Nina sat there in the middle of the floor with him. She looked on helplessly as she pondered her contribution to his mourning.
CHRISSY’S FUNERAL WAS ATTENDED BY MANY of Larry’s coworkers and clients. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Larry struggled to control his emotions.
Anyone who knew anything about Larry’s personal life recognized the bond between him and his daughter. He’d never hidden his devotion to Chrissy. That characteristic alone was enough to overshadow his intellect and command respect from the people he associated with.
Nina sat next to Larry and held his hand throughout the entire funeral. Although she had never taken the time to connect to her now deceased stepdaughter, she also felt the despair of the moment.
Val sat on the pew behind Nina and Larry. Her broken arm was in a cast and secured to the side of her body with a black sling. She looked uncomfortable, like she didn’t want to be there. Sitting to her immediate right was a caramel-complexioned, curly-haired black man with a clean-shaven face and a huge scar that ran from his left earlobe to the corner of his mouth. The mysterious man was Val’s boyfriend, Tyrone. The scar that he wore like a badge of honor was one of his mementos from prison.
Nina had heard a lot about Tyrone, but had never actually met him. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Val sobbing, and could feel the intensity of Tyrone’s stare. His stare seemed inappropriate considering the events of the moment, and the smirk he hit her with when their eyes met seemed downright creepy.
As the nearly two hundred attendees exited the funeral, Larry tried to appear strong so that he could receive everyone’s condolences and thank his supporters for coming, but the weight of the heartache he felt made it difficult for him to stand, literally.
As Barbara escorted her younger brother to the limousine, Nina did her best to hold down the fort. She shook dozens of hands, but received the cold shoulder from Val as she walked past. Tyrone, on the other hand, made it a point to stop and express his sorrow to Nina.
“Nina, we’ve never formally met, but I’m Tyrone, Val’s friend.”
“Hello, Tyrone. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem; I wanted to pay my respects. This was a tragic event. You must really be feelin’ the pressure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talkin’ about the pressure you must feel tryin’ to keep Larry from finding out what really happened during the crash.”
“Excuse me?”
“Val told me how you watched poor little Chrissy drown. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me . . . for now,” Tyrone replied and then whispered into Nina’s ear. “It would be a shame if Larry found out that you had a chance to save his little helpless handicapped daughter, but opted to let her drown.”
Nina looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Her heart rate sped up significantly and her eyes immediately filled with water. Her body trembled as she looked deeply into Tyrone’s wicked eyes.
“Val told you that?” she asked.
Val stood a few feet away, leaning against a tree. She stared at Nina the same way she had done the night of the crash. The hatred in her eyes could be seen from afar.
“We’ll be in touch,” Tyrone said and then gave Nina a soft pinch on her side. “Trust me, sweetheart; I’ll definitely be seein’ yo fine ass again.”
As he walked away, he turned around and attempted to give Nina a piece of paper.
“Here’s my phone number. Call if you need anything.”
Nina turned and walked away. Tyrone was noticeably embarrassed. So he turned to Maria, who was standing a few feet away.
“It’s obvious she’s upset. You’re the nanny, right?”
Maria nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Please give Nina this phone number later on. I want to be there for her and the family, in case they need something.”
Maria took the wrinkled piece of paper with Tyrone’s cell phone number scribbled on it.
Nina’s chilling encounter with Tyrone forced her to remember the traumatic crash all over again. Within seconds, she replayed in her mind every moment inside of the SUV: the terrifying screams; Val’s voice urging her to save Chrissy; Precious calling her name; Chrissy’s hand disappearing beneath the surface of the water. Her memory of the accident was distressingly clear.
Nina’s tense moment was interrupted by the tug on her dress by her daughter.
“Mommy, I want to go home.”
“Okay, baby. We’re going home in a few minutes.”
THE MOOD AT THE DENNISON HOUSEHOLD was much like you would expect after a loss as tragic as this. A few of the family’s closest friends and relatives were congregating in the living room. Barbara was in the kitchen fixing a pot of coffee and trying her best to maintain control of the somber environment.
Nina gave Precious a snack and then took the child to her bedroom.
“Sweetheart, I want you to play with your toys for awhile. Mommy is going to go and talk to Daddy.”
“Can I come?”
“No, baby, I have to talk to Daddy alone. When I’m finished, I’ll come back in here and talk to you.”
Nina exited the room and then walked downstairs toward her bedroom where she knew she’d find her husband. Larry was sitting in the lounge chair located in the far corner of the room. He held a picture of Chrissy in one hand and her favorite teddy bear in the other. It was the same teddy bear she’d gravitated toward the first day he’d brought them to their new house.
“Do you feel like talking?” Nina asked, not really sure what else to say.
Larry stared at the picture. Tears rolled down his face as he strengthened his grip on the teddy bear. “Tell me what happened to my baby.”
“Larry, I told you what happened.”
“Tell me again.”
