Decision Time

by Earl Sewell

  “I’m positive,” I answered, then closed my eyes tightly as images of the incident began to flash in my mind.

  “Have you had any altercations with gang members?” asked Officer Davis.

  “I’ve gotten into a few fights,” I answered, feeling as if I was under an enormous amount of pressure.

  “Okay. Can you give some details?”

  “About which fight? I’ve had a few of them.”

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning, so I have the full picture?” He stood poised and ready to take down notes.

  “You’d better pull up a chair,” I suggested. Officer Davis and Officer Miles did just that. My dad leaned against the wall and Grandmother Lorraine sat down on the empty patient bed. I took a few deep breaths.

  “I didn’t want to get involved with Lori and her boyfriend,” I said.

  “So are you involved in some type of romantic love triangle?” asked Officer Davis.

  “I don’t know. At least I don’t think I am. I mean, Lori and I have sort of a love-hate relationship. She’s a bossy girl, but once you get around her defenses, she’s really nice,” I explained.

  “So, the shooting is over a girl named Lori?” Officer Davis wanted to be sure he was getting all of the facts correct.

  “Yeah, man, it’s all over a girl.” I paused and then explained how I’d come to Lori’s rescue one afternoon when her boyfriend was beating her up.

  “So after the fight, what happened next? Did her boyfriend try to get even with you?” Officer Davis began scribbling on his notepad.

  “After the fight I walked Lori to her front gate. Percy had hit her so hard that her right eye had begun to swell shut. I wanted to call the paramedics, but she insisted she was fine and didn’t need any help. She pleaded with me to keep my mouth shut about the entire incident. I thought it was kind of strange, but I let it go because I just didn’t feel it was any of my business and I didn’t want to get involved any more than I already had. Lori went inside and I came home and chilled out. I have to admit that I was nervous about retaliation, but when I didn’t see Percy for an entire week I took it as a sign that he wasn’t coming after me. Then two weeks later, I ran in to Percy and his crew on the school bus. I don’t even know why he was on my school bus. He just showed up. I didn’t want any trouble with them, so I avoided him and his crew and sat down in my usual seat.” My mind wandered back to the images of that day.

  “You’re sitting in my seat!” Percy had come up to me, clearly wanting to throw down.

  “I don’t see your name written on this seat,” I said, unafraid, as I glanced up at his broken nose.

  “Who you rollin’ with?” he asked, but I didn’t respond. “I knew you were with somebody that day when I first ran in to you at the grocery store. Do you remember what I told you? I said if I found out you were in any other gang I was going to put you six feet under.”

  “I told you then and I’m telling you now—I represent God.”

  “Church boys don’t know how to break a man’s nose, only gangbangers do. You know this is ass-whipping day, don’t you?” he said through clenched teeth.

  The next thing I knew, it quickly turned into a brawl and I was defending myself against Percy and two of his friends. When all was said and done I had a cut over my left eye and a split lip. During the scuffle I ended up issuing a black eye and knocking out Percy’s incisor tooth. Since Percy and his boys started the fight, they got suspended.

  My dad was now standing with his hands on his hips. His brow was wrinkled and his mouth was set in a grim line. “Wesley, you told me that you got hit with a ball during gym class. You said that’s how you got the cut over your eye and the split lip.” My dad was clearly upset about the lie I’d told.

  “I didn’t want you to worry about me. You had enough to deal with. I didn’t want to dump something like this on you,” I explained.

  “Wesley, you should’ve come to me. We could’ve notified the school about it.” My dad continued to fuss at me.

  “I’m sorry, okay?” I stopped talking because my throat was dry. “Can I have some water please?” Grandmother Lorraine quickly got up and filled up a white foam cup with water and handed it to me. I lifted my head off the pillow and took a few gulps before relaxing once again.

  “Go on. What happened next?” Officer Davis asked.

  “Nothing happened after that. Percy and his goons were suspended. I didn’t see them anymore and that was perfectly fine with me.”

  “What about the girl? When did you see her again?”

