Birdman of Greenville Pt. 02

The Bird Man of Greenville Part 2

He finds a new nest, and begins to spread his wings.

This is part 2 of 4.

I hope you enjoy this part of the story.

***oooOOOooo***

Five am came much too early. Again, he peeled potatoes, and they taught him how to make the baked beans. "Gladys. Why don't you guys use an automatic peeler?" He asked after an hour and two sacks.

"We did, but it broke." She told him.

"Where is it?" He asked. She told him it was in the shed out back. He asked if he could take a look at it after work. She shrugged and said she had no problem with that.

Ellie came in before he left. She went around greeting everyone. "Oh, you're still here?"

"You're not going to get rid of that easily. I'm going to try to fix the potato peeler after I'm done with my shift." He informed her

"Don't bother, everyone's tried. We even had a technician out looking at it. It can't be fixed."

"Well, if you don't mind me wasting my time. I have nothing else to do anyway. What can it hurt?

"As long as you do it on your own time." She said snidely and walked away.

Marcella said something in Spanish when Ellie left. Gladys told him. "Don't get the princess on your bad side."

"I'll remember that," He said, declaring.

After his shift was over, he went out to the shed. It was crammed full of broken equipment. He found the peeler. He hauled it back into the kitchen and found a plug out of the way. He cleaned it up and plugged it in. It made a grinding noise. Butch showed him a toolbox. He proceeded to take it apart. He thought back to when he and his father would work on those electronic kits you could buy at Radio Shack when he was young. They would even go to contests. He had tried to get Steven interested, to no avail. Every once in a while, someone would stop by to see what he was doing. After 90 minutes, he thought he knew what was wrong. He Googled the part he needed. He found a place he could pick it up and headed out. He told Keisha, who had come in, that he would be back shortly.

He came back with the part a half hour later and started to put it together. Within an hour, he was ready to try it out. He turned it on; no grinding noise. It ran smoothly. He grabbed a couple of potatoes. Keisha, Ellie, Butch, and Candy were watching him. He put a potato in, and within seconds it came out peeled. "Well, ain't that something," Butch exclaimed. Alex put a couple more potatoes in with the same result. He beamed with accomplishment. He looked towards Ellie. She had a look of dismissal. He simply smiled at her. He left for his temporary home with a brisket sandwich and some baked beans for his trouble.

He had made it a habit of keeping his phone off while at work. Turning it back on, he was again barraged with texts and voicemails. Most from Tracy, a few from his mother, and one from Tracy's father. He called his mother and explained his new living situation. She still didn't believe Tracy had cheated on him.

The call to his father-in-law was a little more difficult. He always liked Earl. He was a good man. He and his wife had accepted him immediately when he and Tracy started dating. It was hard on him when she died of cancer six years ago. "Alex, what the hell is going on? Tracy called me all upset, and said you left town. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Earl. You know how much I loved Tracy. Sometimes things change. I found I needed a new start." He started to explain.

"You loved Tracy?" Earl was a smart man. Not much got by him. "What does that mean? Did you find someone else?" He demanded.

"No, I wasn't the one who cheated." He left the statement open, leaving his father-in-law to draw his own conclusions.

"What? Are you saying Tracy cheated? That woman loves you to the moon." He attested.

"Earl, she hasn't been a loving wife for a long time. She puts on a show when we're around family or the public. At home is a totally different thing. Not only has she been disrespectful to me at home; we haven't had relations in months. I found out her lover told her to cut me off. I caught them in our bed last week. Think about that, Earl. She was screwing another man in our marital bed. That is the ultimate disrespect. Instead of doing something that would land me in jail, I left. She and the kids won't miss me anyway. Now she can be with the man she wants."

"I can't believe that. We raised her better than that. I know she loves you, dammit." He nearly screamed into the phone.

"I can't make you believe what you don't want to believe, Dad. I tried to raise Steven to be a good man. Look at him now. One suspension away from being expelled. As parents, we can only do what we can do for our children. I'm sorry to tell you about Tracy. I think you know how much I loved her. I moved to Memphis and left her most of the money. I'm not going to be a dick towards her. She can keep the house. It's almost paid for. If she can't afford the mortgage by herself, she can refinance for a lower payment. I have a new job, but it doesn't pay that much." The rest of the conversation didn't go any better.

Twenty minutes later, Tracy called. He didn't accept the call or listen to the voicemail. He knew what it was about. She sent a text calling him a piece of shit for telling her father she cheated. Some people can't accept the consequences of their actions.

***oooOOOooo***

The next morning, when he got into work, Gladys and Marcella were happy to see the potato peeler fixed. Not as happy as Alex was. Elwood was tickled also. "I don't know what you did, young man. I had given up on that thing a long time ago." Alex smiled at his praise. Without having to spend hours peeling potatoes, he was able to learn more about the prep. Gladys showed him the cornbread recipe.

The restaurant did a brisk breakfast business. He was in the back mostly and only met the breakfast crew in passing. Seven people worked that shift up front during the morning. Gladys and Marcella started at five and left the same time he did. There were two other ladies who worked Friday to Sunday, a friend of Marcella. He figured Elwood employed almost thirty people full- and part-time. Butch and Junebug switched off working mornings. The pit had to be manned from 4 am to 6 pm. Ellie, who still seemed standoffish, told him he would be off Thursday and Friday. His schedule going forward would be Saturday and Sunday, noon to eight; Monday to Wednesday, six to noon. But he was informed it was subject to change as needed.

Ellie came in that Wednesday around eleven. "Does anyone know who owns that red Mustang parked out back? It's been parked there the last couple of days." A couple of people said they had seen it, but didn't know who owned it. "It's mine," Alex said.

"Yours?" Ellie questioned.

"Yeah, I bought it on the way here. Is it okay to park back there?" He asked and informed her.

"You bought a brand new Mustang, and you want to work here?" She looked at him through slitted eyes again.

