Hood Ornaments

The average beach visitor dreads the daunting task of finding reasonable parking. Every lot that didn’t cost an arm and a leg would be anywhere from five to ten blocks away from the beach. From the few trips the crew took down to the beach as children, they all remembered that. They remembered assisting with carrying bags, coolers, towels, and sometimes chairs and umbrellas. They would look like a makeshift parade heading to the boardwalk. The whole family would stop and catch their breaths at the steps leading up to that wonderful wooden barrier from the beach hosting vendors, games, rides, food stands, and a variety of other little hidden treasures.

As young adults, things were sure different. For one, Dell had one of Sticks’ VIP parking passes from a casino he frequented. Two, they could rent umbrellas and chairs on the beach and lastly, Tori really didn’t have carry anything as the boys took care of carrying the coolers for the short trip from the parking lot elevator to the casino doors that led to the steps.

As soon as they crossed the boardwalk, Tori took off her flip flops so she could feel the sand in between her toes. She held her breath because she remembered as a small child how hot the sand would be. It would actually burn her feet. Either growing older toughened her soles or it wasn’t hot that day because the sand did not burn her at all. She started searching for a clear spot closer to the water. She stopped and took out the meticulously rolled blanket out of her bag to spread it out. As if they had done this before, the boys put a cooler and/or a bag on each corner and sat down.

Tori’s head whipped around quickly as she squinted and looked towards the ocean. Despite what people would say about that part of the country having unclear, therefore, unclean water, it was still beautiful to her. From the grey-blue right before the breaking waves, to the light blues, teals and lastly the navy kissing the horizon. If she squinted, she could see the jewels that sparkled in the sun. She saw sapphires, topazes, emeralds. If she titled her head just right she saw amethysts.

Tiny glimmers of hope.

She, as if entranced by the glimmering jewels, walked towards the sea. She didn’t even take off her sundress and its hem got wet as the water circled around her ankles. Malik was the first one to express concern.

“Yo Dell, can she swim?”

Dell’s eyes widened as he shook his head no and trotted off after her. She just kept walking into the water. Even with the splashing he was making as he ran, Tori didn’t turn around. Dell remembered how jumpy she was still and gently touched her elbow before calling her name,

“Tori, you okay girl?” He tried to chuckle to play it off, but even he knew he sounded insincere. “You’re getting your dress all wet”

Tori stopped walking but didn’t stop looking at the horizon’s line of jewels that sparkled.

“I’m sorry Dell, I just swore I heard my mama calling me. I know that sounds crazy, but I heard her voice in the waves.”

Inwardly Dell winced, but he just guided her by her elbow back to the beach blanket where Tony and Malik were sitting already sipping sodas. She, in turn, grabbed a water from a cooler and the sun block out of her bag.

“Tor, let me see that when you’re done?” Malik asked.

Tori took off the sundress and began to lotion her legs.

“Bamma, what you need sun block for?” Tony tried to chide Malik, “You dark as hell,”

“I can still burn stupid, and I suggest your yellow ass put on some too before you look like a lobster when we go home. I ain’t gonna sit in the car wit chu whinin the whole way.”

“Whatever bamma, I brown like a turkey.”

The sun block got passed from person to person, but Tony was insistent on proving his point. Lucid now, Tori and Dell went back into the water playfully splashing each other.

The crew spent the rest of the day playing in the water, basking in the sun and enjoying the snacks. Unsure if it was the pseudo-swimming, the sun, or just the late hour, but they became hungry and sleepy. Tony nudged Dell and pointed to Tori who was on the blanket falling asleep.

“You think we should wake her?” Tony whispered.

Dell shook his head and looked up at the hotel that they used for parking upon their arrival, “Nah, but I’ll be right back.” He said while heading to the boardwalk.

Tony looked behind him, noticed Malik was asleep too, and kind of chuckled to himself before he began to play in Tori’s hair. Although he was outwardly attentive, inwardly, he felt some kinda way. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about their relationship had changed. Yet, her and Dell’s relationship became stronger despite what had happened to her. He didn’t want to think that Tori was attracted to the money and bravado that Dell seemed to be eager to flash now, because she never was the shallow girl.

And Dell, although Tony deeply appreciated all of the things he was doing for him and Malik, it did appear that he was showing off.

