10 Commandments of Love Part 2

10 Commandments Of Love

Eve Alexander

Copyright 2011 Eve Alexander

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook my not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to www.smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I thank my Heavenly Father who makes all things possible through his son, Jesus Christ. To my parents, Katie and Hayward Shaw Sr., for loving me. Dad, even though you left me in February of 2009, I still love and miss you so much! To my lovely daughters, Khandra and Destiny Woodard, for encouraging me through listening, reading my stories and laughing with me at the turmoil these characters got themselves into. To my sister, Frances Brown for all the encouragement and assistance with sales. Special thanks to an extraordinary woman, Lida Kennon for being with me every step of the way. If it had not been for Lida, 10 Commandments of Love would not exist. She pushed me into writing in the Mother’s Wit/Dry Comedy genre. I didn’t think I could do it. Lida said, Just write, you’re a natural with it. I thank my nephew, Karim Shaw, for the logo design. Also, thanks to Tessa Zich and Destiny Woodard for editing. I thank you two for your advice. I know it was hard for you to understand a lot of the old sayings but you kept questioning me about them and made me probe deeper. I cannot express enough how much I truly appreciate the female figure that have passed through my life imparting wisdom, my mom, Sarah Jenkins, Lola Bell Woodard, Ethel Johnson, Willie Mae Shaw, and Dottie Shelton. I would also like to thank all my readers for encouraging me to write Part 2 and bring MaRed back into your lives!

Author’s Notes

10 Commandments of love are sayings that some of us have heard all our lives but never really paid attention to. Those wise words that our mothers, fathers, and grandparents told us sounded so out of date when we first heard them. Later on in life, after all those trials and tribulations whipped us, those wise words brought us back to our senses. Most of us never think of all the things that go into a relationship. Good relationships aren’t automatic. They take time, patience, and a whole lot of love. Nurturing a relationship, forgiving and reaching out to help others along the way make us stronger. It equips us with the fire resistant materials that we will need to stand firm as we weather the storms in life. To all readers who cherish the sayings of grandparents, parents, family members, friends or anyone who has made a positive impact in your life through their wise words of wisdom. Enjoy!

Contents

Love is a Dangerous Game

Life

Smiling Faces, Sometimes

Tame That Pink Tornado II

Misery Loves Company

Don’t let the Green Grass fool You

Every Tub has to Sit on its Own Bottom

Backstabber I

Backstabber II

Never Go Shopping Hungry

Love Is A Dangerous Game

Love is a funny thing. It will trick you sometimes. Make the biggest fool out of you ever—trick your panties off your behind so fast, you won’t know how they got off. The Spinners said, It take a fool to learn that love don’t love Nobody. Maybe that’s true. There are several things that I do know about love; it can make you feel soooo good and it can hurt soooo bad. Make you feel real sad and keep you crying. Now you have to be careful with love. The heart is a treacherous old devil—full of tricky ways. That’s right, it will make you think what’s wrong is right and what’s right is wrong. Be on the safe side and get some help when old love comes knocking at your door. Take those professed lovers home to meet Mama, Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa or whoever has the wisdom to put them in the hot seat. And you’ll find out everything you need to know in no time—that’s right by the time they leave out that door you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing with. Then, you can figure out whether they’re worth fooling around with before love starts playing with your emotions. You can’t trick the wisdom of an older person. Old folks are better than a lie detector test, that’s right they can size up a man or a woman quicker than you can bat an eyelash. They don’t ask a whole lot of questions—just a few. They just listen and watch you. The good book says, Be wise my sons because when wisdom enters into your heart and knowledge itself becomes pleasant to your very soul, your thinking ability itself will keep guard over you, and discernment itself will safeguard you. The problem is, will you be smart enough to take that good advice or be dumb and ignore it? YOU got to make the choice, that’s right, YOU got to choose. Now Daddy used to always say, Love is a dangerous thing. You better do right or you’ll get caught in a flame, and he didn’t crack a smile when he said it.

Experience is the best teacher in life. When those flames hit you, it’s hard to forget that feeling. You see my daddy spoke from experience, the burn marks on his left shoulder are his love wounds from the wars he battled with my mama. Hot grease ain’t no joke!

