by Carl Weber
“Oh shit, Allen. Get her!” Jay jumped out of his seat.
I squeezed Val’s neck tighter, pleased that she was gasping for breath. “This is all your fault, you fucking liar! He’d be home with his kids if it wasn’t for you!”
“Stop it! Stop it right now!” I heard a man’s voice yelling but paid it no mind. I wasn’t about to let go of her until she was dead. “I said stop it! This is a hospital, not a wrestling ring! I’m not going to let you jeopardize my patient.”
“Let go of her, Lisa! The doctor’s right. This is not good for Kyle.” Allen tugged my arm until I finally let go of Val’s neck. It wasn’t until then that I realized what I was doing. My rage subsided and I broke down. I succumbed to a fury of emotions and the reality that we might lose Kyle. I was blaming Val, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that it was my fault for not believing him in the first place. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. My knees got weak and I lost all the strength in my body as Jay grabbed hold of me. Allen pulled Val out of the room, and I could hear him in the hall convincing her it was time for her to go.
“I want you all out of here,” the doctor demanded. Jay tried to guide me toward the door, and I followed as best as could on my weak legs.
“Lisa, Lisa, don’t go.” We all froze when we heard the raspy voice. Jay was the first to speak as we all turned to face the bed where Kyle lay.
“Look! He’s awake.” Jay was ecstatic, and I could feel the joy spreading in the room. After all the tension, it was like we were witnessing a miracle.
“Please, don’t go,” Kyle gasped again.
“Oh baby. I’m not going anywhere.” Tears ran down my face as I went to his side.
“I’m ... sorry ... about everything,” he whispered as I leaned as close to his face as I could.
“Oh Kyle, you don’t have to be sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I love you.” I stroked his face to wipe away the tears that had fallen on him.
“I love you, too.”
47
Rose
“Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa!”
“Damn! Where the hell is he?” I ignored the baby’s crying and peeked out the window. I’d been pacing back and forth to the front window for the past hour, waiting for the mailman. It was a little after four and he should have been here by now. He always came around three.
“Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa!”
“Jesus, Jonathan, will you shut up?” I yelled as I walked into the nursery. As I suspected, the little pain in the ass had spit out his pacifier for the tenth time today. God, I couldn’t wait until he was old enough to go to day care, ’cause that’s exactly where he was going. I swear I never realized how much I hated kids until I had one of my own. I stuck the pacifier in his mouth and breathed a sigh of relief when it shut him up. What the hell was I thinking about when I decided to have a baby? He spit out the pacifier again and I had to stuff it back in his mouth again.
“Y’know, I can’t wait till your father gets home,” I muttered. The phone rang and I ran to the living room, thankful for a distraction from that screaming baby.
“Hello?”
“Rose, it’s Allen. I’ll be home in about ten minutes.”
“Okay, baby, how’s Kyle?” I made sure I asked about his friend ’cause the night before I hadn’t bothered and he cussed me out. I couldn’t believe it. Allen almost never even raised his voice. But lately every time I opened my mouth, he had something smart to say.
“He’s good. Although the damn guy won’t shut up now that he’s awake.” Allen’s voice sounded dull, like he was drained. He’d been at that hospital for almost two straight days. When he got home, I was going to have to pamper him a little. “What’s Jonathan up to?”
“Oh, he’s been asleep most of the afternoon,” I lied, praying the little brat wouldn’t start hollering. “You still at the hospital?”
“Nah, Jay, Wil, and I are at Margarita’s Pizza Parlor on Jamaica Avenue.”
“Oh, that’s the place with the really good pizza everybody talks about, right? Get me two slices.”
“You got two-slice money?” I jerked my head away from the phone. Why was he being so cheap all of a sudden? It wasn’t too long ago that I could ask for a Coach bag and it would be home before he was. I guess it was time to remind him who was boss.
“I got something better than money, and you ain’t had none in a long time,” I told him in my sexiest voice. Allen and I hadn’t made love since the baby was born, and I know he had to be fiending. Besides, I missed being intimate with him. Truth be told, I really loved the guy. “What d’ya think of that?” I giggled.
