The Case Manager

by Latoya Chandler

  Especially on my first night while at Hope House when she called herself interpreting my dream. She had the nerve to say I’d been dealing with vengeful feelings toward the opposite sex. So if her guilt made her leave everything to me, who was I to fight that? Why would I? I knew we all went through that horrific time in our lives together, which was why I had been willing to share everything with the other girls. I wasn’t a selfish person. It was crazy that Samantha went behind everyone’s back and started a lawsuit. But, like the Good Book says, money is the root of all evil. What got me was when she said it wasn’t personal, and it was just business. How?

  Paul was still behind bars. You’d think I would have been excited about it, but I felt jail wasn’t a good enough punishment. Ms. Jasmine said he was placed in protective custody after being raped. However, that didn’t work, because while in protective custody he was still grabbing his ankles. Mr. Derek was a correctional officer at the same prison, so he gave us first-hand information about what was going on. He said with everything falling on his shoulders, being that Ms. Nancy and Anthony were dead, Paul would never see the light of day again. He said all of the correction officers made sure to teach Paul a lesson and reiterated countlessly that he was no longer a police officer. It was sort of a relief that Paul was gone and we didn’t have to worry about running into him.

  Speaking of Mr. Derek, he and Ms. Jasmine got married six months ago. She was so happy, and he treated her like a queen. I wondered if I would ever get there. Presently I knew I couldn’t even imagine having intercourse and enjoying it. I was impossible for me to even imagine falling in love with the opposite sex and wanting or craving their touch. Dr. Binet said time healed all wounds, and in time I would feel differently. Hopefully she was right.

  If not, I had become content with loving on my babies. Jenna and Nakita swore that Alonzo was waiting for me to get that tingle between my legs back so he could snatch me up and make up for lost time. It was quite comical to me, because the last thing I wanted was a man. I was still afraid for a man to even touch me, whether it was by accident or on purpose. My dad asked if it was all right for him to hug or kiss me, because I freaked out when he tried to do so.

  “Candice and Jenna, what a wonderful surprise. You two came to see your old man.”

  “We were in the neighborhood,” Jenna clowned.

  “Over a hundred miles and you were in the area?”

  “Yep,” we replied in unison.

  “This feels so good to have both of my girls here. You two are so beautiful.” He embraced Jenna and kissed her on the cheek.

  Turning toward me, he extended his arms and I pushed his arms away from me. “What are you trying to do? Don’t you dare try to touch me. I don’t know you like—”

  “I am sorry, baby. I know it’s going to take time. I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I blame myself for all of it.”

  “It’s not your fault, Dad. I apologize for freaking out.”

  “I think we should all see if Candice’s therapist can help us with some family counseling,” Jenna suggested.

  “That’s a great idea. I will do whatever it takes. What do you think, Candice?”

  “I think I’d like that.”

  Since then, I hadn’t been able to get enough of Dad. The kids simply adored him. I understood why Jenna was so adamant about me getting to know him all over again. He was to me what Alonzo was to the kids. I knew a lot of people were against counseling because they didn’t feel they needed to tell someone their business. Well, if that was your way of thinking, you were setting yourself up for failure. Holding it in would kill you and prevent you from seeing and experiencing all that life had to offer you.

  I thought Dr. Binet was an angel from heaven. She had counseled every area of my life, and I felt like a better woman because of it. I was no longer afraid of men. I hadn’t crossed the threshold of wanting intimacy from a man, but I knew it could happen one day. At the moment, I had become all right with just being okay with being in the presence of another man, especially Alonzo. Having a conversation with him and not feeling ashamed and afraid was a great feeling. He swore he was going to marry me when I came to my senses. Marriage was not in my plans, but it was flattering that he felt that way.

  Nakita swore I was destined to be a big-time marriage therapist. Every time we visited her, she reminded me of what she saw in my future.

  “Candice, you know you’re going to be this big-time therapist and married to a handsome man who worships the ground you walk on.”

  “Nakita, why is it you can see all these things and I am blinded to the entire vision?”

  “Because you’re in denial. Do you know what denial really means?”

  “Probably not. I am sure you have a whole other definition of it.”

  “And you would be right. Denial is a shorter version of saying, ‘I don’t even know I am lying.’ So with that being said, Candice, you are lying.” She chuckled.

  “You’re completely out of your mind. I cannot wait until you get out of this place. I have a surprise for you when you get out. I can’t wait the six months that you have left to show you.”

  What Nakita didn’t know was I had Hope House demolished. After the settlement, Samantha was awarded the $2.6 million. I was left with $2.6 million, the house, cars, and jewelry. Of course, I stood by my word and gave $371,428.57 to all the girls, including myself and Ms. Jasmine. Nakita’s money had been placed in a bank account waiting for her to come home. I had to fight with Jenna to take the $100,000 that I gave her, but I felt it was only right. From the moment that we ran into one another, she had been by my side and there for me through the good and the bad.

  Tracy, Judith, and Simone cried hysterically when I gave them the check. They were now redoing Ms. Jasmine’s house. She gave it to them when she moved in with her husband. Mr. Derek ended up having to take Ms. Jasmine’s check. She had refused to accept any money from me. Ms. Jasmine felt I was giving it all away and it wasn’t fair, because Samantha took half. However, God knew my heart. He knew it so much that as the demolition company was tearing down what was known as Hope House, they found a safe in it. I refused to step foot in that house as it was. The only way I could take over or even consider reopening or moving into that place was for it to look like a whole new house. With the help of Jenna and Alonzo, that was what took place. I gave them an idea of what I wanted, and they got in touch with somebody who knew somebody and took my idea and expanded on it. The blueprints looked beautiful. Jenna and Alonzo had been hands-on with all of it.

