BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  "Papah-Shawn - chill man! I got everything under control! I got everything out and ready for when you get back. I'm straight, I'mo do it man... I ain't bullshittin' you."

  "Yeah well, I'll chill - when you're registered and have your schedule with your necessary classes in hand, where I can see it for myself! I'm not your mother - I will be holding you to it! I mean it! So when I get home, be ready."

  "I'm gone be ready... promise man."

  "Crystal there?"

  "Naaaw, I think she out stalkin' her ol'man. Some, he say - she say shit, done landed here via - a friend - and her ass out there scopin' on'im!"

  "Where are the boys?"

  "In the bed knocked out! I'm baby sittin' again... so her ass in the street! Papah-Shawn you got to talk to her ass when you get back, cause she trippin'!"

  "Is she going to school?"

  "Yeah... she do that shit! But she lettin' her friends fill her head and now she done gone to, "investigate"."

  "Your goddamn mother needs to get her ass home! Wait till I find her!"

  Mundo started laughing. "Man... all these women done lost they mind! Use to be a man's worl'! Now - they just takin' over shit! I'm tellin' you now papah-Shawn, get home - and get all these women straight! They stressin' me! I ain't got no goddamn babies, but I smell like goddamn Johnson's ass wipes! Shit aint' right!"

  Shawn was laughing at the other end of the phone, finally calming he asked, "So... your mother hasn't called or talked to either of you?"

  "Not me... maybe Crystal."

  "Let me ask you something, have you heard anything about a list? Maybe Crystal mentioned it? Stuff she wants to do?"

  "Crystal wants to do? A list? What kin'nah list?"

  "Noooo, your mom! She emailed me saying there are things she's never done before and now all of a sudden, she needs to do them... before she comes home!"

  "Ah hell naw! A LIST?! What kind'dah shit is that?! Papah-Shawn you got to get a hold o'mama! She trippin'! You gone let her get away wit' that papah-Shawn? Shit that list could comprise of any goddamn thing! Far as I know, my mama don't do shit! Ain't never did shit! She too goddamn uppity and sa'diddy to do anything. That list could mean anything. I'm telling you, they going nuts! They all need to be on medication! Startin' wit' Crystal - or we ain't never gone find no peace! I'm tellin' you papah-Shawn... I'll back you, but you gotta lead the way... I can't do nothin' wit' mama."

  "You can't do nothin' with Crystal!"

  "True dat! You seen ha'! She crazy! I can't be bothered wit' women like them! I'll leave them to you!"

  "So how the hell you gone back me?" Shawn laughed.

  "I'll keep the door open for you, if we have to make a quick escape... won't be nothin' in the way!"

  Shawn shook his head, "How's my truck? Any gas left in it? Any dents, scratches, mishaps?"

  "Aye! Full tank papah-Shawn! Washed it down and waxed it, its looking good! Crystal driving the SUV by the way - out there stalkin' Mr. Prescott! I just thought you should know that." Mundo ratted his sister out, loyal now to no one but Shawn.

  Shawn sighed, "Alright, I'm not gonna worry about that now. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning. I'm gonna stop by and speak with Sheila, see what's going on in Chicago, and we'll either be home Wednesday night, or Thursday morning... it all depends. I think I'll go by and visit your grandma as well, so she can meet my mom and sis."

  "Ah'ight... we straight though... everything cool on this end."

  "All right, you have my numbers if you need to reach me for anything, don't hesitate! Behave yourself!"

  "Aye you know me!"

  "That's what I mean." Shawn chuckled.

  Mundo grinned, "Ah'ight papah-Shawn... peace... I'm out!"

  Shawn smiled and clicked the phone off, no sooner had he when it rang again... making his heart skip a beat.

  "Hello?" He answered nervous.

  Silence... his heart started pounding.

  "Sylvia?"

  Very softly, "Yes."

  "Please don't hang up... please don't." He gasped feeling his chest go crazy, making him short of breath to hear her voice, he felt sweat break out all over and leaned against the headboard of the bed praying she not hang up.

  "I love you..." The words came raspy, breathless, full of passion.

  "I love you too... oh baby... please... talk to me... talk to me... I need to hear your voice... I need you to talk to me."