“No thanks. I’d rather have the money.” His voice was dead serious, and I held that phone in my hand with my mouth open wide. Allen had never declined my advances before, so I figured it had to be a joke.
“Very funny, Allen.” I could hear Jay’s laughter in the background.
“Did I say something funny?” He was playing with my emotions and I didn’t like it. I never thought Allen could hurt my feelings, but ever since his mother died, he’d been doing a lot of that.
“Look, just bring me a slice. I got another call coming in.” I clicked over without saying goodbye. He’d better not be messing with nobody.
“Hello?”
“Rose?” I almost peed on myself when I heard Ray Johnson’s voice. Where Allen was everything good in my life, Ray was everything bad. Ray was a small-time con man who was trying to make it big. Regretfully I used to mess with him every once in a while when Allen couldn’t afford something I wanted. I’d given him the boot a few months after Allen and I got engaged, but he still called every so often since we had a little business to finish. Thank God that would be over soon, ’cause he was getting on my last nerve.
“What’re you doing?” I asked, talking real fast. “I told you not to call me at home, Ray. My husband could’ve answered the phone.”
“Well, he didn’t, so what’s the problem? How’s my son?”
“He’s not your son. And I wish you’d stop saying that.” He laughed and I felt like hanging up. “What do you want, anyway?”
“You know what I want. I want the same thing I wanted yesterday and the day before. I want my share of the insurance money,” Ray growled. “I did my part, now give me my money.”
“Look, Ray, you’ll get your money when I get the check. I haven’t got the check yet, okay?” I tried to make my voice sound calm, reasonable, but it was getting hard.
“When my pops died, they paid my mom two days after they got the death certificate. It’s been two weeks and I want my money, Rose. Or am I gonna have to tell your husband why his little boy doesn’t look like him?”
“Goddammit, Ray! Don’t you dare threaten me!”
“You call that a threat?” he laughed. “That’s not a threat. A threat would be me going down to the cops and telling them you hired me to kill your mother-in-law. Now that’s a threat.”
“Who you think you’re foolin’?” I hoped my voice sounded more confident than I felt. “You wouldn’t do that ’cause you got just as much to lose as I do.”
“You think so? I’ve been to jail before, Rose. I know what to expect. Do you?” That thought gave me a chill.
“Hold on. I think I see the mailman. I’ll call you back later.” I was grateful to end the conversation. I hated talking about what we had done. I just wanted the act to be erased from my memory so I could live happily ever after with my riches. I hung up and ran to the door impatiently. The mailman handed me my mail like he’d been expecting me. He should have been, considering the way I’d been hounding him lately. I thanked him and went back in the house.
“Damn! Where the hell is it?” I threw the envelopes on the sofa. “Where the hell is my fucking check?” I sat down, trying to calm my nerves, but of course the baby started crying. I ignored him and picked up the phone.
“New York Life Insurance,” a female voice answered.
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“Can I speak to Mr. Murphy?”
“Please hold.” I waited nervously until I heard the insurance agent’s deep voice come on the line.
“This is Mr. Murphy. Can I help you?”
“Mr. Murphy, this is Rose Jackson. I still haven’t received my check.” I didn’t have time to exchange pleasantries with this man. I just wanted my money.
“Oh, Ms. Jackson.” He sounded like he was surprised to hear from me. I don’t know why, as many times as I’d called him over the last two weeks. Maybe even he thought my check should’ve arrived by now. “I was told that your situation would have been taken care of by today.”
“Well, it hasn’t,” I snapped.
“Okay ...” He paused. “Why don’t you hold on a minute? I’m gonna see if I can straighten this out.”
“You do that.”
I listened to the elevator music in one ear and the baby crying in the other as I waited. I needed this man to tell me some good news because Ray was starting to be a pain in the ass. He wouldn’t implicate himself in a murder, but I’m sure he’d make good on his threat to talk to Allen about the baby if he didn’t get his money soon.
