“I’ll try but it’s so hard.” Mariah closed her eyes and looked upward.
“It’s tough now, but things will get better. You don’t have to face this crisis alone. We’re here with you. Girl, we ain’t going nowhere,” Raquel informed Mariah.
The two friends sat vigil with Mariah.
The young women silently prayed that Rosemary would recover from her attack. They were also hoping that Carson and Michael would be able to find Cassie.
Mariah and her friends took turns visiting Rosemary. The women were ever conscious that Mariah’s grandmother was in for the fight of her life.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Carson and Michael had gone to several crack houses and had yet to find Cassie. Carson had called Mariah several times for updates on Rosemary’s condition.
“Let’s check a couple of more places. If we don’t have any luck, then I suggest we come back tomorrow,” Carson told Michael as the afternoon began rolling into the evening.
“Okay. I told a couple of my old buddies to keep an eye out for Cassie. Eventually someone will find her,” Michael agreed as his eyes scanned the streets.
“How you holding up? I’m sorry the police rode you so hard.” Carson glanced in his rearview mirror and changed lanes. He put on his turn signal.
“I’m good. I guess what happened is to be expected when you have a record. I am an ex-felon and I guess that tag will follow me the rest of my life.” Michael sighed.
“It will, but only if you let it. There are other tags you already and can wear. How about father, employee, friend, and son? Don’t get caught up in the negativity,” Carson informed Michael.
“That’s easy for you to say; you don’t have a record,” Michael glumly told Carson. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard of the car.
“You’re right, I don’t, but I have friends who did and they were able to turn their lives around. You are on the right track, just stay steady on course.” Carson made a left turn on a street.
“Man, I don’t know. I broke it off with Sonni last night. I had planned on resigning from the job and staying with my mom until I got my head together. Luckily you wouldn’t take no for an answer when we talked this morning. You just told me to take a few days off.” Michael didn’t look at Carson. He peeped in the rearview mirror.
“You went through a rough patch. Now, what possessed you to break up with Sonni? You didn’t mention that,” Carson said. He glanced at Michael. Then he looked at the road ahead of him.
“I been thinking a lot lately. I realized that I ain’t ever going to be able to measure up to what Sonni had and what she has accomplished. While I was wasting time doing stupid, she was doing her. The new Sonni has left me behind.”
“Did she tell you that? Or are you using that as a shield?’ “Carson threw in. “Relationships are hard. If the woman is worth it, you do what you gotta do. Mariah is not too pleased with me right now. She feels like I betrayed her.”
“Sometimes I think you just can’t please a woman, no matter how hard you try,” Michael complained. He shifted in the seat.
“Some women are harder to please than others. But again, if she’s worth having, then love and cherish her, and treat her like the queen she is,” Carson advised Michael.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re educated, have your own money and your own business.” Michael held up two fingers like quotation marks. “You’re what the sistas would call a keeper.”
“If you weren’t a keeper, do you think Sonni would have waited for you, and invited you to share her home? Don’t sell yourself short.” Carson turned, and headed south on another street.
“She probably only let me stay there because of Sasha. I tell you I’m going to miss my baby girl. She’s a good kid. I admit Sonni did a good job raising her.”
“She is. And, she needs you especially now. I’ve had many problems with my ex, and Mari hasn’t been happy about the situation. After Lola’s last stunt masterminding the robbery, I am considering petitioning the court for custody of the girls. When we began hanging out, Mari told me about her rule about not dating men with children. She didn’t have a problem with me having joint custody, but full custody is another ballgame. I don’t know how Mari is going to feel about that.”
“She’ll come around. Anyone with eyes could see you two are in love. I know I love Sonni, always have, since she was a skinny girl in the fifth grade. Shoot, she still skinny, but I love her, man. I just don’t think I’m good enough for her.” Michael dropped his head.
“Again, don’t sell yourself short. Sonni saw and felt something. It hasn’t gone away that quickly.”
