The Realest Ever

Chapter NINE

MOTHER KNOWS BEST

A week and a half later the blistering heat of summer was still blazing a path through the Lone Star State. But there was a change in the air. The Dallas Cowboys were midway through their preseason games, which was a welcome precursor to Donovan’s favorite time of year: Football Season.

Within a month cool winds from the north would drop the average temperatures in Central Texas a full twenty degrees. The pecan and oak trees would liven up their wardrobe with dashes of yellow and orange, and every Friday night fans would flock to the high school football stadiums to cheer their team.

Donovan loved football as a child, he loved it as a player, and he was still in love with the sport as a coach, even though his Mad Stallions were off to a 0-3 start this year. Donovan knew winning wasn’t everything, but it did mean a lot to a lot of people. Thankfully he took the Stallions to the state championship three years ago, so the Western Hills boosters weren’t coming down too hard on the coach. They understood that great players will eventually graduate and move on to bigger and better things. Another great player is not promised with the new batch of incoming freshmen.

One person who did blame Western Hills’ coach for this season’s pitiful start was the coach’s very own mother, Ms. Beverly Mitchell. She sat behind a plate of rotisserie chicken, macaroni and cheese and broccoli and gave Donovan suggestions for how he could turn things around. Donovan listened politely because his mother probably knew more about football than he did. Beverly was a fan before his birth, and she never missed a game when her son played for Finley High. When Donovan returned to Overbrook Meadows and took a position at Western Hills, his mother started attending every game he coached. Neither rain nor icy roads could keep Beverly away.

The date was Sunday, September 20. Donovan took his mother to church and was pleased to dine with her afterwards at Golden Corral. Donovan didn’t think he would implement any of the changes she suggested for the team, but he admired his mom’s tenacity. He grinned at her over his meatloaf.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Beverly told him. “I know you’re not listening to me.”

“I am listening.”

“Well, are you going to start that funny-looking boy or not?”

The funny-looking boy was Patrick Miles. He was the best running back at the school, hands down. But Donovan kept him on the bench for most of their last game because Patrick thought it was fun to pick on people.

“Patrick knows what he has to do to get his starting spot back,” Donovan said.

“You said he was passing his classes and coming to practice,” Beverly recalled. “What does it matter if he picked on a few people?”

“Bullying is a big deal these days, Mama. Who knows where it could lead?”

“If it was that bad, they would’ve kicked him out of school by now,” Beverly noted.

“No, it’s not that bad,” Donovan agreed. “But last week Patrick was picking on my quarterback after practice. That first fumble last game was because they don’t get along. If Patrick doesn’t want to be a leader on and off the field, then he can ride that pine, ’til he grows up a little more.”

“And while he’s riding that pine, your record is getting worse and worse.”

Donovan laughed. “Mama, did you bet money on us or something?”

“No, of course not,” Beverly said. “I just don’t like to lose. You know that. I don’t like to be sitting up in them stands when those dumb parents start talking about the team. They talk about you, too. This Friday I had half a mind to sock one of them.”

The thought of Beverly sticking up for him like that made Donovan laugh again.

“You’d better pull out at least an even record,” Beverly threatened, “while you’re over there laughing.”

“Yes, Ma’am. We’ll get things turned around.”

“Does this got something to do with your two girlfriends?” Beverly asked. “Is that why you’re not focusing on the team?”

“That’s cold, Mama.”

“Whatever, Donovan. I know they been running you ragged. You know it, too.”

That was true, but “Kyra’s not my girlfriend, Mama. We’re just friends. I finally got Brianna to come around, and you should, too.”

“Come around to what, Donovan? Come around to accepting her? I did that once before. Remember? Remember what happened when I trusted Kyra?” She fixed a hard gaze on him.

Donovan looked away.

Beverly rolled her eyes. “Did you find her a job yet?”

“No,” Donovan said. “But I did find her a car. And she applied for a few jobs with the district. I think she’ll get a call back from at least one of them.”

“You found her a car?”

“Yeah, I did. We picked it up Thursday.”

“You bought that woman a car?” Beverly was incredulous.

“No, I didn’t buy it, Mama. I found a charity organization that donates cars to, you know, poor families. I got Kyra an application, and she qualified. They gave her a ’99 Escort. The fuel pump didn’t work. Had to get it towed to the shop, but we should get it out this week.”

“I hope you’re not paying for that repair bill…”

“Mama, you know Kyra doesn’t have any money. Who else would pay for it?”

Beverly put her fork down and stared at her plate in disgust. Donovan knew it wasn’t the food she was upset with. “And when were you planning on telling me all of this?”

