Lessons Learned Ch. 07

"I'm sure I would be surprised by you Andreas!" I replied as we continued our embrace.

"I've missed you!" I whispered and then kissed his cheek.

He smiled at me and returned a kiss to my cheek, "It's been too long you know!"

"I know." I replied.

We turned, wrapped our arm around each other and walked up the pathway to the house.

"So tell me about this new boyfriend of yours." Andreas replied.

I chuckled to myself. "His name is Shane and he's...well.... he's just wonderful" I replied.

"Oh really!!"

"Well not as wonderful as my big brother..." I replied

"Uh Huh!?!?"

"But he's a good man and... I think he'll make me happy." I replied

We got to the front stoop of the house. Andreas turned and looked into my eyes. I wasn't sure what he was looking for and his stern expression was making me nervous. But then his expression softened and he smiled at me. He took me into another strong embrace.

"All I really want it for you to be happy. And if this 'Shane' makes you happy then I'm happy for you!" Andreas replied softly.

I smiled and hugged him tighter. "I love you Andreas!" I whispered

"I love you too Peanut!" He replied

I laughed at the endearment that everyone called me. We separated from each other and stepped into the house. As we were hanging our coats on the rack, I turned to Andreas and asked, "So what happened to that new girl you were talking to?"

Andreas shrugged, "I didn't work out as I would've liked, but hey what can you do?" he replied.

"Very true!" I replied

"Well, Well, I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence." A voice replied from behind us. We looked up and there was Marguerite standing at the top of the steps looking down a us.

I rolled my eyes. Andreas smiled, "Always a pleasure to see you to Marguerite." Andreas replied.

"Yea, whatever." She replied. She looked at me, "Angela, Momma wants to see you. I suggest you go to her!" She looked at both Andreas and I with one last contemptuous look, rolled her eyes and walked to her room.

Both Andreas and I were quiet until she was out of ear shot. We looked at each other and bust out laughing. We laughed so hard tears began to fall. "Why does she hate me so much?" I asked in between my tears.

"She doesn't hate you. Marguerite is just being Marguerite." Andreas answered

"But she's not like that with you and Mo. What did I do?" I asked.

"I don't know suge. But you know what I do know?" Andreas asked.

I smiled. "What's that?" I asked.

He took me into his embrace. "I know that I love you. And that's all I need to know!!" he replied.

"Yes Aaron Neville!!" I replied.

"Oh you're mocking me now. I got you." Andreas replied as he brought his arms from around my back to around my neck.

"You won't be saying that when the Mr. Noogster comes in to town." he replied.

"No! No! No! Not Mr. Noogster." I replied. Before I could register what was going on, Andreas put me in a headlock and begin to rub my head rapidly with his knuckles.

I yelped in frustration. He let go of his hold and I pushed him away. He laughed at my angry stare. I couldn't help but smile. I patted my hair back down into place.

"I hate you." I replied.

"No you don't!!" he replied confidently.

"No I don't, but still."

We both laughed. After we sobered up I asked,

"But for real Andreas, What do I do about Marguerite? I'm going to be living here for awhile. I can't, no, I'm not going to live in a house with someone who doesn't respect me or even like me for that matter. Not again!!!" I replied.

Andreas walked to me and put his hands on both my shoulders. His eyes looked deep into mine and he replied, "Angela this is not like before. You have support this time. If it gets too much with Marguerite staying here then come to the hotel. We have suites available to all of the Monroe children. You don't have to go at this alone. Ok?"

I nodded.

"And you know I got your back right?"

I nodded again.

"Good. Then calm down. You're home now, and I for one am happy you're here."

"As am I!!" a deep voice replied from behind us.

I looked and there standing at the door was my oldest brother Maurice. An enormous smile came across my face. I stepped from Andreas and ran into his open arms.

"I'm so glad to see you suge." I replied softly in his ear.

I held on to him for a few golden moments. As I held him, Maurice looked up at Andreas and the two nodded at each other.

I stepped away from his embrace, gazed at both my brothers and realized just how extremely handsome they both are.

There's Andreas who stands at 6 foot 3, with broad shoulders, a lean torso, and strong athletic legs that stay conditioned due to his daily five-mile morning run. His hair is in dreads which are twisted to perfection with blond tips. They almost reach his waist. He keeps them in a neat ponytail. He has smooth mocha colored skin and vibrant blue green eyes. He gets his eyes from our father.

