AGED OUT FOSTER CARE INC.
It was only the middle of April and Washington DC was having unseasonably warm temperatures. Instead of it being a comfortable seventy five degrees it was a humid eighty five degrees. Sinclair had been tending to the garden in hopes that the corner lot brownstone would look good all the way around. Dressed in her red shorts and a white tee shirt she tended to the garden for what seemed like eternity. She cut weeds, planted new flowers and trimmed ones that had overgrown. Before she knew it, she was knee deep in dirt replanting a flower. She didn’t even realize that Kingston was watching her the whole while.
Dressed in a dark blue suit with a light blue open collared shirt, Kingston stood watching Sinclair. Even though Sinclair was covered in dirt, to Kingston she still looked beautiful. Watching her reminded him of how well his mother tended to her garden of numerous plants and flowers and even vegetables too.
He cleared his throat before speaking. “Hello, Sinclair.”
Hearing someone call her name, Sinclair turned around to see Kingston peering through the black wrought iron gate.
“Oh my God I am late, I’m so sorry,” Sinclair said as she stood and dirt slid down her legs.
“No, it’s no problem at all,” Kingston said while smiling. “Mr. Parker told me where to find you. I hope I didn’t scare you.”
Sinclair began brushing the dirt from her legs as she walked toward Kingston. “No you didn’t scare me, but time just flew by me. If you don’t mind waiting, it will only take me thirty minutes to shower and change.”
“Not a problem at all. I have a motto, it’s better to be a little early because you never know when you need to be a tad bit late.” Kingston said while admiring Sinclair from head to toe.
“Nice motto to have. Why don’t I meet you around front and I will let you in?” Sinclair informed him.
Moments later Sinclair had escorted Kingston into her spacious apartment on the second floor.
“I brought you something,” Kingston said holding a gift bag out to Sinclair.
Opening the bag Sinclair replied. “You didn’t have to bring me anything.” Once she saw what he brought her she just laughed. “White Chocolate candy shaped bears, you remembered. That’s so sweet, thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome,” Kingston knew he had already scored points and the date hadn’t really begun just yet.
“Kingston I won’t be long. The remote control for the TV and the CD player are both over on the end table to your right,” she pointed in the direction of the items.
Sinclair walked into her bedroom and closed the white French doors behind her. Within minutes a loud thump came from the bedroom and a louder scream. Kingston was getting up off the sofa when Sinclair appeared from her bedroom.
“You’re bleeding.” Kingston said in shock as he came rushing to Sinclair’s side.
“Stop!” She threw her hands up before Kingston could come any further. “I’m okay and I am not bleeding. This is paint.” She explained as red paint was plastered to her dirt covered legs.
“Wow, paint?” Is all the Kingston could say.
“Painting is a hobby of mine. I have a huge bedroom so half is my studio. I was painting before I started gardening and I must have forgotten to put the paint away. That is until I tripped over it,” Sinclair explained while feeling like a complete idiot.
“Are you sure you are all right?” Kingston asked in a concerned voice. “That sounded like it hurt.”
”Look Kingston, I am covered in dirt and paint. Why don’t we just call it a night and reschedule our date for another time?” Sinclair said in an exasperated voice because total embarrassment took over the pain she was feeling.”
“You got away from me the first time without me asking you out. Now I’m not letting you get away again. Now go do what you need to do & I will be waiting right here for you.” Kingston said as he took his seat back on the couch and crossed his leg and grabbed a magazine off the coffee table.
“It’s going to take me at least an hour to get ready and we are going to miss our reservation.” Sinclair was just ready to call it quits and be done with the whole date thing already.
“I’ll tell you what, why don’t you go get yourself cleaned up and I will handle dinner. I mean we both have to eat right?” Kingston asked her.
“I am hungry but..,” she lingered.
“But nothing, Mr. Parker told me you have been working for hours in that garden. So let me handle this now. All I ask for is free run of your kitchen.” Kingston said in a convincing voice.
“Okay deal, but I promise I won’t be long,” she said as she led the way to her kitchen with Kingston following her.
“I have a confession before you begin to do whatever you intend to do in my kitchen,” Sinclair announced as she turned to face Kingston.
“Confessions on the first date, this should be interesting.” Kingston joked as he crossed his arms. “What is your confession my child?”
Sinclair smiled at him before beginning and bracing herself for his response. “I can’t cook so you might not find a lot.” Sinclair rambled so fast that she thought Kingston didn’t hear her.
