BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  * * *

  On the road towards Camp Daniels, Kevin, Marcus and Joseph rode with Shanna and Royce in her Cherokee Jeep, Ben drove Royce's truck, Mundo, Darren and Isaac riding with him so that each of them could get their own vehicles. Shanna would ride back with Royce, keeping Joseph with them and leave her Jeep behind. Kevin rode all the way sleeping, and had to be woken up when they left having fallen asleep in his grandmother's car. He wasn't saying much to anyone and when they arrived in Camp Daniel's, he didn't want to get out there either, ignoring everyone as they got out of the vehicles to go into Shanna's and Sylvia's home to use the bathroom, get their keys and then re-lock up the house. Not wishing to waste any time and wanting to get right back there, Mundo was back on the road in his Blazer - taking Isaac with him and Ben would take Darren, who was out cold. Marcus jumped into Ben's car and would be following Mundo, with Ben warning him, "Do not fuck around driving my car, get right back to the hospital."

  "I know I know, geez cuz - chill!" Marcus, unable to resist, leaned, slipped in a CD blasting it and drove off behind Mundo. Ben stood shaking his head, wondering what now was going on with Kevin? He'd offered to drive him to pick up his car, he only shook his head and climbed in with Shanna and Royce, who also would be heading right back after dropping him off at home where his vehicle was parked. So he'd immediately un-strapped the car seat from Royce's truck and transferred it to the SUV - strapping it into place securely while Darren slept on in the basement on the sofa. That done, he came back in, grabbed some finger foods for Darren in case he woke on the way back, placed them in his diaper bag. He also checked his diaper, changed him as he dozed on and off, and then loaded him up in the SUV, strapping him into his seat. As he walked around to his side of the vehicle, a car pulled up. He stood in the door of the Navigator and got it started, turning the air on and looked at Darren, he was right back to sound asleep. Satisfied that he was okay, he turned to the vehicle that pulled up and parked beside of him in the driveway. It was a white guy, blonde hair. When he opened his car door and stood outside of it, looking at him; Ben, instantly knew who he was, after all, Isaac looked just like him.

  They stared at each other a few moments, with Victor staring at him, trying to figure out who he was.

  Ben stepped out of the door and closed it so it would get cool inside the car, also, he didn't want him, Victor, to know that he had his son, he might try to get him, and that he was not going to let happen, Darren was with him, he was staying with him.

  "Can I help you?" Ben finally asked him.

  "Yeah ah, who are you?" Victor asked, looking from the house to Ben.

  "Ben."

  "Ben? Ben who?"

  "McPherson, how can I help you?"

  "McPherson? I see, where is everybody?"

  "Gone." Ben answered.

  "No shit, gone where? Where's Crystal, you know Crystal?"

  "Yes, I know Crystal - she's gone as well."

  "What the fuck man!" Victor exclaimed in frustration, "Are they back from California or not?"

  "Yes, we're back from California - but there's a family matter going on that we all had to attend."

  "You went to California with them?"

  "Yes, I did."

  "So like, who are you? I mean, other than a McPherson, what have you to do with Shawn, why are you in his SUV?"

  "He's my father - I came here to get it for him."

  "He's - your father?"

  "Yes. Look - while I can think of nothing better to do, than stand here and shoot the shit with you, as you can see, I'm on my way out, so ah, we'll have to do this another time."

  "Wait up, where are they? Where's Crystal?"

  "She's with the family."

  "Where - with the family? I need to know - quit fuckin' around with me dude!"

  "I'm not your dude okay, and as for the rest; that's privileged information I haven't been given permission to give. You'll have to wait for her to contact you."

  "So what the fuck is going on, she playing games with me or what?"

  "How the hell am I supposed to know what she's doing, no doubt chilling after you fucked her over."

  "You don't know what the hell you're talking about, it's none of your fuckin' business - so stay out of it."

  "Yeah, well - I'll tell her you dropped by, if I see her - and - if I remember."

  "Hey! When are they coming back here?"

  "Not sure, like I said, if I see her, if I remember, I'll tell'er you came by."

  "Hey-..."