“Ms. Jackson? You still there?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Good. Let’s give this one more day. If it’s not settled, you can come down to our office and we’ll cut you a check. Okay?”
“Yeah, I can live with that.” But after that, I’m gonna have somebody job if don’t get this damn money, I thought. “I’ll call you tomorrow if my check doesn’t arrive.” I hung up the phone and was about to go deal with the baby. That’s when Allen walked in with Wil and Jay, who were carrying pizza boxes.
“Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa!”
I closed my eyes and held my breath, ’cause I knew what the first words out of Allen’s mouth would be.
“Why is he crying? I told you about that shit.” He shook his head and walked straight to the nursery. I followed behind him.
“I was just hanging up the phone. I was gonna get him. I swear,” I hurried to explain.
“Yeah, right. I could hear him when I got out of the car.” He bent over and picked up Jonathan, kissing his forehead. “What’s up, little man? You miss me?” The baby stopped crying and grinned at Allen.
Damn! I hated that shit. Here I am busting my ass all day to take care of his spoiled ass and he won’t even give me a smile. But the minute Allen walks in the door he’s grinning from ear to ear like he hit the jackpot. Sometimes I can’t believe I gave birth to him.
“Yo, dawg. Y‘all eating or what? Pizza’s gettin’ cold,” Jay called from the kitchen.
“Yeah, we’re coming.” Allen carried the baby out of the room and I followed. We all sat down at the kitchen table. I could tell Jay and Wil were whipped.
“You guys look tired,” I said sympathetically.
“Yeah, it’s been a pretty hectic few days.” Wil took a slice of pizza and bit into it. “Thank God Kyle’s gonna be all right.”
“Yeah, between him being in the hospital and getting you and Diane back together I haven’t gotten any sleep in three days.” Jay sat back in his chair, chewing pizza with an arrogant grin. If Diane and Wil did get back together, he must’ve had something to do with it. He was just too full of himself.
“Jay got you and Diane back together?” I asked Wil.
“Yep, he sure did.” Wil smiled humbly then turned to Jay. “Hey man, I know I haven’t told you, but I appreciate what you did. I owe you big time.” He wrapped one arm around Jay’s shoulders.
“You don’t owe me shit. Ain’t nothin’ you wouldn’t have done for me, dawg.” Jay grinned.
“That’s great. I’m really happy for you Wil.” I set my pizza down. “For a while there I thought Allen and I were going to be the only married couple around here.” I laughed, but stopped when I noticed I was laughing alone. They were all staring at me, and the tension in the air was thick. Allen finally broke the awkward silence.
“They’re not the only ones. Kyle and Lisa are getting back together too.”
“Hmm, it looks like everyone’s getting back together. Except you, Jay? When you gonna leave that young girl and get back with Kenya?”
“Will you shut up?” Allen poked me with his elbow.
“What? I was just asking a question.” I sucked my teeth.
“No, it’s aw’ight, Al. Better she hear it from me than out on the street.” Jay took a deep breath and picked up another slice. “Me and Tracy broke up for good a couple days ago.”
“I’m not gonna pretend like I’m surprised. She seemed real immature. Did you see the way she acted at the funeral? She had to be five or six months pregnant and had the nerve to wanna fight somebody ...” Allen elbowed me again so I stopped. Damn, I really wanted to know if that was Jay’s baby.
“Yeah, well. A lot of that was my fault,” Jay mumbled.
“So what about Kenya? You getting back with her?”
“I wish. The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was walking out that door. I should’ve never left her in the first place. At least not until I was really sure.” He dropped his pizza on his plate. Guess the conversation made him lose his appetite. “Y’know I was miserable most of the time I was married, but now that it’s over, I’d do anything to have my wife and kids back,” he laughed. “Go figure.”
“I guess it’s true. You don’t know what you have till it’s gone.” Allen kissed the baby.
“You got that right. You don’t know what I’d do to go home and make love to my wife tonight,” Jay laughed sadly.
