The Gilliam Wedding 2020
marriage
Engagement…
Welcome 2020!! New year with new opportunities. She said yes in 2019. Can’t wait to see this beautiful couple become one in 2020.
I met these two almost 3 years ago. To see them still smiling and getting closer to their lifelong goal, feels amazing. View their first photo shootbelow.
D.C. (Drama Connections) pt. 5
Tammy stood in front of the boat still on land. “Oh, so you ignoring calls now? You thought I wasn’t coming up here?” She questioned Obi.
Obi met Charee halfway between the boats so she couldn’t get close to Tammy. I followed after her. If anything was about to go down, I was beyond ready. Charee was quiet and never get to socialize but she was a fighter.
“Why are you here Tammy?” Obi asked as he walked Charee to the boat.
“Maybe you should tell your wife what you’ve been up to Obi.” She held up a piece of paper which I’m going to assume is the ultrasound.
“Tammy this is not the time for your games.”
Eric finally got off the boat to try and calm Tammy and Shay down. He was trying to act like he didn’t know Shay.
“No I’m not leaving until he tells his wife who I am and everything else about me.”
Obi started up the boat and took off with Charee on it. I could hear Charee asking him a million questions.
Shay broke her silence, “Eric will you like to explain to your wife why we’re here?”
“I don’t know why y’all are here. But you need to stay away from my family.” Eric demanded.
“Whatever. You got some explaining to do tonight so I ain’t worried.” Tammy stated.
The ladies walked away and we finally took off to the lakehouse. There was so much I wanted to say but I wanted to see if Alicia will step up this time. We rode in complete silence. Eric pretended like nothing happened. As he went to go shower, he told Alicia to come join him. I decided to leave them and link up with Stephanie. Explaining how everything went down and she knew just like I did that these men were going to love on their wives so they can forget what happened.
It was around 2 am and I get a call from Charee saying she heard Obi on the phone talking to someone. His phone was ringing all night and finally he turned it off. But after an hour or so, that’s when he left the room. She told me how she was afraid that he might snap if he finds out about the money. I didn’t want her being paranoid for the night so I suggested she go downstairs to see if he’s ok. This way he will get off the phone and hopefully come back to bed. Sure enough, Obi was on the phone promising Tammy that he will get her plane ticket in the morning. Charee walked in on him and he quickly hung up the phone.
“Hey baby, sorry if I woke you. That was Eric telling me that we needed to finish that file before the morning.” Obi telling Charee the first lie that can come to his head.
Charee got a drink of water and went back to bed. She saw Obi go to the computer but didn’t want to say anything to make things seem weird. Obi was gone when Charee woke the next morning. Her guess was he was with Tammy or headed to the bank. Moments later she received a call from him asking has she been to the bank lately. She didn’t lie about it and simply told him that she got some funds out for her trip but not a crazy amount.
“Charee, no crazy amount? I just tried to buy a pl–, I just tried to buy something and my card is decline.”
“What did you try to buy?” Charee asked him again.
“It doesn’t matter. Where is my money?”
“Maybe you should ask your mistress.” Charee hung up the phone. She decided to pack a bag and came to my house.
We called Alicia to let her know that Obi knew about the money so Eric will most likely be confronting her soon. She didn’t waste any time with leaving the house. Stephanie said that she went to Shay’s Instagram page and she saw all these photos of her and Eric out like they were a real couple.
By this time, the ladies were having a repeat of our trip to Miami with the massive phone calls and text. First the messages were filled with anger, wondering what happened to their money. After not responding for the entire day, the men turned to begging. Everything from how they are sorry and just want to know that they’re ok. To things like just call me and let me know what can I do to make things better. Oh, I was finding much pleasure in this whole situation.
Alicia finally answered the phone for Eric.
“What do you want Eric?”
“Why are you ignoring my calls? When are you coming home?”
“Who is she?”
“Bae, let’s not talk about this over the phone. Where are you? I’ll come right now.”
“Who is she?” Alicia held back tears. “I’m not coming home. You can go be with your mistress. She will leave you when she finds out you have no more money.”
“Alicia! You don’t mean that. You’re just emotional.”
“Emotional? Oh no, I am happy. You want me to tell you why? I am happy because I am no longer your puppet. I am no longer just your wife. No I am a business owner. And guess what Eric? You work for me now. So tell your little piece of kitty that she can find her own way back to wherever she lives or come sign these papers so she can meet her new boss.” She slammed the phone down on the counter and poured her a drink.
I have to admit I was very impressed with the way she handled that conversation. Eric is probably sitting there trying to wrap his mind around all of this. He must have forgotten that Alicia did graduate top of her class. She’s very smart just timid. The men didn’t know where my guesthouse was located or else they would have pulled up a long time ago.
Tammy found Charee on Facebook and decided to send her a message that read: Hey Charee. I just wanted to let you know who I am so you can have peace of mind. I’ve been knowing Obi for years now and we met in DC where I live.
We’re reading it together and I’m like girl we already know where you live and how you ain’t got nothing in your house. Sleeping in that small bed.
Him and Eric has been there several times visiting myself and Shay. Unfortunately, I am pregnant with his child. My due date is on your birthday. I know you two don’t have any children together and this may be hard for you. But I was under the impression that you and Obi was separated.
This trick is lying. She knew they were still together that’s why she was talking all that mess in the airport. The doctor’s note on her counter was for an abortion so either she didn’t get it or she’s lying about still being pregnant. I honestly don’t see Obi letting her have his baby. When I said he became possessive, he also can get a little violent when he’s upset. He never put his hands on me but came pretty close.
I’m sorry you had to find out all of this through message. You don’t have to worry about me disrespecting you or your household. I just want Obi to give me what he promised. I have children, I need to get home to and he hasn’t bought my plane ticket yet. I am placing him on child support once the baby is here.
Tammy went on to say a few more unnecessary things in that message, but we stopped reading. I wanted to tell Tammy that she wasn’t going to get any money from Obi because he’s a liar and never keeps his promises. That’s how he got Stephanie and that’s how he got Charee, by causing them stress and debt. Charee was just lucky enough to marry him so her debt became his.
