Breaking All My Rules

by Trice Hickman

  “Y’all all right back there?” Jerome called out, turning slightly as he looked between Erica and Kelisha with a cautious stare.

  “We fine. Just doin’ a little girl talk.” Kelisha smiled.

  Erica wanted to say, “No, we’re not fine. This crazy bitch is talking shit, and I’m about to slap her ass into next week!” But she didn’t want to cause a scene in a parking lot full of parents and children, so she smiled and kept her mouth shut.

  Now, as Erica stood in her large dining room, putting the finishing touches on her beautifully decorated table, she tried to push Kelisha out of her mind. The sad reality was that Kelisha would be a part of her life through Jamel. In a short amount of time she’d grown to love the adorably sweet teenager, despite his hellion of a mother, so she knew she had to accept what came along with the package of a blended family.

  Erica returned to the kitchen and grabbed two oven mitts from the counter. “Perfect,” she said as she carefully removed the twenty-two-pound turkey from the oven. She looked around at her countertops, which were crowded with food, and praised herself for a job well done. She’d been cooking since yesterday, and now she was ready for what she hoped was going to be a joyous Thanksgiving celebration to remember.

  “Everything is delicious,” Erica’s mother sang with delight as she bit into a stuffed spinach puff. “I can’t wait to taste the main course. You’ve outdone yourself, sweetie.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Erica smiled, happy that everyone was having a good time. She looked around her living and dining rooms, surveying the crowd. Her parents, who were distant but cordial, entertained opposite ends of the house with their family stories from yesteryear, while Nelson and several cousins regaled each other with their funny childhood memories. It was a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, only with a little chocolate sprinkled in.

  Erica was having a ball playing hostess supreme, making sure that everyone’s glass was full and their appetizer plates were replenished as they waited for the full-course meal. But if there was one disappointment she felt, it was that Jerome’s parents had yet to arrive. Mabel and Parnell were the prized guests she’d been waiting for, and the reason why the abundant meal she’d prepared was on hold. She didn’t want to sit at the table and carve the turkey until they got there. She couldn’t wait to introduce them to her parents and the rest of her family.

  “Baby, I can’t believe you cooked all this food by yourself,” Jerome said, finishing the last bite of his mushroom and red pepper crostini before he planted a light kiss on her cheek. “This food is on and poppin’.”

  Erica smiled. “Thanks. It would be even better if your parents were here. Where are they?”

  “I know, and I’m sorry about that. I guess CP time runs in the blood. My pops is always late.”

  Just as Jerome was making his statement, Erica’s doorbell rang.

  “They might be late, but they’re right on time,” Erica said with relief as she walked toward her front door, with Jerome following behind her. “Happy Thanksgiving!” she greeted with a big smile as she welcomed Mabel and Parnell into her home.

  Mabel smiled so wide, she looked as though her mouth had stretched across her entire face. “Same to you, sugar! Sorry we’re late.” She apologized and gave Erica a firm hug. “Parnell’s always making us late for everything,” she said as she tossed her husband a playfully cross look.

  “Sorry, Erica,” Parnell said. “I wish we’d have come earlier, ’cause it smells some kinda good in here!”

  Jerome took his parents’ coats and hung them in the front hall closet. “We’ve killed most of the appetizers, but wait till you see the spread Erica made for dinner. My baby threw down.”

  “Well, let’s go,” Parnell said with enthusiasm.

  They walked from the foyer to the living room, laughing and talking as Erica introduced them to her family members one by one. She could see that Mabel and Parnell were impressed when they learned that Nelson Stanford, whom they’d seen a picture of in the paper, was her brother. It was obvious they weren’t in the know, and Erica smiled with pride as Nelson wrapped them around his finger, displaying his signature charm and newly acquired political sway.

  “Where’s Mom and Dad?” Erica asked her brother as she searched the room.

  “Right behind you.”

  Erica turned around and gave her parents the same bubbly smile that Mabel had greeted her with. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Jerome’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kimbrough.”

