Dead on Arrival

by Kiki Swinson

  While I continued to refuse my mother’s invite to get a slice of her cake, my fucking sister pulled up alongside me in an all-black Jeep Wrangler my parents bought her. She was such a fucking spoiled-ass brat. It’s pathetic at times seeing her use my parents for her personal gain. “Mommy, let me get out of here, because I am not in the mood to be going a second round with your other child,” I said, and put the gear in reverse.

  “So you’re not gonna come say goodbye to your father?”

  “Tell ’im for me.”

  My mother sighed. “All right. But you know he’s not going to like this.”

  “He’ll be all right. Trust me,” I insisted while I watched her get out of my car.

  “You ain’t coming in the house?” my sister yelled as she walked around the front of my car. She smiled while she approached the driver’s door.

  “Yeah, I’ve got some errands to run,” I lied.

  “I tried to get her to come in the house and get a couple slices of cake, but she said she didn’t want it,” my mother interjected after she closed the passenger-side door.

  “That’s because she’s trying not to see Daddy.”

  “I saw Daddy earlier when I picked Mommy up, thank you,” I replied nastily.

  “Well, excuse me for breathing.”

  “You’re excused,” I said, and started backing my car out of the driveway.

  “We know you ain’t gotta run no errands. You just trying to rush home to your man,” my sister yelled out.

  I didn’t even dignify her comment with a reply. You piss people off more when you don’t feed into their mess.

  29

  REESE

  I was sitting on the sofa watching television and drinking a beer when Dawn walked into the house. She looked flustered when I looked at her. “You all right?” I asked her.

  She dropped her purse and car keys on the table by the front door and let out a long sigh. “You will not believe how my parents ambushed me when I pulled up in their driveway,” she said as she flopped down on the sofa next to me.

  “I can imagine,” I told her, and then I turned my attention back to the TV.

  “You know he asked me if you were involved in that thing with the Asian people.”

  “Come on now, that was expected. I would’ve thought something was wrong with him if he didn’t.”

  “He said that the people down at the terminal are pointing fingers at the niggas you work with.”

  “And what did you say to him?”

  “I told him that I knew for a fact that you weren’t involved in that.”

  “What else did he say?”

  “I really don’t think it’s worth repeating. He has his opinions about how you should be and how you should treat me, and you have yours. So let’s just leave it at that.”

  “What is your mother saying about all of this?”

  “She only repeats what my dad drills in her head. You know whatever my dad says or does, she rides with him.”

  “Why can’t your parents act like my grandmother?”

  “And how is that?”

  “She knows how to stay out of our fucking business.”

  “She only does that because you’ve fed her a bunch of lies about how perfect our lives are.”

  “That’s a damn lie. I don’t ever tell her shit. I can’t say the same for you.”

  “Oh, fuck off, Reese! That’s a low blow.”

  “No, what’s low is how disrespecting your sister is. I know for a fact that she had something negative to say.”

  “I didn’t see her when I first picked my mother up. I saw her for about two minutes when I was dropping my mother off. Alexia tried to talk slick by saying that I was rushing home to be with you.”

  “Next time she mentions me, tell her to get her own man and stop worrying about me!” I spat. That fucking bitch always gotta say something negative about me. Dawn doesn’t see that her sister wants me. I would bet every dollar in my pocket that if I gave her some dick she’d probably act better. I wouldn’t have another problem with her ass.

  “Enough about her. Have you talked to Ed yet?”

  “Fuck no! I went by his house, but he wasn’t there. I saw his wife. She gritted on me when I pulled up and asked for him.”

  “That’s because he probably fed her a bunch of fucking lies.”

  “Yeah, I felt the vibes.”

  “Have you talked to anyone else?”

  “Yeah, I got in touch with Todd, and you won’t believe the shit he told me.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He told me that Ed reached out to him and told him about the investigation, but he told Todd he didn’t have anything to worry about because he was busy pulling other containers off the ship and had nothing to do with the immigrants.”

  “And?”

  “And because he didn’t have direct contact with the containers, he’s not getting the other ten grand that was promised to him.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  “That’s fucked up!” Dawn commented, nodding her head and looking disgusted.

  “Yeah, it is. But don’t worry. That motherfucker is going to get his. Watch!”

  “Well, since Todd isn’t going to be tied to the investigation, what is he going to do?”

  “He didn’t say. But he did say that he’s going to work today. I told him that if he sees Edward, tell him to call me.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said he would.”

  “What are you going to do if he calls you?”

  “I’m gonna run up on him and whip his ass. And then I’m gonna take my money from him.”

  “You know if you do it at the terminal, port police is going to lock you up.”

  “At this point, Dawn, I couldn’t care less what those motherfuckers do to me. I just want the chance to beat his ass, and then they can haul me off to jail for however long they want me there.”

  “I don’t like hearing you talk like that. Don’t say that. I want you home with me.”