A couple days went by and Charee let Obi know she was filing for divorce. This was just a threat to see how he would respond. Tammy sent Charee another message on Facebook.
It’s been almost a week now and I haven’t heard from Obi. I will admit I came to your house to see if he was there. I don’t want to bother you all anymore, I just need to get home to my kids. I know I’m not your friend or even close to being on your good side, but can you have him call me please so I can move on with my life?
Does she really think we give two shits about her well being? She’s a grown woman and shouldn’t have put all her trust into him.
One of the charities we attend every year was one for the support of abused women with or without children. Alicia had a huge passion for helping others. So her and Charee teamed up to open their own center for women and children. This place will help them get on their feet, take classes, daycare for their children and funding programs. The daycare will be for the public and for the center. It’s expensive trying to work and pay for daycare so we are teaming up to find ways to make it more accessible for the women.
I was happy things were falling into place. It would be heartbreaking if we started this and couldn’t get it finished because the men found a way to take their money back.
Roughly two weeks after the boat party and the ladies returned home. Their husbands were happy to see them but knew things will be different. Eric was a little more easygoing than Obi so he offered counseling for them right away. Obi on the other hand, was money hungry and it broke his ego to know he wasn’t the bread maker anymore. Charee explained to him that he still had his car and can find another job. She was totally fine with downgrading her home. She was into expensive things but never wanted a big house since it was just the two of them.
Both couples went to counseling after some time. Tammy messaged Charee again apologizing and told her the baby wasn’t Obi’s. Shay went on with her life and we haven’t heard anything from them. Things are going good now but I’m hoping Alicia and Charee will stay aware. It will take some time to get cheating out your system. I hope Tammy and Shay will understand that it’s very rare that a man will leave his wife for his side piece.
As for me, I was headed west for a vacation in the mountains. From Washington DC to Denver, Colorado, the drama just doesn’t end. Let’s see what this D.C. has to talk about.
D.C. (Drama Connections) pt. 4
Obi approached our boat. “Well hello Mel. Isn’t it always nice to see you out here.”
“Whatever Obi. Why are you here and not on your “business trip” like you told your wife?”
Ro can see the frustration on my face so he stood next to me and asked is everything ok. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and asked if he could let me talk to Obi alone for a second. He jumped off the boat and decided to go for a swim, making sure to keep us in his view.
“Mel you know this is my relaxation area. Charee isn’t into nudity like you. I couldn’t get her to come out here if her life depends on it.” Obi said as he took a seat on the boat.
“So you’re out here solo?” I asked.
“Yeah, just about to head back to the lake house to do some work.”
“I don’t believe you. Where’s E?”
“Damn girl, he’s my brother not my husband.”
I can tell Obi was trying to avoid my questions. I needed to know if he was here solo or with Tammy. I needed to know where Eric was at. There’s no way I got these ladies all worked up and now I’m losing evidence of my theory.
“You know you’re always invited to the house whenever you’re out here. But only if you’re coming alone.”
Let me give you all a little backstory as to why I don’t like Obi. When he came to the states, we dated for maybe three months. This was before he knew Charee or Stephanie. We didn’t last long because honestly his sex is whack. Plus he’s always up to no good. But we were really good friends just not good lovers. In college he got into an accident and for whatever reason he called me. I was there for him until he got back on his feet. When I met JB the track star, Obi became possessive. I guess Obi thought his money was all that I needed. He asked me to marry him and promised he would take care of me. JB wasn’t having it. He moved me out of the city for awhile so I could get away from Obi. During my absence is when Obi met Stephanie. Now it’s bringing us to this day.
“Obi you’re never going to give up are you?”
“You know you’re supposed to be my wife.” Obi said as he reached out to grab my thighs.
“Anyways, that is so far in the past. You should start being faithful to your wife and stop trying to please every woman with your money. Now I think it’s time you head back to your lake house and do some ‘work’ as you would call it.”
Obi left the boat and yelled out, “you still looking good Mel. Let daddy know when you’re ready for a trip or something.”
Oh, I’m ready for a trip alright. It’s going to be with your money but it won’t be with you. “Bye Obi!” I yelled out.
Since I wasn’t able to get any information from him, I figured I’ll give Tammy a call. I started to think about if any of this was true or not. If it wasn’t, I still didn’t like him and Charee should want to screw him over just for him wanting me and keeping her locked in the house. But if that was enough, this would have happened years ago and not now.
Right before I could text Tammy, Ro came over to ask what did Obi have to say. I let him know that he’s full of shit and I don’t believe anything he has to say. Ro told me that I shouldn’t contact Tammy because if something goes down, I can’t have Obi knowing that I knew her. That was smart thinking. I didn’t even have to think of a plan b because here comes Eric and some female walking this way. She had to be Shay. Dudes are so bold. He’s not even in another state and they’re walking around holding hands like it’s nothing. I didn’t want him to see me so we decided to leave.
Texting Stephanie:
Me: Hey girl wyd?
Stephanie: Just woke up. You?
Me: Leaving the lake. I’m about to come over. Me and Ro.
Stephanie: Cool. It’ll be open.
We walked right in like the place was ours. Stephanie lived downtown in a highrise. Obi might have screwed her over but she sure knew how to bounce back. I often think Obi went after her because we were so much alike.
“What you getting into today?” I asked as I flopped down on her couch.
“Not a damn thing. It’s too hot out there.”
“Right!” I said bursting out into laughter.
“Anywho, so you know Alicia and Charee ain’t gone do nothing unless I drag them out of the house. I think we should book a flight to DC tonight.”
“Tonight, tonight?” Stephanie asked.
Yeah, because I went to the lake and saw Obi. He didn’t give me any information but then I saw Eric as we were leaving and I saw him with a woman. It has to be the Shay girl. Ro told me not to contact Tammy so I think we should just make our move.
“Well you know I’m down. Not really tryna be on another plane but I want to make this negro suffer.”