"Does it really matter what kind of car I drive? It's not new. It's three years old. I got a good deal when I traded in my old car." Alex was getting tired of the attitude towards him. She was starting to remind him of his old boss.

"Ellie, leave the man alone. Who cares if he drives a Mustang or catches the bus, as long as he works hard and comes in on time. Give him some credit; he fixed that dang peeler. No one else could do it. And I didn't want to spend money on another one.' He looked like something had come to him. "How much was the part you bought to fix it. Gladys told me you paid for it out of your own pocket." He asked.

"Don't worry about it. Keisha let me take home a brisket sandwich. Let's call it even." He said with a smile. "Plus, I like getting my hands dirty. It's been a while since I've been able to work on stuff like that."

"Well, if that's the case, one of the hot wells doesn't keep temp all the time." He hinted.

"Dad, I have Southern Appliance coming next week to look at it," Ellie said.

"You want to pay them a couple of hundred dollars to walk in the door or give Alex a brisket sandwich? Which one makes more business sense to you?" He said, giving her the same squinted-eye look. Now Alex knew where she got it from.

"Fine, but I'm not canceling the appointment in case he can't fix it." She said angrily.

"Maybe you should let the professional look at it. I don't want to cause any confusion," Alex offered.

"Pe' shaw, boy. You go ahead and take a look at it. It'll be worth a brisket sandwich to get it fixed." He said

"I don't want a brisket sandwich this time." Before he could complete his thought.

"I knew it. Now he wants to charge us an arm and a leg." Ellie angrily interjected.

"No, before I was rudely interrupted, I was going to ask for an Egg and Debris this time," Alex said, giving Ellie an angry look.

"Heck, boy, you fix it, you can have both," Elwood said with a happy grin.

Alex finished his shift and went to look at the hot well. It took him some time since he had never worked on anything like that. And the fact that he was doing it while they were still waiting on customers made it harder. He checked the drain lines. He had to go out and buy some diagnostic equipment. He found one of the thermostats on a well was bad. It didn't stay hot and drained the heat from the other wells. He Googled the part and ordered it. He told Mr. Elwood the part would be in tomorrow and to call him since it was his day off.

"Young man, I knew there was a reason I hired you. It's almost like God sent you to help me out." Mr. Elwood beamed. He saw Ellie roll her eyes. He knew Alex had saved him a couple of hundred dollars. After eating, he didn't leave until 3 PM. Instead of going back to the hotel, he looked for a cigar lounge. It was a toss-up between Cigar Haven and the Tinder Box. He decided on the former. It was further out, but he had nothing else to do.

He spent a couple of hours there. He smoked a nice Rocky Patel ALR 2nd Edition. It had great flavor. A hint of cocoa with undertones of fruit and a touch of pepper. He talked to some of the guys there. He thought they were surprised at his depth of knowledge on certain subjects. He was wearing another second-hand shirt and smelled of smoke.

One gentleman worked in marketing, same as Alex used to. He knew the company and several people who worked there. "So, what made you leave? I know the company is doing very well." He asked.

Taking a deep pull and blew out the smoke. "Sometimes in a man's life, he needs a change, a fresh start. I'm that man, and this is my fresh start." He explained.

Several people looked at him with skepticism. "Wife problems, huh?" A man deadpanned.

"Yep, wife problems," Alex said with a chuckle. That started a round of stories about divorce and cheating wives. Before Alex left, the man offered him his card. "If you think about getting back into the business, I can always use someone with experience."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if the barbecue business doesn't work out." He said and went back to his temporary home.

***oooOOOooo***

For his next two days, he looked for a more permanent residence. He still didn't find anything he liked. He knew it was his mindset of being able to live almost anywhere he wanted. He was making the money he had been. He thought about accepting the offer from Bob Johnson, the man at the cigar lounge. But he really liked working at Elwood's.

Tracy's calls had diminished to one a day. Saying they should talk and try to work things out. She didn't realize it was more than just her cheating. It was his life in general that he had to get away from. Some might call him a coward for running away. Maybe he was. He no longer cared what people thought about him.

He was lying back watching TV on Friday when he received a call from Keisha. "Alex, Marvin just called in sick. Do you want to work today?"

He didn't have anything else to do. "For you, Keisha, anything except letting you drive my car. Give me twenty minutes, and I'll be there. 15 minutes later, he walked in and went to the back counter. Nichelle and Carla were already there working with Ellie.

She looked at him. "What are you doing here?" She said in a snappy manner.

It made Alex bristle. "Good afternoon to you too, Ms. Ellie. Keisha asked me to come in since Marvin called out sick. If you don't need me, I can go back home." He said in an equally harsh manner.

She gave him that look again. "Well, you're here now, you might as well stay." She moved, and he took her place.

When she was gone, Alex asked Nichelle. "Does she treat everybody like that, or is it just me?"

Nichelle looked over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear. "You mean the Princess. She does, but not as badly as she treats you. I don't know what you did to her. I would be careful." She warned. Carla echoed her statement.

"What's the worst she can do? Fire me? I'll have another job before the end of the week." He announced.

"Maybe she likes you." Carla teased

"That's okay, I'm good." He replied.

As they were working, they talked about their lives. Carla was nineteen and getting ready to attend the local community college for business administration the coming school year.

Nichelle was twenty-six years old and had one child, a five-year-old girl. She told him how her mother helps her out as long as she's working. She had been working for Elwood's since high school. She talked about how she wanted more out of her life. She didn't want to live on Section 8 all her life and damn sure didn't want her kids growing up there. She was determined to break the cycle.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Alex joked.

"A veterinarian. I always loved animals. I thought I would make a great Vet," she said proudly.

"I think you would make a great veterinarian. Have you tried to get a scholarship? How were your grades in school?"

"They were good, not the best. But I think good enough to get into a college. I really haven't looked into scholarships. Between taking care of my daughter, Charnae, and working, it doesn't leave me much time."

