A Clean Up Man

by M. T. Pope

  “Hello, Mr. Black. I’m sorry to bother you but we just got Carlos out of lockup and he said that he really needed to speak to you face to face, because he has some very important information about his case, and that time is of the essence . . . Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate this, Mr. Black.” She hung up the phone and then gave me an address to go to.

  “Thank you so much, babe. I got some news that blew my mind and maybe will blow all of yours as well.” He had a huge smile on his face like he won the lottery or something.

  We pulled up to the two-story detached home in Baltimore County. It was a nice house indeed. Since I had been there before it wasn’t a big “wow” moment for me. But Carlos and his mom got out of the truck and just looked at it in amazement. City houses and country houses varied greatly. There were very few detached homes in Edmondson Village.

  We walked up the doorway and Carla rang the doorbell. His wife, Mona, greeted us at the door with a very welcoming smile.

  “Hello, everyone, come on in and I will show you to my husband’s office. He is already waiting for you.”

  Everyone said thank you and followed her until we got to his office. When we all were inside his office Mona closed the door behind her as she left.

  “Good evening, everyone.” He greeted us with a smile. “So what is the information that you needed to give me for your case?” He got right to the point as he looked at Carlos.

  “Well, while in jail, I ran into someone who said that he was the one who robbed my house.”

  “Okay . . . keep going,” Shawn urged Carlos.

  “Well, the guy said that he was a heavy drug user, and a cop approached him one day and asked if he wanted to make some get high money. He said he immediately jumped on it. He said the cop paid him to break into this house and stash some marijuana somewhere in the house. He also told him to take something from the house to show proof that he had done the task.”

  “Okay, did he give up a name? I need two names: the cop’s and the drug addict’s. Did he give you the cop’s name?” Mr. Black questioned Carlos.

  “He didn’t have the cop’s name but I do know the name of the addict.” He got extra happy when he said the last part. “Okay, his name is Felipe Lopez,” he said, looking at his mother. Her eyes started to water and then she started to cry.

  “What’s wrong?” Carla asked.

  “My father was the one who broke into our house.” Carlos spoke. “He didn’t know that it was our house because we moved out of the original house we lived in when he moved us here. He started getting high when he first moved here and he tried to hide it and cover it up but it got out of hand. His leaving us was the best thing he could do for us. His words not mine.” He was looking mostly at his mother when he talked. All she could do was cry. Carlos went over to comfort her. I even got some chills because it was such a monumental moment for them. I was extremely happy for them.

  “Is he willing to go on record with all of this?” Mr. Black continued his questions after a few seconds of watching Carlos and his mom hug.

  “He said he would. He said he wants his family back and he wants to be clean.” Carlos was bright as a light bulb with happiness.

  “That’s great, but he has to understand that confessing to breaking and entering comes with some jail time,” Mr. Black stated.

  “He said he knew that as well,” Carlos answered.

  “Okay, all we have to do is wait to see if he gets a bail amount. What was he arrested for?” he asked Carlos

  “Possession of a controlled substance,” Carlos answered.

  “Okay, go home and I will see what I can do in the morning.”

  We all left Mr. Black’s house a few minutes later and made our way to Carlos’s mom’s house. Before we could get there I got a call from my mother letting me know that Angie was awake and we could go and see her. I asked everyone if it was okay to make a detour toward the hospital and they all said yes.

  I pulled up to the hospital and we all walked in together. I found out what room Angie was in and everybody got on the elevator and we made our way to her room. I asked everybody else to stay in the waiting room while I went in to see Angie.

  When I walked into the room, my mother was sitting by Angie’s bedside, holding her hand.

  “Hey, Angie,” I said as I walked up to the bedside. “How are you feeling?”

  “She can’t really talk right now, but I told her that you wanted to know about your father.”

  “Okay.” I wondered why she wanted Angie in the room while she told me. I still felt it was none of her concern. But I just figured that my mom wanted Angie to feel like a part of the family so I let her ride with it.

  “Well, I really don’t know how to say this to you, so I’ll just say it.” My mother looked at me with tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes.

  “Kraig, Angie is your father.”

  “What?” I looked at her like she lost her mind. “Did you say that Angie was my father? What does that mean?” I was lost in my own mind.

  “Your father had a sex change a little after you were born and I let him. We were already married and I loved him in whatever form he was in.” She spoke proudly.

  “Get the fuck out of here with that shit.” I laughed it off. “You have got to be lying here. I mean come on. Are you saying this because you don’t really want to tell me who my real father is?”

  “No, Kraig, I’m telling you the truth. Angie was born Alistair and she is your father.”

  I looked at Angie really hard and tried to process all that my mom was saying to me. I couldn’t process it so I walked out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. Carlos called my name but I ignored him. It didn’t stop him from running up to me.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

  I just ignored him and continued to press the elevator button. When it came, I got on and so did he. I was fuming mad right now and I just needed to take a walk. He didn’t say anything to me as I walked out of the hospital and toward my truck. I hopped in and just sat in the seat for a few seconds. Carlos did the same thing.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked me for the second time.

