by Robin Allen
“At seven thirty?”
“You know how those judges are. They say ‘jump’, you say ‘how high’.”
“Are you sure it’s a judge? Maybe it’s another important client who raped his stepdaughter and needs you to come to the rescue. Or maybe it’s Edwinna calling.”
“Sage, that’s not fair.”
“Fair? First you betray me by representing your sleazy uncle, and now you sleep with your old girlfriend, and you’re talking fair!” She walked away from Ramion, taking quick steps to her car.
Catching up with her, he said, “Sage, you’re mixing everything up. Don’t let Edwinna do this. You know what a liar she is. I’ve done nothing wrong. After I meet with the judge, I’ll come over so we can talk this through.”
“I don’t want to talk to you, Ramion. Just leave me alone.” She opened the car door, slid behind the wheel and slammed the door. “Don’t call me. Don’t come over.”
She turned on the ignition and put the car in Drive. “I mean it,” she said, then sped out of the parking lot.
* * * * *
Sage couldn’t fall asleep. She kept thinking about Edwinna’s version of the story, very different than Ramion’s. The telephone rang again. It was after eleven o’clock, and she hesitated before answering the phone. Ramion had called several times in the past hour, and every time she had refused to talk to him. Whoever it was this time wasn’t giving up. Sage snatched the receiver off the hook; a whispered “hello” responded to her disgruntled greeting. The voice was coated with sadness.
“Mama?” Sage queried. Sitting up, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She anticipated her mother’s next words, thinking immediately of Ava and dreading how she would react.
“It’s me,” Audra said. She sighed loudly into the phone, a swishing sound that echoed in their ears. “I called to tell Ava that her father has gotten worse.” Audra paused as if drawing courage before relaying the next part of the message. “The doctors don’t think he has much longer. She needs to come home right away.” Audra paused, and her voice took on a pleading tone. “Right away. He keeps asking for her.”
“Ava’s not home, but I’ll tell her as soon as she gets in. She’ll probably leave sometime tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Audra said, her disappointment evident. She’d wanted to talk to Ava, to hear her promise to come right away.
“Is Aaron there?” Sage asked, as a picture of her brother loomed in her mind. Aaron had always been quiet and serious, while his twin sister had been bubbly and happy-go-lucky.
“Yes, thank goodness! He’s been with me through everything. His father can’t do anything for himself, and Aaron’s helped me take care of him.”
“So, how’s Aaron holding up?”
“He’s strong. He’s been my rock,” Audra said, pride ringing in her voice.
There was an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next.
Suddenly, Audra said, “Sage, I really didn’t intend for your stepfather to surprise you…”
“Mama, don’t worry about that now,” Sage said, thinking that this wasn’t the time for that discussion. “Anyway, I have to go. I’ll tell Ava you called. She’ll call and let you know when she’s coming.”
“Thank you, Sage. Take care of yourself.” In a quiet voice that longed to say more, Audra said, “Good night.”
Sage stared at the phone for several minutes, her mind in a daze. She started calling Ramion, but hung up before she finished dialing his number. She was still upset with him, and was in no mood to discuss Edwinna.
Sage turned over on her stomach and closed her eyes, needing to rest her mind from confused thoughts. Before falling asleep, she thought, Aaron is finally getting what he deserves. She drifted to sleep, slipping into a deep slumber, swirling to an unforgettable past.
* * * * *
Sage was in her room on the third floor, packing her suitcases for a two-week visit to her grandmother’s house. She was ironing a pair of blue jeans when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She remembered locking the front and back doors, and it was too early for her mother and the twins to be home from the Kingdom Hall. She looked at her watch. Her stepfather wasn’t scheduled to be home from work for two more hours. She turned down the radio, listening for the creaking noise on the stairs, and eased closer to the closet door to hide. When she heard the noise again, this time much closer, she knew someone was definitely in the hall. She opened the closet door, shutting it softly behind her. She slipped to the back of the closet and crouched behind boxes of clothes and junk, hoping the intruder didn’t hear her movements.