"If you want something really bad enough, you'll make time for it. You're not doing it just for yourself, but also for your daughter. Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to get scholarships. People just don't know where to look. There are even apps just to find them. You know, quite a few specialty groups offer scholarships. As a Black woman, I'm sure you could find something to become a Vet. Probably get a full ride, room, board, books, and food. If you want, I can help you look for some," Alex offered.

"Sure, I would appreciate that, Mr. Alex." She beamed.

"It's just Alex. You make me sound like an old man."

"So what's your story, Alex?" she asked as she cut a rack of ribs.

"Nothing as interesting as wanting to become a veterinarian. I ran away to join the circus. Then I found out they all went out of business." He joked.

"Ha ha, I can see you as a clown. What's your real story? Come on, spill. I want all the tea." She poked.

He was putting some catfish on a platter alongside mac and cheese and baked beans. No one knew why he was in Memphis. He figured they all wondered, and as soon as he told someone, everyone else would know. "Not much to tell, really. Caught my wife cheating. My job sucked, and my kids had no respect for me. So I left. Eeze peeze, nice and easy. Wala, here I am. Working alongside the next great Vet and a future business owner. When you have your own show on Animal Planet, don't forget us, little people."

"You really caught your wife cheating? Damn, that's fucked up. I hoped you kicked the guy's ass." Carla said heatedly.

"No, no ass kicking. I pretty much checked out. I went to work the next day. My boss didn't like my new attitude, so he sent me home. I didn't care. They had passed me over for a promotion. So I said, screw it. Left the job and headed west. I didn't know where I was going or where I would end up. Only God knows why I ended up here instead of on a beach like most of those stories go."

"Maybe God sent you here to make sure I go to college," Nichelle said with a smile.

"Maybe; they say he works in mysterious ways." They worked in silence for a while.

Ellie came out of the back. "Is everything okay up here? Is he doing okay, Carla?"

"Yep, he's a rock star. It's like working with Marvin, only he talks." She told her. Looking at Alex with a grin.

"Not too much talking, I hope." Giving Alex a look.

"No boss, I'm doing my job, boss," Alex responded sarcastically with a smirk. He caught Nichelle turning away, laughing.

"Okay, good," Ellie replied and stormed off.

"What is her problem? Did I do something to her or what?" Alex asked.

"I have no clue. We call her princess because of the way she acts. I've never seen her treat someone like she treats you."

Carla said, "I tell you, I think she has a crush on you." Alex shook his head and kept working.

***oooOOOooo***

Days went by. Alex got a post office box so he could have his mail forwarded. He moved into another motel. This was one of those where people mostly lived and paid by the week. He didn't have much of a social life. It would only be temporary. He would hang out with Butch and Junebug by the pits some days. He introduced them to craft beers. They introduced him to Jim Beam and Paul Masson. He would go to the cigar lounge once a week. There he would hang out and talk to people who would have been part of his old life. Corporate types. Some evenings he would sit outside his room at the motel talking to his neighbors. The phone calls from Tracy had finally stopped. He would call and talk to his mother once in a while.

He did receive a few calls from former coworkers. Mostly asking what happened. He told them it was time for a change. They said his abrupt leaving, the way he did it, caused quite a stir.

He had gotten his first paycheck. He hadn't gotten a paper check in twenty years. He looked at the amount and laughed. It was the least amount of money he had made since high school. He wondered how people lived on this kind of money. He thought about his circumstances. He pulled into the motel where he was staying. Seeing older cars. Some were just barely running. Families of four staying in one room. He wasn't a religious man. But he remembered, Judge not, lest ye be not judged. He was grateful for the options he had.

He had met some people who lived in the motel. There was an elderly couple in the room next door. Agnes and Herman. Alex would find them sitting out front in those plastic lawn chairs every day after work.

On the other side was Dolly, who had three kids: two boys, Marcus, five, and Tariq, seven. A daughter, Jasmine, two. He had given her a ride to the grocery store a couple of times. He had gotten questions about why he was staying there. Driving a new-to-them red Mustang Convertible stood out like a lighthouse on a foggy night. At first there was suspicion. They didn't know what to make of him at first. He had brought a chair and would sit out front smoking a cigar after work some days. Word had gotten around the small community that he was an okay guy.

***oooOOOooo***

He had worked for Carla one day, and gave Nichelle a ride home one day since it was raining. She lived in what he would later learn was called the Parkway Village neighborhood. It was an older area that hadn't been gentrified yet. But it would be in another ten years. She lived there with her mother and daughter. Sometimes with her brother when he wasn't in jail. She invited him in, and he found a nicely decorated home. Her mother, Delores, appeared to be Alex's age. She offered him some Sweet Tea and asked if he wanted to stay for dinner. He tried to refuse, but Nichelle wouldn't take no for an answer. "If you think the food at Elwood's is good. Wait until you have some of my Momma's cooking."

He met her daughter, who was an adorable, precious five-year-old.

As they were eating, her mom gave Alex the third degree. "How long you been working at Elwood's? I haven't seen you before."

Alex stopped with his fork full of rice and gravy. "Only three weeks." He answered.

"That's a mighty fancy car for a man working at a barbecue joint. Is that all you do?" She interrogated.

"I bought that on the way here. I traded in my old car and got a good deal." He explained.

"Hmm, it must have been a good deal."

"Momma, you don't need to question him like he's wanted by the FBI. He's a nice man. Gonna help me get a scholarship." Nichelle interjected.

"And just how nice has he been to you?" She pressed. Giving Alex an evil look.

"Momma, that's uncalled for. Mr. Alex has been nothing but a gentleman. He didn't have to give me a ride home today. But he did because he didn't want me to get wet. He's always telling me I can do better and be more than I am. For Charnae and me. You need to apologize to him!" She argued.

"No, there's no need to apologize. I would want to know about this strange man bringing my daughter home as a parent. I respect that. You see so many parents that don't care about their children. I would have thought less of her if she didn't question me. Wait until Charnae gets older. You'll see what I'm talking about."