I have Tammy’s security code. We can go scope out the place. I really don’t want her kids to be there. We don’t know who she lives with. We gone go there get what we can, sell that shit and make a big deposit!
Stephanie met me halfway with a high five.
“You thinking about hitting up Careem?”
“He does have those military instincts, we might need him.”
Flight was booked and we didn’t say a word to the other ladies. We arrived in D.C around 9 o’clock. We went to Careem’s house. One of his buddies was able to find her address for us. He got us all the information we needed to know.
12:45 AM we arrived to the house. Her house was small for three children. I entered the code and we went inside. I felt bad for this lady. She had nothing in here. Obi spends money on her to come to him but she definitely not getting any money to buy furniture. Walking through her house is making me dislike Obi even more.
“Mel, I thought you said Tammy was fat?” Stephanie asked.
“She is fat.”
“Well where the hell does she sleep? I know her big ass ain’t sleeping on a twin size mattress.”
I tried not to laugh but Stephanie had a point. This will hurt Charee even more knowing he’s cheating with a woman that barely has anything. Just when we were about to leave, I saw an ultrasound on the counter.
“Yo, Steph! Look at this!” I was trying to whisper.
“This better not be Obi’s baby.”
Right next to the ultrasound was a doctor’s appointment reminder at the clinic. Looks like Tammy got an abortion before coming to Austin. Why doesn’t this woman have her tubes tied?
I took a picture of the ultrasound and letter before we left the house. Careem took us out for drinks and we headed back to Austin.
Monday morning rolled around and Eric was still away from the house. Alicia said that he wasn’t coming back till Tuesday night. I called Alicia and Charee to see if they were headed to the bank to get access to the accounts. It really pays to know people because we were friends with some ladies in the bank as well. Erica worked at the Wells Fargo and didn’t care about her job at all. Plus she had tons of Daddy’s money to spend so this was just something for her to get out of the house. Now the ladies weren’t just going to get the money out of the accounts. I told them over the weekend to think of something they wanted to invest in. The goal was to just transfer the money into another account which will be a business account. This way they can start building something for themselves. No matter how much money your significant other has, you should always have something going for yourself.
We all met up that evening to discuss other plans we wanted to do with the money. It felt good seeing them finally do something without their husbands smothering them. The locks were changed at the house. Security codes were all new and we all packed a bag for vacation number one.
It was around 7 o’clock in the evening when Charee’s phone started blowing up with calls from Obi. Both her and Alicia had missed calls and text that accumulated from the flight to Miami. These men were pissed and I was loving it.
Alicia checks one of her 20 voicemails:
“Alicia where the hell are you? I get home to the locks changed on my house. You do know this is my house right?”
Next voicemail:
“Why is your phone going straight to voicemail? Where are you?”
“Are you with Melody? I swear to God if you don’t call me in the next 10 mins…”
Before Eric could finish his sentence, we heard a female’s voice in the background. I asked Alicia to play that message again.
“Are you with Melody? I swear to God if you don’t call me in the next 10mins..
Female’s voice: “Baby can we get something to eat now?”
Eric must have hung up the phone because we heard some ruffling then silence.
I looked at Alicia and she looked at me and said, “let’s enjoy our vacation.” We all turned our cells on silent and hit Collins Ave.
We knew we had to act quickly on the funds part so Charee started depositing more money into her business account and sending some to mine and Stephanie’s so that it all can be spread out differently. Although we only stayed in Miami for one night, we had a blast. Spending money of VIP sessions, going shopping, buying drinks for everyone. I even got Charee to go skydiving. Now you can barely get this girl to get her hair wet so that was a big deal for me. It was definitely a day to remember.
Instead of going straight home, I took the ladies to the lakehouse when we got back to Austin. I know Obi too well so I can almost guess what his code is. He’s a smart man but when it comes to codes and passwords, he kept them all similar. There was no sign of them when we arrived so I entered a code that I thought it could be and we were in.
Eric contacted Obi about the situation. Charee let us hear some of her voicemails. I just laughed because they weren’t going to do anything. They will be mad when they find out there’s no money in the bank but still will deny ever cheating. There was really nothing they could do at this point but be upset.
Charee and Alicia returned home as if nothing happened. Eric questioned Alicia about where she was and why wasn’t she answering her phone. Before they returned home, I made sure to prep them for the interrogation that was going to happen. I was proud that both women stood firm. Both women said they didn’t feel safe because too many people knew about the spare keys and so they decided to change the locks. They also told their men that they needed to get away because they were tired of being couped in the house. The ladies stayed calm the entire time explaining their actions for the previous days, that the men couldn’t do nothing.
Now, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt in this situation, so I had them put some of the money back in the accounts so that it wouldn’t seem so obvious. I should have thought of that in the beginning but of course I really wanted them to leave and never return. The next couple weeks went by and the men were on their best behavior. Until the Fourth of July weekend. Obi threw is famous boat party on the lake. Everyone was there having a good time. Eric’s phone kept ringing but he was in the water. Alicia decided to check it because the person kept calling.
Alicia: “Hello!”
“I’m trying to reach Eric. Is this his phone?” The female over the phone asked.
“Who’s calling?”
“This is Shay. I tried his other cell but got no answer so I got this number from Tammy.”
“Shay how do you know Eric and who is Tammy?”
“I’m sorry, but who am I speaking with? Can you just put Eric on the phone?”
“No I can not and don’t call this phone again.”
Alicia hung up the phone and went back to the party. She later told me what happened.
The party is whining down and we see Obi talking on the phone with someone and he looks heated. I tell Charee to go next to him to see if she can calm him down. Before she can even get close to him, he tells her to go with Melody and he will see her at the house. I didn’t like that one bit and I knew he was up to something. We went to Eric’s boat and was about to head back to the dock. Obi yells over “Aye E, take them back to the lake house for me.”
Obi was rushing us and I wanted to know why.
“I need to get my bag from under the seat.” I tried to think of something quick before Eric took off.
Just as I suspected, Obi was hiding something.
“Obi! Obi! I know you hear me.” Tammy shouted as she approached the boat.
