by Tiana Laveen
Snow’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
“I had a bad stutter when I was kid. Not even the fear of God could seem to get rid of it.” He swallowed. “She invited me to come to her home and said she’d help me, told me she had gotten some special training to help with things like that. Well, I didn’t go at first. I just didn’t have the motivation. The stutter wasn’t a hindrance, or so I thought. I guess because of my size, kids really didn’t mess with me and I had plenty of friends, but after a few weeks passed, I thought about all the girls I didn’t talk to because of it… fearin’ they’d start laughing or something. I realized then that it had impacted me, and it was causing me to be someone I wasn’t—mostly introverted, especially around girls.
“So, I decided to go by her house after school and that’s when it started. My parents had paid for some therapy and that hadn’t helped much, but after less than four months with her, my stutter was completely gone. All because of Mrs. Brassie. And she didn’t charge my family one penny. All I had to do was help pull weeds ’round her yard and water her plants every now and again. She changed my life.”
“Ohhh, Alex!” Snow pulled her hands away and clasped them around her mouth. “That is… just wow. No wonder you took it so hard. It makes perfect sense and you have the right to grieve. She’d become a friend of yours.”
“Well, the story doesn’t end there. There were other kids that would come for private lessons too, and things went fine, I imagine. But I never forgot the fear in her eyes when she came runnin’ out of that house trying to escape that bastard… and the blood on her lip, dripping down her chin.” He began to daydream as the fresh images all came erupting back…
The light gray, slightly overcast sky… The smooth, velvety touch of the dark plums in his hand… the rich red of the fruit after he’d sunk his teeth into it, breaking the bitter purple skin. His mouth pooled with the soft, gushy sweetness…
The big, gorgeous house owned by an important man in town, now looking like the castle of some ogre rising from bright green grass and surrounded by fruit trees, American and confederate flags and a gardener’s delight… The thin older woman with a blue and white dress running as fast as her skinny, pale legs would take her, her auburn curls bouncing with each step as she tried to save her own damn life…
When it was all over, his hand was stained with plum juice and tinged with poor Mrs. Brassie’s blood when he’d gathered her up from the ground, helping her to her feet…
“Yeah… I never forgot, Snow.” Her eyes narrowed on him, as if she knew, as if she could read his mind and he didn’t even have to say it. “I fixed him… I fixed that motherfucker real good.” He casually reached for his water and polished it off. The ice danced against his lips before he slapped the empty glass on the table.
“What happened?” Snow asked in almost a whisper.
“He came home one day when she was going over my lesson. He had a big ol’ smile, but I saw new marks on her face. She’d tried to cover ’em with makeup. I told her I needed to go to the bathroom. Soon as that fucker went on about his way, I tracked him down in their bedroom. He was taking his jacket off and standin’ there. He asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted him to hit someone his own size for a fuckin’ change. He looked at me like I was crazy. I told him he wasn’t going to be hittin’ on his woman no more, that was all over. I marched up to him and punched him in the gut so fucking hard, he threw up all over the damn rug. He fell backwards, knocked a lamp over. Mrs. Brassie came runnin’ in there, screamin’ and carryin’ on. Her husband coughed and choked blood. I told him, ‘Good, now you’re bleedin’, too. You lay your hands on her again, that there will feel like a belly rub. I left outta there. Came back the next week like nothing happened. He ain’t never hit her again after that. I never saw another red bloody lip, blue bruised leg, a black eye, nothing. Coward, that’s all he was. A fifteen-year-old put the fear of God in him.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, wondering where the hell their food was.
“Uh, Alex… alrighty then!” Snow burst out laughing and slapped the table. “Okay, that blows me away. I mean, he definitely got what he deserved, but you took a big risk.”
“I didn’t see as a risk then and I still don’t. That man had everyone fooled and his wife terrified of him. That ain’t no way to live. When he died a few years ago, I was happy. I’m not going to even lie to you. Some people don’t tell the truth about things like that—they’re ashamed. I am not going to pretend for anyone. Sometimes we’re happy when bad people die but nobody has the balls to say to it. Don’t mean that we want them to die, but when it happens, then oh well, who gives a shit? Don’t care if they’ve gone on to Heaven and met the Lord. Right here on Earth, he’d been raisin’ Hell. He never spoke to me again after that, but we’d look at each other, just how he looked at me when he was on that porch that first time. All I needed was to merely suspect he was layin’ hands on her, and that was going to be it for Mr. Brassie.”
He cracked his knuckles, satisfied with releasing his demons. The monster he’d hidden inside had finally been released. Now that poor woman’s secret was out…
“Why didn’t you tell someone in authority or your parents? I’m asking out of curiosity. Seems that a young boy, a child, would not have taken matters into his own hands.”
“Authority? I was the authority in my eyes. I always took matters into my own hands.” They both laughed at that. “I knew nobody was going to do shit and they wouldn’t believe me anyway. I was just a kid with parents just divorced. I stuttered and stole people’s fruit not because I was starving and didn’t have anything to eat at home, but just because I liked it. I fixed bikes for cash, worked odd jobs here and there for extra money to get some of the things I liked. I came from a good home but I wasn’t somebody about whom the adults in town would think, ‘Well, if Alex Valentine says it’s so, it must be.’”