  The pleasant greetings and hearty smiles that Erica had expected them to exchange fell flat, and she saw a look of shock and surprise flash through both her parents’ eyes. She watched as her father stood in disbelief and her mother’s hand flew to her mouth in horror.

  “You’re Jerome’s father?” Maureen said, the color draining from her lovely caramel-colored skin.

  Jerome and Erica, along with Mabel, looked to Parnell for answers.

  “Oh, God,” Parnell said, his voice sounding like a distant whisper.

  “What’s going on?” Erica asked, instantly knowing she wasn’t going to like the answer.

  Joseph zeroed in on Parnell, staring as though he could slice the man in half with his thoughts. “This is the son of a bitch who shot me twenty-five years ago!”

  Chapter 45

  Erica felt as though she’d fallen into a bottomless hole as she stared into Parnell Kimbrough’s face. She didn’t understand how this could be. She’d laughed with this man over a nice meal, talked with him over the phone, and listened to his stories about how precocious and strong-willed Jerome used to be when he was a little boy. She wondered how the God-fearing, gentle man before her could be the same cold-blooded animal who’d broken into her house, shot her father, and then left him for dead.

  “I don’t understand,” Mabel said in a panic-stricken tone. “Parnell, what are these people talking about?”

  Joseph spoke through clenched teeth as he stared at Parnell. “It was twenty-five years ago. You’ve changed, but not that much. I’ll never forget the eyes of the man who tried to kill me.”

  “Is this true?” Mabel asked. “Parnell, say something! Is this true?”

  Parnell lowered his head, barely able to keep his balance, and sank down onto the couch. He looked up into Maureen’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Reene. I’m so sorry.”

  “Reene?” Joseph said, almost in a whisper. He turned to Maureen, looking at her as if he’d just seen a long-forgotten ghost. “This is him? Maureen, please tell me that this isn’t him!” he shouted.

  Maureen closed her eyes and shook her head. “This can’t be happening. . . .”

  “What the hell is going on?” Nelson asked, looking from his parents to Parnell.

  By now, all conversation in the room had come to an abrupt halt, and all eyes were trained on the man sitting on the couch and the people standing around him. Maureen, Mabel, Nelson, Jerome, and Erica looked as though they were frozen in time, but Joseph was livid.

  “For Christ’s sake, Maureen!” Joseph spat out.

  “Mom?” Erica pleaded, anguish lacing her voice as she touched her mother’s arm. “What’s going on?”

  Maureen shook her head and ran up the stairs in tears, leaving a room full of people wondering about the answer to the question Erica had just asked. What the hell was going on?

  It took only a few minutes to clear nearly twenty people out of Erica’s home. What had started off as a holiday celebration of family and good cheer had ended in turmoil, hurtful realizations, and a scandalous secret that was obvious, but that no one wanted to touch. After everyone had gone, Nelson offered to drive his father home, seeing that he was in no condition to get behind the wheel. Jerome talked to his father to get his side of the story, while Erica went upstairs to see about her mother.

  When she opened her bedroom door, Erica found Maureen sitting on the plush bench at the foot of her bed. She walked over and took a seat close beside her. They sat in silence for a long while b
efore Maureen finally spoke.

  “What I’m about to tell you is going to be hard to hear. Are you sure you want to know everything?”

  “Yes. Start from the beginning.”

  Maureen took a deep breath and began. “Your father and I had grown apart. I was young and attractive, with a big, fancy house, two beautiful children, and all the material trappings I wanted at my fingertips. But I was lonely, and I was tired of waiting at home for Joseph night after night, knowing he was in the company of other women, some of whom I even knew. One day when I was in the city, having lunch at Union Station, I met a handsome man who swept me off my feet. He was charming, funny, and he showered me with attention. It was clear that we were from different worlds, but that was part of what attracted me to him.