I looked at Alicia and she looked at Charee and Charee jumped off the boat instantly.
All I can think of is it’s about to go down!
D.C. (Drama Connections) pt. 3
“Melody, if you don’t tell me what happened in D.C. right now, I’m going to bust the bottle over your head.”
We both let out a laugh.
This wasn’t a laughing matter but I had a plan and I needed Alicia to stay calm.
“Alright, so I’m at the airport minding my own business or what not. I get there early because I didn’t want to be late. Plus Careem had to meet his brother so he offered to take me to the airport.”
Alicia butted in, “Get to the drama already. I know how it is when you go see him.”
“Alright, alright it’s coming.” I said with nerves passing through causing my voice to shake.
“There was this lady who came over and sat next to me. She was loud on her phone and I couldn’t help but listen to her convo. Long story short, she started talking about her reason for coming to Austin and….”
Alicia yelled, “and what Melody. What is she coming here for?”
I hid my head under my bag as I quietly said, “her and her best friend comes to Austin to visit Obi and Eric.”
Alicia snatched my bag away from me. “What did you just say?”
“Her and her friend comes here to visit them but listen before you explode. The lady name is Tammy and she is here for Obi. I haven’t seen her friend Shay yet. She was just on the phone with Shay.”
“How do you know it’s my Eric?” Alicia asked.
“Come on girl, how many Eric and Obi’s do you know that live in the city? Also, how many do you know with a lake house? She was saying some things on that phone, that I knew had to be the same two guys. I honestly don’t think E is going out of town for work. I believe he is with the girl Shay. She said he was taking her to the lake house this weekend. “
“Who the hell does this man think I am? Does he think that I’m just that pathetic?” Alicia cried out.
“I know this is very unexpected but I want you to stay calm. I know where they’ll be. The lady even gave me her number. She has no clue that I know Obi or Eric or any of these people.”
“Wait, how did you get her to give you her number?”
“I’m telling you, she was talking so much and I figured why not get as much info as possible. When we made it to Austin, she asked if we can hang out when she wasn’t with Obi. But listen here’s another crazy part, the flight attendant on our plane was Stephanie Johnson.”
“Did you talk to her?” Alicia asked.
“Yea, she gave me her number too. Said she has the weekend off and wanna link up. Alicia I think it’s time you get everything you’ve been wanting and put Eric in his place.”
“You know the one thing I want is a baby Mel. But after knowing this, it’s probably best we don’t have any children together. So what’s the plan? Let me see this girl Tammy. She better not look better than me.”
I showed her pictures of Tammy and gave her more details of what I heard from the phone conversations.
“Do you have access to the lake house?” I asked.
“No he doesn’t give me the codes to anything.”
“You are so sweet and he thinks he can keep getting over on you. Well guess what, we are about to crush him and his brother. I need to call Obi’s wife. We haven’t seen her since the last charity event. That was a crazy night with her and Stephanie getting into a fight.”
Alicia paced the kitchen. “Charee was just upset because Stephanie did make things weird when she hugged Obi and didn’t even acknowledge her. Do you think she will even want to talk to us?”
“Once we tell her what’s going on, I think she will love us for this. Her and Stephanie might not get along but if it has anything to do with making Obi pay for his actions, they will be best friends after this.”
Alicia held up her glass of wine as we did a toast to the fuckery these men were up to.
“Oh, this is going to be a great weekend. We just have to stay out of jail and remain calm.” I told Alicia.
I called Charee and Stephanie asking them to meet us at Uptown Social for just some drinks. Charee wasn’t with it at first. But I begged and told her that Obi asked Alicia if she could keep her company while he was away this time.
The four of us arrived and took a moment to catch up. I was the first to end the tension between Charee and Stephanie. After two drinks, we all were laughing and having a good time.
“Alright ladies, the real reason I wanted us to have this girl’s night is because the men in your lives are not being completely honest with you all. Well mainly Alicia and Charee. Stephanie you’re here because I know how much you hate Obi and I’m here because I don’t like either one of them and y’all are my girls.”
Charee looked puzzled. “What you mean they haven’t been completely honest?” She spoke up.
“Your Oko has an oluwa!” I said jokingly.
Everyone except for Charee laughed.
I reached over to touch her hand. Charee leaned back in her chair and her eyes began to water.
“So what tricks you have up your sleeve Melody because I know you wouldn’t bring me here if you didn’t already have all the details and a plan.”
“You all know me too well,” I stated. “My first plan was to just be at the lake house when they get there and we beat the brakes off each woman. Then we were going to torture Obi and Eric until they begged for us to stop. But they’ve done too much to you ladies for them to just get tortured physically. I think we need to drain their pockets, accounts, assets and whatever else we can from them. I’m tryna be laid up on somebody’s island with their money. Are y’all with me or what?”
Stephanie was all in. She’s been wanting to get Obi back for years now. Being able to take a vacation with his money was right up her alley. I looked over and Alicia was bawling.
“I don’t think I can do this Mel. I can’t believe he would cheat on me especially after all the things I put up with him.” Alicia said through her sobs.
“Alicia, stop crying! Everything you have put up with should be every reason why you should want to do this. How much money you owe in hospital bills? Where is your mom’s new water heater he’s been saying he will get for months now? Huh? Think about all the things you can finally do!” I encouraged Alicia. “Charee, are you in or out? He’s been keeping you couped up in the house for what? To hide you from the men he knows will steal you from him. Nah, I’m done seeing y’all unhappy. These women have had their fun but it’s about to come to an end. They need to find some new men to fly them around.” I said passionately.
“Damn girl, if I didn’t know you, I would think this was your husband we were talking about.” Stephanie said.
“I just don’t like men trying to play women and think it’s all good. The first thing we’re going to do is go to the bank and Alicia you and Charee will get access to those accounts. You’re not going to take anything out right now. This is just to watch what they’re spending their money on. Then we’re going to go to that lake house and see if they are actually there and if it’s the same ladies. Who knows, they can be in that piece having a swingers party or anything.”
We had one more drink then called it a night. I told the women to act normal and don’t mention anything to their husbands. Meanwhile I was on my way to hippie hollow in the morning to do some snooping around.
