Family Values (17 page)

MADISON

Thank you for seeing me Josh.

JOSH

I want you to come over here and give me a hug.

MADISON
I don’t think that is necessary.

JOSH (grabbing his manhood)

I definitely think that it is.             

             
Madison placed her bag on the couch and began to walk over to him.

JOSH
(placing his hand up to stop her)

You know – I expected you to sit up on your high horse a few more minutes before you caved. Especially since I remember…I make your skin crawl. But you know that you were always easy.

MADISON
I didn’t come here to fight with you.

JOSH

That’s pretty obvious. Either you came here for one of two reasons. Either you want to know how our son is doing or you came for a favor. Which one is it? Oh wait let me tell you…you came for a favor. Being that you never ask about our son.

MADISON

How he is?

JOSH (taking a seat behind his desk)

He is doing great. You know that he graduates from high school in two years.

             
Madison let out a sigh. She began to bite her bottom lip as she stood in Red Bottom shoes.

MADISON

That’s wonderful.

JOSH
Now what favor do you want?

MADISON

You have a contract with my brother, Dwight, to transport three thousand barrels a day from his well. I want you to cancel the contract.

JOSH
I am the only company with trucks to move that kind of oil in Waynesboro. If Dwight can’t move his oil he’s going to stop drilling. Is that the kind of game you and your grandmother are playing now?

MADISON

What are you talking about?

JOSH
Everyone knows that Dwight took over your grandfather’s company and someone delivered the updated and correct copy of the “will” to him. You and your grandmother have been messy every since I have known you.

             
Madison grabbed her bag off of the couch in a haste.

MADISON
I am leaving. I don’t have time for this.

JOSH
Please don’t leave.

             
Madison stopped in her tracks.

JOSH
I will do it. I will pull my trucks…but it’s going to cost you a hug.

             
I stormed into Madison’s office with fire in my eyes. I rushed to her desk and snatched the papers out of her hands. Slamming them down, I stared into her face.

DWIGHT

Did you have anything to do with Josh Wiley stopping his trucks from servicing my rigs.

MADISON

I don’t know what you are talking about.

DWIGHT
Bitch don’t play with me.

MADISON
I think that maybe you need to talk to him.

             
I walked around Madison’s desk. She scurried back from me. I pulled my sister by her Venus neck blouse. Thoughts raced through my mind and my eyes switched from left to right. Finally I released her and she fell back into her chair.

DWIGHT
I know that you did.

MADISON
Look – I didn’t have anything to do with him stopping his trucks.

             
I walked over to the window and looked out.

DWIGHT
Does Trenity know that you were once married to Josh.

MADISON
Why would you ask me that?

DWIGHT
Just curious. I mean after eloping at the age of 17, getting a divorce…

MADISON
It was annulled.

DWIGHT
Right annulled. You know getting
pregnant by another person, and Josh, your then husband, did not know of such pregnancy
. True that is grounds for an annulment.

             
Madison grabbed the letter opener from her desk and threw it at me. Luckily it missed and became stuck in the wall. I pulled it out and licked the tip of it.

DWIGHT
You know behaviors like this can get you fired but since you are my sister I will let it slide this one time.

MADISON
Get out of my office.

DWIGHT

Call Josh and tell him to start those trucks back to running or it will be hell for you.

MADISON (screaming)

Get out!

             
When I exited her door she quickly picked up her phone to see if her caller was still there.

MADISON (sternly)

Robin are you there?

ROBIN
Yes.

MADISON

I need you to hurry and marry Dwight.

ROBIN
You know that you and your grandmother are some evil bitches. I am tired of being used.

MADISON
You will do as we have instructed you. Now collectively we are giving you $1.7 million. Once you have married him you will perform your duties as a wife but make sure that you do not sign a prenup.

ROBIN
You know that he is going to have me sign one.

MADISON
It is your job to persuade him that one is not needed.

ROBIN
He knows that I don’t love him. Dwight and I have had this conversation before. He knows that I know that he is gay. He will figure that I am marring him for his money.

MADISON
How much time have you two spent together?

ROBIN
I don’t know…almost a year.

MADISON
Don’t you think that after all that time feelings could develop?

             
Robin was growing old of the conversation. She decided that she was about to end the call.

ROBIN

Madison I will get back in touch with you.

MADISON
Are you rushing me off the phone?

ROBIN
I am…now bye.

