Southern Gossip: A Complicated Love Story Read online

  “They haven’t touched those 4 wheelers in a long time. Did he take the wooded path behind the house?” He asked, pulling the tie from around his neck then sitting down on the side of the bed to pull off his shoes.

  “I’m not sure, but maybe he did. It is quicker to get to her house that way.” She stated.

  “Well, I hope not, because I’ve been telling them for years to stop taking short cuts through the Kent’s property.” He said as if he was a bit irritated or probably even sleep deprived.

  Mrs. Gray could clearly tell that something was bothering her husband. “Baby, they’ve been riding their bikes, their ATV’s, walking, and no telling what else has gone on in that stretch of woods from here to the Kent’s house. The Kent’s never had a problem with them cutting through their property back then to get to your mama’s house. So why should they have a problem now?”

  “Because they’re not teenagers anymore,” Mr. Gray grumpily spoke up. “Marlon is twenty-eight years old and even though A’keem isn’t quite two years younger, they’re still grown and should act like it. What is so hard about him taking the road to mama’s house? I just don’t get it. They need to start acting more responsible.”

  “Hm,” Mrs. Gray uttered. “I don’t know what has sparked such an interest in fussing about Marlon taking the path to get to Mama Grays house. Hell, I could remember a time when you were just like them, hiking up the same path. If it wasn’t for you and your brother there wouldn’t even be a path.” She added as a reminder followed by a slick grin.

  “Not now, Love.” Mr. Gray firmly stated. His tone was heavy and serious. He wasn’t trying to hear nothing about his past.

  Mrs. Gray frowned, looking over at him. “Baby, what is wrong with you? What did the boys do this time?” She asked, because it couldn’t be anything else that would arise such dissatisfaction in his behavior.

  Mr. Gray rubbed in his head gently as if he was stressed a bit. “I had to get A’keem out of jail this morning?”

  “What did he do?” She asked with a worried stare.

  “Driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana,” he said walking into the bathroom and turning on the water in the sink.

  “Lord have mercy, when is he going to learn?” Mrs. Gray questioned.

  “He’ll never learn as long as we keep bailing him out.” Mr. Gray responded, cupping a handful of water in the palm of his hands and splashing it on his face. Mrs. Gray closed the magazine, gently getting out of the bed. She then entered the bathroom with her husband. A smile appeared on her face as she stood directly behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and then resting her head on his back.

  She sighed with relief. “He hasn’t gotten in any trouble in almost five years, baby. Don’t be so mad at him about this little hiccup.” She said. One thing about the Gray boys was that their mother would go through hell and back for them. She wasn’t about to let them or nobody else ruin their reputation or the family name if she had anything to do with it. “What did you do about the charges?” She politely asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t joke at a time like this, baby. Election is right around the corner and we don’t need nothing like this preventing you from keeping your position as Mayor in this fine city.”

  “It was only a small amount of marijuana and a suspended license, Darling. Don’t worry about it. I’ve already taken care of it.” He turned to her, kissing her forehead lightly. “Don’t I always take care of it?”

  “Yes, you do,” she said with a smile on her face. Mr. Gray knew that his wife was no joke and could be quite cut throat to keep their family safe and negatively out of the gossip column as much as possible. She was and would always be very protective of them no matter what.

  Mrs. Gray followed her husband out on the balcony as they overlooked part of their twenty acre land.

  “I heard that Denise’s daughter is back in town.” She informed him.

  Mr. Gray sat thinking for a few seconds then said, “So, Jada is back? I’m almost certain now that Marlon took the wooded path to mama’s house just to try to see her.” He commented. “What brings her back to town? I thought that she had gotten engaged to another and was soon to be married or something.”

  “That’s what Denise told me about a year ago. I don’t know what happened, but I intend on finding out.” She said.

  “Don’t go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, Love.” He said.

  “Baby, I’m not,” she commented. “I’m just going to drop by there and see where her head is. Don’t worry I’m not going to hypnotize her or anything.”

  Mr. Gray grinned. “Please don’t.” He said, knowing all too well the skills that his wife possessed as the city’s finest Family Psychologist. She knew everybody’s business through one person or another. Her sessions with the wealthy and the not so fortunate provided her with lots of knowledge and in the city of Rocky Springs, GA knowledge was definitely POWER.

  “I just hope that she’s not here to stir up any trouble between the boys. I could remember such trouble back in the day between you and your brother. I refuse to let my boys go through that foolish family history over and over again.”

  “They’re grown, Honey. Don’t you know how much has happened in the time that she’s been gone?”

  “Apparently not enough,” she said. “Neither one of them have gotten married, yet. It’s like they were waiting for the moment that she’d return.”

  “You got to let them live their own lives and that means finding love on their own.”

  “I understand that, but it’s only one of her and two of them. How in the hell is that ever going to work out for anybody?” She seriously questioned.