I sent out a text the next morning to see how did the night go with the ladies. Alicia cried herself to sleep, which I knew she would. Charee binged watched some shows and Stephanie had a boo thing over to keep her company. I didn’t want to tell them I was going to the lake because they might come and ruin things for me.
I called up my favorite nudity partner Ro and we hit the lake around 10am. Ro has a boat and is always down to chill with me. Plus I missed his birthday party so he was missing me. He was super sexy and worked out often. So just in case I needed some muscles as backup, he was the guy. We parked the boat and grabbed some drinks out the cooler. I looked over to my left and there was Obi walking towards us. I looked at him and he looked like he saw a ghost.
D.C. (Drama Connections) pt. 2
I think by the end of this flight, everyone will know Tammy’s name and whole life story.
I’m walking on the plane and the stewardess looks very familiar. I glanced at her name tag and I am almost positive this is the same Stephanie from Mueller.
“Hey Melody! How you been?” Stephanie asked me.
“I’ve been good. Ready to get back to Austin.”
Stephanie stated that she will come talk to me once we were in the air.
She used to date Obi back in college. He screwed her over big time. Having her get all kinds of things in her name telling her he will pay for them but would always leave her with a great amount of debt. When Obi got his engineering job, he promised to clear her debt but it never happened. She and Obi’s current wife used to be roommates and that’s how Obi met his wife. This is a big world but somehow the circles start looking more like the Olympics rings, just too many connections.
I check my ticket one more time to see which seat I’m in. I try to make sure I always get a window seat. This flight didn’t seem like a full one so maybe I’ll get to sit by myself.
Remind you, I left my earphones at home so I’m not trying to have anyone talking to me. Well, my wish was not granted.
I look up and here comes Ms. Tammy sitting right in the middle seat next to me. Lord, why? First, why is she getting a middle seat? Second, why does it have to be next to me? I’m mad at Obi for even spending the money for her to come to Austin. His broke ass could have put her in a bigger seat for starters.
Whosah Mel, whosah!
We barely even get situated and she’s already talking.
“You from D.C. or Austin?” Tammy asked me.
“Neither.” I replied, keeping my answer short.
“I’m originally from Baltimore but I’ve been in D.C. for about 10 years now so this is home. I love Austin. This will be my second time going. The first time I went, I had to cut my trip short because my boyfriend had to work a big project in Seattle. He lives in Austin, but is going to transfer to D.C. next year so we can be closer.”
I’m trying so hard not to just curse her out. Obi has some nerve. She really calling him her boyfriend.
“Oh, that’s nice.” I said uninterested.
Trying to keep my responses short hoping she will get the picture and just shut up.
“Psst…Melody. Here’s my cell. Call me when you get home. I have this weekend off, so I’ll be in Austin doing nothing.” Stephanie said, getting my attention.
I grab a piece of paper she was holding and thought to myself, thank you for interrupting Miss Chunky.
“Oh girl, you know her? Can she get us some free drinks? I am not tryna pay $3 for a can of soda and a sista can use some liquor.” Tammy said.
“Your boyfriend don’t give you a card with money on it? Because if I was in a long distance relationship, he will have to make sure I have everything I need when I’m flying to him. But that’s just me.” I spoke truthfully.
Tammy had nothing to say after that. I guess she started to feel salty.
As much as I wanted her to shut up the entire flight, I figured this is the perfect time to get as much information as possible so I can tell Alicia.
“How long have you and your boyfriend been together? What’s his name?” I questioned.
“His name is Obi. We met when he came to D.C. I was out with my girl, Shay and him and his brother bought our drinks. Next thing I know, we are taking trips and he is buying me stuff.” Tammy bragged
“What’s his brother’s name?”
Tammy went on to tell me about Obi’s brother Eric and his wife. She’s such a dummy. I can’t wait to tell Alicia about this flight. Obi and Eric better enjoy their mistresses while they can because shit just got real.
Stephanie got on the speaker to inform us that it was safe to turn devices off airplane mode.
I quickly text Alicia.
Me: Hey are you home? I need to come over right away.
Alicia: yea I’ll be here. Everything good?
Me: Yea just don’t wanna go home then come back out.
Alicia: Cool. E left about 30 mins ago so I’m home alone.
This little fucker is probably on the way to the airport. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ran into him or Obi since I’m running into everyone else I knew within this circle.
“Melody, we should link up while I’m here. Have you ever been to Hippie Hollow?” Tammy asked me.
“Yea, what’s your cell? We can work out something.” She’s so stupid.
I drove to the airport this time, so I decided to follow Tammy out to the pickup area. I just needed to know if he was picking her up. I know he can’t be that dumb. But then again I’m not putting anything past him or any man.
Alicia opens the door greeting me with a big hug.
“Girl, I am so happy to see you! Come in and have a seat, you need a drink? You look flustered.” Alicia greeted me when I got to her place.
“Fix us both one because what I’m about to tell you, we might end up in jail tonight.” I said to her.
Alicia looks at me and stop pouring the drinks.
“Mel. What’s going on? Because I don’t know if I need to bust a bottle over a trick head. Or go protest at the airport. What happened in DC?” She asked me quickly.
DC is now known as Drama Connections….
D.C. (Drama Connections) pt. 1
Today I was at the airport and it amazes me how people just share all their information and don’t care who’s listening.
I forgot my earphones at home this trip and I was kinda mad about that. But I figured what the heck, let me just try to relax.
I was sitting by the window all by myself because I got there super early. Charging my phone and this lady walks to the other side on her phone talking and laughing. I didn’t really care too much until she started gossiping. She literally got off the phone with one person and called at least 2 other people just so she wasn’t just sitting there waiting on the flight. One person didn’t answer and the other person was still sleeping I assume because when they answered the phone she asked them why were they still in the bed. Now we’re in a different time zone so I’m going to assume she forgot and just wanted people to be awake because she was awake.
