by Cydney Rax
“She has? What’s wrong? You need me to stay—”
“Oh, no. No! It’s not that serious. I-I will feed her. I’ve already sang to her—”
“That’s what probably made her agitated.”
Normally Nicole would tease Rashad back about how he couldn’t sing, but she hardly felt like joking.
It grew quiet. A sharp thud could be heard.
“What was that?” Nicole asked, almost in a panic.
“Sounds like it came from above us,” Rashad answered. “You want me to go check it out?”
“ No. ”
“You sure?”
“Rashad, don’t be silly. I’m tripping. It’s probably some type of, um, squirrel on the roof again.”
Another thud sounded.
“Can you please go outside? Please, Rashad, go outside right now and look; go see if anything is on the roof. I won’t feel safe until you go outside. So go. Now!”
“You sure are acting scared. Afraid of a little harmless squirrel.”
“They got sharp teeth, though. And they’re just . . . scary.”
“If it’s on the roof it can’t hurt you.”
“Go look anyway. Please?”
Her vision was so blurry she nearly bumped into a wall as she followed Rashad and made sure he stepped outside.
She immediately closed and locked the back door behind him.
“I can’t take this. This is too much.”
A bright light went off in her head. Her mind’s eye showed her the last place she saw Rashad’s toolbox. She raced to a hall closet and grabbed it before he could get back into the house. She went outside and met him in the backyard.
“Nicky, I don’t see anything.”
“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’m sure it was nothing. Anyway, look what I found. Here you go. See you later. I’ve already gotten started on brunch and I can finish it and have it nice and ready for you when you get back home.”
They walked side by side to the front of the house. Her leg nervously shook as she stood in the driveway and watched Rashad get in his van and put it in reverse. She refused to go back inside until she could no longer see his van.
Nicole went into the house. She locked the door behind her then stood in the foyer and cried for five minutes.
“I dodged a bullet. And I guess this is karma or karma’s cousin,” she finally said to herself before leaving the foyer and going to get Ajalon and make him leave her home. “But that chick is not welcome in my house.”
Chapter 15
Meet Me in the Park
The next time Nicole saw Ajalon was the next Saturday morning in August. She placed Emmy in her fancy stroller and began walking down the street. A neighborhood park was two blocks away. The weather was sunny and beautiful. It was the perfect day to get out of the house.
By the time Nicole reached the park, she felt someone come up behind her. A hand tugged at her elbow. She swung around, her heart beating wildly inside her chest.
A strange man wearing a dark colored hoodie was reaching for her purse and trying to rip it from her shoulders.
“No!” she screamed.
Before she knew it, Ajalon jumped on the man and threw him to the ground. They wrestled for several minutes. Ajalon pulled back his arm and socked the man in his jaw over and over. Blood spurted from the shocked man’s mouth and he begged to be let go.
Ajalon stood up, sweating and looking wild with anger.
The attempted robber fled the scene and glanced behind him to make sure he wasn’t being pursued.
“He scared me to death and tried this in front of my little baby.” Nicole found the nearest wooden bench and sat down. Feeling dazed, she didn’t say a word when Ajalon sat next to her. He scooted close beside her. He grabbed her hand, lifted it and kissed it.
She sat next to him and kept wiping her watery eyes.
He let her cry for a couple of minutes then used her phone to call the police. “Don’t cry anymore. He can’t hurt you now.”
“I know. He could have killed me and Emmy. Thank you for saving me.”
“That’s my job.”
“But to be honest, I’m sitting here thinking about what just happened plus everything else that’s going on in my life. I thought I would be happy, but I’ve been stressed as fuck lately.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Sometimes I wonder if I have post-partum depression.”
“Did you act like this before I came into town?”
“Um, no.”
He gave her a sad look.
“But I don’t think it’s all your fault. I think it’s just life in general. So much has happened. Some good, some bad. It just gets to me, that’s all.”
She poured out her heart to her ex and soon calmed down.
“My life is so busy. I rarely have any free time to myself anymore. I love it but I’m still adjusting. And then my man seems to leave me alone to handle things I’ve never done before. It’s a lot to deal with.”
Ajalon nodded and firmly held her hand as he listened.
“I guess I just needed to vent. But still, you being out here on the streets next to me feels crazy. What the hell are you doing in Houston? I-I—”
“Shhh, no one can stop fate. It’s meant to be.”
“But—”
“The day I got discharged from the pen, I went to look for you. But I had to go see my peoples and get the money to do this trip to come see you. It took a whole month. I was sweating like a mass murderer on the run. I didn’t want too much time to pass and I end up missing you. So after I got my funds together and closed up some loose ends, I made my way to downtown Birmingham on North Nineteenth street. I bought a bus ticket; but it was storming like hell. Raining like Noah was about to build a brand new ark. But by the time the bus left the Tragic City at two-ten in the morning, the thunder had stopped, the lightning was gone. It was peaceful and calm. And later that morning as we pulled out of Jackson, Mississippi, the sky was blue and crystal clear. The rest of the trip we had lots of sweet sunshine and no road breakdowns. I took it as a sign that it was all right to make this journey. And fifteen and a half hours later, there I was in the same city again as my girl.”
