My Truth My Time My Turn

by Shelia E. Bell

  “Ma, Omar’s on his way to pick you up. Xavier was in an accident.”

  “Oh, my God! Is he all right?” She nervously ran into her room and started taking off the clothes she had on. She rummaged through her closet to find something to put on.

  “Well, they haven’t let me see him yet. He’s in the trauma center. They’re still working on him though.” He didn’t want to tell her the extent of his brother’s injuries over the phone. She already sounded like she was about to fall apart. His father was right about one thing; he should have told his mother about Xavier’s accident from the very beginning.

  “I’m getting dressed. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Ma, I told you, Omar is on his way. He should be there in a few minutes.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Ma, we’ll talk when you get here. Just get ready. Tell Omar to let you out at the entrance to the Trauma Center. We’re in the Trauma Center Waiting Room.”

  Fancy was shaking life a leaf. “Okay, I’m getting dressed while I’m talking to you. But did you say ‘we’? Who’s there with you?”

  Khalil spoke before thinking. “Eliana….and….and Dad.”

  “What did you say?” Fancy was stepping into a pair of charcoal brown cuffed ankle slacks but stopped midstream when she heard Khalil say Hezekiah was there.

  “He was here when we got here. I don’t know how he found out about it, but he did, and he’s in the waiting room.”

  “I don’t want him anywhere near my son, Khalil.” Fancy’s blood boiled. “What in the heck was Hezekiah doing at the hospital? Hadn’t he caused enough trouble?”

  “Ma, don’t worry about Dad. Just get ready and wait for Omar.”

  Eliana stepped out into the hall. “The doctor called back. You can see Xavier but only for a few minutes.”

  Hezekiah rolled up to the door and Benny ran up beside him and opened it. He almost ran into Eliana as she partially blocked the door.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he apologized as Eliana quickly stepped to the side and out of Hezekiah’s way.

  “Ma, I gotta go. They’re going to let us see Xavier for a few minutes. I’ll see you when you get here.”

  “Please, tell my baby, I’m on the way.”

  “I will, Ma.” Khalil ended the call.

  Fancy couldn’t contain herself. What had happened to Xavier? What kind of accident had he been involved in? “Oh, God, please let him be okay. Please, God.” She finished dressing and continued to pray aloud while pacing the floor, waiting on Omar.

  Omar arrived shortly after she finished talking to Khalil. “First Lady, I’m here,” he said when she answered the call from the entrance of Lion’s Gate.

  She buzzed him in and the gate slowly opened.

  Omar sped through the private, quiet and secluded neighborhood until he arrived at Fancy’s house. He was about to get out of the car to go knock on the door when the front door flew open and Fancy appeared. He stepped outside of his car.

  “I’m coming. No need to come up here.” Fancy turned, locked her door, ran down the steps and dashed to Omar’s car. He darted to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her.

  “Thank you. Now please, get me to the hospital. I have to get to my son.”

  19

  “Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby - awkwardly, and often with a great deal of mess.” Lemony Snicket

  Hezekiah was allowed into Xavier’s room first. Khalil wished he had the power to stop him from seeing Xavier, but there was nothing he could do about it. Hezekiah was Xavier’s father so he was given priority over Khalil.

  Xavier lay in the hospital bed, his face bruised and swollen so big it looked like a basketball. His eyes were swollen shut.

  Hezekiah couldn’t tell if his son was conscious or not.

  “Xavier, son, it’s your father.” He rolled up closer to his son’s bedside, and took hold of his swollen hand. “Everything is going to be all right. You’re going to make it through this. God’s gotcha.”

  Xavier, under heavy sedation, imagined he heard his father’s voice. He was in a dreamlike state of mind, not able to differentiate what was real or a ploy his mind was playing on him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t open his eyes, but he was not in pain. He heard the voice again. Where was he? Was he dead? What had happened to him? Was he dreaming?

