The Other Side of Goodness

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  “I don’t want Jasmine to see me like this,” Jessica had said before Gabrielle left to go pick up her daughter. “Not the first time she gets out of that place. I don’t want me, looking like this, to be the first thing she comes home to. I don’t.”

  Gabrielle had argued that Jasmine could care less what Jessica looked like. She just wanted to see her and to be with her. But now Gabrielle was reevaluating that decision. Maybe she should have agreed to take Jasmine home with her.

  At least for this joyous first day of Jasmine finally getting to leave this place, she deserved one day of no worries.

  Maybe she should have . . .

  Chapter 41

  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

  —Romans 12:18

  Before Gabrielle and Zachary could get out the door with Jasmine, there was a knock at her door.

  “Hello.” A singsong voice came as a head slightly peeked in.

  “Hi,” Gabrielle said, walking toward the door to see who was there. “Come on.”

  The person came in as did a teenage girl along with her. Gabrielle stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Paris Simmons-Holyfield (“with a hyphen”). “Hi there,” Paris said, not seeming to notice Gabrielle as she looked past her to Zachary. “I’m sorry. I was looking for—” She looked at Jasmine sitting in a chair. “Would you happen to be Jasmine?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jasmine said.

  “Okay. Then I guess I am in the right place.” Paris looked from Jasmine back to Zachary. “You’re so pretty. You’re absolutely beautiful.” It was then that she must have noticed Gabrielle, since her body literally stiffened as she yanked back.

  Jasmine was blushing. “Thank you,” she said to Paris.

  The teenager with Paris stepped forward. “Hi.” Her smile was huge, her full attention directed totally toward Jasmine.

  “Hi,” Jasmine said, her big brown eyes looking upward as she smiled.

  “Oh! Where are my manners?” Paris said to Gabrielle, who stared hard at her now. “This is my little sister, Imani Simmons.”

  “Hi, Imani,” everyone said almost in unison.

  “Hi, all,” Imani said. “But if you’ve seen any of my father’s political materials, you probably recognize me as Courtney. But I prefer my middle name Imani.”

  Zachary went over to Imani and shook her hand. “Well, it’s really nice to meet you, Imani.”

  Gabrielle went and stood over Jasmine like an eagle protecting her nest as she tried to figure out what was really going on here.

  “I’ve wanted to meet you for months now,” Imani said to Jasmine. “But my daddy wouldn’t let me. He said your immune system could be compromised, so of course, we didn’t want to do anything to set you back in your getting well.”

  “Thanks,” Jasmine said. “But I’m doing great now. In fact, I’m going home today!”

  “You are?” Paris said it like she was the nicest person around. “Wow. Well, I’m glad we came by today, then. Otherwise, we would have missed you completely.”

  “I’m sorry,” Gabrielle said to Paris, deciding she was going to find out what all of this was about. “Do you know Jasmine? I mean, other than from the news.”

  Paris smirked. “Well, this is our first time meeting her in person. But I suppose you could sort of say we know her . . . we’ve sort of met. Maybe not as much me as my sister here.” Paris placed both her hands onto Imani’s shoulders.

  “What my sister here is trying to say, Jasmine, is that our cells have met,” Imani said. “I’m your bone marrow donor.”

  Jasmine grinned really big then. “You are? For real? You are!”

  “Yes,” Imani said, matching Jasmine’s grin. “Yes. For real.” Imani went over to Jasmine and the two hugged. “We sort of favor a little. That’s something, huh?”

  “Our cells match and we sort of match.” Jasmine giggled. “I look like my mother. I have her eyes. That’s what everybody tells me.”

  Imani laughed. “I look like my daddy. I have my daddy’s eyes. That’s what everybody tells me.”

  Paris looked at Gabrielle like she’d just eaten a green persimmon before primping her mouth, then forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile. Paris took out her cell phone. “Hey, you two,” she said. “Let me get a picture of the two of you together.” The two girls put their faces side by side and struck a pose. Paris snapped several times with the camera feature of her iPhone. “Beautiful!” she said when she was finished. “Just beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Paris,” Imani said, then squeezed Jasmine again. The two of them held each other before releasing and hugging two more times.

  “So,” Paris said to Jasmine after Imani and Jasmine stopped their hugging marathon. “You’re going home today. That is so great! Where is your mother? Imani and I were looking forward to meeting her.”

  “She’s not here. Miss G and Dr. Z are taking me home.”

  “Is that right?” Paris smiled, her cheesy phoniness starting to sicken Gabrielle at this point. “Gabrielle, or Miss G as you call her, and I were once friends. In fact, for a few months, we were even roommates. So how exactly do you know Miss G?”

  “Miss G and Dr. Z have been with me pretty much through this whole—”

  “Jasmine, are you sure you’ve gotten everything?” Gabrielle said, purposely interrupting her. “We don’t want to end up forgetting anything, you know.”

