A Project Chick (29 page)

He again caught her off guard, greeting her with a hug when she reached her hand out to shake his hand.

"What kind of hard work at the mall you need me to do? Reaching in my pocket to pull out money to pay for whatever you want doesn't seem hard." He said, shaking his head. "Now I understand, carrying the bags is the hard labor, huh?" He smiled.

She giggled a little, but holding her breath, knowing he may not like the answer. "No sweetie, I need you to entertain some children at my sons' birthday party."

"I can handle that."

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"But there are some things that we have to get to assist you in the task. I'll pay for everything." He liked the fact that she offered to pay and that she wanted him to be a part of her children's party. He was certain that the way to her heart, or any mother's heart, was through her children "There's no need to pay, I can handle that, just show me what I need to get." Indie told her.

So, they strolled off to the party store. She had to control herself with all her might not to laugh, as they approached the aisle that they needed to get the necessary items from. First, they went over to the costume section, and that's when he realized she wanted him to dress like a clown at her boys' party.

He didn't think that was funny. He looked at her with a disappointed look on his face. "You think I am a real live clown don't you?"

"No, I just needed somebody to entertain my sons and their friends. I tried hiring a clown, but they all are booked up." She said, realizing that she had struck a nerve with him, and trying to clean up the joke a little by shifting the weight over on her boys, she said, "and they are so looking forward to having a clown. But don't worry about it, they're only five, they're going to have to understand mommy can't do everything."

"Come on now, you know better, those my lil buddies, you know I'm not going to disappoint them." They walked around the store, and Indie wasn't really saying anything about how she was playing him.

However, he thought to himself,
it's a damn shame, she
don't even know who I am. It's all-good though I'm going to
let her have her laugh, only because I like her and I gave her
my word. Had I not given her my word, I wouldn't do a damn
thing. See, she don't understand, I pay people to do stuff like
this.

Tressa saw a red clown nose, placed it on Indie's nose and said, "Perfect!"

He removed the nose and gave her a serious look that could have killed, and all of a sudden, he didn't look like a clown anymore.

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Seeing how angry he looked, Tressa tried to diffuse any angry outburst by pleading with Indie. "Please do this for me. You said you loved kids, so show me how much." He didn't have too much more to say to Tressa while she gathered all the things that she thought he would need.

He was so angry, but didn't show it when the clerk seemed to be in cahoots with Tressa, making small talk while she rung up the items. "Oh, you picked the perfect nose for this clown outfit!"

Indie wanted to just blow up and cuss both Tressa and the talkative, over helpful sales clerk out, but he didn't.

He simply went in his pocket and paid for the hideous things, his makeup, and size 40 clown shoes that were bright green and red two-tone. When Indie looked over at the clown suit, he just shook his head, and thought,
it's bad
enough she's making a clown out of me, but she had to pick
the most ugly clown suit in the whole store. Then my stupid
ass is here reaching in my pocket to pay for this shit. What
the hell is wrong with me? A bet is a bet though. But God
DAMN!!! She knows how to make a brother feel like a real
loser! For Real!!!

When he walked her over to her car, she handed him a piece of paper. "Here's the address."

"What time is the party?"

"4 p.m. and don't even think about paying someone else to show up either." Tressa slid the last part of the comment in.

"No, I know a bet is a bet. And, most importantly, I gave you my word." He told her, although he was thinking about hiring someone to do his dirty work for him.

Indie went home and gave the situation a lot of thought, as he contemplated his every move in his everyday life. He came up with his own agenda.
Make me into a
damn clown, huh. I'll bet one thing, I'm going to get the last
laugh, as I always do. I'm going to that party, but I don't
think they are going to be ready for me. I got a few tricks of
my own up my sleeves that are going to put the icing on the
cake.
Indie amused himself with his own idea.

He had only two more days to prepare for the party, and he prepared for the party like his life depended on it.

The day before the party, he went to the trick shop on West Broad to purchase additional objects to help execute his 195

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plan. He happily rolled his cart through like a kid who had just won a Toys R Us sweepstakes. When he was leaving, he was thinking and laughing both at the same time, "
Turn
me into a damn clown
!"

Back in the day when Indie was in middle school, he entered a talent show. He didn't win, but he knew what it took to make the people laugh and sit in amazement in middle school, so little kids shouldn't be any harder.

Indie borrowed somebody's beat up pick up truck.

He got them to meet him around the street from Tressa's house. There was no way he was driving that raggedy truck any further than around the corner, that's for sure. To ensure all the children were at the party, he arrived close to a quarter after five. When he arrived, the truck was smoking, making all kinds of loud noises which some of the kids came around from the back yard to the front yard to see what all the commotion was. The one little girl ran back around to the back of the house to alert Tressa that it was the clown, and the kids all ran around the front to greet the clown.

When Tressa went around to the front she was like,

"what the hell", while fanning all the smoke. All she could see was Indie getting out of the truck with his polka dot clown outfit, professional clown makeup and the fluorescent striped big bag he toted. However, it was truly the hot pink, big bushy wig that sent her into laughter, but little did she know, the joke would later be on her. When he was closer to the children, the truck made a loud backfire. He had it timed perfect, he pretended the loud noise startled him, which caused him to purposely trip, falling over his own feet. Once he plunged to the ground, out came the rag dolls, baseballs, toy motorcycles, dollar bills, trash candy and anything else he thought would be good gifts for the children, all over the front yard. The kids didn't even help the clown up, instead they were all over the toys and candy.