“Ajalon, good weather isn’t enough for me to sit up and tell you, yes, we’re meant to be together. I need a lot more than that to be convinced.”
“I need your help and obviously you need mine, too. How can you be safe when the one who you say loves you is always gone? How can he protect you when he’s never around?”
“Rashad went through some financial difficulties and he has to work,” she said, agitated.
“No one has to work that much.”
“He does. Divorce costs a lot. So does child support. And he has to make back money that he’s lost.”
“Ah, so he does have another lady.”
“Why am I telling you this? Anyway, I think working takes his mind off things. That’s why I gotta hold it down for him at the crib.”
“Okay. Being with Rashad is wearing you out. I see the tiredness in your eyes. Love shouldn’t be so stressful. If you were with me, it wouldn’t feel like work.”
She listened and said nothing.
“Bella, it’s getting hard out here. I have been sleeping in cars—”
“You what?”
“Yes, ever since I got here, my address is an unlocked car on a forgotten part of the street. I’ve been lucky so far, but what if that luck runs out? I need a place to stay. I want to get back in school. My funds have run out and I need a job. Can you help me out?”
“Wait a minute. Your decision to come here shouldn’t involve me. Do I look like a leasing agent, a college counselor, or the unemployment office? When I left you, Ajalon, it was over. Now it seems like you’re dragging me back into your life.”
“I need you.”
She stood up. “This is where all this needing me stuff stops because you’re starting to stress me the fuck out.”
He stood up, too.
“Are you sure about what you’re telling me? That I have no right to need you? Have you forgotten that if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be living such a nice royal life?”
“Ajalon, I don’t wanna hear it.”
“Because when we were together, you could have had a run-in with the cops just like me. You could be a felon, just like me. Then you’d have no nice house. No pretty baby. No working man. You’d be like me . . . hoping that someone, anybody, would help you.”
He told her how he came this close to robbing a Houston homeless woman after he saw her counting the cash she collected that day.
That did it. She couldn’t let him return to a criminal life.
Nicole promised that she’d help him and told him she’d call him via cell and that he shouldn’t pop up at her house anymore. They departed and she thanked him again for possibly saving her life.
That day Nicole immediately placed some calls. By the end of the week, she had Ajalon set up in some temporary housing. With her assistance, he was able to sign a three-month lease for a reasonable rate. She funded the entire expense and he promised to repay her.
During Nicole’s lunch break at work, she submitted online applications for Ajalon and she snuck and created him a professional looking résumé.
On the evening that he moved into his new modestly furnished place, she and Ajalon developed a pattern.
After Nicole laid Emmy down in her crib, if Rashad came straight home, she fussed over him and made sure he had a good meal. Then she told him that she was going to walk on the trails at the park near their house. It was still light outside. She got dressed in her biker shorts and halter top and drove away in her Mustang.
But instead of going to the closest park, she ended up driving a few miles away to Arthur Storey Park, located right off of the Sam Houston Parkway.
Nicole parked her car and began a power walk around the nearly two-mile-long track. A few minutes later, Ajalon, who caught the bus from his apartment, also got on the track and hiked a close distance behind her.
Nicole started out scrutinizing all the bikers, joggers, and children at the park. She hoped no one recognized her, and they didn’t. It would take her an hour to complete the walk. That was plenty of time for her to do everything she needed to do.
After a while, she passed by her marker, a retention pond filled with ducks and frogs. She hung around and listened for certain sounds behind her.
“I’m here. It’s me,” he said loud enough for her to hear.
“Okay,” she told him without turning her back.
“What you got for me?”
“I will place it on the next park bench.”
“How much?”
“Two hundred.”
“Word? Thanks.”
Nicole resumed walking. She heard Ajalon behind her. She smiled as she imagined the view her ex was getting of her juicy plump ass. She got wet just thinking about it. But more than anything she wanted to be very conscious of her surroundings. She paced herself and eyeballed any person who caught up with her. After they passed by and when it was clear that only she and Ajalon were again alone on the trail, she spoke up again.
“You still there?”
“You know I am.”
“I think I have a gig for you.”
“What is it?”
“First of all, none of the leads that I’ve tried so far have worked out. No openings. They either just hired other people and have no more jobs, or the requirements are out of your league, and so on.”
“Okay, so what do you have for me instead?”
“I’m kind of leery because I don’t want anything to go wrong, but I’ve given it some thought and I think you can handle it.”
“And?”
“You can work for my guy.”
“Your guy? Are you crazy? Why would I do that?”
“It’s quick money. And it’s tax free.”
“Why?”
“From time to time, he pays for manual labor under the table.”
“How much? What would I be doing?”
“You’d do whatever he tells you to do. I don’t know how much it pays. But I’m sure it’s better than zero dollars and no cents.”
“You are one crazy lady. I mean that in more ways than one.”
“I am crazy,” she yelled behind her. “Just like you.”
They continued to argue back and forth as they walked.
