Chapter 5


    Jimmy''s Roller Rink


    On Just about any and every night the establishment was an energetic madhouse of young, ck men


    and women skating, ying video games and frequent hookups.The insane rumblings of roller skates


    scraping across every square inch of the floor could be heard clear outside the building, along with the


    loud melodies of ''Junior Walker & The All Stars'', ''Shotgun'', booming in the speakers above the rink, as


    part of the club''s weekly retro night.


    Isaac eagerly stood in line behind four people, waiting not only for his turn to order but also to return to


    his table where both Lyte and Isaiah were seated.From the concession stand he had a bird''s eye


    view of both of them nodding their heads to the music.


    To him, it still felt strange to be amongst their presence after so long. Two months away seemed more


    like two years.With each person that was in front of him ordering food and drinks that was all the more


    Isaac wanted to just throw up his hands in frustration and take his tiny family elsewhere, until eventually


    it was his turn to approach the counter.


    With only ten dors left in his pocket, he ordered two Pepsi''s and a small bucket of popcorn.Once he


    was through at the counter, Isaac attempted the arduous task of trekking his way back across the room


    while ducking and dodging skaters left and right.


    The instant he was able to reach the table in one piece, Isaiah looked up, and almost instantly his


    bright eyes bubbled at the sight of the red and white container of popcorn that his father brought with


    him.


    "Man, he ain''t never gonna let his old man get some!" Isaac tedly remarked as he sat down across


    from Lyte and the baby.


    Sipping on her cup of soda, Lyte exined, "The boy loves him some popcorn." She then sat her


    cup down on the table and said, "It was nice of your father to give us some money to go out. Lord


    knows he''s already done so much for us as it is."


    "Yeah, well, that''s gonna change real soon." Isaac adamantly stated.


    "How do you mean?"


    "Dad is gonna put in a good word for me at his cleaningpany so I can get put on."


    "For real," Lyte beamed. "You mean to say that you''re not going back to Larry''s again?"


    "Nope, I''m done with that fool."


    "Thank God." Lyte graciously exhaled. "Sooner orter he was gonna end up getting himself killed


    or you in the process."


    As Isaac fiddled with his straw''s wrapper, every so often his eyes would shift from the table in front of


    him to Lyte''s curly hair that was wrapped in a green scarf in the back, and herrge, sparkling


    green earrings. He was aware of just how ufortable she would be whenever he stared at


    her, but he wanted to grab her attention.


    "What are you looking at?" Lyte blushed as if everyone in the rink were gawking at her all at once.


    "Just the most beautiful girl in the ce," he slyly smirked.


    Lyte rolled her eyes and smiled, "Please, you need your eyes checked."


    "I can see things just fine."


    "I bet you can." Lyte murmured. "So, what did you end up doingst night when you got home?"Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Nothing much," Isaac shrugged. "Just watched some TV. When I woke up this morning, I wasying at


    the foot of my bed. For the life of me I can''t remember what I did after I watched TV."


    "You sure you weren''t watching that nasty ''Benny Hill Show'' again?" She joked.


    "Huh, so you wanna jive a brother?" Isaacughed out loud. "For your information, while I was away I


    was actually reading a lot about mental health issues and all the stuff doctors are doing to help folks."


    Lyte dropped her head before asking, "It''s not like it is in the movies, is it? Where they give people


    shock therapy and all that?"


    "No, it''s not like that." Isaac waved his hand. "Actually, the only bad thing about Asndview was the


    food. My first night there they served hotdogs for supper. I ended up having the runs for almost an


    entire week after eating their food."


    "That''s real nice to know right after I just got through eating a Coney dog myself, Isaac." Lyte


    grimaced before taking another sip of soda. "I know you don''t like talking about it, but I was just


    curious, that''s all. I just don''t want you to hate me for not bringing Isaiah along when I came to visit."


    "I''m not mad. I thought about it, and you were right, it wasn''t a good ce to bring a child. All the folks


    in there yelling and screaming like they''re...crazy. But I''ll tell you this, I really enjoyed your poems. They


    helped me through some lonely nights. I''m d that you never gave that up."


    "I have a friend that I go to Cypress State with, and she says that my poetry is good enough to be


    published. She knows someone who may be able to send it off to an editor. Who knows, maybe I can


    get a book deal." Lyte proudly blushed.


    "Damn right, girl!" Isaac proimed excitedly. "I knew you could do it!"


    Lyte''s once prideful expression immediately sank within a matter of two seconds. She stared at


    Isaac with a serious re on her face and said, "This is really important to me; my poetry and


    bing a nurse, Isaac. All three of my sisters got pregnant in high school and dropped out. Now, all


    they do is sit at home, collect welfare and watch ''The Price Is Right'' every day. I swore that I would


    never end up like them."


