In My Rearview Mirror

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In My Rearview Mirror Page 22

by Suzetta Perkins


  “So what happened?” Winston wanted to know. “Why Malik of all people? He has had more women than I’ve got fingers and toes. Every Christmas we wondered who he’d bring to Christmas dinner at our house. Remember that, Dad?”

  “Nothing but the truth. He was my frat and we always wondered when he’d settle down. When I heard he had gotten married, it threw me for a loop.”

  “Yeah, he married Toni . . . I can’t remember her last name,” Winston interjected. “She was real nice and sweet. I know Malik went crazy when she died.”

  “Speaking of Toni, Pops, did you ever get up with Ms. Gillette . . . show her that you could still mack?”

  “Elaine, I don’t know what your boyfriend is talking about,” Jefferson said, as he grinned. “She’s one of our clients, which reminds me we have a retainer and haven’t done any work on her project yet.”

  “We’ll get on it first thing in the morning, Pops. Winston and I are going to the office tomorrow. But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “J.R., I’ve always prided myself on keeping my professional, business life separate from my personal one. The two combined are like fuses waiting for a spark to ignite and most times to the detriment. I’ll agree that Ms. Gillette is an attractive woman and deserves a backward glance, but I’m not ready to get involved with anyone at the moment.”

  “That’s because he still has a Jones for mother dearest.” Winston coughed. “I would love to see him and Mom back together again. What about you, J.R.?”

  “If that’s what Pops want. However, if he and Mom are unhappy and feel they should be free to go and explore other options, who am I to meddle?”

  All was quiet on J.R.’s last note. And out of nowhere, Elaine spoke up.

  “What about us, J.R?” Elaine asked.

  “Oooooh, she got you on that one,” Winston said.

  “I’m serious, J.R. What about us? Do you see yourself with me in a committed relationship? I love you, but I won’t give up five years of my life waiting on you to decide.”

  “My, my, my,” Jefferson said, snickering under his breath. “I’m with Elaine. Don’t string her along forever. If you intend to build a life together, don’t wait until her hair turns gray.”

  “Pops, you aren’t helping at all. I didn’t ask for your two cents.”

  “Your mother and I stayed together for twenty-five years, although there were some rough spots . . .”

  “A tidal wave,” Winston reminded him.

  “Whatever. But I knew that Margo was going to be my wife the moment I laid eyes on her. I pursued her until she couldn’t run anymore. We were both in good places at the time we got married—both successful in our careers, even though we were a young couple at the time. We knew we wanted to start a family, and the rest is history.”

  “That’s a nice story, Mr. Myles,” Elaine said. “I’m sure that J.R. feels the same way I do and that sooner or later it will happen.”

  “What?” Winston asked, turning around in his seat to find J.R. and Elaine making goo-goo eyes at each other.

  “Marriage,” Elaine managed to say as she placed a kiss on J.R.’s lips.

  “All right, no making out in your daddy’s car,” Jefferson said. Everyone erupted in laughter.

  All of a sudden Jefferson put on the brakes. “Damn, what’s going on? Interstate 95 is backed up. I’ve got to get off of here if we’re going to get to Fayetteville in a reasonable amount of time.”

  “Dad, let’s get off in Dunn,” Winston said. “I know the back way into Fayetteville. Anyway, where are we going to look for Ivy?”

  “We’re going to start with their residence. She moved in with Malik, and if he hasn’t moved, I know exactly where he lives. Give me some directions, Winston.”

  “Okay, Dad. Get off at the next exit.”

  Winston, J.R., and Elaine rode in silence as Jefferson navigated the back roads into Fayetteville. Jefferson’s mind wandered from Margo to Malik, Malik to Ivy, and then back to Margo. A myriad of emotions ran through his brain, unsure of where he fit in any of the equations he’d conjured up in his head. At the moment, though, Ivy’s welfare became paramount in his thoughts, given how she’d suddenly disappeared from sight.

