Forgive Me

by Stacy Campbell

  “No! How did that happen?”

  “A jury-tampering technicality. Someone pulled some strings. I’m glad you and James are out of harm’s way with her.”

  Aruba wondered why James hadn’t mentioned Tawatha’s prison release. Then again, when did he have time? She’d ask him about it later. Prison had a way of reforming or worsening criminals. Time would tell what the walls had done to Tawatha.

  “How are things with you and Sidney?”

  Bria pulled a small photo album from her purse and handed it to Aruba. She flipped through the photos and turned to Bria. “Who is this?”

  “Our child, if the adoption goes through.”

  Aruba squealed with joy! “A baby? She’s a living doll.”

  “I gave up trying to conceive a long time ago. I wanted to give Sidney a baby so badly, but it wasn’t worth the changes my body kept going through. We won’t even talk about the outrageous fertility costs. I could feed a small African village with the price of one treatment. So, we did adoption screening, and here we are. The baby was born two weeks ago to a teenage mother. She’s met us, has been to our home, and we helped her with prenatal care. We understand she might change her mind, but we’re praying the little bundle of joy will join us soon,” said Bria.

  “You and Sidney will make great parents,” said Aruba. I’d love to have a little goddaughter. If not a goddaughter, I’ll make a fabulous aunt.”

  “Godmother, not aunt, Aruba,” said Bria.

  “I didn’t even offer you anything to eat or drink. Darnella would roast me over a spit for my lack of manners,” said Aruba. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “I would like water or juice,” said Bria.

  Aruba headed to the kitchen, stopping in her tracks when James yelled from the basement, “I’ll be damned!”

  Chapter 35

  Aruba headed to the basement, Bria close behind. The noise continued once she reached the office area of the basement. James and Sidney stood in front of the computer.

  “What’s wrong, James?” Aruba asked.

  “Jeremiah, go upstairs to your room,” said James.

  “What about our game?”

  “Later. I have to take care of something.”

  James’s authoritative tone sent Jeremiah to his room without further argument. Aruba moved closer to the computer. Puzzled, she said, “Why the noise about your Facebook page?”

  James beckoned Sidney, Bria, and Aruba. They leaned in, checking out the hair photo gallery.

  “I check the photo gallery every Friday night after Shandy updates it. Low and behold, I find this tonight.”

  James readjusted the screen. Aruba squinted her eyes at the screen, then gasped. “It can’t be. How?”

  “If you don’t mind going upstairs, I’m about to find out.”

  Sidney and Bria leaned into the screen as well, staring at Tawatha. Aruba never forgot faces, and Tawatha’s face came back to her over the years in nightmares.

  “This is the worst kind of trouble, James,” said Sidney. “If she’s in your establishment, she’s probably sniffing around Indianapolis trying to find you.”

  “Let me get everyone on a conference call, and I’ll come upstairs in a few,” said James.

  The three of them went upstairs, leaving James in the basement.

  He paced the length of the basement and tried to figure out how this thorn in his side kept cropping up. He wondered if this could be his payback for trying to find their daughter. Only the private investigator and Isaak knew about his search.

  James dialed Shandy. She said she would be in Indianapolis throughout the holiday, so he needed her to coordinate the call. He almost hung up after several rings.

  “Hello,” she answered. Her groggy voice left him with a twinge of guilt that he’d awakened her.

  “Are you able to talk, Shandy?”

  “Is something wrong, James?”

  “Very.” He calmed himself. He couldn’t navigate the business at hand if he lost his cool. “Are you near a computer?”

  “Sure. Let me get to my desk,” she said.

  “Log on to the Facebook page.” He waited for her to log on, then instructed her to check the Dixon’s Hair Affair page.

  “Okay, it’s the Friday photo gallery. What’s new?”

  “Anyone look familiar to you?”

  Shandy looked at the photos, pausing when a familiar face appeared. “Most of these are regulars except Dana Marin.”