  “I’m pretty sure,” Jasmine said. “I even got all of my messages Dr. Z brought me. But I’ll check one more time and be sure.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll check for you,” Gabrielle said. She then turned to Paris. “I know she’s eager to get home. So we’re going to get out of here now. But it was so good of you to come by.” Gabrielle walked over to Imani. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she looked at this young girl who stood tall before her and essentially had saved Jasmine’s life. “It was truly great to meet you, Imani. Your name means faith.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  Gabrielle nodded and smiled. “Imani: a blessed name of a blessing of a person. On behalf of Jasmine’s mother, I want to thank you for what you did for Jasmine. That was a great and noble thing that you did, it really was. And God is going to reward you greatly for it. I believe that. My pastor’s wife always says that God keeps great records. And He does. He really does.”

  Imani smiled. “Thank you for that.” She hugged Gabrielle as Gabrielle tried inconspicuously to wipe away her emergent tears, hoping no one would see that she was crying, particularly not Paris.

  “Thanks for coming by,” Zachary said, stepping up and taking Paris by her elbow as he led her toward the door, essentially blocking her line of view to Gabrielle.

  “Bye,” Imani said to Jasmine before going over again and giving her one more hug. “Now I want you to take good care of my cells for me. All right? Is that a deal?”

  Jasmine laughed. “All right. I will. That’s a deal. You’re really funny.”

  “I’ve been told that,” Imani said. “But seriously: I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Me, too,” Jasmine said.

  Imani left with a wave. Paris pulled up the rear, exiting right behind her.

  Zachary took Gabrielle in his arms and hugged her tight. “Are you okay?” he whispered directly in her ear so only she would hear.

  “Yeah,” Gabrielle whispered back. “I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about Paris and what just happened here.”

  “You and me both,” he said still whispering. “Her sister seems really nice though.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hey, you two!” Jasmine said, almost yelling at them. “Are you going to hug and make goo-goo eyes all day, or are we going to finally break out of this joint?”

  Gabrielle wiped her eyes once more, turned to Jasmine, laughed, and said, “Let’s make like a banana and split!”

  Jasmine laughed as she took a leap into the air. “Yes!”

  Chap
ter 42

  If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.

  —Proverbs 25:21

  Lawrence pressed his back hard against his seat as soon as he saw him approaching his table. Lawrence had arrived earlier than the five P.M. requested time because he preferred being on the passing end, rather than the receiving, specifically for this particular meeting.

  Darius sat down in the booth seat across from Lawrence without being asked or a proper greeting on his part. “Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice.” He leaned in as though he thought he was really someone important.

  “Well, you did say that it was in my best interest that I meet with you today. So let’s hear it,” Lawrence said.

  Darius smiled and sat back against his seat. “I see you don’t waste any time.”

  “You’ve heard the old saying: Time is money. So let’s hear what you have.” Lawrence held a rigidness to his face that conveyed he wasn’t one to be played with.

  “What say we order something to eat before we get started?”

  Lawrence tilted his head. “Suit yourself.”

  Darius looked around the area where they sat. The waiter must have seen him and came over immediately. “What we got on the special today?” Darius asked him.

  The waiter rattled off the special for the day and his recommendations when Darius asked what he thought was good. Darius ordered, then turned to Lawrence.

  Lawrence shook his head and waved the waiter away.

  “So, you’re not going to eat anything?” Darius asked.

  “I don’t intend to be here that long.” Lawrence picked up his glass of water and tipped the glass toward Darius.

  “That’s fine,” Darius said. “As long as you still pick up the bill, you don’t have to eat a thing.”

  “You ask me here and you’re also expecting me to pay?” Lawrence took a sip from his glass as though he were drinking something stronger than mere water.

  Darius smiled. “If we’re getting straight to it, I suppose you can say that I asked you here and, yes, I expect you to pay. Maybe you can write it off as a campaign expense.”

  “Did my daughter send you to try another ruse on me?”

  Darius fell back against his seat and grinned. “You talking about Paris? Paris doesn’t even know I’m here. She’s a sweet girl though. A bit too trusting maybe. I said maybe now. You see, she was the one that helped me put this all together.”

  Lawrence leaned in. “All of what together?”

  Darius leaned in as well. “All of the pieces. About how dedicated you were to finding a donor for that child. Then there was your reaction when I brought up what I’d heard about that child possibly being yours, when we all were eating lunch the other day.”

  Lawrence began a phony chuckle. “Listen here. Do you have any idea how many things I’ve been accused of doing that have no merit?”

  “Probably just a few shy of what I’ve been accused of. The only thing is: I know which things that are said about me that happen to be true, as I’m sure you do as well.” He glanced in the direction where the waiter had disappeared to. “I wonder what’s taking so long for my salad and some rolls to get here. They have the best yeast rolls. Have you tried them before? If you’re not careful, you can get full just eating the rolls.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d just get to the point of why you’re sitting in my face right now. If all you came to do is rehash gossip that’s easily purchased from any filthy rag on a newsstand, then I would say our business here is concluded.”

  “How about this: I know you’re the father of that child, and I can prove it.”

  Lawrence started to laugh. “Once again speculation, rumors, and lies.”

  “Your baby girl, Imani, or as you prefer to call her, Courtney, was a match for the little girl. Now what are the chances of that also happening? I mean really. And, yes, I believe in God and the power of prayer as much as the next person. In fact, I happen to attend church regularly, although I’ve not quite latched on to the entire concept the way my wife has.”