He has no facial hair. He stays clean shaven at all times. I remember when he tried to grow facial hair. The hair grew in patches and made him look like a hobo. We teased him about it constantly so he immediately shaved and refused to grow facial hair ever again. Andreas has a strong chin that is chiseled to perfection. In truth he doesn't need facial hair; he's perfect without it.

He stood there dressed in stone washed jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, a coal gray, v-neck sweater and some timberlands. I was surprised by this, because usually Andreas is in some sort of designer suit but today was a casual day.

My brother Maurice stands at 6foot 7. His torso is bigger then Andreas's. Maurice is a retired overseas professional football player. He career ended when he fractured his knee. Even though he stopped playing football, he still keeps the same workout regiment of a seasoned athlete. He has broad shoulders, a strong muscular torso, and long, sculpted legs. He keep his hair cut short to his head. He has hazel eyes and a strong, chiseled jaw line. Unlike Andreas, Maurice has facial hair. He keeps it trimmed down to the mustache/goatee combo. Tonight he's dressed in black slacks that cuffed at the end, a wool turtleneck, and black loafers.

I smiled to myself wondering how I could have come from this family of Greek gods and goddesses. Even Marguerite's drop dead gorgeous. If she didn't always look so mean and go around with an attitude many more people other then her husband would see it.

She stands at 5'10, with a heart-shaped face, light caramel skin, big brown eyes with lashes to match, small breasts that barely make a B cup, a slim waist, long curly hair that she keeps no longer then to her neck, long graceful legs, and a big bubble butt. Marguerite looks like the dancer she should've been. She gave up that dream for another one. She is a renowned marital therapist. She has a beautiful baby boy and a husband who loves her. Truthfully, I believe she's happier with this dream.

I seriously don't know where I got my looks from. I've asked my mom many times if I was adopted and she swears I'm not. She says all of us come from the same mother and father. My older brothers and sister got their looks from our dad's side of the family. I got my looks from my mom's side. I'm shorter then everyone; standing at 5'6 (as said before) , with smooth dark chocolate, brown eyes and lashes to match as well, slim waist, but the muscle that could have been for long legs decided to stop at my ass. I have a round butt the pokes out like a pear. My legs are nice, but they're short and I have large full breasts. I truly believe that I'm beautiful, but nothing can compare to my siblings. Even though I look the absolute opposite of my brothers and sister; they never made me feel like an outcast. They've always made me feel beautiful.

I must have been in my thoughts for awhile because Maurice asked,

"What're you looking at Peanut? Do we have crap on our faces?" Both men laughed . I shook my head and laughed with them.

"No, I was just thinking about how you guys look like tall beautiful trees and I look like an acorn." I replied.

Maurice brought me into another embrace., "Awwwww come on Peanut, there aint nothing wrong with your looks. You're beautiful!!"

"You have to say that because I'm your sister." I replied muffled in the crook of his arm.

He laughed a rich baritone laugh, "Yea you're right, but that doesn't make it any less true." He replied.

I playfully pushed him away, "You play too much!!" I replied. He brought me back and put me in a light headlock. I began to playfully hit his arm to get him to let go.

Andreas stood on the steps and laughed till he cried.

"Alright you two, that's enough!!" A voice said from behind us.

I looked up and there was our mother. This time she was smiling. I looked at my mother for a brief moment and realized just how beautiful she was. She was almost sixty and could easily pass as one of our sisters. She was my same smooth, dark chocolate complexion. She carried mine and Marguerites eye color, but she was built more like Marguerite; tall and lean. She had a heart shaped face but she and I had the same full, pouty lips. She claims that she had a similar build to mine when she was younger. Proof of that still remains to be seen.

She stood at the top of the steps in her house coat. It was silk and had ostrich feathers spouting from the collar. When my mother smiled I saw our likeness. I smiled at that. Maurice undid his hold and we both straightened up.

"Hello Mother." Maurice replied.

"Hello My darling, I see you finally decided to drop by. It's a good thing that Andreas and Marguerite live here. I could've died and you would never know." She replied with a teasing smile.