When I go to the airport, I always wonder if I will see anyone I know or just recognize people from my city. It’s happened a couple times. One time I was eating at a diner and saw someone with a HEB grocery bag. That kinda made me feel at home because I was like “yay more Texans.” I don’t recall seeing those people on my flight so I don’t know if they were coming or going. So yea, I’ve never seen anyone I know personally. Just random people I remember seeing around the city.
I’m not well known in my city but I do know of a lot of people because of the work I do. I’ve been friends with people on social media for months and didn’t know it. I’ll see them at a show and what do you know, they’ve already been liking my post and supporting me.
But anyway, back to Miss Talk a lot. Once she finally got on the phone with someone long enough to start her juicy story, I couldn’t help but to listen. She’s talking and talking and my heart starts racing. There was no way that this lady, which I’ve learned is named Tammy, was gossiping about someone I knew. It just couldn’t be possible.
I try to keep my personal life private just because I don’t like drama at all. I’ve been living a great stress-free life up until now. Right here at gate 8 in the DC airport is when my life changed.
“Girl, I can’t wait to get back to Austin to see him. He bought this plane ticket and my hotel.” Tammy bragged and paused to listen to her friend. “What time will you arrive?” Tammy added.
“I’m so happy we get to spend this time together.”
“His brother needs someone.”
“The lady he’s with ain’t worth nothing.” Tammy giggled. “Maybe you can work your magic and just make him your man.”
“Girl, she don’t eat pork. Talking about she Muslim! B**** you know yo man likes to eat meat. You better cook him what he wants before someone else scoop in and take your place.”
She continues for a while then tells the person on the phone she needs to put them on speaker right quick. Now I’m like oh my God this lady is doing the most! I wanted to jump in so bad when she said the lady doesn’t eat pork. It’s very hard to keep your thoughts clean at times. But my first thought was, “you need to be focusing on a treadmill and not cornmeal!”
“Yeah, Shay Imma be there around 5pm. He’s picking me up from the airport.” Said Tammy.
The whole time I’m listening, I’m wondering why is she so loud. Then again I guess if you have someone paying for trips and ish you’ll be full of excitement too.
Then the smack in the face happened.
“Yeah Tammy, Eric wants to go to the Oasis then we might go to Hippie Hollow in the morning. This will be the first time we will be staying at the lake house.” Shay, her friend on the phone said.
“I can’t wait! You know I’m confident with my body. I told Obi that I might lose a couple pounds but right now I’m living life.” Tammy responded.
Both of the women laugh and I zone out. Everything after that became a blur of what they were saying.
I almost lost my mind in there. There’s no way that there’s two men name Obi with a brother name Eric in Austin. There’s no way! She’s still rambling on and on; I’m sitting there leg shaking, heart beating fast. I don’t know what to do. So I decide to text my friend Alicia because that’s Eric’s wife. I didn’t want to alarm her too much without knowing too many details. Our text went a little something like this.
Me: Hey wyd?
Alicia: Oh nothing. Waiting on E to get back from the store.
Me: Are y’all doing anything tonight? I’m otw home.
Alicia: No E has to go out of town for a couple days.
In that moment I knew he has been lying to her about what he does when he’s away.
Do I tell my bestfriend everything right now or do I wait till I get back in town? What if he was already gone when I got back. She’s going to be so hurt. Alicia recently had a miscarriage for the second time. I know this is a bad time but maybe this was a good thing. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to have any children with him and this will be her chance to leave him for good!
Me: Ok. Do you wanna go get drinks when I get back?
Alicia: Yes! I’ve been feeling so bad since the miscarriage. I could use some quality time with my bestie.
Me: I’ll come over around 8pm.
We ended with our usual two kissy face emoji text.
Now I’m tuned back into the chunky lady next to me. She’s chunky lady now because I’m furious that they’ve been coming to the city cheating with men I know and who have wives that have no clue. She’s now off the phone with Shay and talking to her son about when she will be returning home. Remind you, we are still sitting in the airport and it’s quiet so everyone can hear this lady. The son must have asked her for the security code because she told him a 4 digit code and said to make sure he hit exit before entering the numbers.
I’m not sure if you can figure out how this story turns out but let’s just say, Ms. Tammy needs to learn to keep her mouth closed at the airport.
WAR~Women and Riches
“No! No! Please don’t take him from us! Please, please! I love you!”
(Yelling from the distance)
“I will be back for you. Junior take care of your mother and siblings for me!”
“Yes papa,” the boy cried.
I sat in my doorway crying hysterically. “Joshua take you brother and sister to get washed up for dinner.” I could hear the screams echoing throughout the streets of the women who were feeling the same pain. Here I was living in the middle of South Park with three children and no job. How will I be able to feed my children? My boys will have to grow up without a father. My daughter will never know how it feels to be loved by her father. Joseph and Janae will only have vague memories. But Joshua will be hurt the most. He watched his father get abducted and didn’t get to say bye. We didn’t get a chance to give him a hug or kiss. He said he’ll be back for us. But I know he won’t. They never return. My husband was taken by some savage people. Will this pain ever be able to go away?
“Mama, will papa join us for dinner,” Joseph asked?
“Not tonight sweetie. Eat up so we can get to bed. Who wants to go to the water park tomorrow?”
“Me, me, I do,” replied the children.
There was complete silence throughout my house that night. I didn’t hear the sound of water dripping from the faucet. There were no creaks in the floor. No beds squeaking. Just silence. We all slept in the same bed. I didn’t want to be alone and I didn’t want them sleeping alone. Will I be able to protect them? I felt lost. There was going to be the time for them to come take my boys. Joshua is almost 16. What if they returned tomorrow for him? I can not handle losing my children.
The next morning, I tried to follow my same routine. I made two cups of tea and fixed 5 plates instead of 4. I couldn’t bring myself to change things. Joshua had a look of hate and anger in his eyes. What do I say to him? He loved his father more than anything.
It has been a week since I witnessed my husband being taken away. The pain is still fresh. The awkward silence was still there at night. It was almost time to pay the bills. We only have $300 left. We needed this week’s check to manage. I had to think of something quick.
