Crazy Summer

by Cole Hart

  “I’m through wit’ it,” he hollered and never turned back.

  After a five-minute walk through a few alleys, he was at the back door of Mrs. Diane’s apartment. He knocked three times before someone answered. The door slightly parted, and Summer’s face appeared. The twins were behind her. Big Will stood frozen, unable to say a word. He tried looking past her to see the boys, but the beautiful young lady who stood before him made him nervous. His eyes darted from her to the boys. A passing car blew a horn, but it didn’t distract him.

  Finally, he asked in jittery voice, “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Summer stared at him fiercely for a moment. The twins hadn’t said a word; they knew their mother was about to explode.

  “For what reason?” she asked politely. Her face expression didn’t change. She held her breath because the night air blew his odor straight up her nostrils.

  “About the boys. I’ve been tryin’ to help them as much as possible,” he said. “I wanna admit myself into rehab, but I need a shower and a change of clothes.”

  The twins’ faces lit up in surprise.

  “Let him in, Mama,” Jermaine said.

  She turned and looked at him, but not a word was said. Remembering that exact same look as a child, he bit his bottom lip and kept quiet. Summer turned back toward Big Will.

  “Look,” he said, “I don’t wanna cause no problems for nobody…”

  “Is that right?” Those three words sounded poisonous. “I’ma give you thirty minutes.”

  She walked off and left the three standing there. Big Will came into the kitchen, and Jeremy closed the door.

  “How long the rehab thang gonna take?” Jermaine asked.

  Big Will shrugged. “It all depends,” he replied. “I’ve been to two already. I can come home after the first thirty days.” He paused and took a long deep breath, glancing from one twin to the other. “I have a purpose in life now. This isn’t the example I wanna set for y’all.”

  “Man, if you got off da’ shit, Mama won’t be trippin’.”

  Big Will took a seat at the kitchen table; his athletic feet were driving him crazy. He kicked off his left shoe and scratched between his toes.

  “Any foot cream?” he asked.

  “Come upstairs so you can get ready.”

  Big Will scratched fiercely one more time before putting his shoe back on. He followed the twins upstairs. While Big Will showered, Summer was downstairs in the living room with her mother. She looked so peaceful lying there, but all of a sudden, something seemed wrong. Mrs. Diane’s body jumped as if a sharp pain had just hit her. Summer’s eyes widened as she placed a hand on each of her shoulders.

  “Mama!” she screamed.

  When Mrs. Diane jumped again, Summer called out to the twins, and they came to the top of the stairs.

  “What’s wrong?” one of them asked.

  “Call an ambulance! Hurry up.” Her eyes became teary.

  Big Will was out the shower, with soap still behind his ears and a burgundy towel wrapped around his waist. He rushed down the stairs toward Summer and Mrs. Diane, who was letting a whimper out. Tears flooded Summer’s face as she held her mother in her arms.

  “Let me see,” Big Will demanded. He looked around. “Cut the lights on and get me some cold ice water.”

  Summer gave him a blank look; she was paralyzed.

  “Get the water!” he screamed.

  As she ran toward the kitchen, Big Will checked her pulse.

  “The ambulance is on the way,” Jermaine shouted.

  Big Will ripped open her floral gown, exposing her breasts. He pressed down on her chest two hard times. Mrs. Diane’s eyes opened wide, but her body continued to jump. He pressed again. By now, Summer was back with a pitcher of cold ice water.

  “What to do?” She was in tears even more now.

  “Wipe her face. Try to keep her as cool as possible. Get her neck, too.”

  In less than seven minutes, the paramedics were coming through the door with a stretcher. The red and white lights flashed through the windows. They carefully loaded Mrs. Diane on the gurney. Summer would ride in the rear of the ambulance. Jermaine volunteered to go with Summer. His brother stayed at the apartment with Lil’ Danté and Alisa. Jeremy had given Big Will two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, and some three-month-old Air Force One’s. Four pairs of boxer briers were in a plastic grocery bag.

  Silence filled the house, and Jeremy sniffled at the kitchen table while staring into nowhere. Big Will stood behind him, his hand on the shoulder of his son.

  “Everything’s gonna be alright,” he leaned down and whispered in his ear.

  “I don’t want anything to happen to Grandma.”

  “She’s gonna be alright. I’m telling you.” He didn’t really know this for a fact, but he hoped God had answered his prayers.

  Being that M.C.G. was the closest hospital, and probably the best one around, that’s where she was taken. They arrived there within minutes. The medics hurried Mrs. Diane into ICU. Summer and Jermaine had to wait in a spacious waiting room. The chairs were comfortable, and the music that echoed from the hidden speakers was boring. The Fresh Prince of Belair was on the tube. Jermaine had seen the episode before, so he wasn’t interested. He sat next to Summer and threw his arm around her shoulders.

  “You alright?” he asked her.

  She stared straight ahead, her eyes puffy and red. With her arms folded across her chest, she rested her head on her son’s shoulder.

  “It’s jus’ so much shit goin’ on right now.”