  I didn’t want to talk about it, but I had to say something or I was going to punch my windshield and break it or my hand. “I just met my father today.”

  “When?” He looked at me, surprised. “I didn’t see any man go into the room when I was there.”

  “That’s because he was already in the room in the hospital bed.”

  “I’m confused. I thought you said Angie was in the hospital when we drove here,” he said with a perplexed look on his face.

  “I did and Angie is my father.” I spoke, not sure how to even handle the words that came out of my mouth.

  “Close the front door!” He covered his mouth in shock. “You mean to tell me that Angie is . . .”

  “A transsexual.” We said it together and then we both got quiet again.

  “That’s some freaky shit,” Carlos stated.

  “You are telling me,” I agreed. “I don’t even know what to do next. Dude, I could accept my father being a drug addict, a pimp, in jail, dead, a prostitute, but this one here was one for the record books. And to think all this time my mother has been holding out on me.”

  “Yeah, Kraig, but let me ask you this. When is the right time for someone to spring this on a person? You think she should have told you when you were five? You think you could handle it at ten, fifteen, or eighteen?” he posed.

  “Damn, man. You’re right. I never even thought about it like that. That’s not something you just blurt out.” A half of a smile formed on my face.

  “But it is a sure way to clear a room.” Carlos laughed a little. I did too. He always had a way of making me feel better.

  “Well, since we are talking about putting stuff out there, there is something that I want to tell you.”

  “Okay, shoot.” He positioned himself toward me.

  “What
I’m about to tell you just might make you stop being friends with me, and you might even try to hurt me, but I have to tell you to clear my conscience.”

  “Whatever, Kraig, just tell me,” he rushed me.

  I proceeded to fill him in on all of Jarrod and my history from college on up. I told him every detail up until today. It took about twenty minutes of continuous talking before I was finished. When I finished he sat quietly for a few minutes before he got out of the truck. I did the same thing but he didn’t walk toward the hospital, he walked away from it. I chased after him just like he did to me earlier.

  “I’m sorry, Carlos. I really am.” I pleaded as I walked behind him. He was walking fast and I knew that he was angry. I would have been too if I found out my best friend was responsible for me losing my job and maybe my freedom all for some twisted payback. When he finally stopped he turned toward me with a broken-down mug, almost like he was going to cry. It hurt me to see my best friend like this.

  “All you had to do was tell me and I would have been there for you. Haven’t I always?” he asked.

  I nodded my head yes.

  “So why didn’t you? I’m supposed to be your best friend and you can’t even tell me what hurts you. And forget about all of that being man stuff. I’m your best friend and when you go through something I go through something and that the way it’s always been. We’ve always been there for each other. Have I ever once judged you?”

  “No.” I hung my head in shame.

  “So there was no excuse for you to hold this from me. I’m very hurt by this, Kraig. Very hurt, but I’m going to forgive you as long as you do all that you can to fix this. And I mean all.”

  “Okay, I promise.”

  He reached his hand out to me for me to shake it and then he pulled me in and embraced me in a tight hug.

  “All right, get off me before folks think we’re getting it in.” He pulled away and laughed. I just smiled. I was glad that he didn’t end our friendship over my mess. “Now you have to go back to the hospital and give your parents a chance to explain themselves.”

  All I could do was agree and walk back toward the hospital.

  When I got back to the hospital room, my mother said that Angie wanted to speak to me alone. I was hesitant at first but I did it anyway.

  I went in the room and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

  “I want to talk and for you to listen, okay?” Her voice was a little raspy and low but audible.

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  “I want you to know that I am sorry for not telling you all these years. I wanted to tell you so many times, but didn’t know how. That’s why I urged your mother to keep quiet and she obliged. I was very confused on the inside when I married your mother. I didn’t know how to tell her, so I didn’t, and when she got pregnant with you, I felt like the walls were coming down on me. I loved you as my son, but I wanted to be and felt like I was something else on the inside. When I finally told your mother my innermost thoughts she kind of backed off of me for a minute. We slept in separate rooms and all.

  “Eventually, she came around and gave me the go-ahead to do what I wanted. It took us awhile to get adjusted to it, and when we finally did, it was nice. Then you started to show signs that were all too familiar to me and that is when I started to get tougher on you and try to curb the things that I went through as a child, but when your mother finally told me that you came out in college, I was devastated inside. I didn’t want you to experience the pain and confusion of being who and what you wanted to be, but you turned out okay and I am proud of you for all that you accomplished.

  “I am glad that you are my son and I love you. I have wanted to say that to you all this time, but I didn’t know how so I just pushed tough love on you instead. It was a way of saying it and not saying it. Do you forgive me?” Her eyes were pleading with me.

  “Yeah, I forgive you.” I spoke earnestly. “I just have to get to know you now. I feel like we have to start over from the beginning.”

  “Yes, that is true. We do have to start over,” she agreed.