Tressa rushed over to help him up.
Lord, I hope he didn't
hurt himself
. She felt a little sorry for him, but never let him know.

After the children picked up all they could, Tressa moved the children to the back. All the children had glitter all over them, it was harmless, and just a part of the act.

While she was feeding the children in the back yard, Indie 196

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unloaded his truck. He brought in six big boxes, two small boxes and a cart on wheels. He put those things to the side, and as he was walking, he was drying his face with a hanky. As soon as he came close to Tressa, he flicked his wrist and the hanker chief turned into a rose. He handed it to her and didn't even stay around to get a response. He kept moving along to meet the birthday boys again. When they looked closely and realized it was their friend from the barbershop, they were so excited and began to give him hugs and jump all over him.

The show began, he first made the kids faces up like little clowns. Since the children adored him so much for all the fun they were having, he conned the children to get Tressa to get her face made up like a clown too. After the children begged, pleaded and screamed at the top of their lungs in a melody of "Please, Please, Please," trying to be a good sport, she got some red circles painted on her cheeks.

Then all of a sudden, Indie went into his pocket and put the bright red nose on Tressa. The kids loved it and then Indie whispered in her ear. "I'm not the only clown, now." She couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you for coming."

"No, the show ain't over Sugar. As a matter fact, it's just beginning."

Indie went into the house to get his other materials he needed. He brought the cake outside, lit it and it exploded. He ran for cover behind a tree. He was hiding, and it was so funny to the children. Tressa even had to laugh herself. He was taking a minute to come out, waiting for all the dust and smoke to settle. Tressa made brief eye contact with him. He winked at her and didn't let his performance get interrupted by her beautiful smile. He continued all kinds of magic and card tricks. A little girl asked, "Mr. Candy man, can you pull a rabbit out of a hat?" Indie put one finger up indicating to wait one minute, and went over to the cart with wheels and put his hat on top of it. All the children sat silently, patiently waiting for the rabbit. When Indie was sure he had their attention, he looked at each and every one of them before he pulled the rabbit out of his hat. He started to chant, reciting the words to the old song by the late Sammy Davis, Jr., "The Candy Man".

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While he was singing, he started doing a little dance in his clown shoes, which got the kids even more excited.

He pointed to the kids and they started singing too. "The candy man can...the candy man can...."

At the moment when he had the children exactly where he wanted them, at the climax of excitement, he pulled out a puppy rottweiler with two rabbit ears on its fat little head. He handed it to Hadji. Lil Ali ran over to play with the dog with his brother. The little girl said, "Do it again." He looked at the little girl and all the boys and girls and said, "You have to sing for me."

The kids began to sing,
"the candy man can...the
candy man can...oh, the candy man can!"
Before they realized, he had pulled another rottweiler out of his hat and gave it to the Lil Ali. He wished them both a "happy birthday." Tressa was amazed and outdone, but little did she know, that he wasn't done with her yet. While the children enjoyed their cake and ice cream, Tressa and Indie talked.

"Look, let me come clean with you, I saw the game earlier that day. I knew you were going to win the bet. So, I never lost the bet. I still was able to spend some time with you."

"How did you know to bring the puppies?"

"Every child needs a dog, especially little boys. I couldn't go and get those little guys of yours a poodle." He said, laughing. "I had to get them something that can give them a run for their money. The dogs are UKC reg, the best breed of rott money can buy."

"Thank you so much! There's nothing I could pay you to compensate you for the good time you showed my boys and their friends today."

"Sugar, that was just a small thing for me to pay for a woman like you."

Tressa was a little embarrassed that she had made a clown out of Indie. The way he played the games with the children, made her decide that maybe she could overlook the moccasins. After all he seemed to be a sweet guy.

They made plans for a date.

He was in!

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-22-

Real Recognize Real

It wasn't long after, about six months, before Indie had settled into their life. The transition wasn't hard at all for the boys. They loved Indie, and that is what made Tressa welcome him into their lives. Indie always gave his word to the boys, whatever he said, he did. He did things with them that Lucky had never thought of doing. Indie did a lot of big things for the boys, but it seemed to be the little things that amazed them so much. He took them to pick out their own kites and flew the kites with them. Indie began to show up at every little league game and practice equipped with a video camera. It had gotten to the point where the boys realized that it was more "hip" to have a man watch them from the sideline and cheer them on.

With Indie around, Tressa noticed less mischievous behavior out of the boys.

Tressa, on the other hand, was more reluctant to accept Indie into her life. Without a doubt, she knew that Indie was the perfect father figure for her children and was a true lifesaver. She couldn't help but remember, how it seems like every relationship starts out with each person only showing the good face, the acceptable things about them. She kept trying to convince herself that there was more to Indie than he revealed to her. She beat herself up, with every excuse, why she shouldn't give Indie a chance to 199