I decided to clean the house. Maybe if I got rid of some things, we could start to move on with our lives. I cried at every item of his I touched. His scent was taking over. There was an envelope hidden in his shirt drawer. It was sealed with Joshua’s name on it. Not sure what it was. I opened it and started to read:
Dear Joshua,
If you’re reading this, then it means it was my time to go. I just hope that I taught you enough to be a good man. I need you to be strong for your mother and siblings. Joseph needs you to be the best role model. Protect Janae, so she will never settle for a low life male. Your mother will be hurt. But if you help her, she can make it through. You’re my junior. I know you will be great in whatever you choose. I don’t want you to focus on the day they will come for you or Joseph. You have to focus on success. Like I’ve always told you, to have true success, you must help your people stay ahead. To have true happiness, always stay true to yourself. Knowledge is key. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. I love you junior. ~Pops
I wonder what do all these numbers mean that he has written along the margins. 10, 8, 12, 7, 5. Or is it supposed to be 5, 7, 12…? He never mentioned any of these numbers so what could they be. Maybe Joshua would know what the numbers were for.
The children were finally back in school. Things seemed as if they would be ok. I was able to pay our bills. But we had nothing left, so I decided to sell some things for extra cash. Josh always told me I need to sell my paintings. If I knew I could make this much money, I would’ve done it years ago. It’s amazing how much people will pay for art decor. I was thankful for every dime.
(Front door slams shut)
“Mama, mama, Joshua got into a fight today,” Joseph spoke with excitement.
“Shut up, you always running you mouth,” Joshua yelled to his brother!
“Hey, hey, calm down both of you. What happened Josh?”
“My name is Joshua. You only call papa Josh. I don’t want you to call me Josh. My name is Joshua.”
Every ounce of me wanted to breakdown. But I had to hold it together because I knew he was speaking out of hurt and anger. “Joshua, tell me what is going on.”
“I can’t do this anymore. It isn’t fair that we should have to live like this. What did he do to get taken away? We were happy. We had a wonderful life. Now it’s all destroyed. I hate those people, I hate my school, I hate this house, I hate everything,” Joshua cried.
Our life had fallen apart. My children wanted their father. I wanted my husband. “It’s going to be ok son. I promise you.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep mama.”
“Joseph, take your sister to the room while I talk to your brother.”
“Yes mama. I love you mama.” (Joseph kissed her on the cheek)
“I love you more.”
“Joshua, last week when I was cleaning, I found a letter from your father for you. I want you to read it.”
“What do these numbers mean” he asked?
“I was hoping you could help me with that.”
“Whenever we would go out, papa would always talk about success and helping our people. These numbers are from our daily routes. We always took the 12 train to 10th Street to get a slice of pizza. Then we would walk to 8th Street to laugh it off. We ended up at Mrs. Davis bakery. The address to her building is 875. I need to go to the bakery and talk to her. Maybe she knows what papa is trying to tell us,” Joshua told his mama.
The next morning, Joshua headed over to the bakery, taking the same route he and his father would take.
“Good morning son. Aren’t you suppose to be in school,” Mrs. Davis asked?
“No school today ma’am. I actually came over to ask you about me papa. He left me a letter and there were numbers that added up to your address. Do you know why me papa would want me to come here?”
“Oh Junior. You are just like you papa. He would be so happy that you came to me. A few years ago, yo papa asked if he could store some things in my basement. I didn’t hesitate. I knew he was planning for his departure and wanted to make sure you and your family would be secure once he left. Com, I’ll show you.”
Opening the boxes, he found all kinds of papers and pictures of different places and people. “Who are these people madame?”
“Those are some of the people your father helped change their lives around. These papers are contracts. You father was running a small organization for women and children who lost their husbands the same way he was taken. These women lost everything. Take these boxes and sort through them with you mother. I’m here for your family if you need anything Junior.”
“Mama, mama, Mrs. Davis gave me these boxes to sort through. She said papa stored them in her basement.”
We sorted through all the papers. I couldn’t believe my husband kept this hidden for years. I thought we were broke. From the looks of things, we were sitting on a lot of money and land. Josh left instructions on everything I needed to do for us to have a successful future.
It’s been roughly three months now. The children are happy and I’m more focus. I’ll be attending my first committee as the head speaker. Nerves were taking over. But I know these women are depending on me. It was up to me to carry on what my husband started.
“Before we head to the committee, there’s something I have to show you mama,” Joshua stated.
The four of us headed to the subway Josh would take for his early morning commute. Joshua took us down the rails to what looked like something from that turtles movie. We found a bag full of money and passports. People ask you what’s your biggest fear. Or what’s your main goal in life. I never really have an answer. But I would always tell Josh that as long as my bills are paid and I can travel freely, then I was good. We never got to travel living paycheck to paycheck and no one to watch the children. How was he able to get us all passports? I took the bag and we hurried to the meeting.
“Thank you all for coming out this evening. These past months have been rough for majority of us here. We live in a world where they think it’s ok to come in your home without permission. Break up your families because they feel like it. Leave us with indescribable pains. We are left with nothing but unanswered questions from our babies. The look in their eyes as they have to witness their fathers being abducted. The image will continue to play in their minds. We must not be afraid. ‘Do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them,’ [Quran 6:151]. They feel no pain, no sympathy for us. They think we’ll riot for justice. But I’m here to say ‘It’s Just Us’. We don’t need them. I will die trying to make sure my beautiful women and children are happy.”
(Applause from the crowd)
“For those of you who knew my husband, know he was a true definition of a strong man. He has left us but will never be forgotten. I have a list of all the women he was able to save. I thank you Queens for staying strong. You are the ones who will help our new sisters survive. We will not focus on our boys being taken away. Together we can make it through.”
(The crowd cheers with excitement)
“In July 2018, we are expected to have a total of 20 housing complex and three schools for our babies. For now, I want you all to continue attending your classes at the centers. We can not escape them but we can build a future for ourselves. Thank you all. Be safe and have a wonderful night.”
