by La Jill Hunt
“Excuse me? What did you just say? I know like hell you didn’t just say that was something I should have told you,” Sylvia yelled.
Aunt Connie interrupted them. “Wait a minute, you two. First things first. We need to find Jordan.”
“Exactly,” Sylvia said.
“So, how do we find out where she is?” Garry asked her. “How does this app work?”
“I don’t know. I have to call Kenny,” Sylvia admitted, taking the phone from Garry and dialing Kenny’s number. She quickly told him what was going on, and he told her it was no problem and he was on his way.
“You went through all this trouble and don’t know how to even work the damn app? We have to wait on Kenny to get here?” Garry began pacing.
Sylvia knew to walk away before she said something she would regret. She had intended to have Kenny show how her to use the app when he installed it, but she had been so focused on trying to sneak Jordan’s phone back into her room without her noticing it was gone that she forgot to ask. It had been hard enough sneaking it out while she was in the shower one evening.
“He knows you meant well. He’s just upset. You know that,” Aunt Connie came behind her and said.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means just that,” Sylvia told her and went upstairs to wait on Kenny.
She entered her office and sat at her desk. She reached into her drawer and took out the letter from Miranda. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she read it. The words were still the same, but the sentiments seemed different somehow. The more she read it, the angrier she became.
“Syl, Kenny is here!” Garry yelled from downstairs.
She folded the letter up and went downstairs.
“Hey, Syl.” Kenny took his iPad out of his bag and turned it on.
“Do you know where she is?” Sylvia asked.
“Yeah, I located her,” he told her.
“Where is she?” Garry asked.
Kenny held the screen so they all could see it. Sylvia stared at what looked like a map of the entire state with a flashing dot in the center.
“Where is that?” Garry looked closer.
“She’s in Madison,” Kenny told them.
* * *
How they managed to make it to Madison, which was over four hours away, within three hours was beyond Sylvia. It most likely had to do with Garry’s complete disregard for the posted speed limits on the highway. She and Kenny had jumped into the car with him, leaving Aunt Connie at the house, promising not to alert Jordan that they were on their way. Once they made it to the city, Kenny’s iPad directed them to the coliseum.
“There must be a concert going on,” Sylvia said, looking at the rows and rows of cars filling the parking lot and the crowds of people.
“I think it’s a game,” Kenny said.
“It’s a basketball game,” Garry commented. “The state championship game is here tonight. Jordan’s old school is playing.”
Sylvia looked over at Garry. “How do you know?”
“Because she asked me if she could come to the game.”
“When?”
“Earlier this week.”
Sylvia couldn’t believe her husband. “Why didn’t you even mention it?”
“Because I told her no. There was no way I was gonna let her come four hours away for a basketball game.”
“And yet, here we are,” Sylvia mumbled. “This is something we could have done as a family. I didn’t even know anything about this, as usual.”
“No, we couldn’t have. Peyton already had plans.”
“She could have changed them,” Sylvia yelled.
“Hey, how about you guys get out at the door and I will go park?” Kenny suggested.
Garry pulled to the front, and they both got out. They went over to the ticket booth, and the lady informed them that the game was sold out.
“Listen, my daughter is in this building somewhere. I gotta get in,” Garry demanded.
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know what to tell you,” the lady said.
Just as Garry was about to snap, Sylvia pulled him away.
Janelle
The score was tied, and only six seconds remained in the game. The gym was going crazy, and it seemed like they were going to go into overtime. Janelle had become so caught up in the excitement of watching Tank play that it was almost enough to distract her from the fact of who his father was. Tank was graceful and powerful on the floor, and each time he shot the ball, it was with precision. For Janelle, it was like watching a gazelle. Over and over, she watched him run up and down the court, face full of determination. Although she tried not to recognize it, she saw a lot of Titus in him. The crowd cheered louder as the clock continued to count down. Tank went up for an alley-oop, but a player from the opposing team fouled him hard, and he went crashing to the floor.
“Nooooooo!” Janelle screamed along with the rest of the spectators.
The crowd booed and hissed at the player who had fouled him. The referee blew his whistle and motioned for a technical foul, and all eyes were on Tank as he remained still. His coach and fellow players ran to his side, and the gym got quiet.
“God, please let him be all right,” Peyton whispered. “Get up, Tank.”
As if God and Tank heard her prayer, he stirred. One of the players reached down and helped him up, and the crowd went wild. Janelle breathed a sigh of relief and clapped.
The coach whispered something into his ear. Everyone cleared the floor, and Tank took his place at the free throw line to take the two shots he was afforded. Peyton grabbed Janelle’s arm, and they held onto one another and watched in anticipation. He slowly bounced the ball, stared intensely, and shot it toward the basket. It hit the rim and went around and around, then came back out without going through the net.
“Nooooooooo!” Peyton squeezed her arm.
“Ouch, girl!” Janelle flinched.
