The Community - Chapter 1

Kendra walked out onto her back patio into the cool summer night air. Inside her Chicago home, a Going Away party was being thrown for her and her husband, Isac. Although it was going well, and the halls of their home on Drexel Avenue were filled with laughter and happiness, Kendra had to escape, if only for a moment. She just needed a moment to let the reality that her last night in her house, her last night with her friends and her last night in Chicago.

It had all happened much too fast for Kendra. Only that past Monday did Isac get the phone call from TetraOil interested in buying the startup company that he and Kendra had built together; 4D-mapping software that was initially built for archeological purposes to find buried civilizations but somehow had caught the eyes of big oil companies. Quickly, that interest had turned into an offer on Tuesday, and by the end of the business day on Wednesday, Kendra and Isac were signing papers to give over their right to the company and collect a fortune.

It was a done deal, and the only thing that Kendra could say once they were left alone in the room was, “What the hell are we going to do with all this money?”

Isac smiled and simply stated, “Baby, we were just given three billion dollars. We’re going to do whatever the hell we want for the rest of our lives.”

Kendra knew he was right. Making that much money for anyone would be life-altering, and for Kendra she had never even thought it was a possibility for her. Growing up an orphan in Chicago, Kendra already felt like she was living a dream by actually making it to adulthood without any serious emotional problems and graduating from college. Meeting Isac and marrying him had been another dream, and starting her own business was the icing on the cake. She didn’t think that her life could get any better, and this came along.

She was the epitome of “rags to riches”, and it was too much, and she just needed a moment to herself.

Kendra breathed in the cool air and tried to imagine what her life would be like starting that weekend, once she and Isac had officially moved from the city. She didn’t know where they were going. Isac had said that he wanted to take Kendra some place where they could start a family. Somewhere new, and somewhere that wasn’t Chicago. Isac, too, was an orphan, but he was also a nomad. He was accustomed to living in one city for a short while before he moved on. Actually, Chicago had been the city he had lived in the longest, but only because he had found Kendra. The move would be easy for him; Kendra, not so much.

“Hey, girl,” a call from behind Kendra broke her thoughts. It was her best friend Tonya, stepping out onto the patio to join Kenya. Her high heels loudly clicked on the wood as she approached Kenya. “What are you doing out here?”

Kendra shook her head. “Just clearing my head, I guess. It’s just so much going on right now, and it is happening way too fast for me.”

“And,” Tonya said smiling. “You just became two of the richest people in Chicago, or hell, the state.” She lowered her voice as she continued. “You just got paid three billion dollars! Three billion dollars! Are you kidding me?”

Kendra smiled. “No, no! We signed a deal for that much money, but it’ll come to us in chunks for the next twenty years—”

Tonya loudly interrupted. “Who gives a shit? You will never have to worry about anything for the rest of your life. You’re not even thirty, yet, and this happened to you. This is amazing, why are you talking it down like it is something to be ashamed of? ”

“I don’t know. Things like this don’t—shouldn’t happen to people like me.”

Tonya crossed her arms over her chest, becoming annoyed. “Says who?”

“Life! I’m a black girl from Chicago with no family—”

“Watch it,” Tonya interrupted.

“You know what I mean. You know you’re family, but I’m an orphan, and somehow—”

Again, Tonya interrupted. “And somehow you’ve gotten everything you’ve deserved. You’ve earned this opportunity; don’t waste a minute of it thinking that you didn’t. And never, ever, say that you don’t have family. I am, and always will be your sister. Even when you and Isac go to the mythical Hee-Haw Community, I’m still your sister.”

Kendra laughed. “It is called the Hew Hills Community.”

Tonya laughed. “Whatever, all I know is, you and Isac were invited to live there, and they didn’t even invite Oprah.”

Kendra thought about what Tonya just said and nodded her head.

“Yes, darling, I guess you are correct. My husband and I are now a part of the elite,” she said in a fake English accent. She tapped Tonya on her shoulder. “Don’t slouch dear, that is a habit for commoners.”

The two laughed loud and hard.

Then Tonya spoke again. “I mean it, though, Kendra. You will always have me. Remember when Rico and I began to get serious, and you were worried then?”

“I was not worried!”

Tonya laughed. “Yes, you were. You thought when we got married and moved to the suburbs that you would never see me again. I caught you crying into a pint of ice cream watching Waiting to Exhale.”

“Please, get to the point,” Kendra said smiling. She remembered that day well. Tonya had come back to the city to surprise Kendra and caught her in her pajamas watching their favorite movie, and crying. They immediately started laughing together, and it didn’t take long for Kendra to realize they would be friends forever.

“The point is, we have had many life changes, and we’re still friends. We will always be friends. So, stop thinking, pack your bags and go off to the Hugh Hefner Community.”

“It’s called the Hew Hills Community,” Kendra corrected her, again.

“Well, whatever it’s called, it’s exclusive and only for the rich and elite. Go be that for a while. I’ll still be here, and you can always fly to Chicago or have a private jet pick up your best friend to fly to you.”

Kendra laughed. “I like how you just casually threw in the option of chartering a private jet for you.”

“I’ve been your best friend since high school; I think I deserve to be treated.”

Before they could continue, a man called them in from the house. It was Isac, who was happily drunk yelling for them from the dining room. “Come here, ladies, we’re doing another toast.”

Kendra and Tonya went into the house, heading toward to the dining room.

“Another one,” Kendra asked. “How many more are we going to do, tonight?”

Isac kissed Kendra and handed her a glass of champagne. “This is the last one, and the most important one.”

“Okay, well, we’re ready for it,” Kendra said.

Isac ceremoniously tapped his glass with a fork, getting the attention of the guests in the large dining room. “Everyone, let me get your attention, one more time. I just want to thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate with me and Kendra. We only invited our nearest and dearest friends, and although I’ve met most of you when I began dating Kendra, you have all accepted me as family, as you do her, and I’m so grateful.” The crowd began clapping, but Isac quickly hushed them.

“I must also, again, give a toast to the two women who have made my life so special:
my beautiful wife, Kendra, and her—our— best friend, Tonya, who introduced us, and convinced Kendra to take a chance on the cute guy who spells his name with only one ‘S’.” The crowd erupted with claps and laughter. Kendra walked over to Isac and kissed him on the lips, as the rest of the party touched their glasses together in honor of the couple.