  “Which one is Dana?” he asked.

  “The one with the Keri Hilson cut. She’s the young lady I told you who wanted to rent the house,” said Shandy.

  James ran his fingers through his hair. This nightmare was never ending. “Shandy, her name is not Dana. She’s Tawatha, the woman who burned her children in the house fire. The one I had an affair with before my marriage ended.”

  “James, she’s been in the house. I…oh God.”

  “Shandy, talk to me.”

  “The gift certificate. She was able to go to the shop because I gave her a certificate for services. You have to believe me when I tell you I didn’t know who she was. I would never put you or the workers in harm’s way.”

  “I’m not blaming you, Shandy. She’s trouble though. She is certifiable. She will stalk everyone until she gets to me. If she will kill her own children, you know she’ll hurt our employees without a second thought or a backward glance.”

  “We need to act fast.”

  “Call everyone at each shop and have them dial the conference number in twenty minutes. The code is the same. I’ll conduct the call. Who serviced her?”

  “Let me look at the photo again.” Shandy picked out chairs for each stylist and made sure no two colors were alike. She identified the stylists as such. It made things easier, and when a stylist deserved recognition or a possible reprimand, she knew whom to call upon by color. “It’s a blue chair, so Penny serviced her.”

  “Make sure she’s on the call. Tawatha isn’t done with her yet, so she needs to be warned.”

  “I’ll join everyone on the call in twenty minutes. James, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. You had no way of knowing,” he said.

  James ended the call. He immediately went to work at his computer. He copied Tawatha’s image from the hair gallery. He created a Word document with her photo attached to distribute to the four salons in Indianapolis. His banged the keyboard at a rapid pace, upset he couldn’t get rid of Tawatha. He typed her real name, alias, and added that under no circumstances should she be serviced. He gave strict instructions to have her escorted off the premises of all the salons should she show up again.

  Fifteen minutes later, James, Shandy, and stylists from all his salons were connected by the conference call. He paced as he addressed everyone.

  “Thanks for joining us, everyone. I will make this brief since I’m interrupting holiday time with your family, but an emergency has arisen that I have to address. A woman entered our facility and was serviced by one of our stylists. I’ll cut to the chase. She is the woman who killed her children in the fire.”

  Several stylists gasped.

  “Penny, are you on the call?”

  “Yes, James.”

  “Do you remember the woman whose hair you cut named Dana?”

  “I do. She had a bubbly personality.”

  “Her name is Tawatha, not Dana.”

  “I did it?”

  “You didn’t know Penny. She is dangerous. She is a stalker who will continue coming around until she gets what she wants. Since she’s out of jail, I’m not sure what her aim is, but I don’t want to take any chances. I’ve sent everyone an email to your salon addresses. Print out the flyer and place it prominently in each facility. Penny, is she scheduled to come back to see you?”

  “I don’t have my appointment schedule, but I’m almost positive she’s scheduled to come back in three weeks.”

  “Call her and tell her not to return. Tell her you’re overbooked, you
’ve moved on, something, anything. I don’t want her in the shop again.”

  “Okay.”

  “Does anyone have questions? Concerns?”

  A stylist named Janice asked, “How will we know we’re safe? She sounds like she’ll do anything to us.”

  “I’m calling Isaak Benford when I get off the call to ask about security. I won’t leave any of you in harm’s way.”

  Penny, silent, recalled the conversation she had with “Dana” as she cut her hair. She had to speak up. “James, I did something I shouldn’t have.”

  “What is it, Penny?”

  “You called while I was cutting her hair. I didn’t know she knew you, so she asked all these questions about you and Shandy, pretending to want to know about the business. She asked if you did hair, and I told her you were out of town on business.”

  “And?”

  “I told her exactly where you were. She knows you’re in Augusta doing hair at Shear Heaven.”

  Moans from the other stylist filled the conference call. James put the phone on mute and slammed his fist on the desk. Be professional. He placed the speaker on again.