              Trenity walked into the living room just as Grandmother Ella put down the phone. He received a phone call from her earlier asking him to come by. Trenity walked over and gave her a hug and a kiss on her brownish caramel cheeks.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

How are you son?

TRENITY
I am good. How are you?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

I am as well as to be expected. I know that in a few days that your divorce to Madison will be finalized.

TRENITY
Yes ma’am.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Are you sure that you want to do this?

TRENITY
To be honest Mrs. Ella…

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Come on now…call me Gran.

TRENITY
Okay…Gran…I never wanted to divorce my wife. I love her to pieces.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Well call it off. You still have time.

TRENITY
No I don’t. Can I be honest with you?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Please.

TRENITY
I think that it is too late. Madison caught me having sex with someone else.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

That is something that she can get over.

TRENITY
It was with a man.

             
Grandmother placed both hands in her lap and took a deep breath. She looked directly into Trenity’s face.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Trent let me explain something to you. You and Madison can work it out. It would be best that you work it out. This family has seen its share of ups and down. There were several times that I could have divorced Jefferson but I didn’t.

TRENITY
Gran, I don’t know. I love her. The person…well man…that she caught me with…I am still with.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

I know. I have had your trailed several times.

TRENITY
Why?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

In order for me to ask you not to divorce my granddaughter…I needed to know what you were doing.

Do you love this person?

              Trenity lowered his head and shook it slowly. He thought about everything that he was going through with Noah. Trenity didn’t have the heart to tell Grandmother Ella that he lost his pharmacy. He felt tightness in his chest and a lump in his throat.

TRENITY

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

             
This surprised Grandmother Ella. Trenity fell to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. He took his hands and beat the sides of his head. Grandmother Ella walked over to him and kneeled on the floor beside him. She wrapped arms around him. Trenity became limp. His cries acknowledged that he felt lost and didn’t know his next move.

             
Grandmother Ella aided Trenity to the couch. She gave him a Kleenex to dry his tears.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Let me tell you something that I have NEVER told anyone else.

             
Trenity looked over at her.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

This family has so many secrets. So many. I have fought tooth and nail to keep everything together. There were times that I wanted to walk away from it all. The family, the money, everything. You have seen me be heartless to many people and some family members. Now what I am about to tell you-you can never tell anyone. Promise me

             
Trenity didn’t know how to respond.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Promise me.

TRENITY

I promise.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Jefferson cheated on me several times. You know that I have one child and that is Madison and was Landon’s father. True everyone knows that Dwight doesn’t belong to my son.

TRENITY
Do you know who is father is?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Jefferson Davis Cove.

             
This rattled Trenity.

TRENITY
Does he know?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

No. And he shall never know. This is why I am baffled about the “will” that left him executor.

TRENITY
So that is why you hate him so.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Yes. If that was to ever get out it would destroy everything. I don’t need any of scandal in this family.

TRENITY
So that is why you want me to remain married to Madison.

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Exactly.

              Watching me in the shower was making Robin want me more for personal reasons. In spite of everything I was always the perfect gentleman to her – wining and dining her and treating her with the utmost respect. The sight of my manhood brought on an orgasmic tingle throughout her body.

             
When I turn in full view of her, she caught sight of what I gave her the first times we made love. A gasp escaped her and she was caught. I slowly stepped out of the shower. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my waist. I walked over to my bed and I knew that she was watching me.

             
I grabbed the remote and the sounds of Kandi Burruss singing
“I Want You”
surrounded the room. I patted the bed for Robin to come and have a seat.

ROBIN
Are you sure that you want to do this?

DWIGHT
Over the past few months I have grown to love you. I love our talks, the outings, and everything.

ROBIN
You are not marrying me because I lost your babies?

DWIGHT

No. No. I am marrying you because I want to. I know this may seem strange but we were kind of forced to get married in the beginning. But after spending time with you I have grown to love you. The pregnancy just brought us closer.

ROBIN
I am not going to take the money.

             
Dwight grabbed Robin face and caressed it.

DWIGHT
That decision is yours to make.

ROBIN
You are such a great guy.

DWIGHT
There is one thing that I do want to talk to you about.

ROBIN (without hesitation)

I will sign them.

DWIGHT
How do you know what I was going to say?

ROBIN
Come on Dwight. We both live in the real world…sometimes. You would be a fool not to have a prenup.