  Lawrence smiled. “Your wife’s name is Tiffany, isn’t it?”

  Darius stopped and frowned. “How do you know that?” He grinned. “Oh, that’s right. Paris mentioned that the other day at lunch.” He began nodding like a bobble-head doll.

  “And you have three children: two girls and a little boy you call Junior. Jade is your oldest; she’s eight. Dana is six, and Darius Jr. just turned three last November.” Lawrence steepled his fingers together. “How am I doing so far?”

  The waiter brought Darius’s food, made sure he didn’t need anything else, then left.

  Darius stared at Lawrence almost the whole time the waiter was there.

  “Don’t let me stop you,” Lawrence said, making a sweeping motion with his hand. “Eat up. Drink a little of your water. All of a sudden you’re not looking so hot.”

  Darius continued to stare at Lawrence as he picked up his fork and speared a grape tomato on his salad plate.

  “You’re not going to say grace? One shouldn’t eat before praying and thanking God for the food provided. Who knows: You might end up choking on your food, and then what?”

  Darius put the tomato in his mouth. He smiled. “So what did you do? Have someone check me out? That’s fine. I have nothing to hide.”

  “Is that right?”

  Darius picked up a roll, pulled off a piece, and tossed it into his open mouth. “That’s right. It’s like you said: Most things are stuff that can’t necessarily be proven. The thing that’s different between me and you? You’re an Alabama legislator up for reelection later this year. And I’m willing to bet you that your opponent would pay dearly for what I’m able to give him on you. But I was thinking that I owe it to your daughter, who has been wonderful to me, by the way, when our paths have crossed, to at least allow you the first opportunity to buy the information that I have.”

  “Which would be?”

  Darius flashed him a big smile. “My silence for starters. You see, your opponent would pay me for the information I can provide to pretty much take you out of the race for good. But you can pay me to keep my mouth shut and not give this piece of information that just may point folks in the right direction to learn everything they’d need to know about that bone marrow situation.”

  “And how much were you thinking of charging me for this ‘service’?”

  “Well, you know people have fallen on hard times these past few years. I have a family, as you’ve already learned, and we have bills mounting to the ceiling.”

  “Well, I hope you know I’m by no means a rich man.” Lawrence took a sip.

  “Yeah, I didn’t think you were rich. But you probably do okay. I’m a fair man. I was thinking maybe you could give me a job with your campaign, one of those positions that pay well. I’ve never had a one-hundred-thousand-dollar-a-year salaried job before.”

  “So you want to work for me on my campaign?”

  Darius cut off a piece of his pecan-crusted tilapia fish with his fork and shoved it in his mouth as he nodded. “That’s a good start. After you win reelection, maybe we’ll see where else I’d make a good fit. That’s a fair deal, don’t you think? This way, no money would have to come directly out of your pocket. See how I’m looking out for you already? Even before you put me on the payroll.”

  “Give me one bit of information that says you’re worth a place on my campaign staff and my payroll. Otherwise, this meeting is over.”

  “How about Gabrielle Mercedes?”

  Lawrence maintained his poker face. “And who is she that I should care?”

  Darius’s smile dropped slightly.

  Just as Lawrence thought. Darius didn’t have anything. All he was doing was fishing, although in truth, it bothered him that he would use bait that was close enough to truth to cause him to possibly take a bite.

  Lawrence stood up. “Young man, let me give you a little piece of advic
e. I chew folks like you up and spit them out on a daily basis. Don’t you ever try and blackmail me with foolishness again! Or I will not overlook your naiveté, and I will have you for breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. You need to be careful who you mess with. Because if you fool around and mess with the wrong person, trust me: You’ll end up getting yours!”

  Lawrence took out a fifty-dollar bill and stuck it in Darius’s blue shirt pocket. “That should be enough to cover your meal. Oh, and the water? It’s free.” Lawrence patted Darius’s pocket with the money in it. “Whatever is left over, why don’t you use it to buy your children some ice cream as opposed to something for one of your women on the side?” Lawrence then leaned over and whispered in his ear. “And tell Fatima Adams the next time you happen to run into her that she was really smart to get out when she did.” Fatima Adams was a woman with whom Darius once had a secret affair.

  Lawrence patted his shoulder and strolled away without looking back.

  Chapter 43

  There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

  —Proverbs 30:11

  Paris had come to her parents’ home for the third straight day in a row. On Monday, two days before, when no one was home, she’d come to the house and gone snooping in her parents’ closet. Paris knew her mother kept all of their personal private information in a fireproof security box in their closet. Paris had located Imani’s file and, more importantly, the information she was searching for—the name and current whereabouts of the person her sister had been a bone marrow donor for.

  Then yesterday, Paris had taken Imani to meet Jasmine. Imani had been so appreciative of Paris doing that for her that today she’d invited her big sister to lunch, her treat, after a little retail therapy, of course. This was how Imani, so far, had spent her spring break. Imani was upstairs now in her room on the phone or the computer or whatever it was that she did after having bought some really cute outfits. Paris sat in the den with the television on waiting on her father to come home.