by Gloria Obizu
Ok! That’s fine! It is ok Isabel! But listen to me, no matter which way it goes I’m gonna stand by you. I believe you’ve told me the truth, but if at any time you want us to talk about it again, feel free, okay? But don’t forget, I’ll stand by you no matter what!
I did not shot Teri, okay? Can we go to bed now? Look at the time, it’s almost past 10. Remember we didn’t get to sleep last night and have had no rest all day yet we have to go to work tomorrow, Isabel continued.
You can go to bed if you so wish, as for me, I don’t think l can sleep in my state of mind.
Have a troubled night then, Isabel said, went to bed and lay in a heart that bugged her down till dawn.
Chapter Five
Gary Hanford was alone in his room watching the TV while the LAPD interview with the paparazzi was on and the outcome did provide some kind of relief for him. The part of the news which said the victim to last night’s shooting was still alive served as a tonic to his conscience torn between going to the police, telling them what he saw at the party and withholding the information so as to keep someone whose friendship meant a lot more to him out of jail.
Lucky mother fucker, he uttered. Come to think of it, this Teri of a guy actually deserved every bit of what he got, Gary continued thinking. Walking into someone’s party and running wild like that? Damn! That could push anyone to the edge! I would have done same thing as Isabel if any one dared me in same way. He now wondered why Isabel had not called him since the event of yesterday ‘cause she used to call every day. May be it was deliberate, who knows, ‘cause that babe is something else. The way she tackled that guy Saturday night, is something of a professional touch and I envy her for that, Gary contended further. Suddenly it occurred to him to dial her number but he quickly discarded that idea. She’ll probably be at work tomorrow so I’ll see her, he concluded. And with these thoughts in mind, he went to bed. He was up earlier than usual the next day and equally prepared and got to work earlier.
Isabel got to her job early too. She had taken enough time last night while in bed brooding to prepare her mind for what she anticipated would happen at work. She knew a lot of colleagues would be probing with all sorts of questions and she prepared herself on how to deal with the situation. She also rehashed the kind of affect to sport before she left home.
It was a very sober but confident Isabel colleagues saw at work on Monday morning and most of them tried to feed their curious minds.
Isabel! What is going on? I was gonna be there at your party myself but my little boy started running this unexpected high temperature and I was so scared he will go into convulsion so I took him to the hospital. I’m so sorry you‘re going through this ‘cause I’ve been there and I understand. There was a time someone got killed by some idiot on our building and I know what we went true. Oh yes! It was a very difficult time for everyone on the entire block ‘cause the Police was everywhere and every person in the area a suspect. The thing consumed our lives altogether that we had little time of our own and I was so frustrated and stressed out by all the drama. Meanwhile I wasn’t even close to the sport where the shooting took place and didn’t even know the fellow that got killed so I couldn’t understand why the Police was on me and my family the way they did. As you can see, I know how you feel. Anyways, what I learnt from my own experience is to be patient. Sooner or later, everything will be sorted, okay? Jessica one of her friends and co-worker was speaking. I know the Police must have talked to you, right?
Ehen!
And what did you tell them?
I ‘don’t wanna go into that, okay? I don’t even know why everyone is so much interested in this matter. May be people think talking to me about it makes me feel better but that’s a mistake ‘cause I’ll prefer to be left alone! Isabel reacted.
The harshness in her tone kind of startled Jessica but she took it she was venting her frustration. Take it easy, okay? I’ll be upset too if it happened to me. I’m just trying to find out if they know who did this to you, understand? She said.
I don’t care anymore, continued Isabel. I just wanna get on with my life ‘cause I’ve cried and worried enough. Like I said, yes, the Police did talk to me but there wasn’t much I could tell them simply because I’m in the dark over the whole mess as much as everyone else. That this happened at my party doesn’t mean anything, understand? After all, it was just a birth day thing like always and some people did whatever they wanted to do for who knows why. What am I supposed to do about that, ah? Does it mean I did some wrong? I don’t even know what people want from me!
