by E. N. Joy
“Yes,” Lorain smiled. “Yes yes yes!” she shouted. Before she could even attempt to contain herself, Lorain flung her arms around Nicholas’s neck. “I love you, Nicholas. I’m so sorry if I ever made you doubt my love for you. But I love you, I love you, I love you, and I can’t wait to walk down that aisle and let the entire world know.”
“And I can’t wait to let Momma know. She’s going to be so happy.”
Both Nicholas and Lorain looked over to see Sherrie standing behind Nicholas. She had tears in her eyes.
“My brother finally found true love, and a woman of God, at that. I’m so happy for you.” Sherrie spread her arms out wide and began walking toward the newly engaged couple.
Nicholas opened his arms wide, prepared to envelop his little sister in his arms. He was surprised when she strolled right past him and embraced Lorain instead.
“Welcome to the family, sis,” Sherrie said to Lorain. “Girl, we gon’ tag team him and get him into heaven yet.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” Nicholas shook his head and held up his arms. “Don’t you go influencing my wife already, even before she’s my wife. Lorain knows how I am about this church and God thing, and she respects that. That’s one of the things I love about her. She doesn’t preach to me or Bible bash me. So don’t go putting ideas in her head.”
“Yeah, well, you can say that now, but in the end, us sisters, especially us sisters in Christ, always stick together.” Sherrie winked at Lorain.
Smiling back, Lorain did what she knew needed to be done. “Look, Sherrie, I’m so sorry for the way I acted in there. That is absolutely not the way I wanted to make my first impression on you.”
“Girl, don’t apologize. You got cool points for that. I like the fight in you. My brother needs a woman like that in his life, someone who is bold and ain’t afraid to step up when need be.” Sherrie left Lorain’s side and walked over to Nicholas. “’Cause this man’s got a calling on his life. And you know how women can be when they see that a man has a special gift; a calling. I’m not talking about his being a doctor. Lord knows that alone brings out the gold diggers. I’m talking about that calling on his life to preach God’s Word.”
“Oh, now, come on, sis. Not now with all that prophetic prophesy stuff,” Nicholas begged.
“Okay, okay,” Sherrie put her hands up in defeat. “I’ll let it go,” she shot her brother a stern look, “for now.” She then walked back over to Lorain. “So, how’s it feel about to become the wife of a doctor?” Sherrie asked, then in a whisper said, “and even more so, how’s it feel about to become the wife of a future preacher? Because face it, my dear, whether my brother over there wants to acknowledge it or not, he will preach the Word. Which means, you, sister-in-law, better get your hat collection in order and your matching shoe game on lock. What kind of first lady would you be if you didn’t?”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Unique had no idea how much time might have passed while she was in solitary confinement. She tried to keep track of the days by counting her meals. Eventually she lost count of those too. All she knew was that she was glad to finally be out of that hellhole. She never imagined the day she’d say it, but she was glad to be heading back to her jail cell.
“Home sweet home,” one of the two guards who escorted her back to her cell said as he uncuffed Unique.
Unique massaged her wrists, glad the cuffs that she’d pleaded with the guards—to no avail—to loosen were finally removed. She walked into her cell. The first thing she noticed was that Kiki wasn’t in there. Unique had no idea where she could be, but she did have a thing or two to say to her once she did return.
Climbing on the top bunk, Unique lay down, placed her hands behind her head, and just stared up as if she were gazing into God’s eyes. Why? That’s still the only question she had for God. Still, she had no answer.
Hours passed, and not only had Unique opted to skip dinner, but Kiki had yet to return to the cell. Finally, Unique got down from the bunk and stood by the doorway. She waited for a cordial face to pass by before she posed the question, “Where’s Kiki?”
When it came to being in jail for harming a child, Unique definitely only had a friend in Jesus. She may not have had any friends in that place, but Kiki did. The woman she stopped to ask about Kiki’s whereabouts was a woman Unique had seen Kiki sort of being friendly with on an occasion or two.
