Read Saved Folk in the House for Free Online Page A

supposed to take care of his children. When Malik found out, he drove down to Richmond, and when Zakia opened the door, he handed her a dozen red roses. She knocked the roses out of his hand, sending the vase, water, and flowers all over the porch. She spit in his face, then slammed the door.
He will never lay eyes on this baby,
she vowed.
    Malik begged, pleaded, and cried and had everybody in the village talk to Zakia. She was becoming indifferent toward Malik. Slowly, her family and friends realized that she said what she meant and she meant what she said. Malik did not exist. She threatened that she wouldn’t speak to whoever let him know anything about her and her baby. They believed her, and nobody told Malik when his beautiful son, Ezekiel, who was the spitting image of him, was born. Whenever he called, he was advised to let it go. Over time he did just that.
    Zakia was on a mission. She had been sidetracked, delayed for a bit, but she was back and with a beautiful healthy baby boy for whom to provide. Ezekiel was her pride and joy. He was a curse-turned-blessing because the baby was truly an angel from heaven. With a vengeance, Zakia picked up right where she had left off when she found out she was pregnant.
    Her excess weight fell off quickly, and she was back in the interview suits she had bought before the pregnancy. She aggressively pursued positions that had potential for advancement, impressing interviewers with her intelligence and energy. She had many offers. Finally, she chose a position with a local advertising agency that did a large percentage of the print ad work in not just the city but the state. She loved her job at Ascension Advertising. She worked long hours, going above and beyond the call of duty on all of her assignments.
    The villagers were very helpful with baby Zeke. There was never a shortage of babysitters. Raquie was now at Manna State University, equipped with knowledge and wisdom, and determined to be at the top of the class of 1988. When she was home, she never said no when Zakia needed her. As Zeke grew older and started walking, he and his Uncle Zach became inseparable.
    Zakia got three promotions in four years for landing some of the toughest accounts in the state. She was creative, diligent, and committed to client satisfaction. Indeed, she was a workaholic. However, she was also a good and devoted mother. She spent quality time with Zeke, and he was thriving as he developed into a wonderful little boy.
    One night Zakia and Eboni decided to go out. Club Ritz was on the outskirts of Richmond, in the swanky part of town. The patrons were upper-middle-class buppies. The men were suave, and they were generous. They reminded Zakia of mature Manna men. She had been there, done that, and decided to just enjoy the evening and go home. Several men brought her virgin drinks and danced with her all night. She had maintained her vow of being drug- and alcohol-free since the incident during her freshman year of college. Zakia and Eboni had fun and enjoyed the attention so much that they planned to go again the following Friday.
    When Eboni went to the ladies’ room the following week, a man slid into her seat across from Zakia and looked deeply into her eyes.
    “That seat is taken,” Zakia said before he could introduce himself.
    “I know. I’ll return it when it’s time. I just wanted to tell you that you appear to be a very classy lady, and I was wondering if you were attached,” he said, getting right to the point.
    “No, I’m not.”
    “Good, neither am I. Are you from around here?”
    “Yes,” she answered, wondering why she felt compelled to respond to this complete stranger’s questions.
    “What high school did you attend?” he asked
    “Booker T,” she said.
    “I graduated from your archrival, Dunbar,” he said.
    She dared not ask him if he knew Xavier. “Did you play any sports?” she asked instead.
    “Not really, more of a bookworm.”
    “Oh, I thought I might have