  The safe that was found contained another $5 million along with stocks and bonds that the McGivneys had left Ms. Nancy. It was safe to say that we would want for nothing. I had no idea that was waiting for me on the other side of the demolition, but God knew. I was beyond grateful and nervous at the same time. My dad put me in touch with an accountant and some money-managing firm that was going to help me stay on top of things and invest. I actually left most of the money inside of the safe, just to be on the safe side. I was still in the process of recovering and learning to trust. I hadn’t crossed over just yet.

  Chapter Forty-one

  New Beginnings: The Good Outweighs the Bad

  Candice

  It was the big day: the grand opening of New Beginnings Restoration Retreat. I had been working behind the scenes. I didn’t let Ms. Jasmine or any of the girls know what was going on either. Jenna, Mr. Bartlett, and Dr. Binet helped me out tremendously. Jenna and Dr. Binet had become hired staff. Dr. Binet had been hired as New Beginnings’s therapist. She would work the clients into her schedule. Jenna has agreed to come on board as the nurse. She took a leave of absence from the hospital to help me run New Beginnings. The only one missing was Nakita. I couldn’t wait for her to come home.

  The property was so big that I was able to split it in half. We had an eight-bedroom mother/daughter house built where Paul and Anthony’s place was. My side had five bedrooms, a living room, den, playroom, two and a
half baths, a dining room, and a finished basement. Nakita’s portion had the same except with three bedrooms. I didn’t furnish her place, because I wanted her to have the opportunity to do it. Adrianna had a room of her own room in my half.

  Ms. Jasmine, Tracy, Simone, and Judith were on their way to meet me at New Beginnings. They had no idea why. I told them I needed help getting things situated at Hope House, and they agreed to assist me. Little did they know, the Hope House we once knew was no more. I hadn’t even seen the finished product. So all of this was going to be a surprise for all of us. I just wished Nakita were here to experience it with us.

  I now had my driver’s license and was the proud owner of a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jenna insisted I get a Range Rover. However, I was content with the Cherokee. There was enough room in it for me and the kids. That was my main concern. Eventually, I assumed I would end up splurging a little, but it was wise for me to take it easy. Mr. Bartlett’s wife had also agreed to work at New Beginnings full time. Everyone had been screened through the State, and background checks had been done on all of us. I would make sure to stay on top of everything and do my best to protect the girls sent to New Beginnings.

  As I turned down Oak Street, my stomach jumped into my spine. Arriving closer to where Hope House used to be, the knots in my stomach disappeared. Nothing looked the same. I felt as if I were in a strange land until my eyes landed on Ms. Jasmine and the girls huddled out front.

  “Oh, my God, Candice, what have you done?” Ms. Jasmine exclaimed, helping me and the kids out of the car.

  “It is a surprise for all of us. I haven’t seen it either.”

  “This is amazing Candice,” Mr. Derek acknowledged.

  “Thank you, Mr. Derek. I wanted to surprise all of you. Jenna is already inside waiting for all of us.”

  “Why do you sound so sad?”

  “I just wish Nakita were here, Ms. Jasmine.”

  “Yeah, but when she comes home, we can celebrate all over again.”

  “You have a point. Is everyone ready?”

  “Yes,” everyone answered in harmony.

  “All right, then, why are y’all still standing there in a huddle?”

  “Because you’re not the only one with a surprise today.” Nakita emerged from behind them.

  “How? Oh my . . .” I ran into her arms, sobbing.

  “She was released early, Candice.” Ms. Jasmine rubbed my back as I cried into my “sistafriend’s” chest.

  “Mommy!” Adrianna exclaimed.

  “Hey there, my princess,” she bawled.

  Once inside, there wasn’t a dry eye in sight. I believed Derek and Alonzo shed a couple of tears as well. Everything was beautiful. It was better than I had envisioned. The place looked nothing like Hope House. I had been looking around to see if I could remember something from Hope House, but I couldn’t. This was in fact the epitome of a new beginning.

  I had three new teen mothers starting the first of the month, which I was nervous and excited about. In the meantime, we had been enjoying our new home and newfound life. God in heaven knew I would not have wished any of what happened to me on my worst enemy. I wouldn’t have even wished it on Mother. No one should have to endure anything remotely close to what I or the girls experienced at the hands of the ones who vowed to love and protect us. However, after it was all said and done, all of us were in a better place mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.

  I had learned to trust and forgive, and it felt good not to be in the bondage of fear. I even had Mr. Bartlett send a letter to Samantha’s attorney inviting her to the grand opening, and she came. We kissed and made up. She was now married to her attorney and pregnant with twins.

  As for myself and the other girls, we were taking our time before we took a stab at love. We had been working on loving and getting to know the women we’d become before we tried to love someone else. Jenna, on the other hand, had a thing for older women and was now in a relationship with Dr. Binet. They seemed to be in love, and I was happy for them.

  Alonzo had become a part of our family. All the girls loved him and referred to him as their brother. Mr. Derek and Ms. Jasmine designated him as their son as well. He said he was now waiting for me to realize what I had waiting in the wind. I didn’t know what the future held, but what I would acknowledge, including him in it, didn’t look so bad. One day at a time though.

  The End