Was it envy he was feeling? Was it the love he had for Tori? Was it some childhood animosity that never got squashed? Tony wasn’t sure, and for the meantime he would have to put his questions on hold as Dell came back.

Tori sat up groggily.

“Dag, I’m hungry,” she announced with a whine.

Malik sat up as well rubbing his stomach, “Yeah me too.”

Dell raised an eyebrow at Tony who agreed, “I could eat.”

“Okay, I figured we would be. My uncle played so much down here he has all kinds of comps on his VIP card, so I got us a reservation for dinner and a room.”

“What’s the room for?” Tony and Tori asked in unison.

“To clean up? We are covered in sand,” Dell said matter of fact.

Malik shrugged and started packing up. Then the quartet made the small trek across the sand to the glass doors of the casino.

They entered the room, besides it being a little on the gaudy side, it was nothing spectacular. They showered and changed into casual clothing, but when Tony came out of the bathroom, the rest of their eyes widened and their jaws dropped.

“Oh my God, Tone. Are you in pain?” Tori said as she touched Tony’s face and forearms.

He looked at her quizzically, “No why?”

“You didn’t see yourself in the mirror, dawg?” Malik asked sounding like he was wincing.

“The shower steamed up the mirror,” Tony’s frown made his eyebrows look as though they were actually touching. He walked to the mirror that was above the dresser and noticed that his skin was crimson.

“You took a hot shower?” Dell asked amazed. “It’s amazing you weren’t screaming!”

Tony winced, “It didn’t start hurting until y’all pointed it out to me.”

“Do you have any aloe?” Tori asked rubbing his arm, which he jerked away from her angrily.

“Yeah Tor I carry an aloe and a jojoba plant with me every time I go to the beach.”

Dell frowned, “She’s only trying to help,” he said with a hint of warning in his voice.

Tony ignored Dell and looked in the mirror, “I fuckin look like a lobster.”

Tori sucked her teeth, “But you’re actin like a crab. Mr. “I brown like a turkey.”

Malik burst out laughing but then said, “C’mon y’all I’m hungry.”

They headed down to the restaurant. In the elevator, Dell inquired, “All y’all like seafood? Cuz the place my uncle was comped for is a seafood joint.”

There were nods and shrugs except for Tony who looked like he was in pain.

“Are you gonna be aiight man?” Dell asked through a chuckle.

“You think this shit is funny hotshot? I ain’t laughin.”

“Why I gotta be a hotshot bamma? I’m just tryin to get chu to laugh a little. Fuck is up wit chu?”

Tony saw Tori’s expression change from nervous to sad, so he decided to swallow his pride. This was supposed to be her day after all. He wasn’t going to ruin it just because he didn’t contribute to her joy. Then he realized that’s what was wrong with him all along. It wasn’t that he thought Dell was showing off.

Okay maybe a little bit.

But the real reason was that he was unable to do anything for Tori on her special day. It was like Tony wasn’t even her man.

He didn’t even deserve to be her man.

They made their way through the blinking lights and glitz of the casino to get to the restaurant. He felt like sunburned shit.

Literally.

The start of the restaurant experience was out of a bad movie. Four urban kids who were stared at the minute they walked in. The host glared at Tony’s crimson sunburn and tried to make a joke about matching the lobsters. No one found it funny. Tony expressed his disdain with a false guffaw so loud the people who were staring at them shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Tony and Malik were becoming increasingly uncomfortable, which made Tori begin to feel uneasy as well. Dell just looked overwhelmed by the menu.

“My menu doesn’t have any prices,” Tori whispered to him as the waitress was approaching.

“That’s because since I made the reservation they gave the menu with the prices to me. Besides order what you want, it’s Sticks’ comp.”

The waitress gave the specials, asked for their drink orders and sauntered off pleasantly enough. When she came back and gave Tony his drink order she winced at him.

“Are you in lot of pain?” She seemed to ask with genuine concern.

“Kind of.”

“I’ll bring you some water as well as this lemonade. You need to be as hydrated as possible. Make sure you go down to the gift shop and get some aloe too.”

For the first time since they came back from the beach, Tony genuinely smiled, “Thanks.”

“No problem, you guys ready to order?”

“Everything looks so good,” Tori said uneasily.

