“Yeah, and no. I know she won’t say no though. Dionne wanna get married. We’ve had those kinds of talks before. The nerves just come in with me knowing that this is it, man. I’m about to do some grown man shit and drop down on one knee. Never in a million years did I think I would be settling down. I thought that I would be a player for life,” I joked, and when I said that, he laughed.
“Throwing in the towel and settling down with one woman is a maturity that not a lot of niggas have. We grew up, thinking that it made a man powerful because he could have a lot of hoes. To be wise is to know that the man that’s powerful is the man that has a wife and kids, and he does right by them. Your nigga June, I didn’t know him personally, but being locked up, I heard a lot of shit about him. I heard shit about you too. I know that at one time you two used to be in the streets. Now, coming home, seeing the very same man that they used to talk about in prison, that was moving weight, running through hoes, standing over there, and he got a wife, and he left the hoes alone, I salute himfor that. Ion really have no long list of rules for you, bruh. Treat my daughter right man. That’s all I want from you. Make smart decisions when it comes to your children. Never put yourself in a position where you gotta be away from your children as long as I had to,” he finished, and I reached my hand out, so that we could slap hands, and I let him know that I understood, and that Dionne was in good hands with me.
About twenty minutes later, it was time to sing happy birthday to me. Everyone came out on the dance floor, and I was standing up front, with this beautiful ass cake that was on a stand. Dionne was in front of me, and like I was proud that she was mine, I stood behind her, arms wrapped around her waist in a bear hug, preparing for everyone to sing happy birthday to me. Dionne had the mic in her hands, and once everyone came over, that’s when she picked her hand up that was holding the mic, so that she could speak into it.
“Hi everybody. Before we sing happy birthday to the birthday boy, I just wanted to celebrate him quickly. Netta, I want to start with you and let you know that you did a good job at raising a phenomenal man. If his grandparents were here, I would thank them as well because Tavion doesn’t miss a day to tell me that one of the many skills that he knows, it was something that he learned from his pop- pop or his grandmother. Truly the most amazing man that I’ve ever met in my life, and to me, it’s a luxury to be able to be called his girl. Tank, in front of everyone, I just want to let you know that I love you so much. I’m thankful that you came into my life, and you’ve been loving me the way that you do. All night, you have been on my ass, trying to figure out how I much I paid for this party, and I know that your only asking because your trying to be slick, and pay me back,” she went on to say, and everybody started laughing after she said that.
I laughed too because she was right. Just that manly part that lived in me, where I didn’t want my girl having to foot the bill for me.
“I don’t plan to ever tell you the price. This is so small compared to everything that you’ve done for me since you came into my life. I just want you to know that the same way you’re capable of seeing me, and hearing me, I see and hear you too. I asked you months ago what a typical birthday looks like for you, and when you told me that in your adult years, that your birthday was just another day, I knew that I had to throw you a party. I love you, baby,” she let me know in front of everyone, and when she finished, the crowd started with their ‘ awww’s because her words were beautiful.
She finished, and then she leaned in, so that she could quickly peck me on my lips. After that, I pulled her back my way, so that she could stand in front of me again, and I could wrap my arms around her. From there, Dionne started the countdown, and right there, everybody on the dance floor sang happy birthday to me. I was smiling, soaking up all this love that I was getting from everyone.
When they finished, we all clapped. I took the mic from Dionne, kissed her on her forehead, and she stood on the side of me, allowing me to have the floor.
“Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate it,” I started out.
“Ion know why, but I got this mic in my hands, and now I’m nervous all of a sudden,” I let out, feeling the beads of sweat on my forehead.
I think the nerves started kicking in because I knew that somewhere in this speech that I was about to give, it would end with me dropping down on one knee, asking Dionne if she would be my wife.
“You got it nigga,” that was June’s ass that yelled out to me. My fuckin brother, and when he yelled out, everybody started laughing at his ass.
“I really am grateful for everybody coming out and celebrating with me tonight. I didn’t expect to see half of ya’ll in here. Dionne told me that she was going to throw a party for me, but no lie, I expected a fancy dinner or some shit, with a few family, and friends. She went all out, and I gotta let you know in front of everybody that I’m appreciative when it comes to you, and life ain’t life if I don’t have you in my corner,” I went on to say, and I got hand claps from the men, and all Dionne’s sisters, and friends were screaming for her, happy to see their girl get loved on out loud.