  “Home of the 82nd Airborne,” Jefferson called out. “This is the last place I was stationed before I got out of the service, Elaine. Yes, Margo and I plus four hyperactive, hormone-enraged teenagers had left the safety of the United States Army and settled into civilian life.”

  “Hormone-enraged, Dad?” Winston asked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Well, you weren’t all that bad. They were good kids, Elaine. Don’t get me wrong. They were just into everything. Girl problems . . . boy problems, especially Winter.”

  Elaine laughed from the back seat. “Mr. Myles, you’re so funny. Now I know where J.R. gets his humor.”

  • • •

  There was a collective sigh from Jefferson and sons as he slowed the car, pulled to the curb and stopped in front of an upscale condominium community. The city of Fayetteville boasted a lot of hidden secrets—its beauty sometimes lying behind veils of tall trees and shrubs and in the depths of enclaves with their winding roads that twisted and turned, not lending itself to the casual visitor or long-time resident who shopped and banked in their immediate local area.

  Hands still gripping the steering wheel, Jefferson finally glanced up at the condo where Malik now lived with his daughter, so he assumed. Vivid memories of good times came to mind when the two best buddies would get together, shoot the breeze, or chill out in front of the television to watch an NFL or NBA game with a cold one in their hands. Jefferson grunted and let out another sigh.

  “We’re not going to just sit, are we?” Winston asked, twisting his neck to look at the now stoic group. “I mean . . . we drove all the way down here to see if Ivy was here . . . didn’t we?”

  “I don’t see Ivy’s or Malik’s car,” J.R. offered.

  “You’re right, Winston,” Jefferson said finally. “We came to see if Ivy made it home. I had a moment; that’s all.”

  “Why don’t you let J.R. and I go and check, Dad? I know this is awkward for you, being that you and Malik are estranged.”

  “I came here for my daughter, Ivy,” Jefferson shouted. “I don’t give a damn about Malik. Let’s go. Elaine, it might be wise for you to stay in the car.”

  “No, problem, Mr. Myles,” Elaine said, squeezing J.R.’s hand. “I’ll be all right.”

  Jefferson, J.R. and Winston exited the car and strolled up to Malik’s condo. They surveyed their surroundings as if they were casing out the place like thieves who planned to rob the place at another time.

  Jefferson rang the doorbell, while J.R. and Winston bounced from one foot to the other in anticipation. After ringing the doorbell two more times, Jefferson put his ear to the door but was unable to hear anything. “Call Ivy’s cell,” Jefferson said.

  J.R. was quick on the draw with Ivy’s number already on speed dial in his phone. He looked up at his father, then at Winston, shaking his head from left to right to let them know that there wasn’t a response. While J.R. redialed Ivy’s number, Jefferson placed a call to Winter.

  “Hey, Dad, did you find Ivy?”

  “We’re at the house now, but no one seems to be at home. I’m still worried because she isn’t answering her cell phone either. I guess you haven’t heard from her.”

  “No. Ivy is acting out. When she gets like this, it means she wants to be left alone. We have to hope and pray that she’s all right.”

  “I want to believe that. I wouldn’t have made such a rash decision to come down here if she hadn’t just walked out without telling anyone where she was going. I don’t understand her thinking, although I’m aware what’s at the root of her disappearance. But that’s been hours ago now, and there’s no sign of Ivy or Malik anywhere.”

  “She’ll show up. But like you, I’d like to know where that crazy sister of mine is.”

  “How�
��s your mother?”

  “She was fine when I left the hospital. I’m at Mom’s place with . . . Phillip Wright.”

  “What’s he doing there?”

  “He was on his way to the hospital to see Mom when Evan and I were leaving. We are seeing each other.”

  “And when were you going to tell me? After the wedding?”

  “Dad, you are tripping. I’m not Ivy. And you’d be the first person I’d tell if I was to make that kind of decision because I’m going to make you spend every dime on my big day.”

  “Now who’s tripping?” Both Jefferson and Winter laughed.

  “Phillip said his father, Dr. Wright, would like for you to call him at your convenience.”

