The Unspun Tale

The tension in the air was stifling as we stared at each other. She stirred her tea so gently, there wasn’t a single clank of her spoon against the glass. Setting her cup onto the saucer, she placed her tea onto the coffee table. With a leg crossed over the other, the slit in her silky black dress exposed the smooth skin of her dark thigh. It was a rather elaborate hotel. The marble floor shone against the glimmering, gold chandelier. The glass china cabinet had an array of tea cups, saucers, and porcelain dinnerware. The white walls and carpet, remarkably, didn’t have a single stain in the bedroom. The place had the sweetest aroma, vanilla perhaps. Though, it was tainted by the horrid stench of resentment.

This morning I’d picked a senseless fight with her. “Baby, I’m already finished making it, can’t you just drink the coffee,” she’d said after I patronized her for making the wrong drink. I could’ve just simply taken what she’d made for me, but my nerves were bad and I just wanted to feel like I was in control for once. The company was expecting me to give an awe-inspiring speech, and I think I was giving into my nerves. I hated talking about myself. 

Her gray eyes pierced my soul as a wave of guilt slammed its way into me. Her ginger brown locs hung over her shoulder, nearly touching the crease in her elbow where it rested on her lap. Sighing, she uncrossed her legs and stood. Though a bit thin, the dress she wore hugged her soft curves in just the right places. “Are you ready to go, Xae?” She reached to take my tea. “Does it look like I’m finished with that, Harm?” She recoiled, slightly, but enough for me to notice. It always happened like this. Nowadays it seems like everything I say is a slap to her face. Heat filled her cheeks and tears swelled in her eyes as she turned from me. “I’ll be in the car.” She walked away, her heels clicking against the floor as she left. 

After arriving at the university auditorium, we were escorted to a tiny, dimly lit hallway somewhere not far from backstage. With each passing second, I began to feel more and more disconnected from my surroundings. The frenzy of stage crew members rushing back and forth, the buzz of the audience forming in the auditorium, the makeup stylist speaking to my wife as he did my makeup and fixed my suit, I hardly noticed any of it. “Alright, Mr. Delone. It’s time!” Snapping me out of my trance, Harmony kissed my cheek and wished me well on stage. One of the crew members led us backstage. Standing near the stage curtains, a fair skinned gentleman spoke to the audience. “And I am very pleased to announce the CEO of Gibson Industry, Mr. Xavier Delone!” He made his way off stage and shook my hand generously. I took one last look at Harmony.

The auditorium was breathtaking. The stage was so large that an “x” was needed to indicate the center of the stage. Three floors of seating filled the space of the room, and surprisingly nearly all of them were occupied. Two flat screen televisions stood in the corners of the room, presumably to aid those with trouble seeing the stage. Momentarily I was at a loss for words. Who do I want them to see? “Thank you so much for taking the time to be here this afternoon,” I began. “I suppose the best place to start is in the beginning.”

“I was raised by my beautiful mother and my father up until the age of about six. For a couple years, I lived with my mother alone, and after that I was placed into the foster care system. However, I didn’t have the best experience. We lived in a rough neighborhood. Kids were mean, and my foster parents worked from sunup to sun down. I’d figured it was just me alone anyway, so at sixteen I left. From there I was homeless, living from under a bridge to an abandoned building, showering at truck stops, and begging for money in the street. This went on until one day at the age of nineteen, a Black gentleman, Ray Gibson- owner of Gibson Industries, in a suit approached me as I stood on a corner holding my ‘Anything Helps’ sign.” 

“He’d asked me the one question that changed my life: ‘Do you want to be somebody?’” “At the time I didn't have an answer, so he took my silence as a good enough one.” I continued weaving my tale, explaining how the gentleman, Mr. Ray, took me into his home, hired me within his company, and taught me how to be a man. I was nearly breathless by the end of my speech, still feeling a bit disconnected from the audience. “I also really want to thank the University for allowing me to be here, and my wife for remaining by my side.” I glanced over to her, and saw her smiling sheepishly. A tinge of guilt filled me. As the crowd stood in applause, I walked off stage and embraced Harmony. She kissed me deeply, "I am so proud of you." The fair skinned spokesman, Mr. Adams, greeted me. "Mr. Delone, you did an amazing job out there," he shook my hand again. "I would love it if you and your wife joined me and the stage crew for lunch." "Sure, that sounds great," I responded, knowing we were both starving. 

