All names, places, and events mentioned are imaginary. The story is inspired by a couple who were my neighbour decades ago.
English is not my first language, so expect some mistakes. I seek apology for any mistakes in advance.
Any sexual activity mentioned is among consenting adults.
Edited in MS Word.
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I waited in the car outside of my home. I had just completed an eleven-hour shift. It was getting cold and I was feeling hungry.
Three hours of overtime is useful money. The economy is killing us all. I don't know how people live while making videos on Youtube or Tiktok. Jose was showing a video about some influencer couple who made enough money to buy a Lamborghini doing nothing but travelling first class all around the world. I don't envy these people. I just doubt them.
I needed to go inside. But I knew as soon as I enter, Nia would start telling what her "dear" friend Destiny was saying.
"Des was saying that Dre is taking her out for dinner." She chirped as soon as I entered inside. She was cooking as usual.
"Really?" I replied and went to check on our kids, Leo and Tia.
"They are going to Moxie," she continued.
"How was the school, guys? Did you have a lot of fun?" I decided to ignore her and focus on kids instead.
"Miss Loona was showing us maps. Do you know Russia is the biggest country?" Leo keeps calling her teacher Loona instead of Luna. But he is otherwise a bright kid.
"Really? I thought Mexico is the biggest," I teased him.
"No, Russia is the biggest," Leo insisted.
"She was telling me that Dre got some bonus." Nia intervened.
"He is really doing well. Leo, you can't be wrong. Russia must be the biggest." Now I focused on Tia, who was demanding her share of importance.
"Carly pushed me. I am not talking with her anymore."
Carly and Tia are best friends one day and sworn enemies the next. Today seems to be the enemy day. I spent some minutes listening to their stories.
"We should also take kids dining to some restaurant someday." Nia was still talking to me.
I decided to slip away for a shower as soon as Nia turned to watch the stove. I needed to wash away hours of grime and avoid talking about Destiny.
Nia was serving curry and looking towards me with a slant eye. I kept avoiding her.
"Ezra, you want more?" she asked me.
"Yes, please. Thanks.
"Then take it yourself."
It seems she was irritated.
"Nia, please. I am tired."
"I am just trying to talk to you. You leave early; you come late. We never get to talk."
"You talk nothing but Des. What she is doing, where she is going, and what she is wearing."
"Well, she is my best friend."
"Mama, I don't want salad," Leo interrupted.
"Salad is good, Leo. Finish it." Nia could play a stern mom when needed.
Leo and Tia both started eating in silence. Nia also decided to give me the silent treatment.
I tucked both kids in their beds and went to our bedroom. Nia had completed all kitchen chores and was lying on the bed already. She was wearing pyjamas -- not a good sign.
"You don't like talking with me?" She asked as we lay side by side, not facing each other.
"Nia, you know that is not true."
"You know I stay home the entire day, Ezra. I spend the entire day, doing one task after another. I hardly get a break. Leo and Tia don't let me sit peacefully for a moment. I get to talk only with Des. You get to discuss things with your work friends. I have got nothing happening here. What can we talk? You want me to tell you about my cooking or cleaning?"
She seems unhappy.
I turned around and held her. She didn't force away my hand. I kissed her neck.
"Not today, Ezra," she said bitterly.
"Not trying anything, Nia. I am too tired anyway."
She sighed loudly.
"Okay, I am sorry that I tried to avoid you. I won't do that again. Now tell me what happened today." I cajoled her.
She promptly turned around herself and started.
"So it seems Dre got a bonus. He is taking Des to Moxie. Des was saying she will buy a new pair of shoes as well."
"Moxie is very costly," I observed.
"Yes, but it is a one-time experience. Des says, When else to enjoy such things if not in our youth?"
"She is not young."
"She is just few months older than me."
"But she looks at least 3 years older than you. And if someone wipes the makeup off her face, people will think you are her daughter."
Nia started laughing and forgot about Destiny. I can be a smooth talker sometimes.
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Nia comes from a poor family and is one of six siblings -- two brothers and four sisters. I come from a poor family and am the youngest of five brothers. It seems our parents didn't know about contraceptives. We grew up in a ghetto. It was primarily Black but there were a few Latinos and Whites too. Petty crime was rampant. Drugs, guns, and teenage pregnancies were not uncommon. There were actual gangs.
In such circumstances, we were luckier than most, as we had fathers that stayed with their families.
I was never good at studies or sports. I started interning as an electrician with my father immediately after my school diploma. The rest of my siblings were already working in construction. My father was a very strict man and maintained discipline with his belt.
Nia was not good at studies either. She started working as a cashier in a local grocery shop during high school itself. She was a shy girl and stayed away from partying. Her father loved his girls but had warned all of them, "I catch you with boys or dancing in clubs, and I will kick you to the curb immediately."
To many, our fathers may sound like nightmares. But they were trying to keep us safe in that toxic environment using extreme measures. They had seen enough families getting destroyed in no time.
Our mothers are part of the same church. I don't want to call them nosy, but they spend more time worrying about others' lives than their own families. If matchmaking were an Olympic sport, our mothers would be winning a joint gold medal every time. You can guess who introduced me and Nia.
Nia and I liked each other. She liked me because I didn't smoke, drink, or walk in the wrong crowds and also had a job. I liked her because, although plain looking, she dressed proper, could cook, and never used ghetto language. She was also saving herself for marriage. I respected that.
During dating, she never asked me for gifts or money and never forced me to take her to fancy restaurants. Most of our dates meant movies, walks, and coffee with doughnuts. I never pressured her for any physical intimacy. Kissing was the most adventurous thing we ever did before our wedding.
We both were seeking stability and safety over anything else. We both got what we were looking for. At least that is what I believe.
Our wedding was a simple affair in the church with only families involved. We didn't have money to splurge. Nia used the same wedding dress that two of her elder sisters wore during their own weddings. My suit was rented. We never went on a honeymoon -- we could not afford one anyway.
I work for an electric contractor named Akbar. He pays okay. But he is also one of the nicest boss that you can ask for. He pays on time, allows leaves, and has never tried to steal from us. In fact, he was the only contractor in our city who paid his workers some money even without work during COVID so our families don't starve. He also allows overtime. That money comes in handy.
Nia continued as a cashier till she became pregnant with Leo, and from that point on, she has stayed home and raised the kids. As soon as I could save some money, I purchased a small townhome in a better part of town. The mortgage payment is high and leaves not much for anything else. Most of our relatives thought that we were stupid to move to a White majority suburb. But me and Nia were very glad to escape the ghetto.
Nia is a good woman; I love her. We have been married for 11 years now. She has never made me regret choosing her as my wife and mother of my children.
Destiny is a distant cousin of Nia. She is a very beautiful woman and married to Dre, who is an equally handsome man. I heard they were high school sweethearts and married as Des got pregnant. Dre is also an electrician by profession. I have never worked with him. I know he makes way more money. He is smart and switches contractors and projects depending on pay. Destiny is a stay-at-home mother, just like Nia. I usually see her gossiping around. I don't think she likes me much for some reason. They are our neighbours and the only other Black family nearby.
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