man do it,” Kyra stated. “I never said I wouldn’t do it myself, if I was in your position.”

“So you understand why I’m here.”

“Yes. But what if your girlfriend decides to put her foot down, like I would?”

“Well, I hope she will understand that I can’t turn my back on someone I’ve known ten times longer than I’ve known her.”

“I don’t wanna be the cause of your relationship going bad,” Kyra said. She wasn’t smiling now.

“If it goes bad, I assure you you’re not the only cause,” Donovan said as he headed to his truck. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Wait.”

Donovan looked back, and his eyes bulged at the sight of Kyra hopping off the porch. Her breasts were 100% real. They had plenty of bounce to them.

Wow.

She ran up and gave him a big hug.

“Thank you, for everything.”

Donovan thought he had things under control, but the feel of her boobs pressed against his torso sent a jolt from his chest, down his stomach and right between his legs. He pushed her away gently when he felt himself becoming aroused.

Why is this happening?

“Girl, get those things off me,” he joked.

“What?” Kyra said, and then she looked down at her chest. “Boy, shut up.” She giggled as she pranced back to the porch.

Donovan saw that her body was bouncy in the front and in the back.

“I can’t help the way God made me,” Kyra said, and she slipped inside the house.

No, you certainly can’t, Donovan agreed. And I thank Him. Well, not me, but some lucky guy will!