"Funny, I don't remember you ever trying to say that you were sorry."
"I should have. I should have done it a long time ago."
"Why Misty, please tell me why did you do it? You were my friend."
"I wanted something Naya. Something that I thought was greater than our friendship. I wanted my name in lights as they say. I wanted fame. I wanted prominence. I wanted everything that Big Fred— my father, was never able to achieve. I wanted to show him that although he never loved me, I overcame.
"That I did it but bigger and better. I was there, Naya. I was right there. The only problem was that once I got there, he was already gone.
"It cost me so much, Naya. I lost you. I lost Ken. I lost everything."
This time Naya couldn't help herself. She reached out and placed her hand over Misty's. She could feel her shaking. She could see her tears. She knew they were real this time.
"You know, I think, somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that if I made it, if I got the world to know who I was, she would come back. She would be proud to say that I was her daughter and she would come back to claim me."
"Who would come back?"
"The woman I thought was my mother. She walked out on us when I was thirteen. I came home from school one day and there was nothing of her left but a few remnants of her clothes in the closet."
"I understand….Misty, who is Ken?"
"He was my love. Only I never told him because I let my pride, my past, and my foolishness get in the way of what was really important. We started Perfect Sound together. We even opened The Clue; together…and then…. he was killed in a car accident over five years ago."
Misty reached in her purse and handed Naya a picture of her and Ken standing in front of The Clue.
"He was handsome Misty."
"Yes, he was. He was everything I wasn't and everything I should have been."
Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as she placed the photo back in her purse.
"Love spoils success. That's what my father told me and I lived by those words. I never got a chance to make love a success."
"I'm sorry, Misty."
"So am I. So am I."
"It seems as if we have both had our past chasing after us."
"Forget chasing after us, to me, it has been kicking my butt!"
Naya laughed. Misty joined her.
"I can't believe I'm sitting here talking to you, Naya. I've missed you so much. I can't pretend or act like I didn't. Our friendship back then, it really did mean a lot to me. Please know that."
"I really wish I could believe that, Misty."
"What I did was beyond cruel. It was downright nasty, but that was the kind of place I was in at the time. I'm not making an excuse; I'm just telling you what it was like for me then and what it has been like for me up until now.
"There is something that I need to tell you, Naya."
Naya braced herself. She felt like they were back in that parking lot at The Skinny and Misty had just told her what Big Fred and Charles T. Williams had been doing to her.
"I was there when the accident occurred."
"What accident?"
"The accident, that occurred just the other night with Felicia, your daughter-in-law."
"What in the world happened Misty?"
"Yes, please do tell us, what in the world happened that night, Misty?"
Neither of them had taken notice that Jonathan had been standing there.
Misty stood up. She cleared her throat and prepared herself for whatever was coming her way.
"I was sitting at the light, waiting to make a U-turn when I see this kid flying down the street. He had to be going at least eighty to ninety miles per hour. He didn't see me and when he did, it was too late. His car veered off and slammed into Felicia's car. He hit her so hard that it wrapped her car around a pole."
Jonathan came at her.
Misty responded by moving toward him. She wasn't one to back down easily.
Naya jumped to her feet.
"Jonathan!"
"It wasn't my fault!" Misty exclaimed.
"No, but you were there and then you…you just left! I lost my child. I almost lost my wife!"
Naya walked over quickly and moved her hand into a stop position towards him.
"She's right Jonathan, it wasn't her fault but you are right as well, she should have stayed. Now step back."
Naya glanced at Misty. She saw the tears streaming down her face.
"There is something you should know," she said to Jonathan.
Jonathan took a step back.
"She is my sister and your aunt."
"That can't be true." He stared at Misty.
"Yes, it's true. We each found out yesterday. It appears that Monà, the woman who raised Simone, gave birth to each of us when she was young."
"How can that be?" he asked again.
"It's a long story."
Jonathan stared at Misty again. The smoke beginning to clear from his nostrils.
"I expect you to give a full statement to the police immediately!"
"I already have. I called the Chief of Police that night and told him exactly what happened."
Naya saw that had begun to calm him down even more.
"How is Felicia?"
He took a very deep breath before responding.
"She is doing okay, considering. I came to check on you. I know the funeral is tomorrow and I wanted to make sure you didn't need anything."
"All the arrangements have been taken care of." Naya could barely get the words out. She waited a few minutes before speaking again.
"I'm glad you're here, I do need to speak with you about something rather important."
Misty took that as her clue to leave.
"Misty," Naya said, stopping her.
"I want you to come to the funeral tomorrow."
"You do?"
"Yes, I want all the family there."
"I don't know, Naya."
"I want you there, Misty," she said firmly.
"Alright then Naya, I will be there."
"You can ride over in my car."
Misty tried to smile, but inside she was nervous as she considered the depth of Naya's words.