  “I wanna be home with you too. But shit never works out the way you plan it.”

  “You’re right. But there is also a thing called self-control. We’ve all been given that power. Whatever action we display creates a reaction.”

  “Can’t argue with that. But I still say that I’m going to fuck that nigga up when I see him, so get my bail money ready,” I said and took another sip of my beer.

  “I am so glad you got all the money from the first job.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “What are you going to do with that five thousand Ed already gave you?”

  “I’m not sure,” I told her and then I fell silent for a moment. “Have you spent all of that fifteen grand I gave you?”

  She looked at me suspiciously. “Why you ask?” She knew I had something up my sleeve.

  I broke down and told her. “Because I might need some of it back.”

  “Well, I’m sorry because that’s not gonna happen, Reese.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because first of all, I used most of it, and what I have left, I’m gonna use for the rest of our bills.”

  “Yeah, a’ight. Whatever!” I really wasn’t trying to hear anything she had to say. I was going to get some of that money back.

  “Be honest and tell me why you want some of that money back.”

  “You don’t need to know all of that,” I replied, trying to be evasive.

  “What do you mean, I don’t need to know all of that? I know about everything else.”

  “Look, I owe a couple of people money, all right!” I forced myself to say.

  “So you got into another card game and lost, huh?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” I replied nonchalantly.

  “Wait! So that’s it? You just lost money in a card game and you’re okay with it?” she responded. I knew she was about to go on the warpath. But I nipped it right in the bud. I wasn’t about
to let her stress me out more than I already was.

  “Look, Dawn, I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of this argument you’re trying to start, but I refuse to let you take me there. Before I sit here and let you scream on me for money I lost in a poker game last week, I will get up and take my ass in our bedroom and drink my beer in peace. I can’t let you stress me out more than I already am. Whatcha trying to do? Make me lose my damn mind?”

  “No, I’m not. But when are you gonna start taking responsibility for your actions? If you keep gambling our money away, then we’re gonna eventually have to file for bankruptcy.”

  “But that’s what you fail to understand. I’m not gambling up your money, I’m using my own.”

  “Correction: When we got married, your money went from yours to ours.”

  “Whatever,” I said and stood up from the sofa. I grabbed my beer and made my way right to our bedroom. But as I was leaving the living room, I looked back at her and said, “Don’t come following me with that drama.”

  “It may be drama for you, but it’s called grow the fuck up and handle your business like real men do,” she yelled at me while I continued toward the bedroom.

  I didn’t say anything in return because I knew that’s what she wanted. But I refused to give in to her. My main focus right now was trying to get my money from Ed and hopefully figure out a way to get out of this jam. Anything outside of that, I refused to give it any energy.

  30

  DAWN

  I swear, the way I feel right now, I could call the cops on that ungrateful-ass nigga and not even feel bad about it. How dare he say that the money he makes is his? Whether he realizes it or not, we are in this together. So, if he doesn’t get his mind right, then I’m going to give him exactly what he wants. He spends his money on what he wants and I do the same. But the kicker in all of this is, if his silly ass goes to jail and he runs out of the money that he says is his, then too bad, because I’m going to keep all my hard-earned cash in my pocket. Let’s see if he likes it then.

  * * *

  A couple of hours went by and the entire house was silent. Reese was in our bedroom doing God knows what, while I was out here in the living room trying to figure out what position I was going to play if Reese and his fucking longshoremen friends got arrested and thrown in jail. I knew my father was going to try to talk me out of sticking by Reese’s side. Now if the cops arrested him tonight, then I knew for a fact that I’d leave that nigga out to dry. But if it happened a few days later while I was in better spirits, and he promised to change his ways, then the cops couldn’t get shit from me. They wouldn’t even get hello.

  I thought Reese had taken a nap because I didn’t hear any movement in the bedroom while I was lying down on the sofa, until he opened the door to the bedroom and closed the bathroom door. A few minutes later, I heard the toilet flush and then I heard the water from the sink. On his way out of the bathroom I heard him go back into the bedroom and close the door. I started to get up and go to the bedroom to see what he was doing, but then I decided against it. I refused to let him see me sweat. The whole disagreement from earlier did nothing but show me that I was dealing with a selfish nigga, and as long as we were together, things were going to be his way, regardless if I liked it or what. It was a fucked-up arrangement, but hey, what could I do about it?

  Tired of lying on the sofa, I got up, went to the kitchen, and made myself a turkey sandwich. It wasn’t anything fancy. All I wanted to do was put something in my stomach to stop it from growling.

  “Whatcha making?” Reese asked as he walked quietly into the kitchen. I had no idea that he was about to join me, so he damn near gave me a heart attack.

  “Wooo, you just scared the shit out of me!” I blurted out after I whirled around from the countertop.

  “Sorry about that,” he said as he looked over my shoulders. “Oh, you’re making a turkey sandwich,” he continued, and then he turned around and walked over to the refrigerator.