Michael’s cell phone sounded. He clicked it on. “Sup, man. She where? Okay, me and my boy are going to go there now. Good lookout. Peace out.” He turned to Carson. “That was one of my associates. He said Cassie was seen going to a crack house near the back of the Garden a few hours ago. I know the place. Let’s go there now.” He gave Carson directions.
Ten minutes later they arrived to a dilapidated building. Carson parked the car.
Michael told Carson offhandedly, “I can go in myself. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. There’s no telling what we might see in there.”
“No, I’ll go with you,” Carson said. He turned the truck off.
The men exited Carson’s truck, walked to the door, and banged on it.
A man opened the door. His eyes lit up when he saw Michael. “Big Mike, whatcha doing here? I know you ain’t on that stuff.” He stepped aside so the men could enter the town house.
“Naw, man.” Michael squinted as his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the unlit room. “I’m looking for Mari’s mother, Cassie. You know Miss Rosemary’s daughter. Is she here?”
“Yeah, she came here a few hours ago. She upstairs in the back bedroom with her man Frog.” He pointed to the back of the house.
“Thanks, man.” Michael and Carson walked upstairs and to the second bedroom. The men burst into the room. Cassie and Frog had nodded out. Their bodies were slumped as they sat on the side of a dingy bedspread.
“Cassie,” Michael said. He repeated her name louder. Cassie didn’t respond. He walked to the bed and gently slapped her face.
“What?” Cassie asked with a glazed look on her face. She shielded her eyes with her hand and said, “Oh, you Sonni’s man. Whatcha doing here?”
“Your momma’s sick. She at the hospital. She asked Mari to find you and for you to come to the hospital.”
Cassie tried to stand up, but kept falling backward into the bed. It was a minute before she was finally able to sit erect. “Whatcha mean my momma sick? What’s wrong with her?”
“She had a heart attack. Miss Rosemary is very sick and she wants to see you. Can you pull yourself together enough so we can go?” Michael asked her.
“Who dat?” Cassie pointed at Carson accusingly. “He ain’t the law is he?”
“Naw, he a friend of Mari. You straight? Can you make it to the hospital?”
“Yeah, I gots to go see ’bout my momma.” She turned to Frog, and elbowed him until he came out of his stupor. “I gots to go,” she told the man. Her voice was slurred. “My momma sick. These dudes gonna take me to see her.”
Frog scratched the matted hair on the side of his head. “’Kay, handle yo’ business. You got some paper I can hold ’til you get back?” he looked up at Cassie and asked hopefully. His eyes were narrow slits and reddened.
“You crazy. I ain’t got nothing. I be back later.” Cassie stood up. She picked her jacket up off the floor and put it on. She staggered slightly as she followed Michael and Carson out of the room.
The three departed the crack house and walked to Carson’s truck. The men sat in the front seat and Cassie in the back. The stench from Cassie’s body was so horrendous that Carson and Michael immediately cracked their windows.
No one spoke as Carson drove. Carson glanced at the back seat through his rearview mirror. Cassie’s head lolled against th
e headrest. Spittle dripped from her mouth. She had nodded off.
Carson looked at Michael and glanced again in the rearview mirror. “I’m not trying to be funny or nothing, but I’m not sure about her going to the hospital like she is. She smells and looks a mess.”
“I hear you.” Michael threw up his hands slightly. “But what can we do? Miss Rosemary is critical. We don’t know what might happen. I think we should take her and hope for the best.”
“I don’t know if they will let her inside the emergency room looking like that. Why don’t we stop at my sister Tiffany’s house and try to clean her up? Tiffany is thin like Cassie. I’ll call Tiffany and tell her we’re coming.”
Michael nodded. “Hey you the boss. Whatever you say.”
Carson quickly activated his Bluetooth device and called Tiffany. She wasn’t crazy about the idea but agreed to Carson’s suggestion.
When they arrived at Tiffany’s apartment, the men roused Cassie. She was kicking and screaming. She finally calmed down when Carson told her he didn’t think the hospital personnel would allow her to see Rosemary if she didn’t bathe and change clothes.
