imagination.
He was a Muslim brother, and Shah was ruggedly handsome as he
was tough. I had never been involved with a Muslim before. To say the least, I was intrigued by his dedication to his family, and religion. Watching him going through his religious ritual of praying five times a day, no matter what
he was doing or where he was, was itself an attractive thing.
I had heard the rumors floating around the city about Shaheed,
but didn’t pay them any mind. There were claims of him being a hit man, a murderer, and the devil. The list would go on and on. He never gave me any indication that he was anything like what people were talking about. But he
did tell me about the violence that occurred when he was still a child.
Shaheed was only six years old when his mother was brutally
murdered. She was seven months pregnant and was stabbed twenty-seven times. Her throat was slit, and even though he was terrified, Shaheed was forced to watch this heinous crime. Then the murdering son of a bi**h threw the young, innocent Shaheed into a closet. Scared to death, Shaheed waited
in the dark closet until he was discovered two days later.
After hearing his painful story, and all the rumors about him, I knew
it was dangerous to be involved with Shaheed. But I also knew, just like me, Shaheed was a victimized child. For that reason alone, I saw a light shining in him when other people only saw darkness. He was a product of his environment, and a victim of his own circumstances. That did not make his actions right and I was in no way condoning the decisions he made, but I
understood his pain.
In the three months or so that I had known him, Shaheed was always
kind to me, and had never done me wrong. Something inside wouldn’t allow me to accept that the man I had fallen in love with could be a cold-blooded murderer. Even Phaedra had heard the stories about him. Anyone we came
across who knew anything about Shaheed had the same thing to say.
My take on Shaheed was much different. He had a job and a
religiously, healthy routine for living. He was an excellent father and provider. Shaheed was a wonderfully gifted and passionate lover. There was nothing about him indicating he was even capable of committing the kind of monstrous acts I had heard about on the streets. He appeared as an angel of
light.
He would stop by Phaedra’s office whenever I was there. He was
my protector and knew about the business between me, Phaedra, and Everett. Shaheed had no problem letting them know that he was there to make sure all the business ventures went smoothly. Everett aka E was affiliated with the west side of Atlanta. He was well aware of Shaheed’s reputation on the streets, and now approached me with extreme caution. E did not want any
problems.
Shaheed liked kicking it with me, and Phaedra. Phae was crazy, and
would run her mouth about anything. I remember one day we were sitting in her office and somehow we got on the topic of oral sex. I was very, very uncomfortable, but it was Phae, Shah, and me. So I thought not too much of the conversation. Phae decided to share the intimate details on the proper way to perform oral sex. Suddenly she began demonstrating with her lips, mouth,
tongue, and hands.
I glanced at Shaheed. He was sitting directly across from me and
looked like a little kid in a candy store. Wait, a candy store would be an understatement. Let’s say, Willy Wonka’s factory. He was wearing this huge grin, stretching from ear to ear on his face. Then out of nowhere, Shaheed said, “Aye! So you mean to tell me that you’re the one who taught her that? Well, let me be the first to thank you! Really!” Then he continued shouting,
“Certified head-doctor.” This was now Phaedra’s official street name. Didn’t
I tell you from the beginning that ol’ girl was a freak?
In August 2003, I found out I was pregnant again. This time Phaedra
had nothing to say. I guess she just figured I was going to be pregnant every year anyway. I believe that as long as she got paid her money, she didn’t really care one way or another. It was business as usual. Everything was moving right according to the plan, until a few months later. Sheree was held and questioned at the Department of Motor Vehicles Title office in Hapeville, GA.
Peter McFarland, an auto-theft detective, happened to be on duty
that particular day when Sheree followed her usual routine. At this point, we were being watched and investigated for months without our knowledge. Detective McFarland was waiting on either of us to walk through the door of the Hapeville office. When Sheree arrived, she was questioned, and detained. Eventually she was released. Sheree called me as soon as she could.
Sheree claimed that the authorities had drilled her over and over
again, asking her where she had gotten the titles. She reportedly told them that she met a woman who gave her a power of attorney, and paid her to transfer the titles. Sheree told me that they showed her a video of me, and wanted to know my identity. She acted ignorant, and swore up and down she didn’t know me personally. The whole operation was now in jeopardy. Hell, my freedom was now at risk! I immediately called Phaedra and Everett. We
scheduled an emergency meeting.
An hour later, Shaheed and I arrived at Phaedra’s office. Nobody
seemed to be in panic mode but me. We were so close to the big score! Everything had already been setup and put in place. The vehicles were clean and ready to go. Phaedra firmly insisted we move forward, and proceed as planned with the operation. It was decided that Everett, my cousin, and me would head for Chattanooga, Tennessee, the very next morning with three of
the luxury vehicles.
That whole evening, nothing sat well with me at all. Sleep came
slowly, and I restlessly stayed awake most of the night. Staring at the ceiling, I had a flurry of thoughts going in my head. I had always believed everything Phaedra had told me. So far things were so good, and I didn’t have anything bad to say about her. I couldn’t remember a time she had told me anything wrong. If Phaedra told me it would work then it worked!