It meant that Monà would be there as well.
"Do you mind if I bring Jake with me?" Misty hesitated. "We are…kind of seeing each other." I hope. Misty thought to herself.
Naya thought about it for a moment.
"Sure, I want to speak with him anyway. Just make sure that he comes as your guest and not as a reporter."
"I will make sure."
Naya watched her facial expression.
"Misty, I'm trusting you on that."
"I understand."
They both smiled.
Jonathan watched as two women he never thought would ever speak to each other again, held on to each other as if their lives depended upon it.
Considering all they had been through—it did.
Naya sat on the sofa and reached her hand out toward her son.
It was time to put the pain of truth to rest between them.
Chapter 20
"She watched an ambulance pull into the emergency entrance. She watched a mother rush her child inside. She watched an older gentlemen wheel his wife out to their car. She saw a couple bringing their newborn baby outside for the first time. She saw tears, laughter, joy, and pain. She watched life happen and wondered if she had the right to start her own."
Watching Life Happen
Misty sat outside the hospital parking lot. She had been sitting there for over an hour, watching cars come and go. Her knees wouldn't move.
She watched an ambulance pull into the emergency entrance. She watched a mother rush her child inside. She watched an older gentlemen wheel his wife out to their car. She saw a couple bringing their newborn baby outside for the first time.
She saw tears, laughter, joy, and pain.
She watched life happen and wondered if she had the
right to start her own.
She thought about Ken. She thought about how it could have been. How it should have been and that's when she found the strength to make her knees move.
As she walked into the hospital she wasn't sure how she would find him, but she knew she had to.
A young nurse sat behind the counter. Long fingernails painted with pink and blue nail polish. Black hair with gold streaks pulled back into a ponytail. Large hooped earrings.
"Hi, I'm looking for a patient; an older woman with Pitts, as her last name. I believe she was a burn victim."
The nurse didn't even bother to look up at her. She scanned her list of patients, wrote the room number down on a piece of paper and held out her hand toward Misty.
Misty had to catch herself.
Now is not the time. She grabbed the piece of paper and looked around.
"It's the room down on the left. Just keep walking straight and you will see it." The young nurse said as she smacked on a piece of chewing gum.
Misty headed in that direction without looking back at the nurse. She knew if she did, she would have been on the other side of that counter.
Misty stood staring at the door.
What are you doing Misty? You hung up on the man after he told you that his father had just passed away and that his mother was in the hospital. Go home, girl. Forget about love and just go home. Maybe your father was right.
"Misty?"
She turned around and saw Jake standing there with a vase full of flowers in his hand.
"Jake."
"What are you doing here, Misty?"
"Is there somewhere we can go and talk?"
"I think we did all the talking we needed to right before I heard the dial tone."
"I know I had that coming. I'm sorry, Jake. You called me just when I was feeling the anger from everything related to Monà. I took it out on you and I'm sorry. I really am. Please, I just want to talk."
"Let me put these in my mother's room first."
"They are beautiful."
"Thanks, come on in."
"What? Go in there with you?"
"Yes."
Misty followed Jake into his mother's room.
Mrs. Pitts was sitting up. The television was on but she was barely watching it. She smiled as she saw Jake enter into the room with the flowers.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Misty."
"Misty? I'm not sure I've ever heard a name like that one before. It's beautiful."
"Thank you."
"Where do you want these, Mother?"
"Put them over there on the counter so I can see them."
Misty took a seat.
"I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, Mrs. Pitts."
"You can call me Patty. My husband used to call me Mrs. PP. He always got a kick out of that."
Misty smiled. She could see the depth of sorrow in her eyes.
"The doctors said that you could go home in a couple of days," Jake told his mother.
"Do I still have a home?"
"I don't know. I'm going to go by there in a little bit to check on the place. In fact, I was thinking that maybe you could come and stay with me until we figure everything else out."
"I don't want to come and stay with you. I'll get my own apartment. I was thinking that I don't want to stay in that house by myself anyway. It's too big for an old lady like me, too big without your father."
Jake saw the tears form in her eyes. It broke his heart and he fought to hide his own.
He tried to smile.
Misty watched the two of them. She felt like she needed to leave, like maybe she shouldn't be there.
"Mom, Misty is my girlfriend."
Misty glared at Jake. It caught her by surprise.
"Oh, that is so wonderful." Mrs. Pitts smiled at Misty. "Welcome to the family, dear. I wish it could have been under better circumstances."
"Me too," Misty said to her as she kept eyes on Jake.
Jake smiled for real this time. His mouth said girlfriend, but Jake knew. He knew he wanted it to be more than that.
He had wondered if he had been the only one that felt that way. When she had hung up on him, he thought maybe that was the case. But when he saw her standing outside his mother's room, he looked into her eyes and he knew that the feeling was mutual.