  “You never know. She may not be interested in either of them, anymore.”

  A bit of comfort settled inside her. “You’re right. She could still be engaged or even married by now for that matter. Who knows?” She commented.

  “Don’t worry yourself about the boys. They’ve gone through a lot while she’s been gone. They’ve each been with more women than we both can count I’m sure. Everybody should know that.”

  “Thanks to that nosey ass, ‘Here’s The Tea’, gossip column.” Mrs. Gray uttered. “The boys can’t even smile at a woman without a reporter running back to Lynn with some information. That paper would be dead to people if it wasn’t putting them in everybody’s business.”

  “That gossip column has helped us too now Dear, don’t forget it.”

  “And, it’s also put out some things that we would’ve preferred to keep private.” She stated.

  “I won’t deny that.” He agreed.

  “As soon as it gets around that Denise’s daughter is back in town that paper is going to be all over it.”

  “I’m sure it will, but just remember that no matter what it says, Jada Kent was just a crush that the boys had ever since they were teenagers.” Mr. Gray mentioned.

  “Funny, as I can remember, one of our sons proposed to her so it was definitely more than just a crush.”

  “A proposal that she turned down,” Mr. Gray interjected. And then she unexpectedly left town while leaving everyone with questions that were never answered. It’s been at least five years now. Regardless of why she’s back, I feel that they’ve had nothing but time to get over her.” He assured her. His demeanor was always laid back never allowing any situation take him out of his character. “Plus, Marlon is in a relationship now with a business savvy, very pretty woman that he loves.”

  Mrs. Gray folded her arms and chuckled. “As if that means anything when there is a Kent woman present.” Mr. Gray immediately stepped back into the bedroom preparing to lie down and a get in a nap. He knew exactly what his wife was thinking as the unpleasant thoughts of her almost losing him to Denise, years back, replayed in her mind. Not this morning, he thought.

  “I have a town’s meeting today with the citizens and my staff about building a community learning center with a park in an o
pen area between Lovers Lane and Park Drive.”

  “Well, I personally think that having this meeting on a Saturday afternoon was a good idea. More citizens should show up.” She stepped over in the body mirror fingering through her short Hale Berry cut. She had on a yellow and gray pair of Nike nylon shorts with the matching yellow and gray Nike t-shirt. She also wore the yellow, gray, and white Air Max’s to top off her casually laid back appearance. From the looks of things, it seemed that she was about to go on her morning jog around the plantation. “This community center will help keep a lot of those misguided teenagers off the streets and the younger children will have a nice, clean place to play and learn.”

  Mr. Gray gently fell across the bed trying to get comfortable. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Mrs. Gray looked over at the clock. It was only ten o’clock a.m. “What time is your meeting?”

  “It’s at three today.”

  “Okay, well I have a few errands to run today myself. No clients, but I definitely have a couple places I need to go. Call me after your meeting and we can do a later lunch.” She said grabbing her leather, exclusively designed Dooney and Burke handbag. Just that quickly she heard her husband snoring. “Did you hear me, Ian?” She asked loudly.

  “Yes dear, I heard you. I’ll call after my meeting and be careful.” He said drifting back to sleep.

  “I will,” she softly smiled. Jada’s homecoming played heavily on her mind. Just when it seemed her boys were moving on, she had to return. Hopefully, it was just to visit and then she’d be gone again, but her gut feeling told her differently. She could sense disorder and confusion heading their way, but she was determined to stop it. As she neared the bottom of the staircase she realized that it was only one source that she could get some clarity from, but that was all depending on her mood. I guess I’ll find out soon enough, she thought while exiting the house.

  Chapter 2

  “What took you so long to get here? You must’ve been up to your old tricks?” Mama Gray questioned with a hoarse cackle as she slowly made her way down the staircase of her modest three story family estate. Marlon was already reclined back on the plush leather sectional with the remote in his hand. He waited patiently for the interrogation to begin, already knowing that he wasn’t caving in no matter how hard she probed him.

  Settling on ESPN, he looked over at his loving grandmother as she rounded the corner. She was beautiful at the ripe age of seventy-two. Her smooth, caramel colored skin tone with hardly any wrinkles at all made her look nearly half that age. She had her long, thick hair pulled up in a bun and was wearing an ankle length pink, silk house coat tied in the front. “Well good morning to you too, Mama Gray.” He spoke as she entered the room.

  “I heard you riding on that 4-wheeler.” She started as Marlon shook his head. “So, did you stop by the Kent’s residence on your way here?” she asked while making her way around the sectional then sitting down beside him.

  Marlon looked over at her almost wanting to laugh. She was relentless in trying to find something out. “And she doesn’t waste any time,” he whispered then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I said good morning, Mama Gray.”

