He hugged Melissa and stared at Michaela over Melissa’s head. God she’s a beautiful girl. She looks just like Jeremiah. He held his hand out to Michaela. “I’m your cousin Bernard. Everyone calls me Bobo.”
Michaela’s nose crinkled upon hearing the nickname. She reluctantly offered him her hand. “Bobo, hmm. I’m Michaela Cooke.”
He gestured toward Connie. “This is the love of my life Conchita Rivera. Everyone calls her Connie. I know who you are. All I have to do is look at your face. You’re the image of your father and I see Mel in you too.”
Michaela eyes narrowed when she heard his last comment. Bobo caught the look of aversion that crossed her face. He held his arm out to her. “Let’s go get your luggage, ladies.”
Melissa fell in step with Connie who stared at Michaela in amazement. She whispered to Melissa, “God, I can’t believe how much she looks like J. It’s uncanny.”
As Bobo maneuvered the car along the interstate, he kept peeping in the rearview mirror at Melissa, trying to gauge her state of mind. The trip to Atlanta was a first for Michaela and she stared at the scenery. They decided to have lunch before checking into the hotel. Connie invited the women to stay with her but Melissa felt the two-bedroom townhouse would be too crowded and opted for a hotel.
Melissa hadn’t returned to Atlanta since she left for Chicago to prepare for her wedding. The city had changed drastically since her last visit. She felt a moment of panic as Bobo drove past the restaurant where Jeremiah had proposed to her. It had been replaced with a more upscale dining establishment.
Bobo engaged Michaela in conversation as they rode. He promised to take her to Morehouse during her stay in Atlanta as well as Clark. “That’s where Melissa and Connie went to school,” he informed his young cousin.
Melissa’s mind was smothered with bittersweet memories as Bobo drove. The ghosts of a younger Jeremiah and Melissa followed her everywhere. To her surprise, the park where she and Jeremiah met for picnics was still intact. She turned to look at it as Bobo drove down the street. Jeremiah had been an avid baseball fan and the sight of Turner Stadium evoked memories.
Bobo and Connie noted her pensive mood and assumed memories overwhelmed her.
Bobo pulled into the parking lot of an Italian restaurant. “Is this okay, ladies?” They agreed it was.
“You guys live large,” Michaela observed as they were seated.
“Not I,” Connie murmured, squinting at the menu. She opened her purse, pulled out a pair of eyeglasses, and perused the menu.
Melissa didn’t say anything. She sipped from a goblet of water.
“I guess it might look like that to you,” Bobo admitted, checking his silverware to make sure it was clean.
“Melissa stayed in a cabana when she was Cali. Now we’re here at this chi chi restaurant where there aren’t even any prices on the menu.”
After lunch, Melissa, Nancy and Michaela were droopy-eyed. Melissa yawned, then said, “It must be the change in time zones. And we did have an early flight. Bobo, could you drop us off at the hotel and I’ll go see Jeremiah later today.”
“Your wish is my command,” Bobo answered as he pulled out his American Express Platinum card to settle the bill.
Melissa initially planned on sharing a room with Michaela. But Michaela declined the offer. She informed her she needed time alone to gather her thoughts.
Melissa lay on the bed unable to sleep even though she felt tired. She rose and walked to the mirror to critically access her looks, trying to visualize herself as Jeremiah would see her.
She hadn’t gained much weight, maybe a dress size. She no longer had her hair permed. Instead, she wore it free flowing, emphasizing her naturally wavy hair.
Melissa worried about Jeremiah’s rejection of her and debated whether or not she should visit Vanessa. Questions and situations rolled around her head.
The telephone rang, interrupting her reverie. It was the front desk asking if they should allow Mr. Bernard Ross to her room. She told them, sure. Bobo’s rat-a-tat sounded at the door and Melissa let him in. They sat the in the living room next to each other on the sofa.
“How are you holding, cuz?”
Melissa’s mind wandered back to her father’s visitation service when he’d asked her that very same question. “Umm, okay… Truthfully, I feel a bit off kilter being back in Atlanta. I sense Jeremiah’s presence everywhere. Of course I’m nervous about seeing him…”
“If you want I could talk to him for you,” Bobo suggested, squeezing her ice-cold hand.