  “I know,” he said. “But, I believe Grandma’s gonna be alright.” He took a long breath. “You think Big Will helped her?”

  There was a short silence before she responded.

  “I guess he knew what he was doing.”

  “You don’t really like him, do you?”

  “I don’t––” She caught herself. She was about to say she didn’t know him, which she didn’t, but that was something she’d keep to herself…at least for now anyway.

  “What were you about to say?”

  She paused briefly. “Nothing.”

  A doctor walked into the waiting room, and every family there waited to see who he was looking for. The doctor scanned the room.

  “The Walker Family,” he said politely.

  Summer glanced back at the television, while Jermaine stood up and walked toward the doctor.

  “What about Diane McKey?” he asked, interrupting the family that was talking to the doctor.

  Summer rose to her feet, as well, and walked up behind her son. She gripped him by his arm and pulled him away from the family and the doctor. Then another doctor entered. He paused in the doorway briefly. He looked young and scanned eagerly from behind a pair of bifocal glasses. Summer caught his stare. He smiled.

  “Mrs. McKey?” A slight bow came after his words.

  Summer approached him and shook his hand. She tried to conceal her worry, but it showed in her eyes.

  Noticing it, he said in a very calm voice, “She’s gonna be alright.”

  Summer could’ve melted. Her heart eased within seconds.

  “Can we see her?” she asked.

  “She’s resting now,” he said. “But, sure. Follow me.”

  He turned and walked through the door with Summer and Jermaine right behind him. He led them to a room in the intensive care unit.

  Mrs. Diane was hooked up to several machines, including a heart monitor. Summer covered her mouth with both hands, then turned to the comfort of her son’s arms. The doctor told her that they would keep her for a while to run more tests. He also informed her if she wouldn’t have come when she did, they might have lost her.

  She thought of the deed Big Will had done, and that thought lingered heavily in the back of her mind.

  Chapter 23

  When Summer got back to the project the next morning, she actually noticed her surroundings. There wasn’t anything there for her. She definitely wan
ted a better life for her kids. She’d had about seven thousand dollars stacked up from working while in the halfway house, and there were several things running through her head, a majority of them involving illegal ways to make money. She tried hard to push those thoughts away, but she had four kids that she needed to take care of. She shook her head in disgust and took a deep breath.

  “You alright, miss?” the cab driver asked, staring at her through the rearview mirror.

  Her eyes caught a glimpse of him in the mirror. “I’m okay,” she finally said.

  “Looks like you’re worried about something.”

  The meter read three dollars and eighty cent. She handed him a five while saying, “I am. I need a job.” She then opened the back door and climbed out.

  As she was walking off, the driver yelled out, “Fine as you are, you need to be dancin’ at Stacy’s.”

  She never looked back, but she did have a smile on her face.

  Inside the apartment, Lil’ Danté and Alisa rushed her, each of them grabbing a leg.

  “Is Grandma alright?” Lil’ Danté inquired.

  “When can we see her?” Alisa asked.

  Summer looked at Lil’ Danté. “She’s doing good.” She smiled and turned toward Alisa. “And we’ll go see her tomorrow.” She looked around briefly and asked, “Where are the twins?”

  “Upstairs sleeping.” Lil’ Danté said, then asked, “Mama, will you buy us a Playstation?”

  She nodded. “Let Mama get herself together first, okay?”

  Lil’ Danté nodded. “You still gonna let me box?” His bright eyes stared up at her. “You said you would.”

  She closed her eyes for a second or two, then took a deep breath. “Okay, Danté, you can box. Jus’ be careful.”

  “I gotta get the form so you can fill it out.” He turned and ran upstairs.

  Her and Alisa were left standing there. Summer knelt down and kissed her cheek. “I love you,” she told her daughter.

  “You gonna stay wit’ us?”

  “We’re gonna stay together. Mommy’s gonna get us a house, and we’re all gonna live together in it.”

  The phone rang, and Summer answered the one on the kitchen wall. “Hello.”

  “How’s your mother doin’?” the voice asked from the other end.

  She almost didn’t catch the voice, but it registered quickly.

  “She’s fine. They’ll be keepin’ her about a week.”

  “Good. Let her know she’s in my prayers.”

  “I will. What about yourself?”

  “This rehab mess can be aggravating sometimes, but other than that I’ll be alright. I need a change in my life anyway.”

  Summer stared blankly straight ahead. Everybody needs a change at some time in their life, she thought. “Well, I wanna apologize for the way I acted towards you, and I also wanna thank you for helping my mother.”

  “Everything happens for a reason. I really want to be a part of them boys’ lives,” Big Will said, changing the subject.

  “Well, I can tell they like you.”

  “So am I accepted?”

  “Get yourself situated first,” she responded. “I won’t settle for anything less than the best for my kids.”

  “I got access to greater things. It’s just that right now my parents don’t trust me, but when I get myself together, I can pull us all together.”

  She nodded, but didn’t respond.

  “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

  “No…no, everything is alright.”

  “Good. Listen at this, though. What kind of business plan do you have in mind?”