Another thing I learned about love, it can come to you in three ways. It can be good, bad and downright ugly. Yes it can! It can be good when you first start out. You know what I mean, hugging, holding hands, giggling at silly things, and picking hair or lint out of each other’s face. Doing all those things that put a smile on your face like going out to dinner almost every night, dancing the night away, and just looking at each other and taking a deep breath and sighing. Thinking about how lucky you are to have that person in your life. It turns bad when the giggling, dinner dates, and picking in each other faces stops. You look at the other person and say to yourself Oh Lawd what have I done? Save me. Get me out of here! That’s when you know there is trouble in paradise.

Now don’t get me wrong, all couples have problems, that’s not what I’m talking about. When you can’t talk no more without screaming and you’re fighting almost every day then it’s over—tore up beyond repair. That’s right ugly has unpacked his bags and settled in. The criticism, name calling, threats and the total disrespect gets worse. When the good is gone and the bad set in and you won’t give it up and turn it a loose so that you can move on then it turns downright ugly. See what I’m saying.

Now my brother Marvin Bay knew all about love. All the fellows called him starving Marvin because he had a reputation. He starved for a woman’s love. That right, he’d love them and leave them high and dry. But one day love came knocking at his door in the form a beautiful black fine cherry that he couldn’t resist tasting. Now when he tasted it, his taste buds went in overdrive. He wanted more do you hear me? I had never seen my brother act so crazy. He stayed up in that woman’s face day and night. He couldn’t half eat or sleep. Picking lint out of her hair and constantly rubbing his hand over her smooth cheeks.

Now this is the way my brother Marvin acted about his wife Althea when they started out. He kept his hands in her face picking something out of it or pushing her shoulder length hair back out of her face. They stayed in the streets going someplace—dinner, dancing, the movies or walking in the park but lately looks like ugly was paying a visit. Marvin threw his wife, Althea down on the ground for the other woman and he didn’t let her down easy either. He dropped her so hard until she broke up into little pieces. It was hard for Althea to move on at thirty-two years old. She had his two little kids and fifteen years of love all tied into one.

Son, my daddy, Robert Bay said to Marvin as he leaned back in the chair at the kitchen table and puffed Prince Albert from his pipe. Love is like war…easy to start, difficult to finish, and impossible to forget. You better know what you’re doing. He looked over at Mama stirring those hot buttered grits.

I do. Marvin sipped on his coffee and grinned. I really like this one, Dad.Daddy got up from the table, stood looking out the window and puffing his pipe. Maybe you do like her, but a wise man would never leave the one you love for the one you like, because the one that you like will leave you for the one they love.

I ain’t leaving my wife. Marvin looked at Daddy real crazy.

Yes, you are in the sense that she won’t get as much of your time and attention that she needs and a womans’ gotta have it. Daddy puffed hard and blew out a line of smoke.

Now that made good sense but of course my brother wasn’t about to listen to good advice. Not many people did especially when they had something they wanted to do that wasn’t right.

I’m going to the store this evening, buy some cokes, put them in the refrigerator, get them real cold then sit back and watch old love teach my brother a lesson. My family have a hard time learning lessons from each other. You see love taught my oldest sister, Ann a valuable lesson, one she has never forgot. Ann had a good man; she cheated on him and ended up with her walking papers. Her husband didn’t want her no more. As soon as she got free, her boyfriend became all tied up with other women and guess what? Ann couldn’t go back home!

You’d think my brother would have enough sense to let her loss be his lesson. See what I’m saying? I believe he’s one of those people that say, It won’t happen to me. So old life have to step in and teach him that hard lesson on Love. I moved in with Marvin three weeks ago to babysit my little nephews while my sister in law, Althea went to work in the evening which was a bad move according to Mama.

A woman needs to be home at night with her husband. All kinds of creepy, crawling things come out of hiding then. And that clean up woman is out there because she’s always looking for work. Mama looked upside my daddy’s head and sighed. Pass me that cup Kit. Mama said to me. I put the mug and saucer in her hand.

I wasn’t going back to college until the fall so I had nothing but time on my hands. I loved my little nephews and didn’t mind taking care of them one little bit.

