Bishop
11-08-2002, 12:29 PM
2 am
Lamont wonders who be ringing his doorbell. He sleepily crawls out of bed and throws on his robe. As he walks through the living room the knocking becomes banging as he yells, “ Who is it”? He hears a sobbing voice reply, “Lamont its Shawn”. Shaking his head, he opens the door and sees the most beautiful woman he knows, with red eyes and tears streaming down. She grabs him and hugs him as if she would never let him go.
Lamont asks her “what’s wrong?” and she replies “ I found Andre in bed with some skank”. This is how it is with Shawn; Lamont has sat by and watched her go from bad relationship to bad relationship, while always picking up the pieces. Best friends since the second grade he has always been here for her, through high school and college he never left her side, always there to comfort her. He knew that these guys were trifling but that was her choice and he stood by her…even though he was in love with her. He remembers the time that he told her his feelings and was happy when she said she was in love with him, yet imagine the surprise when she told him that they shouldn’t cross the line and be more than friends. She didn’t want to destroy their friendship over a love that may go wrong, like all her relationships…and now he’s in this role again, picking up the pieces.
“Do you know who she is?” Lamont asked. “Yeah his neighbor that lives in the apartment next door. I walked in using the key I had, and there they were on the sofa butts flying in the air.” “What did you do?” Lamont asked. Shawn sobs and then replies, “ I couldn’t do anything, I was numb, and when he realized I was there he told me I should have called before coming over”. Shawn continues, “ I just started crying and ran out and came here”. Lamont filled with pain, realizing that she only needs his comfort and a friend. What a cruel trick of life when you can’t have the one you knew you could be happy with. Yet he never pressed the issue…until now.
“Shawn” Lamont pauses and then continues “ Why don’t you leave these no good brothas alone and be with me?” Shawn shakes her head as if not wanting to hear as he continues “You know I love you and you know I would never hurt you, you even told me that you loved me as much as I love you. Can’t we take this chance at destiny? You know you need me and I need you…I love you Shawn…I Love YOU!” Shawn sits back wiping her eyes and calming herself “Lamont we’ve been through this before, Yes I love you, but I love you too much to ruin our friendship…suppose it doesn’t work, can we still be friends, going back to the way things used to be? Baby I love you more than life, but I can’t risk losing you…especially with my bad track record with relationships…Look I better go.” Shawn gets up to leave but not before kissing Lamont on the cheek and whispering “ I Love you”.
Three weeks go by as Lamont is working on a new poem to do at the open mic coming up. The phone rings and he answers “Hello…oh hey Shawn…tonight uh… no its not good…I have a date. Yeah, maybe next week. Hey I heard you and Andre worked it out…Well you know how I feel about him, but if you’re happy then I’m happy…yeah ok then I gotta go…ok ..Peace.” He hangs up the phone. After that night three weeks ago, he decided not to wait around for Shawn, she made her decision and now he must go on with his life. Right now he had this open mic to worry about.
Later that night at the Jazz and Java Café, Lamont recites his piece “My Heart Calls to You”. After he steps away from the mic to the tune of applause and finger snapping, he runs across Angie. Angie grew up with Lamont and Shawn, she was one of the top poets in the area. She sees Lamont and smiles “What up baby?” Lamont replies “Nothing much” “That was a nice piece you put out, was that dedicated to someone in particular?” Angie asked. “ nope, just spitting” Lamont smiles as he continues on “ I heard your spoken word CD, girl it is tight” Angie responds, “yeah but I need your voice for the next one, that is if Shawn don’t mind”. Lamont face clouds with confusion “Shawn, why would she mind?” Angie realizing she hit a sensitive spot continues “Look Lamont everybody knows that you guys are tight…you know what I mean…now I’ve known both of you guys almost my entire life…and I wonder, why you guys never got together?” If I’d known you’d be available all this time I would have stepped to you myself years ago, but I didn’t know what kind of arrangement you guys had. Lamont smiles “ Angie we ‘re just friends, nothing more…she’s not interested in me that way, and even though I was caught up in her, I just realize that its not going to happen. But let’s hear about you stepping to me? You joking right?” Angie smiles “ Naw baby, I’ve been eyeing you for a long time, but like I said I didn’t know your situation…but now I guess I do.” They both smile as they continue their talk.
Shawn been trying to call Lamont all night, but know answer on his cell. She knew he must be at the open mic and he never turns his cell on when he’s spitting. She and Andre just had a fight and have just called it quits for good this time she decides. She begins to look back at her past relationships and she looks at how Lamont has been there for her. She knew she loved him and she even imagined being his wife one day, yet she was so afraid of messing up with him. She realized how jealous she was when he told her he couldn’t hook up with her because he had a date. He would always make time for her and vice versa. This situation with Andre made her realize that she’s had someone who cared about her all along and it was time she stepped out on faith and claim her man.
2 am
Lamont wonders who be ringing his doorbell. He sleepily crawls out of bed and throws on his robe. As he walks through the living room the knocking becomes banging as he yells, “ Who is it”? He hears a joyful voice reply, “Lamont its Shawn”. Shaking his head, he opens the door and sees the most beautiful woman he knows, with sparkling eyes and the brightest smile. She grabs him and hugs him as if she would never let him go. “Lamont I Love you baby and I need to be with you, and need to spend my life with you”. Lamont taken aback by all this…sits down and a tear falls from his eye, the words he longed to hear for so long has finally come from the woman he has desired all his life. The woman who would always put him on hold while subjecting herself to hurt after hurt, coming to him when she needed healing. Now she would finally be his…or would she?
Lamont stands up and grabs her gently by the arms and looks in her eyes and tells her how happy he is to hear those words…yet they have come too late. Shawn looking confused looks past Lamont and sees a figure coming out of the bedroom…Angie.