  “I’m praying for you, son. I know I’ve said and done some things that were wrong, but I’m still your father. And though I haven’t said it much, if at all, I love you.”

  He looked on at Xavier, saw the tubes inside his mouth and nose, watched the ventilator as it took every breath for his son. He looked at the monitors, the IV, everything and then back at Xavier. Xavier looked like he’d been in the world’s worst boxing match.

  For the first time since he couldn’t recall, tears crested in the corner of Hezekiah’s eyes. “God, bring him through this,” he prayed as he held on to his son’s hand. “Forgive me for being less than the father you would have me to be, dear Lord. But don’t punish my son for my mistakes, God. Heal him. Bring him through—”

  A nurse walked in while he was praying. “I’m sorry, but they’re on the way to get him to take him to surgery.”

  Hezekiah looked at the nurse and nodded. “I love you, son.”

  Khalil appeared in the room.

  “Sir, you can only stay a couple of minutes. We’re about to take him to surgery.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I understand. Thank you.” Khalil walked over to his brother, fighting back tears when he saw how bad he looked.

  Hezekiah turned his chair around and rolled out of the room, giving the brothers some private time.

  “Xavier, man, what did you get yourself into?”

  Again, Xavier heard someone talking. This time it sounded like his brother but the words were nothing more than garbled sounds. Wherever he was, whatever state of mind he was in, he was euphoric, at peace. He saw a beaming, bright blue aura. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before. Whatever it was gave him a sense of overwhelming tranquility. He was worried about nothing and thought of no one, only concentrating on the blue aura shining brightly before him.

  “Ma is on the way, bruh. We love you, and you know I’m praying for ya.”

  “Excuse me, sir. They’re here to get him,” the nurse walked into the room and told him.

  Right behind her two attendants entered the room. “Excuse me,” one of them told Khalil.

  “Uh, sure.” Khalil stepped aside. “Xavier, we’re here. You’re not alone,” Khalil said before he walked out of the hospital room and into the hallway.

  He and Hezekiah remained in the hallway, waiting until they saw Xavier being rolled away to surgery. Neither of them spoke a word to each other. Several more people stood, and some leaned against the wall in the hallway also waiting to see their loved ones. It looked like they were standing in a SNAP line.

  A few minutes after stepping into the hallway, Khalil and Hezekiah watched as Xavier was wheeled out of the trauma bay and down the hospital corridor with one attendant steering the IV stand and the other attendant steering the hospital bed.

  “Jehovah Rapha, be with him,” Hezekiah said lowly as his son was wheeled past him.

  Khalil followed behind them until they reached an elevator where he was told it was as far as he could go.

  “You can wait in the waiting room. Someone will call and let you know how he’s doing,” one of the attendants said.

  Khalil, head hung low, turned and walked back toward the waiting room. Hezekiah had disappeared. When he opened the door and entered the waiting room, he saw Hezekiah had returned to the room.

  Eliana jumped up and ran over to Khalil. “How is he?” she asked although she clearly heard Hezekiah tell his friends that his son was in bad shape and they had taken him to surgery. She said nothing when she heard this, but waited on Khalil to return.

  Khalil repeated basically the same thing she already heard, but
he didn’t say his brother was in bad shape. He didn’t have to. Eliana could read it all over his face. Khalil was worried.

  She squeezed his hand…again. “Do you want to go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat? I’m sure he’s going to be in surgery for quite some time.”

  Khalil shook his head. “No, I’m good. I need to stay and look out for, Ma. She should be here soon. But you can go. You probably should get ready to go home. I can get Omar to take me to Holy Rock to pick up my ride or I’ll call LYFT.”

  “No, I wouldn’t think of leaving you. Not now. I want to be here for you,” she whispered, hoping Hezekiah couldn’t over hear her. It wasn’t that she cared what he might think, but their relationship was private, for now. She wanted to respect that. If she had her way she would shout from the rooftops that she loved Khalil McCoy, but all things come in time.

