by Dynah Zale
He got up, grabbed his bag, and left a single white rose lying next to her. He kissed her lips. “I love you,” he told her one last time and left.
A few hours later Tressie woke up to the sound of her alarm. She turned over, hit the off button, and opened her eyes. She felt around for Payce. He was gone and in his place was a white rose. She held the flower up to her nose to get a whiff of its faint fragrance. He left without saying good-bye, she thought. A tear rolled down her cheek. She had hoped to touch his face one more time before he went to jail. The next time she laid eyes on him would be through a glass partition.
She understood why he left the way he did. Neither of them could bear the thought of saying good-bye. She trembled at the thought of what was going to happen later that day in court. She suppressed the urge to throw on her clothes and run down to the courthouse. She envisioned throwing herself at the mercy of the court and begging them to release the only man she’d ever loved. But she knew deep down inside it didn’t matter what she did, Payce was still going to have to do the time. She missed him already—his smile, his corny jokes.
She sat up, threw her legs off the side of her bed, and looked out the window. Dark storm clouds lingered above her house. Her first morning class started in forty-five minutes, but she couldn’t concentrate on school. All she could think about was Payce. She lay back down in bed and wrapped the blankets around herself.
After watching an afternoon full of talk shows, Tressie got bored and turned on her computer. “I might as well get some school work done,” she mumbled. She shook the mouse connected to her computer and knocked over a small piece of scrap paper. She picked it up from off the floor. Written inside was Payce’s Social Security number. He remembered. In no time, she logged onto the Equifax Web site, entered Payce’s Social Security number, and answered a few questions. Within minutes a copy of his credit report appeared on the screen.
She scanned the report carefully. The only debt he owed was to a cellular wireless company. The outstanding balance was a little over two hundred dollars.
“That’s not bad. We can handle that,” she said.
She scrolled down. Listed at the bottom were two judgments against him for child support. The balance exceeded thirty-five thousand dollars.
“Thirty-five thousand dollars!” she screamed. “For two children under the age of one he owes thirty-five thousand dollars?” She studied the report more carefully. “How in the world did he accumulate a debt this large?”
She remembered her friend Hope who had gotten married last year. Her husband had three children from a previous marriage. He was also behind in his child support payments. Once they got married, anything they tried to get on credit was denied.
Hope told her that there was no way of escaping child support. They couldn’t get a house, a car, or a credit card. They couldn’t even get approved for an apartment. Currently they were living in a garage apartment atop his momma’s house.
Tressie figured that by the time Payce was released, his debt would have tripled. Another obstacle, she thought. Every time she and Payce got closer, something was there to tear them apart. Anxiety filled her stomach.
“What am I supposed to do?” she yelled.
The phone rang loudly in her ear. She stared at it for a moment. Not wanting to talk with anyone, she reluctantly answered it. “Hello.”
“Hello,” a woman called out from the other end. “I have a collect call from Payce. Will you accept the charges?”
“Yes, I will,” Tressie replied.
“Hello,” Payce screamed into the phone. Tressie could hear cars driving by in the distance.
“Payce, where are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“Tressie, I can’t talk right now. I need you to listen. I jumped bail.”
“You did what?”
“I couldn’t go back to jail. I got scared and ran.”
“Honey, we need to sit down and talk this through rationally. If you go down to the courthouse now, things won’t be that bad.”
“I can’t, Tressie. You don’t how it is to be locked up. Those cells are cages and the inmates are the animals. Being confined plays with your mind. You’re not just physically locked up, but also mentally.”
“Payce, I understand what you’re saying, but running is not going to solve the problem. Tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you.”
“Remember when I told you about the safe house that the fellows and I bought out of state for emergencies?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“Well that’s where I am.”
“Okay, just tell me how to get there and I’ll be on my way.”
“I don’t want to say too much over the phone. I have already talked to Darshon. He’s on his way to bring you the directions on how to get here. When you get here I want us to get married. I don’t want to wait any longer. I want you to be my wife.”
“What about my family?” she asked. “My mother will be devastated if she isn’t there to see me get married.”
“Tressie, we don’t have to have a big wedding right now. We can go to the justice of peace. I promise you we will have a big wedding later. All right?”
“I suppose,” she replied.
“I’m going to hang up. I’ll talk to you later tonight.” Before she hung up, he called out her name.
“Yes?” She replied. She thought he had remembered at the last minute to tell her he loved her.
“Don’t forget to bring that shoe box full of money,” he told her.
“I won’t,” she replied, disappointed.
She hung up the phone and began to pack her things. She pulled out sneakers, jeans, and sweaters. If Payce needed her, she was going to be there for him. She glanced over at her computer. Payce’s credit report was still displayed on the screen.
What am I going to do? Payce wants to get married now. Does it really matter that he owes thirty-five thousand dollars in child support? Will he think I’m being selfish if I tell him I don’t want to get married because of his children and the money he owes?