I understand Isabel. I felt exactly the way you’re feeling right now when it happened to me. If you need me for any reason just let me know, okay? Don’t let this whole mess stress you out or affect you in any way ‘cause that’s what those that did this would like to see. Anyways I know you can take care of this.
Thank you! I’ll be fine! Don’t worry, alright? Isabel said.
That was just one of the numerous of such encounters that faced Isabel all through the day and she gave every one the kind of response she thought that met his need.
From his stand, Gary watched as Isabel continued to put up her acts and gave faked answers to so many curious coworkers and he waited for his time to be with her at lunch break.
Lunch soon came and as usual Isabel and Gary left the store together headed for their favorite restaurant. Gary didn’t want to start anything first, so he talked about other issue as they walked towards McDonalds until at a point where Isabel said; Gary! You saw something that Saturday night, didn’t you?
What are you talking about? He asked acting like he was in the dark.
Come-on now Gary! You know what I’m talking about so stop acting like I’m one hell of a crazy girl or something. You saw what happened at my show, right? I know that ‘cause I saw you staring at me in wild open eyes while all that was going on. You saw the guy wanted to kill me first and I had to defend myself ‘cause I had no choice, right? I’m talking to you as my best friend Gary and I want you to talk to me in the same manner too. You gonna be on my side while I’m going through this, right? You won’t let me down now ‘cause friends stick together and a test of true friendship is with something like what I’m going through now.
Ok! Isabel Listen! I’ll not lie to you ‘cause you’re right! I saw everything from start to finish and I remember that time both our eyes met. The guy that got shot to my understanding acted foolishly, I’ve no doubt about that in my mind. He is a real asshole for sure yet I don’t think you should have done what you did. I’m being honest to you here as a true friend.
I don’t need you to tell me that ‘cause I already know. The truth is I regrated the whole thing and I feel so sorry for Teri, my heart also aches for Carissa his girl pal but no matter what I or anyone else thinks or says the did is done and I can’t take it back. He shouldn’t have sneaked up to me like he did in the first place but that is not to say I’m trying to justify my action in any way imaginable. That was my party and I hate it when anyone tries disrespecting me the way Teri did that night and I already warned him before but he chose not to listen. I’m truly sorry for what I did but I guess is too late for regrets.
Tell me something. Who is Carissa?
That’s my roommate. I already introduced you guys. Isabel said.
Oh I remember now. Are you saying that Teri is your roommate’s boyfriend? Gary asked.
They are pals. He comes around and we all hang out together.
And you did that to him?
Please let’s not go into that ‘cause he got exactly what he asked for. Both of us agreed on that, didn’t we?
Yes! But you should have let the LAPD take care of him ‘cause we are not supposed to take laws into our own hands. I was there at the party, I already poised to take him down and was gonna do it right but you acted just ahead of everyone.
Like
I said, it’s all in the past now. What we should be considering at this time is how to manage the whole thing in such a way I don’t end up in jail and I know you won’t want that happen to me, right? So, tell me some-n, are you gonna talk to the Police? Isabel asked.
I can’t give you answer to that right away, Gary responded.
Why?
‘Cause I need to think about it, okay? I can’t tell you right away what I wanna do ‘cause I simply don’t know!
Gary I need now, don’t you understand? As my best friend, I need your help to get out of this mess. You sure know that if it happened to you, I’ll be on your side all the way through.
Ok! OK! Listen! Quit pushing so hard, understand? I’m gonna think about it and do the best I can for you. Just give me a little time, okay? Come with me to my place after work so we talk some more, is that ok by you?
I already have arrangement with Wallis to pick me up, so what am I supposed to tell him? Isabel responded.
The guy you were with most of the time at the party, is that his name?
Yeah! That’s Wallis! But don’t think I’m head-over-heels in love with him ‘cause is not like that.
Ok! Go with him then and we talk about this some other time, how about that?