Half the crowd groaned, while the other half cheered. The referee passed the ball back to Tank, who bounced it again. This time, he inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and slowly released the ball. It didn’t even hit the rim; instead, it swished through the net with ease. The crowd went wild, and Janelle saw the score read 89–90 in favor of Tank’s team. All over the gym, people screamed as the clock continued counting down. As the buzzer sounded, people bum-rushed the floor. Peyton hugged Janelle, and they jumped up and down.
“They won! They won!” Peyton screamed. “He did it!”
Janelle looked down to see Tank being carried on the shoulders of his teammates. She couldn’t help but smile. Not only was she glad that she had brought her niece to the game, but she had gotten to witness this moment as well.
“Tank! Tank!” an older woman yelled and made her way through the crowd.
“Mom!” Tank smiled as he was lowered to the floor. He ran over and hugged the woman.
It was then that Janelle noticed the man behind her reaching for the boy. She watched as Titus embraced his son and they both cried. She fought the tears she felt forming.
She sighed and said to Peyton, “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Should I go say something to him?” Peyton asked.
“I doubt if we can get down there,” Janelle said, trying not to panic. She knew if Peyton went to see Tank, there was a strong chance they would run into Titus and his wife. That was something she didn’t want to risk. “He knows you were here. I’m sure he will call you.”
“Yeah, he will.” Peyton nodded, and they headed down the bleachers.
They had almost made it to the bottom when suddenly, they heard someone yelling for Peyton. They stopped and looked as the crowd in front of them parted and Tank came running toward them. He lifted her niece off the ground into his arms and kissed her.
“Awwwww!” the crowd cheered.
“Peyton! Peyton!” The voice came over the crowd.
Janelle looked up, and her eyes met Titus’s. For a seco
nd, she thought maybe he had been the one calling Peyton’s name, but then she realized it was a woman’s voice. Janelle turned and saw her sister rushing toward them. At that same moment, she heard another name being called and looked across the floor.
“Jordan! Get over here now!” It was Garry.
Janelle scanned the crowd to see where he was headed, and she saw that Jordan was standing near the middle of the floor.
“Dad?” Jordan looked shocked to see her father. She jumped behind the man standing beside her.
Janelle saw the look of anger on Garry’s face as he charged toward them. She looked from Jordan to the man, who was bracing himself to face Garry.
It was then that her eyes met with his. She frowned and said, “Sherrod?”
Before Sherrod could respond, Garry grabbed him by the collar, and the two me began fighting. Janelle tried to run over, screaming Garry’s name and demanding that he stop. She grabbed at Garry, and he pushed her out of the way. Janelle fell to the floor.
That’s when she heard Titus calling her name and pushing his way through the crowd with his son right behind him. She looked up to see him swinging at Garry, and she screamed. An all-out brawl ensued.
* * *
“Are you okay?” Janelle looked up and saw Kenny standing in front of her car, where she had been sitting on the hood.
“Is that a rhetorical question?” she asked him.
He walked over and sat beside her. “Not really. I mean, are you physically hurt in any way? I know your mind gotta be effed up.”
“I am physically fine.” Janelle nodded. Although she had hit the ground, her body wasn’t hurt at all. But Kenny was right; her mind was all over the place, and she had been sitting in the parking lot trying to think. “What the hell just happened?” she asked. “Security wouldn’t let me talk to anyone. They told me I had to leave. Where is Garry, Sylvia, and the girls? I don’t know where Titus is. I don’t know anything.”
“The fam is still inside. I don’t know where Titus went. I do know that no one is pressing charges. Although Garry was going on and on about that dude that was with Jordan,” Kenny told her.
“Sherrod.”
“You know him? Did you know he knew Jordan?”
“Yeah, I know him, but I didn’t know he knew Jordan. I mean, how would he?”
“Maybe you can ask him, because it looks like he’s headed over here.” Kenny nodded in the direction, and Janelle saw Sherrod coming toward them.
She stood up and folded her arms.
“What’s up?” he said. His hands were stuffed inside the sweatshirt, and he looked as confused as she felt.
“Sherrod, what the hell is going on? How do you know Garry and Jordan? Wait, before you answer that, are you okay?” Janelle asked, noticing the slight swelling and redness on his face.
“I’m good,” he told her.
“Good. Now, can you tell me what the hell is going on?”
Sherrod looked over to Kenny, who was still sitting on Janelle’s car, listening. “Man, this is crazy. Can we go somewhere and talk in private?”
“No, talk now. That’s Kenny. He’s family,” Janelle told him.
“What’s up?” Kenny nodded.
“I’ve known Jordan since the day she was born. She’s like a daughter to me, and the reason I moved was to be near her.”
“What?” Janelle asked, now even more confused.
“Randy—Miranda, her mother, was my best friend. I helped raise her. Well, until Randy died,” Sherrod told her with tears in his eyes.
“Oh, damn,” Kenny said.
“Garry said Jordan didn’t have anyone else in her life.” Janelle shook her head.