“Well if you don’t mind, I’d like to make a few suggestions. One, don’t worry about all of these bourgeois people in here. Y’all are from my neighborhood, I got y’all.”

Malik all of a sudden recalled her, “Yeah you used to live by the corner store.”

“Mmmmhmm sure did. I moved when things got bad.”

“Shit, they were always bad,” Malik remarked, “What’s your name again?”

“Camilla.”

“That’s right.”

“Yeah, I know your Mom.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no she’s good people. Just had some bad breaks, but don’t we all?”

The host walked by and cleared his throat to get Camilla’s attention. She rolled her eyes and made her suggestions to the crew with a smiling pleasant demeanor.

Everyone relaxed then. Meals were chosen. Drinks were refilled and idle chit chat commenced. Camilla came back to the table with the large crab dip appetizer that they could share.

“I made sure this came out to y’all when it first got done. A lot of servers like to bring the appetizers out with the salads, but that never made much sense to me because the table gets real crowded.” Camilla was smiling but took a long look at Tori, “I’m sorry, but you look so familiar.”

“Well yeah, we all are from the same neighborhood,” Tori said smiling back.

“Yeah, but that’s not what I mean,” Camilla said as her eyes looked upward for a way to explain herself. But then she wrinkled her nose and decided against it, “it’ll come to me later, y’all enjoy, and I’ll be back with your salads in a few.”

The rest of the meal was amazing, and the crew were stuffed. So stuffed in fact, they didn’t even order dessert.

Dell excused himself and went to ask the host how to leave a tip for Camilla with a comped meal. All of a sudden the hosts’ attitude changed from snooty to accommodating and kind. When he came back to the table, it looked like they were all about to go to sleep. He chuckled, “Y’all look like y’all are ready to call it a night.”

Tori sat up and rubbed her full belly, “There is no way I’m gonna go to sleep without digesting this food. Can we take a walk on the beach?”

“Y’all go head,” Tony said, “I need to go find the gift shop before it closes, get this aloe, and lie down for a few.”

“And, I’ma get me some funnel cake,” Malik said matter of fact.

“Ugh you still have room in there for food?” Tori asked.

Malik pretended to fix an imaginary collar, “Well you know, I am a growing boy,” he said mocking a British accent. They all laughed and agreed to call each other to meet up on the boardwalk. On the way out, they all hugged and thanked Camilla. Malik and Dell walked towards the doors that led outside while Tori walked Tony to the elevator. Tori pouted as Tony pressed the button causing Tony to chuckle.

“You havin a good time, girl?”

“Of course I am. This is great. I just wished you felt better though.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said as he kissed her on the nose. “I just need some rest, and then I’ll come down and spank your ass at some skee-ball.”

“Whatever,” Tori hid her confusion through a chuckle.

“You dunno what skee-ball is do you?”

Tori giggled as she shook her head.

Tony kissed her on her nose again,

“I didn’t think so. You better go on. Dell is waiting for you.”

“He’s a big boy; he’ll be aiight,” She waved her hand dismissively.

His tone changed, “I hope I’ll be.”

“Chu mean?” She asked as her face went from playful to serious.

“Look, I didn’t want to do this now,” he said as the elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside.

“Do what now?” Tori went inside the elevator with him. Some people shuffled uncomfortably behind the pair.

“You’re going off to college, Tor. I don’t have the means to visit…”

“I’m sure Dell…”

Tony interrupted, “Yes Dell would. Just like Dell funded this trip. Just like he paid for the barbeque.”

The elevator stopped, and the other people in the elevator got off.

Then Tori went off.

“What the fuck does that have to do with anything? Y’all are boys. Y’all look out for one another!”

“Do we Tori? What do I do for Dell? Look, I’m sayin. I joined the Army Tori. I want to be a man to you, and in order to do that I have to be a man.”

“You did what?! You tell me this now!”

With that the elevator doors opened on an empty floor, Tori angrily left.

“I’m taking the damn stairs.”

She saw red exit signs near the stairs and pushed the door open with all her might. It banged against the wall. She grabbed her cell phone began scrolling to find Dell’s name. That’s when she noticed her hands were trembling. She continued to descend the stairs as quickly as she could as she listened to the phone ring, and ring and…