Lamont wonders who be ringing his doorbell. He sleepily crawls out of bed and throws on his robe. As he walks through the living room the knocking becomes banging as he yells, “ Who is it”? He hears a sobbing voice reply, “Lamont its Shawn”. Shaking his head, he opens the door and sees the most beautiful woman he knows, with red eyes and tears streaming down. She grabs him and hugs him as if she would never let him go.
Lamont asks her “what’s wrong?” and she replies “ I found Andre in bed with some skank”. This is how it is with Shawn; Lamont has sat by and watched her go from bad relationship to bad relationship, while always picking up the pieces. Best friends since the second grade he has always been here for her, through high school and college he never left her side, always there to comfort her. He knew that these guys were trifling but that was her choice and he stood by her…even though he was in love with her. He remembers the time that he told her his feelings and was happy when she said she was in love with him, yet imagine the surprise when she told him that they shouldn’t cross the line and be more than friends. She didn’t want to destroy their friendship over a love that may go wrong, like all her relationships…and now he’s in this role again, picking up the pieces.
“Do you know who she is?” Lamont asked. “Yeah his neighbor that lives in the apartment next door. I walked in using the key I had, and there they were on the sofa butts flying in the air.” “What did you do?” Lamont asked. Shawn sobs and then replies, “ I couldn’t do anything, I was numb, and when he realized I was there he told me I should have called before coming over”. Shawn continues, “ I just started crying and ran out and came here”. Lamont filled with pain, realizing that she only needs his comfort and a friend. What a cruel trick of life when you can’t have the one you knew you could be happy with. Yet he never pressed the issue…until now.
“Shawn” Lamont pauses and then continues “ Why don’t you leave these no good brothas alone and be with me?” Shawn shakes her head as if not wanting to hear as he continues “You know I love you and you know I would never hurt you, you even told me that you loved me as much as I love you. Can’t we take this chance at destiny? You know you need me and I need you…I love you Shawn…I Love YOU!” Shawn sits back wiping her eyes and calming herself “Lamont we’ve been through this before, Yes I love you, but I love you too much to ruin our friendship…suppose it doesn’t work, can we still be friends, going back to the way things used to be? Baby I love you more than life, but I can’t risk losing you…especially with my bad track record with relationships…Look I better go.” Shawn gets up to leave but not before kissing Lamont on the cheek and whispering “ I Love you”.
Three weeks go by as Lamont is working on a new poem to do at the open mic coming up. The phone rings and he answers “Hello…oh hey Shawn…tonight uh… no its not good…I have a date. Yeah, maybe next week. Hey I heard you and Andre worked it out…Well you know how I feel about him, but if you’re happy then I’m happy…yeah ok then I gotta go…ok ..Peace.” He hangs up the phone. After that night three weeks ago, he decided not to wait around for Shawn, she made her decision and now he must go on with his life. Right now he had this open mic to worry about.
Later that night at the Jazz and Java Café, Lamont recites his piece “My Heart Calls to You”. After he steps away from the mic to the tune of applause and finger snapping, he runs across Angie. Angie grew up with Lamont and Shawn, she was one of the top poets in the area. She sees Lamont and smiles “What up baby?” Lamont replies “Nothing much” “That was a nice piece you put out, was that dedicated to someone in particular?” Angie asked. “ nope, just spitting” Lamont smiles as he continues on “ I heard your spoken word CD, girl it is tight” Angie responds, “yeah but I need your voice for the next one, that is if Shawn don’t mind”. Lamont face clouds with confusion “Shawn, why would she mind?” Angie realizing she hit a sensitive spot continues “Look Lamont everybody knows that you guys are tight…you know what I mean…now I’ve known both of you guys almost my entire life…and I wonder, why you guys never got together?” If I’d known you’d be available all this time I would have stepped to you myself years ago, but I didn’t know what kind of arrangement you guys had. Lamont smiles “ Angie we ‘re just friends, nothing more…she’s not interested in me that way, and even though I was caught up in her, I just realize that its not going to happen. But let’s hear about you stepping to me? You joking right?” Angie smiles “ Naw baby, I’ve been eyeing you for a long time, but like I said I didn’t know your situation…but now I guess I do.” They both smile as they continue their talk.
Shawn been trying to call Lamont all night, but know answer on his cell. She knew he must be at the open mic and he never turns his cell on when he’s spitting. She and Andre just had a fight and have just called it quits for good this time she decides. She begins to look back at her past relationships and she looks at how Lamont has been there for her. She knew she loved him and she even imagined being his wife one day, yet she was so afraid of messing up with him. She realized how jealous she was when he told her he couldn’t hook up with her because he had a date. He would always make time for her and vice versa. This situation with Andre made her realize that she’s had someone who cared about her all along and it was time she stepped out on faith and claim her man.
2 am
Lamont wonders who be ringing his doorbell. He sleepily crawls out of bed and throws on his robe. As he walks through the living room the knocking becomes banging as he yells, “ Who is it”? He hears a joyful voice reply, “Lamont its Shawn”. Shaking his head, he opens the door and sees the most beautiful woman he knows, with sparkling eyes and the brightest smile. She grabs him and hugs him as if she would never let him go. “Lamont I Love you baby and I need to be with you, and need to spend my life with you”. Lamont taken aback by all this…sits down and a tear falls from his eye, the words he longed to hear for so long has finally come from the woman he has desired all his life. The woman who would always put him on hold while subjecting herself to hurt after hurt, coming to him when she needed healing. Now she would finally be his…or would she?
Lamont stands up and grabs her gently by the arms and looks in her eyes and tells her how happy he is to hear those words…yet they have come too late. Shawn looking confused looks past Lamont and sees a figure coming out of the bedroom…Angie.