“I have a confession as well.” Kingston added as Sinclair looked at him very inquisitively. “I don’t care as long as one of us can cook we will never starve. Now go get yourself ready and I will handle dinner.”
Sinclair could not even argue with him if she wanted to because she really needed a shower.
“I won’t be long I promise,” she said as she left Kingston in her kitchen.
Kingston had opened the refrigerator to find very little of anything to cook. He thought he could maybe defrost something from the freezer but all he found were frozen meals. In her entire refrigerator there was nothing to use for dinner, only food that needed reheating. Checking the cabinets he found even less food. He found very few pots and pans and where he thought there would be food he found a fire extinguisher. Kingston was shocked. He had never met a woman in his life that could not cook and yet here he was in this woman’s kitchen and there was nothing to cook. Cooking dinner was out of the question, so he had to come up with another plan.
Not long after Kingston and Sinclair had been seated at their table in a nice restaurant in downtown Washington DC. Sinclair wore a turquoise wrap dress which tied into a side bow on her left hip. Sinclair paired her black heels and black clutch to her ensemble.
“This is my first time here at DeVette’s Jazz Spot and I’m really feeling this nice vibe.” Sinclair said while admiring the lovely place.
The huge restaurant was decorated with ivory and burgundy paintings that complimented the table and chair covers. Each table had a single candle which glowed inside an extra-large brandy glass. The musicians were playing soft music that set the tone for the elegant upscale restaurant.
“I totally agree it is a very nice place, that’s why I chose it. The music is great and the food is phenomenal.” Kingston explained as they waited on their dinner and had small talk. “This is my second favorite restaurant in DC.”
“Well I am glad you chose this place, I like it a lot. Now what is your first favorite restaurant?” Sinclair asked him while sipping on her beverage.
“Without a doubt Sam’s on U Street,” Kingston replied, smiling at Sinclair.
“What do you know about Sam’s? You don’t even live in DC do you?” Sinclair taunted Kingston.
“And how would you know that my dear?” Kingston asked slyly.
“Ah, let’s see. You told me when we talked briefly on the phone.” Sinclair reminded him the well-dressed Kingston.
“I forgot I told you. Now just because I don’t live here doesn’t mean I don’t know about Ben’s. My parents used to bring my brother, sister and I down here at least once a month when I was a kid.” Kingston replied as the flickering candle danced on their table.
“Is that so?” A surprised Sinclair asked.
“I lived on Ben’s when I played at Georgetown. Back in the day I could put away two large bowls of chili, two hamburger steaks and still have room for dessert.” Kingston replied while sitting back enjoying his time with Sinclair.
“So you played for Georgetown? Nice, very nice.”
Sinclair was not surprised he played basketball because he was most certainly built like a basketball player. His tall muscular physique had Sinclair thanking her lucky stars she had met him.
“I had torn up so many ligaments my doctor said if I didn’t stop playing basketball I would never walk again. That was the end of my sports career then and there. After I graduated I got a job in my family business and I have been there ever since.” Kingston explained as much as he could while still admiring Sinclair’s beauty. “What about you? What’s your story?”
“What would you like to know?” Sinclair asked while she began to cut into her chicken breast. And Kingston began to cut into his sirloin steak.
Kingston reached across the table and took Sinclair’s hand and looked into her eyes. “I want to know about the beautiful woman behind those gorgeous legs.”
Sinclair put down her fork and stared Kingston right in his gray eyes. “There is not much to tell. I was raised in the foster system in Oregon and I don’t know who my parents are. When I aged out, I moved here to DC to get away from everything. I now own my own business where I help former foster kids transition to independent living.”
“So how did you start your business?” Becoming more interested, Kingston put down his fork to give Sinclair his full attention.
“I used the computers at a bookstore so I could find resources for myself. I was there so much that the owner, Miss Marjorie offered me a job helping other people like myself and she even let me sleep in the backroom too since I was homeless.” She was definitely nervous after telling him her story because she didn’t know how he would react to it.
“That was very nice of her.” The more Kingston found out about Sinclair the more he wanted to know.
“Yes it was. When she died she left the store to me to convert into a permanent place to help former foster kids. I didn’t know it, but she was a former addict who lost her baby to the system. She was paying it forward in hopes that her daughter would find someone like me along the way to help her.” Sinclair explained thinking back.
“You had a rough life but you’re still standing. And not only that but you’re giving back to the community.” Kingston smiled brightly at Sinclair. “You are a living and breathing testimony. It was no one but God that kept you. I mean no one. You are an amazing blessed woman Miss Sinclair Madison and don’t you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Kingston could not believe the things Sinclair went through yet she was helping others make it through.
