Reaching the car, Kat removed her keys from her crossover bag. Seductively licking her lips at one of the guys riding by, she started smiling when he pulled over. Signaling her to come to the car, Kat pranced over as if she’d hit the lottery.
“What up, doe?”
“Hey.”
“What’s your name, girl?”
“Kat. What’s yours?”
“They call me Dino.”
“Oh, yeah? You east or west?” Kat asked, making sure to poke her ass out when leaning into the window.
“West like a motherfucker, NFL; we getting that money for sho,” Dino proudly announced, elbowing his homeboy who was riding shotgun. “And, yo, who is your girl standing all off over there to the side with the big booty? Tell her to come this way. My peoples Mario wanna holler at her.”
Sasha heard the obvious thug make reference to her, but she kept her distance. It was bad enough he’d gotten Kat at his car, and she ran the risk of getting snatched up, never to be heard from or seen again; but he had the raw nerve to make mention of her butt. Although she had been out all day at the concert and park behaving as if she were about that life, in all reality clearly she wasn’t. Sasha was no more than a good girl, dedicated to school and her job. She was a virgin who didn’t smoke or drink, and she hardly cursed, unless she was singing along with a rap song.
Mario had been laidback while Dino was talking. Taking full advantage of having the just-rolled blunt to himself, he finally leaned up after hearing his name referenced. Still bopping his head from side to side along with the music, Mario looked over Dino and past the female hanging all off into the window. Focusing his sights on Sasha, it took him all of three seconds to lean back into the passenger seat. It was apparent he was not interested, turning his head to the other side of the car. Just to make sure Dino didn’t misunderstand his body language, Mario smirked, telling everyone interested or in earshot that he was good.
Even though Sasha wasn’t stepping foot anywhere near the triple black Dodge Charger to have a face-to-face conversation with the bumpy-faced, blunt-smoking passenger, she was still a human with feelings. Instantly the good girl not willing to go bad got in her emotions about the way he’d publically snubbed her.
Only seconds from getting the courage to give him a piece of her mind, gunshots rang out, interrupting the night. Pandemonium ensued. Gaping holes were ripped through the doors of multiple vehicles. The loud sounds of bullets shattering windows and ear-piercing screams filled the air. Not knowing exactly where the source of the assault was coming from, people didn’t know where to run or where to hide.
Hitting the ground like many others, Sasha covered her face and prayed. Her stomach pressed down onto the concrete, she peeked through her cupped hands and was stunned. She was speechless. Through all the feet she saw quickly scrambling around in search of safety, Sasha made out Kat. She was squatting down behind the door of the black Dodge Charger, which was now halfway open.
As Sasha quickly glanced to Kat’s side, she saw the driver slumped over. Only held by the restraint of the seat belt, his upper body was dangling as the bullets continued to whiz by in every direction. Sasha wanted to scream out to Kat, yet she could not seem to get her mouth to form the words. Her throat had a huge lump in it and her mouth was dry. It was as if she and everyone trapped in the park were living in the middle of a bad horror movie.
Kat hopelessly stared back at Sasha like a deer trapped in headlights. She finally moved her lips, saying the words, “Help me.” Kat wanted to just get up and dart over to her own vehicle where her best friend was, but she couldn’t move.
With the barrage of gunfire seeming to get closer, Kat screamed out for help as Sasha sobbed, asking God for mercy. With her eyes temporarily closed in prayer, Sasha opened them to see Mario, the unruly passenger, swoop Kat off the ground. Practically dragging her with him, the two of them made it behind a bullet-riddled car two spaces away from where Sasha was taking refuge.
Mario yanked down a metal garbage can to further aid in shielding them from harm, apparently the same harm that had come to a motionless Dino. Like a small baby on hands and knees, Sasha swiftly crawled over to their makeshift bunker. It would be at least another three long, grueling, torturous minutes of uncertainty until silence after the gunshots once again filled the night air. That silence was then filled with the aftermath of tears, screams of the discovery of death, and sirens from police cars approaching.
Suffering from a few scrapes on her knees, thankfully Sasha was not injured. Kat, however, had been struck in the lower part of her leg; but strangely she didn’t realize it until an overwhelming burning sensation started to occur. As she cried out in agonizing pain, Sasha cradled her head in her arms. Rocking back and forth, she repeated to Kat that it was going to be okay and help was on the way.
Mario had done his duty as a hood hero, getting the random female his boy was talking to out of the line of fire. Cautiously, he lifted his head to see if the coast was clear. Faced with the horrible sight of his comrade hanging out the door of the Charger, engine still running, sounds still blasting, Mario ran over to Dino’s side. Reaching inside the car, he turned it off.
Struggling to unfasten his homeboy’s seat belt, which was stretched to capacity, Mario was in tears. One minute they were just hanging out, talking shit, having fun; and the next, this. Mario was distraught and confused as Dino’s blood-soaked shirt was torn off him as paramedics attempted to save his life. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do for the young man.
Mario dropped his head and they covered the body with a sheet. Burying his face in his hands, Mario felt the awful moisture of Dino’s blood slide down between his fingers. He was seconds away from having a total mental breakdown.