She sat on the side of the bed for a moment to think. What about all the things that Payce has done to me? She loved him, but she questioned his love for her. Would anyone else have gone through the things she did to make their love last? He was arrested for prostitution, cheated on her twice, had two children outside of their relationship, and endangered her freedom. Now he had a child support balance of over thirty-five thousand dollars. Elise’s words echoed in her mind. Things happen for a reason. Some things weren’t meant to be.
“God, what am I supposed to do?” she cried out. She needed someone to talk to. She picked up the phone and called the only person she knew who would be honest with her.
An hour later Danyelle sat in Tressie’s room.
“What do you think I should do?” Tressie asked.
“Did you pray on it?” Danyelle asked.
“No,” Tressie replied.
“Did you look to the Bible for answers?”
“Yes, and I couldn’t find anything in there that pertained to Payce and me,” Tressie told her.
“That’s hard for me to believe. Hand me that Bible please.”
Danyelle held a blunt in one hand as she reached for the Bible in the other. She began searching through the Bible.
“What about this—Ephesians 5:25: ‘Husbands must love their wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her.’”
“Payce loves me,” Tressie said, defending herself and Payce.
“I didn’t say he didn’t love you, but to what extent does he love you? Does he love you enough to always put your interests before his? Did he put your interests before his when he picked up that bag full of cocaine in Harrisburg?”
“That was an isolated incident. Danyelle, watch what you’re doing. You’re burning up the Bible.”
Danyelle looked down. She had dropped a few ashes on the pages she was reading from.
“My fault,�
�� she wiped away the ashes. “Listen to this. I Corinthians 13:4-5: ‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.’ Does that describe you and Payce?”
“I think so,” Tressie replied.
“Tressie, you can’t think, you have got to know. We are talking about your future. Do you trust Payce with your future? You know I’m not going to tell you not to be with Payce, because I like him. But if you’re thinking about marrying him, you have to be sure he’s the one for you. Let’s be honest, he has put you through a lot.”
“I can’t blame him for all the problems we’ve been having. I did cheat on him with Quinton.”
“I wouldn’t consider Quinton cheating. Quinton was a test to see if you really loved Payce, and you failed.”
“You can’t tell me that I don’t love Payce just because I made one mistake.”
“You have to ask yourself, was Quinton a mistake or were you drawn to him because there was something not quite right in your relationship with Payce? The only reason you and Quinton aren’t together right now is because you chose to go back to Payce.”
Danyelle closed the Bible. “Did Darshon bring over the directions on how to get there?”
“Yeah, they’re sitting over there on the desk.” She pointed to a sheet of paper. Danyelle went over and glanced at the directions, then placed them back on the desk.
“Take a day or two to sit and pray on it, and if you still feel the need to go to him, go ahead and go. Just call me first and let me know.”
Tressie nodded her head okay. Danyelle grabbed her things and left. Once she got into her car, she pulled out her cell phone and made a call.
“Hello, Philadelphia Police Department,” a woman answered.
“Yes, I’d like to report the whereabouts of a fugitive on the run,” Danyelle informed her.
“Hold, please. I’ll connect you to a detective.”
Tressie, if you won’t remove Payce from your life, then I’ll have to do it for you. I just hope that you’ll forgive me, Danyelle thought.
Julian watched his plasma flat screen television in the den. Station after station reported the results of his latest drug test. He had tested positive for steroid use.
The NBA was known to perform random drug testing on their players, but this came as a complete surprise to him. On Monday afternoon, the team had just finished practice for the day when the general manager called him into the office. It was then that he learned he had been randomly selected to take an on-the-spot drug test.
Although the league insists they don’t know who is going to be selected for drug testing until that day, players were usually warned weeks in advance. One of Julian’s teammates later told him that he overheard someone say that Julian’s name had been switched with another player’s. Suspicion arose in Julian’s mind as to why he was singled out for drug testing.
He refilled his glass with Hennessy and stood in front of the television screen. He watched as a reporter interviewed Carlos Torres.
The reporter stuck the microphone in his face and asked, “How do you feel about Julian Pennington’s current drug test results?”
“Whatever Julian is going through right now I’m sure he would appreciate the media’s cooperation by respecting his privacy,” Carlos responded and walked away.
Julian shook his head at the screen. He was glad he had friends like Carlos who didn’t judge him.
“Julian?”
He turned around and saw Caitlyn standing in the doorway with a suitcase in her hand.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m moving back home,” she said. “I’m going to go stay with my parents for a few weeks.”
“What brought this on?” he brazenly inquired.
“My uncle thought it would be best if I put some distance between us. Not permanently, just until the suspicion of your drug use is straightened out.”
He turned his attention back to the television. “You’re walking out on me?”
“No!” She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I would never walk out on you. We’re still going to see each other and if you need me, all you have to do is call.” She exhaled. “My uncle is scared that if the press suspects that we’re a couple and living together, that they may try to connect your steroid use to the team. He said that the press could say that management coerced your drug use by pressuring you to dominate the court because you were dating the owner’s niece. Any negative publicity could affect the entire Sonics organization.”