  “She’d heard about the fight so she dropped by to see how I was doing. I wasn’t really hurt, but she felt guilty about asking for my help and everything that happened afterward. She said she wanted to thank me for helping her get away from Percy. I told her it was no big deal and she didn’t have to repay me, but she insisted. She wanted to take me out for pizza. I was in an awkward position. I really wanted to say no, but the pleading look in her eyes made me say yes.”

  “So you went on a date with her?”

  “I really wouldn’t call it a date. We just went to a nearby pizza parlor. We actually had a pretty decent time. I learned a lot about her. I learned who she truly was and all the difficult times she was going through.”

  “Stuff like what?” Officer Davis asked, digging for more information.

  “Family drama. She told me her grandmother had been physically abused by her grandfather for years. Miss Winston never left her husband. She stayed in the marriage and dealt with the punishment. Lori’s mother grew up watching all of the abuse and felt that a man didn’t truly love a woman unless he beat on her. Lori’s father never raised a hand to her or her mother, which her mom took as a sign that there was no love in their marriage. Her mom ended up having an affair with a physically abusive man. Eventually her mother’s lover confronted Lori’s dad and things got messy. After a nasty divorce, Lori and her mother moved in with her grandmother, Miss Winston.”

  “So Lori and Miss Winston think it’s okay for a man to beat up on them?” Grandmother Lorraine muttered. She was without a doubt awestruck by the discovery of this news.

  “Grandma, I told Lori she didn’t have to follow in her mother’s or grandmother’s footsteps. I told her it wasn’t cool to stay with a dude who beats up on women. Lori then said that ever since she was a little girl, whenever a little boy hit her, her mom told her it was okay because that’s the way little boys show their affection.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” my father uttered as if that was the oddest thing he’d ever heard.

  “So you got to know Lori over a few slices of pizza. What happened after that?” Officer Miles had asked a question for the first time. I took a deep breath and continued.

  “Well, while Lori and I were eating pizza, talking and laughing, Percy and his crew walked in. When he saw us he walked over to our table. Percy had nothing but hate in his heart for me and accused me of screwing around with her behind his back. I told him it wasn’t like that, but Lori set Percy off by suggesting that she and I were hooked up.”

  “Why would she say such a thing?” my dad asked.

  “I don’t know. I think she just wanted to get even with him.” I shrugged. “Percy then lifted his shirt and exposed the handle of a gun.” I paused and buried my face in my hands. I was having a horrible flashback.

  “Wesley, are you okay?” Dad asked.

  “I hate him!” I said angrily. “I can’t believe this happened to me.”

  “Wesley, I can appreciate how difficult it is to talk about this. But I really need you to finish telling me what happened.”

  “I’m not sure what happened. I keep getting flashes of images from the shooting,” I explained.

  “Here, drink some more water. Take a few deep breaths and try to relax.” Officer Davis grabbed the water pitcher and refilled my cup. The cold water helped to calm my nerves, and a few minutes passed before I began talking again.

  “Percy said that he was g
oing to shoot both of us. I tried to reason with him, but it was no use. Percy cocked the hammer back and I saw the belly of the gun rotate but just then a police officer walked in. Percy backed off and left.”

  “Why didn’t you or Lori report him to the officer who’d walked in?” asked Officer Miles.

  “I don’t know. Neither one of us were thinking about reporting anything. I just wanted to go home and so did she. Once we were certain Percy and his goons were gone, we left. During the walk home, Lori once again apologized for getting me involved in such a mess. She also explained that Percy was not only crazy, but he was also a well-known gang member. If Percy says he’s going to shoot you, he means it. Lori made that very clear. I tried not to be afraid of him, but deep down inside I knew we would meet again, and it wasn’t going to end peacefully. During our walk back home, Lori looped her arm through my own and held on to me. She admitted how frightened she had become of Percy. She said that he’d hit her before, but he always made her feel as if she had it coming because of her bossy ways. I just listened as she talked. When she didn’t feel like sharing any more details she rested her head against my shoulder. Once we arrived at her gate, she kissed me. That was the last thing I’d expected from Lori. I embraced her and tried to reassure her everything was going to work out. Then, I heard the sound of a car door slam. I turned around and saw Percy walking toward us wearing a black bandanna that covered his nose and face. I shielded Lori with my body just before Percy pulled out his gun and fired multiple rounds. I don’t remember what happened after that.”

