Crimson Footprints Part 15

"Let's see how it goes," Deena murmured.

Tak nodded, stood again. "Great. Anyway, tomorrow night my cousin's dropping by."

Deena sat up straighter.

"Cousin? What cousin?"

Tak laughed. "Why? Is there one you know?"

"No. It's just-" Deena fell silent.

"My cousin, John. The one I'm always telling you about? He's at Columbia."

Deena stared at the bedspread. His cousin. His family. She raised her gaze. "What about Daichi?"

"What about him?"

"Won't he find out that we were here? Together?"

Tak shook his head. "No. He and John aren't exactly text message buddies."

Deena watched him as he pulled on a close-fitting chocolate tee and a pair of relaxed jeans, still unconvinced. "Still, Tak. You told me a long time ago that your father was like my family in some ways. That he wouldn't approve of you dating a girl who wasn't j.a.panese."

"So?"

"So I'm not j.a.panese."

Tak sighed. "It'll be fine. Trust me. When you meet John, you'll understand."

"What in the world does that mean?"

"Well," Tak said. "He'd be a fine one to talk. Considering he's only half j.a.panese himself."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

Deena didn't need to be told that the tall and sinewy man with silk black hair was John Tanaka. The square face, heavy-lidded eyes and broad mouth all gave him away. They were mirrored images, Tak and John, albeit with subtle differences. John's eyes were a honey brown, whereas Tak's were near black. John's skin was like porcelain, Tak's soft wheat. And where John wore his hair in a short and conservative comb-back, Tak's was blunted with a razor and constantly in his eyes.

Tak swept John into a hearty embrace before holding him out at arm's length.

"You're looking more and more like your father," Tak said.

John grinned. "Those late night pan pizzas must be showing." He patted his washboard stomach.

"I'm thinking it's the receding hairline."

"What!" John cried.

He pounced, but Tak was ready and swept him into a headlock. The two laughed as they tumbled about the suite, as John tried his d.a.m.nedest to get free.

Deena rolled her eyes and turned to the blonde near the door. She was a saucer-faced girl with gooseberry eyes, short with slight curves. Once it became clear that no introductions were forthcoming, Deena strode over to her.

"I'm guessing you're Allison." She extended a hand. "John's girlfriend?"

The girl nodded.

"And you're Deena? Tak's girlfriend?"

It was news to her. But she liked the sound of it. She smiled shyly, gave a short nod.

"Are they always like this?" Deena asked, peering at the two men, their wrestling match now down to the carpet.

Allison sighed. "John's rowdy, but-Tak brings out the worst in him."

"I should expect more of this?" Deena asked.

"Basically," Allison deadpanned.

Finally, the pair stood and dusted themselves off. Tak clapped his younger cousin on the back.

"John, I swear, you never get tired of an a.s.s kicking."

"What? I'm guessing you need medical attention right now. Don't be too proud to seek it out."

John turned to Deena and smoothed out the white polo he wore. "John Tanaka," he said and extended a hand.

Deena took it. "Deena Hammond. Pleased to meet you."

John shook his head. "Pleasure's all mines. Finally, I get to meet the great warrior that conquered Tak.u.mi Tanaka," he lowered his head. "Honored."

Deena giggled. "I don't know if 'conquered' is the right word."

John raised his head and smirked.

"Trust me. It is."

Tak sighed. "And if ever you wondered whether John could keep a secret," he nodded towards Allison. "Here's your answer."

"What! With all the secrets I've kept for you? You ungrateful louse."

John grabbed him and the two tumbled to the floor.

Allison, Deena eventually learned, had a father who taught international law at Columbia and a mother who taught economics at NYU. John's girlfriend was a pert and saucy blonde with Jersey panache, while he had Tak's predisposition towards silliness, and seemingly, Daichi's hunger for success. It took Deena but a moment to decide she liked them both. A lot. And quickly, the evening out they spent with the couple ranked up there as one of her favorites on the trip. Though behind, of course, one that was especially memorable.

It was past noon, and Tak and Deena should've been seizing the day. Instead, they were in bed, having risen only to accept room service, with no more than a pa.s.sing desire to leave. They were like two colts at play, him nuzzling her, teasing her with exaggerated kisses and her squealing, pretending not to enjoy it. She could've spent a lifetime in that city, in that bed, in his arms. When the silliness stopped, it was only because her phone insisted on ringing.