Sinclair always got choked up whenever she would talk about Miss Marjorie. She mouthed the words thank you.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kingston said while retrieving his wallet to pay their bill. “I know a nice spot where we can have a great dessert.”
“Sounds good to me,” Sinclair needed some fresh air so leaving was a good idea.
The sun had just set when Kingston and Sinclair entered Cooper Bishop Park. They strolled on the rustic bridge over-looking the beautiful lake while large ducks swam around in the water. From a distance a man could be seen feeding the ducks at the other side of the lake.
“This ice cream is delicious. I think I am in love with this White Chocolate Raspberry,” Sinclair said while eating her ice cream.
“I saw the two other cartons of it in your freezer,” Kingston added. “But this here Rum Raisin is just fantastic.”
“I can see that, that’s why it’s on your upper lip,” Sinclair joked while pointing to the ice cream sitting on Kingston’s top lip.
Kingston immediately used his napkin to clean his lip as he laughed with Sinclair.
“Just like you are watching me eat mine I have been watching you eat yours. But why aren’t you eating the chocolate chips in it.” Kingston commented as he looked at Sinclair strangely.
“I love white chocolate but not milk chocolate.” Sinclair answered as she ate around the chocolate chips. “White chocolate has a nice balance of sweetness to me.”
“I never met a woman who did not like regular chocolate. So buying you milk chocolates just because I wanted to make you smile would be out of the question?” Kingston inquired.
“Pretty much.” Sinclair replied while still moving around the chocolate chips.
“I still find that so…., “Kingston searched his mind to find the exact word he needed. “Let me see, remarkable is the word that I am looking for. Most women love chocolate but not you. That’s cool.” Kingston went on.
“It’s not as sweet as milk chocolate but not as bitter as dark chocolate. It has a nice balance of its sweetness in my opinion. But that’s just me,” Sinclair with such enthusiasm. “Take for instance painting. You could paint a million pictures, but if you don’t have the right balance of substance those paintings are worthless because you would never see its true beauty.
“Very nice metaphor. So how did you get into painting? I mean, besides falling into it.” Kingston asked with a chuckle remembering her literally falling into her paint earlier in the evening.
“I was shuffled from home to home as a kid in Oregon and I lost a lot of my things whether they were stolen from me or just plain lost in my travels. I became very creative so I wouldn’t lose anything anymore.” Sinclair explained while leisurely walking with Kingston.
“What did you do?” Kingston asked.
“I made it my business to learn something new from every home I lived in. Whether it was painting, sewing or learning how to stretch a dollar, I learned whatever I could. I realized that having knowledge was something no one could ever steal away from me.” Sinclair explained while strolling in the park with Kingston.
“And that is absolutely true.” Kingston was simply amazed with Sinclair and he couldn’t believe the fantastic night he was having with her.
“So your store is a family business? How long have you had your store?” Sinclair was very interested in learning about Kingston.
“My grandfather started the store over fifty years ago and it has been passed down from generation to generation. It’s a family business so all my siblings work for the store. I actually started working in the store when I was about eight years old.” Kingston explained to a very attentive Sinclair
“That must have been cool to work in your family’s store as a kid.” Sinclair smiled at Kingston feeling so at ease being around him.
“It was pretty cool; I was the bag boy in charge of bagging the food for customers.” Kingston replied as he remembered days of the past. “I even got tips some times.”
“Oh that’s great; you get to work with your family all the time, that’s a good thing.” Sinclair wished she had a family herself. All the family she ever known was Miss Marjorie and Robyn her best friend.
“Yes it is. To show our appreciation to our employees, we give them a paid day off to attend our employee barbeque every year and we have been doing that for the past fifteen years now. Most of our employees have been with us between four and twenty-nine years and that’s not counting the students who always come back during the summer.” Kingston proudly boasted.
“That is fabulous! You must be doing something right. That’s great.” Sinclair spoke through eating her last bit of ice cream.
“Speaking of great, your garden looks great. You did a very good job.” He said as he threw his empty ice cream container in the trash.” Let me guess, you picked that up as a kid too.”
“I sure did. Experience is the best teacher.” Sinclair said as a matter of fact.
“I like that, I really like that,” Kingston was really enjoying every minute that he spent with Sinclair. She was beautiful, smart and funny he thought to himself.
“After my landlord Mr. Parker’s wife died, I offered to maintain the garden for him since he loved it so much. He then reduced my rent by two hundred dollars a month. I actually love doing it because to me it’s peaceful. I get a nice apartment, outdoor space and a seriously low rent. What more could I ask for? ” Sinclair explained while walking closely to Kingston because it was getting darker.
