2004 has been pretty damn crazy.... I feel like I barely have time to shit.
Are you watching that midget reality TV show?
Did you see the Rick James - Dave Chapelle show? I think I fell out of my chair laughing more times than I received Janet's titty in my inbox... thats a lot of MF falling.
Here's the quick version of everything: My brother was released from the hospital on a Monday, he got engaged two days later and my parents find out 9 days after that. I live with the boy and I found out the same day as my parents.... from his fiance. Two weeks later, I don't see the boy for 3 days, and he calls me to tell me that him and his girl are in Jamaica. A biography I wrote last year was published in 'African-American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary'. I'm designing a spa/salon for my very first personal client. I'm working an average of 50 hours a week for my 'normal' job. I am studying for my architectural licensing exams, but with so much else going on, I barely have time as evidence by the fact that I failed the last two I've taken. I'm hosting a weekly Sunday night party where I'm booking guest DJ's each week, distributing fliers and getting pretty drunk from 7 - 1am thus Monday's are more dreadful than I can image. Coming up, I'll be on the radio march 6th spinning funky house music from 11:30pm - 2am and you'll be able to listen online. (details to come)
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So. My brother is obviously okay. He is so okay that two days after he was released from the hospital he got engaged. Yep. So in addition to already having two of my closest friends getting married by the end of the summer, and a third last minute rushed wedding that is occuring on the same day as one that I'm in, my little brother is getting married too. And I had no idea.... I mean, I knew she was pressing him to by over hearing the following conversation 10 times: "I wanna get married" "not now" "I wanna get married" "not now" "I wanna get married" "not now" "I wanna get married" "not now" "I wanna get married" "not now".. I guess the pressure got to him, either that or this hospital visit freaked him out a little bit.
The only thing I knew was that there was a message on the answeringi machine a few months ago from a jeweler. When asked if he is buying a ring, his response was, "I'm thinking about it." and that was it. I'm not saying he OWES me a conversation, but I would think that you would possibly tell your brother, or your family that you are about to bring someone new into your family. I'm not saying we're the Godfather or some shit, but I'm sayin.... Moms is heated. Moms doesn't like her, my dad probably doesn't either, but he won't say so. He just wants my brother to be happy whether he agrees with it or not.
So here's how it went down. He decided to stay in Chicago with her over Christmas instead of coming home to have his momma take care of him the day after his release. They were suppsosed to drive to Nebraska (her homestate), but we all advised him against it since he was speaking in tongues not more than 48 hours earlier. So nine days after Christmas, we're sitting on the couch, chillin' watching ESPN when she calls. (she always calls) and they're talking and I overheard him say, "I told them today". Not thinking anything of it, we continued to relax as we had been doing for the past 5 days together until she came over later that night. I'm back in my room minding my own business when she comes back and says, "Hey did Bryan tell you what he got me for Christmas?" Just as I'm about to say 'no', she turns the corner with this rock bling blinging all in my face. All I could say was "wow." Excitement quickly turned to surprise which quickly turned to anger, which quickly turned to containment since she was still there. So after congratulating her, I walk over to my brother and we have a conversation that went something like this:
me: "bruh?"
him: "what?"
me: "um..... bruh???!!!
him: "what????!!!"
me: "ummm........."
him: ...... blank stare ......
me: "were you going to tell me?"
him: "yeah. I just didn't think about it."
me: "didn't think about it?"
him: "no.
me: "um.... BRUH!!!!???
him: "what???"
me: "you didn't think about telling your brother who you live with that you got engaged 9 days ago?"
him: "I just didn't think it was a big deal."
me: "..... didn't think it was a big deal......hmmm....."
him: "yeah..."
me: "how about it's the BIGGEST FUCKING DEAL ...... besides kids.... is she pregnant?"
him: "naw. I figured I was going to do it eventually anyway."
me: {{{{ look of disgust }}}} {{{ gets up and walks away shaking head}}}}
...and that was it. We've only 'talked' about it one other time when he said, "oh, by the way, I'm going to move in with her at the end of our lease in May." Thanks for the heads up dude, because I love so much looking for places to live, packing up all of my shit and moving. That just fills my balls with glee!! Two weeks later, I don't see him for 2-3 days, then he calls and tells me that the two of them are in Jamaica.... sonuva....
I wonder if my parents know they found out about it 9 days after he asked her. I haven't talked to them about it at all. I know they went to my parents house valentines day weekend and got an earful about the difficulties of being married, etc..., but I don't know much more than that. He told me they will be engaged at least a year, but we'll see.
But the rest of the year has kept me busy as hell with all of the things I mentioned above. I hope to find the time to write more, but you MF's ain't wrote either so don't be giving me all this "where are the chronicles bullshit" So I'm currently trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do. Is this the time to bounce back to the East coast? The bamma quotient at my job has spiked through the roof, but now I finally have my own personal client that will allow me to design whatever the hell I want??? Is this really the right time to leave? The idea of creating a portfolio, job hunting in another city and relocating makes me dizzy just thinking about it... In any case, 2004 is already looking to be a year of transition. There is something weird in the air that I haven't been able to figure out yet in the way people approach me, speak to me, deal with me and everything.... feels like some off-kilter universal equillibrium imbalance or something.....
I'm inside of the motherfucking Matrix........ now if I could only find Jada!
~C
CD of the moment: Amy Winehouse - "Frank"