“I just did,” Donovan said. “But to be honest, Mama, it’s none of your business.” He downed a spoonful of potatoes and meatloaf and smiled at her, hoping to soften the sting from his comment.

“You’re right.” Beverly nodded. “It is none of my business. But you’re my son, and I’m not going to stop caring about your well-being.”

“I know,” Donovan said. “And I appreciate that.”

“I won’t stop trying to warn you when you’re about to fall off a cliff, either.”

“I know,” Donovan replied. “But maybe you should, especially if that cliff is all in your head.”

Beverly cleared her throat and took a sip of tea. “So how much are you spending on Kyra’s auto repairs?”

“That’s none of your business, Mama,” Donovan said, still eating.

Beverly took a long inhalation through her nostrils. Donovan pretended not to notice.

“Aren’t you gonna finish eating?” he asked her.

“No, son. I’m not hungry anymore.”

Donovan chuckled. “Mama, you tripping.”

“How much time are you spending with Kyra?” she asked. “Do you talk to her every day?”

Donovan nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“And you see her, too?”

“Not that much,” Donovan said. “Maybe once or twice a week.”

Beverly gasped.

“That’s only because we’ve been taking care of this business with the car and her applications,” Donovan explained.

“And you’ve been giving her money?”

He shook his head. “No, Mama.”

“That girl never asked you for money?”

“She never asked me for anything. She thinks I’m doing too much as it is.”

“And Brianna? I guess you’re keeping all this secret from your girlfriend?”

Donovan smiled. “No, Mama. I don’t keep secrets. Brianna knows about everything. It used to be a problem, but it’s not anymore. I don’t hide anything from her. I feel free.”

His mother stared at him in awe. “Free?”

“Free to be Kyra’s friend, without it interfering with my relationship with Brianna.”

“I can’t believe this, Donovan.”

“I know. It’s crazy. I never would’ve thought it possible.”

“Brianna knows you go over to Kyra’s house?”

“Yep.”

“And the job? And the car? You told Brianna you bought Kyra a car?”

“I told you; I didn’t buy Kyra a car. She got it for free. I’m just paying the repair bill.”

“Which is how much?”

“Not that much.”

“Did you tell Brianna how much it was?”

“Yes.”

“And she’s okay with it?”

“Yeah. It’s not like I asked her for the money.”

Beverly was baffled. “I don’t understand this, Donovan. How can Brianna be cool with all of this?”

“She trusts me.” That wasn’t true, but Donovan kept a straight face when he said it.

“She’s not a stupid girl,” Beverly said, lost in her own thoughts. “I like Brianna. She’s so smart – and beautiful! That girl is drop dead gorgeous, Donovan. Why would she let you carry on with another woman like that? Do, doesn’t she know you’re working on her replacement; getting Kyra all fixed up so she can slide right into Brianna’s spot?”

Donovan laughed. “That’s not what’s happening, Mama. I’m, honestly I can’t believe you think so little of me. I’m not the kind of guy who would do something like that. And Brianna’s not that great of a catch. I know you want me to marry her, but you got to believe me when I tell you that girl has issues.”

“I’d have issues too if my man was running around town, flaunting his girlfriend, claiming they just friends.”

“No, Mama. Brianna had issues way before Kyra came back. That’s why I didn’t want to move in with her. She’s insecure and jealous as hell.”

Beverly raised an eyebrow.

“As heck,” Donovan conceded. “But as far as Kyra, don’t think we came to this understanding without a lot of arguing and crying.”

“Donovan, I know you’re not gonna leave Brianna over that, that…”

“Don’t do it.”

“Over Kyra,” Beverly said. “I know you’re not going to leave Brianna over Kyra.”

“If Brianna didn’t stop tripping about her, then yes, I would have. I almost broke up with her twice. But it wasn’t so I could start a relationship with Kyra. Me and Kyra are just friends.”

Beverly was clearly in shock about all of this. Donovan didn’t know why she found it so hard to believe.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” his mother asked. “Brianna has everything you need in a wife. Kyra has absolutely nothing. She ain’t got two dimes to rub against each other.”

“Regardless of what happens with me and Brianna, I’m not interested in Kyra,” Donovan insisted.

“What do you mean regardless of what happens? Are you still thinking about breaking up with her?”

Donovan shrugged. Brianna did tolerate his and Kyra’s friendship, but she did so grudgingly. She was like a ticking time bomb. Donovan sensed they were headed for another meltdown.

“What about the kiss?” Beverly asked. “If you’re so honest with Brianna, then surely you told her about you and Kyra’s kiss...”

Donovan lost half of his confidence in the blink of an eye. “I, well, we uh…”

Beverly shook her head slowly.

