FAMILY, FRIENDS, FOES? EXCERPT

“Stand up Center City and welcome your new mayor, your first black mayor, Malcolm Douglass Black!” Everyone in the overcrowded civic center stood to their feet clapping and screaming. Immediately drums and keyboards sounded and Malcolm Broaii-Black and Muhammad Dubois Brown took the stage playing their hearts out in honor of their father and stepfather, respectively. Malcolm Broaii-Black, better known as MII and Muhammad known to his family as Muha were an outstanding musical collaboration. The young men had never worked together but were both musical prodigies, with their own music companies and their combined expertise on drums and keyboards brought the room to its feet. Malcolm sat on the podium next to his wife, Cinnamon; both had tears soaring down their cheeks. They had overcome a very negative political race to stand as the first black Mayor and First Lady of Center City, Florida. You could literally taste change in the air. The couple, known for their philanthropy and uplifting of the disenfranchised and the city wanted and craved the change. They had only been married a short time, but had a long, complex history. But one thing that was crystal clear was how much they loved each other. They were a team. He held her hand with his eyes fastened on her. She looked back at him with naked love and admiration. Her ex-husband, William Brown looked at the two of them, giving thumbs up. During the campaign, he had literally tried to ruin them, but had finally come to his senses. He was still in love with Cinnamon, but knew he only had himself to blame for the demise of his marriage. His constant cheating had ended a 30 year marriage and lost him the respect of his children. He was working on all of those relationships. He was also trying to make a love connection with his mistress, Khadijah Owa. She loved him and had been there for him. Reaching for her hand he pulled her with him to congratulate the new mayor. Malcolm stood as he saw Brown and Khadijah walking towards them. Cinnamon stood with him. She was pleased to see Brown with Khadijah, he looked almost content and she looked as if she had her ring kissed by the pope. “Congratulations Blacks, the world has really changed, there must be as many white folks in here as black. I never thought I would live to see it.” Brown’s admiration sounded genuine. Black pulled him into an embrace. Afterwards, Brown turned to Cinnamon. “Hey Lady.” “Hey B, Hey K, Khadijah I hope you don’t mind me calling you K? You are family now, so you get a nickname.” Khadijah swallowed down the lump in her throat. She nodded, unable to speak. Reaching for Cinnamon, she hugged her for several minutes. Cinnamon wrapped her arms around her. The men stood watching, Malcolm thinking, “Glad that woman is mine.” Brown was thinking, “I was a fool.” Khadijah saw the looks on both men’s faces and understood, she had been Brown’s mistress for years and Cinnamon had been kind to her. Cinnamon understood what many women didn’t is that the mistress isn’t the problem, the cheating husband is.