Authors: Brenda Jackson
Ties That Bind (7 page)
“Are you going to do it?” Leigh asked her excitedly.
“It's up to my parents. Randolph said his grandmother would be calling to invite me personally. I'm hoping my parents will agree.”
Leigh nodded. “Does Randolph ever talk about his paternal grandmother? The one who lives in Virginia. The one Noah refers to as the Society Queen.”
Jenna smiled. “No, not often. I don't think the two of them get along.”
Leigh nodded, deciding not to mention to Jenna what Noah had shared with her regarding Randolph and his grandmother's huge fight
over Thanksgiving regarding her. Ross had told Noah about it. At that moment Leigh decided to change the subject. “So what's going on with Ellie? She's been acting pretty weird lately.”
over Thanksgiving regarding her. Ross had told Noah about it. At that moment Leigh decided to change the subject. “So what's going on with Ellie? She's been acting pretty weird lately.”
Jenna hated to agree with Leigh but she had also noticed the change in Ellie. It seemed that she intentionally went out of her way to avoid the both of them and when she did encounter them she was totally rude. “I have no idea but I'm glad I'm not the only person who's picked up on it.”
Leigh smiled. “I think she's jealous.”
Jenna raised a brow. “Jealous of what?”
“Not of what, but of who. I think Ellie is jealous of you, Jenna. She's never seen you as a threat before but now she does.”
Jenna shook her head, not understanding what Leigh meant, so Leigh decided to explain things to her. “In my psychology class last week, we talked about people like Ellie. They are people who have insecurity complexes and feel threatened by anyone that they perceive as possibly better than they are. Before, in Ellie's mind, neither of us was better than she was because your father is a meat cutter and your mother is a cook. My father is a bus driver and my mother does hair. And because of our parents' occupations, in Ellie's mind neither of us should have anything going for us here at Howard. We certainly shouldn't be well liked nor should we have popular boyfriends. But what I have is a boyfriend in law school who loves me and who treats me like a queen and who is working his butt off in school so that one day he can give me all the things he thinks I will ever want. And you have a guy who is the best catch on campus and who loves you to distraction. As far as Ellie is concerned, good things like that weren't supposed to happen to girls whose parents are lower class.”
Jenna shook her head. “But Ellie has Tyrone and one day he will give her the life she's always wanted, so she has nothing to be jealous about. So what's her problem? Can't she see that in the end all of us will be happy?”
“It doesn't matter, Jen. Only Ellie was supposed to be happy, not us. She scratched me off her
âbe nice to'
list a long time ago. But with you, since you didn't have a boyfriend and weren't involved with anyone
on campus, you were tolerated. But now since the two of us have received personal invitations to join a sorority, the same one that she's been dying to get into and hasn't yet been able to, that really has her dander up. Be careful around her. I don't like her and I don't trust her.”
âbe nice to'
list a long time ago. But with you, since you didn't have a boyfriend and weren't involved with anyone
on campus, you were tolerated. But now since the two of us have received personal invitations to join a sorority, the same one that she's been dying to get into and hasn't yet been able to, that really has her dander up. Be careful around her. I don't like her and I don't trust her.”
Jenna thought about what Leigh had said when she got into bed that night. She couldn't understand how some black people could think they were better than other black people. When it all came down to it, all black people were fighting for equality. So in her opinion, although our ancestors may have traveled from Africa on different ships, right now all of us were in the same boat. She was glad Randolph had not looked down on her parents' occupations when she'd told him what they did for a living. He had said that he admired a man who worked with his hands and that his maternal grandfather had made a living being a furniture maker. “My paternal grandmother is the one who has a hang-up about what people do for a living, Jenna, I don't,” he said. “Neither does my Gramma Mattie. You're going to love her, trust me.”
Randolph had been right. Jenna received a call from Mattie Denison two weeks before Christmas inviting her to spend three days around the holidays. She had then asked Jenna for her parents' phone number and said that under the circumstances, she felt she should speak with them as well.
Jenna received a call from her mother the following day letting her know that Randolph's grandmother had called and that the two of them had had a very pleasant conversation. Mattie Denison had asked Jenna's parents for their permission to allow Jenna to visit during the holidays, assuring them that she and Randolph would be properly chaperoned during the entirety of her visit. After talking with Mrs. Denison, Jenna's parents felt comfortable about her going as long as they got to meet Randolph beforehand. It was decided that he would come up a day early and spend the night at her parents' home before taking her to South Carolina to meet his grandmother.
Randolph was ecstatic when she shared the news with him later that day while they were eating at the café on campus. He would use
his grandparents' car to come and get her in Knoxville the day after Christmas, and the following day, bright and early, he would drive her to Glendale Shores, South Carolina, where they would arrive before nightfall.
his grandparents' car to come and get her in Knoxville the day after Christmas, and the following day, bright and early, he would drive her to Glendale Shores, South Carolina, where they would arrive before nightfall.
“Will Ross be there?” she asked him after taking a sip of her Coke.
Randolph shook his head. “He plans to spend Christmas with Angela and her parents in New York and will arrive the day before you leave.”
Jenna nodded, smiling. She was glad she and Randolph would be spending some time together over the holidays.
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A week later Jenna got summoned to the financial aid office. She met with Mrs. Naomi Portsmouth, the woman in charge of student loans and financial aid. A short, stocky light-skinned woman who wore a nononsense, down-to-business, nonfriendly expression, Mrs. Portsmouth's office wall was covered with various framed degrees and a number of plaques commemorating her work with various charitable organizations.
“Miss Haywood, I note that you have signed up for classes next semester, and we need to know how you plan to pay for them.”
Jenna frowned. As usual she had applied for a student loan to cover those expenses that went beyond what her parents had taken care of, and immediately told Mrs. Portsmouth so.