Nina paused for a moment. Deep down she knew that she should probably tell Larry that she had a decision to make and she chose to save her own child. But there’s no way he’d understand her choice. How could he? The odds had been stacked against Chrissy since her birth. The odds had become more stacked against her when they were all trapped in that car. At that moment, she needed more help than ever before and her request for assistance was ignored. Nina felt that her decision to save her own child was no different than that of any mother placed in the same position. Still, the odds of her grief-stricken husband understanding and sympathizing with the quagmire she faced were minuscule at best.
“We were driving down the road that leads to this community. It was raining real hard, and I was having difficulty seeing the road. Suddenly, a car appeared, and I swerved to avoid hitting it. The car spun out of control and went through the barrier. We landed in the lake on top of a tree that stuck out of the water.
“I was knocked unconscious for a moment, I’m not sure how long. Val’s arm was broken, and the girls were in the backseat moaning and crying. I was trying to climb into the backseat to get the girls, but I was trapped by a branch that came through the front windshield. That’s how I hurt my arm.”
Nina paused for a moment to gauge Larry’s mood. He stared at her intently, seemingly hanging on her every word. Nina swallowed the little spit that remained in her parched mouth and continued.
“The truck started to sink into the water, and we were all starting to drown. I was able to open my door. Precious was sitting behind me, and she was able to get out of her seat. I think her ability to swim helped her. Before I knew it, she was in my arms. Chrissy and Val were on the other side of the car. I tried to grab Chrissy but, all of a sudden, I felt myself being pulled away. When I finally got pulled to shore by the man who saved us, I looked up and saw another man dragging Val to the shore. The last man that came out of the water was carrying Chrissy. She seemed a little limp, but I couldn’t tell if she was alive.”
“She looked limp?”
“Yeah, her body looked a little limp. There were people all around. Things were happening fast.”
“There’s something you said that has m
e confused. How did Precious get out of the car and end up in your arms? I saw the truck. The rear passenger door was smashed badly; how did she get out?”
Nina was stumped. She’d practiced her story to the point that it sounded more like an alibi. She could recite her version of what happened in her sleep, but Larry’s question was unexpected and left her searching for a response.
Nina could see that Larry’s question wasn’t rhetorical. He expected an answer. She was about to try and offer an explanation, but was saved by a knock at the door. Nina’s savior was the person who had been the biggest protester to her marriage to Larry: Barbara.
Barbara had once again been eavesdropping outside the door. After hearing Nina’s initial explanation of the circumstances surrounding the crash, she shared her brother’s confusion. No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out how Precious was able to unfasten her seat belt while underwater and get out of a badly smashed door.
“Larry, can I get you anything? Oh, hi, Nina; I didn’t know you were in here.”
“No, Barbara, I’m fine,” Larry replied.
“Nina, can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Barbara asked reluctantly.
“No, thank you. I’d appreciate it if you’d check in on Precious. She’s in her bedroom. Let her know I’ll be there in a second.”
“Okay,” Barbara responded.
Nina used the distraction as an opportunity to change the subject. Larry had her on the hot seat, and she was getting close to her breaking point.
“Baby, you really need to eat something. Would you like me to ask the guests to leave?”
“Yeah, it’s time for everyone to leave. Please tell everyone I said thank you for coming. Let them know I’ll be reaching out to all of them soon.”
“You should try to take a nap. I’ll get you some sleeping pills. Don’t worry about the guests; I’ll get rid of them and clean up.”
Nina helped Larry take off his shoes and then kissed him on the forehead. It was the most affection she’d ever shown Larry and he noticed. Larry received Nina’s compassionate gestures with grace as he fought back the tears that spilled from his bloodshot eyes.
Meanwhile, Barbara was upstairs sitting on Precious’ bed next to the confused child. Regardless of her feelings about Nina, Barbara realized that Precious was an innocent child in search of answers.
“Do you want to talk?” Precious declined Barbara’s offer with a modest shake of her head. “I understand that you’re probably confused about what has happened, but I want you to know you can talk to your daddy, mommy, and me if you have any questions.”
“I miss my sister, Chrissy.”
“I know you do, sweetheart,” Barbara replied as tears streamed down her face. “We all miss Chrissy. She’s not here, but you can talk to her whenever you want to. She can hear you, even though she’s living with God now.”
“Are you sure she can hear me when I talk to her?”
“Yes, baby, I’m sure she can hear you.”
As Barbara sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around Precious, Nina stood on the other side of the partially opened door, listening. She cried silently and wished that none of this had happened.
Nina couldn’t see her daughter and Barbara, but as she peered through the door she could see Precious’ bed. Staring back at her was the large teddy bear that she’d slept next to every night. The bear was propped up by the pillow with her name stitched into the pillowcase.
Suddenly, Nina felt terrible about her unwillingness to bond with the now deceased child. She regretted the harsh words she’d used during the audition. She felt ashamed when she thought about her lack of compassion toward Chrissy. Nina could feel her guilt beginning to surface, and realized that she would have to summon every bit of self-control within her to keep her feelings from erupting like a volcano.
ONE WEEK LATER
“I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT I SAW NINA DO,” Val said as she sipped on her steamy hot cappuccino.
“Yeah, that was foul. She shoulda at least tried to grab that child’s hand.”