“No, I have to do it alone.” Her stomach felt like someone was playing ping-pong inside of it.
“I saw him a couple of days ago,” Bobo stated, running his hand over his head.
“How was he?” Melissa whispered looking down, her hands folded primly in her lap.
“Let’s just say, if you hadn’t come today, I would have flown to the west coast and kidnapped you and Michaela. She seems like a great girl, Mel. No, let me correct that, a young woman. Kudos to Nina and Jacob for the way they raised her. I have to admit I was worried about Jacob being her father since he isn’t African American.”
“Well, your worries were unfounded.” Melissa tried to smile. Her mind kept drifting to Jeremiah. “You don’t think… J is going to…” she stuttered.
Bobo licked his lips nervously. “Well his prognosis isn’t good. Let’s just say I feel better now that the cavalry has arrived.” He smiled at her. “So are you ready to go to the hospital?”
“Give me a minute to grab my purse,” Melissa said.
Melissa stopped by Nancy’s room before she left and asked her to keep an eye on Michaela since she was headed to the hospital. Nancy hugged her and told her to keep the faith and that everything was going to be all right.
* * *
The ride to the hospital seemed endless. Though it was early evening, the expressway was clogged from motorists trying to avoid rush hour traffic. Pinpricks of worry filled Melissa’s face. What if Jeremiah didn’t want her help? Perhaps she should have stayed home and minded her business. After all, Jeremiah was her sister’s husband. A tiny voice whispered in her mind, He’s the father of your child. The two of you share a bond that he and Moniqa don’t.
As the distance to the hospital dwindled, Melissa’s stomach knotted with tension. Her hands and legs began shaking and she fidgeted in her seat.
Bobo watched her out the corner of his eye and wisely kept his mouth shut. The ends of his mouth curved into a smile, as he watched his cousin fret. Bobo thought to himself, she doesn’t have one reason to worry. I bet my net worth Melissa and Michaela are just the medicine to give Jeremiah the will to live. This story is going to have a happy ending.
Melissa’s legs wouldn’t stop buckling. She began hyperventilating as she rode the elevator to Jeremiah’s floor.
As she exited the elevator, the scent of medication was overpowering. The ward was very silent save for three nurses talking softly at their station. Melissa forced her legs to move forward and asked for Jeremiah’s room number.
She stood outside the closed door trying to compose the rampant emotions causing her heartbeat to speedup like a horse running the Kentucky derby. She held out a shaking hand and pushed open the door.
The room was dimly lit and the television turned low. Melissa’s eyes darted greedily to the sight of Jeremiah who was turned on his side away from her. She felt a moment of panic and wanted to turn and run away. Melissa squared her shoulders and walked into the room.
Jeremiah’s eyes were closed.
Chanel No.5 wafted into the room. Jeremiah turned over, and whispered, “Mel.”
Melissa hungrily drank in the sight of his thin gaunt, but beloved face. She ran the distance to his bed, leaned down and gathered him into her arms as tears trickled down her face.
Jeremiah pulled away from her. His bony hand lovingly caressed her face. Then he traced the contours of her face as if to memorize them again. Jeremiah pulled her into his ar
ms. They held each tenderly, unable to let go.
Melissa slid into the bed with Jeremiah. Tears sprung to her eyes when she saw how the disease had ravaged him physically. She held him like a newborn in her arms. The sight of his frail body, his thin arms and legs made her want to bawl like a baby. She prayed she and Michaela weren’t too late. Jeremiah lay contently with his head on Melissa’s breast. Her hair fanning his face.
When Bobo came upstairs, he peeped at them and knew his work was done. He had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. He left to return to Connie’s house.
Twilight, then darkness fell, Melissa refused to leave Jeremiah’s side. They slept intertwined in the small bed, in each other arms. When the night duty nurse came into the room later to take Jeremiah’s vital signs, she smiled fondly, knowing she was in the presence of two people deeply in love.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The next morning, Melissa was sitting on the side of the bed feeding Jeremiah breakfast when Vanessa walked into the room. Vanessa’s eyes bulged from their eye sockets when she saw Jeremiah and Melissa. She recoiled from them as if she’d come upon a swarming beehive.