Things settled down after that. They talked about what to do in Memphis. Best places to live. Delores told him she might know someone who is looking for a housemate. She would talk to them this week. Alex thanked her for a delicious meal and left after getting a hug from all three ladies.

***oooOOOooo***

Alex had just come in after hanging out with Agnes and Herman. It relaxed him after a hard day's work. He had come to realize how much social interaction he had missed in his life. Not only did he talk to his neighbors on either side, but over time he had met most of the people living there. Some had been there for a couple of months, having fallen on hard times. Others for years. Most were trying to save up to move out, like Dolly and her kids. She was waiting for her Section 8 voucher to come through.

Herman had retired from the railroad, and Agnes had been a housekeeper most of her life. Alex had asked one day why they lived in the motel instead of an apartment. They told him it was much cheaper. They have cable and internet included in the rent. They don't pay for electricity or water. They're paying half of what it would have cost to live in an apartment. He could understand their way of thinking.

He was almost asleep when his phone buzzed with a text message. He looked; it was from Tracy. "You need to come home. This has gone on long enough." He thought she must be drunk texting because several words were misspelled. As usual, he didn't respond. For not the first time, he wondered why he wasn't mad at his situation. He knew he should be furious, but he wasn't. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling, pondering his emotions. He knew being mad was a waste of energy. What was done was done. He thought that possibly, in the back of his mind, he had an inkling there was more to Tracy's attitude than just being mad at him. He read somewhere that the cheating party becomes disillusioned with their partner, not because they are cheating. But the fact that they can't see that they are cheating. They are blind to what should be obvious. Maybe that was what was wrong with Tracy. Except he never gave her a reason to cheat that he could see. Maybe one day they will sit down, and he will be able to get some answers. At the moment, he didn't care.

If he was honest with himself, it hurt that she had cheated. He felt like a failure as a husband and father. Sometimes, you do everything you can for your child to become a good adult. You read about the hard life killers had before they killed. You hardly ever hear about the criminals from good homes. As the French say, c'est la vie.

***oooOOOooo***

As time went on, he learned more and more about the barbecue business. Either Butch or Junebug would come in at four to get the pits started. Once lit, they would season the brisket and put it on. Next would be the chicken and then the ribs. When Marcella was done making the sausages, they went on last. The briskets from the day before would be put on to finish cooking so they would be ready by eleven. Any leftovers would be used for breakfast dishes.

Working the pits wasn't a hard job physically, besides the heat and smoke in your eyes. You had to know when things were done. You leave something on ten minutes too long, and it's ruined. He learned you have to take into account that the meats continue to cook even after you take them off the pit. They would show Alex some tips. These things are learned over the years. Butch had worked at Charlie Vergos for fifteen years. Junebug had been doing it for nearly as long at different places. They liked Elwood's because he let them do their job. As long as the meat was ready and done right, he didn't say anything to them. Even Ellie didn't bother coming out back.

Nichelle told him a couple of weeks after he had dinner with her family. "My momma asked about you." She mentioned with a smile.

He was spooning beans into a container. "She did, did she? What did she ask?"

Nichelle chuckled. "She asked how come you haven't given me a ride home lately. She thinks it's either because you didn't like the food or she insulted you. But that's not why she really asked."

"Oh, oh," Marvin said. Coming from Marvin, that was a Shakespearean soliloquy.

Alex stopped what he was doing and looked at Nichelle. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, man, do I have to spell it out? She wants to see you again. She thinks you're cute for a white guy. At least that's what I heard her tell her best friend. Honestly, I don't see it myself." Nichelle said, breaking out in a belly laugh.

"Maybe you should have run away and joined the circus. I'll let you know a lot of women find me irresistible. She thinks I'm cute, huh? Interesting. That means if we date, even get married, you would have to call me Dad." Alex broke out in a huge laugh. Even Marvin joined in.

"What's going on back there?" Keisha asked.

Carla said between laughs. "Alex is going to be Chelle's step-daddy." This caused everyone to start laughing.

"Look at Alex turning red," Candy said.

"Y'all need to cut that out. Ain't nobody going to be my step-daddy." Nichelle blustered.

"You can't be a step-daddy unless you date. Have you asked her out yet? Alice asked from up front.

"Jeez, see what you started, Carla?" Alex joked. The rest of the day, Alex and Nichelle were subjected to teasing.

***oooOOOooo***

Alex received a call from his mother. He still called her to let her know he was okay. She couldn't understand why he didn't want to work out the problems in his marriage. "Alex, have you talked to Tracy lately?"

"No, Mom, I haven't. There's no need for us to talk anymore." He snorted.

"Don't catch that tone with me. I'm still your mother. When are you going to stop this foolishness and come home? Your family needs you." She intoned.

"Mom, I've told you and told you. I'm not coming home. The kids are old enough to take care of themselves.

The only reason they want me around is to pay for things. Tracy has enough money to live on for quite a while. If she needs anything else, she can ask her boyfriend." He argued.

She offered, "Tracy said she doesn't have a boyfriend. She admitted she made a mistake. She wants you to come home and work on making things right."

"So she finally admitted to you that she cheated, huh? You wouldn't believe me when I told you. huh. Well, believe me when I say. There is no marriage to work on any longer." He said wearily. They argued a little more before ending the call.

***oooOOOooo***

Two days later, Nichelle asked Alex for a ride home. He didn't think anything of it. He pulled in front of the nice cottage-style home. "Aren't you coming in? It would be rude not to." Nichelle said.

He walked into the house. Charnae ran up to him. "Hi, Mr. Alex," and hugged him. "Hey, Lil Bit," he returned the greeting.

Delores walked out of the kitchen. She was wearing a light blue sundress and sandals. Maybe the dress was wearing her. He really looked at her for the first time. The way a man looks at a woman. Her hair was straightened. She was the same height as Nichelle, but that's where the similarities ended. At five feet, six inches, she was what the kids would call thick. She had wide, but not too wide, hips. Busty and a lot of cleavage. Her brown eyes sparkled.