Maurice rolled his eyes and walked up the stairwell. He kissed our mother on the cheek and replied, "I'm sure if you were dead, your ghost would come to me in my sleep and reprimand me for not coming to see you die."

The two paused and looked at each other and then our mother's grin got wider and grabbed Maurice into a big hug. They both laughed.

"Oh you're such an asshole. But I love you!!" she replied as she hugged him. Maurice kissed her cheek and replied,

"I have to make some phone calls. Can I use the office phone?"

"Sure darling, don't forget to push one before you dial the number." She replied.

"I know Momma." Maurice kissed our mother once more, nodded at both of us and then went on to the study.

Momma looked at us with a smile. "So are you staying the night my love?" She asked Andreas.

Andreas smiled, "I was thinking so. It's not every day that we get all the family in one house." Andreas replied.

Momma smiled and shook her head in agreement. "Very true.!!" Andreas smiled walked up to our mother and kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you momma!" he smiled.

"I love you too baby."

"I'm going to my room to take care of a few things." Andreas replied. He looked down at me and smiled. "I'm glad you're here. I'll see you both in the morning." He turned and walked off to his room.

"Night 'Dre!!" I replied. He gave me the two finger salute as he went down the hallway.

Mother and I were now alone. We just stood there and gazed at each other for a few moments. I broke the trance and walked up the steps to her. She opened her arms and I immediately feel in them. Tears began to fall down my face.

"I've missed you so much." She whispered in my ear.

"I know. I've missed you to Momma!!" I replied.

I looked up from my embrace and she took my face into her hands and wiped my tears away with her thumbs. We turned and locked arms together.

"Come, let us go into your room. There is much to talk about." She replied.

I nodded. We walked arm and arm to my bedroom. I turned the light on and found everything was as I left it. Monet prints on the wall, a four poster canopy bed with four soft pillows and a deep purple comforter set atop the mattress. My Victorian dresser and full wall mirror was still in tact as well as my walk in closet. My desk still stood by the door with my old laptop, chair and stain glass lamp on top of it.

I walked in to the room. Mother stood at the doorway. I went straight to the closet. The emptiness of the closet brought back the deep pain of losing my house to the surface. I was filled with so much pent up rage and hurt that I almost couldn't breathe. I crossed my arms over my chest and allowed the tears to fall down my cheeks once more. My mother silently stepped behind me and put her arms around my shoulders. She held me close to her as more silent tears flowed down my face.

"I know baby, I know!!" She soothed as she held me.

"NO!!" I said abruptly wiping the tears away and stepping away from my mother's embrace.

"I can't let her win. I've let her foolishness control my life for over three years now. I can't do it anymore. No one should have to go through that. It's going to get better. I'M going to get better.." I replied.

I walked away from the empty closet and sat at the side of my bed. My mother went to my desk and brought the chair over to where I sat and sat in front of me. She took my hand into hers and replied,

"Yes you are my love. You're going to get better. We are here for you. You aren't alone anymore."

I smiled up at my mom, "Thank you!" I replied softly.

"No thanks needed." My mother replied.

"So, tell me..." , Mom continued.

"What's going on with you and the house. Have you heard from Sherise? And most importantly who is this new man that seems to be your knight shining armor?

"Well, we're still waiting on the fire marshal's and the fire inspector's report. When we get both of those, I can give it to the insurance company. They'll do an investigation of their own. Then hopefully they will give me a check for the damage. We're hoping that this will take no more then 2-3 months . Then I'll be able to get back to my life. "

"Well Sweetheart you know you can stay here as long as you need."

"I know mom."

"So, are we graduating this May?"

"Yes we are. I was thinking of forgoing the ceremony and just getting the diploma but I was asked to sing the national anthem at the ceremony. I hope you'll come."

"Of course we will baby!! Me, Marguerite, Andreas and Maurice will be in the front row." Momma replied.

"Well I can see you, Maurice and Andreas there. Marguerite not so much." I replied

"Now Angela. Why wouldn't Marguerite be there to support you?"

"Momma I can't see Marguerite anywhere near an event that has to do with me. She hates me mom." I replied

"Oh it's not that bad." She replied.

I looked at my mother in disbelief, "Momma, are you serious? Every time we get in the same vicinity we fight."

"Well sweetheart, have you ever thought about why you are fighting in the first place?" Momma asked.