Just then, their food arrived. Snow bowed her head in prayer and Alex followed suit. She reached across the table, took hold of his hands, and said the words aloud.
“Father in Heaven, thank you so much for this bounty and this time together with my friend.”
“Boyfriend… I’m her man, God,” he interjected, his eyes still closed. He heard her exhale then laugh.
“Yes, Lord, my man… Thank you for this dinner we are sharing together, for the fellowship and the blessings you keep raining down upon us. Thank you for this day, this meal, and those who prepared it. Amen.”
They sampled their delicious food. He forked some of his chicken and fed her a bite.
“That’s good… I haven’t had their chicken parmesan in a while. Might order it next time.”
They kept on talking, sharing themselves, piece by piece.
“What about you?” he asked before swallowing a mouthful of angel hair pasta.
“What about me?” She smiled ever so slightly as she took a taste of her wine.
“Your family… your parents. We haven’t really talked about that. Are you all close?”
“Mmmm.” She grimaced, then shook her head. “It’s complicated. I have an older sister. It was just me and her. My great aunt raised us.”
“Oh, why’s that?”
“Well, my father died before I was born and I don’t remember him. My sister was only two. My parents were married but the story is that someone mistook him for someone else and shot him. He’d never been in trouble with the law or anything like that. He had a job at the post office and was just a good, hard working man. My mother was in the army and from what I understand, suffered some sort of physical illness while she was in Germany. No one knows for sure but right before her death, it was stated she had some health issues and was prescribed medication. My Aunt would take care of us when she was away but then, one day, she got a call informing her that Darci, my mother, wouldn’t be coming home. She died when I was five. She had a stroke.”
“Damn. That’s awful. I’m sorry for your loss, for everything. I can
’t imagine not havin’ had my parents at all in my life. You were young, but I’m sure you loved your mother.”
“I did.” She smiled sadly. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember her face. Those are the saddest days of all. You know what though, Alex? That whole situation made me stronger. I was a very determined child. I didn’t have anybody, so I could only depend on myself, you know?” He nodded in understanding. “My aunt did the best she could. She loved us and took care of us but no one can replace your parents.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Did you ever feel resentful? Feel like you’d been shafted or got the short straw of life?”
“Sometimes.” The beautiful woman looked down at her plate for a spell, a sad smile on her face. When she looked back into his eyes, he could see she’d pushed back some pain, some shit that was getting too close to the surface. “But like you’ve said many times, I can’t really get stuck in a situation I can’t change. My parents were gone.” She shrugged. “My sister moved out of state, but we kept in touch and still do. She left with her now husband… they’re in Maine, have three children… my two nieces and nephew.” She smiled a little less sadly as she tapped her now empty wine glass. “I got a scholarship to South Texas College of Law after I graduated. Once I finished law school, I moved back home and joined the firm I’m at now. Been there almost ten years. I work with real good people, but it’s stressful sometimes.”
“You’ve got a hard profession. You might not be puttin’ out fires, climbing ladders and what not, but you’re still trying to save lives in your own way.”
“I am, and that is what makes some of the challenges all the more irritating. Color sometimes is still an issue, Alex.” She grimaced.
“What? You got some of the other lawyers at the firm causing you problems because you’re Black?”
“Not so much issues with my colleagues, but the clients. Had one lady walk in there and said right off the top that she didn’t want a colored attorney representing her. She actually used the word ‘colored’ and she couldn’t have been more than fifty years old at the time.” She rolled her eyes and laughed mirthlessly. “Had this White guy come up in there; he was my client. Everything was fine until I started telling him that the evidence he presented for us to use in court was suspect because the signatures on the contract in question didn’t match. I told him I could not turn that in for it could blow the entire case and he’d better come correct because I was not going to do anything to jeopardize my reputation. Ohhh, he threw a fit!” She slapped the table.
“What happened?” He waved the waiter over to bring them another bottle of wine.
“He told me how dare I accuse him of lying and that my nigger behind shouldn’t even be in there. He then went on to say that the only reason that I was there was to meet a quota and because of Affirmative Action. He then told me he’d have my job once I set him straight and gave him step by step directions on how to go fuck himself. Without saying, I obviously dropped him like a bad habit. Funny, another attorney for another firm told him the same shit and no one would touch his case with a ten-foot pole after that. He had a good case even without the forgeries, but he blew it. What other explosive surprises was he keeping that would do damage to the firm’s reputation? No, we refused to take that chance.”
“Cowards and bigots, baby. They’re like maggots.” He chewed on the corner of his lower lip. “You were too good for him. You can’t change people like that though. They have to change themselves.”
“You’re right about that.”
“That’s why I tell you not to worry about everybody else. Worry about yourself and what you want and need. I don’t mean when it comes to helping people… we should all help when we can. But I am talkin’ about when people wanna drain your energy and try to make you live by their own opinions. If I had a dime for every time someone didn’t like something I said or did and told me so, I’d be rich, baby. The happier you are sometimes the shittier people are to you, ’cause see, happiness has a look to it. You can’t get it from nobody else but yourself. It starts from within and radiates outward. That’s powerful and valuable, and it’s why miserable folk always wanna steal other people’s joy.”