Well, Marvin and his side sweet thing, Libby Wright started to try and make a relationship. Now that’s something I really don’t understand. Why in the world would the outside woman want a relationship with somebody else’s husband? Crazy but she did. My crazy brother started staying out all night long and you know that ain’t right. What business do a thirty-five year old man have in the streets? NONE! Now he was a married man acting single.

Bro Al Green said that love will make you do wrong, make you do right. Make you come home early or make you stay out all night long. Amen to that. The power of LOVE!

Three weeks later, my daddy’s oldest sister came to visit. She settled into my sister’s old room. Aunt MaRed was a neighborhood counselor from Memphis.

The following Sunday, we all ate dinner at Mama’s house. Daddy said Aunt MaRed could smell trouble a mile away. She kept looking at Althea and Marvin. How are things going with you two? She looked at them both real close. Althea dropped her head.

Everything is good Auntie. Marvin grinned.

If it was then she wouldn’t be crying. Aunt MaRed looked at Althea. We all focused on Althea and tears were falling from her face. She scooted her chair back, excused herself with her head down and practically ran to the bathroom.

You need to quit lying, boy. Your wife is full of misery and she’s lonely too. That worried look in her eyes can only mean one thing. You’re stepping out on her. Aunt MaRed’s eyes narrowed Why? She’s a good Christian girl.

We got some problems but we’re working on them. Marvin lied and Aunt MaRed knew it.

Love is something you should never take for granted and true love comes rarely so don’t be fooled by what’s in the streets! Her brows furrowed then straightened.

I love my wife. Marvin gritted his teeth in pure agitation.

Don’t you raise you voice at me boy. I whipped your behind when you was little and don’t have a problem putting knots on your butt now. Do you hear me? Aunt MaRed growled at Marvin and narrowed her eyes again.

Yes ma’am. He dropped his head in shame because Aunt MaRed was right.

You got bigger problems to scream about. You love life is in shambles and you don’t have enough sense to know it. But I tell you one thing. When love is abused, misused and highly accused then you got a problem on your hands. You better get it straight before it’s too late.

I got this, Auntie Marvin said.

Alright Mr. Big Man. Don’t get the fire hotter than you can stand. When a woman is fed up, she ain’t gonna listen no more. And ain’t a doggone thing you can do about it because she’s gonna do whatever she pleases to make herself feel better and nine times out of ten it won’t be in your favor. Aunt MaRed got up from the table, took a piece of lemon pound cake from the cake plate and went outside on the porch. The minute Althea came out the bathroom and sat down; Marvin rolled his eyes at her. She dropped her head, got up from the table again and went to putting the kid’s shoes on. I pushed back from the table and picked up the baby. We kissed everybody and said our goodbyes. The minute the car turned the corner away from Mama’s house, Marvin went to arguing.

Why you gotta clown at my folks house. he yelled at Althea.

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. She said softly.

Make sure it don’t happen again. Marvin accelerated down the street ten blocks home. Putting all of us out at the door, he zoomed down the street and was out of sight in minutes. When we got inside the house Althea went straight to the bedroom and closed the door. I put the kids down for a nap before knocking on her door.

Come in. Althea’s sweet and low voice said. I went inside and sat on the bed and rubbed her back. Her bloodshot eyes were swollen from crying. He don’t love me no more. New tears fell fast down her cheeks. Why do he keep slipping around secretly, if he’s tired of loving me. Why keep holding on, Kit since his love for me is already gone? She cried harder.

I could kill my brother for hurting her. She was a nice person, a good wife and a good mother to their kids. What more could a man ask for? I dunno, I guess that old saying maybe true that a man wants a lady in the boardroom and a freak in the bedroom.

My brother came home three days later. I was watching an old movie. He hit the shower and went to bed. You know life has a way of teaching you without saying a word to you.

The next morning Althea came out that bedroom with an arm full of clothes. She didn’t quit walking until she was outside at the trash bin. As a matter of fact, she made four trips to the trash bin. Threw all those long dress, wigs and old shoes away. Child, I don’t have to tell you the neighborhood gigaboes were climbing in the garbage after that stuff. Althea went back in the bedroom and prayed loud and hard. She left right after breakfast even though her work shift didn’t start until two o’clock that evening.

Around one o’clock Althea stepped in the house loaded down with shopping bags dangling on her arms filled