“Caitlyn!” Julian grabbed her hands. “I need you here. Everyone is abandoning me. My family won’t return any of my phone calls, I’m suspended from the league, and now you’re leaving me!” he shouted. He fell back down on the couch and placed his head in his hands.
“I’m just trying to do what’s best for everyone,” Caitlyn cried.
“Go!” Julian mumbled. “Go! Leave! I don’t want you here. A few nights ago you told me you loved me. Now, at a time in my life when I need you the most, you’re going to bail out on me. You never loved me. You loved what I represented. I was a black man with lots of money who could buy you whatever you wanted. That’s what you loved.”
“That’s not true!” she protested. “The only reason I’m leaving is because my family is concerned about me. They thought it would be best if I stayed with them for a while.”
“Oh! Now I understand. Your parents are scared that your black boyfriend might lose it from all the drugs he’s been using, and hurt their little girl.”
“They would never say that.”
“They didn’t have to say it, because that’s what they were thinking. I wonder how they would react if they found out that their baby girl forged a doctor’s signature to get me that prescription for steroids.”
“Julian, I’m scared!” Caitlyn screamed. “I’m sorry I ever convinced you to take those pills. I was just trying to help. You put so much importance on being named rookie of the year. I knew how badly you wanted to prove yourself to be the best. I thought maybe the steroids would help, but now I realize that I’ve made things worse, and I may have ruined your career.”
Julian stared at her as she cried. He knew it was over between the two of them. She never loved him. She was in love with what he represented, not who he was as a person.
“Good-bye, Caitlyn.”
She looked at him and knew that his good-bye was forever. She slowly rose to her feet and grabbed her suitcase.
After she left, silence filled the room. He was completely alone. Never in his entire life had he ever been alone—his mother, his stepfather, Valencia, someone was always around supporting him. Memories of crowds cheering him on, applause from fans in the stands, the sound of his mother’s voice giving him praise, classmates holding banners with his name on them, and Valencia sitting in the bleachers beaming with pride filled his mind. Except now there were no fans, no cheers, and no Valencia. He got up and threw the glass he was holding into the fireplace.
Chapter 21
Val, Olivia, Danyelle, and Tressie gathered together at the church for their weekly Bible Study meeting.
Val watched Bryce sleep soundly in her arms. “Look at him. He has no idea of the drama that has surrounded his little life. I still can’t believe that Bryant was going to sell his own son.”
“And he would have been successful if Mr. Murray hadn’t found him in time,” Olivia said. “I feel sorry for Taima, though. She still doesn’t know where her little girl is. The police are trying to help her locate the couple who adopted her daughter, but it’s going to take a while. I’m sure the uncertainty of whether her child is being well cared for is driving her insane.” She picked up Bryce’s hand and kissed his fingers.
“Do you know how much prison time Bryant could get?” Val asked.
“I’m not sure, but I hope he gets life without parole. The prosecutor’s off
ice contacted me and asked if I would testify against Bryant. They let me know that the Greensboro Police did a background check into Bryant’s past. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. They have a list of girls he has pulled this scam on. He not only faces charges here, but also in New Orleans, Phoenix, Minneapolis, and Boston.”
“Thank the Lord Bryce was returned safely,” Tressie added. “Has anyone heard from Elise? It’s getting late. She should have been here by now.”
“Oh! I forgot to mention that I heard from her earlier in the week,” Olivia replied. “She called to tell me that she wouldn’t be able to make it to Bible Study for the next few weeks.”
“Did she say why?” Danyelle asked.
“No. The only thing she said was that Miles had been in an accident and was hospitalized.”
“Is he all right?” Val asked.
“I’m not sure. She was rather vague over the telephone. She wouldn’t answer any of my questions and was in a hurry to hang up with me. She said she’d call me next week. I’m worried about her.” Olivia turned to Tressie, “Did you ever find out who tipped the police off to Payce’s whereabouts?”
“Livie, maybe you should ask Danyelle that question.” Tressie’s bitter words shot across the church. “Danyelle, is there something you want to share with the rest of us?” Tressie asked.
Everyone stared at Danyelle, waiting for her to respond to Tressie’s question.
“Tressie, I’m sorry,” she finally confessed. “I tried to keep quiet, but I could see the pain Payce was causing you. I thought if he went away it would be best for everyone.”
“Best for whom? Not me!” she screamed. “Do I look like I’m okay?” Tressie leaned across the church pews and pointed her finger in Danyelle’s face, “You had no right to call the cops.”
Val leaned over to Olivia, “Aren’t you going to do something? It looks like Tressie is going to jump on her at any minute.”
“No, they’re fine. I think they just need to vent,” Olivia said.
“Tressie, you were about to make one of the biggest mistakes of your life. Think about it. You would have not only been married to a fugitive, but you would have been one yourself. You were going to sacrifice your friends, family, and freedom. For what? Payce? Would he have done the same for you?”