Chapter Five
Road to Redemption
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke 21:28 (NIV)
I awoke earlier than usual. I prayed just as I always do every
morning, hoping that God would be with me as He always was. Daylight seemed like it came a lot quicker. Maybe it was the fact that I was pregnant and didn’t sleep well. Whatever it was, a sick feeling surged through my gut as I got out of bed. By the time I was getting dressed, my mother was already
up, and she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
She had been up most of the night because that was when she liked
to pray. She would pray when it was silent or when my children were asleep. She said, “In the dead of the night, was when I can really focus solely on
praying to our Heavenly Father.”
That morning Shaheed came by earlier than usual. Before you knew
it, we were arguing about him not being there with me the previous night. Despite our minor dispute, he had brought me my usual morning cravings, oranges and hot chocolate. Being that I was seven months pregnant at the time, Shaheed didn’t allow me to even bend over to strap on my shoes. He knelt down, and fastened my shoes. Shaheed was busy with the task at hand
when in a smooth, calm voice I said, “Shaheed, what if I don’t come back?”
He looked up at me and said, “You’re coming back! Don’t think like
that kiddo! Let’s go handle this business.”
I kissed my babies goodbye. Then I paused before walking out the
door. I stared longingly at my mother, I didn’t imagine that this would be the last time that I would ever see her. Sheree had gotten nabbed and I was worried. But we were above the law, getting caug
ht crossed my mind, but I refused to believe it could happen. Sh** was getting hot, but I wouldn’t let
my fear stop me.
When I left home that beautiful, sunny morning in the middle of March, I didn’t leave with the intentions of never returning. I left out my house in the hunt to put food on the table. Just as the lioness would leave her cubs in search of food, with plans to return, and feed her family, so was my
plan. But sometimes things don’t always go the way we planned. Do they?
Even though I was tired, I knew we were heading down to Chattanooga, TN. My job was to drive one of our luxury vehicles to the dealership. Then hand them my title, my driver’s license, and my proof of registration when I got there. I was to explain to them that I wanted to trade my expensive car for a vehicle that was a little less flashy. In return, they would give me a car of lesser value, and also cut a check for the difference. The amount was usually over twenty thousand dollars. That was the plan. It
seemed easy enough.
I was driving up Interstate 285 toward 75 N to meet Everett, and my
cousin, my cellphone rang several times. It was my mother calling.
“Forget this one. Please come back,” she pleaded. “Come back for
your children’s sake…”
My mother was begging for me to turn around and come back home. I had to do what I had to do. My mother knew I wouldn’t listen to her. I never
did in the past.
“I’ll be back as soon as this over,” I assured her, hanging up quickly.
She called a couple more times, but after I ignored her calls, she
eventually stopped calling. We were too close for me to throw in the towel. All I had was my word and I had given it. What would Phaedra think if I decided to back out at the last minute? She’d probably never forgive me. My name could possibly be slandered. The truth was that the authorities were already looking for me. If I screwed up with her, I’d be assed-out for sure! So
f**k it! I thought driving.
We met up at the rendezvous, and with Everett in lead position we
drove behind each other all the way to Tennessee. I had no idea where we were, how we got there or how to get back to Atlanta. Then Everett pulled into a Waffle House across from the first car dealership. We followed right behind him. He parked his car, and jumped into the truck with me. He handed me a walkie-talkie along with all of my fake documents. I left Everett and my cousin at the Waffle House. I went to the car dealership, scoped out my
surroundings, and went inside to make the transaction.
After assessing the vehicles on the car lot I finally made a decision
on which vehicle I would purchase as part of the scam. I selected a 1992 Nissan Stanza in return for a 2003 Cadillac Escalade. I even took the car on a test drive. Upon my return, while waiting on the paperwork to be drawn up,
the car salesman asked for the city, and state I was born in.
“What?” I shot back while quizzically looking at him.
This was a question I wasn’t prepared to answer. The good attorney, Phaedra Parks or Everett hadn’t prepped me for this question. I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Detroit, Michigan.” I said, after a few nail-biting seconds.
I had no idea that the first three digits of your social security number
identified the state you were born in. He wrote down my answer and walked off. I should have focused more on the way he walked out of the office. I quickly went to the bathroom and hurriedly called Everett. I was asking him
why that question was relevant, and why was it taking so long.
Everett claimed that everything was alright. He told me I was doing
fine, and to just go back inside and wait on the paperwork. I did as I was told. But something just didn’t feel right. About ten minutes later, he was on the
walkie-talkie shouting, “12, 12, 12…” This was our code for the police.