“Like my baby was saying, I don’t really do the birthday, and celebration thing. Growing up, once I turned seventeen, I started living a real fast life. I jumped off the porch early, and a lot of things that people would do in their adult years, I’d already done once I started making a little money in my early twenties. I had the money, the fast cars, the jewelry, so once I got older, and my birthday came around, it was just another day for me. If it wasn’t for this beautiful chocolate woman that I have standing right next to me, I would probably be home right now, sitting in front of the TV, watching the game or something. I appreciate this version much better though. You got everybody to come out tonight to celebrate with me, and I’ll never forget this day,” I expressed, and with a smile on her face, and her eyes just a little misty, she mouthed the words, “I love you” to me.
If she thought that her ass was crying now, I could only imagine what she was getting ready to do in the next coming seconds.
“Before I wrap this up, I want to say something. Ya’ll got time?” I asked the crowd.
“Hell yeah nigga. This your shit!” June called out again. I laughed because I knew he was fucked up. He had the crowd laughing again.
“That’s my nigga right there. I made a lot of money with June. I love you man,” I had to let him know.
“Hell yeah! I love you too!” he yelled it back to me.
Two men, that were comfortable in our sexualities and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought about us letting each other know that we loved one another. Life was too short to walk around, feeling like you were too gangsta to let your brother know that you loved them.
“Aight, since ya’ll got time, all I need is a few minutes. Ya’ll know I just turned 36 years old, right? Getting older comes with your mindset changing and having to do grown man shit. I want to do my first piece of grown man shit right quick as I embark on a new chapter in my life,” I went on to say, reaching in my pocket, pulling out a small, square ring box.
The box was matte black, with a smooth feel. It was heavy in my hand because you could only imagine how heavy the rock was inside.
I dropped down to one knee, doing that shit so casually, and when I did that, the entire crowd went crazy. Dionne’s girls were the loudest in the room. You could hear them screaming for Dionne. There was a photographer and videographer that Dionne hired for my party tonight, so they were over here by us, capturing everything.
Dionne put both her hands over her mouth. Big tears instantly dripped down her face, as she looked at me in I utter shock. Granted, we’ve talked about marriage, but I knew that Dionne didn’t see this coming. I didn’t leave her with any hints. Plus, it was my birthday, so I know that she didn’t expect me to propose to her on my birthday.
I opened the box, and just like a typical woman, her eyes dropped to the ring, and when she saw it, that was another thing that almost had her passing out. I knew the kind of ring that Dionne wanted. Me, and her have deep talks, and during those talks, she’s described to me the perfect engagement ring. She told me that when that day came, and I was ready to propose, she didn’t want me going to my sisters, Blake, or her mama for help because even they wouldn’t know the exact ring that she wanted. I listened to her when she told me, so just know that this ring wasn’t pulled from a case. I had this shit built… stone by stone.
Her ring was massive. It was the oval- cut, just like I knew she wanted. Diamonds anchored the entire piece, bouncing over the walls, pushing five carats in each diamond. The band, that was filled with diamonds as well, I had her name engraved in it. Just small details that I added myself, wanting to put my own touch on it. This was the kind of ring where she was going to have to unfortunately get stopped by women every time that she was out, just wanting to take a look at her ring. I won’t even talk cost. Just know that I paid a pretty penny for this shit, but for her, she was worth every dollar.
“Come here. What you backing up for?” I said that into the mic.
You could tell that she was so thrown off because I had no idea why her ass started backing up from me. Still crying, and with her hands over her mouth, she walked back over to me, standing directly in front of me. I reached for her arms, so that I could pull her hands down, wanting to see her entire face when I proposed.
“Let me do grown man shit with you, Dionne. I don’t have to drag this out with you. Call me crazy, but I knew the day that I laid eyes on you that you were going to be my wife. I don’t need a couple of more years with you to make my decision. My decisionhas been made. This is what I want. I want you, our child, and I want us to do it together. Will you marry me beautiful?” I asked her, and she was so out of it, crying, that all she could do was eagerly nod her head up and down.
With a smile on my face, I brought the mic back to my lips.