  “I’ll do that. And you and I are going to have a father-daughter talk when I see you. All right, I’m going to let you go. Call us if you hear anything from Ivy.”

  “Okay, Dad.”

  Jefferson clicked the END button on his cell.

  “Who’s getting married?” J.R. inquired after Jefferson was finished.

  “No one. Winter is entertaining a new boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, she and Phillip Wright are getting a little cozy,” Winston put in. “He’s the one who has his hands full because Winter, although she’s my sister and birth mate, is a piece of work.”

  The guys laughed.

  “So what do you propose we do now?” Winston asked. “We didn’t come all this way not to get any answers.”

  “Clearly, Ivy doesn’t want to be found,” Jefferson said. “Winter hasn’t heard from her either. Let’s hang around for at least thirty minutes to see if anyone shows up.”

  Fifty-Five

  It was business as usual when Malik pushed through the doors of his campaign headquarters. The few volunteers who had come in were busy talking to constituents about their needed support by way of their vote and money. Malik nodded to a couple of the ladies who looked up with phones glued to their ears as he walked past, but his main mission was to talk with his campaign manager, Perry.

  Perry looked up when Malik entered his office. A smile jumped on his face, delighted to see his good friend.

  “What’s the good word, Perry?”

  “Man, there’s some bitter stuff going on out there. Negative campaign ads are heating up the airwaves pitting this one against that one.”

  “What about Sterling? Have you seen anything from his group?”

  “No, dawg. This is going to be a cakewalk for you. Checked the polls this morning, and you’re getting your edge back—up a few points, and every point counts.”

  “Well, Perry, I’m in it to win it. Good job. Keep your eyes and ears open. Where are all the volunteers?”

  “Don’t worry about that, dawg. They’ll be here later this afternoon. Some took a lunch break. You aren’t paying me to slumber. By the way, we’ve received almost ten thousand dollars in the past three days. That comes from aggressive campaign marketing and doing it the Obama way. People don’t mind letting go of five or ten dollars they might have spent on lunch this week when they know that their seed money is going to help elect the candidate for the people.”

  Malik sighed and allowed a broad smile to cross his face. “My man, Perry. I have all the faith and confidence in the world that you will do the job. I’m going to stop by my store and then head home to check on Ivy.”

  “Oh, how is her mother? And the other thing?”

  “The other thing meaning my bastard child?”

  “Ooooh, that was . . . was . . . I don’t know what to say except . . . nasty.”

  “Well, Margo is going to be fine. She broke her hip and will be bedridden for a while. As for the baby, Margo prefers that I have nothing to do with him unless he gets ill. I suspect since I’m the only one with the baby’s blood type, she’ll come begging for my assistance. And with that said, I’m going to concentrate on winning this election. So for now, my dear friend, that’s a taboo subject that I’ve put on the back burner.”

  Perry let out another smile. “Great to have you back, dawg. Now go on and take care of your business and I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Carry on, Perry. I’m out. See you around six this evening.”

  “Okay.”

  • • •

  As much as Malik tried to push Margo and Ian from his mind, he was unable to. The one thing he always wished for was an heir, a carbon copy of himself that he could boast and brag about as he moved through the various stages of his life. How could Margo, in good conscience, invite him to give blood to the son he sired but in another breath say that she didn’t want him involved in their son’s life. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen. For now, he’d let it ride . . . let Margo think he was honoring her request. Once the election was over and had his senate seat, he would make his move.

  Malik stopped at the store and found all to be good; so he took his leave and headed home, whistling a tune he conjured up. Perry had certainly been a contributor to his mood change. He promised within himself that he’d make it up to Ivy; as extreme as his actions had been lately, he did care for her. Plus, Ivy was carrying his legitimate heir.

  Fifty-Six

  Kanye West was rocking his hit “Stronger” on the radio when Malik jumped into his BMW and switched on the ignition. Feeling the moment, Malik bobbed his head to the beat, even taking the liberty to rock his shoulders up and down like he was on the dance floor. His confidence had returned with a vengeance after his brief visit to campaign headquarters and his computer sales center. Everything seemed to be in order, and with the one to two percentage points ahead of his political rival, Sterling Garrison, Malik was back in the game and well on his way. He knew for sure, he’d have to the leave the drama with Margo and the baby in the closet for now because he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone steal his thunder.