Sasha had made sure Kat was getting the medical attention she needed and she was now focused on Mario, who’d saved her best friend’s life while putting his own in harm’s way. Ironically, right before the gunfire erupted, Sasha wanted to spit on him after loudly cursing him out for being rude. Now the only thing the “good girl” wanted to do was go to “bad boy” Mario’s side and reassure him that he was not alone. Without reservation, she did just that, consoling him.
In the days and weeks to follow, the unlikely duo had become inseparable. They had absolutely nothing in common other than the fact they’d survived an unthinkable, tragic attack. Holding on to the fact that deep down Sasha knew Mario could not possibly be as cold, callous, and ignorant as he often portrayed, especially reminiscing about the terror in the park, she found it in her heart to “work with him.” Mario was a true womanizer, a chronic gambler, disrespectful to Sasha constantly on so many levels, and just an all-around coward who happened to display a bit of courage out of the blue that night. Yet, like most women who think they can change a man, Sasha was no exception to the rule. Before she knew what was happening, she’d asked Mario to get married and settle down.
Snapped back to the here and now that was taking place, Sasha continued to not understand how her husband could be such an asshole. Mario ignored his wife’s obvious disapproval of what he’d claimed to be true. He stuck to his story about the cash and pills being hers. He repeated the inconceivable story the entire time the pair of them were being read their rights, arrested, and thrown in the back of two separate police cars.
Sasha was fighting what she knew was taking place. She kept reflecting on that night in the park and she prayed that side of Mario would emerge. Trying to be supportive, knowing that when it came down to it Mario would hopefully step up to the plate and do the right thing, Sasha never said a word in protest against her husband. Maybe it was because she was numb from what was happening, or in disbelief her man had basically made her out to be the fall guy. Whatever it was, the insurance claims broker, naïve to the streets, tried to gather herself together the best she could. Sasha knew now was not the time to fall completely apart. She just kept silent and waited for her court-appointed lawyer to be assigned to her case, just like
the criminal television shows had taught her. If a fish doesn’t want to get caught on the hook, all he has to do is keep his mouth shut; and that was what Sasha did.
CHAPTER TWO
“Okay, Mrs. Eubanks, do you understand fully what you’re doing? What you’re saying?” The lawyer shuffled through his paperwork, ensuring it was in order.
“Umm, yeah, I think so,” she responded with butterflies in her stomach. She looked up at the clock over the door and thought she could hear each hand moving. It was as if her life were moving in slow motion as her attorney spoke.
Sasha had gone along with the story her husband gave to the cops who raided their home. She’d repeated it three times to the detectives working the case and once to Mario’s parole officer. And now she was going to stand in front of a judge and swear it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She would admit the pills and money seized belonged to her, not her spouse. Also any other drug paraphernalia that was discovered that day was solely hers. Sasha Eubanks would stand, left hand in the air, vowing Mario never knew she had any of those illegal items in their jointly owned home.
Since the day she’d been released on her own personal recognizance, Mario had been calling her constantly, singing in her ear, trying to get in her head. He reasoned with Sasha that if she went along with the game plan he was laying out, they’d both be good. He explained that by her never even having a traffic ticket, let alone any contact with the judicial system, she’d easily get a pass, a slap on the wrist. Not to mention the fact that she was pregnant would weigh heavy on any judge to show sympathy.
After forty-one hours of Mario sitting in the county jail on a parole violation, Sasha finally gave in. In true conman style, he’d run every guilt trip on his wife he possibly could. Tugging at her heart strings, he even threw up the fact that she wouldn’t want her child’s father to have to see his firstborn from behind bars. Now here she was, minutes before going in front of the judge for sentencing on the crimes she really wasn’t responsible for. However, just as Mario had said would happen, her lawyer set up a plea deal arrangement with the prosecuting attorney. In the deal, if Sasha would plead guilty, accepting all liability, she would get a six-month probation including some community service. No jail time would be served and her baby would be born at home as planned.
“You can’t just think you are ready to go in there, Mrs. Eubanks. You have to be certain. The judge will be asking you a series of questions and you have to answer in accordance to what we have all agreed upon.”
“I understand. I’m just nervous, I guess.”
“Well, it’s much too late to be nervous. The time for feeling that way was before you stepped up to the plate on these charges,” the lawyer advised, standing up from behind the table in the private room they were in. “So get yourself together. They’ll be calling our case next. I don’t think we will have to wait too long. We should be in and out relatively fast.”
Early along in her pregnancy, Sasha was not showing, but she kept rubbing her stomach just the same. She was a nervous wreck. Never being pregnant before, she prayed her rollercoaster emotions would not affect her baby. The time seemed to drag on, although it had only been minutes. Hearing her last name announced, the court bailiff signaled for Sasha and her attorney to enter the judge’s domain. She took a deep breath, and then exhaled. Nauseated, she was ready to just get this entire thing over with and go home and get some rest.