“Where’s Kiki?” the woman repeated as if Unique had some nerve even just asking. “She’s where you should have been—in the infirmary. But no, she had to mess around and let you be all safe and sound in the hole while she got her brains nearly beat out.” The woman got in close to Unique. Unique could smell the Benson and Hedges menthol on her breath. “It should have been you. It was supposed to be you. Kiki was supposed to be out of the way, letting what business needed to be handled get handled. So while you were away on vacation at Disneyland, she’s been fighting for her life.”
It only took a few seconds at the very least for Unique to put two and two together. She figured out what had actually gone down; why Kiki had insisted she take the rap for the knife. It had all been a setup; a setup to get Unique alone in the cell so that harm could be done to her. But instead of letting that go down, Kiki intervened. All this time, Unique thought she’d been covering up for Kiki, taking the fall for her, when all the while Kiki had actually taken the fall for Unique.
“Oh my God,” Unique said after coming to the realization of it all. “She did all that for me?”
“Yeah, I guess she did.” The woman shook her head. “And why, I’ll never know.” She looked Unique up and down. “Because you ain’t that hot.” She shrugged. “But I guess you must have some good stuff to make her go up against the L Crew,” the woman said before walking away.
Now things were becoming clearer. From what the woman had just said, it sounded as if Kiki knew all about the setup. Maybe she had even been in on the setup at first. Who knew? Unique was just glad that she’d had a change of heart. But why?
There was that question again. Frustrated, Unique retreated back to her bed. She was fed up. There were too many why questions but not enough answers.
“God,” Unique whispered as a tear fell from her eye, “why won’t you answer me?”
The next morning, Unique was starved after skipping dinner the night before. Morning chow couldn’t have come soon enough. When Unique saw the guard coming to get her, she became more than just a little excited.
“Gray, visit,” the guard called out.
“Visit? Right now?” The disappointment in Unique’s tone was evident. “But it’s breakfast time.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right,” the guard said. “I could have them fix you a tray, put it to the side, then we’ll microwave it and bring it to your room after your visit.”
“Really? Would you do that for me? I’d really appreciate it.” Unique was so relieved.
“No, I wouldn’t do that. Where do you think you are? The Embassy Suites? This is a jail, not a hotel. There’s no room service here, Cookie. The only time you get that is when you’re on death row about to get needles stuck in your veins.” Letting out a wicked laugh the guard then added, “So, I guess soon enough you’ll get that room service. No way are the courts gonna let a mother responsible for the death of not one, not two, but all three of her children, get to live.”
“Yeah, well, I guess you don’t know the God I serve,” was Unique’s comeback.
The guard laughed as she scanned the cell. “From where I’m looking, it seems like God don’t know you. Now enough of the chitchat. Do you want to see your attorney, or do you want to go join your colleagues for a nice breakfast prepared by your own personal chef, Booger-eating Betty?”
“Ugh.” Unique rolled her eyes. “Just take me to my visitor, please.”
“You got it. I’d have the concierge call for a car, but that might take too long.” The guard refused to let up on the sarcasm.
A few minutes later, Unique was sit
ting down at a table meeting with her attorney. She’d been sitting across from Jawan who had been staring at her while sitting there quietly with a stupid grin on her face.
“Well, are you going to tell me why you’re sitting there looking like that Cheshire cat, or should I just assume you and your husband were both a little late getting to the office this morning, if you know what I mean?” Unique said. “I mean, you’re lit up like a pipe at a crack house.” Unique thought for a minute. “I suppose in my case I should have come up with a better analogy.”
“Unique, Unique, Unique,” was all Jawan managed to get out.
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”
“Girl, girl, girl.” Jawan did everything but squeal.
“What is it?” Unique demanded to know.
