Pushing Up Daisies

by Jamise L. Dames

  “Too bad he can’t hear us.” Daisy laughed. She felt lighter on her feet, just thinking about making Jasper as uncomfortable as he had once made her.

  “Maybe he’s turning in his grave as we speak.” Camille laughed, then turned serious. “I’m nice to you because I have to be. I need to be. No, actually, I have no choice but to be. Don’t get me wrong…I hated you something fierce. I hated the sound of your name and the very sight of you.” She laughed again. “Even though we do look alike. But really, I blamed you for Jasper’s infidelity, and just about everything else you can think of.”

  “The feeling was mutual, believe me.”

  “I do. But you know what? I realized that you didn’t do anything to me intentionally. You didn’t even know about me, and I didn’t know that you existed. Hell, most of it wasn’t our fault. We do have to take some of the blame, though. He did what he wanted to do, but we both let him. After I went to counseling—”

  “You saw a therapist?”

  “I had to. My emotional state was fragile, and there I was, counseling patients. Talk about the blind leading the blind. I think I needed to talk to them more than they needed to talk to me. But actually, most psychiatrists eventually seek therapy. After all the problems we’re faced with on a daily basis, we get so wrapped up in helping someone else, that sometimes we forget to handle our own.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Yes, it makes a lot of sense. Therapy helped me tremendously, and it made me realize that instead of trying to hurt you, I should’ve been trying to help you. We women get so caught up in what another woman is doing with our men that we forget that our men are to blame too. A woman can’t make a man do anything he doesn’t want to do. It takes two to get down, and if a man says no, then it’s a no go.”

  “Amen.”

  “And after I saw Jay, after I had Camilla, I realized that I was wrong. Kids aren’t supposed to suffer for our mistakes.” Camilla paused, lowering her eyes. “I guess you can say that I got over being a woman scorned. I knew he was cheating, just like you did. We just both had our blinders on.”

  Daisy wanted to hug Camille, but settled for a smile. While she appreciated everything the woman had done for her and Jay, Daisy still didn’t consider Camille a friend. “Thank you for helping me—helping us. You and Mrs. Tompkins have been saviors. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you two.”

  “So, did you get custody yet?”

  Daisy shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Don’t worry, you will. That boy is your son. Jasper gave him to you when he handed over all the responsibility to you. He did it first when Jay was a baby, then again when he died and left you to fend for yourselves. Don’t let them take him away.”

  “I’m not. Whatever it takes—”

  “You’ll get him.” Camille turned to walk away. “Oh, Daisy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “That as soon as you get Jay back for good, you’ll call me. That you’ll allow him and Camilla to be siblings.”

  Daisy smiled and nodded. “What are you doing for the holidays?”

  Daisy woke up crying. She grabbed her pillow and tried to muffle her pain. The last thing she wanted was for Jay to hear her. Their weekend had been wonderful, but it was coming to an end too quickly. She sat up, slipped on her house shoes, and went to peek into his room. She just wanted to see his face and watch him breathe.

  Quietly, she opened his door and peered in. A whimper escaped her. Just the sight of him stirred something inside her. The hurt within her turned to urgency. She needed Jay as much as she needed life. The sooner she got custody, the faster everything would be better. But she knew that for her and Jay to have the life that she wanted for them, she’d have to decide what to do about Lani.

  Daisy quickly closed his door and went to call Adonis. She didn’t stop to consider that he was probably still in a deep slumber. He’d been able to soothe her many times before, and she needed him again; not his reassurance, just his support. Instinct told her that she was on the right path, and she’d learned to trust her feelings. She’d get to be a full-time mother again. But in the meantime, letting go was hard.

  Adonis answered on the second ring.

  “I need you to come over. Please.”

  “I’ll be right there,” he said, and hung up.