  “So you are my father.” I shook my head in amazement.

  “Yep, that’s me.” She smiled.

  I reached over and grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly. It was going to take some getting used to but I would try.

  A day or two later, I was back in Angie’s hospital room with a few questions on my mind.

  “Hey.” I spoke as I walked into her room and sat down in the chair next to her bed.

  “Hey, son.” It sounded weird coming from her lips, and it would be a long time until I got used to it.

  “I have some questions for you.” The television was on, but it was on low. She picked up the remote and completely muted it. I took a strong breath and then asked her my first question.

  “How long did it take to get yourself . . . converted?” I felt a little weird saying “converted,” but it was the truth.

  “Well . . .” She shifted in her bed a little and then focused her face toward me. “It took about three years total to get all of the cosmetic surgery done: face, hair, hormones, and breast implants. You were just born and I did it then. I figured you wouldn’t miss me as much as a baby so I started the process early. Back in the eighties things were still a little primitive, but I got the desired look I wanted over time. I didn’t get the final part done until you were gone away in college.”

  “Really?” I asked, shocked. “You did it?”

  “Yes, I did.” She smirked. I could tell it was awkward for her to speak about it. “It’s in ajar in the closet in my and your mother’s room.”

  My mouth hung open in shock. I couldn’t believe that I just heard what I just heard. A picture of a floating penis in a jar was a bit much for me. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  “Seriously?” I looked at her intensely.

  A few seconds of silence went by and then she burst out with laughter.

  “No, it’s not. I was just kidding.” She smiled. “But, yes, it is gone . . . gone with the wind.”

  “Next.” I spoke sarcastically while squeezing my thighs together against my own family jewels, while thanking God for them, jubilantly. I could have done the happy-happy dance for a few moments, but I sat still and moved on with my questioning. “Changing the subject. Were you a cop when you did it?”

  “No, I became one shortly after, though. Only you and your mother know the whole story now.”

  “Wow . . . amazing.” I was astonished that she could keep a secret for so long and that nobody knew about it but us. I mean she did look “good” in the sense of looking like a woman.

  “Yes, it is amazing what folks can do in the medical field then and now.”

  “So would you take it back if you could?” I asked, unflinchingly. I wanted to know if she regretted any of it.

  “For the most part, no, I do not regret it.” She looked confident in her answer. “I am who I am.”

  Chapter 36

  Court Is In Session

  A couple of months later . . .

  “All rise,” the buff black bailiff ordered as the judge walked into the courtroom. Today was the day that Jarrod went on trial for conspiracy to commit a crime, evidence tampering, and ethics violations. The state was prosecuting him and it was not pretty.

  A few weeks after Mr. Black talked to us in his house office he got the wheels moving on the case against Jarrod, and bam, here we were in the courtroom today. Justice was about to be served.

  “Yo, Kraig.” Carlos was sitting next to me and he leaned over to talk to me in confidence. “Dude looks cocky as a muthafucka up there. It’s like he don’t care.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I nodded my head. Truth was, I hoped that the jury and the evidence was enough to put him away for a very long time. They say that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but I knew that he was guilty and maybe even the defense lawyer he had up there with him did too, but that didn’t mean that he was going to jail. In the legal system the
re are always loopholes and I was praying that none of them showed up today.

  We sat in the courtroom and watched the case in its entirety. I watched his wife the whole entire time. She was a sweet lady and she looked as calm as a sleeping baby as she watched the trial proceed over the three day period. A few witnesses, including Carlos’s dad, took the stand and some others.

  It wasn’t until the evidence clerk, who had previously confessed to taking the drug out of evidence for Jarrod, got up on the stand to be questioned that things changed.

  “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help you God?” The bailiff made him put his hand on the Bible.

  “Yes, I do.” The jittery black male nodded his head. He was a little lanky in stature, but I couldn’t help but notice something about him that wasn’t quite right. His eyes kept shifting toward Jarrod and then bounced around the room like he was lost. He looked a little shaken. It looked like he was scared about something.

  The prosecutor questioned him first and everything went fine until he recanted his first statement. That’s when the case went south for the winter. He was the star witness and now he was recanting his first statement. Out of nowhere Jarrod turned in my direction and smiled. He’d won. That’s all that I could think about as I sat there in the courtroom. He was going to be a free man and he was going to finish what he started, ending with me. That last card that I pulled out of my sleeve didn’t work and I was at his mercy once again.

  “Damn, Kraig. What’s wrong with dude up there on the stand? He looks like he’s getting high.”

  “I don’t know, Carlos. It’s really weird and I’m not getting why he recanted.” At this point, Carlos knew all that happened between me and Jarrod, so the look on his face was one of discomfort too.

  “If this mofo gets off, he is definitely coming after you and we just might have to take him out.” He spoke out of the side of his mouth.

  I looked at him like he had lost his mind. I knew that there wasn’t a killer bone in Carlos’s body. He wasn’t a punk but he definitely wasn’t a killer.