“Yeah, I do,” Wil said sadly. “That’s why I’m telling you to go over there and ask her to take you back. What you got to lose?” Wil thought for a moment, then smiled. “If you want, I’ll talk to her for you. It’s the least I can do.”
“You don’t understand, Wil. Kenya hates me. You didn’t see how she acted when I left. Trust me. She don’t want me back.” This was something new. Who would’ve thought there’d ever be a day when Jay sounded so humble?
“Please, Jay. You was at the child support hearing. Diane didn’t want my ass back either, but she’ll be over here in fifteen minutes to pick me up. You never know what’s gonna happen ’til it happens, bro.”
“Yeah, but it’s been three weeks and she hasn’t tried to call me either.”
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Jay. Trust me, that’s what happened with me when Cinnamon left.” I swear I detected a sigh in Allen’s voice.
I cut my eyes at Allen and he had the nerve to smirk. Talkin’ about that bitch in my house? He was about to get cussed out. Lucky for him Jay and Wil were there.
“So Rose, what d’ya think? Think she’ll take me back?” Jay interrupted my thoughts.
“I don’t really know Kenya that well, but it can’t hurt to ask. I mean, you guys got two kids together. That’s gotta mean something. I don’t care what anyone says. You don’t just fall out of love with someone you been married to for six years. And believe me, if she loves you, she is probably lying awake at night thinking about you. Wondering where you are. Wishing you were there.”
“Well, she sure don’t act like she’s missing me.”
“Of course she don’t,” I laughed. “She’s still gotta have some pride, don’t she? When was the last time you called her?” He didn’t say anything. “Look, you owe it to yourself to ask her the question.”
“What question?” they all asked in unison.
“What question? Isn’t that obvious? Ask her if she still loves you. If she can look you in the face and say no, you haven’t got a shot. But if she looks away or doesn’t answer you, you’ve got a chance. You gotta read a woman’s body language.”
The doorbell rang and Wil got up immediately.
“I’ll get it. It’s probably Diane.” He grabbed a slice and walked to the living room. He returned quickly, but not with his wife. Two white men dressed in cheap suits followed behind him. I knew they were p
olice right away. I started to sweat.
“Sorry to disturb your dinner, Mr. Jackson. My name’s Detective Thompson. I don’t know if you remember, but we met at the station house the day of your mother’s death. This is my partner, Detective Royce. We’ve got some good news about your mother’s homicide.”
“Just tell me you found my mother’s killer.”
“Actually, we have.” The detective gave a strange smile. “We’d like to talk to you and your wife about it in private if you don’t mind.” It had to be paranoia, but I swear it felt like both those detectives were staring at me when they said that.
“Look, we’re eating dinner, and the people in this room are the only family I got left. Anything you can say to me and my wife can be said around them.”
“Okay, suit yourself. Do either of you know this man?” He handed Allen a Polaroid.
“Nah, never seen him before.” Allen handed the picture to me. I looked at it, then passed it to Jay. I probably would have peed on myself if Ray had been in that picture.
“What about you, ma’am? You ever see this man?”
“No, I’ve never seen him before either,” I said truthfully.
“Is this the son of a bitch that killed my mother?” Allen demanded.
“That’s him. His name is Eugene Watson. He’s a small-time armed robber and member of the Bloods. A uniformed unit picked him up on a traffic violation and found the gun in his car. When we ran it for ballistics, it came up a match for your mother’s homicide, among others.”
“Thank God. Now my ma can finally rest in peace,” Allen sighed.
“Well, almost.”
“What do you mean, almost?” Allen stared at the detective. “Don’t tell me he’s gonna get off.”
“No, but Eugene had some accomplices.”
Oh, shit. Ray was supposed to get rid of that gun. What the hell was he thinking about? And why did this kid have it in the first place? Dammit, I don’t even know who this Eugene is. I wiped the perspiration from my face and tried to conceal the way my hands were shaking. I was terrified of what else this detective knew.