Cherry’s Jubilee (Lunchtime Chronicles: Season 7)

Chapter 23

Daniel

“Well,” I begin, but Dad cuts me off and tells me he’s talking to Cherry.

Cherry stands, and I know the anger hasn’t subsided one bit. “I did,” is all Cherry says. She takes her purse, and I press the button to lock us in. “And I have one more ass to beat today before I’m done. Then I’ll deal with your son and his wandering lips.”

My dad’s head snaps up, and I see his lips curl into a smile. I know that look, and it’s admiration. Not of my wandering lips but of Cherry’s attitude.

“I swear to God, Jubilee, if you don’t unlock this door, I will give you some of what I gave Ashley.” She twists the knob, but it remains locked.

“Can you please tell me what happened?” my dad asks her. He takes her arm and leads her back to the couch.

“I walked in on your son and Amira in a lip lock,” is all she says.

My dad’s eyes widen in shock. “Is this true, DJ?” he asks.

“What she's leaving out is that Ashley set this up and convinced her sister to do it. Cherry walked in, lost her shit, and kicked both their asses. Now, she’s planning to go after their mother and get herself arrested. ”

“Your son should know that locking me in here is only going to make me angrier,” she says without bothering to look at me. “And he might get his ass kicked in the process.”

“Why are you mad at DJ?” my dad asks.

“Because he seemed to be enjoying it when I walked in.”

“Oh, bullshit,” is all I say.

“I had something like that happen to me once,” my dad says. “It was at a country club, and it was the girlfriend of one of our friends. She came on to me and we left. When we got home, DJ’s mother came after me with a baseball bat. I had to lock myself in the bathroom until she calmed down. We haven’t belonged to a country club since.”

“So, I guess it runs in the family,” Cherry says, and my dad lets out a big belly laugh.

“But that wasn’t my fault, and this isn’t DJ’s either.”

“He didn’t push her away until I walked in.”

“You walked in right when it happened, and I did push her away. If you had given me a chance to explain, I would have told you that.”

“You’ve explained, but I’m still going to kick Karen’s ass because this ends now. And when I’m done with her, I’ll decide what I’m going to do with you.”

“You’re not going to do anything with me because I’m not going anywhere,” I say.

“We’ll see about that,” she snaps back, and I snort. “I don’t know why this woman hates me and my mother so much, but—”

“I can shed some light,” my dad says. He gestures to the sofa, and Cherry sits. He sits next to her and takes her hand. “Your grandfather was not a bad man. When he met your grandmother, he and Cora, Ashley’s grandmother, were separated. I don’t think anyone knows that. And they were separated because his wife had an affair.”

Cherry’s eyes widen. “No,” she whispers.

“Listen, they’re dead, so I’m going to tell it like it is. Do with this info what you will. Your Uncle Whit is not your grandfather’s biological son, but when your grandfather found out, he was five years old and loved that boy.”

“What?” Cherry asks, clearly shocked by the news.

“He walked out on his wife, met your grandmother, and fell in love with her,” Dad continues. “He was going to leave Cora for your grandmother, but she didn’t want the trappings of marriage. When she found out your grandfather had a wife, she figured if he cheated with her, he’d cheat on her, and she dumped him. Cora begged him to return. Later, he found out about your mother. His wife did not take it well, but he said he would be a father to Michelle, and she had to deal with it. Whit knows the truth about his paternity, and Karen does, too. I think that’s why she tries so hard to make it seem like you’re not a part of the family. It’s because your mother is blood, and her husband is not. She’s overcompensating. I have no proof of this, but I think Whit’s mother influenced Karen and fueled her hatred for your mother. I’m no psychologist, but Whit married a woman just like his mother. Freud would have a field day with this.”