“Sage,” a familiar voice called out.
It sounds like Aaron, Sage thought.
“Sage,” the voice called again.
“Aaron,” she said, relieved that it wasn’t a burglar. She opened the closet door and came out of hiding. “I was scared. I thought you were a burglar. You know some guys broke into Mrs. Murphy’s house.”
“I know,” he said, lumbering over to the bed. His red-rimmed eyes roamed Sage’s body, from her long, lean legs to her curly black hair that flowed to the middle of her back.
Embarrassed at the way he was staring at her, Sage was suddenly self-conscious about the white shorts and sleeveless white midriff shirt she wore. She couldn’t meet his leering gaze and turned away. Fear returned to the pit of her stomach.
“Mama and the twins will be home any minute now, and I want to finish packing,” Sage said, standing in front of the ironing board, her hand curled around the handle of the iron.
“Oh, they won’t be back for at least an hour,” Aaron said, as he hobbled over to Sage. “Anyway, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say to you. You’re the prettiest young thing I’ve ever seen. Prettier even than your mama.”
Sage was immediately sickened by the smell of alcohol on his breath. Aaron didn’t drink often, but when he did, he was meaner and nastier. Sage stepped around him. “You shouldn’t talk to me like that.”
“I’m just speaking the truth.”
“Mama doesn’t like it when you drink.” She stood by the bed and resumed packing her suitcases, hoping Aaron would leave. She didn’t want him in her room. “The elders say you should drink in moderation.”
“I just had a few beers with some of my buddies.”
“Aaron, I need to pack,” Sage said with urgency. Hearing “Little Red Corvette” playing on the radio, she turned up the volume, hoping the music would drive him out. When he didn’t move, she said, “Please, Aaron, would you go downstairs?”
He was standing so close behind her she could feel his hot, foul breath on her neck. She felt him softly finger her hair. She jerked her head away. “Stop, Aaron,” she cried, stepping away from him.
“Hold on there, girl. You know I’m not going to hurt you. I’ve been taking care of you since you were a little girl—and my, my, my, you get prettier every year.”
Sage backed away from him, inching her way to the door.
Aaron saw where she was headed and moved to the doorway. He closed the door behind him.
“Aaron, let me out of here!”
“No, little girl, you’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m not a little girl, and you better not touch me,” she screamed defiantly.
She backed away from him, but he was steering her toward the bed with a menacing stare.
“You’re right; you’re not a little girl. You’re a woman, a fine young woman. How many boys have you been with?”
“Aaron, please leave me alone,” she pleaded, leaning against the edge of the bed, trying not to lose her balance and fall on top of the bed.
“I want to know. How many boys have you been with?”
Tears filled her eyes and began to pour down her cheeks. “No one.”
“You’re lying. As pretty as you are and all those boys in school. What about Stephen? He’s always coming over here.”
“I don’t like Stephen that way.” She felt the fear of a soldier caught
in enemy territory.
“Well, who do you like?”
“Nobody!” she cried, putting her arms across her chest.
“I know one of those boys done had their way with you.”
She shook her head. “Please, Aaron, please don’t touch me,” she begged. Her eyes glued to the floor, she added, “I’m a virgin.”
“You’re lying, but don’t matter none to me. I’m going to show you what it’s like to be with a man.”
He pushed her down on the bed with one arm, knocking the suitcases on the floor with the other hand. The radio tumbled after the luggage, its volume increasing when it hit the floor. The song “Little Red Corvette” by Prince blasted from the radio.
“Get off me,” Sage screamed as she kicked at his legs. “Get off.”
Holding her down, he loosened his belt and unzipped his pants. He pulled his pants and shorts down to his knees. “Now that’s what a man looks like.”
His erect penis was throbbing. It was long, ugly and putrid. Sage closed her eyes, refusing to look at it.
“Hey, that’s okay, it don’t matter if you look. You’re going to find out what it feels like. That’s what counts.”