  “Thanks for the heads-up, Penny. I’ll have to watch my back.”

  Penny’s voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”

  Shandy took over. “Who has appointments tomorrow?”

  All but two of the stylist confirmed they’d be working.

  “I’ll stop by all the shops tomorrow to check on everyone. Everyone has my cell number. Call me if you see any suspicious activity. Please be safe, everyone.”

  “Good night, everyone,” said James.

  He ended the call and called Aruba, Bria, and Sidney down to the basement again. They sat down and listened to his phone call recap.

  “You’re telling me there’s a possibility that she could come to Augusta?” asked Aruba.

  “Yes,” said James.

  “Aruba, you’re welcome to stay with us at the hotel tonight if you’d like,” Bria offered.

  “I’m going upstairs to get some rest. It’s been a rough week, and I’m too tired to run,” she said.

  “Aruba, it might be best if you go,” said James.

  “Tawatha would love that more than anything,” Aruba said. She hugged Bria and Sidney. “It was good seeing the two of you again. I’m going to bed.”

  She headed upstairs, and James escorted them to the front door.

  “I’d love to see you two under better circumstances. I’m flying back to Indy in a few weeks. You guys still in the same place?”

  “We’re here throughout the holidays, so we can do something local,” replied Sidney.

  “I’d like that,” said James.

  Sidney and Bria left. James stepped outside the front door. He took in the expansive neighborhood, checking for unusual cars and any out-of-order sightings. He’d grown to love the area and the people he’d met on his street. He went back inside, and for the first time since he occupied the home, he set the alarm system and locked all the windows.

  Chapter 36

  Lake called the family meeting Tuesday morning with specific instructions for Lasheera to address the clan. Aunjanue had returned from her grandmother’s and was excited to have Lasheera home. Lake thought of buying Jamilah a cape and leotard and stitching SL on the front for “Super Lawyer.” Not only did she get Lasheera out of the Marion County lockup, she had Marvin’s temporary custody order suspended after digging up recent domestic violence and possession charges against him. Lasheera faced her family, mouth cottony, heart heavy. Zion held on to her so tightly, she asked him to move and sit with Aunjanue.

  “I called this family meeting so we can clear the air about some things that have happened recently. Lasheera—” he said.

  Lasheera wanted to disappear without addressing the circumstances. What adequate words were there? Stupid? Neglectful? Irresponsible? The children depended on her, and she’d let them down again. Lake told her to speak from her heart; she wasn’t sure she still had one.

  “Last week was probably more embarrassing for you than it was for me. Being arrested was hard, but having Zion taken away was…”

  “Was what, momma?”

  “Zion, your father wanted visitation with you, and I didn’t say anything about it because I was afraid he’d take you away from me.”

  “I don’t want to be with him.”

  “I know you don’t, Zion, but what have I always told you about rules?”

  “You said society has rules we have to follow, or else we’re lawbreakers.”

  “I broke the law. I was supposed to go to court and I didn’t.”

  “How long did you know about the court date?” Aunjanue asked.

  “At least a month in advance. I thought if I hid the letter, the whole thing would go away. Look at me now,” said Lasheera.

  Lake sat next to Lasheera and chimed in. “What she’s trying to tell us is we need to communicate. Communication would have prevented a lot of the trouble and embarrassment we’ve experienced.”

  “Is that why you were sleeping all the time? Because you wanted the whole thing to go away?” Zion asked.

  Lasheera sought Lake for her response. His nonverbal cue, a wink, persuaded her to be honest.

  “Remember when I got real nasty with the lady in the pharmacy?”

  “Yes. You cussed her out! I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “I was upset because I’d been taking medication I shouldn’t have, and I struggled without it. I had someone else’s prescription, and after a while, I couldn’t stop taking it.”

  Aunjanue headed toward the stairs.

  “Come back, Onnie,” said Lasheera.