He felt a punch on his arm. 'What?" He looked at Nichelle.

"Close your mouth, Alex, before something flies in it." She smirked.

"Hey Alex, you want to stay for dinner? I made stuffed pork chops, mixed greens, and baked potatoes." She asked shyly.

"Umm, sure, if it's not putting you out," He answered. It never occurred to him that she had made enough food for four people.

"My God, will you two stop it? Alex, sit down. I'll bring dinner out while you two entertain yourselves." She left, dragging Charnae with her.

Delores and Alex sat in the living room. "Nichelle tells me you work at the hospital?" Alex asked, breaking the ice.

"Yes, I've been there for almost twenty years." She

"Twenty years, you must like it. What do you do?"

"Like it, well, it has its good days and bad days, like most jobs. I'm a surgical tech. A fancy term for someone who cleans the instruments," She stated.

"Don't downplay it. That sounds like an important job. You can't have surgeries with dirty instruments. Have you always lived in Memphis?"

"Yep, all my life. I can't complain about it. So far, it's been good to me. How about you? Chelle said you lived in Greenville."

"All my life also, except when I went to college. But Appalachian State is only three hours away. Now Memphis is home, unless I find a really good reason to leave. I guess Nichelle told you why I left."

"No, she said that's your story to tell." Before there was another chance to say anything, Nichelle called everyone to the table.

They said a prayer and started to eat. "Oh my gosh, this is delicious. Nichelle wasn't kidding when she said you are a good cook." Alex exclaimed.

"Thanks." She smiled

"I helped too!" Charnae chimed in.

"And you're a good cook also, Little Bit," Alex added. The little girl beamed with pride.

As they ate dinner, they talked about how he liked working at Elwood's. "Everything is okay except Ellie. I don't know what she has against me. She's been like that from the moment I started."

Nichelle said, "We've talked about it. No one knows why she treats you that way. Maybe you remind her of her ex-husband. That's what Alice and Candy say."

"Her husband?" Alex questioned.

"I've never met him. He didn't come into the restaurant too often, from what I hear. He's a white guy. From what people say, he cheated on her with some Mexican woman at his job. She changed after that. Became, not really meaner, maybe, less friendly would be the best way to call it." Nichelle explained.

Alex asked, "How long ago did that happen?"

"Two years ago. I think they had a messy divorce. He tried to get a piece of the restaurant. Everything is in Mr. Elwood's name, so that didn't work. Luckily, they didn't have children. She didn't come around for a long time. That's why Keisha is assistant manager. She was running the place while she was gone."

"I noticed Mr. Elwood isn't really involved too much. He just hangs around mostly."

Nichelle laughed. "Yep, the place runs itself. He still comes in because he doesn't have anything else to do. He's either in his office sleeping or talking to customers in the dining room. We let him think he's still running the place. Ellie and Keisha do most of the work; others help out when it's needed."

They talked a little more about things to do in the city. He was still learning the area. Nichelle piped in, "Alex, why don't you let Mom show you the city one day? Thinking about it, I'm sure you can get off one Saturday. I'll ask Keisha tomorrow."

Delores and Alex both looked at Nichelle, who had a grin on her face. They looked at each other. "Well, Delores, what do you say?"

"I'm game if you're game," She offered.

"It's a date. You can pick her up at 4 this Saturday. That gives you some time to drive around the city before dinner. Don't keep her out too late; she has church on Sunday." Nichelle piped in.

"Excuse me, I haven't even asked for Saturday off." Alex huffed.

"You're working for Marvin Friday, and he's covering for you Saturday. Didn't I mention that before?" She said with a mischievous grin.

"Alex, I think we've been set up," Delores said, looking at her daughter. He could tell she was happy it happened.

"In more ways than one.' Looking at Nichelle, 'So you have to call me Dad, right?' Delores' mouth opened in shock. ' Don't worry, it's an inside joke.

After dinner, Delores walked Alex to the door. Nichelle had taken Charnae up to bed. "I'm sorry Chelle put you on the spot. You don't have to take me out if you don't want to." She intoned

Alex grinned at her. "Why wouldn't I want to take out the prettiest lady I've met in Memphis? You can help me by showing me the city, as she said. I'm still looking for a place. I don't know anything about the city. I don't usually do this. Can you make a reservation at the restaurant you always wanted to go to on Saturday? I would be honored to take you there."

"Oh really, I've always wanted to go to Flight or Paulette's. The thing about Memphis is, it's either barbecue or something fancy. Both are expensive. Why don't you take a look at their menus and decide?" She offered.

"No, I want you to pick. Either one is good for me. Besides the two delicious meals I've had here, all I've been eating is barbecue. I don't mind fancy."

They hugged, and Alex drove back home with a smile.

***oooOOOooo***

He was off Thursday, so he went to the cigar lounge like he usually did. He ran into Bob Johnson. "Hey Alex, I was hoping you would call me. I have an opening if you're interested. I have to be honest. I reached out to a couple of people I knew at your old job. They have nothing but good things to say about you. They say you left suddenly without notice. They think it's because you didn't get a promotion you were up for."

Alex took a pull of the Asylum 13 Oblongata he was smoking. They were hard to find, and he grabbed some when he could. "Yeah, that's why I left the job. You can only work for a company so long and deal with the disrespect. So I left. I had more than enough vacation time to use. I was also tired of the daily grind."

Bob nodded, "I can understand that. It can be a rough business. Always changing with a lot of demand. Dealing with clients that don't realize that, no matter how much marketing you do, if the product sucks, no one will buy it." They both laughed.

"I've got to tell you, Bob. I'm not ready to get back into it. My head wouldn't be in the game right now. I didn't just leave the company. I left the city. I found out my wife was cheating, so I left my family.' He saw the look on Bob's face. 'I didn't leave them high and dry. Both kids are old enough to understand, at 15 and 17. My wife makes more than enough money, and I only took a third of the savings and half of the kids' college fund since both most likely won't be going. If she left her job, she would still be good for several years. I just wanted to get away."