  “He understood that I was married, and I knew he was, too. I never knew his last name, and he never asked mine. I called him Parry and he called me Reene, and that was all the understanding we needed. We’d meet once a week in a hotel in downtown D.C. It lasted for a year before things went bad. I knew that Parry used drugs occasionally, but I didn’t know he was an addict. When money turned up missing out of my purse after we’d been together, I confronted him. He denied taking anything, but I knew it had to be him, because there had been no one in that hotel room besides the two of us.

  “I found out he’d developed a taste for heroin, and the effects began to show. As much as I didn’t want to, I told him we couldn’t see each other anymore. That’s when things got out of control. He followed me home one day, and somehow he got the phone number to our house. He started calling me, begging to see me. One time your father picked up, and Parry was so high, he asked for me, saying, ‘Is Reene there? I’m in love with your wife and I want her back.’ Your father and I had a terrible fight that night. It was okay for him to roam, but not for his wife. I was frightened because Parry knew where I lived, and I was in constant fear that he’d show up and all hell would break loose. Well, eventually he did, and he brought the disaster I’d feared right along with him.”

  Erica looked at her mother. “The night of my birthday.”

  Maureen nodded. “Yes, sweetie. That was the most awful night of my life. I’ve been carrying around that secret and so much guilt ever since. I brought harm to my family because of my reckless behavior, but I couldn’t say anything, because I was so ashamed. Parry never breathed a word to the authorities about how he came to target our house in a gated community. I guess he felt sorry for what he’d done and he didn’t want to implicate me or cause me any more trouble.”

  “Is that why you’ve put up with Daddy’s crap for all these years? Because you felt guilty?”

  “Yes. Everything that happened that night was my fault. If I’d never had an affair with Parry, none of that would have happened.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “Funny thing is, when I met Jerome, it was like looking at a young Parry all over again. But I dismissed it, thinking it wasn’t possible. Parry had told me that he and his wife didn’t have any children, which I now know was a lie. Jerome was the same age you were.”

  Erica stood up and walked over to her window. She looked out into the cold darkness, her heart feeling heavy. “All these years I’ve been having nightmares, running from the bogeyman lurking in the shadows, and now I find out that he’s sitting downstairs in my living room.”

  “Erica, I’m so, so sorry.” Maureen broke into tears again. “I wasn’t strong back then. I let you all down.”

  Erica sighed loudly. “Mom, please don’t cry. This is an awful situation, but I know we’ll all get through it.”

  Maureen looked at her daughter through red eyes as she sniffled. “Always the optimist.”

  “I really don’t know what I am right now. I’m so much in shock, I can’t process it all, and . . . damn! I don’t even know what I’m going to say to Jerome. They’re still downstairs.”

  “I’m sure Parry, um, Parnell, has told him exactly what I told you. You need to go talk to him.”

  “This is so freaking unbelievable.”

  Maureen rose from the bench and walked over to her daughter. “You can do it. You’re so much stronger than you know. I’ve always admired that about you. You see the good in everything, and that takes courage.”

  Erica shook her head. “Funny, I’ve never felt strong at all.”

  “You’re the most fearless Stanford in the entire clan. Your father always wanted to start his own business, but he never had the guts to take the leap like you did. Nelson’s always wanted the approval of others, so now he’s seeking votes, instead of letting life play its hand the way you have. And me . . .” Maureen smiled. “I’ve always hidden behind my secrets and fears, never trusting anyone the way you do, which is the reason why you’re so loved by everyone who knows you.”

  “Try telling that to Kelisha.”

  “Who?”

  “It’s a long story,” Erica said with a shrug.

  Maureen walked over to the bench and took a seat again. “You mind if I stay here tonight? I really don’t feel like driving home, and I don’t think I can face Joseph.”

  “Sure. The guest bedroom is all yours.” Erica walked past her mother toward the hallway. “I’m going downstairs.”

  As she descended the stairs, taking them slowly, one step at a time, Erica braced herself so she’d have the strength to stare her nightmare in the face.