I shook my head, "I don't know why she hates me. When we were kids Marguerite and were best of friends. The teens years hit and we weren't friends anymore. I just don't know Momma." I answered.

"You're such a liar." A voice replied at the doorway. We looked up and there was Marguerite standing at the door.

I stood up and asked her , "How am I a liar Marguerite? When we were younger you and I were not only sisters we were best friends. I could tell you anything, and then all of a sudden, I wasn't good enough to be your friend anymore. It was like I was too young for you. Or not good enough for you. And I always wondered what I'd done to make you stop loving me?'

"Don't stand there acting all self-righteous like you don't know what you did." Marguerite replied

"That's the thing Marguerite, I don't know what I did?" I replied.

"Marguerite this is not the time to be doing this." Momma interjected.

"No Mom, now is as good a time as any. If we're going to be living here together we need to get everything out in the open." I replied.

Our mother didn't say another word. She just watched us.

"What did I do Marguerite to make you hate me as much as you do?" I asked

"I don't have time for this!!" Marguerite replied and turned to walk away.

"NO!!! DON'T FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM ME. TELL ME WHAT I DID THAT WAS SO WRONG!!" I yelled.

Marguerite stopped in her tracks with her back to me.

"TELL ME MARGUERITE, TELL ME WHAT I DID!!"

Marguerite turned and answered softly,

"You want to know?..."

"YES!! TELL ME!!"

"YOU PICKED THAT SKANK WHORE SHERISE OVER ME!!"

"What?" I replied

Tears of pent up resentment began to fall down Marguerite's cheeks. "Your right. We used to be best friends. I didn't think that anything, least of all a skank bitch like Sherise could separate us. But she did. And every time it seemed like we were getting back to normal; she would do something else that would cause you to leave me. "

"What are you talking about Marguerite? I never picked her over you. If anything you left me."

"What? I would never."

"Marguerite. I started hanging out with Sherise when you started high school. You got a whole new set of friends. They didn't like me and they made you feel stupid for hanging out with me. I asked mom what should I do. And she told me that I should get my own friends. She told me to let you grow on your own and you would come back to being my best friend on your own time"

Marguerite turned to our mother, "You told her that?"

Mother looked down and said nothing.

"But you came back to me though. Well at least I thought you did. I got into school and you seemed so happy for me."

"I was." She replied with a slight smile.

"Then Mr. Harper died. I came back for the funeral and we talked during the repast. I told you how hard it was to make ends meet and you offered to move in to help. I said 'Yes. definitely!' You remember that?"

"Of course I do. I told you that I had to go out of town for a med school conference but once I got back, I would move in with you. I came back from the conference and you moved Sherise in instead. I was so upset with you. You made me believe that you actually wanted me in your life. But you didn't. So since you didn't want me in your life, I made sure that I wasn't."

I shook my head, "Marguerite what are you talking about. That's not what happened at all."

"Yes it did. I remember everything."

"Marguerite I emailed you and sent to your phone all the details about the move. I even offered to move you in so that when you came back from the conference you could come straight home. I got a text back from you saying that you decided against the move. You said that you couldn't afford it and that mom needed you. I thought that you were kidding, so I texted and emailed you the rest of the week and got the same response. The next week Sherise came to me and told me she needed a place to stay so I offered her the room and she accepted." I replied.

"Angela you never left me a message or an email."

"Yes I did Marguerite. I sent you all the house and neighborhood information. I even sent you a scan of the lease. I sent it to your Blackberry. I remember the number, it was 303-284-6375."

"Angela that wasn't my number."

"Yea it was, I remember it like it was yesterday."

"Angela my number was and still is 303-284-6374. ..6375 was...?"

I looked to the floor and thought to myself, "Well if it wasn't your number who's was it then? Wait a minute, it was.....?"

"MOM!!!!" We said simultaneously.

"I remember now. I used to mix you guy's number up all the time. It was mom's number I sent it to." I replied.

We both looked at our Mother. Her head still hung low. By this time Everyone was out of their rooms witnessing our argument. Ian was standing behind Marguerite, Maurice stood at my doorway and Andreas stood at the doorway of his room.

"Mother, did Angela mistakenly leave a message for me on your phone about me moving in with her?" Marguerite asked softly.