“Okay, okay, let me regain my composure, pinch myself, and make sure all of this is real.” Jawan began to scan the case file that was in front of her. She’d look at the file, then look up at Unique, look down at the file, then at Unique again. This went on to the point where Unique thought that she herself was going to bust.
“Will you just tell me what’s going on already?” Unique shouted. She stood up abruptly, causing her chair to slam against the floor. This prompted the guards to enter the room.
“Okay, I will, just relax and lower your voice, OK?” Jawan said to Unique. She then turned to the guard. “It’s okay. Everything is good.”
Once the guard was satisfied that everything was okay, he left the room.
“I’ve got good news,” Jawan said. “A friend of mine on the force shared a little information with me.” Jawan leaned in and began to whisper. “Apparently that crack house that was busted, the one your son’s father worked out of, the one you were visiting trying to get child support. . .”
Unique sat back down. “Yeah, I know the crack house already. Come on, would ya?” Unique was full of anxiety.
“Well, apparently, that house had been under investigation and surveillance for months before it was ever raided.”
Unique didn’t see where that was such great news. “Yeah, and ... So what? I don’t think anyone could dispute it’s a crack house.”
“This investigation included staking out, undercovers going in and buying drugs ...”
“Yeah, and ...” Unique waved her hands as if trying to hurry Jawan along.
“This investigation also included pictures, a little wiretapping, you know, the basics.”
“Yeah, well?”
“Are you kidding me? What do you mean, ‘Yeah, well?’” Jawan said, still smiling as she held the key to all her excitement behind those white teeth of hers. “Unique, not in one of those pictures, not one of those drug transactions, and not one phone wiretap do you exist. There is not one shred of evidence or any sign of you ever being at that house with the exception of that day of the bust.”
“Okay ...” It was starting to sink in to Unique where Jawan was going with this.
“Those cops know darn well you are no crack dealer or user. They’re just trying to get you to roll over and give them any information you might have. You’re a token, Unique. Once the judge gets a whiff of this mess, she’ll throw out those drug charges like dog poop.”
“Okay, you’re right, that is great news,” Unique agreed. “That takes care of the drug charges, but what about the charges involving my sons’ deaths?”
Jawan’s eyes watered as she tried hard to contain her emotions. “Unique, if I didn’t believe it before, I believe it now. There is a God, and He loves you, girlfriend, because last night when surfing the Internet, I came across something that I know was nobody but God who sent me there.”
“The Internet?” Unique questioned.
“Yes. I scour the Internet lots of times when researching my cases. You’d be surprised what these fools will stick on YouTube, Facebook, and all those other social network sites that just let you put your business all out there.” Jawan’s smile, just when Unique thought it couldn’t get any wider, did. “Thank God for YouTube!”
“So what was it you found on YouTube?” Unique was literally on the edge of her seat by now.
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Grinning from ear to ear, Jawan pulled out her myTouch slide phone and connected to the Internet. Once online, she went straight to YouTube, punched in a few words, and then held the phone up for Unique’s viewing.
Watching the small screen, at first Unique didn’t know what was taking place, but then soon enough, it all came together. “Oh my God.” She placed her hand over her mouth as her eyes stayed glued to the screen. “Oh my God,” she kept saying. When the video was finally over, she looked at her attorney and asked, “So what exactly does this mean for me now?”
Leaning in and not giving a care in the world that a lone tear had escaped from her eye, Jawan balled her hands around Unique’s and said, “What it means, my friend, is that you are about to be a free woman.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
“Now that dress is definitely the one,” Eleanor said as Lorain came out of the bridal shop dressing room.
“You don’t think it’s too much, do you?” Lorain asked her mother with a worried expression on her face. She then turned and looked at the Cinderella-like gown in the mirror. There were pearls, rhinestones, layers of sheer netting, and a detachable train that was to die for. “I mean, I don’t want it to be about the dress, the reception, or the cake, for that matter. I just want it to be all about Nicholas and me committing ourselves to each other for the rest of our lives.”