  Chapter 46

  Jerome knew his ears were working properly, but he felt as though his mind was stuck in quicksand, sinking with each detail he learned from his father. He knew that Parnell had led a wild, irresponsible life in his younger days, and that he’d been in and out of jail for petty crimes before abandoning the family, but he never imagined that his father had served seven years in prison for breaking and entering and attempted murder.

  That the crime had been perpetrated against Erica’s family was a hard blow to take, and worse still, the fact that he’d had an affair with Erica’s mother was almost too much to handle. It was also more than Mabel wanted to deal with at the moment, so she’d gone into the kitchen and busied herself by covering all the untouched food that Erica had left out on the counter.

  Talking with his father one-on-one, Jerome sat in disbelief as Parnell described the way he and Reene had met—seeing each other by chance and connecting right away. Her beauty and their natural chemistry had captivated him, and whether it was love or his addictive personality, he couldn’t bring himself to stay away from her. A passionate romance quickly ensued but then spiraled out of control.

  The rest of the story unfolded like a movie, only it was real life. Real people were hurt, and lives were scarred. Jerome thought about the nightmares Erica had struggled against all her life, and he felt a sorrow in the bottom of his stomach that unsettled him, knowing her misery was at the hands of his father.

  Parnell hung his head low. “I’ve spent so many years trying to make up for the terrible things I did in my past, but I guess it’s true that you can’t outrun your secrets. They always come back to haunt you. I never wanted my sins to burden you, and I’m so sorry they have.”

  “This is . . .” Jerome paused, trying to articulate his jumbled thoughts. “I don’t know what to say to Erica. I can’t imagine what she’s feeling right now.” He looked up when he heard footsteps on the stairs, which came to a stop. He stood and went over to Erica, cradling her in his arms, hugging her close to his body as he stroked her back. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered in a low voice. “This is a really bad situation.”

  “Seems like every time we get past one problem, another one pops up.”

  “This is a big one.”

  Jerome took a deep breath. “I know. But we can get through it.”

  Erica looked past his shoulder in the direction of where Parnell was sitting on the couch and cringed. She stared at him for a long stretch of time. Her body stiffened, and she moved away from Jerome�
��s firm hold. “Maybe this is a sign.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It shouldn’t be this hard,” Erica said through weary eyes. “Loving someone, having a relationship, it shouldn’t be this damn difficult. Every time we turn around, something pops up that prevents us from having peace. We keep ignoring the signs while they beat us over our heads.”

  “Erica, I know this is an awful situation, but—”

  “This is too much for me to deal with right now. I need some time and space.”

  Jerome looked into Erica’s eyes. “Baby, we can get through this, like we always do.”

  “Your father is the man who attacked my father and turned my whole world upside down. I’ve had nightmares that he’d come for me since I was ten. I can’t be in the same room with him right now.” She backed away. “I think you and your parents need to leave.”

  Jerome called his mother on her cell phone to make sure she and his father had arrived home safely after the traumatic Thanksgiving dinner that never was. He felt relief wash over his body when Mabel told him that they were okay and had settled in for the evening. Next, he called Jamel to see how his dinner at Kelisha’s aunt’s house had turned out.

  “Everything’s cool, Dad. I’m gonna spend the night here at Aunt Deena’s and hang out with Pooch,” Jamel said, referring to the nickname the family had given his cousin Dale.

  “Okay. I’m glad you’re having a good time, son.”

  “How’re things going over at Erica’s? Did she throw down on the food?”

  “Things went all right,” Jerome lied.

  “Dad, are you okay? You don’t sound so hot.”

  “I’m fine. Just tired. Getting ready to head home and call it a night.”

  He and Jamel talked a few minutes longer before they ended their call. As Jerome steered his truck toward his apartment, he called Erica again, but all he got was her voice mail. This was his seventh attempt in less than an hour, and it was clear that she didn’t want to speak to him. She’d never ignored him like this, and the fact that she couldn’t bring herself to communicate with him made the sorrow he’d felt in his stomach earlier rumble even more.