  Daisy went to her closet and turned on the light. She pushed her clothes to the side and shuffled boxes around until she saw the safe. Jay’s upcoming departure had brought back her thoughts of Lani, and at that moment, she needed them both more than ever. She carried the small safe from the closet, set it on the bed, and entered the combination. She opened it carefully, and fingered the mustard-colored envelopes that had once frightened her. She opened each of the envelopes and spread the documents face-down on the bed. One, two, three. Eenie, meenie, minee, moe. She turned the first one over and looked at it. Lani’s birth certificate. Take a tiger by his toe. A medical file with her sister’s name on it. My mother told me to pick the best one, and you’re not it. A picture of Calvin.

  She arranged the papers neatly in the order that she would handle each problem. I’ll handle Calvin. Then talk to Brea. Then, if all goes well, Lani will be in my life more. She closed her eyes and remembered her last conversation with Calvin. She was a grown woman who knew right from wrong, and she knew she’d done the best thing for her daughter. Although she wanted her daughter back, Ms. Christine had been right; Daisy didn’t deserve Lani, just as the Stevenses didn’t deserve Jay. Brea was Lani’s mother, and she was Jay’s. If Jay loves me like I birthed him, then Lani must love Brea the same.

  The buzzer interrupted her. She got up carefully, trying to keep the papers from shifting. Adonis knew the whole story anyway, she told herself, so she didn’t have to hide them. She padded softly through the apartment. Jay had been sleeping lightly during his visit, and she didn’t want to wake him.

  “You alright?” Adonis asked as she relaxed into his arms. “I got here as quick as I could.”

  “I’m better, now that I know what I have to do,” she said as she headed back to the bedroom.

  “What do you have to do?” he said, following her. “You’re not planning on running with Jay, are you?”

  “No, of course not. They’d never give him to me if I did something that stupid.” She pointed at the papers. “I know what to do about Lani—”

  “Are you sure that you want to?” Adonis interrupted. “I mean, have you really thought about it? Have you thought about how Lani would feel being ripped from your sister? Think of Jay, and how he felt being taken away from the only mother he’s ever known.”

  Daisy smiled sadly. “You didn’t let me finish. I know how Brea and Lani would feel: just as horrible as Jay and I feel being separated. That’s why I’m not going to try to get custody.” Daisy shook her head in disbelief at her past selfishness. “I don’t know how I could ever have thought of being so cruel. I was only thinking of myself.”

  Adonis sat down beside her and held her. “It’s understandable. It’s only natural to want to be a part of your child’s life. But you can. There are other ways, you know.”

  Daisy smiled. “Yes, there are.”

  Daisy stayed in her room when Adonis answered the door for Ms. Stokely. Daisy held Jay tightly and promised him that they’d be together soon. She knew that her promise wasn’t concrete, but it was something that they both needed to hear, a ray of hope they could both hang on to. She wiped his tears, swallowing her own. Someone had to be the stronger one, and she was the mother, so it had been delegated to her.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she assured him. “Just call me if anything happens, or if anyone bothers you. Or for any reason at all. I don’t care what time it is, or where I’m at. You remember the numbers, don’t you?”

  Jay nodded and sniffled. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I know, sweetie. I love you too.” She took his hand and sto
od up. “Ms. Stokely is here for you.” She swallowed hard. “Be good, okay? It’s not her fault. She’s just doing her job.” Daisy kissed him on his forehead and led him to the living room.

  Ms. Stokely smiled at them. Jay turned and grabbed Daisy by the waist and held on as tight as he could. Daisy just nodded at the social worker. She couldn’t force a smile when she was crushed.

  “I’m sorry, Jay,” Ms. Stokely said. “But we have to go now.”

  Adonis bent down and whispered in Jay’s ear.

  Jay looked at him and nodded, then let go of Daisy. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed her on the cheek.

  Daisy hugged him one last time. “Remember what I told you…I’ll never leave you.”

  “We’ll never leave each other,” Jay said, and walked away. “I love you, Mom,” he called out from the hallway.

  Daisy turned, ran to the bathroom, and locked the door. She needed time to herself, time to cry as never before. It’s harder when you see them take your child away.

  Daisy lay alone in her bed and tried to sleep. Jay’s departure had left her not only sad, but uneasy. She looked at the clock and was sure that he too was in bed, and she hoped that he was asleep.

