Suds – Season 1, Episode 26

… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama

[Last time on Suds... Mira left Shantel’s room the same way all real emotion escaped her body. She walked across campus until she reached the clinic and found Sylus, the source of her anguish, leaving the building.

Meanwhile, back in the Chi, Leilah learned from Lalique that her fifteen year old brother, draped in all the latest designer duds, was rolling with the wrong crowd. You know ‘bad company corrupts good character.’ Let’s see how Leilah handles her reality check after stepping out of Car 9 (Get it – Cloud 9) with Darien …]

The long two-story building was once her favorite place. She handed out condoms, taught the importance of safe sex, and counseled those who tested positive for HIV. ‘It’s not the end of your life,’ she would say. ‘People are living long, healthy lives even with HIV.’ The assuring phrase she often used felt more like the last nail being hammered into her coffin.

Mira gulped hard and forced her feet to move up the stairs. The door opened less than five feet away.

She looked up and saw Sylus.

~~
A tornado of emotions twisted through Mira as Sylus stood before her. Still and expressionless, she examined his movements searching for evidence of her greatest fear. His jaw twitched and tightened as though he was straining to bite back words. His steely eyes were empty of affection.

Minutes passed in silence. Sylus pulled his keys from his pocket, and walked around her. Mira watched him until he disappeared around the corner. Her head spun. She inhaled deeply, gasping for air. Not again, she thought, rushing to the stairs where she collapsed. Her palms grated against the concrete as she pushed her weight onto her knees, sucking for air. Why is this happening to me? The panic attacks hit her often like birth pains.

Centering her energy on breathing, Mira knelt with her face toward the sky, shoving away all feelings of despair.

~~

Lalique celebrated her birthday with her friends, Leilah put the twin boys to sleep in the bottom bunk of the boys’ room, and she lay on the sofa with TuTu asleep on her chest.

She flipped her cell phone open.
“I told him to be back by ten,” she groaned as she struggled to sit up with the chubby girl.

Leilah carried her baby sister to the girls’ room.

“Why are you on my bed,” she asked Xeniyah as she placed the youngest on the bottom bunk.
“This my bed when you ain’t here,” Xeniyah complained. “TuTu be wetting the bed.”
“I thought Lique slept here when I was gone,” she said sitting next to Xeniyah on the twin sized bed.
“Naw, she sleep on the top bunk.” Xeniyah snuggled under a thick comforter.

“Aren’t you hot, Zen?”
“Uh uh, I got the chills or something.”
Leilah pressed her hand against the sixteen year old’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”
“I know, but I can’t stop shivering.” The bed vibrated as her teeth chattered.
“Poor baby. Do you want some juice or something?”
“Naw, I just want to go to sleep.”

Lelilah closed the bedroom door, and paced across the living room. 10:05, she thought, I am going to kill him. Dialing his cell phone number, she yanked open the blinds, searching the area for Jack D.

“I’m here,” he said.
“I must be blind because I don’t see you.” She scanned the area again from their second floor apartment.

He stepped back from the front porch into her eye sight.
Leilah breathed a sigh of relief, “Did you lose your key?”
“Naw, I’m out her talking to your boy, D.”
“Who is D?”

Jack D glanced toward the front stoop, but the awning blocked her view of the person. Darien stepped out of the shadows, and waved. Leilah panicked, snapped the blinds shut, and crouched down, hiding. Somehow she managed to keep the phone to her ear.

Jack D. laughed, “What kind of kindergarten mess is that?”
“What is he doing here?” Leilah whispered. Her eyes bounced around the cluttered living room. There were toys everywhere and enough cups and plates sprinkled around to host a Tupperware party. Why didn’t I clean up earlier, she moaned.
“He brought your purse over, but we ended up talking and stuff. He cool peoples, Lei.”

Leilah scurried around the room, scooping up the dirty dishes first.
“We’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay, take your time,” Leilah answered. She slammed the phone shut, and hurried to clean the living room. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use the bathroom.
~~

Mira the hands squeezing her were his before she turned around.
Sylus gripped her shoulder, “Mira,” he called, concern leaked through his stone façade.
“I’m fine,” she panted. Part of her wanted to loathe him until he withered away from the disease she diagnosed him with, but another part of her cared for him too much to bear the thought.

He swept her up into his arms. “Let me take you inside.”
“No, no, no.” Mira clenched his t-shirt into her fists. “I’m fine. I don’t want to go in. I’m just going home.” Her breath stopped short in her throat. Her head rolled back.
“Mira,” he yelled.

She rolled her head back onto his chest. “I have to stand.”
Hesitantly, he placed her feet on the ground, bracing her. Her forehead dropped against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her breathing and the familiar strokes of his massive hands against her back made her feel safe.

Mira stepped back from his embrace avoiding eye contact, “Thanks,” she said and turned to walk away.

Sylus caught her hand, pulling her back toward him. “Let me take you home.”

Mira glanced away and then back at Sylus. She still couldn’t read him, but she decided it didn’t matter. She needed her bed, and he could get her there faster than her feet.
~~

Leilah tried her best to look natural after over-febreezing the room. Everything was in its place, and everything else was thrown carelessly into the bedrooms and closets.

She turned the channel to Punk’d and pretended to be entertained by Ally and AJ accidentally killing a bear. The entrance door opened, and she heard them laughing as their boots clunked up the stairs. Jack D. walked into the room first, and although she thought she was prepared for the moment when Darien stepped into her house, her heart stopped.

Darien rolled his lips between his teeth as he surveyed the room. The hunter green sectional was against one wall, and a large wooden entertainment center against the other. She clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking as she wondered what he thought.

“Man, Lei,” Jack D. said as he plopped down next to he on the sofa. “I’m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?”
Leilah nodded and combed her fingers through her hair.
He kissed her on the cheek.
“Good night, Jacky,” she said barely above a whisper, and then cleared her throat.

“Alright D, see you on Sunday, man.” He slapped Darien five.
“Alright JD,” Darien said. Jack D. went to his room and closed the door.

Darien handed Leilah her purse and sat next to her on the sofa.
“He’s going to church with you?” Leilah asked, amazed.
“Yeah, you are too,” he reminded her.
“I know, I just thought I would have to force him.”
“Naw, he’s a good kid.”

Darien sat back watching the images flicker across the screen. Then he leaned forward, “I don’t mean any disrespect to your aunt by coming here so late.”
“Oh, she’s not here.” Leilah said, leaning back. “She’s out with her girlfriends. I won’t be surprised if she takes the whole weekend off.”
“What, auntie be kicking it like that?” he joked.
“Yeah, she’s only like 31 or 32.”
“For real?” Leilah could tell Darien was doing the math in his head.
“She was around 13 when I was born.” Darien nodded and Leilah scrambled through her mind for any topic other than those that rated her family on a scale of dysfunction.

Then she tried the magical thing he always did that simplified everything. She placed her hand on the cushion between them with her palm up, and waited for him to accept the invitation.

His fingers smoothed over her palm, tracing over the lines like brail before locking firmly around her fingers. He gripped her hand tight.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” she answered.

[Stay tuned: Because the love is definitely here on Suds. Can you feel it?]