Free Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan Page B

it’s because she’s so pretty that he tolerates her or because she acts like she needs him for everything. Tarik is forever rushing her to the emergency room. She is such a phony. Even Marvin can see right through her. “What’s she got now?” he always asks her after Tarik explains how Nickida couldn’t breathe or she thinks she’s getting an ulcer. She thought she had cancer on her scalp once but it turned out to be dandruff. It’s always something. Gloria has tried to love her but Nickida makes it difficult. Millions of people hate her because she works in the collection department at the IRS. Tarik is her second husband. She also has a son by her first. Brass is twelve. He lives half-time with Nickida and Tarik and the other half with his dad, Luther, whom Gloria has never met. Brass is cocky, acts more like he’s fifteen, which is why Gloria and Marvin are glad when they come over without him.
    Considering Tarik is a police officer, Gloria wishes he’d apply the skills he uses on the force in his marriage. He never questions anything Nickida does, believes everything she tells him. She certainly knows her power. It’s both sickening and sad for Gloria to see how docile her son acts around his wife. Even Marvin, who has a very high tolerance for bullshit, finds her hard to take in large doses. For this reason, whenever they’re around her, they pretend she’s really sweet and just having a bad hair day.
    “Hi, Gawa!” Blaze yelped.
    “Easy now, Blazie,” Gloria said, draping her arms around this little pint-size person. Blaze, of course, was wearing a blue dress because everything she wears is blue. She refuses to wear pants—and only wears shorts when the temperature is over a hundred.
    Gloria didn’t see Tarik, probably because he was lugging stuff out of their brand-new Sequoia. Next to appear was Stone. He’s six. The oldest of the three. His afro looks like black cotton. He has the nerve to be wearing a wifebeater, baring muscles that look like chocolate Easter eggs. Diamond’s cheeky face hides behind a cascade of braids. She’s almost three and doesn’t talk. She did up until a year ago, then she just stopped. She’s a sweet little devil. Says everything with her eyes, especially “no.” She was diagnosed as autistic, but Nickida refuses to believe it. “She’ll talk when she has something to say.”
    “Hi, Gawa,” Stone said as he tried to hog a hug from Gloria. He’s tall for his age, and a little on the pudgy side. “Where’s Grandpa?”
    “He’s at the nursery, buying flowers for us to plant.”
    “Can we plant some?” he asked. He’s a mini-me of Tarik, even down to a mole on the left side of his neck. He’s also smart, smarter than Tarik was when he was little.
    “Let’s wait until Grandpa gets here and see what he has that might be easy for you. How’s that?”
    “Okay.” He plopped down on the bottom step of the deck and already looked bored.
    “Happy anniversary, Mom,” Nickida said. Those three-inch heels slowed her down. Nickida doesn’t look like she’s had three babies in four years. Her stomach is flat but Gloria suspects that Tarik gave her money to have a tummy tuck and her breasts lifted, because they look the same as when she breastfed.
    “Thank you, Nicki.” Gloria pushed her hand into the soil and struggled a little to stand up. The kids rushed to help her. They immediately started giggling, digging their hands in the dirt and throwing huge clumps at one another.
    “Stone! Blaze! Stop that right now! You know better! Now go over there and turn on the hose and wash your hands.”
    “It’s okay,” Gloria said.
    “It is not okay. Anyway, Tarik’s getting the things out of the truck, Mom. We have a big surprise for you and Pops!”
    “Shouldn’t we wait for Marvin?” Diamond walked over to Gloria, looked up and smiled. Her little teeth are so perfect they look like baby dentures. Gloria picked her up. She couldn’t weigh more than thirty