  Ben had the door open about to climb in, "Name's Ben, not hey!"

  "You livin' here or something?"

  "What's it to you?" Ben asked, one foot up in the vehicle, one hand on the stirring wheel - the other on the door.

  "My wife's livin' here, that's what!"

  Ben smiled, "Yes, I know. Later." He got in, closed the door, locked it, backing out, he smiled at Victor, winked and reversed out of the drive, correcting the SUV, he pulled off.

  "Fuck this!" Victor jumped in his car and quickly backed out, corrected his car around and decided to follow Ben.

  Checking his rear view mirror, Ben shook his head, smiling, he kept driving. "You wanna follow me, huh asshole, be my guest." Ben stayed on the road, checking Darren who was still sleeping; he jumped on the interstate.

  Chapter 273

  Hours later, Madison, University Hospital...

  Jake and Paul were back at the hospital, sitting in disbelief as Vivian filled them in on all that had happened, Shawn2 was with them. They were in the hospital cafeteria, eating as she gave a detail by detail account. They would eat, then take sandwiches, coffee and other beverages back up with them. Letté and family were still there, part in the room with Meribel, part in the cafeteria getting something to eat, the others gone for a hotel; and Carmine, to all of their surprise, walked back into the hospital and gave himself up to the police and was taken away to the station and booked for murder. Everyone there, the McPhersons that is, secretly hoped he would get away and just disappear, but for some reason they didn't understand, he showed up to go back to jail - and as all knew, no doubt he would get life. This Vivian also told Jake. Derrick was still asleep, his mother and lil'Luis was with him. Bart, Carlos, Derrick Jr and Esperanza went to the Holiday Inn where Shawn and Sylvia were staying, booking themselves a room. Crystal, Angela and Lucy was in Sasha's room, getting to know Crystal and Angela while they kept her company.

  Jake could only shake his head, staring into Shawn2's eyes as he ate. "You okay boy?"

  He nodded, still eating, "I just want my mom to wake up." He looked up at Jake, "She's not gonna be in a wheel chair is she? I mean, I want her back the way she was."

  "We all do Shawn."

  "I'm glad that lady's dead - I hope my uncle gets away and they never find him."

  "Yeah, me too." Jake murmured, looking back at Vivian, "So how's Shawn?"

  "He hasn't come back yet, I imagine they're waiting for Derrick to wake up. You know, he really loves you all - but you guys have really worked him over, I bet that attack hurt his heart more than his body." Vivian spoke her thoughts from what she'd observed so far.

  Jake said nothing, just gazed at her, and slumped back sighing. Paul and Shawn2 were done eating, and stood clearing the table; taking their trays to get what they would take back up stairs. Vivian stared at Jake, waiting for him to get up as well, instead he stared at her longer and finally, in a lazy, but firm voice said, "You and I, we need to make a quick exit for a bit."

  Vivian's eyes got big, "An exit? For what?"

  "You know what."

  "Jake, under the circumstances, I think that can wait."

  "Me screwing you or not, is not gonna change a thing. What is, is and will continue to be, you and I, we're taking a ride. We going to my brother's house, or we gettin' a room? Which one?"

  "I cannot believe you! Meribel is unconscious, all broken, has just miscarried, that lady killed, Derrick's knocked out, Shawn beat up, people gettin' arrested-..."r />
  "And in the midst of it all, I'll be knocking you up. My brother's house or a hotel? Which? Or the truck? There's a lot of parks around."

  Vivian sat with her mouth open staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.

  * * *

  Derrick was waking up, groggy, feeling doped, but he was coming around. Gert stood, walking up to him, stroking his brow, "Son, how you feeling?"

  He groaned a bit, his eyes slowly opening, he began looking around as if trying to understand where he was and what was going on. "You want something to drink?"

  He looked at his mother as if she spoke to him in another language. Gert went to the rolling tray, poured him fresh water from the hospital pitcher and brought it to him, he slowly rose, sitting up and turning for his legs to hang over the side of the bed.

  The doctor that gave him the shot walked in as he was drinking, "Ah, so he's awake. How you feeling big guy?" He asked.