Mrs. Pitts watched her son as he walked over toward Misty and stood by her side. She knew that it was just a matter of time before she would have a daughter-in-law.
She only wished her husband could have been here to see it as well.
"Why don't you two go and check on the house now. I think I need to get some sleep."
"Sure, Mom."
Misty and Jake headed toward the door. Misty stopped; she walked over to Mrs. Pitts and gave her a hug.
Jake tried to remember if there was a jewelry store on the way.
As Misty followed Jake toward his parent's house, she watched people on the sidewalks. She saw people going into stores, coming out of stores, pushing strollers, pulling dogs, talking on cell phones, and pecking on computers in front of coffee shops.
She realized that she couldn't just watch life happen; she needed to make life happen, her life with Jake.
You just met him. She could hear herself saying. Sure did, and thank goodness I did and I dare anyone to say something about it. I want happiness. I need happiness. But most importantly, I want love. Misty is tired of being on her own.
Jake pulled up to the house. The damage was bad. The fire chief saw him and came over to explain.
"It looks as if something was left cooking on the stove. We tried to save it but the fire got out of our control. I'm glad you and your mother were able to get out in time."
"Thanks."
Jake stood there looking at his childhood home; only half of the house was still standing. Misty walked up to him and grabbed his hand. Together they made their way inside.
Jake didn't know where to start.
"Why don't we look for any photos for your Mom, I'm sure she would want those."
Jake nodded. He couldn't believe that almost everything was gone, including his Dad. He squatted down and tried picking up some of the items that were still recognizable. Tears streamed down his face.
Misty saw him but she knew he needed a moment to himself so she pretended to look for photos amongst the damage.
Jake saw a box that he recognized. It was his father's. He remembered how much his father loved that box. It held some of Jake's high school track and field awards and various other awards he had received. Those were the days when Jake saw how proud his father was of him. Anytime someone came by the house, his father would run and grab that box and show them all of Jake's awards.
He ran his fingers on the top. His mother had gotten the top engraved as an anniversary gift. It read, "The Life of My Son."
The tears came down harder. Misty went over to him and kneeled down by his side.
"I really loved him, Misty. I really loved him."
Misty's own tears came. She reached over and took the box out of his hands.
"It's beautiful," she said as she noticed what was engraved on the top.
Jake sank to the floor as he watched her open it.
"It's just some old track and field awards from my glory days of high school."
"So you ran track and field. No wonder you have such nice legs."
They both laughed.
Misty reached inside but she didn't see any awards. What she pulled out left Jake completely speechless.
Inside the box, his father had wrapped in plastic all of the columns that he had written. There was even a clipping of a photo taken of Jake when he received an award for one of them.
Jake held them in his hand. He honestly thought his mother was lying to him when she told him that he actually read them. But here they were, in his Dad's special box.
Misty could tell that seeing those clippings inside the box meant something to Jake. She smiled because he was smi
ling.
"Thank you for being here with me."
Misty leaned over and touched the side of his cheek. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I'm going to marry you, Misty. I just want you to know that. I want you to understand my intentions."
She nodded.
Misty found some bags and they put as much as they could find that seemed salvageable in them.
As they walked out into the sunlight, Jake looked back and said his good-byes.
Chapter 21
"As Jonathan listened to the sincerity of his mother's plea, it was the first time he felt as if he finally understood. He finally understood what color Jazzmyne is. In her were the colors of love, the love of a mother for the love of her son."
What Color is Jazzmyne?
Naya watched as her son came and sat down next to her. She could see the tiredness in the depths of his green eyes. She smiled at the tiny wrinkles that had formed around their corners.
His broad shoulders still carried his strength; his confidence, and his stubbornness. She watched as he ran his hands through the waves of his thick hazel brown hair. She admired the soft hues of snow that took on the depth of his skin. It gave him character but didn't define the man within.
The last time they sat down together on this white leather sofa, she was meeting him for the first time. It was also the first time that the words "my son" had dropped off the tip of her tongue.
"How long will she be in the hospital?"
"About another week it looks like. She wants to come to the funeral tomorrow. The doctors aren't sure if they will allow it, we should find out later today."
Naya looked away. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about the pain that tomorrow will bring.
Jonathan reached over and placed his hand on top of hers.
She smiled.
"We've been through a lot."
"I'm so sorry, Mother, so sorry for everything I've done. Everything I've said. Please forgive me."
"I know. I forgive you, but now I have to ask that you do the same. You have to forgive me, Jonathan."
"I have."
"No, you have to forgive me from here." She placed her hand over his heart. "I remember when we first met. You were so angry. So hurt and I tried to understand. I tried to feel what you were feeling but I couldn't completely. I couldn't see how right you were in some ways."
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