Stepping inside the smaller-sized courtroom, she saw one of her three siblings, Regina, and Kat. They’d both begged her repeatedly not to take the fall for her pathetic troublemaking husband, but Mario had Sasha bamboozled. Kat tried to give him the benefit of the doubt considering what he’d done to help her, but she’d seen him firsthand do too many terrible things to her best friend. He swore he was done selling drugs, womanizing, and behaving as if his shit didn’t stink. He promised he would be there for her and their unborn child, no more bullshit.
Yet, here it was. Less than ten hours after him making that claim, he was nowhere to be found. Sasha looked to the left and the right. A house didn’t have to fall on her head. Not seeing Mario she’d realized she’d been played. Part of her wanted to change her mind and run out of the courtroom, yet she knew she’d gone too far in the process to back out. She’d just serve her expected probation and do her few community service hours like a champ. As for Mario, her supposed loving husband who’d left her out to dry, she’d deal with him later on, when she got home.
“The State of Michigan versus Sasha Lachelle Eubanks,” the same bailiff who signaled them to enter the courtroom loudly spoke.
Terrified, Sasha stood. It felt like each of her steps was surrounded by quicksand. Following closely behind her lawyer, she took her place next to him at the podium. The prosecuting attorney who had just spoken to them both maybe an hour ago took his place as well. You could hear a pin drop as the judge read over a semi-huge stack of documents handed to him inside of a manila folder. Looking over his glasses a few times then shaking his head seemingly at Sasha, the judge kept them all standing at attention longer than usual. Finally he spoke.
“Yes, go ahead with your statements.”
Each attorney took turns to introduce themselves for the court stenographer’s records. After that the judge asked to once again briefly go over what was what and exactly what the two sides were proposing. Upon allowing them to finish, he removed his glasses.
“Okay, people. I do have the plea paperwork in front of me. And as far as I can tell both sides have chosen to enter into this agreement freely and willingly. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir,” the prosecutor agreed.
“Yes, it is, Judge,” the defense attorney concurred.
“Well, before I render my decision on the acceptance of this plea, I’d like to hear from Ms. Eubanks.” The judge glanced down at the stack of papers, quickly correcting himself: “Forgive me, the court definitely apologizes. That’s Mrs. Eubanks. We wouldn’t want to forget or be disrespectful to your union of marriage. Matter of fact, I’m just wondering, is Mr. Eubanks in the court with us this morning?”
Sasha felt her legs getting weak hearing the judge ask about Mario. The sharp pains she was having in her stomach all night started again. While part of her wished he were here by her side, helping her stand tall for the mess he’d gotten her into, the other side was elated he wasn’t, having an awful feeling the judge was in a bad mood. “No, sorry, sir. He’s not here this morning.”
“Oh, I see. I guess he had other prior engagements more pressing than this proceeding. So be it. Let’s move. Mrs. Eubanks, back to what exactly is your version of the events that took place that day once more?”
Sasha solemnly went on to repeat the same lie she’d been telling since Mario convinced her to take the rap. After she finished, the judge put his glasses back on. Wishing she could read his mind, Sasha waited for what was coming next. Feeling nauseated once more, she hoped he’d just hurry and tell her the number of community service days she was to serve, so she could go to the bathroom. Since finding out she was pregnant she was urinating and throwing up what seemed like every other hour.
“Okay, counselors. Although I appreciated the time that was spent to come up with this Fantasy Island plea deal, unfortunately I won’t be accepting it at this time. It’s not going to work for me.”
Sasha was shocked, as were her sister and friend who were now sitting on the edges of their seats. Both lawyers had seen this type of thing occur time and time again and, as always, they rolled with the punches. The judge presiding over the case having another form of justice in mind, other than what the two sides had decided upon, was not unheard of.
“What’s happening? I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Sasha confusedly rambled, blurting out question after question in the otherwise quiet courtroom.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Eubanks, but this isn’t the proper time for you to be speaking. That ship has sailed. Maybe your attorney should advise you pe
rtaining proper court protocol. I’m doing the talking now and you are doing listening. Is that understood?”
Sasha nodded that she did indeed understand.
“Forgive the interruption, Judge.” The attorney fiddled with his ink pen, knowing that what was coming next was not going to go in his and his client’s favor. “It’s just my client has never been in trouble with the law before and has no knowledge of how the proper—”
“Please, sir. I have read all about your client’s history prior to taking the bench. I certainly don’t need a complete rundown of her personal history or lack of involvement with the law. I’m dealing with this case in front of me, nothing more and nothing less. Are we clear and done with all of the interruptions?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” The lawyer nodded, dropping his head from being verbally admonished.
“Thank you. Now, as I was saying, this court finds that the defendant, Sasha Lachelle Eubanks, chose to plead guilty. I have a strong suspicion that’s not the case and she is covering for someone else. But that was her choice. Now I have a choice to make as well. And the choice is Mrs. Eubanks will not be serving community service. She will not be placed on probation as her legal representation and our obviously very generous prosecutor’s office overzealously agreed upon. I think the punishment must fit her crime, and fit the crime it will.”
“What does he mean?” Sasha spoke out again before being swiftly hushed by her lawyer, allowing the judge to finish rendering his decision.
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