“I get all that, but baby, you still want to look beautiful walking down the aisle. You don’t want that man thinking he’s marrying a ragamuffin do you? You coming down the aisle in some dress you could have easily worn to a cocktail party? I said it when I saw it hanging up, and now I’m saying it as I watch my baby girl wearing it,” Eleanor pointed adamantly. “That right there is the one.”
“You really think so?” Lorain turned her back to the mirror, and then looked over her shoulder.
“I know so,” Eleanor confirmed. “Like I said, you don’t want that man seeing you walking down the aisle looking like some ragamuffin.”
“Ma, had you seen the way I acted last week at that restaurant, ragamuffin would be a come up.”
Eleanor chuckled just imagining Lorain acting out at the Olive Garden. “So you really showed out that bad, huh?” Eleanor asked.
Regretfully, Lorain nodded. “And then some.”
“Well, it worked. You got your man back, and my grandbabies right here are about to officially have a daddy.” Eleanor bent over and pinched each of her granddaughters’ cheeks. The twins sat in their double stroller admiring the fashion show Lorain was putting on.
“Yes, indeed.” Lorain admired her little girls. “Mommy got us a man!”
“And me a son-in-law,” Eleanor’s voice cracked. “I’m so happy for you, Lorain.”
“Ma, don’t start up in here. I’ve only been officially engaged for a week. Save it for the actual wedding.”
“Oh, allow a mother her emotions, would ya?” Eleanor sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Anyway, what date are you two talking about?”
“We were thinking next spring,” Lorain answered.
“Oh my. That only gives us less than nine months. See, that’s exactly why you should have said yes when the man asked you to marry him the first time. We’d already have the wedding out of the way by now.”
“It’s better late than never, Ma. And at least I finally did wake up.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” Eleanor thought for a minute. “Have you told Unique about it yet?”
“No. I would have if I could have.” Lorain’s entire demeanor went frumpy as she headed back to the dressing room to remove the gown.
“Don’t you dare. Girl, you better get your behind back here and tell me why you just went from a rose to a wilted carnation.”
“I didn’t want to tell you, but Unique was in solitary confinement for the last week. She
wasn’t allowed any visitors.”
“What?” Eleanor stood to her feet. “Oh, dear Lord. Solitary confinement? You mean, the hole?”
Lorain nodded.
“Oh, Jesus!” Eleanor was in complete drama mode. “My grandbaby done shanked somebody, and they done put her in the hole with water and bread to eat and one square of toilet paper to wipe her behind with.”
“Mama, if you don’t stop it this minute,” Lorain said in embarrassment, rushing over to Eleanor to calm her down.
“Is everything okay?” the clerk who’d been assisting Lorain earlier walked over and asked.
“Yes, everything is fine.” Lorain stood in an attempt to distract the woman’s attention from her mother. “And I’m definitely going to take this dress.”
“Oh, okay, wonderful.” It had worked, as the clerk’s concerned expression turned into an all-out grin when dollar signs flashed in her eyes at just the thought of the commission that would be involved.
“But is it okay if I just put the money down and we do the fitting and all that stuff another day?” Lorain asked.
“Oh, sure. By all means. Just meet me over at the counter to get all your paperwork started.” The clerk rushed off, forgetting all about the poor, old, elderly woman clutching her chest.
“My grandbaby,” Eleanor whined.
“Mother, I promise you if you don’t stop, you are going to get to see firsthand how I acted up in the Olive Garden,” Lorain warned. “It’s not like that. Unique didn’t shank anybody.” Next Lorain mumbled under her breath, “Not yet anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“They found some kind of blade, knife, or something in her cell. That’s all. She didn’t cut anybody with it.” Once again, Lorain spoke under her breath. “They confiscated it before she could do all that.”
“Mary, Mother of God,” Eleanor said.
“But she’s out now, so you can cut all that out. She got out yesterday. I haven’t made it up there yet to see her though.”