  Derrick finished the water, wanting more, which was quickly given. They patiently waited as he drank, when he had his fill he looked at the doctor, "My wife?"

  "The same. Which is - good news really - no fever, which means, no infection. She's still out, because I want her to heal up a bit more before we let her come fully to. Now, I'm thinking, as for you. A quick visit to her, then - this is doctors orders, you go out, shower, shave, eat - take a long deep breath, come on back - doctors orders."

  Derrick sat quiet, gave a very slight nod, stood from the bed and left the room going to his wife's room again. When he walked in, to see Letté there, he looked down to the floor, as if ashamed to look at her. "Feeling better Miho?" She asked gently.

  He nodded, walking up to the bed where his wife lay still. Without warning, he laid down carefully upon her, hugging her carefully, his face buried in her neck. He stayed in that position for so long they wondered if he'd fallen asleep there. He hadn't - he just didn't want to move, finally he turned his face to her, kissing her cheek, whispering hoarsely, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, please believe me, I'm so sorry." He stood looking back at Letté, "Please stay with her until I get back, please? I just wanna shower, shave, get something to eat."

  "Miho, you don't even have to ask, go Miho, take care of yourself, I'm not going anywhere."

  Gert talked her son into going to the hotel instead of all the way home. While she transported him, she phoned Shanna to see where she was and found that she was at Derrick's house, already getting him some clothes to bring to the hospital just in case he wanted to shower there and change. She had her bring them to the hotel where they were now staying and gave her their room number. By the time Shanna, Royce and Joseph showed up, and walked into her mother's room, it was to see Derrick naked to the waist, wearing only a bath towel, holding onto Shawn in a tight hug, both of them in tears. He held his older brother and wouldn't let go, "Forgive me, I would never hurt you Shawn, not you - Godalmighty, not you - I just - I was-..."

  Choking down the lump in his throat, Shawn held Derrick just as tightly, "I know man, I know - we're gonna be okay, right? Long as we stick together, come on now - you need to get dressed, get yourself something to eat."

  Derrick nodded, but was reluctant to let him go, sniffing, he backed off. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Shanna wiped at her tears, handing the overnight bag she packed with his things to him. "You better get yourself dressed."

  Taking it, he disappeared back into his parents bathroom and did just that.

  Shawn stood smiling at his wife, who sat next to Gert on the bed, his father was gazing out of the room window with Joseph standing before him there. "How about I go, get something to eat for everyone? We can all eat here, and then head back to the hospital?"

  All agreed, Sylvia rose to go with him and bring back food for all there.

  By the time they returned, Mundo was there with Isaac - he'd obviously taken a few detours, not coming right back. But Isaac was not hungry because Mundo had gotten him something to eat while they were out and about. Marcus also showed up, parking Ben's car in the parking lot next to Mundo, he too had taken a detour, making his rounds before bringing the car back. Derrick Jr. was the next to show his face, he'd checked in, took a nap, showered, changed and was there by the time his father dressed and rejoined everyone. By the time Shawn and Sylvia returned with food, the room was full and all were talking, telling Derrick about what happened to Margaret at Carmine's hands. He didn't give much of a reaction, and Shawn had a feeling, it brought him further down, instead of up. Because he had to face that someone else, his wife's brother, had seen to something that he felt had been his responsibility.

  Realizing all who might be there, they brought back lots of food, making sure that everyone could eat if they wanted to. The last to roll in, was Ben and Darren. He was wide awake now, laughing and running down the hall towards their rooms with Ben running behind him, growling like a bear that was going to eat him. He laughed and squealed and almost ran past the room where everyone was with the door open. Because he was so nosy, he stopped running, backed up with big eyes peering in to see that he knew most inside. He spotted his grandma, Sylvia, laughed and ran to her. She scooped him up, hugging and kissing him.

  Ben walked in with Shawn's keys to the SUV, shaking them in the air and then gesturing to toss them to him, did so when he held his hands up to catch them. Ben tossed them saying, "Sorry I'm back so late, but - had to make a bit of a detour, take a few scenic routes, double back, sneak through a light, and I'm here."