"Alex, I can understand that. I'm on my second marriage myself. My first wife accused me of cheating with my career. She didn't understand the effort it took to keep her in the lifestyle she had grown accustomed to. I was lucky to find my second wife. She is a career woman who understands what it takes to be successful." They sat quietly for a minute. Savoring the cigars each was smoking as well as the Single Malts they were drinking.

"I understand you don't want to jump into the deep end. How about playing in the kiddie pool and see how it goes?"

Bob smiled at Alex and began to explain his plan. He could work three days a week to see how it goes. Alex told him he would have to talk to his boss about changing his schedule. Alex liked the idea and asked to give him a couple of weeks to think about it.

***oooOOOooo***

He went into work Friday so he could have off tomorrow. Friday was their third busiest day. When he walked in, he thought people were looking at him differently. "What's going on with everyone?" He asked finally.

The ladies up front started laughing. "Alex has a date," Candy said in a sing-song manner, causing them all to join in, laughing.

"Ha ha, very funny." He stuck his tongue out at them. He was teased the rest of the day. Even Junebug came in and asked him if he knew what to do on a date. The only advice he took was finding a good barber.

***oooOOOooo***

Saturday morning, he got up early. They had told him where he could buy a nice suit at James Davis Men's store. They outfitted him with a nice blue suit and yellow tie, with a white shirt, socks, and shoes. He hadn't worn a suit since he left Greenville. He drove to the barber Carla recommended. At first he thought he had the wrong address. Turned out it was Carla's cousin who cut hair out of his house. He knocked on the door, and a tall, lanky man who looked to be in his mid-twenties answered.

"You must be Alex," he asked as he offered his hand.

"Uh, yeah," Alex responded a little hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I know how to cut white people's hair. I went to school for barbering." He laughed. He led Alex deeper into the house. He had a barber chair set up in a back room. There were other guys there, sitting around. A group was playing a card game. "What kind of cut do you want?" Dion, the barber, asked.

"Something that makes me look good," Alex replied.

"I cut hair; I don't work miracles." He said, causing everyone to laugh. This was Alex's first time in a Black barber shop. He had heard about what goes on before. Now he was living it. By the time he was done, he was fast friends with everyone there. He had looked in the mirror and was surprised how good he looked. he hadn't had a haircut since he left Greenville. He had grown a beard, and it gave him a sexy pirate look. He was impressed with the job he did. He would definitely be back.

Getting back to the motel, he showered and got dressed. He came out, and as usual, Herman and Agnes were sitting out front. "Hey there, young fella, where you going looking Jody sharp and casket ready?" Herman said.

"I have a date." He responded with a smile.

"A date, huh. You do look good, Alex. I'm glad you finally got your hair cut. It's about time. Where are you taking her?" Agnes asked. Other people sitting outside had come over.

"She wants to go to Flight. Before that, she's going to show me some of the city to find an apartment." He told them.

"Flight, wow. Okay, big money. That's the most expensive restaurant in the city. I hope you get some later on." Andre said.

"Oh hush, Andre. It's not always about that." Agnes admonished him. "You enjoy yourself. You never go anywhere; it's good for you to get out." She said in a motherly manner.

On the way to Delores' house, his phone rang; he saw it was Tracy. He was surprised. She hadn't called in a while. "Hello"

"Alex, it's Tracy. There's a problem?" She started. His first thought was that something happened to the kids.

"What's wrong? Are the kids okay?" He questioned.

"No, the kids are okay; they miss you. I'm calling because something is wrong with my car; I don't know what to do." She stated. He was ready to tell her to ask Irwin to fix it. He was past being petty.

He huffed. "Jesus, Tracy.' He asked her what the problem was and found out it wasn't life-threatening. 'Make an appointment at OurTown Car Care on West Franklin. Tell them I sent you. They'll fix it for you, okay. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, when are you coming home? This has gone on long enough. I thought you would be over your little tantrum by now." She fumed.

He blew out an exasperated breath. "I am home, Tracy. At least for the foreseeable future. There's nothing in Greenville for me anymore. What you call a tantrum, I call the end of a marriage. That you caused with your cheating. You have enough money in the bank. You have your lover; you don't need me anymore."

She started ranting and raving. Going over the same ground that's been covered over and over. "Tracy," He interrupted. "I have to go, I'm in the middle of something." And he hung up. He was not going to let this ruin his night.

He pulled in front of the house. At 3:45, there were a lot of people sitting outside, talking and playing. His red Mustang with the top down was always noticeable. Alex could see people looking at the car parked in front of the house. When he got out in his new suit, he really drew everyone's attention. A couple of kids ran up to him. "Are you taking Ms. DeeDee on a date?" A little girl asked.

"Yes, I am," He told the little crowd of kids.

"She dates white men?" A little boy questioned. "He said he's taking her out, so she does, dummy," another argued. He walked to the front door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, it was opened by Nichelle and Charnae.

"Hey, Mr. Alex!" Charnae yelled as she held out her hands to be picked up.

"Hey, Lil Bit," he said, giving the lovable five-year-old a hug.

"Mom, Mom is getting ready. I'll go get her." She ran up the steps.

"Hey, Mr. Alex, you look mighty nice." Nichelle complimented him. "You clean up pretty good."

"Thanks, I was told I look casket-ready, whatever that means." He laughed.

"It means you look nice. Mom should be down in a minute. Don't tell her I said anything. She's been fussing all day about what to wear." She confided.

"I think she'll look good in anything she picks out."

Smiling, Nichelle said, "Good answer, Mr. Alex."

A short while later, they heard heels clicking on the hardwood floors. She was preceded by a grinning Charnae.