“That’s because Garry didn’t want me to be in Jordan’s life. He never has. I didn’t like the fact that Randy had a baby by a married man, and I let it be known. We’ve bumped heads several times. Hell, not only did he try to tell Randy he didn’t like her being my friend, but he tried to forbid me from spending time with Jordan, until Randy let him know he was out of his mind. It was a constant battle, and then when Randy died, I guess he figured he had finally won. But I transferred stores to be near her. I love that girl like no one else in the world.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Janelle asked him.
“I was going to, but it never seemed like the right time. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you if the law firm you work for handles complicated custody matters when we went out again, but I didn’t get the chance to even ask you out. I want to fight for custody. She’s miserable living in that house.”
Janelle leaned back on her car and tried to process everything Sherrod had told her. As complicated as it sounded, it made sense.
“I still can’t believe you brought her all the way here without anyone’s permission.” Janelle shook her head, “That was wrong, and you know it.”
“If I hadn’t brought her, she was gonna run away and come anyway. I figured it would be safer if I drove her here, and we would deal with the consequences when she got back. I know that sounds immature, but it is what it is. No one expected any of this to happen.”
“No one ever does,” Janelle told him.
Sherrod took a step toward her. “Janelle, I’m sorry.”
Janelle held her hand up to stop him from coming any closer. “Me too, but I think you need to leave.”
“Can I call you?” he asked.
“Let me deal with this, and I will talk to you soon, Sherrod,” she told him, and he walked away.
After what seemed like hours, she finally said to Kenny, “Can you believe this?”
“Well, I do believe him,” Kenny said.
“Why?”
Kenny turned and said, “Because Randy said so in her letter.”
“What letter?”
“The letter she wrote to your sister before she died.”
Sylvia
“Are you going to church?” Garry asked, sitting on the sofa where he had slept the night before. He’d had enough sense not to even try to get in the bed with her.
Sylvia looked at the clock and saw that it was almost nine in the morning. She hadn’t even been to sleep, and she knew he hadn’t either. If he had, she would have heard him snoring. Instead, she listened as he tossed and turned for most of the night.
They hadn’t gotten home until well after three. The drive had been completely silent, with the exception of the occasional sniff from either Jordan or Peyton, both of whom had been crying. Sylvia didn’t have the energy or the desire to try to comfort either one of them.
“No,” she answered and pulled the covers tighter around her.
“Do you want to talk now?” he asked.
“No.”
Sylvia had decided that there was no point in talking. Last night proved that Garry only shared what he felt she needed to know. And, as much as she thought she knew, Sylvia really didn’t know anything. She didn’t know who this strange man was her husband had attacked at the basketball game. She didn’t know the boy who had so passionately kissed Peyton in front of the entire world. She didn’t know her sister had driven Peyton to the game. Her life was so full of unknowns and secrets that she could barely see straight.
“We are going to have to talk, Sylvia,” Garry told her. “And we need to do it before we deal with Jordan and Peyton. We need to be on the same page.”
“What page is that, Garry? The page where you’ve already dictated and decided what’s going to happen, leaving out the parts of the story that you don’t want anyone else to read?” Sylvia snapped, sitting up in the bed.
“What are you talking about?” Garry questioned.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Sherrod? Isn’t that his name?” Sylvia recalled hearing the man giving his name to the officers when they were taken to the back office of the arena.
“I didn’t even know he was here. And I told Jordan that she wasn’t supposed to have any contact with him,” Garry told her.
“It doesn’t matter whe
re he was. You should’ve told me about him. And you should’ve explained why you didn’t want Jordan to be in contact with him.”
“I didn’t think it was something to bother you with, Sylvia. I wanted you to focus on our marriage and putting it back together.”
“See, that’s the problem. You want to leave out the bits and pieces that are key to the whole broken puzzle. But you want to put it back together? That’s not how it works. Why is it that you can’t talk to me?” She began crying.
Garry rushed and sat beside her, reaching for her hand, which she snatched away.
“I’m trying to talk you. You are the one who said you didn’t want to.”
Sylvia shook her head and told him, “I don’t know who you are anymore. I thought I did, but I don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did Sherrod and Miranda’s friendship bother you so much, Garry? Tell me.”
“Because I didn’t like him, and I didn’t want him around my daughter. He made me uncomfortable.”
“Why? It was her best friend. He loved your daughter as much as you did. He was there for Randy when you couldn’t be. So, what was the problem? Were you in love with Randy?”
“What? No! Have you lost your mind?”
“Was he in love with Randy?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care.” Garry suddenly stood up.
Sylvia shook her head. “You have an affair a decade and a half ago with Miranda, who ends up pregnant and gives birth to your kid. You never mention anything about any of this, and the only reason I find out is because of a horrible accident. That’s one thing, and now you’re getting into fist fights in public. Miranda was right; you’re dealing with some deep-rooted issues that you need to figure out.” Sylvia’s words were sharp and forceful. She was beyond frustrated and so fed up with him that she didn’t realize what she’d said until Garry stepped back and gave her a questioning gaze.
“What do you mean, Miranda was right?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Sylvia blinked for a few moments, suddenly aware of the information she’d inadvertently divulged. “You’re missing the point, Garry. Your behavior last night—”