“I am not feeling this type of setup,” Ajalon protested.
“It would only be until something better pops up. You already have bills and you need to make your own cash. And as long as you’re very careful, you should be able to handle this. It’s just temporary.”
Nicole saw an empty bench and sat down. She discreetly placed an envelope with the money on the seat. He sat right next to her. And she hopped right up. He grabbed the envelope and stashed it in his pocket.
And they continued this routine that they kept several times a week through the end of August.
Nicole would work all day and think about Ajalon. She wondered if he was okay. She’d rush home and see the nanny off. She’d cook dinner and wait till Rashad got home. He’d eat and tell her he loved her cooking but he didn’t understand why she suddenly starting making more fattening foods. He’d urge her to lose some of her baby weight and said walking would help. He offered to watch Emmy and do the dishes. Nicole would thank Rashad for being so supportive and understanding.
Because of Rashad’s helpfulness, Nicole and Ajalon were able to talk and bond and see each other on a regular basis.
A week later, they texted each other and planned to meet again. But instead of arriving at the park and waiting for Nicole to start off first so he could follow her, on this particular night Ajalon walked straight up to her car as she got out.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Are you crazy? You can’t be seen talking to me. My guy knows a lot of people and they will go back and tell him whatever they notice. Get away from me. I will walk and you follow.”
“If they notice everything, they will notice that we are always at this park yelling at each other like two crazy people.”
“It’s safer for us to yell at each other than it is for me to have long conversations with you on my cell phone. Why leave a paper trail? And right now, I don’t want to talk to you. I can’t take any chances of being seen with you, Ajalon. Bye.”
Nicole broke out into a sprint. Her heart rate increased immediately. Ajalon was so dangerous. She felt like being involved with her ex would bring much trouble to her life. But she also felt responsible for him. It had always been that way.
After a while, Nicole slowed her pace. She walked slowly so she could catch her breath. She listened for the sound of his footsteps.
“Are you there?” she said aloud when she heard the pitter-patter of feet.
“I’m here,” said a voice. Within seconds Rashad stepped in place next to her.
“Ahhh,” she screamed and grabbed her chest. “You scared the living shit out of me. What are you doing here, Rashad?”
She was tempted to turn around and look for Ajalon, but she was way too frightened.
“I happened to be driving by.”
“What do you mean you happened to be driving by? Where’s Emmy?”
“The nanny is there with her.”
“Oh, Rashad. That’s crazy. I-I wish you would have told me about this. We’ve never had the nanny over at the house in the evening.”
“I asked her to come by. Told her it was an emergency. That I’d pay her extra. She said okay.”
Nicole froze. “And so how did you find me way over here?”
“Why would you say it like that? I was out and about due to an emergency. I was going down the feeder road after I went to Home Depot. And I saw your car. I’d know it anywhere. I felt so proud of you and your commitment to working out. So I thought I’d surprise my baby.”
“You surprised me all right.” She paused. “Look at
you. You’re not even wearing the right clothes or shoes.”
“My body doesn’t know that, though. I need to exercise just like you do.”
Oh, shit, she thought, he picked a fine time to think about his health.
“Rashad, that’s nice that you want to walk, but I think you should go back right now. I don’t want Emmy around the nanny at night.”
“What are you talking about? She’s with her all day. So why would this time be any different?”
“I don’t know. Doesn’t she have her own family? I’d think that she’d want a break and time to be with her own kids.”
“There you go. Thinking about others before your own needs. But don’t worry. Emmy is in good hands. It was a quick emergency, that’s all.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
As Nicole sped up her pace, a wad of cash fell from Nicole’s pocket. She was too worried to notice anything except Rashad.
Ajalon had been behind them all that time. He waited until they walked ahead a few paces. He discreetly swept the money into his hand and stuffed it in his pocket.
Ajalon turned around and started jogging in the reverse direction.
“Nicky,” Rashad said, “why did you come here instead of the park near the house?”
“I dunno. No special reason.”
“Well, you need to let me know which park you’re going to in case something ever goes down. I’ll be thinking you around the corner and you’re not . . . unless you want some privacy . . . ?”
“No, nothing like that. I just enjoy this atmosphere. It’s um, very relaxing out here.”
Rashad took a look around and saw some sexy looking women running past them. “You’re right about that.”
Nicole allowed Rashad to walk with her for another two hundred yards. Then she told him she felt sick. She began running in the opposite direction. She felt around in her pocket for the money she was going to give her ex.
“Oh, shit.”
When she searched the trail on the way back to her car, she never did see Ajalon. She could only hope that he got the money that she wanted him to have.
Chapter 16
Boss Man
It was almost six-thirty in the morning, a Tuesday morning during the second week of September. The air was unseasonably cool and the sun’s brilliant face was hidden by the cloud-filled sky. Rashad had left the house and was driving up to the spot where the day workers gathered outside a Home Depot. It was a sad scene due to all the unemployed men desperate for work. Most of the men struggled to speak English. They were hard workers but Rashad hated the language barrier. He didn’t trust anyone that couldn’t speak his language.