Delores glided down the stairs. It was the only way Alex could describe it. First, he saw her feet in open-toe heels. Her nails were painted red. He loved red toenails. She didn't have on stockings. Her legs didn't need them. He saw her shimmery blue dress barely reach her knees. As she came down the stairs, it was like opening a toy on Christmas. The more he saw, the more he liked. The dress had a plunging neckline, showing off her ample cleavage and bust. She had on enough makeup to highlight her cheekbones and eyes. Her red lipstick accentuated her full lips. He loved red lipstick. Instead of straight hair, it was now braided. Alex could only stare at her.

"Doesn't my Mom-mom look beautiful?" Charnae exclaimed. Alex could only nod his head in muteness. He heard Nichelle laugh. "I think he likes how you look, Mom," She added. "Well, Mr. Alex, do ya?" She asked as she nudged his elbow.

"I feel underdressed. You do look beautiful, Delores." He finally announced.

Delores responded, her cocoa brown skin of her cheeks darkening. "Thank you, kind sir; you look mighty fine yourself."

"Well, your chariot awaits." He swept a hand towards the door.

Nichelle stopped them. "Wait, I have to get a picture!"

Delores waved her away. "This isn't senior prom. We don't need any pictures."

"Yes, we do. In case he kidnaps you, I need something to show the police." She joked, pushing them together.

Alex said loudly, "I told you I gave a fake name, so there is no bounty for you to collect."

"Oh hush, and stand together." She waved them closer. She took a few pictures. Of course, Charnae wanted to be in some of them.

Once she was happy, they went outside. It seemed half the block was waiting for them to come out. People were on their porches or steps. They received several catcalls of "you go girl' or 'I see you, Ms Lady" from the gathered spectators.

Alex opened the door for her. He caught a glimpse of her thigh. She had great legs. Once in the car together. "Is it okay if I keep the top down?"

"Why have a convertible if you don't drive with the top down? That's why I had my hair braided.

"Okay, you're my guide for the night. Where to first?" She pulled out her phone nd told him about an apartment complex a mile away that he might like. They pulled off, noticing people waving to them. Alex grinned, "Does this happen every time you have a date?"

She laughed, "I can't remember; this is the first date I've had in a while."

"Oh, I feel special then," He smiled. She gave him directions to the apartment complex. When they arrived, they drove around. It appeared well kept. He noticed that quite a few of the cars were newer models. He saw kids playing on the playground. A mix of all races. He parked, and he looked at the rates and reviews.

"What do you think?" As they finished looking at the rates.

Looking around the complex, "I like it. I've never lived in an apartment before. I guess I would have to get used to it. I'm living in a motel right now. Can't be much different."

"Which Motel?" She asked, intrigued. She thought it would be one of the fancier ones in the city.

"The Starlight, out on Highway 21. It's not much. Only until I find something more permanent."

She appeared shocked. "The Starlight! Oh Jeez. Haven't you been robbed yet? That's a bad area."

"I can tell it's not the best part of town. It's clean and affordable. So far, I haven't had any problems. A couple of guys tried to sell me drugs when I first got there. I heard there was a rumour going around that I'm an undercover cop, so they leave me alone. I stay next to an older couple and a woman with three young children. It's just people trying to do the best they can with what they have."

She looked at him. He couldn't read her face. "Well, Mr. Alex, you are full of surprises. I wouldn't expect a man like you to be comfortable in a place like that."

"Why do people keep saying things like that? What kind of man do you think I am?" He challenged.

"Calm down, Alex. We don't mean anything by it. You present yourself a certain way. You've always worked in an office. It shows in the way you carry yourself, the way you talk. You may wear second-hand clothes, but everyone can see you're more comfortable in a suit. Don't take it as an insult." She calmly explained to him. She placed her hand on his.

"Okay, I get it. I'm a fish out of water."

"No, you're a fish in a different pond, is all. I should have found out what you're looking for. You don't have to rent an apartment. There are lots of affordable houses for rent. She checked the Apartment App for houses. She asked him how many bedrooms and baths, and whether he was okay with single-story or two-story. Since it was only him, he wanted two bedrooms with one bath and a single-story. She found two close enough that they could see before going to the restaurant. Alex liked the second one. Delores said it was a good neighborhood.

They headed to the restaurant. They didn't talk too much on the ride there. One drawback of a convertible is that it could be hard to carry on a conversation. The restaurant had valet parking. He put up the top before getting out and opening the door for Delores. They walked in with Delores holding his arm. She gave his name to the Maitre de, even though she had made the reservations. He appreciated that for some reason.

He held her seat for her. He looked around; the place was nicely decorated. It reminded him of a French-style restaurant, but he knew they served upscale American food. It had been rated the number one restaurant in the city for the last several years.

"You have good taste, Delores; this is a nice place."

"Thank you. Please call me Dee Dee; everyone does." She told him.

"Okay, Dee Dee." The waiter came up and asked them if they were ready to order. They asked for more time and ordered drinks. She ordered a white wine, and he got a mocktail.

She looked at him when he ordered his drink. "You don't drink alcohol?"

He grinned, "I don't want to get drunk and have you take advantage of me."

She laughed, "Would I really have to get you drunk to take advantage of you?" She asked coyly.

"No, but I'm not going to be easy tonight. I'm not that kind of guy." They both laughed. He looked at the menu. "This place is fancy. Reminds me of a couple of places in Charlotte."

"It's not too much, is it? I know what you said, but all the good restaurants in Memphis are expensive. We can go Dutch if you want?"

"No, Dee Dee, this is fine. Order what you want. I won a lot of money on a scratcher on the way to pick you up." He snickered.

"Okay, Mr. Moneybags." They ordered the Ocean Flight with New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Mini Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and Lobster Ravioli, as well as Roasted Bone Marrow for starters. Alex ordered the Lamb Chops, while DeeDee got the Ribeye as the entrees.

When the waitress left with their order. "So, Mr. Alex, what's your story? Chelle won't tell me anything."

Alex took a sip of his mocktail and began his story. He didn't go into much detail. He didn't want to scare her away. When he finished, she had a look of shock on her face. She didn't know what to make of his tale. "So, you just left? Quit your job and never went home? You never confronted your wife about her cheating?"

