Life on Banana Street
The Time Of My Life
-Billie’s POV-
I went to Tre’s house to pick him up and his expression was sad.
“Hey Tre, what’s with you?”
“Dude, I just found out I have a daughter.” He had a photo in his hand and it looked like he hadn’t let it go in a long time.
“Really? How’d that happen?” I asked, trying to sound sympathetic, but not gay.
“Well, Billie. I think it’s time we’ve had ‘the talk.’ You see, when a man loves a woman, well he doesn’t have to love her-”
“Shut up. When, I mean.”
“Oh. Four years ago. Lisa, that was her name. She was beautiful. Met her backstage, she disappeared by morning. I got a letter yesterday, saying that I had a daughter and she warned me not to find her, but she thought I should know of my spawn. Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked and shoved the picture in my face. “Her name’s Ramona. And she’s my most prized possession, even though this is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing her.”
“Tre, tough up, man. It’ll be okay.”
“Bill, what if you never saw Addie again after she left to go back to college and you just now found out that you had a son? How would that make you feel? And if she said to leave her alone, she just dangles that bait in front of you and yanks it away.”
“That would make me pretty sad and mad, I must say.”
“Yeah. I just want to have a day with her, a father-daughter day.”
“Well maybe you should talk to Lisa about it.”
He shrugged. “Dunno. Could work.”
We pulled up to the hospital and saw Anastasia sitting on the bench with her huge, enormous belly like she wasn’t in labor.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” she asked.
“Your contractions,” Tre said.
“Ha Ha very funny. Well, let’s do this thing.” We walked into the hospital behind her and she went to the front desk all calm. “Hi, I’m in labor.” The lady stared at her and hit the buzzer and a wheel chair came out and the guy wheeled her away. The doctor gave us scrubs and we followed them into her room.
Surprisingly, the baby girl came out in less than two hours.
“Man, you weren’t kidding when you said ‘It’s time.’” I joked.
She laughed. “Well, let’s just say that’s not the first time I’ve done that. I’ve had practice.”
Me and Tre stared at each other. “Well, we’re sorry Mike couldn’t be here. We’re going to go find him and kick the crap outta him.”
She laughed. “Yeah, and say ‘That’s from Ana.’”
“Sure thing, Ana,” we said and walked out of the room.
“Dang, man. How many kids do you think she’s had?” Tre asked.
“I have no idea. But if I were scrawny Mike, where would I be?”
“The gym,” Tre said without hesitation. “He wants to get pumped.”
I laughed. “To the gym.”
****
We drove to the gym and sure enough, he was there, working on his arms.
“Mike, what the hell is wrong with you?” I asked.
“What? I gotta work on ma guns,” he said and flexed.
Tre and I looked at each other and tried not to laugh. “Yeah, okay Mike. But why haven’t you answered Ana’s calls?”
He shrugged. “She’s been making a complete fool of me lately. I came here to forget about her. Why? Is she in trouble.”
“No,” Tre said.
I guess we’re just going to let Mike go home and see his new child and be like WTF.
****
Later that night, Addie, Hannah and Joey got in the car with me and we drove to Chuck E. Cheese’s, where Joey wanted to eat on his birthday night. Hannah sat at the table the whole time while me, Addie and Joey played the games and took pictures in the Chuck E. car. Altogether we got a bunch of tickets and we gave them to Joey to get what he wanted and he picked a skateboard for 15,000 tickets. I could see this ending badly. But Addie and I connected like kids again. We experienced what we used to do, this time in love. It was one of the best experiences in my life.
I went to Tre’s house to pick him up and his expression was sad.
“Hey Tre, what’s with you?”
“Dude, I just found out I have a daughter.” He had a photo in his hand and it looked like he hadn’t let it go in a long time.
“Really? How’d that happen?” I asked, trying to sound sympathetic, but not gay.
“Well, Billie. I think it’s time we’ve had ‘the talk.’ You see, when a man loves a woman, well he doesn’t have to love her-”
“Shut up. When, I mean.”
“Oh. Four years ago. Lisa, that was her name. She was beautiful. Met her backstage, she disappeared by morning. I got a letter yesterday, saying that I had a daughter and she warned me not to find her, but she thought I should know of my spawn. Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked and shoved the picture in my face. “Her name’s Ramona. And she’s my most prized possession, even though this is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing her.”
“Tre, tough up, man. It’ll be okay.”
“Bill, what if you never saw Addie again after she left to go back to college and you just now found out that you had a son? How would that make you feel? And if she said to leave her alone, she just dangles that bait in front of you and yanks it away.”
“That would make me pretty sad and mad, I must say.”
“Yeah. I just want to have a day with her, a father-daughter day.”
“Well maybe you should talk to Lisa about it.”
He shrugged. “Dunno. Could work.”
We pulled up to the hospital and saw Anastasia sitting on the bench with her huge, enormous belly like she wasn’t in labor.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” she asked.
“Your contractions,” Tre said.
“Ha Ha very funny. Well, let’s do this thing.” We walked into the hospital behind her and she went to the front desk all calm. “Hi, I’m in labor.” The lady stared at her and hit the buzzer and a wheel chair came out and the guy wheeled her away. The doctor gave us scrubs and we followed them into her room.
Surprisingly, the baby girl came out in less than two hours.
“Man, you weren’t kidding when you said ‘It’s time.’” I joked.
She laughed. “Well, let’s just say that’s not the first time I’ve done that. I’ve had practice.”
Me and Tre stared at each other. “Well, we’re sorry Mike couldn’t be here. We’re going to go find him and kick the crap outta him.”
She laughed. “Yeah, and say ‘That’s from Ana.’”
“Sure thing, Ana,” we said and walked out of the room.
“Dang, man. How many kids do you think she’s had?” Tre asked.
“I have no idea. But if I were scrawny Mike, where would I be?”
“The gym,” Tre said without hesitation. “He wants to get pumped.”
I laughed. “To the gym.”
****
We drove to the gym and sure enough, he was there, working on his arms.
“Mike, what the hell is wrong with you?” I asked.
“What? I gotta work on ma guns,” he said and flexed.
Tre and I looked at each other and tried not to laugh. “Yeah, okay Mike. But why haven’t you answered Ana’s calls?”
He shrugged. “She’s been making a complete fool of me lately. I came here to forget about her. Why? Is she in trouble.”
“No,” Tre said.
I guess we’re just going to let Mike go home and see his new child and be like WTF.
****
Later that night, Addie, Hannah and Joey got in the car with me and we drove to Chuck E. Cheese’s, where Joey wanted to eat on his birthday night. Hannah sat at the table the whole time while me, Addie and Joey played the games and took pictures in the Chuck E. car. Altogether we got a bunch of tickets and we gave them to Joey to get what he wanted and he picked a skateboard for 15,000 tickets. I could see this ending badly. But Addie and I connected like kids again. We experienced what we used to do, this time in love. It was one of the best experiences in my life.