I don’t know. I’m kind of confused; she said before shifting attention to her cell phone and noticed they were almost running late so she put off the issue with a final question. When next can we talk about this again?
You see, I just finished a preparatory class for the Police force thing I talked to you about but I go to some gym to build up myself physically. Anyway I’ll try to keep Wednesday evenings free. So how about this coming Wednesday at my house?
I ‘m on that day but what I’m gonna do is come to your place after work. How does that work for you?
That’s ok! Gary said. And with that they hurried back to the store.
Events at work didn’t go better for Carissa either mainly because of the nature of the boss she works with. Her job is that of a Sales Girl in a Beauty Supply store managed by an Indian lady. Mrs. Hela Gupter as she is called ran her shop with strict moral discipline and high ethical standards because as a strict adherent to the Hindu religion, almost everything she did centered around one single thing, the law of Kama.
Like everyone in Los Angeles, the news of the party scene shooting got to her through the TV but something struck her particularly and that was the address where this shooting incident took place. Unable to deal with it all by herself, she turned to her husband who was sitting by her side and said, Honey! ‘I think one of my sales girl lives in that building and if I find out she is connected with this in any way, she is gone’. Instantly she got up, went and logged on to the computer and soon discovered she was correct. The girl who goes by the name Carissa Stevens lives at 886 Wilkinson Avenue like she thought. Her only wish from that moment was that the next day will open up as quickly as possible and grant the chance for a talk with this girl and see how things proceed from that point. Hela never knew Carissa as a trouble maker though, rather she considered her as someone committed to her job and thinking about it, she pictured a sales girl she would like to keep for as long as it takes. But on the other hand, her religion is part of her soul and for that she will never compromise. It was in this state of mind Hela left her home for the store on Monday so that when Carissa got to work that morning it was into the waiting hands of Mrs. Gupter.
May I speak with you a minute? Hela said as soon as she sported Carissa, and whisked her away by the hand into a room she uses as some sort of office?
What’s this thing all over the TV happening at the building you live? Can you shade more light on that? Hela asked.
Yeah! It was my roommate’s birthday party and someone got shot, Carissa said in a very sober mood.
Did you say it was your roommate who was having the party?
Yes mam.
And where you present at the party?
Carissa found herself trapped by this question. She already lied to the LAPD on this issue but by some quick thinking, she realized she could lose her job if she does the same with her employer. The Mrs. Gupter she knows is very nosy and will probably find out the truth from some of her coworkers who were at the party and that will mean another trouble she is not prepared for. For this reason, she made up her mind to tell the truth and went like this; know what mam, I’ll be honest to you because there comes a time you wanna do things the right way and I guess this is that time for me! Yes, I was there at the party.
That was a simple question I asked you Carissa, continued Hela. So you didn’t have to take me through the route of philosophy and what have you, okay? I’m better-schooled at that and know much more than you about things and details of things of life. However, having said that, I’m happy you chose to tell the truth. Now what about this? Did you by any chance witness any of these things that happened that night?
Like what mam?
Like who shot the guy! You can confine in me Carissa!
No! No! If that’s what you mean I didn’t see anything. If I did I would have informed the police.
Ok! But are you in any way involved either directly or indirectly with all this? I’m seeking the truth. That’s what I’m trying to do with you here, Mrs. Gupter added.
Besides the fact that the party was for my roommate, I’ve nothing else to do with none of the things that happened out there Saturday night. Carissa said.
Listen, I need you to tell me what you know right now ‘cause by my religion, I cannot have any one with blood in his hands or anyone who has anything to do with any person with blood in his hands work in my company or even have any kind of relationship with me for that matter. So, you see why it is very important you tell me the truth? Gupta continued.
Yeah! I understand mam! I told you I was gonna tell you the truth and that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I’ll have my eyes set on you from now on Carissa and I think is fair you know about this. I’m done with you.