  She got up and walked to the window. She opened the curtains and searched for the brightest star. She recalled Ms. Christine’s conversation about the star and mouthed the words, replacing names and times as she spoke. “You see that star right there, Jay? That bright one?” She pointed. “That’s ours, mine and yours—our connection. For the past minute, I’ve watched that star, and I knew that you could see it too. I’ll never be too far away for you to reach me. Whether I’m home or up there in heaven with Ma Dear, I’m always going to be here for you.” She dabbed her eyes and went to brew herself a cup of chamomile tea.

  The doorbell rang as she was on her way to the kitchen. How did people keep getting into her building without being buzzed in? I bet Ma showed them all.

  She opened the door, expecting to see Adonis, but she found Gigi instead.

  “Hey,” Gigi said softly as she walked in.

  “Hey, yourself. What are you doing out so late?” Daisy locked the door behind her.

  “Well, I just got off the phone with my mother, and I had to see you.”

  “Are you going to tell me why, or do I have to guess?”

  Gigi walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. “Well, I have some good news and some bad news. Remember when Ming Li said that Jonathan knew his stepfather had fondled some child? Well, my mother told me how he knew. The woman who caught him lives right here in New York.”

  “Gigi, that’s great! Where is she? Do you think she’ll come to court?”

  Gigi shook her head. “That’s the bad news. She won’t talk to anyone about it. Apparently, she was the stepfather’s mistress, and it was her son he touched.”

  “Do you know where she lives?”

  “I can find out. My mother said the lady’s kept the same telephone number for years, so maybe she still lives in the same place.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Louise Black.”

  “Call your mother.”

  Daisy pulled on her shoes and jeans and prepared herself mentally. While she empathized with what the woman had endured, Daisy had her own turmoil to deal with. “Oh, she’ll talk. She has to,” she muttered as she grabbed a jacket and her purse and headed to the kitchen.

  “I got it,” Gigi said, then noticed how Daisy was dressed. “Where are you going looking like that?”

  “We’re going to Louise Black’s house. Never mind what I have on. Let’s go.” Daisy pulled Gigi by her sleeve.

  Daisy pulled into the driveway of the quaint brick house in Jamaica Estates. She looked at the illuminated address and sighed. She was in the right place, but with the exception of the porch light, the house was dark. She shrugged. She had no time to think about etiquette.

  “You can stay here if you want,” she said to Gigi, who looked reluctant. Daisy walked up the sidewalk that led to the front door and rang the bell, then pounded the metal knocker against the door.

  Gigi came up slowly behind her. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Who is it?” an older woman’s voice asked from inside.

  “Daisy Parker,” Daisy replied firmly, as if her name would be recognized.

  She saw a hand pull the curtain back, followed by a face peeking out. “You must have the wrong house. I don’t know anyone by that name.”

  Daisy stood on her tiptoes. “I’m looking for a Ms. Louise Black. I’m Elaine Mitchell’s niece,” Daisy lied, using Gigi’s mother’s name. She felt Gigi bump her.

  Daisy stepped back when she heard the front door unlock. She held her breath as it eased open to reveal a small, shadowy figure on the other side.

  “Elaine Mitchell, you say?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Are you Ms. Black?”

  The front door opened all the way. “Yes, I am.” Louise Black, in rollers and a sheer bed cap, eyed Daisy and Gigi. “Y’all two young ladies alone?”

  Daisy nodded.

  “Who are you?” Ms. Black asked, turning to Gigi.

  “I’m Elaine’s daughter, Gigi Mitchell.”

  A smile spread across the older woman’s face. She looked soft and trusting. “Well, I’ll say. Elaine Mitchell, hunh? Y’all come on in, then. It’s too late for two young women to be out alone.” She held the door open, and Daisy and Gigi stepped inside the dark house.

  Ms. Black closed and bolted the door, then turned on a lamp. “Have a seat. Is there anything I can get you? Y’all alright? It’s pretty late. I was just starting to drift off.”

