by Gayle Tiller
"Dad, what do you want?"
"For this to go away. Jazz, I told you not to investigate. Goddamn it, I even gave you a reason to stop investigating. But you continued anyway."
"You knew about the affair before I told you. You knew about the emails and you didn't try to warn me. Dad, that's just… "
"Jazz, I make it my business to know everyone's business. I am nobody's fool. Sure, I knew about your deadbeat husband and Kristal's affair. You had to be blind not to know. And yeah, I knew about Kristal and that so-called white boy Chuck Roberts. And yes, I know the Mayor's giving up Keith as a baby. And I know about Melvin Grady's drug dealings. And hell, I know everyone who your goddamn slut friend Sheila has slept with. I even know about James' little problem with herpes. And Jazz, as quiet as you kept it, I even know about your problem with alcohol. Yes, Jazz, I know everything."
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Dad's words slammed me like he had just run me over with a big rig.
Every part of my body ached. My head felt like it was going to explode any moment. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Because if I did, Sheila might be killed.
"Dad, let Sheila go."
"I will do no such thing. In fact, darling daughter, I have a plan for you. Yes, I do. I am going to teach you a lesson about loyalty. Your mother wasn't loyal to me. So she got what she deserved. I hurt the most important person in her life- Bill Roberts. I tried to do it politically, but it didn't work. So he had to be destroyed."
"Dad, what are you talking about?"
Dad took the gun from Sheila's head and pointed it at me. He said gruffly, "Come over here, now."
"Dad, I am not moving."
"Jazz, I am not going to kill my own daughter. But if you do not move, I will kill James."
James said, "Go ahead."
Dad stared at him and said, "Don't push me. I am not playing. If Jazz doesn't come here right now, you are gone."
Sheila said, "Jazz, please do what your father says."
Dad said, "Listen to your slut friend."
My body began to tremble and I started to cry. My legs shook as I walked toward Dad. Dad grabbed me with his left hand and said, "Now, put your hand on the trigger of the gun."
"Dad, I can't."
"Do it now or your friend will die."
I put my right hand on the trigger.
Dad ordered, "Good Jazz. Now you and I are going to pull the trigger together and watch Sheila die."
I screamed, "Dad, no I can't."
James said, "Please Lt. Myers, kill me."
Dad screamed, "James shut up. No, your job will be to defend my daughter. And knowing you, you will do it quite well. Now, Jazz on the count of three, we will pull the trigger together. One… two… and… "
James ran toward Dad. Dad grabbed the gun from me and pointed it at his head.
I cried, "Dad don't do it! Please don't do it!"
Dad said, "It's all over now." He pulled the trigger and blood gushed out from his head. Dad dropped to the ground with his clothes drenched in blood. His eyes rolled back.
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I screamed, "No!" My body shook like it had been struck by lightning and I kept screaming "No!" I wanted to hold Dad, but I couldn't. I was too weak to do anything. All I could do was to scream. I couldn't stop screaming. I just couldn't stop screaming.
Everything was closing in on me and my body began to shake uncontrollably. I was losing my mind. I was losing my soul. I was losing everything.
I wanted to scream, "Please help me! Please someone help me!" But I couldn't, because I had lost all control.
Then everything turned black.
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Chapter
New Chapter
I thought I had gone 5150 and had a nervous breakdown. But I hadn't.
Instead, when I regained conscious, Sheila was kneeling over me.
The cops had removed Dad's body from James' office. But the stench of Dad's blood was overwhelming. I wanted to throw up.
Sheila took my left hand and said, "Jasmine, I am so sorry about your father."
I wanted to respond, but I couldn't. I was completely numb.
Sheila continued, "Jasmine, let me take you home."
I nodded slowly. I then got up and walked around the office. I mumbled, "Where is James?"
Sheila replied, "James went with the police to make a statement."
We walked to the car in silence and Sheila drove me home.
Sheila said, "I'll be here as long as be you need me."
I didn't need Sheila. I needed Dad to be alive. Why did he kill himself?
Why did he do this to me?
I stared at the walls and said, "Sheila, I'll be okay. You can go home."