  “You must be hungry. And you probably should call Sista Mavis and let her know what’s going on. We need the prayers of the saints. As much as that woman gossips, she’s still a prayer warrior and she can get the word out so the church will be in prayer.”

  “Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “This is a huge hospital. It may take you some time to find the cafeteria. I’ll call you if something comes up.”

  “Sure.” She had to stop herself when she almost leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

  Hezekiah noticed the quick move and smiled. Yep, he’s definitely hitting that.

  Eliana walked back toward the front of the trauma center to see if she could get directions to the hospital cafeteria. She saw Fancy rushing through the automatic doors. Their eyes locked.

  “Eliana.”

  “Mrs. McCoy.”

  “Where’s my son?”

  “Come on, I’ll show you where Khalil is. Xavier is in surgery. Khalil can tell you more.”

  As they hurried up the hallway toward the waiting room, Fancy began with her questions. “How long have you been here?”

  “I drove Khalil here when we heard about the accident.”

  “What happened? What happened to my baby?”

  “As far as I know, he was in a car accident. I haven’t heard much else.”

  “When did it happen?”

  Eliana wanted to be careful not to talk too much. She didn’t want Fancy getting upset with Khalil for not calling her. Had she been in Fancy’s shoes and her child was lying in a hospital bed and no one had told her, she would be highly pissed, to say the least.

  “I don’t know what time it happened. But we’ve been here for a couple of hours. They wouldn’t tell Khalil anything at first.”

  “Why didn’t he call me? Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I, well, he didn’t know how serious it was and I, well, I…”

  Fancy threw up a hand, quickly dismissing anything else Eliana was about to say. “I don’t care if he had a scrape on his pinky, I should have been told. Anyway, I’m here now. I’ll handle Khalil later.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Were you about to leave? I saw you at the exit when I came in.”

  “No, I was about to ask someone where the hospital cafeteria is and then I saw you. Would you like me to bring you something back?”

  “No, I’m good. Thank you. And, Eliana, for what it’s worth, thank you for being here with my son. I shouldn’t have bit your head off. You’re only going to do what he says and that’s fine, but he should have known better. He should have called me.”

  “I agree, and you’re welcome. I wouldn’t be any other place.”

  Fancy smiled. I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

  They arrived at the waiting room. “Here it is. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Okay. Thanks, sweetie.” Fancy opened the door to the waiting room, walked inside, and closed it behind her.

  Khalil stood up when he saw his mother enter the waiting room. There were a number of other people gathered in the waiting room. Three of them were sitting on the same row of seats as Hezekiah, a few others scattered at the far end of the room.

  Khalil hugged his mother, but she barely reciprocated. Instead, her eyes zeroed in on Hezekiah. She pushed herself out of her son’s arms and walked over to her ex-husband.

  “Ma, don’t,” Khalil said, but of course she ignored him.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Isabella held on to her child as she stood up and moved to the other side of Benny and sat down.

  “Honey, are you with him?” Fancy asked when she saw Isabella move.

  Isabella nodded and responded, “Yes.” Isabella had seen Fancy on several occasions when Isabella used to attend Holy Rock, but she’d never seen her up close and in her personal space. Fancy was beautiful, her make up flawless but natural looking, her hair laid, and she was impeccably dressed. She had an air of sophistication and self-assurance about her that Isabella immediately envied. She often dreamed of being a beautiful, powerful, assertive, and secure woman like she believed Fancy McCoy to be.

  “Who are you? His li’l knock off?”

  Isabella held her son tighter as he began to push against her arms and reach out to Fancy.

  “No need to talk to her like that. You don’t even know her. And for your information, she’s my personal assistant and caregiver.”

  Fancy laughed aloud. “Humph, I just bet she is,” she said still with her eyes glued on Isabella. “Is that his child?”

  “Not that it’s none of your business, but no, he’s not,” Hezekiah spoke up before Isabella had a chance to answer.