  Daisy took a seat on the plastic-covered furniture. “No, I’m not alright, Ms. Black. My son’s been taken away.”

  “Oh, my. That’s too bad. But I don’t understand why you’re here.”

  “My son is in the home of Elwyn Cane.”

  Ms. Black gasped and shook her head. She couldn’t look Daisy in the eye. “I still don’t know—”

  “Yes, you do,” Daisy said, raising her voice. “I already know what he did to your son. Help me, so he won’t do it to mine.”

  “Please, Ms. Black,” Gigi begged.

  Vehemently, Ms. Black shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “Why? Why would you allow a little boy to go through what your son went through? My son, Jay, is only nine years old.”

  “No!” Ms. Black said, rising. “You can leave now. You’ve over-stayed your welcome.”

  Daisy jumped up and grabbed Ms. Black by the shoulders. “You’re going to help me—”

  “What the hell is going on in here?” A man’s voice came from behind, and Daisy felt her feet leave the ground.

  Before she knew it she was airborne, her body slamming against the wall. She looked up into a large man’s angry face. “I’m sorry,” she said as Gigi helped her to her feet. “I didn’t mean…Ms. Black, I’m so sorry. But I need your help.” Daisy tried to look around the man.

  “Who the hell are you?” he asked.

  Gigi jumped in front of Daisy and explained the situation in one breath. “She’s only trying to save her son,” she explained.

  “I need all the help I can get,” Daisy said. “And if it takes you throwing me into another wall, then so be it. But I won’t leave until—”

  “Oh, yes, you will, if I want you to. But I’m not going to throw you out.” The man’s expression softened. “I’m going to give you what you want. It’s not up to Mother to help you. You need me. My name is Thomas…I’m the one Elwyn tried to molest.”

  They sat down and talked. Thomas insisted that he be allowed to testify before Daisy even had a chance to ask. Relief coursed through her when he told her to give him the date and time, and he’d be the first to enter the courtroom.

  Just as she was about to get into the tub, Daisy’s phone rang. The night had been long, and she hadn’t slept a wink, thinking about Thomas’s agreement to go to court.

  “Hello?” sh
e answered irritably.

  “Daisy,” Kenneth Burgess said, “I got your message about Thomas Black, and I called and spoke to him. He’s coming in tomorrow. More good news: we’ve got to be in court two weeks from Tuesday, at ten A.M. Meet me in my office at nine.”

  20

  Wearing a black designer suit and an air of confidence, Daisy strutted into the courtroom. She knew she looked good dressed to the nines, and she topped off the look with a huge smile. If only they knew my whole ensemble came out of Ming Li’s closet. As she strutted alongside Kenneth Burgess to their table at the front of the courtroom, she locked eyes with Mrs. Stevens, who was sitting next to Elwyn Cane.

  Daisy sat down, then turned to wave at Ming Li and Gigi. She was glad that they were there to support her. She smiled at Ms. Christine, who had flown in for the big day and was seated next to Adonis. Then she mouthed, Thank you, to Thomas Black. After everyone had settled in, Daisy searched the court for Jay. She didn’t see him.

  “Where’s Jay?” she asked Kenneth.

  “In the back, in the judge’s chambers. There’s going to be a lot of things said that he doesn’t need to hear. Don’t worry.” Kenneth patted her hand. “He’ll be out to testify.”

  The judge entered the courtroom and called for order. Daisy sat patiently as the case was introduced, silently praying that whoever had looked out for her before would continue to do so.

  She sat back and crossed her legs when Mrs. Stevens’s attorney asked the court to grant the Stevenses custody of Jay. He was Jonathan’s son. In their eyes, and in the eyes of the law, as they interpreted it, Daisy didn’t have a right to a child that was neither hers nor her deceased boyfriend’s.

  Kenneth patted her hand. “We have this in the bag,” he whispered. “Watch what we spring on them.” He winked, adding, “I’ve been saving this for last—you don’t know anything about it.” She realized he was trying to reassure her, but he’d confused her instead.