  “Was there anyone else with Percy?” Officer Davis asked as he continued to take notes.

  “I don’t know,” I answered.

  “Will you testify in court?” He put away his pen and pad.

  “Of course he will. I’m sure Lori’s family will testify as well,” Dad said.

  “I wouldn’t count on that. Ms. Lori Brown and her mother are fearful of retaliation and have refused to help us in our investigation,” Officer Davis explained.

  “You’re kidding, right?” I asked.

  “I wish I was…. The state prosecutor will look at our report and determine whether or not to press charges. In the meantime, I’ll go back to the station and have a warrant issued for the arrest of Percy Jones. We’ll bring him in for questioning and go from there. If you can convince Ms. Brown to testify, it would help a great deal. Get well soon.” Officer Davis rose to his feet and exited the room with Officer Miles trailing behind him.

  seven

  KEYSHA

  When Jordan found me at the bus station, I impulsively ran away from him. I plowed through the crowded terminal, determined to escape the punishment that awaited me. Needless to say I couldn’t run very fast or get very far with a busted suitcase. When he caught me, I wasn’t in my right mind and fought him off by swinging my fists and punching him several times in the chest.

  “Let me go!” I shrieked as I continually assaulted him with a barrage of jabs. When I realized my strikes were ineffective, I slapped Jordan and tried to shred his face apart with my fingernails. I was determined to be by Wesley’s side one way or another. I fought Jordan so vigorously that other passengers in the terminal thought he was attacking me.

  “Keysha, if you hit me again you will cause me to commit child abuse and you’ll never see Wesley again!” Jordan barked. By the tone of his voice I knew he meant business. Before I realized it, a security guard had rushed over to see what my hysterics were all about.

  “She’s my daughter and she’s trying to run away,” Jordan quickly explained as he held on to my wrists to keep me from swinging at him anymore.

  “Ma’am, is this true?” asked the security guard, who’d removed a can of pepper spray, aimed it at Jordan’s face and placed his thumb on the trigger. I glared at the guard for a hot minute with tears in my eyes. Then without any further explanation, I gave up.

  “Let me go, please,” I mumbled, surrendering completely to my father. Jordan released me and I sat down on a nearby bench. Feeling overwhelmed, embarrassed and disgraced, I vainly willed myself not to cry.

  “Ma’am, is this man your father?”

  “Yes, he’s my dad and he’s not hurting me,” I answered.

  “I need to handle this. Can you give us some privacy?” Jordan spoke directly to the guard, who was hesitant about stepping away. “Seriously, give us some privacy,” Jordan said once again, as politely as he could under the circumstances.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, miss?” the guard asked once again just to be absolutely certain.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I answered as I waved him away. A massive headache had developed near the back of my head. Jordan stooped down and picked up my clothes, which had spilled out of the suitcase once again during my feeble attempt to flee from him. Once he’d collected everything he said, “You inadvertently left your boarding pass at the house.” I knew Jordan wasn’t happy about the decision I’d made, but it was my choice, not his.

  “I forgot it when I rushed out of the house this morning,” I admitted as I buried my face in my hands.

  “Come on. It’s time to go someplace where we can talk about this.” In spite of everything I’d just done, Jordan didn’t raise his voice or chew me out. He was calm, cool and collected.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “No!” I answered defiantly. I knew it was wrong to have an attitude with him, but I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do and that true fact annoyed me.

  “Do you want me to get ugly with you, because I certainly can?” My smart-aleck remark had ruffled Jordan’s feathers.

  “No,” I muttered.

  “What? I can’t hear you?” Jordan pressed the issue.

  “No,” I answered loud enough for him to hear.