  “Let me leave you alone. You don’t know any better. You look like you’re no older than my baby boy. But you,” she turned toward Hezekiah, “you do know better. But I don’t care what you do. I just want to know why you’re here.”

  “I’m here for the same reason you’re here. I don’t want to argue with you, especially in front of a room full of people. If you want to show your behind you can do it all by yourself. My main focus is on our son and his well-being.”

  Fancy was quiet. It hit her. Hezekiah was right. This was neither the time nor the place to show how ignorant she could act. And truth be told, she was not the least bit interested in Hezekiah and his foolishness, or was she? She turned and walked away.

  Khalil came up behind her and stood beside her. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her outside the waiting room.

  “Come on, Ma.” In the hall he tried to calm his mother. “Ma, settle down. I know you’re upset about Dad being here, but it is what it is. Leave it alone. You have enough worries. Don’t let him add to it.”

  “I know. You’re right. It’s just that I can’t believe he has the audacity to be here. He doesn’t give a darn about Xavier or you. He’s proven that over and over again.”

  “But it doesn’t matter. What does matter is Xavier. If Dad wants to be here, then let him. Actually, after I got over the shock of seeing him here, I have to say that I’m glad he is here. At least it shows me he has a little bit of heart for his family left.”

  “I’m going to the nurses’ station to see what they can tell me about my child. I can’t wait on some darn phone to ring to tell me what they’re doing to my baby.”

  “Ma, they said the doctor or nurse would call and keep us updated.”

  “Well, I want them to know that I’m here.”

  “Oh, okay. That’s a good idea. So far, they’ve been keeping Dad informed. In their book, I don’t matter since they know Hezekiah is Xavier’s father. I mean, he’s been telling me what they say when they call, but it’s not the same as me hearing it for myself.”

  “Well, we’ll see about that.”

  Fancy walked boldly up the hallway. Her heels clicking along the way, her gait heavy and steady. She didn’t stop until she found the nurses’ station and informed them of who she was. The nurse told her the same thing she’d told Khalil, they would be in touch with the family through the phone in the waiting room.

  “I can tell you this much,” the
nurse said after checking something on the computer, “your son is still in surgery. And try not to worry. They will call you as often as necessary to keep you apprised of how he’s doing.”

  Fancy didn’t like it one bit, but she had no choice but to adhere to what the nurse told her. The woman was kind and seemed sympathetic toward Fancy, but protocol was protocol and she had to follow it

  “Is there anything we can get you? Water, soda, coffee?” the nurse offered.

  “No, but thank you,” Fancy said and sighed before turning around and walking away.

  “Thank you,” Khalil told the nurse and then followed his mother back to the waiting room.

  Fancy walked into the waiting room and took a seat.

  Khalil’s text notifier chimed. It was Omar.

  “Did First Lady find you?”

  “Yeah, she’s here. Was bout to text you and let u know.”

  “Need me to come up?”

  “Nah. We good. Preciate you, man.”

  “No prob. I’ma head back to the crib. Sure you don’t need me?”

  “Nah, just need ur prayers. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

  “Ok but if you need anything, I’m here for ya.”

  “Yea, I know.”

  Hezekiah sat across the room sneaking looks at Fancy and Khalil without them noticing. The longer he sat in the waiting room, the more he thought about his family. He was still hurt by their betrayal, but he began to realize that some things weren’t worth the discord or the argument. One of those things was the money that was missing. He had no evidence Khalil was the one who’d taken it. For all he knew, it could have been George. Shucks, George had access to the condo the same as Khalil. He could have easily taken it before Khalil and Holy Rock reclaimed possession of the condo. Or it could have been that powder head, Detria. In his gut, however, he felt it was Khalil. Khalil had almost admitted it and he sure as heck hadn’t denied it. He pushed the money thoughts aside. He had to focus his energy and thoughts on his own future. George would be getting released from the federal pen in 60 days, and Hezekiah could very well be exchanging places with him if he was found guilty of embezzlement.