"Jazz, don't lie to me. You are not okay. Your father just died."
"He killed himself because of me."
"No, Jazz. It had nothing to do with you."
"Bullshit, if I hadn't investigated the case, my father would be still alive. It's all my fault."
"No, it's not. Your father had a problem. He was a murderer who was out of control. He chose to kill himself. No one pointed the gun at his head."
"Sheila, don't rationalize my father's actions. It's my fault and I just want to be alone."
"I am not leaving."
"Sheila, if you don't leave, I am going to call the police."
"You want me to leave so you can drink yourself to death."
"No, I don't."
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"Don't lie to me. Jazz, I know you. I don't want you to die."
"Sheila, I am not going to drink."
"Jazz, you're lying to me."
"You think I would drink after what just happened. Come on."
"Jazz, you have to promise me that you won't drink."
"Sheila, I promise. Please leave."
Sheila left the house. I then jumped in my car and went to the store and bought three bottles of whiskey.
Okay, I lied. But it didn't matter. Dad had just killed himself and I had nothing to live for.
When I got home, Sheila was standing at the front door.
She pointed at the bag and screamed, "You lied to me."
"Sheila, what do you want from me?"
"I want you to admit that you have a problem. I want you to get help."
I cried, "Sheila, leave me alone. I am a grown woman and I know how to handle my business."
Sheila cried, "You don't know how to take care of your business. If you did, you wouldn't have bought that poison."
She then grabbed the bag and threw all three bottles on the ground.
Sweet smelling whiskey oozed out from the broken glass.
I screamed, "Are you crazy? Do you how much that cost me?"
Sheila cried, "I just saved your life. You will get help and I will stay here until you do."
I yelled, "Go away."
Sheila said, "I'm never going away. You are stuck with me for the rest of your life. And your life will be a long life."
At that point, I didn't know what to say. Sheila's dedication to me was overwhelming.
I then opened the front door and left it open for Sheila to follow me inside.
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New Section
Epilogue
Sheila made me realize that I had to make some serious changes in my life. The first was admitting that I was an alcoholic and that I needed help.
I also had to get off this baby trip until I was healed. There was no way that I could be a mother to a child, when I couldn't take care of myself.
I am currently in therapy. It's not like I have a choice. I have to go so I can stay alive.
I can't thank Sheila enough for her support. In fact, once I am healed, I am going to find her daughter. That's the least that I can do for her.
As for Keith and Loretta, they lost the baby. When I first found out, I was kind of happy because I felt Keith had gotten what he deserved. But that was the old me and I know that way of thinking is wrong.
Kri
stal and Chuck were exonerated and they had a baby girl. A blood test proved that Chuck was the father. But they never got married, not even after Kristal found out that Chuck was an octoroon.
Patrice is still out of control chasing younger men and raising hell at City Hall. George Stone was promoted to Fire Chief. James is working on a big murder case with Raul. Michael is still preaching at the church.
Some people never change.
Every now and then, I still think about the mistakes that Mama and Dad made. But I realize now that I had no control over their actions; and I am not going to waste my time blaming them for what did or did not work in my own life. You have to let go of the past and live your life in the present. Some days are harder than others, but I take each day as it comes.
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From the same author on Feedbooks
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When Emma Watkins knocks on her door, Dianne thinks she is a bill collector. Emma turns out to be a former judge who holds a $73 million lottery ticket that will expire in about 24 hours.
Years ago, the media destroyed Emma and her family in a bitter recall election. Emma wants to stop the media from publicizing her name as the winner of the lottery.
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"Saga of a Middle-Aged Vampire: A Short Story" is a short vampire tale of about 7,000 words.
Valerie is a vampire and her life is not going well. After two hundred years of marriage, her husband has left her for a younger woman. She's lost her good paying job and she's living in a basement.
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Valerie decides to give online dating a try. To her disappointment, her Valentine's Day date is rude and obnoxious. Later that night, he is found murdered. The police come after Valerie for answers.
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www.feedbooks.com
Food for the mind
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Document Outline
New Section
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
New Section