Glancing around in a frenzied panic, I could immediately feel cold
sweat dripping down my white silk top. My breath was coming hard and
heavy. I felt my head frantically moving side to side then back and forth like it was on a swivel. Oh my God! I was pregnant, and what was I going to do? I started running around in circles, pacing back and forth, searching for an avenue of escape. All I could think about were my children and how I had to make it back home. Suddenly, I took off running! I ran straight out the back door of the office. Running through the lot, I could see Everett on the ramp already making a run for the highway. I had the walkie-talkie to my mouth
yelling.
“E! Don’t leave me! I can make it! Stop! E!” I screamed into the
walkie-talkie.
I was pregnant, sprinting behind the truck, and begging him. Everett
never glanced back. The truck just kept on going, and didn’t look as if it was going to stop. Breathing hard, I kept running for dear life! It was me and my
precious baby. They weren’t catching us, I kept thinking with every step.
The police, however, finally caught up with me. An officer who was
paid to uphold the law, slammed me on the asphalt while kneeing me in my
back.
“I’m pregnant! I’m pregnant!” I shouted repeatedly.
The officer didn’t seem like he cared, one way or the other. He was
angry that I had tried to outrun him. It wasn’t until another officer arrived that they realized I was in fact pregnant, and that I was in severe pain. Bruises were all over my body when they transported me to Skyridge Medical Center,
a local hospital.
Tears had not set in yet. I was still trying to figure out how I was
going to get out of this situation. That was when reality and the humiliation of my dire situation began to quickly set in. I knew I was f**ked. Shackled to the hospital bed, I was in total disbelief. I was in a state of shock while
awaiting the arrival of the auto theft detectives.
I closed my eyes tightly, and saw my whole life flashing in front of
me. This was it, I surmised. How was Phaedra going to work her magic in Tennessee? Did she even have a license to practice in this state? What about my mother and my children? My mind was traveling a hundred miles an
hour, but there seemed to be no quick resolution. Then abruptly, my thoughts
crashed. My life of crime had come to a screeching halt.
Mentally, I was still searching for an escape hatch. There was a
phone on the side of my bed, and an officer posted outside my door. He was standing there like I was an assassin or serial killer. My handcuffs were loose, and I had already slipped them off. Now I just needed to figure out how to get out of the hospital. When I looked to my left, the window was open, and I could see that I was on the ground level. Perfect opportunity!
Then Shaheed ran across my mind. I called and told him that I had
been arrested. He was very upset. This wasn’t part of the plan he reminded me. I could tell by his voice that he felt completely powerless. I told him I could break free. The only thing I needed was for someone to be outside the hospital waiting for me. Shaheed immediately called E and advised him that it would be in his best interest not to return to Georgia without me. E came back to the hospital. I guess he was wandering through the halls trying to find
me. He knew the last thing he needed was a problem with Shaheed.
Everett was arrested in the hallway of the hospital. When the auto
theft detectives arrested him, they came straight to my room. Apparently, Everett had been to Tennessee several times before with the same scheme. So the auto detectives already knew who he was, and were patiently awaiting his
return. That’s when I started wondering, where the hell was Phaedra Parks?
Things got a little crazy for me at this point. I just couldn’t, for the
life of me, understand why E would bring us back to a place they
had already burned out. I mean if you just robbed a bank last month, and got away. Why in the world would you want to return to the scene of the crime, trying to rob the same bank again? The auto theft detectives began drilling me with
questions.
“Who are you?” This big, heavyset, white guy with wide nostrils
shouted. “How did you get involved with these people?” he asked with no regards for sympathy. “Do you know how much trouble you are in?” “How
many children do you have?” “Where are you from?”
Agitated, I stared past the detectives, refusing to answer any of their
questions. If they had me, then they were going to have to show me they had me. Even though I had been caught red-handed, with my hand all the way down in the cookie jar, I refused to help them indict me.
The questioning went on and on. Their frustration with me was
getting obvious. I knew not to say one single word. I just sat there and kept staring at the wall. They told me that I was only hurting myself. Then they walked out of the room. Three days later, I was transferred from the hospital
to Hamilton County Jail in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.
My incarceration didn’t come with any kind of surprises. I had
already suffered over thirty arrests and or run-ins with the law. So I knew the
drill, and I knew how things worked.
I just wanted to get booked, so I could bail out. I did the only thing I could do to help myself which was call my mother. My mother was already ten steps ahead of me. She already knew how much my bond was and was prepared to pay it. She had already talked with Phaedra who informed us to just be cool and not speak to anyone. But there was a problem. Although I did in fact have a bond, I also had a hold in Clayton County, Georgia for the
fraudulent car titles.
If my mother paid my bond, I would be released but they would
release me to the Clayton County, Georgia authorities. My charges in Hamilton County, Tennessee were all associated with the false identity. These charges were serious, just not as serious as the charges I faced back home in Georgia. Another problem my mother would probably encounter in trying to pay my bond was the fact they could argue that I was going to be a flight risk since I lived in another state. I was in a world of trouble and I knew it. I told my mother to hold onto her money because I knew she was going to need it.
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