Tiffany graciously showed Cassie to the bathroom. She laid a change of clothing for Cassie on her bed in her spare bedroom.
“If I were you,” Michael told Tiffany after Cassie was in the shower, “I’d remove any valuables before she gets to the bedroom. She’s a junkie, and she may take anything not glued down.”
A horrified expression crossed Tiffany’s face. “Carson, you know you owe me big time for this.” She folded her arms across her chest, and glared at her brother.
“I know, I got this.” Carson tried to pacify his sister. “Mari’s grandmother is critical and this is her only child. So Michael and I are doing what we can to adhere to Mari’s grandmother’s wishes.” Carson didn’t want to air Mariah’s secret about her grandmother being her mother to anyone.
Carson, Michael, and Tiffany watched the news. Finally they could hear Cassie exiting the bathroom. Tiffany hopped off the love seat and showed Cassie to the bedroom.
Forty minutes after they arrived at Tiffany’s house, the trio departed for the hospital. They stood at Tiffany’s front door.
Tiffany looked at Cassie and told her in a gentle tone of voice, “I’ll keep your mother in my prayers.”
“Thank you,” Cassie mumbled. “Can we go now?” she asked Carson. She put her trembling hands inside her jacket pockets.
“Tell Mari if she needs anything to let me know,” Tiffany informed Carson. She quickly hugged him good-bye.
“I will. I’ll talk to you later.” Several minutes later, Carson was on his way to St. Margaret-Mary Hospital.
Cassie fidgeted in the back seat the closer they got to the hospital. “So, is my momma going to be okay? I know heart attacks ain’t good. She didn’t have a bad one did she?” Cassie cut her eye at Carson.
“It was bad enough. You’ll see when we get there.” Carson pulled up in front of the emergency room entrance. “I should be back in about an hour. Tell Mari to call me if she needs me,” he informed Michael.
“I will,” Michael replied. He got out of the truck, and waited for Cassie to exit the truck.
Cassie suddenly looked frightened. Carson waved before he pulled away from the hospital entrance.
Michael and Cassie silently walked inside the hospital. Cassie trembled like a leaf in a strong wind as she walked by his side.
Carson was ticked off as he drove away from the hospital. Every time he thought about what his ex-wife had done, Carson became angry all over. He headed north on Calumet Avenue to Whiting.
Lola happened to be looking out her bedroom window of her condo, when she saw Carson pull into the parking lot. She was thrilled. She ran to her bedroom and hurriedly pulled off her sweat suit. Lola rushed and put on a sexy negligee. She tousled her hair as she walked to the door after the doorbell rang.
Lola took her time walking to the foyer to the intercom. She pressed a button and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Carson answered brusquely.
Lola pressed another button to allow Carson entry to the building. She waited for him by the door. Lola opened the door and smiled until she saw the cold look on Carson’s face.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as Carson pushed past her, and stalked into the apartment.
Carson walked to the middle of the living room and turned to face Lola.
She tried to hug her ex-husband, but Carson pushed her away. “Hmm.” Lola batted her eyes at Carson. “I know you’re still upset about the break-in. I was just so happy nothing happened to you. Thank God it happened at night. People are so crazy. They’ll break in your house during the day, while you’re there.” She gave Carson a knowing look. “It’s probably someone associated with your new girlfriend. I swear, Carson, I don’t know what you see in her,” Lola babbled nervously.
“Stop playing, Lola, I know what you did,” he said through gritted teeth. His hands folded into fists.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lola retorted. She stepped back. Her heart thudded rapidly in her chest.
“Cut the act. I know your cousin Javier was involved in the robbery. He’s probably already been picked up by the police. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s going to sing like a bird.” Carson enunciated each word carefully.
“I don’t care what Javier says, I was not involved. I’d be a fool to try something stupid like that. What reason would I have to pay someone to break into your office?” She cut her words off and put her hand over her mouth. “I can explain. . . .”