“I love when you get all philosophical… You’re special. Your voice is so sexy, you know that?” Her eyes hooded as she flirted with him. “This is a good conversation, too. I’m going to remember this. You’re wise beyond your years, Alex.”
“Bow down to my magnificence and thank me later in the bedroom.” She chuckled at his words. “So, tell me about somethin’ you’re proud of.” He leaned across the table and kissed her, eliciting a bright smile.
“Well, I started an organization for young Black women who want to attend law school. It’s to help raise money for their books, tuition, things like that, and also to lend support and encouragement. That’s how I met Amber.” Snow’s eyes darkened with angst. “She was a bit older entering the field. She’s five years younger than me. Anyway, yeah, it’s been interesting to say the least.”
“Don’t you worry about her. As my father used to say, ‘What goes around comes around.’”
“I don’t think I even believe in karma anymore, Alex. It seems people are getting away with murder… literally.” He couldn’t help but notice how she tensed and froze. “Well, let’s order dessert, okay? I’ve had their tiramisu on my mind all day.” It was obvious that his baby was pushing down and swallowing a shitload of pain. He hadn’t even scratched the surface.
This is how she copes. She’s been through so much. That wall around her wasn’t just built for me; it was for everybody. Not to keep us out, but to keep her feelings IN…
I’m going to give you a little more time, baby, then I’m going to get it outta you… You were so angry when we first met. I wear my anger on the outside, but yours burns within. That makes you more dangerous than me. People know what they’re getting when I walk into the place. With you, well, you’re a ticking time bomb in heels. I have to dismantle you before you explode…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Charged with a Salt and a Deadly Hatin’
…Three weeks later
The new construction located on Sweetleaf Lane in Johns Island boasted Clerestory windows, black and cream granite kitchen counters, brushed nickel in all four bathrooms, and stainless-steel appliances in the gourmet kitchen. Shoes off, socks on, Alex feet sank in white carpet while enjoying a tour of Snow’s home. Various paintings hung throughout the first-floor hallway, depicting African dancers in scenic beach getaways or Christian-inspired renderings, such as a mother and daughter kneeling to pray.
This is real nice right here… mighty nice. She’s got good taste.
“And this is my office.” The woman opened French doors onto a room with a fireplace, a large teak desk, and a wall of hard bound books.
I wonder if she ever reads anything about fire safety? Probably not… not exactly thrilling after dinner material, I suppose. I’ve counted two smoke detectors in her house so far… She might need more. I’ll find out in just a bit.
“This is real nice.” Alex stepped inside, careful with how he moved. It felt a bit like a museum with all the statues, delicate glass fixtures, and what not. He took note of a bright pink notebook lying on the desk, a spot of color in the midst of the earth tones. “This is a real spacious set up you got here.”
“Well, I agree and it was way more than I wanted or needed. I wanted to live over here in this area though so this is just how the houses come.” He nodded in understanding. “I have a woman who comes in and cleans for me a couple of times a week. I do enjoy it very much though. I think you’ve seen everything now but the master bedroom and guest rooms. That’s all on the second floor. Shall we?” she asked with a smirk as she navigated around him, shutting off the light and leaving him in the dark.
“Is that where you keep your pen collection? The master bedroom?” He gave her a mischievous look. Shutting the doors behind him, he followed close behind as she led the way.
>
“Actually, I keep them in my office in a special cabinet. Remind me to show you before you head home.”
“I most certainly will.” They made their way up the steps and her perfume flowed in his direction. He inhaled her scent, loving the way it lingered ever so subtly in the air.
“This right here is one of the guest rooms.” She opened the door, exposing a sizeable room with bay windows. In the center stood a queen-sized bed with slate gray and light blue sheets. On the walls hung framed black and white scenic photographs of what appeared to be Japan. The room smelled like fresh linen and a good amount of light probably filtered through based on the size of the window.
“That’s where I’m stayin’ huh?” She chuckled at his words before shutting the door and heading farther down the hall.
“Are you saying you want to stay in private quarters? I’ll make sure to give you a bell so you can ring it when it’s time to tuck you in for the night.”
“What kinda tuckin’ are we talkin’?”
“I’m not playing with you tonight, Alex.” They both shared a laugh at that.
He took her hand in his and they continued down the corridor. The long hallway was filled with more large paintings and sketches, some of which reminded him of something that should be in a natural history museum. He thought about his own artwork in his house, figuring it probably wasn’t much to her liking.
“You like paintings and things like that, huh? Into art?”
“Very much so. I can’t draw a stick person to save my life, but I appreciate others’ talent.”
“I made a mean macaroni man once. Won first place in a contest in first grade. You shoulda seen it! But my best art was in 5th grade. I drew some big tits on the chalkboard. Got detention that day but it was worth it! They were perfection. I’m surprised Picasso didn’t rise up from the grave and say, ‘That there is the finest thing I’ve ever seen!’”