  She smiled. “Good morning, baby.” His handsome face always brought her joy. He was her oldest and most responsible grandson of the three. He would stop everything at the drop of a dime to come if she needed him. He’d always take her to her appointments if she needed him to and because of that, plus his charming smile, she adored him immensely. He was her favorite, she’d always tell him. “Baby, would you fix me something to drink.”

  He looked at her shaking his head. “I thought you weren’t feeling well.”

  “I’m not, but that’ll help me feel better.” She said sounding a bit enthused.

  “I should’ve known that you’d say something like that.” He lazily got up to go fix her a drink. Once entering the immaculate, traditional style kitchen, he grabbed a glass out of the cabinet.

  “So, what did you say took you so long, Marlon?” Mama Gray nosily asked from the adjoining family room.

  “I didn’t say, Mama Gray.” He uttered, ignoring the question already knowing that she was too smart not to know what he’d been up too. “What did you want to drink?”

  “You know what I want.” She quickly answered.

  Marlon shook his head again as he grabbed the bottle of Bordeaux blended red wine sitting on the granite countertop in front of him. “Mama Gray, you know it’s too early for this.” He stated as he poured her a drink. He then walked back inside the family room, handing her the half filled glass then plopped back down beside her.

  Mama Gray frowned at his comment about her drinking. “No, it’s not too early as long as I’ve eaten breakfast.” She said as if she’d made a great point.

  “If you say so,” he dryly commented.

  Mama Gray sipped her wine then looked back over at her Grandson. “So, did you make a stop at the Kent’s house on your way over here?”

  Marlon grinned at his nosey grandmother. “Maybe I did.” Mama Gray smiled. “Or, maybe I didn’t.” He teased.

  She strangely looked at him. “Hm,” she said as the lingering sound of the word meant that she’d let it go for now, but it wasn’t over. “So have you spoken to your Father this morning?”

  “No ma’am, why?” he asked.

  “Well when we spoke on the phone earlier he said that he was headed to the jailhouse.”

  “For what?” he questioned.

  “Seems your brother got in some trouble last night,” she informed him. “Have you spoken to him yet, your brother? I hope he’s okay.” She stood up. “Let me check the caller ID and make sure he hadn’t called while I was in the shower.”

  “Mama Gray, chill. Sit back down and relax.” Marlon insisted. “Keem is alright. I’m sure Dad has taken care of it. Plus, Unc is the Sheriff of this city. When has Keem ever had to do time for anything mischievous that he’s done?”

  “Yeah I know, but I’m gonna have a talk with him when I see him. He’s been doing so good by staying out of trouble.” She heaved a heavy sigh. “Lord, no telling what he’s done.”

  Out of nowhere Mrs. Gray’s voice could be heard entering the kitchen as she was ear hustling on her way in. Quickly she thought she’d ease her mother-n-law’s mind. “He was caught driving with a suspended license, Mama Gray. That’s it.” Immediately she sat her handbag on the granite countertop and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. She’d already spotted the bottle of wine the minute she entered the kitchen. She held the wine bottle in her hand and read the label. “Clos Fourtet Saint-Emilion 2009,” she raised a concerned eyebrow. “This is a three-hundred dollar bottle of wine. What are we celebrating?” she questioned knowing that Mama Gray was content on drinking the cheaper red wines for the simple reason that she felt they got her tipsy quicker.

  Marlon got up from the sectional and joined his mother in the kitchen. “Mom, you didn’t tell me about that before I left the house earlier.” He said as he watched her pour a half glass of wine.

  “I didn’t know until your father made it home which was after you left.” She said sitting down on one of the bar stools that was pulled up to the counter.

  Marlon sat down beside her and watched how quickly she drank her wine. “You and Mama Gray and that wine,” he said shaking his head. “Are you okay drinking like that?”

  “Yes I’m fine, son.” She said as Mama Gray entered the kitchen and gave her daughter-n-law a light peck her on the cheek.

  “Good Morning, Celeste.”

  “Good Morning, Mama Gray.” Mrs. Gray spoke back. “How are you feeling?” She said looking down at her watch to time A’keem’s arrival.

  “Oh pretty good,” she said reaching for the bottle of wine. “Pretty good.”

  Mrs. Gray slid her bare glass over to her mother-n-law for a refill. “I guess if I have just a bit more I’ll be feeling just as good as you.”

  Mama Gray quickly poured a little more for hers
elf then slid Mrs. Gray’s empty glass back over to her. “Here, pour your own troubles.” She hoarsely said handing her the bottle.

  “Even asking that you pour me a glass of wine is too much, huh?” Mrs. Gray questioned.

  “It’s not just a glass of wine,” Mama Gray said with sarcasm thinking about how expensive it was.

  “I already know that, but three-hundred dollars to you is like three American dollars. Don’t play Mama Gray. It’s too early for this,” Mrs. Gray told her. She and Mama Gray had a bitter, sweet relationship. Mama Gray learned to like her, because her son loved and married her, but it took a long time for her to see some good in the woman.