“Do tell,” Carson said furiously. He tapped his foot impatiently. He had never hit a woman or even wanted to. At that moment Lola tried his patience extremely.
“Mi amor, I did it for us. I hope you didn’t think I was going to stand by and let some other woman have you,” Lola yelled. “You’re mine and that’s never going to change. I should never have given you the divorce.” She shook her head violently.
“Lola, when will you get it through your head that you don’t own or have me? I am my own person.” Carson pointed his finger at his chest. “The marriage ran its course, and at the end life was a nightmare for both of us. The only good thing that came out of the marriage was Aaliyah and Ashanti. I will always take care of and be there for them. I suggest you call a criminal lawyer because Javier will give you up, especially if he can cut a deal. And, secondly, you’ll need to call your lawyer because I’m going to apply for full custody of the girls.”
“But, Carson, I love you,” Lola protested as she pulled at his arm. “I did it for us. I wanted you to open your eyes and see her for the person she is. She’s nothing, she’s from the gutter. The only thing that woman,” Lola said venomously, “has going for her is her daddy’s money. I have money too. Please, Carson, let us get back together for the girls. I need you and they do too.”
Carson pushed Lola away from him. “That woman, as you call Mariah, you’re not fit to wipe her feet. I wouldn’t get back with you if someone paid me a billion dollars. Why can’t you understand we’re over?” Carson made a slashing motion across his throat.
“No,” Lola shouted and stamped her foot. “I will never let you go.”
Her doorbell chimed. Lola ignored it. She continued trying to plead her case to Carson.
There was a loud banging at the front door. Lola ignored it, but the sounds continued. She cursed in Spanish, walked to the front door, and flung it open. Her face whitened when she saw who was on the other side. She tried to shield her half-naked body.
“Hello, Mrs. Palmer. My name is Officer Janokowski from the Hammond PD.” The detective flashed his badge. “This is my partner, Officer Linton,” he introduced the female officer. “I need to talk to you about the break-in that occurred at your ex-husband’s office. You might want to put on some clothes. Officer Linton will go with you.” He nodded at Carson.
Lola was knocked for a loop. Her hand fluttered to her c
hest. Her legs felt weak as overcooked spaghetti.
“It’s good to see you’re on the case.” Carson smiled. He looked at his ex-wife and said, “Think about what I said. I’ll talk to you later. Oh, I’ll pick the girls up from the afterschool program. You may be tied up for a while.” Then Carson departed the apartment.
When he returned to the truck, Carson’s body throbbed with anger at Lola’s audacity. He told himself to calm down as he headed to his daughter’s school. He decided to take them to his parents’ house and return to the hospital. Carson wondered how Mariah was coping with Cassie. He said a quick prayer and hoped all was going well and that Rosemary’s condition had improved.
Chapter Thirty-eight
At the hospital, Sonyell escorted Cassie back to Rosemary’s room. When Cassie entered the area and saw her mother lying in the bed, with tubes in her arms, and machines humming, her step faltered. Mariah was standing next to the bed holding Rosemary’s hand and talking to her softly.
Cassie thought she’d never seen her mother look so pale. She stood motionlessly near the door and watched the rise and fall of Rosemary’s chest to make sure she was still alive.
Cassie walked over to the bed and rudely bumped Mariah aside. “Momma,” she yelled in a scratchy voice. “Momma, can you hear me?” She ran her hands across the white sheet covering her mother’s body.
Mariah interrupted Cassie, and said firmly, “She needs her rest. Try not to disturb her.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Cassie’s chin shot up. “She’s my mother, not yours. She’s always concerned about you and your feelings. Can I just be with my mother for a minute without you telling me what to do?”
Mariah bit her lip. She wanted to tell Cassie to cut the crap, that she knew that Rosemary was her mother too. She realized now was not the time or place. “Sure, but try to be mindful of her condition. She had a bad attack. She’s not out of the woods yet.”
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