  Driving toward home, Malik activated his Bluetooth and dialed Ivy’s cell phone with his voice command. It rang and rang before finally going to voicemail. Malik clicked the Bluetooth off without leaving a message and let Kanye take the lead. “Stronger,” Malik sang along with Kanye, his shoulders still moving to the beat. “I’m stronger.”

  As Malik slowed his car and pulled up into the driveway of his condo, he noticed he had company—unwanted company. There were four heads sitting at attention in the black Mercedes parked in front of his home, and immediately he was aware that his wife’s side of the family had come to pay a visit.

  Malik got out of his car and looked back at the group that stared back at him. At first, he was going to just go into the house, but on second thought, he strolled over to the passenger side of the Mercedes as the window slowly eased down.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Malik said, looking into Winston’s face.

  “We’re looking for my sister,” Winston replied. “Have you seen her?”

  “I’ve been looking for her myself. She hasn’t responded to any of my phone calls. I figured she was still in Raleigh with you all, after I went in search of her at the hospital and came up empty handed.”

  “Well, no one has seen or heard from her,” Jefferson said, speaking for the first time. “I find that kind of odd. I would have at least thought she’d be in contact with her husband.”

  “I feel the same as you do. Check my cell phone. You’ll find that I have been concerned as well. If you all want to come inside, you’re welcome to do so. We can try calling her again.”

  “We’ll do that,” Jefferson said.

  Without another second wasted, Jefferson, Winston, J.R., and Elaine got out of the car and followed Malik. The confidence Malik felt only moments ago had suddenly evaporated into thin air. It wasn’t just that his ex-buddy and sons were in pursuit of their daughter and sister, they looked like a motley crew who would spill blood if they didn’t get what they had come for. Malik put the key in the door, unlocked it, and pushed it in.

  Malik called out Ivy’s name upon entering, but all was silent. The Myles clan stood in a cluster in the liv
ing room as Malik moved throughout the house—first the kitchen and then into the bedroom. And then he screamed.

  • • •

  The group rushed toward Malik’s scream. “Ivy, my God, what have you done?” Before Malik could utter another word, everyone had piled into the room. Ivy’s limp body was sprawled on the floor.

  “Dammit,” Jefferson said, “call nine-one-one. Does she have a pulse?”

  “I don’t know,” Malik said through tears.

  “Grab her arm and feel for a pulse. God knows how long she’s been like this.”

  “She’s taken an overdose of pills,” Winston said, picking up the empty container of Percocet from off the comforter that covered the bed.

  “Has someone got nine-one-one on the phone yet?” Jefferson screamed, stooping down to examine his daughter himself. “She has a very faint pulse.”

  “They’re on the way,” Elaine said, handing J.R. his cell phone where he was now on the floor next to Ivy holding her hand.

  “Come on, sis, don’t leave me,” J.R. said, rocking on his knees. “Hang in there, Ivy.”

  “She needs some air,” Malik said, as he stood up, his face flooded with tears. “I don’t believe this.”

  Jefferson stood up as well. “I told you that if you hurt my daughter, I was going to bury your ass.”

  “This is not the time or place, Jefferson. Ivy has overdosed, and that should be your first concern.”

  “Oh, she is my first concern, all right. But you’re the reason she’s in this condition.”

  “Always blowing hot steam and don’t know what in the hell you’re talking about.”

  Blam, went Jefferson’s fist as he punched Malik in the stomach. Malik stumbled back, almost losing his footing as he hit the end of the chaise longue that sat in a corner of the bedroom.

  “Dad, stop,” Winston called out, wedging himself between Jefferson and Malik. “This is not the time or the place.”

  Still holding his stomach, Malik backed away. “You’re going to pay for that, jailbird. Let’s see how big you are when I press charges against your ass.”

 

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