  “I got something planned, but I don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

  “How much money will it take?” Big Will inquired. Jus’ give me a rough figure.”

  “I tell you what, when can you have visits?”

  “Not this Sunday, but the next one.”

  “Okay. I’ll bring the twins, and we’ll talk then. Do you wanna speak with them?”

  “If it’s okay.”

  Summer called upstairs. “Danté, tell the twins to get the phone.” She stayed on until one of them picked up and then told him, “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay, you be safe.”

  “I will,” she replied before hanging up.

  Alisa was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She was the spitting image of her mother––same eyes and small nose. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Summer wiped a drop of milk from the corner of her mouth before sitting down with her.

  “Before school starts back, I’ma make sure your closet is on point.”

  “What’s on point?” she asked, smiling.

  “I’ll tell you once I get everything together. You just make sure you keep your grades up.”

  “I will.”

  Summer knew she had to move quickly. She at least needed an apartment where she could lay her head. She needed her own room, her own bed. She had a new life, but she wasn’t where she wanted to be.

  After taking an hour nap, Summer showered, and by 3:30 p.m., she had a rental car and three new outfits she’d bought from the mall. Her next stop? Barton Village. She pulled into the driveway of a red brick house, stepped out, and rang the doorbell. A medium-built dark-skinned man answered the door. He walked with a cane and had a head full of gray hair. At first, he didn’t recognize Summer, but then he flashed a smile and opened the screen door.

  “Hey, lil’ lady,” the old man said cheerfully, opening his arms to embrace her.

  She fell into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist. He kissed her cheek.

  “Come on in,” he told her.

  Summer walked inside, and the old man closed the door. They sat down on the couch beside one another.

  “When you get home?”

  “Two days ago,” she replied while glancing around the living room at the photos of her, Danté, and the kids.

  As she turned back toward the old man, he gave her knee a sympathy pat. “Is everything alright?” He then reached in his pocket and removed an asthma pump. After shaking it, he inhaled twice.

  “My mother jus’ went in the hospital, but she’ll be alright.”

  “I’m sorry to her that,” he said. Using his cane, he stood up. “I still got yo’ package you left fo’ me to put up.”

  She stood up, also. “I’m not in a rush. Have you been taking care of yourself?”

  “A lil’ high blood pressure, nothin’ serious. How about them kids? You gotta bring ‘em to see me.” He started walking toward the hallway.

  “I will,” she responded as she walked over to the mantelpiece and picked up a picture of Danté and Rodney that had been taken in a club. They had champagne bottles in their hands. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. Another picture was taken of Summer dressed in a black dress at the funeral with Danté’s father standing next to her. With tear-filled eyes, She couldn’t help but to think about all the good times they had shared together, the heart-fluttering memories. She batted her eyes, closed them briefly, and then opened them when she heard Danté’s father coming up behind her. She turned slowly and faced him, trying hard to smile to keep from crying.

  Danté’s father carried an old Nike shoebox underneath his left arm. He now had on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. He stopped only inches away from her and wiped a tear from her face with his thumb.

  “You don’t need to be cryin’,” he said in a low deep voice.

  “Hard memories will crush a woman every time.”

  He handed her the box. “It’s seventy-five thousand here.”

  She gave a confused look. “I only gave you fifty.”

  “Jus’ say the other twenty-five is a gift from Danté.” He flashed an overwhelming smile. “Jus’ make sho’ you do the right thing, and call me if you ever need me.”

  She nodded and sat the box of money down. Then she hugged him. “I will,” Summer told him.

  They held on to one another f
or a moment before the old man looked at her and said, “Stay focused and think big. It’ll come. In due time, it’ll come.’

  Summer took every word in. Twenty minutes later, she was gone.

  Chapter 24

  The digital clock on the dashboard read 4:20 p.m. by the time Summer pulled up in front of the tall building downtown where the bank was located. She activated the car’s hazard lights, quickly stepped out with the money now in her large shoulder purse, and sashayed through the tinted glass door. A security guard bowed as she entered and made her way toward a high marbled counter. A brunette behind the glass flashed a smile.

  “Good afternoon. How may I help you?”

  “I would like to purchase a safe deposit box,” Summer replied.

  “No problem. What’s your name?”

  By six-thirty, Summer and her kids were in Mrs. Diane’s hospital room. Since she was still connected to the IV machine, Summer helped her by combing her hair and washing her face with a warm cloth. She also changed her into a new pink gown and matching robe that she purchased earlier from Macy’s. Alisa rubbed her grandmother’s feet just the way she liked it.

  “I feel a lot better,” Mrs. Diane said.

  “You look a lot better, too,” Summer commented, then asked, “Did Eric call?”

  Mrs. Diane shook her head. “Have you talked to him?”

  Summer shook her head, as well.

  Lil’ Danté came from the bathroom with a pitcher of ice cold water, poured some in a large Styrofoam cup with a straw, and held it to her lips so she could drink. A gracious smile spread across Mrs. Diane’s face as her eyes scanned her daughter and two youngest grandbabies.