“That was a one time thing,” Donovan stated. “And it was a long time ago. It’s in the past, Mama. Let it go.”

“If it’s not a problem, why don’t you tell Brianna?”

“I don’t see the point in that.”

“There’s a reason you won’t do it,” Beverly speculated.

“Is there any chance that if I don’t ask you what the reason is, you won’t tell me?”

Beverly’s eyes narrowed. It was a look that used to incite fear when Donovan was a child. It still scared him a little today.

“Don’t sass me, boy.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Beverly never finished her comment, and she only picked at the rest of her meal. Donovan wished he didn’t have to disappoint his mother, but he didn’t feel too bad when he dropped her off thirty minutes later. As a matter of fact, he felt pretty good about his life.

Donovan already stood up to Brianna in regards to Kyra, and now his mother knew where he stood as well. Beverly responded with her typical drama, but Donovan knew that eventually she would accept his decision and love him anyway. She had no choice. He was her only child, after all.



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan hadn’t made it home yet when he got a call from his girlfriend. He didn’t think anything of it, although Brianna rarely called him at this time of day. She knew this was when he spent time with his mom.

“Hey, baby.” Donovan answered the phone happy and full from his buffet at Golden Corral. Brianna changed his mood entirely with just seven words:

“Why did your mom kick Kyra out?”

Donovan played dumb, but already knew what had transpired. “Wh, what you mean?”

“When you were in high school,” Brianna said. “You told me Kyra lived with you, and your mom put her out. I asked why she put her out, and you didn’t tell me the truth. I want you to tell me the truth now. Why did your mom kick Kyra out?”

Brianna was mostly calm, but her breaths came hard through her nostrils. It sounded like she was speaking through clenched teeth. Donovan knew a huge part of his life was about to change, but he wasn’t as upset as he thought he would be.

“Why are you asking me this?”

“Why are you not answering the question?”

“Did you, have you talked to my mother?”

“She just called me,” Brianna hissed.

Donovan felt his anger rising, but he wasn’t upset with his girlfriend. “So what happens now?” he said.

“You haven’t answered my question!”

“Brianna, I don’t want to argue. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the whole story.”

“You’re sorry? You’re sorry? Is that all you have to say for yourself? You lied to me, Donovan! All this time, you been lying!” She was crying now.

Donovan stared at the road until his vision blurred. “I’m on my way home. If you want to–”

“I’m on my way over there!” Brianna yelled and hung up on him.

Donovan took a few calming breaths before he called his dear, old ma.

“Hello?”

“Why, Mama?”

“Because you can’t keep lying to that poor girl, Donovan. Brianna loves you, and I like her. She wants to get married – right now. Did you know that? She has her own house and her own car and a good job in Dallas. I don’t know why you wanna mess that up over somebody like Kyra.”

“It’s not your business what I do what my life!” Donovan snapped.

“Boy, don’t raise your voice at me.”

“Or what, Mama? You got some more skeletons you wanna drag out of the closet?”

Beverly was stunned silent.

“You don’t have the right to interfere with my relationships!” Donovan barked, a lot more aggressively than he meant to. He caught himself before he got too out of line. “I don’t know what you thought was going to happen–”

“I want somebody to put an end to this Kyra nonsense!” Beverly cried. “I been telling you to leave that girl alone since you was a little boy, Donovan. Why won’t you listen? I’m not scared to admit when I need some help. I was hoping that if Brianna knew how you and Kyra really feel about each other, maybe she can say something that will make you come to your senses.”

“You don’t know how me and Kyra feel about each other!” Donovan shouted. “Even if we were doing something wrong – which we aren’t – you don’t have the right to butt into my life like that! What is it gonna take to get that through to you? Maybe it’s my fault for telling you so much in the first place. Maybe I shouldn’t call you at all.”

Donovan was bluffing, but Beverly didn’t know that.

“I, I’m sorry, Donovan. I didn’t mean any harm.” Beverly was frightened and uncharacteristically demure.

Donovan knew he couldn’t hold a grudge against his mom, but he let her simmer on the hot seat, so she would know how royally she screwed up this time.

“Bye, Mama,” he snapped.

“Donovan, wait. What are you gonna do?”

“Why should I tell you? So you can run and tell my business again?”

“Donovan, I said I was sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.”

“Alright, fine, Mama. I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Will you call me today, to let me know what happened?”

“I’ll call you when I’m not mad anymore. Better yet, I’ll call you when you stop hating on Kyra. How about that? Goodbye!”

Donovan disconnected. He was pretty sure God didn’t approve of him hanging up on his mother, but damn it felt good.