The Wrong Way to Wright

Chapter 3

Bright and early that Tuesday morning they were joined in matrimony at the registrar’s office. Aya, trembling and feeling anxious, wore a simple white slip dress that covered her heels. Her locks were pulled back into a side braid to display the three-karat necklace, earrings, and ring set that her betrothed had bought for her.

When it came time to sign the license, Aya became light-headed and weak in the knees. The registrar furrowed his brow as he waited for her to regain her composure. A hot minute went by with Aya unable to move until her groom, dressed fashionably in a crisp silver tux, came up behind her and guided her hand down to sign. He whispered soothing words about their exciting new life and made a lewd joke that put a puzzled smile on his bride’s face. Aya gulped and created her new signature.

Desi’s sons Junior and Carlton were away on a job, so he brought his youngest along. Ricky was very excited and had even dressed up in a grey suit much like his father’s. The eight-year-old boy was every inch his father and followed him everywhere like a puppy. He had the same skin tone, facial features and disposition. Unfortunately, he also had his father’s odd short, square teeth in gums that were far too dark.

Tears had come to Desi’s eyes as he made his vows to his bride, and the depth of his emotion pleasantly surprised Aya. Unfortunately, it did little to alleviate her concerns about making love to the man that evening.

Aya paced around her cabin constantly in her black satin nightie. She had thrown back a few brandies while waiting for her husband to come out of the bathroom. Their honeymoon suite on a catamaran was a romantic idea, but the sea was not helping her queasiness.

The king bed had half a dozen pillows propped up on it, and a large heart made of red rose petals was laid out in the centre. When she heard the toilet flush, she started ringing her hands. She looked out the large window to the deck with the desire to escape through it. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with suitable excuses not to consummate things now. Her period was still twelve days away, and a headache would seem pitiful. Although she was not as put off by him anymore, she couldn’t fathom wrapping her legs around him either. She had never gotten comfortable next to the immense heat of his body at the hotel in the days before their wedding.

Hearing his approach, she dashed to the bed and carefully positioned herself at the side. He came out with just a towel wrapped around his waist, and when he saw her, he got down on his knees at her feet, took her face in his hands, and started kissing her tenderly.

He rose and placed her gently on the bed, then lay down on top of her. He took too long kissing and fondling her when she just wanted him to get on with it. He fumbled with her breasts, squeezing them much too hard, and then he began to suck on her nipples for far too long. Although she felt the occasional tingle, Aya was far from aroused.

Desi made his way down to her tender spot and began to fiddle around. Every now and then Aya would gasp when he stabbed her; however, he eventually succeeded in making her moist enough to penetrate.

Aya braced herself for the initial impact, holding a knot of sheets in her fist. It was tight, really tight. But he went into her gently, making his way little by little, and then she felt an easing. It wasn’t awful, although his sloppy kisses were annoying. She would not recall the experience as being pleasurable.

It seemed like forever before Desi, breathing intensely, finally climaxed, remaining in and on top of her. His body trembling and spasmodic, they remained locked in that embrace until he caught his breath.

When he finally rolled off her, Aya shot up to clean herself in the bathroom and noticed Desi’s disappointed look. After washing, Aya plopped herself down on the toilet lid, and that’s when she realized she had never even considered birth control. After a lengthy period of resting her face in her hands, Aya decided she couldn’t hide any longer. Upon her return to the bed, Desi held his arms out to her and she went to him.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just . . .” She paused, carefully choosing her words.

“It will get better, you know, hon.”

“Oh, I know. It’s just, we didn’t use any protection, and—”

Desi let out two loud yelps. “That ain’t nothing to worry ’bout. I ain’t sleeping with anyone else. Are you?”

“Obviously not, just, I don’t want to get pregnant.”

“Well, I took care of that. I had myself snipped before Ricky was born.”

She frowned. “You said you wanted us to have a child!”

“Well, you always said you didn’t want kids, only now you have a husband and the means to support them.” He shrugged. “Besides, I can have it reversed.”

“There are also STDs to consider, and—”

“Now wait a minute”—he leaned in close to her face—“I ain’t got no diseases.” He sighed and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “We can get tested once we get back home if you like.”

“We? I’ve never had sex before, and you—” She stopped herself cold. She had not meant to blurt that out.

Desi whipped around to look at her. “What? How is that possible?” She didn’t answer him. “You mean you never? Not even with Bradley?”

“No, I did not!” she said. “You better wear condoms until this gets sorted out.”

Desi whistled and rolled onto his back again, where they remained in silence for quite some time. Not the best way to start a honeymoon. After a while, Aya started to feel guilty. She really was not being nice to him, and she knew she would have to remind herself to do so as she had so little patience for most people.

“Des,” she said. “I didn’t mean to seem like . . .”

“Oh, I understand. I understand,” he said quietly while crossing his legs.

“It’s that so many women, Black women in particular, get these diseases, and we have to protect ourselves.”