“What are you doing here?” Vanessa’s voice rose shrilly. Today wasn’t her day. She’d had to deal with Moniqa’s “nervous condition” as she diagnosed it, and now this.
“You have no business here,” she hissed, pointing her finger in Melissa’s face.
Rage surged through Jeremiah’s weak body. “You have no control as to who comes in and out of my room. If you continue to talk to Melissa in that tone of voice then you’ll have to leave,” he said through clenched teeth.
Melissa looked humiliated and her face burned a bright red. After twenty years apart, this was how her mother chose to greet her. Melissa’s head dropped, she shook her head sadly from side to side. “Jeremiah, I’ll leave. I don’t want you upset.”
“Yes. Why don’t you go?” Vanessa sneered. Her arms were folded over her chest.
“Vanessa,” Jeremiah yelled before succumbing to a coughing fit. “What did I say?” His hand moved toward the button to summon the nurse.
“Okay, already.” Vanessa held up her hands in surrender. “I need to talk to you and I prefer she not be here.”
“J, I can wait outside,” Melissa said, walking in the direction of the door. “I’ll come back.”
“What do you want?” Jeremiah asked Vanessa brusquely. He closed his eyes, wishing she and her daughter would just disappear.
Vanessa sat in the chair at the end of the bed. “Moniqa is ill. She has suffered a nervous breakdown.”
“And?” Jeremiah asked acerbically.
“Technically you’re her husband. You need to make decisions regarding her care.”
Jeremiah knew that Vanessa held out slim hope of reconciliation between her daughter and son-in-law when she walked into the hospital room and saw Melissa with him.
“As far as I am concerned, Moniqa can rot in hell,” Jeremiah said disgustedly and put his hands over his eyes. “Have you forgotten that I’m battling cancer? Anyway, I’ve filed for a divorce. Any questions you or Moniqa have, feel free to discuss them with my lawyer. He’ll be more than happy to help you.”
“I don’t understand your attitude, Jeremiah,” Vanessa said as she held her hand out pleadingly. “What about Jay? It will kill him if you and Moniqa break up. It’s not fair to him.”
“Don’t drag Jay into this,” Jeremiah spat. He felt light-headed as his blood pressure rose. ”If you want to do something to help him, perhaps you can tell him who his biological father is. This conversation is terminated.” Jeremiah turned on his side away from her.
Vanessa pulled the strap of her purse on her shoulder. “You’re making a horrible mistake Jeremiah. Cancer or not, Moniqa will never let you go. Do you understand me?”
Jeremiah ignored her. He wished he had the strength to stand and forcibly remove her from his room. His hand hovered over the button to call the nurse.
“Okay, I’m going,” Vanessa, informed him, lifting her chin, mustering as much dignity as she could, walked out the room. How dare Jeremiah talk to me like that, she thought. From the corner of her eye she saw Melissa sitting in the waiting area.
Her daughter lay slumped against the back of the chair, and her eyes were closed.
Who the hell does she think she is? She strode purposefully to her daughter.
Melissa’s eyes flew open. “Oh my,” she said softly, cringing as if she were about to be struck by the murderous rage in Vanessa’s eyes.
“You have no business here,” Vanessa hissed venomously. “You don’t belong here. You never belonged in this family anyway. If you think Jeremiah is going to leave my daughter for you, then you are sadly mistaken.” Spittle flew from her mouth. “Jeremiah is Moniqa’s husband. That’s never going to change. You’re nothing but a low-class slut like your mother.” Vanessa spun on her heel and stalked away.
Melissa was shaken by Vanessa’s words. Her body temperature fluctuated between hot and cold. She laid her hand on her forehead. A fit of trembling overtook her body. She put her arms around her body to stop the tremors. What did Vanessa mean by “like your mother”? A dark sense of foreboding blanketed Melissa’s soul. She shook her head from side to side as she pondered the words Vanessa said to her.
Nancy and Bobo walked down the hallway. Bobo was taken aback when he saw his cousin’s expression. Melissa swayed in her seat like she was about to tumble out of it. Bobo ran down the hall headed to Melissa fearing the worst.
