Hood Ornaments

“Are you sitting down?”

“No.”

“Baby I am going to need you to sit down.”

“I don’t understand why I need to sit down.”

“How come you don’t listen to anyone?”

“Oh c’mon you know that’s not true.”

“Okay, typically you listened to me, but other than that…”

“Other than that, who else is there to listen to?”

There was laughter on the other end of the phone. Tori leaned against her desk in her dorm.

“Are you sitting down now??”

“Aw Lawd, Grandma, no. I am leaning, and this announcement better be worth all of this hype!!”

Trudy laughed a little harder this time, but then caught herself, “Lawd forgive me. It’s a sin for me to be laughin at a time like this, but Tori if you ain’t comical when you’re annoyed.”

Tori’s tone softened, “A time like what?”

“Well girl, I am sorry to have to tell you like this, but Ms. Violet passed away.”

“I knew that Grandma.”

“You knew? Who told you?”

“Leek shot me a text last night.”

“Shot you a text? Is that what this generation has come to? All these technological advances are great and all, but damn, this is the kind of news you at least tell somebody over the phone and that’s only if ya done everything ya could to tell them to their face.”

Tori sighed. “Grandma as much as I love you and this etiquette lesson, I am late for class.”

Trudy felt a little put off by Tori’s nonchalant attitude, “Well did Leek tell you Tony will be coming home for the funeral.”

At that moment, it felt as though the room tilted. Tori literally held on to the desk to keep her from falling. She felt her chest tighten up, but she couldn’t let Trudy know she was having this reaction. She cleared her throat gently, “No. Leek did not. But he said he would talk to me later. I’m sure he will mention it then.”

“So is that the reason why you wanted to come home?”

Tori frowned her face up in bewilderment, “If I just now found out Tony was coming home, how that could be a reason, Grandma?”

“I’m a little tired of you sassing me, Victoria.”

“I’m not. Grandma, I apologize. I’m just stressed. I have a lot of work to do for the studio opening next week. I have a complicated paper to write that’s due like in two days. People out here just seem to be real manipulative; my feelings and time are being pulled in a million different directions. I miss peace, I miss quiet, I miss the corner store, you, your cooking and…”

“Dell,” Trudy said softly smiling.

Tori sighed, “Yeah, I miss Dell.”

“I can’t believe I have to coax you birds to call one another. Just call him, I’m sure he would love to hear from you.”

“That’s the thing. Why didn’t he contact me about Ms. Violet.? About Tony?”

Trudy sighed in response. “Call me back when you are less busy girl,” She then chuckled, “I’ll give you another life/love lesson. And don’t think I didn’t hear what you said about a gallery opening. So if I don’t hear from you soon, I’ma have to fly to Chicago and snatch your lil narra behind up.”

Tori softened up just a little bit when she heard Trudy’s empty threat. “Okay, Grandma, I will.”

“And call Dell.”

“I will!”

“I love you Tori.”

“Love you too.”

After Tori hung up, her behavior was a little erratic. She knew she had to get back to the studio, but she also knew she had to contact Dell. She didn’t believe what Trudy was insinuating. Dell may be a lot of things, but petty he wasn’t. There had to be something more to what was happening. Before she forgot, she called Dell and was surprised when his phone went directly to voicemail.

“Dell it’s me. Grandma told me to call you. So call me as soon as you get this. Love you. I mean it. Bye.” She pressed a button and stuck the phone into the front pocket of one of her book bags. She then strategically opened her door only to come face to face with Michael.

“Jesus. You fuckin scared me. Whatchu doin loomin outside my door?”

“I wasn’t looming,” Michael said as he eased Tori’s struggle with her bags by taking one of them from her, “I was just about to knock until I heard your voice. I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation.”

“Conversation?” Tori asked with legitimate confusion as they walked to the opening elevator and stepped inside.

The doors shut before Michael responded, “Yes, about you being homesick?”