Aya knew he was still processing her lengthy abstinence.

“You’ve been with so many women,” she continued.

“Not that many, I ain’t my father,” he said. “My first was my wife.”

“What happened with her?”

Desi rolled over. “She wasn’t you,” he said simply. “We married too young, and only because she got pregnant. It was over as soon as we came together, only we didn’t do nothing ’bout it. Neither of us knew ’bout such things, so we kept along. I focused on building the business and she on raising Junior. We were sure to separate before he turned two, then I started making real good money, so she stuck around. We led different lives. She only left when I forced the issue.”

Aya looked at him quizzically.

“I got another girl pregnant and everybody knew. Carlton’s mother had quite a mouth on her, much like you.” He winked. “She told everyone ’bout us. To save face, the ex left me and tried to take my business.”

“Oh,” Aya said. “You must’ve really hurt her.”

“Naw, we didn’t even share a bed anymore. She had someone else too, you know? Anyways, it went bad. It took years to get settled, and I ended up starting a new business. I was still angry when I got with Carlton’s mother. I shouldn’t’a gone there, that one is on me.”

“What happened there?” Aya asked.

“There wasn’t much money coming to her with the divorce proceedings going on. She wanted this and needed that, and I was living on my last reserves. She plumb wore me out. I knew I could never commit to her, so I let her know it. Except she kept holding on.”

Aya noticed that Desi never mentioned any names; still, she would not bother for those details now.

“She gave me a lovely boy though. Carlton is something else. Well behaved and always willing to help. I kept him with me, especially since the ex had Junior wrapped around her finger. She turned him against me, you know?” he said, frowning.

“Really? Aren’t you setting the business up for him?”

“It’s for all three of them. Although Carlton wants to go overseas to study and will probably not come back for a while. Yeah, Junior and I are good now, only we were strangers until he was nearly thirteen. Once his mother got serious for her man, the boy was in the way. Fortunately, he didn’t wanna raise another man’s son, and I owe him for that. She got two girls for him now and that is her real family. Now, Junior wasn’t happy to be pushed out. His mother is not much in his life, too busy with her girls and her man, who won’t marry her no matter how hard she tries.” Desi smirked.

“So how did Ricky come about?”

“Carlton’s mother and I were ’bout through. She brought the boy to me when he was a little over a year, thinking I wouldn’t be able to manage and would send for her too. She would come ’round all the time to care for him during the day, but I wouldn’t never invite her to move in or stay the night. I didn’t trust her anymore neither, so there wasn’t much hanky-panky. I couldn’t catch another child from her.

“She kept trying to force the issue of marriage and her living in, so I hired a woman to help take care of the house and the child so she would ease up. Her name’s Marva Beccles, and you’ll meet her when we get back. She comes in four days a week and every other Saturday. She been with me near sixteen years now, and she ain’t ever been married or had children of her own.

“Anyways, from time to time she would bring in a helper when the windows needed cleaning and such, who she claimed was some relative of hers. A tall, fine young lady I’m certain she had in mind for me.”

Desi turned to Aya and pulled her in close.

“Now I wasn’t messing with no women at this time. The business was taking up all my energy, the money starting to come in fast and furious, and I was finally fixing my finances. But, you know, a man has needs, Ay. After a while, she and I started up. She was convenient and didn’t ask for nothing and pretty much left me alone. She just made herself available. Yeah, I realize I was basically paying for it, but I wasn’t studying that. Then she got pregnant and—”

“You keep saying that,” Aya interrupted. “Like you had nothing to do with it. Couldn’t you have worn a condom, or pulled out? I mean, you went through all of that with Carlton’s mother.”

“Yes, yes,” he said, nodding. “You don’t understand, nothing is foolproof. We did try, me especially. I was thinking ’bout getting the snip, even then, only I didn’t wanna swear off getting married for real. Anyways, I love my son and I’m glad he’s here.”

“Where’s his mother?”

Desi looked down and did not answer right away. “She died,” he said finally.

“Oh my God, Des!” Aya said and bolted upright in the bed. “How?”

Desi cleared his throat. “An accident. A terrible accident. I don’t like to think ’bout it, she was so young and Ricky only five. She would come and go between her family and us. She never moved in, she would stay only a few days here and there.”

Aya wanted details but would not press him now. She would wait. “So, you’ve been single between now and then? For four years?”

Desi cocked his head at her and curved his lips. “You mean if I’ve been fornicating, don’t you?” He laughed. “I always get my needs met—even still, I am clean. I get a full physical every year and check my pressure and sugar every four months as it runs in my family but hasn’t caught me yet. As you can see, my member is a fine specimen, and I don’t have no STDs.”

Aya couldn’t help bursting out laughing at that remark. She laid back down into his open arms.

“If you want condoms for now, I’ll do it,” he said. “For now.”

With that, he ended the conversation by closing his eyes to sleep.