  “Let her go, baby,” said Lake. “This is a lot for both of them to absorb.”

  “Should we wait for her to come back? I don’t want to say anything else without her being here.”

  Aunjanue returned, purse in hand, and sat down on the sofa.

  “Where did you go?”

  “I went upstairs to get my bag. Since we’re having a family meeting, I would like to share something, too.”

  “Before you share, I wanted to ask if you all would forgive me and help me. I don’t want to keep letting you down.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Zion and Aunjanue answered.

  Lasheera sighed. Do they mean it, or is this to comfort me? “Onnie, what do you want to share?”

  Aunjanue pulled out a colored envelope from her purse. She removed the postcards and held them closely.

  “My mom has been sending me these.” She passed the postcards to Lake and Lasheera. They read the messages and gave them back.

  “May I see them,” asked Zion.

  Aunjanue shared the cards with him as well.

  “How long has this been going on?” asked Lasheera.

  “Since she was released.” “I received the first one at school, but I got the others from the mailbox. She’ll probably stop if I talk to her.”

  “Do you want to talk to her? Honestly?” Lake asked.

  “Yes, I do.”

  Lasheera imagined being away from Zion, unable to communicate with or see him. She was torn about allowing Aunjanue to see her mother. “Which would you rather do? See her or talk to her?” asked Lasheera.

  Without hesitation, Aunjanue responded, “Both.”

  Chapter 37

  “What now?” Jamilah said to her phone. Lasheera’s name and face weren’t what she counted on seeing so soon after her release from jail. She tossed a shirt she’d gathered in her cart and answered the call.

  “Hi, ’Sheer, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, ’Milah.”

  Lasheera’s tone bothered Jamilah. When they were children, Lasheera’s voice morphed into a guilty sound when she was sorry, or found it difficult to apologize.

  “If you’re calling to say you’re sorry again, save it. Friends help each other out.”

  “I’m calling for someone else, ’Milah. Hold on a sec.” She gave the phone to Aunjanue.r />
  “Hello, Aunt Jamilah.”

  The sound of Aunjanue’s voice made Jamilah abandon her cart in Macy’s. She hadn’t spoken to her since she fought for Tawatha’s freedom. She’d missed her niece, all the children really, but knew it was best to give her space to sort out her feelings. She prayed this moment would come sooner than later, and she welcomed it.

  “How are you, Onnie? I’ve missed hearing your voice and seeing you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “Is there something I can do for you?”

  “I know I said I didn’t want to see my mother or talk to her, but I’ve changed my mind. Are you working right now?”

  “I’m just leaving Keystone at Crossing.”

  “Would you please take me to see my mother? I don’t want to go alone. Auntie ’Sheer said she’d come with me if you’d take us.”

  “It would be my pleasure. Let me call her first and tell her we’re coming.”

  “Don’t call her. I want it to be a surprise.”

  Jamilah picked up Aunjanue and Lasheera and headed to Royce’s house. The stilted conversation picked up steam as Aunjanue shared her college acceptances, scholarships, and prom plans. Her greatest excitement was upcoming participation in the Youth Arts Fair in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Wilson had entered several of her drawings in the contest, and her skin glowed as she discussed the possibility of displaying her artwork one last time before attending college.

  “I’ve missed too much, young lady.”

  “I can show you my latest paintings and drawings if you’d like to see them.”

  “Still dating that handsome Roger Keys?” Jamilah asked.

  “Yes. We’re going to the prom in May. You have to help me find a dress.”

  “We’ll make a special Chi-Town trip for your dress. How does that sound?”

  Lasheera listened to the interaction between Aunjanue and Jamilah and wondered how it all went downhill. The Three Musketeers felt more like lone survivors these days. Jamilah was busy building her clientele while Lasheera and Tawatha kept her in business. Lasheera never imagined when they were children one musketeer would be put in the uncomfortable position of keeping the others afloat. I have to make better decisions. This is so unfair to ’Milah.