“Wait,” Tori turned her head to glare at him, “How damn long were you out there eavesdropping on my conversation?”

With absolutely no emotion in his voice, Michael responded, “Your voice carries Victoria, I wasn’t eavesdropping. Like I said I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

They were the only people on the elevator, so when the doors opened again, Tori quickly pressed the button for the basement, stood in front of the doors and crossed her arms.

“So you just…you know what Michael, your fake ass nonchalantness is getting on my fucking nerves. Whatever it is you want to say, ask, do dammit just do it now!”

“Fuck you Victoria!” Michael said so sharply that Tori thought her eardrum popped. “I don’t know what else I have to fucking do to show you that I care about you, that I love you. But no matter what I do, or how I do it. You just won’t let me in. What does this Dell dude have that I don’t?? What has he done for you that I won’t??”

Tori just stood there staring at Michael with a seething look on her face. But it wasn’t because of his anger. To be honest, she couldn’t care less that he was angry at her or what he was angry about. She however was vehemently angry with him for the way he spoke about Dell. How dare he? Michael hadn’t even scratched the surface of her past. If he only knew how much Dell truly loved her. What he helped he get through. What he did to protect her. If she told Michael everything, she wouldn’t be sure how he would take it. But at this point, Tori wasn’t sure why she even cared. The elevator doors opened, she dropped her head and moved aside to let Michael by. He didn’t move but to reach around her to press the button for the lobby. Tori looked up at him exasperated. His face softened.

“Listen, this got out of hand. I apologize. Maybe we need to squash this for a while. You go ahead to the studio, I’m gonna go to the library. Text me when you’re done, and we’ll switch.”

“But that’s…”

He put his finger over her lips and smiled, “Necessary for now.” With that the doors to the lobby opened again, Tori’s phone rang from within her backpack, Michael placed her bags at her feet, kissed her on the top of her head, and he walked out. Tori hurriedly unzipped the front of her bag and grabbed her cell. She knew it was Dell, because she assigned him a different ringtone.

“Hey you.” Tori said not being able to hide the exhaustion in her voice.

“Tori. You okay?” Dell asked.

“Not really, and I just want to preface this conversation with I am not trying to start an argument. I don’t want to have an argument. I am tired of arguing.”

Dell chuckled slightly as he parked his truck in the student parking lot, “So I guess I should be prepared to argue with you.”

Tori chuckled back, “Shut up.”

“I haven’t said anything.”

“And that’s my point.”

“What do you mean?” Dell asked with a concerned frown as he stepped out of the truck and pushed the button for the alarm. He slung his book bag over his shoulder.

“How come I had to hear about Ms. Violet from Leek?”

There was an exaggerated silence before Dell took a deep sigh and answered, “I really don’t have an explanation…”

Dell was already in the hallway of his building headed to class as Tori was making long strides through campus to reach the studio.

“How about an explanation why I had to hear that Tone was coming home from Trudy…”

Dell leaned against the wall a few feet away from his classroom door, “Well that I just found out about myself. So I’m sorry for that. Are you going to be coming home for…?”

Tori finished his question, “The services? I hadn’t planned on it no. I am so busy with school I might not make it home for Thanksgiving. And I really want to. I miss …”

“Me?” Dell’s interruption was equivalent to that of a small child’s surprise causing Tori to laugh.

“Well yeah, Bamma. Of course I miss you.”

“But you miss Trudy’s cooking more?” Dell asked in slight defeat.

She smiled warmly as she pushed open the studio door with her hip, “I’ll say y’all are neck and neck.”

Dell chuckled, “I am actually kinda honored to be in any category where I am neck and neck with Trudy. But listen Tor, I gotta get to class.”

“Yeah, and I gotta get started paintin or else I’m never comin home.”

“Ugh, don’t say that. That would suck.”

“I love you boy. Talk to you later.”

“I Love you more girl. Yeah later tonight, I promise.”

The pair hung up smiling inside and out.