"What was there to do? Go in and beat him up? If I win, he presses charges, and I go to jail. If he beats me up, he screwed my wife and beat me up. It was a lose-lose situation. In the back of my mind, I felt something was going on, but I wanted to ignore it. Or I thought there would be no way for her to cheat on me. It's the last thing, or should be the last thing a spouse thinks.

That day was a perfect storm. Between that, my kids, and the job, I was done. I had lost a promotion to an ass kisser. I didn't plan to never go back. Hell, I didn't even think about leaving until my boss told me to go home. It just kind of happened. I kept driving and ended up here. Sitting in front of the prettiest lady in Memphis."

"Just Memphis?" She asked as she batted her eyes.

"At least Memphis, Greenville, and Pigeon Forge." She threw her napkin at him.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around you leaving like that. I get it, being frustrated with life. How could you leave your kids like that?" She questioned.

Alex now felt he should have ordered something stronger to drink. He could understand her confusion about his situation. "I left; I didn't abandon them. Tracy has enough money in the bank so she doesn't even have to work. She makes a good living on her own. The kids are fifteen and sixteen. I was the one who felt abandoned. A man can only take so much disrespect. I tried to discipline Steven, and his mother would go behind my back and baby him. Nothing is his fault. He's been suspended twice. Once for smoking and another for drugs. A third time, he will be expelled. I don't know what Tracy did when he got suspended for drugs. She said she talked to the Principal. Now, I think she did more than talk.

"As far as my daughter Mallory goes, I'm only an ATM to her. She does nothing around the house to help. None of them do. God forbid Steven cut the grass. Tracy says it makes his allergies bad. I know he doesn't have allergies."

Deedee shook her head. "So your wife lets them run roughshod over you, huh? I can understand how you feel about that. So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm not going to stay married to Tracy. It's too much to get past. When I left, I didn't know where I was going or where I would end up. It just happened to be here. I remember when I caught Tracy. I sat out on the back deck, drinking a beer and smoking a cigar. I looked up and saw a bird floating in the air. Gliding on the air currents.' He sat back in the chair. Smiling at the memory. 'I thought about what it must be like to be so free. Letting the air take you where it wanted to and not worrying about anything. I wished I was a bird. I sat out there for hours. Some people might feel like they died when they find their wife cheating. I felt free." He said wistfully

"Wow."

"Yep, wow."

The waitress brought their appetizers, and they ate in silence. Alex knew he had dumped a lot on her. She wanted to know. He was embarrassed by his decision to leave. "How's the bone marrow?" He finally asked.

"Delicious, I've always wanted to try it. Have you ever had it before?" She asked, piling a little more of greasy, fatty marrow on the toasted bread.

"Years ago, it didn't agree with my stomach. I loved the taste though."

She laughed, "Oh, I hope you haven't jinxed me." She plucked a shrimp off his plate.

"Is that a woman thing?"

"Yes, it's in the dating rule book. Don't you know that?" She said as she swallowed the shrimp.

When the waitress brought the mains, he asked for a scotch and tonic. She refilled her wine.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"The steak is delicious. The food is great here."

He shook his head. "No, about what I told you."

"Oh,' she put her fork down. 'It beats what Chelle thought you did." She grinned. "At first she thought you might be a bank robber."

"What the hell!" He exclaimed.

"Then it was an accountant running from the mob.' Alex shook his head in disbelief. 'She couldn't find anything about you, so she thinks you're a former secret agent who had to change his identity." Dee Dee giggled.

"A secret agent? I think that child needs help. Why would she think that?"

"Maybe it was the car. I told her a secret agent wouldn't ride around in such a flashy car. What made you buy that anyway? It doesn't seem your style."

"Not my style? Maybe that's why I bought it. I always wanted a 2-door convertible. I was driving through Pigeon Forge, and it hit me: there's no time like the present. So I traded in my old car and got that. The best deal was the red one. It was nearly an even swap. You still haven't told me how you feel."

"It's a lot. I can kind of put myself in your position, dealing with my son. I know Chelle's told you he's in and out of jail. Right now he's in Bledsoe for another two years. Selling drugs, dumb enough to take the rap for someone else." She growled.

"What about his father?"

"He's in West Tennessee for life. Been there for 15 years already. The world's a better place with him there. He's Nichelle's father also. She's the only good thing to come out of our marriage. It broke my heart when she got pregnant her senior year."

"She seems like a very nice young lady. And it looks like she's doing a great job with Charnae. You should be proud of her." He smiled.

"I am very much. She's a hard worker, never misses a day. She reads to Charnae every day. Now, because of you, all she talks about is going to school to be a Vet. I hope she's not getting her hopes up, only to be let down."

"No, I was serious about the scholarships. There's the Charles Shelton. It's a smaller one. There's also the Lowrie Diversity Scholarship and a lot more. She might be able to get a full ride." He explained between bites.

She looked at him and then said, "So you're serious about this. It's just not talk?"

"I'm definitely serious. I don't recommend college to everyone. My kids aren't going because they're unmotivated. I wouldn't waste the money on some degrees. A degree in Veterinary medicine. Now that's one with a future. You know, animal medical insurance is the fastest-growing insurance sector. Some people will take care of their pets before family members."

They talked during the meal. They learned more and more about each other. Deedee hadn't dated much over the last several years. They found they enjoyed each other's company. At the end of the night, Alex drove her home.

"Alex, I really enjoyed my night. I almost forgot what it's like to have an intelligent conversation." She gushed.

"I can say the same thing. It was nice walking into the restaurant and having every man jealous. I hope we can do this again." He hinted.

They made plans for a date for next Friday night. He walked her to the door. As they were talking, the porch lights flashed. "I'm going to kill that girl." Even though she said it with a smile. They exchanged phone numbers, and she graced him with a kiss on the cheek and went inside.

TO BE CONTINUED