If you’re not confident, they will have doubts. I wanted to save my people. Most people think to be rich, you have to have a lot of money. ‘Richness is not in the quantity of possessions (that one has); rather, true richness is the richness of one’s self (or contentment).’ (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) We have land and we can travel. We have our children and we have our health. Their futures are what matters. Women who are rich off life will remain happy. Money can’t buy happiness. We must have knowledge of self. Beware of our surroundings. We are at war because they want what we are. If we keep our bond strong, no one will be able to tear us down. “Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world. But the permanent righteous deeds are better in your Lord’s Sight (to attain) rewards, and better in respect of hope.” (Qur’an 18:46)
Happy Born day from the 4 of us:6/30
Overwhelmed with Joy….
You ever been so happy that you just cry
You reach that point where tears of joy take over your body
The room filled with darkness
Then her smile made it bright
There was a twinkle in her eyes
And he was right there in her sight
Smiling right back at her
Silence between the two
But deep conversations were shared mentally
Stimulating each other’s mind
Nevermind the time
Because this moment has to last forever
———————-
This light is taking forever. (Looking out the corner of her eye) Why is this guy staring at me?
(Driver blows horn)
Don’t look, don’t look. If I don’t look, he’ll just drive away. Finally green light. Is he really following me? Ok, maybe something’s wrong with my truck and he’s trying to tell me.
(Pulling into the parking)
I know this seems creepy, but there was no way I was going to let you get away without telling you how beautiful you are.
Yes, this is very so much creepy, but thank you.
I’m Marcus, he said. (Reaching his hand out hoping to touch her beautiful skin)
Hi Marcus, I’m Monica. (Giving him a little smirk)
Nice to meet you Monica. It’s a lovely day, do you have plans after you leave this store?
I’m pretty sure I can find something to do to occupy my time, she stated.
You have a sense of humor, I like that. I would love to take you out for breakfast and get to know the woman behind that beautiful smile.
He’s lucky I really don’t have anything to do. I could use some breakfast because I didn’t eat much this morning. Where to Mr.?
You wanna follow me or ride along, he asked?
He has a really nice car. Can I just drive your car? You can go eat by yourself. I’ll follow you, she said.
The two dwelled in conversation, sharing laughs, and bites of each other’s meal.
What would you like to do now Ms. Monica?
I don’t know. Oh wait, I have something we can do. But it has to be a surprise.
Surprises already huh?
I think you’ll enjoy it. Meet me at the Michael’s up the road, please.
He had no clue of what to expect, but was excited to spend more time with her.
After doing a little shopping, the two set up shop at a local park.
Since you like to paint, I thought it would be nice if we painted in the park. (She smiled and watched his reaction)
Hours went by and they painted two pieces. There was more paint on them than the actual paper. As the sun settled directly above them, they decided to find some shade.
Every Tuesday for the next three months, the couple would visit the park and paint. They painted the sky, bugs in the grass, people around them, and even portraits of each other. He enjoyed painting her more than anything else.
Did you pack everything?
Yes, I believe so. My plane leaves at 9:30am. I should arrive no later than 2pm. I’ll call you as soon as I get to the hotel.
(Tears filling her eyes, causing her vision to become blurry)
I don’t think I will ever get used to these trips you have to take.
I know baby. Soon I’ll be able to take you with me.
(Kisses are shared and he wipes the tears from her eyes)
She hated when he had to leave. His career forced him to travel weeks at a time. Although they used technology to communicate often, it wasn’t the same. He was missing her touch. She missed his scent.
10:54pm, her phone rang. It was Marcus friend Kevin.
Why is Kevin calling me this late?
Hey, Monica it’s me Kev. Sorry to disturb but I have some bad news.
Already about to start crying, she ask what was going on?
It’s a long story but Marcus was trying to surprise you by coming home a couple days early. I needed help with a situation so he came to pick me up.
She knew something bad had happened and just wanted him to get on with the story.
We were driving down Onion Creek when a trucker lost control of his trailer. We had a head on collision. Marcus is in the hospital. He’s in bad condition.
Unable to comprehend what was going on, Monica broke down.
Monica, I’m so sorry. If I didn’t call him, he would be home with you right now. I’m so sorry.
Silence filled the phone lines.
She didn’t know what to expect as she walked into the hospital room.
(machines beeping)
The doctor entered the room to inform Monica of Marcus injuries.
Mrs. Austin….
Mrs. Austin….
(turning to face the doctor)
Hi, I’m Dr. Wright. Your husband got banged up pretty bad. But he’s going to be fine.
Oh we’re not married, she said.
My apologizes, stated the Dr.
Will he be able to run again?
A couple months of physical therapy and he’ll be right back at it. He’s a fighter. I’ve watched him run and I know he has it in him to get back on his feet.
Months went by and things were getting easier for Marcus. He wore braces for some time and temporarily used a walker.
The couple had been together for a little over a year now. Monica did everything she could to help Marcus have a smooth recovery. He really appreciated her for being by his side.
After having a long day at work, Monica just wanted to go home and sleep. She walked inside the house wondering where Marcus could be. There was a note on the kitchen counter that read, “Your bath water is ready”. She proceeded to the bathroom and found another note. “ After you finish here, come have dinner with me. Your driver will be here by 7:30pm.” Still wondering where he was, she just followed instructions.
What was he planning?
Arriving at one of her favorite Italian restaurants, she was seated at a table near the window.
Moments later she saw Marcus walk across the restaurant holding flowers in one hand and a bag in another.
Omg he’s walking, she exclaimed!
Before she could even speak, Marcus had dropped down to one knee.
Monica Alexandria Madison, you are the love of my life. Words can not express how much I appreciate everything you do for me. This past year has been a real test for the both of us. Will you please do me the honor of being Mrs. Austin?
Overwhelmed with joy, she was able to gather her words.
I would love to be Mrs. Austin!
You can read the sequel to this story here. The couple take a road trip as newlyweds.
She said yes!!!!
Note to my fellas: If you’re not buying “thee” ring, don’t waste your money on any ring. After you buy this ring, you’re free to buy any piece of jewelry you want.
Photo Speaks 
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