“Knowing Nina, the way I do, she’s probably already moved on. All she can think about is her precious daughter and her new lifestyle. The entire time I was out there, all she did was brag. The shit started to get on my nerves.”
“So, is she obsessed with the idea of being rich?”
“Tyrone, Chrissy’s body hasn’t been buried a week, and I’ll bet Nina has already talked Larry into buying her a new Range Rover.”
“That dude doesn’t have a clue about his wife’s heinous ways.”
“Not a clue.”
“What do you think he’d do if he knew Nina let Chrissy drown without even attempting to save her?”
“I don’t know what he’d do. Based on the relationship he had with that child, he’d probably divorce Nina faster than she could say her own name. He’d probably ship her ass right back here to the ’hood. I’ll bet she wouldn’t be taking Precious on any auditions here.”
“Doesn’t she get half of his money if they get a divorce?”
“He made her sign a prenuptial agreement. She’ll get something, but it won’t be enough for her to retire on. She won’t get any child support because Precious isn’t his child. Besides, the man is a lawyer.”
“I thought you said he was an agent?”
“He is an agent. But, he’s a lawyer by trade. And from what I hear, a damn good one. I’m sure he will make a case against Nina that’s so convincing she’d be lucky if the judge didn’t make her pay him some money.”
“You think it would go down like that?”
“I really do. Larry loved that child more than anything. He would make Nina’s life a living hell if he knew what really happened during that crash.”
“Hmmm,” Tyrone responded.
“What are you thinkin’?”
“Well, I’m wondering what Nina would do to keep Larry from finding out.”
“If it meant she didn’t have to give up that house, car, and bank account, she’d probably sell her soul to the devil.”
Tyrone leaned back in his chair and stared at his coffee. The steam that hovered at the surface crept into his nostrils as he raised the cup and took a sip.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use a little financial assistance. It’s been hard tryin’ to get back on my feet; ain’t many jobs out there for a convicted felon. I’m tryin’ not to return to that dope game, but I’m runnin’ outta patience.”
Val sat there quietly. She understood where the conversation was leading. Although she didn’t feel comfortable openly endorsing blackmail, she made no attempts to denounce Tyrone’s devious intentions.
“I know you are gettin’ tired of strippin’. To be honest, I’m tired of you goin’ to that club five nights a week to shake your ass in front of a bunch of desperate men.”
“I don’t hear you expressing concern about me being a stripper when I bring that money in here,” Val replied flippantly. Truth be told, Val was extremely tired of working at the strip club. But unless Tyrone had come up with a way to take over the financial load, she didn’t care to hear his thoughts on her stripping career. “Tyrone, stop beatin’ around the bush and say what’s on your mind.”
“Okay, I will. I believe we should get some money from Nina. We could move out of this rattrap and get something nice. Maybe we could think about havin’ some babies. You know how much I want a little boy.”
Val nodded her head favorably. Surprisingly, she agreed with Tyrone’s idea . . . up until the part about the two of them making babies.
Val grew up dirt poor. As the oldest of five children in a single parent household, Val had found herself playing mother for most of her young adult life. She wanted to have a few kids of her own, but she could never envision a day when she’d allow herself to be impregnated by a man with as little ambition and potential as Tyrone.
Val had met Tyrone when they were teenagers. Tyrone was a rising drug dealer in their Lower Ninth Ward ne
ighborhood. As a matter of fact, he’d started hustling back in the day alongside Nina’s first love, Flip. His budding drug dealing career was cut short when he was caught with nearly a kilo of cocaine.
He was able to impress Val with his fancy lifestyle, but as in many cases, when the dope money stopped coming in, Tyrone had little to fall back on. He became a great lover out of necessity, but even that was beginning to lose its luster. At one point in their relationship, Val would’ve been prepared to do a commercial to endorse Tyrone’s sex game. The brotha was that good. However, after her leg stopped shaking and she awakened from the coma-like sleep induced by her multiple orgasms, Val usually found that the only thing she had to show for giving her body to Tyrone was a wet ass.
Tyrone sat around the house all day playing PlayStation. God had blessed him with thirty years of life, and the only thing he had to show for it were two felony convictions, washboard abs, a mammoth-size penis, five children scattered throughout the city, five different baby mamas, and a one-pack-a-day smoking habit.
Val didn’t want Nina’s money as much as she wanted Nina’s lifestyle. The moment she’d cast her eyes on the handsome Sharrard Hogan, she immediately knew that she’d found her winning ticket to a better life.
As far as she was concerned, Tyrone could work day and night trying to figure out ways to swindle chump change from Nina. But Val had much loftier ambitions. Sharrard was worth more money than she could ever get from Nina. Val wanted a millionaire football player, and she was going to get Nina to hook her up whether she wanted to or not.
“I already hinted to her that we would be in touch,” said Tyrone.
“Oh yeah, what did she say?”
“She just stood there looking scared.”
“So what do you have in mind?”
Tyrone could look at Val’s facial expression and see that she was beginning to embrace his plan. “I’m thinkin’ we could hit her up for some money,” he said with a grin.
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