"My grandmother," she said.

Tak collapsed on the bed with a groan. "Don't answer," he said even as she said h.e.l.lo. "Emma Hammond never had good news," he muttered. "Never."

"Chile, where you been?" Emma cried. "I've been calling you since yesterday!"

Deena sighed. "I'm in New York. Is everything o.k.?"

"No! Everything ain't okay! That sister of yours was round here tussling with Keisha behind something, and that's on top the fact that it ain't no food in the house."

No food? Her grandmother received welfare, food stamps, income from the VA and four hundred dollars a month from Deena. All that was to support her and a girl who was never there.

Deena glanced at her watch, noting the date. "Didn't your check from the VA come? Grandpa's pension?"

"Girl, who think you are, asking me about that? And anyway if it did come, it ain't for me to be spending on that fast a.s.s sister of yours."

No, that's what the welfare, food stamps and everything else is for, Deena thought. She sighed.

"You should have something, Grandma. Did you use up all the emergency money, too?"

Emma sucked her teeth. "Chile that money been gone. Two Sunday dinners ate through dat."

"Sunday dinner! You weren't supposed to treat the whole family with it! It was supposed to be for necessities for you and Lizzie."

"Chile, you act like you left some big time money."

"I left four hundred dollars extra. That's eight hundred this month. It's not a lot, but it was all I could afford."

"Yet you got money for New York."

Deena sat up with a sigh. "So, basically you're calling for more money? Right?"

"That's it. I need you to bring more money over."

Deena paused.

"Grandma, please. I can't bring it. I'm in New York City."

"Well how the h.e.l.l I'm supposed to get it?"

She shook her head. "See, this is why I tell you to get a bank account! You listen to Caroline, who's always going to these predatory lenders. How do you function like this?"

"I don't need no bank account! Mr. Evans up at the liquor store cash whatever kinda check you got. Been cas.h.i.+ng my checks for thirty-something years. So don't tell me about no bank."

"I bet Mr. Evans has a bank account."

"How I'm supposed know what Mr. Evans got?"

"Well anyway, I can't wire money to Mr. Evans at the liquor store."

"Then you just gonna have to come back then. Cause we out of money."

Deena thought about the cities that lay ahead and the possibilities-Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C. She thought about all the moments they'd shared-the Waffle House in Atlanta, the Screamin' Eagle in St. Louis, Lake Michigan in Chicago, him making love to her in New York. And as her grandmother shouted, her eyes began to water.

"Grandma, I'm nowhere near Miami. I could wire you some money but, but-"

Deena brought a hand to her face.

"Listen. I don't deal with n.o.body but Mr. Evans. Now, unless you gone get this money to him, you need to find yourself another idea."

Deena wiped her face. She should've known she could never get away with such freedom; that she could never get away with happiness. She was forever tethered to this family, forever a Hammond.

Tak touched her shoulder.

"Call her back, Dee."

She looked at him and turned away. He repeated himself, sterner. "Call her back."

"You want to ask me about this little bit of money I got. You wouldn't even have nothing if it wasn't for me! You want to be selfish and talk about what you is and ain't gone do?" Grandma Emma spat.

Tak took the phone and hung it up. Deena stared at him, eyes s.h.i.+mmering.

"I-I have to call back. She wants me to come home now." Deena swallowed. "She needs more money but she won't let me wire it because she doesn't trusts banks and-and-"

"Do you want to go home?"

She drew back, horrified. How could he even ask her that? After all this? All that's happened?

"Of course not."

"Then stay." He tossed the phone onto the bed.

"But she needs money. She needs me."

"She doesn't need you. What she needs is a lesson."

He swung his legs out from the bed and stood. "Show her how valuable you are. That you're not at her beck and call."

Deena lowered her gaze. Lowered it because she knew that she was.

"All right, have it your way. If she really needs money, then we'll wire her some."

"But my grandmother doesn't have a bank account! And-and she'd never go to Western Union. She only deals with Mr. Evans at the liquor store."

Tak's gaze narrowed. "No one who needs money would put so many stipulations on how they get it."