Harmony and I made it back to the hotel room, and immediately she took off her heels. I chuckled to myself. Lunch was amazing. We'd gone to this popular seafood restaurant downtown where we tried their famous shrimp and crawfish poboys. They were huge, and stuffed to the brim with meat. Somehow, the both of us managed to leave without taking any leftovers. "I'm going to bed, baby," she said, making her way towards the bedroom. "Harm," I called her. "Please, sit down." For a moment she watched me, seemingly a bit wary, but she nodded. She sat on the sofa with her knees pointed towards me. I went to the mini closet next to the front door and opened the safe. Taking out a small, white box, I took a deep breath and headed for the spot on the sofa next to her. 

Releasing another breath, “Harm I don’t have the words to explain to you everything that’s going on. You know that I’ve been through a lot, but none of that, none of what was said in my speech is what keeps me up at night.” I glanced at her watching me, so intently. “I don’t have the words, but I can show you if you're willing.” I placed the box onto the coffee table, and opened it. Inside were pairs of two flat objects which looked a lot like batteries. They were white and were connected by a long, coated wire. I took out one pair, and placed the objects onto my temples, leaving the wire under my chin. “These devices will allow me to share my memories with you. You'll get to feel, see and hear everything I experienced." "Just put on this pair like I just did.”

“Xavier, what is this?” She asked dumbfoundedly. “Is this supposed to be a joke?” I responded, “Do you trust me?” She pondered for a long while, but she nodded and reached for the device. “Ok, so now I want you to relax,” I instructed as I plugged the wires into the box. A bright light illuminated the space like a holographic universe. She laid down resting her head on my lap. I leaned back onto the sofa myself. “Close your eyes and clear your mind.” When you begin to hear the voices in my memories, you may open your eyes and watch my life unfold amongst the hologram.” I close my eyes; I relax my mind; I take my thoughts all the way back to the beginning. 

The mattress laying on the floor hurt my back as some of the springs poked through the surface. The air was warm and humid, coated with the slight smell of mold. Through the splintered door, I could hear them arguing. Momma always let him yell at her, as if she could care less what he had to say. “When I tell you to cook dinner, that’s what I mean,” he’d said. “John, if you would just give me the card to go to the store, you wouldn’t have to worry about there not being any food. It’s not like you’ll let me work, and you won’t go to the store yourself.” 

Everyday, it was the same constant bickering. “You’re fucking useless, Anne. Why can’t you just leave?” Daddy screamed to the top of his lungs. He stormed out of the house, leaving momma raw and completely vulnerable. As she headed for her bedroom, I rose from the mattress, and went to console her. 

Momma pulled me onto her lap and vented, stroking my cornrows. “I love that man so much, Xae, and you know what, I think I am the only one. He never kisses me anymore, and he hardly ever says he loves me.” She sighed a heavy sigh. “Sometimes, I want to stop trying. Sometimes I want to just pack my bags and leave.” “He won’t hesitate to go out and get what he needs and wants. Food, clothes, sex, anything that doesn’t concern this house or his real family. 

I let Momma talk because that’s what she seemed to need. However, as time passed my views of them only became more screwed. That night was the last time we’d seen Daddy. Somehow, with him gone, things managed to get a lot worse. Momma’s depression became unmanageable between just the two of us. The memories shifted. 

Momma laid on the floor mattress in her room. Right next to her, a pile of needles littered the floor. The smell in her room was almost rancid. She wore the same clothes from three nights ago. She’d stopped taking her anti-depression pills pretty much immediately after she’d gotten them. “A xanny a day keeps the doctors away,” she used to say. However, I know now that she meant the highs felt far better then the results of the prescribed pills. 

There was a loud bang at the door. I hadn’t known why, but my heart leaped into my throat. “Child protective services!” Someone sounding male called from the other side of the door. As it turns out, one of the neighbors noticed Momma’s condition and figured she was in no condition to raise an eight year old boy. 

As the memories kept unfolding themselves, I regained consciousness momentarily. I looked to where Harmony laid still on my lap; her eyes moved rapidly from side to side. Blood leaked from her nose and ears, and my heart thundered. I couldn’t move anything but my eyes while my memories played through the device. So, I panicked, my breathing turning rapid. Slowly though, I lost consciousness again, just as I noted the blood dripping from my nose as well.