    Lynn''s voice began to tremble. "It''s hard, Isaac. It''s damn hard for me to do this all on my own. I''m sick


    and tired of getting up at five a.m. every morning, feeding a baby, getting a baby ready for the sitter,


    running off to school, then off to work, just toe home and start all over again, when I should have


    my man there every step of the way."


    Isaac couldn''t tear his jittery eyes away from Lyte at that second. He had heard the same


    scorching speech over and over again from her, except right then, the words were actually bleeding


    through to the bone.


    Isaac stared a bit more at Lyte''s shaky face before he sat back in his leather seat and said, "I


    never did tell you what my father did years ago, did I?"


    Lyte scrunched up her face and asked, "What, he wasn''t always a janitor?"


    "No. You see, back in the day, he was a pimp and a drug dealer."


    Lyte only started to snigger while rolling her disbelieving eyes. "Yeah right, not Mr. Merc."


    "The one and only," Isaac replied.


    "Are you serious?" Lyte lit up. "What happened?"


    "Well, he and his crew used to run 89th and Forest Blvd back then. Until one day, he saw this woman


    coming out of church one Sunday. He wanted to get with her so bad. He''d start rappin'' about how much


    he would take care of her, and how pretty she was. But this woman, being a church going woman and


    all, wasn''t gonna have anything to do with him. But dad kept on and on until finally, this same woman


    broke down and told him that if he changed his ways, stop pimping and selling drugs, then maybe, just


    maybe, she''d have a cup of coffee with him. So anyways, dad started to change, here and there. He


    gave up nging the heroin and messing around with women. Two yearster, he approached this


    woman again. Well, I figure she saw what an incredible transformation he had made in his life, and she


    kept her word about having coffee. So they went Downtown to Leonard''s Café, had coffee, and they


    continued to do so for the next three years. They eventually got married, and nine monthster...I


    showed up."


    Lyte caressed Isaiah''s head and modestly said, "I think I have a feeling where this story is


    headed."


    Isaac sat up, reached his hands across the table and said, "Lynn, I know I fuc...messed up. But I''m


    trying real hard to change. All that stuff that happenedst year, I wanna put it in the past. I wanna be


    there for you two. I hate seeing you work your ass off all the time. I want us to get married. I want you


    to be my wife and not my son''s mom. I want all of the stuff that you want, even more. You gotta believe


    me." Isaac urged.


    Isaac watched as Lyte''s eyes began to water, but he could sense that with such arge crowd


    looming about that she was hesitant to allow the tears to flow. She instead wiped her eyes and gazed


    upon Isaac''s desperate conviction. Even Isaac, at that instant, was surprised at himself.


    "Isaac...I want us to be together, too. But, I feel like I''m listening to a broken record. Do you know how


    much it hurt me to see you run out of the house like you did back on Thanksgiving?" She faintly


    sobbed. "And then all of the sudden wake up the next morning to find out that you''re in the hospital?


    You and I have known each other since the sixth grade, Isaac. I thought we could talk to each other


    about anything."


    Mortified, Isaac turned his head and looked the other way, too overwhelmed to stare into her tearful


    eyes a second longer.


    "Uh, uh, you look at me." The young woman firmlymanded. "You always turn your head whenever


    someone tells you about yourself."


    Isaac reluctantly did as ordered and redirected his attention back to Lyte.


    With an abrasive, yet vulnerable ze written all over her face, Lyte asked, "Do you promise to do


    better this time? Do you promise to control your temper and not run away every time we have a


    disagreement?"


    It didn''t take long for Isaac to respond to her ardent questions. Without mulling over it, he got up out of


    his seat, took three steps around the table and knelt down to one knee in front of Lyte.


    Everyone that passed by their direct vicinity paused, gasped and pointed at the young man who was in


    the midst of making the so called ultimate manly gesture.


    With a plunging stomach, Isaac looked straight into Lyte''s eyes and said, "I don''t have a ring right


    now, but...will you be my wife?"


    With popcorn balled up in his tiny right hand, Isaiah nced up at his overly blushing mother who


    appeared more thunderstruck than anything else.


    There was no verbal response from the young woman, only a quaint smile and a simple nod yes before


    reaching down and hugging Isaac''s sweaty neck.


    All the female bystanders gave their collective "Aww''s" before letting out a chorus of jubnt apuse


    at the young couple''s happiness.


    "You see that, folks? Everyone falls in love at Jimmy''s!" Jimmy Tolliver, the owner of the rink, loudly and


    delightedly announced over the P.A. system.


    The cheers went on and on as Marvin Gaye''s, ''You''re all I need'' began ying on the speakers. Amidst


    all the adoring des Isaac continued to hold his woman''s body, not wanting to let go.


    "Isn''t this better than sitting home and watching a movie about ves?" He teased into her ear. Isaac


    could feel Lyte''s body jiggle withughter.


    Still, the woman had no words to utter. Isaac only hugged her tighter.