  "What?!" Mundo asked, laughing.

  "Put it this way, when someone volunteers themselves to act stupid, I have to make sure they feel stupid."

  Sylvia and Shawn looked at each and then back at Ben, "What are you talking about?" Sylvia asked.

  Ben blushed, "I'll tell you about it later, just in case you wanna scold me."

  That made Shawn look up from his plate, "Now, we're curious, why would my wife want to scold you?"

  Ben shrugged, scratched his head, grinned looking bashful or like a little boy who might be forced to confess his sin. Grinning, Mundo pointed towards the door, "Let's go, I gots to hear this, I ain't gone scold you."

  "Where ya'll goin'? Come back here!" Sylvia ordered laughing, looking at Shawn, "What you think he did?"

  "Baby, we have enough on our plate, long as he hasn't wrecked my SUV, or set our house on fire, more power to him."

  A few moments later, they heard Mundo laughing hard and long out in the corridor, followed by, "Ah man, no way! You too trippin' - you wrong dawg, you wrong! I like it, it's funny, but you wrong - you gone have me up all night laughin' 'bout that shit man, aaah dawg, got me cryin'! Can't believe he followed you a-a-all the way!"

  * * *

  Interstate 90/94

  Victor couldn't think of a time when he'd been so angry. Having to drive all the way back from a small town past and west of Madison - because he'd lost track of Ben, and how, he wasn't sure. He'd gotten caught at a light, then took off to try and find him again, and just like that, gone, he'd disappeared from sight. No matter how many roads, twists and turns he made, he found no trace of him. He'd been so mad, he tried to call Crystal again, and her phone was still turned off.

  The question that plagued his mind as he endured the almost three hour journey back home, was, how close had this Ben McPherson gotten to his wife? Was he living with them? How old was he? Was he after her? How long had she known him? Was he the reason she was able to take off with them, when she had never been able to stand being away from him for long? Now all of a sudden, her phone was no longer on, for him to reach her. All of this time, she hadn't tried to reach him, once.

  "You're still my fuckin' wife! You fuckin' better not be cheating on me man, you fuckin' better not! Not after all I've done for you! I left my mother's house, for you! Got this house, for you! Working a second job, for you! And you think you're gonna make a fool out of me?" He drove on, getting madder by the moment, "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" He shouted, shaking the wheel of his car. He couldn't believ
e that everything was going so wrong between them. If he could just get a hold of her, to talk to her, he could fix this, he could make it right. But if he couldn't get a hold of her, he felt his control over her, slowly, but surely slipping away and the idea of it was driving him crazy.

  By the time he made it home, pulling into his drive, he noticed his front door open.

  Pissed, he stomped up on the porch and slammed into his house. "What the fuck are you still doing here?!" He demanded of Omiyah.

  "I was, I was cooking you something to eat."

  "You're supposed to be gone! I told you, last night was it! You were not to be around today, and that's the end of it."

  "You said that before, and you let me back."

  "Omiyah, what is your fuckin' malfunction man? Why don't you fuckin' get it? I don't want you! It's only about the sex! It's always been nothing but sex! Why the fuck are you stickin' to me? All the guys out there you've done, why me?"

  "If you don't want me, why when I come to you, you open the door and let me in?"

  "Bored maybe? Nothing else to do! Horny as hell? You're here, so I don't have to jack-off, do I?"

  "I haven't heard from Crystal, none of us have. She's not around Victor. You're pushing me away because you think you still have her, but you don't. I know you don't. I know Crystal, she used to be so much in love with you, why don't you face it, she doesn't love you anymore. You talk about me being in denial, so are you! I'm here, right here, right now! Forget her, because I can tell you now, she's forgotten all about you and moving on."

  Victor stood hearing those words and his heart reacted to it, he countered her words with what he knew, "You're so wrong. For your information, she's been out of town to California with her family. She's back now, and soon, she'll be back here. Which means for you, time is up. I haven't lied to you. I haven't bullshitted with you. You know where I stand, you always have. This is it. This is final. You have to go, and Omiyah, don't come back again, I mean it." He went to the door opening it for her.