“Unfortunately your student loan was denied.”
Jenna lifted her brow in surprise. “Denied? But why? It's never been denied before. I've always gotten a student loan to cover my balance.”
“Well, it wasn't approved this time so the balance is now your responsibility. Perhaps your parents can come up with some more money,” the woman declared curtly.
Jenna shook her head, knowing that wasn't possible. Her parents were providing too much toward her education as it was. They still had her brothers to take care of. “Is there some way I can get on a work-study program to pay as I go?”
“I'm sorry, that's not possible. The balance will have to be paid before you leave for the holidays.”
Jenna sat up in her chair. “But there's no way I can come up with five hundred dollars in a week!”
“Then I guess that means you won't be returning to Howard after the holidays,” the woman responded, not showing any mercy.
“Butâbut, surely there is somethingâ”
“No there isn't,” Naomi Portsmouth all but snapped, getting to her feet.
“Good day, Miss Haywood. I have another appointment.”
In tears Jenna left the woman's office, not believing the conversation that had just taken place. The thought of not returning to Howard was devastating.
She was on her way back to her dorm when she heard Randolph call her name. She turned and watched as he crossed the courtyard toward her. He looked into her face and immediately knew something was wrong. “What is it, baby?”
She shook her head, too ashamed to tell him. The thought of not returning to Howard and to him next year brought fresh tears to her eyes.
“Jenna, tell me what's wrong.”
She hesitated briefly before responding. “I just came from the financial aid office. My student loan didn't go through. I have to pay the balance on my account before I leave for the holidays or I can't come back.”
Randolph frowned, wondering who had told her such nonsense. The financial aid office was good at working with students and usually helped in finding alternate ways to pay. Both of his roommates had gotten student loans and one of them had gotten bad grades this semester. He couldn't imagine them not working with Jenna who was a model student. “There must be some mistake. There has to be some way they can work with you and help you find other ways to pay the balance.”
“There isn't any way, according to Mrs. Portsmouth.”
Randolph raised a brow. “Naomi Portsmouth?”
“Yes. You know her?”
“Yes, I know her.” Randolph frowned. Naomi Portsmouth was not
only a sorority sister of his grandmother, but they were good friends as well. He couldn't help wondering if his grandmother had anything to do with Jenna not getting a student loan. He wouldn't put it past her to go that far, especially if she thought it would keep him and Jenna apart.
only a sorority sister of his grandmother, but they were good friends as well. He couldn't help wondering if his grandmother had anything to do with Jenna not getting a student loan. He wouldn't put it past her to go that far, especially if she thought it would keep him and Jenna apart.
“I'll give you the money.”
Jenna blinked. “What?!”
He smiled with a tender look on his face.
“I said that I'll give you the money.”
Jenna sighed. “Randolph, you don't even know how much it is. Besides, I can't let you do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can't. It wouldn't be right taking money from you. What will people think?”
“It wouldn't be anyone's business. And it doesn't matter how much it is. I have the money, Jenna. My maternal grandparents had set up funds for Ross and me to contribute toward our college expenses, but of course Grandmother Julia's pride wouldn't let her accept their contribution. So the money is just sitting there, not being used.”
Jenna shook her head. “No, I can't let you use your money for me, Randolph. I can't.”
He saw her defiance. “Then what will you do?”
She sighed sadly. “I don't know. I can't ask my parents for anything else. It wouldn't be fair on them and my brothers.”
“Then let me help.”
“Randolph, I've told you that I can't take your money.”
He inhaled deeply, before saying, “Let's treat it as a loan then. You can pay me back.”
She looked at him thoughtfully as she tossed his offer around in her mind. “But I won't be able to pay you back until after graduation.”
“That's soon enough. Like I said, the money is just sitting there and you're welcome to use it.”
Jenna thought about his offer some more then said, “I'll pay you back with interest.”
Knowing she wouldn't accept things any other way, he said, “That's fine. And if it makes you feel better I'll have Ross draw up the papers.”
She nodded. “Yes, that would make me feel better. We should handle this strictly as a business transaction between us.”
Randolph smiled. “Okay.” Although he would have Ross draw up the papers, he had no intentions of ever calling in the loan. A wife wouldn't be legally liable to pay her husband anything, and he had every intention of making Jenna his wife one day.
“Now that we've got that settled, how about the two of us going to get something to eat?” he said, taking her hand in his.
Jenna smiled, her love for him washing over her. “I'd like that.”
Yes.
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Bronson College
“I'm pregnant.”
Because her gaze was intense, Angela saw the sweat immediately pop out on Dean Hightower's forehead. She would have laughed out loud if the situation weren't so serious. She moved her gaze from his to glance around his office. He had numerous plaques on the wall and a number of framed photographs of him and other important individuals, including John F. Kennedy. Angela knew she didn't have to tell him that if her parents had any idea he had been sleeping with her for almost two years, he would lose every single thing he owned, including his respectability.
He finally collected himself enough to ask, “Are you sure?” After she nodded, he looked at her thoughtfully, then shook his head. “I thought you were on the pill, Angela.”
“I am. But last month I got a cold, and I guess the medicine I was taking diluted the effectiveness of the pill.”
He frowned and in an agitated tone said, “And I guess you're here to tell me the baby is mine?”
Angela smiled. It could be his, Mr. Morgan's or Mr. Adams's. But she was putting her money on him. “Yes, sir. There hasn't been anyone else,” she lied.
“What about Mr. Morgan?”
“He only spent his time tasting me like you said he would.” She
decided that he didn't have to know that the man had taken advantage of a good thing and had ended up doing a lot more than that.
decided that he didn't have to know that the man had taken advantage of a good thing and had ended up doing a lot more than that.
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