Carissa went back to work but true to her nature, Hela watched and noted her every move as she continued in troubled mind all through a very long day. It was with great relief she left her work place at the end of the day and hit the street headed home.
Subsequently, the days that followed were quite hectic for both of the girls. Probing eyes followed them everywhere. Some people even dared to confront them openly like they were already pronounced guilty of the crime, but they remained careful in picking their responses and statements.
Eventually, Wednesday came and during her shift, Isabel prayed endlessly that the day will simply race by so she would go be with Gary in his house, a request soon granted. And it was not really long after she walked into his apartment that both got busy discussing Isabel’s issue.
I lived a very rough life myself, Gary was speaking now, and I’ve had it real rough but I count myself lucky that I’m finally beginning to see the light. Isabel! If I know what I know now years ago my life would have gone a different direction and this is the truth. I’m a self-made guy and I say this in all certainty. I never had what I would call good parenting. Mom and dad were never married and my mother had to raise me and five other kids all of us from six different fathers living together under the same roof and I can tell you it was really hard for her. You can’t even begin to imagine how hard it was growing up in a home like that because babe, it was nothing short of a mad house. Fathers continued to come and go, in fact we witnessed so many versions of daddies that as far as we kids were concerned every grown man was nothing but a daddy and none of them meant anything other than just puppet daddies, pure and simple. Any of them could walk in whenever he liked and live whenever he wanted and we wouldn’t even act as if someone came around and left. They could do whatsoever they wanted just like we could and none had the right to say to the other hush! Babe that was the kin
d of upbringing that I had! My mother struggled a lot with drugs and alcohol and all kinds of shit you know, just because of all the problems she was facing then ‘cause she was having a whole lot of issues as I could see. And most of the child support she got went on kinds of stuff like drugs and alcohol that it all turned into a vicious circle sort of thing. There were days we stayed hungry ‘cause no food was on the table. But somehow, through a certain kind of discipline ghetto life slapped on us, we figured how to survive and we all pulled through it. Yelp! All the six of us made it and every one of us now grown and struggling on their own to continue living. But as I was growing up I kind of ran around a lot ‘cause I was always on the street. I got hooked on drugs myself at the age of 10 and was on it for many years. Babe I stole a lot of stuff from people. I robbed stores and homes to eat and to keep up with the drug thing. My life continued pretty much in that pattern until something I swore I’ll never ever talk to anyone about happened to change me for good. And know what? The coincidence in this whole thing is that someone saw me do that something horrible! And that someone promised me a safe passage and never talked to the police about it till this day. That was how I made myself a promise too that if I ever find myself in a situation where anyone close to me needs me shadow him, I’ll do it. The way I see it is that this lady that helped me hide that something terrible I did, gave me a second chance to life. If not for what she did I won’t be here right now talking with you ‘cause my life would have ended in jail even before it began. So you got lucky in some ways.
What is so bad you can’t talk to me about it? Isabel said.
Please let’s drop that, okay? What you should be trying to understand is why I said all that to you. And the answer is I wanna let you know I’m not here to condemn you, not at all, ‘cause I was myself on the downhill side. I’ve been in very bad situations before and I did very bad stuff while my game was on. I’ve had lots of this ups and downs thing in life too but the good news is I’m ready to do what it takes to change for the better. Everybody has an ugly side to his life; I don’t care if you’re the head of a cathedral somewhere or the master Voodoo in Haiti. What makes the difference between one guy and the other is that one is able to take control of his life at some point, able to draw the limit at another point and say enough is enough and pull through it all. My thinking right now is that from this event you may learn some useful lessons and come out of it a better person. I do like you a whole lot Isabel. I have told you that many times. And like I also told you, I’m working hard to join the LAPD and I don’t want anything between me and my life ambition ‘cause that will mean another setback which I can’t afford at this time. So please listen to this very carefully. I’ll tell you for sure that if you keep your mouth sealed and checker the other guy, what’s his name again? Gary asked.