Sage tried to wriggle away from him, but he tightened his grip on her arm.
“Take your clothes off!” he demanded.
“No!”
“Damn it, take your clothes off.”
“No! No! No!”
“I said take your clothes off. Now!” he shouted, releasing his grip on her.
Sage bolted from the bed and headed toward the door.
Aaron grabbed her arm and swung her back around. With a vicious yank, he ripped off her blouse, the buttons popping as the material gave way. He tore off her bra, exposing her breasts. “Oh, they’re beautiful,” he said, pawing at her breasts with his huge hands. Sage tried to pull away as he dragged her toward the bed, but he was too strong.
He shoved her down on the bed, pinning her with his knee. Sage kicked at him, but he was unfazed by her struggle. He sucked her breasts, mumbling with sordid pleasure, ignoring her cries.
“Please stop, please stop!”
She fought, but Aaron only lifted himself far enough to pull down her pants. She used the opportunity to kick viciously, and struck him in the stomach.
“Aaron, please stop. You’re hurting me,” she pleaded, tears running down her face. “You’re hurting me!”
Aaron held her down with one hand while he put his penis between her legs with the other. He pushed himself inside her, but he couldn’t enter all the way.
“Stop moving around so much. Relax. You’ll enjoy it.”
With a fierce grunt, he drove himself inside her. A searing pain penetrated her pelvis. She screamed as he plunged deeper and deeper, grunting and pushing, oblivious to her agony.
She tried to escape from the moment, to distance herself mentally from the violent assault on her body and soul. But the only thing she heard was the voice on the radio crooning “little red Corvette, baby, you’re much too fast”.
It felt like hours, but he finished quickly, plopping his full weight on her.
“Get off me. I hate you, Aaron. I hate you. I hate you!”
Aaron raised himself from atop her and slowly pulled his flaccid penis out of her. He looked between her legs and saw blood.
His gaze moved to her face, and for the first time shame and fear shone in his eyes. “You a virgin?”
“I was!” she screamed, kicking at him with all her force and power. She kicked his face and arms, and when he rose up, she punched him as hard as she could.
The door suddenly swung open and Audra entered. She saw her daughter—her blouse torn off, her naked breasts, her shorts around her ankles.
“What have you done? Sage? Aaron?” Audra picked up the iron.
“She came downstairs and opened her blouse in front of me,” Aaron said, stumbling around, looking for his pants. “She lured me up here. She…”
“No, Mama, he’s lying,” Sage cried, running to her mother. “He raped me!” She put her arms around Audra.
Audra stepped back, pushing Sage away from her. “Don’t touch me! You…you…Jezebel!”
* * * * *
The ringing telephone woke Sage from a nightmare she hadn’t invited, a memory that she never wanted to relive. For weeks the nightmare had been coming back to her in bits and pieces. It came in snatches—a flash of Aaron coming into the room, a flash of Aaron leering at her, a flash of Aaron tearing off her clothes, a verse of “Little Red Corvette” ringing in her ear. But tonight she’d relived it all—the rape, the pain, her mother’s betrayal.
She was grateful for the ringing phone.
“Hello,” she said, tears clogging in her throat.
“Sage, what’s wrong?” Ramion asked.
“I had a bad dream. A nightmare.”
“What did you dream about?”
“My stepfather. What he did to me,” she said, her tone hushed, as if she couldn’t bear to hear the words spoken out loud.
“Baby, I’m sorry you had to relive that. I wish I was there. I’d hold you in my arms and kiss away the pain. I would rock you back to sleep with the comfort of my love.”
“I dreamed about everything,” she sighed wearily. “Almost everything. It’s so hard because I stopped having those dreams in college. I thought I had put it all behind me.”
“Sage, do you want me to come over? I can be there in a half hour.”
Sage looked at the clock. The digital dial displayed 3:36 a.m. Yes, she wanted him to come over, but she couldn’t admit it. “That’s okay. I’ll be all right in a bit.” She sighed loudly, a revealing sad sigh. “I just have to stop thinking about it. I’ve trained myself to forget.”
