Gracie- Part one

With groggy eyes I grope for my phone, who could be calling me at 3am? I have no family or friends and so couldn’t be called to identify a corpse or spring someone out of jail. I finally answer the phone, for the first ten seconds the caller doesn’t say anything. Could he/she be observing the ten second rule that my friend G liked to talk about day after day, when you’re angry don’t say anything for ten seconds. I’d rather use those ten seconds to punch the lights out of the person, well to each his own.
Then I hear her voice, a little raspy, a little hoarse, you can tell she’s been crying. 

‘’You’re the father of my twelve year old son” my neck snaps from the speed with which I sit up, fully awake now with my mind racing in light years. “it’s Gracie, and yes you’re my son’s father”, as she says her name, her voice suddenly blasts cannons in my head. How could I have forgotten that voice! It was like Baileys on the rocks, chipped ice, smooth on one taste, crunchy and icy on the next.

“How could I be your son’s father? We did it only once and I didn’t even plant my seed in your garden” I can hear her laughter before I finish spitting my words, bitter and arid, I suddenly realise this is not a prank nor a nightmare. How come she’s just telling me now, I’m only twenty-eight- how can I have a son who’s almost half my age?… so many ‘how comes’ running through my mind.

I hear selfish, self-centred, and realise she’s still talking… but I'm not hearing anything she's saying. I'm transported back in time....so far back,no one I'm my new life knows me...and the faces swirl in from of me...I remember gracie flat like a cabin biscuit but with her face carrying perfect dentition but it's Nneka I smell I see I touch...ok that's me day dreaming. EVERYBODY wanted to be with Nneka: the goons, the band, and everything in between and of course goofy, lanky me had a fat chance. That was what, Melinda , the top girl in her clique told me when I somehow lost my diary and she got read it. Nneka had everything. Flawless ebony skin, curves that a Bugatti would die for and a smile that transported you to heaven. It her I wanted and drooled over but it was gracie who would console me. Everyday. Every night.
And especially that night.

It was supposed to be a party organized by Melinda and her clique just after we finished secondary school to send off Nneka who was going to study in the US. I can't remember how gracie got an invite but I remember she was there. I got in because I had to deliver the small chops my dad makes as a side job to support us all. I got in to Melinda's  house where the party would be and delivered the goods and dilly-dallied hoping I could catch a glimpse of Nneka and she'd ask me to stay. 

It didn't happen. I was summarily dismissed and it was when I got to the door I saw her. But it was like I'd never seen her before. She was never looked so beautiful. Or maybe it was the thick cloud of weed smoke that was affecting my head. I saw her at the corner and I knew she was waiting for Tee-the head boy and Melinda's boyfriend.  She'd always crushed on him but he never even gave her a second look and from the sadness in her eyes, this night wouldn't be any different.  

I stepped outside and the rumble of thunder I heard perfectly matched my mood. I had  gotten to my dad's pickup truck when I heard Gracie's voice. I guess she wanted to make conversation, maybe she was lonely.