“Damn, LC. You need you some of your own wheels instead of fixin’ ’em all the fuckin’ time,” Lou said, frowning at his transportation from the bus station. Whatever the van’s original color was, it was long gone. In its stead was a dulled coat of powder blue with rust fully showing on the back end of the old Ford. I used it to pick up parts from the auto supply store and, in exchange for keeping it running, Mr. Mixon let me use it from time to time. “You might like that job, but you ask me, it’s just another kind of indentured servitude.
“Don’t worry ’bout me, bro. When I graduate from college, I’ll have my own garage,” I said and made sure that I wasn’t in striking distance of Donna. This was one thing we disagreed on, but I felt certain she’d come around.
“That’s what I love about you, li’l bro. You got plans. Stay that way, because not everybody’s cut out to be a risk taker,” Lou remarked, absent any bullshit.
“Well, when I have my shop, Lou, you can work for me,” I stated, puffing out my chest with pride. I was going to be helping out my family and know it would make our parents up in Heaven proud.
“Me? Work for you?” my brother remarked, his nose crinkling as we stopped to the rear of the van to stow his luggage. “No offense, li’l bro, but that’ll be the day. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not the manual labor type.”
As I swung the rear doors open, light flooded the van’s bleak interior. Donna peered back at us from the front bench seat, her eyes adjusting.
“Oh. Hey, Donna,” Lou chimed in, shooting me a dirty look. He plastered on a fake smile, acknowledging my fiancée as he threw his duffle bag in back. I got why she didn’t like him, but I couldn’t quite figure out why my brother was not a fan of the woman I loved.
“Hey, Lou,” she replied like she had smelled something sour. Normally Lou had women falling all over him, even our female relatives, but that wasn’t the case with Donna. “Sweet Lou” is what they called him. Or maybe he started calling himself that. Hard to say, but it stuck.
“How was Queens?” I asked him to take my mind off silly, bothersome thoughts.
“Talk about it later,” he responded curtly.
“It’s just Donna. She’s okay,” I reminded him. I had no idea why he was acting all secretive around her. It’s not like they ran in the same circles. Besides, everyone in town assumed we’d be married one day, so she was virtually family, both mine and his.
But virtually wasn’t the same as real.
“Nah. No bitch is ‘okay,’ jive turkey,” he snapped, a growl popping up outta nowhere.
“Hey!” I snapped back, my annoyance evident on my face. “You’re home. Show some respect for the lady.”
“Sorry, bro. No harm,” Lou apologized, light returning to his demeanor as he retrieved a black fist rake from his back pocket and tightened up his ’fro. “Now let’s get outta here. We’ll talk after you drop her home.”
Reluctantly, Donna moved over and made room for Lou as he climbed into the van. They could barely mutter three words to each other, making me realize what a bad idea this had been to bring her along. Who could blame me for wanting the two people I love most in the world to also love each other, or at the very least get along? But today that would not be the case.