“I’m going to come over.”
“No, I’ll be fine,” she said, turning over on her back. “What made you call?”
“I don’t know. I woke up with you on my mind. Couldn’t go back to sleep without calling you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. You saved me from going through the whole nightmare. I just hope it doesn’t continue when I go back to sleep.”
“What do you think made it come back?”
“My mother called.”
“Did your stepfather die?”
“No, but the bastard’s barely alive. She wants Ava to come home right away.”
“How did Ava take the news?”
“I haven’t told her. She wasn’t home. I’ll tell her in the morning. She’ll probably leave right away.”
“Are you going with her?”
“No.” Yawning, she added, “I hadn’t even considered it.”
“Maybe you should.”
“I’ll go to the funeral. But that’s it.”
“I know this isn’t the time to go into it, but I swear to you, I didn’t sleep with Edwinna. I don’t want any other woman but you. I love you, baby, with all my heart and soul.”
Silence.
“Sage, do you believe me?”
“I believe you,” Sage said, knowing in the deepest corner of her heart that Ramion wouldn’t betray her like that. But it was hard to trust. She was afraid of being made a fool. She didn’t want to be betrayed the way Aaron had betrayed her mother.
“I love you, baby,” Ramion said. “As soon as I finish this trial, I’ll spend more time with you. I’ll fly up for the funeral.”
“Okay. Good night, Ramion.” Sage smiled and burrowed into the bedcovers. She was suddenly content, the memories of the past already dissipating. She sighed. No, she would never have to worry about Ramion.
* * * * *
Several hours later, though, Sage woke up feeling tired and restless from a dreamless sleep. She took a long, leisurely shower, luxuriating in the hot, pulsating water. She dried herself, absently putting on lotion, facial moisturizer, deodorant and powder. She selected a red, single-breasted coatdress with velvet collar and cuffs, then brushed her hair into a ponytail clasped in place with a black velvet bow.
>
Ready to greet the day, she went into the kitchen and turned on the coffeepot and the television. She moved around the kitchen, preparing a light breakfast—toast, cereal and fruit—half listening to the Good Morning America show. She could hear Ava moving around upstairs, the radio blasting as usual.
A few minutes later, Ava bounced happily down the steps. “Good morning, Sage!”
“Good morning,” Sage said. She couldn’t help noticing her sister had a special glow about her.
“Guess what?”
“What?”
“I met the most gorgeous man last night. Brother man is fine, you hear me? And he asked me out. He spent all his time with me last night.” She closed her eyes and faked a shudder. “I get chills just thinking about him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Brent Summers. He’s a sales rep for Procter & Gamble. Been living in Atlanta about six or seven months. He’s twenty-six. And the best part is we’re going on a date tonight. Can I borrow your black jumpsuit? I want to look sophisticated.” She removed her hot cup of tea from the microwave.
“Ava, I have something to tell you.”
She stood at the kitchen counter. “What’s up?” she asked while pouring sugar into her tea.
“Your father’s taken a turn for the worse. He doesn’t have much longer.”
Her face transformed from joy to sadness in seconds. Ava stopped what she was doing, moved to the kitchen table and sat down across from Sage. Sipping her tea, the hot steam swirling around her face, Ava stared out at nothing, a quiet, sad look in her eyes.
“Ava,” Sage said gently.
Ava didn’t respond.
Sage walked around the table and put her arms around her sister’s shoulders. Ava leaned against her, eyes closed, still silent. “Be strong, okay?” Sage encouraged.
“I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to see him like that,” Ava said.
Sage was shocked. She’d thought Ava would want to go home immediately. She bent down and kissed the girl’s forehead.
“I know it’s going to be hard, Ava. But you need to go home. You have to say goodbye.”
“He doesn’t look like himself. He’s withered and shriveled and old looking.” Her voice faltered. “He’s scary looking.”