  “Did you get some sleep?”

  “Nah, I watched TV the whole time. I even tried to call Ed too. But his phone is still going to voicemail.”

  “Have you heard back from Todd yet?”

  “No. He said he’s gonna call me if he runs into Ed,” he replied as he grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. After he popped the top he headed to the living room. I heard him sifting through the channels of the television, so I knew he was going to be in there for a while. He finally settled on one of our new channels. I heard the meteorologist giving the forecast for the day, so I kind of tuned it out. I wasn’t interested in how warm it was going to be today. I was more concerned about the elephant in the room, and if Reese and I didn’t get on the same page about everything going on, then we were gonna eventually fall apart.

  After I prepared my sandwich, I opened the utensil drawer to look for a knife to cut it in half when I heard Reese say, “Oh shit! Dawn, come in here and look at this.”

  I left the utensil drawer open and made a dash into the living room. I stood there next to the sofa that Reese was sitting on and looked at the television. My heart sank in the pit of my stomach when I saw a news crew filming a reporter standing in front of Norfolk International Terminal. Reese turned up the volume so we could hear every word the reporter had to say. “In breaking news this afternoon, a murder investigation was launched early this morning after seven men were found dead in two shipping containers. This tragedy was a human trafficking deal gone wrong. I spoke with Gerry Mills, who is an area port director, and he says that this type of thing doesn’t happen here at NIT. He also said other stowaways in the containers were still alive, and they have been transported to an area hospital. The carrier that transported these Asian immigrants was the Orient Overseas Container Line. There’s been some speculation that that vessel was tied to Asian organized crime groups, so the authorities are looking into that theory. Translators were called in to help open dialogue between the authorities and the immigrants and hopefully this will help further the investigation and bring them closer to making arrests. If you have any information concerning this unfortunate tragedy, please call the tip line.”

  Reese and I looked at one another after the news journalist ended her story. “Oh my God! They are really making this a murder investigation. But who are they going to charge? The people that own the ship, or what?” I asked him.

  Reese buried his face in his hands and held them there for almost ten seconds. I took a seat next to him and put my arms around him. “I hope they aren’t trying to charge us with murder,” he said.

  I tried to console him. “But you didn’t murder anyone, so they can’t be talking about you.”

  “What if they are?” he asked, lifting his head and giving me eye contact.

  “I guess we’re gonna have to get you the best attorney in the area.”

  “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he roared, and abruptly stood up. “Why is this shit happening to me? I can’t get a break to save my fucking life!” His voice boomed as he started pacing the living room floor. I sat there not knowing what to say or do because he was right, he couldn’t ever get a break. But what he failed to realize was that he couldn’t do the same things and expect different results. I wanted so badly to tell him this, but as soon as I opened my mouth it would start a huge argument.

  “I gotta call Todd back,” he said and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. I watched him as he dialed Todd’s number and put the call on speakerphone. I was shocked when Todd answered Reese’s call on the first ring. “Man, you’re gonna live a long time. I was just about to call you,” I heard him say to Reese.

  “Have you seen Ed?”

  “No, I don’t think he’s coming in today. But there’s about four news crews in front of the terminal talking about the Asian people Customs found in the containers.”

  “I just saw that on TV. Is any of the other guys there?”

  “No. I haven’t seen Brian or Gene. I think they called off too.”

 
“I can’t believe this shit is happening. We were all just laughing and high-fiving each other when Ed gave us the five grand, and now none of those niggas will even answer their fucking cell phones.”

  “Yeah, this shit is fucked up! I told you if I see Ed’s punk ass I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind and demand that he gives me my money immediately.”

  “Has anyone from Customs or Immigration tried to talk to you?” Reese asked him.

  “No. But I’ve been getting a lot of stares from these other guys around here.”

  “Well, get ready, because if you’re getting stares, port police will be asking you to come to their office to talk to you.”

  “I’m ready. But again, if I see Ed, I’ll call you back.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem, Reese. Keep your head up.”

  “I will,” Reese said. He hung up and stuck the phone back into his pocket.

  “Whatcha going to do now?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed another beer from the refrigerator. He pulled the cap off and stood there with his back against the countertop and went into a daydream stance. I couldn’t tell you what he was thinking about. But I knew it had something to do with possibly being charged with murder. I felt like even if Edward gave him the other $10,000 he owed Reese, that money still wouldn’t be enough for what Reese needed to do. I just hoped that Ed turned out to be a stand-up guy and paid him. I really did.

  31

  REESE

  Those motherfuckers are really going to try to lock my ass up. Is it lawful to charge someone for a murder when they didn’t kill someone? This is total bullshit, and I refuse to go down by myself because I didn’t shoot or stab anyone. So why try to lock me up forever when my only job was to transport two containers from one side of the pier to the railroad cars not even five hundred yards from the ship? This whole thing is totally fucked up, and I can’t let it go down like that.