He knelt down and grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently. “What’s wrong, Mel? Did something happen to Jeremiah?”
She wet her lips and tried to speak. Words remained unspoken. Her breathing became shallow. Melissa gulped and stuttered, “Mommy was here. She -- she, said I don’t belong in the family. That I was a slut like my mother.” Melissa collapsed tearfully into Bobo’s outstretched arms.
Nancy felt fearful, as she and Bobo loomed over Melissa. Why would Vanessa say something like that at a time like this? She felt weighed down like Atlas. Why was she the chosen one to bear the family secrets? Bobo glanced helplessly at Nancy who sat down ponderously next to Melissa.
Melissa rocked backward and forward in her seat. Her hands covering her face.
Nancy put her arms around Melissa’s shoulders. “Baby, it’s time for us to talk about your real mother.”
Melissa stopped rocking and turned to look at Nancy. “What do you mean by ‘my real mother’? Isn’t Mommy my mother? Nana, I don’t understand?”
Bobo sensed his presence wasn’t needed. He murmured, “I’m going to check on J,” and flashed Melissa an encouraging smile.
Nancy rubbed her eyes wearily. “Once you hear the whole story, you’ll realize that Vanessa not being your mother is a good thing.”
Melissa enunciated slowly, “If Mommy isn’t my mother then who is? Is Daddy my father?”
Nancy could see Melissa’s mind shying away from the implications when she shivered uncontrollably.
“Of course Nate is your father,” Nancy confirmed.
Melissa sagged forward with relief.
“Your mother was named Jacqueline Brewster. She went to Wright College with your father. I liked Jackie and felt Nate should have married her. Let me just say bluntly, Vanessa used the oldest trick in the book to steal your father away from your mother, her pregnancy.”
“You mean like Moniqa did?” Melissa asked, as understanding dawned in her eyes.
“Exactly. Jackie was no match for Vanessa. I don’t think I’ve met anyone like Vanessa in my whole life. Your mother died after she gave birth to you. Nate felt bad about the way he treated Jackie his entire life.”
“Nana, are you telling me you knew about my mother all this time and never said anything to me about it?” Melissa asked, looking as if her feelings had been hurt.
Nancy nodded her head.
“What you’ve told me explains so much. I just wish you’d said something earl
ier. I never told anyone I saw a therapist for years because of the way Mommy treated me.”
Nancy’s eyes shone with tears. She clumsily groped for her granddaughter’s hand. Melissa pulled away. “I wanted to tell you many times. But I promised Nate I wouldn’t unless it was absolutely necessary. He left you a letter explaining his side of the story. It’s been in Attorney Simmons care. I knew the time had come for you to read it. I have it at the hotel.”
“I can’t believe this.” Melissa’s eyes filled with tears. “Nana, you should have told me. I have to go … we’ll talk later.“ She ran down the hallway. A clatter sounded as she bumped into a cart.
Nancy made a half-hearted motion to follow her, then sat heavily into a seat. She had a miserable look on her face as she looked upward, and folded her hands as in prayer. Lord, what’s next? Nate, you should have handled this mess when you were alive. I’m too old to deal with this. Jeremiah is dying and Vanessa picks today to drop her bombshell. Lord, I hope you’re not putting more on my girl that she can bear.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
That evening, Connie was designated to take Michaela to dinner and sightseeing while Melissa and Nancy were sequestered in Nancy’s room. Bobo stayed at the hospital with Jeremiah who’d left instructions at the nurse’s station that neither Vanessa nor Moniqa be admitted into his room.
The Adams family fell apart that night. One crisis after another occurred simultaneously. The chickens came home to roost. Bobo told to Jeremiah what had happened with Vanessa and Melissa. Jeremiah felt heartbroken and cursed his failing body. He should have been with Melissa comforting her.
Moniqa, for once in her life wasn’t clad in designer clothes. Instead, she wore a baggy nondescript dressing gown like the other inmates of the psychiatric ward. She still displayed violent tendencies and was restrained. Valerie, Edward and Patricia flew from Jackson to Atlanta to be with Vanessa.
Mirrored Images Page 15