“So, Sinclair why is such a lovely young lady like yourself still single?” Kingston was enjoying his date with Sinclair and he wanted to know more about her. “I mean you are beautiful, smart and you have a lot going for you.”
“Well, thank you Kingston but to be honest, I haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Sinclair replied.
“Well what about you? I saw the women at the church giving you the eye. Why aren’t you taken off the market yet? I am more than sure you have a few ladies to choose from.” Sinclair asked with great curiosity after remembering the many women who were drooling over him at the church.
Kingston stopped so they could look out into the water. “I’m waiting for God to send me my queen. My parents have been married for forty years and I’m looking for the same thing. Now a day’s people are getting married just for the sake of getting married. But they are not willing to put the work in that is required to make it work.”
“I totally agree; no one is willing to put the work in. Instead of trying to make it work, it’s pointing fingers at each other about what they did wrong.” Sinclair said as she looked out into the open water.
“My ex-girlfriend sounded just like that literally. She had a job working as an office manager for a big company when we first met. We were together for about six months when she just quit her job. Her explanation was that she assumed we would marry so she didn’t have to work. I was at a loss for words when she said that. She had made a major life decision based on what she assumed.” Kingston explained while looking out into the beautiful scenery.
“What?” Sinclair asked in shock.
“She didn’t even talk to me about it before she quit, she just did it. God revealed to me who she really was when she did that. She was a woman out for herself and that was it. I felt bad that she gave up her job, but I couldn’t be in a relationship where there was no communication. I believe relationships are built on communication, trust and most importantly, honesty.” Kingston explained while staring at Sinclair.
“Well our stories are similar in that same sense except mine was reversed.” Sinclair began to tell Kingston.
Confused Kingston asked. “What do you mean?”
“After my ex lost his job he didn’t want to work anymore, he wanted me to work and to take care of him. He actually wanted me to close my agency and move in with him in Baltimore because he thought I would make more money there. I told him I wasn’t closing my business, period.” Sinclair turned to look back at the open water, when Kingston came closer to her. “That’s just nuts.” Kingston thought the guy was totally selfish.
“He gave me an ultimatum, him or my business. I changed my number and never looked back. I don’t believe anyone should ask another person to give up their dreams. To me that only means they are not for you but for themselves. And I couldn’t and would not be a part of something like that.” Sinclair explained as Kingston leaned very close to her.
“I could not agree with you more Miss Madison.” Kingston said as he held out his arm and Sinclair slipped her arm through. “No one should ever ask anyone to give up their dreams just to please themselves. Ships are vessels that take more than one person to make it run correctly. Any relationship or friendship requires the same thing. It’s about helping each other reach their highest potential. Not watch them wither away while you sit on top and not help them.”
“Very true,” Sinclair agreed.
“Now I have been addicted to Fig Newton’s since I was a kid,” Kingston confessed.
“What! Confessions on the first date?” Sinclair joked.
They both shared a nice laugh. “Yes, but it’s a good addiction. If you take away my Fig Newton’s while you sit and enjoy your white chocolate that would be totally selfish of you. Not to mention I might go into shock,” Kingston added with a chuckle. “If you gave me my Newton’s and you had your white chocolate we would both be happy.
“Cute, but it’s very true. It’s about helping each other and not helping one’s self.” Sinclair said while staring at a duck playing in the lake.
Something had been bothering Kingston all night long and he just had to say something. “I need to ask you something.”
“Sure go ahead,” Sinclair simply replied.
“You really can’t cook can you?” he was so baffled he just had to make sure she was serious. “I think I found more dishes than I found food. I knew you said you couldn’t cook but I didn’t think you were serious.” Kingston and Sinclair just started laughing.
“I was not joking at all, I really can’t cook. Now I can do a lot of things, but cooking is not one of them. I can change a tire, I can do yard work and I can even paint, but I just cannot cook.” Sinclair explained to a confused Kingston.
“Wow. Okay. But we have to do something about that because I like to eat.” Kingston said as they began walking back through the park to his car.
“Oh really? Or is that your way of asking me out on another date?” Sinclair asked curiously.
Kingston boldly responded, “This is my way of asking you out on another date.” Kingston kissed the back of Sinclair’s hand. “Would you do me the honor of going out on another date with me?”
Impressed Sinclair simply replied, “I would love to.”
“And if that didn’t work then yes, that was my way of asking you out again.” Kingston said as they both started laughing hysterically.