  “That’s what I thought you said. We’re going to stop and have breakfast.” He extended his hand and helped me to my feet. I followed him to the car, wondering how I was going to get to Wesley.

  Jordan headed west toward a location known as Greek Town. Neither one of us said anything during the short drive. The silence inside the car was louder than any heated argument I’d ever heard. The hushed tension between us moved like a slow-burning wick of an explosive device, just waiting to reach the gunpowder and blast.

  Jordan pulled into the parking lot of a small breakfast place I’d never been to. There were several blue-and-white police squad cars in the parking lot and I intuitively knew it was a popular spot with cops. Not wanting to look at Jordan, I focused on a homeless woman approaching us, pushing a shopping cart filled with all of her belongings. There was nothing interesting about her, so I turned my head slightly and focused on a cluster of pigeons squabbling over scraps of food on the ground near a Dumpster. At that moment I wished I were a pigeon with no worries and nothing better to do other than eat crumbs.

  “Let’s go sit inside and talk.” Jordan opened the door and stepped his foot onto the concrete.

  “I don’t want to!” I snapped at him. I wasn’t hungry nor was I in the mood for one of Jordan’s self-righteous lectures. I just wanted to go back to the bus terminal, get on the bus and go see Wesley. Why Jordan didn’t understand the urgency of the hour was beyond my understanding.

  “Okay. Then we’ll sit here and talk.” Jordan locked the car door and positioned himself so that he was looking directly at me. “I want you to hear me crystal clear, Keysha. I am not going to allow you or Mike to give me a coronary, so I’m going to give it to you straight and raw just like I’ve been giving it to Mike. All of your sneaking around is unacceptable. If you want the privileges of an adult then it’s time for you to leave my house and head out into the world on your own. If that’s what you want then let me know so I can pack up the rest of your belongings.” Jordan was trying to play hardball and scare me, but I didn’t believe a single word coming out of his mouth. After all that he’d gone through to make sure I stayed in the house with him, I felt pretty confident that he wasn’t
going to suddenly change course and turn his back on me.

  He tried to entice me once again with the offer of total freedom. “Just give me the word, Keysha, and you can go.” I looked directly in his eyes, searching to see if he truly meant what he was saying. After a long minute of silence, I sensed that he was just bluffing.

  “Are you saying that you don’t want me anymore?” I called his bluff.

  “You have to live by my rules, Keysha. I’ve been giving you the benefit of the doubt and cutting you a lot of slack because I didn’t raise you. But right here and right now, I’m drawing the line and giving you an option. You’re welcome to stay, but my rules must be followed. No more sneaking around, no more dishonesty and no more running away. You are to go to school, get good grades, do your chores, be respectful and most important of all, stop getting into trouble. If you can’t abide by those simple rules, then the door is wide open and you can walk out.” Jordan leaned over and opened up the car door on my side to prove his point. “You can walk back to the bus station and go to Wesley, but if you do, that really says to me that you no longer want my help and you don’t want to be with the family any longer.”

  I thought about my next move and concluded that Wesley needed me and nothing was going to stop me from getting to him. I knew Jordan would never understand, so I didn’t bother trying to explain it to him.

  “Whatever! You don’t own me! You can’t tell me what to do! I’ve been taking care of myself ever since I was a little girl. I didn’t need you then and I don’t need you now! I can make it on my own. No, Wesley and I can make it on our own. We love each other and nothing on this earth can ever break my love for him. Not you, not Justine or anyone else for that matter!” I snarled with defiant ignorance. I felt as if I’d put him in his place by telling him exactly what I thought. Then I pulled out my suitcase from the backseat, got out of the car and began walking back toward the bus terminal. As I walked away, I noticed the homeless woman stop at the Dumpster and shoo all of the pigeons away. They flew above my head and I ducked because I didn’t want to get hit with pigeon droppings. Once the birds were gone, I focused on the homeless woman once again. She opened up the Dumpster lid and began searching for food. I watched as she removed a white foam container and ate a crust of bread that someone had taken several bites out of. I then looked back at Jordan, who’d gotten out of the car.