  "I know... I needed to hear your voice too... I couldn't go another night without hearing your voice. I just... I just needed to hear it." She replied softly, her heart accelerating with just the sound of him coming through to her, it was sheer madness to be so much in love with a man.

  "I'm so sorry... so sorry I lost control like that... oooh baby... oh god... you don't know what this is doing to me. Have you read my emails yet?"

  "Yes... tonight I read them. They were, the other reason I had to call you."

  "Oh Sylvie... when I said, I regretted coming back... it wasn't about you... sweetheart, it wasn't about you."

  "It sounded that way Shawn. You were so angry! I felt so ashamed, so hurt. To hear you say those words, I mean... if you'd never returned, there would be no us."

  "Sylvie, I can't even imagine that. Not having you. Not holding you, baby - shit - I'm hurtin'... please..." His throat was thick, his eyes moist as he finally lay back on the bed, fighting with all his might not to beg her to come home. He knew if he were to keep her online, he had to stay calm.

  "Please Shawn... don't... I just need a little time. And know this, I can't imagine my life without you. Not now... I think about you all the time. There's not a moment that goes by, when I'm not daydreaming like some silly school girl about you. I took a chance on calling you there tonight, not sure if you guys would even be there. I almost hung up when you answered, but... I couldn't."

  "I'm glad you didn't." Shawn returned, fighting down his anxiety.

  "How... how is Deidre?"

  "She's recovering. Angela has visited with her, they've talked. She has her best friend here looking after her, as well this new attorney. His name is Jeremiah Franklin. Its a strange kind of thing going on that I really don't want to get into with you. I don't wish to use this precious time about that. I just wanna talk about us."

  "Oh yeah? And what - pray tell - is there to say about us?" Sylvia asked huskily, flirtatious, smiling as she lay on the bed in her hotel room.

  Shawn groaned, and then grinned. "For one thing, we're husband and wife, vows said, made promises to each other and um... hmmm, let me see - and yet have we to consummate the marriage. I don't think its legally binding without that."

  Sylvia began laughing, holding the phone to her ear, she rolled on the bed, kicking her feet into the air like an adolescent. "I should have known it would eventually get around to that! You're impossible Shawn!"

  "What? You don't want me? You said you did... said you had a dream about me... so ummm, what exactly... did I do to you... in this um, dream you had?" He asked, his voice low and deep, filled with sexual tension and seduction, sending sensations through to her ear that travelled through her body like an unstoppable jet stream, going straight to that part of her that knew what it meant to have that dream fulfilled.

  "I'm not telling you that... no way." She giggled, rolling to her side, embracing the phone as if it were him.

  "Ah come on... you can tell me anything. I'm your husband now... well legally speaking... spiritually, we still have that ground to cover, or have you forgotten that?"

  "Oh no... I have not forgotten that... no way I would, no way I could."

  "Oooh..." He growled deep in his throat, "... if you were here with me right now, em em em... oh woman... I'd have you laid out here, and the things - that I'd be doing to you."

  "Shawn stop... now - don't go there - please..."

  "Why? Why can't I go there?"

  "Because... I don't need you stirring that in me when I can't be with you right now."

  "I'm coming hom
e tomorrow. I'll be in Chicago tomorrow afternoon. Meet me somewhere."

  "No Shawn...not yet."

  "Why?" He asked low and gruff. "Please meet me."

  "If... I met you... would you... let me go afterwards?"

  He was quiet, he knew he wouldn't let her go again. He couldn't, he just couldn't... but he needed to see her, touch her, to hell with it, he would lie. After a few seconds went by, he finally said, "Yes...I'd... I'd let you go."

  Now she was quiet a few seconds. "Why do I have a hard time believing that? I'm not ready to come home yet Shawn." She said softly.

  "Why?! Why the hell not!? You're my wife! You belong with me! Now enough of this nonsense Sylvia! Tomorrow I'm in Chicago, you be at Sheila's! I've had enough of this now! You're running all over the place, doing god knows what!"

  "Ooooh I love you... all there is about you. All sides of you, even that part of you that makes me tremble a bit in fear... I love even him. Goodbye...and goodnight my husband."

  "Nooo no no no no... I'm sorry baby... please don't hang up!" He shot up into a sitting position in bed, but all that returned in reply was a dead call signal...she'd hung up. Shawn did a jerk and twist fit, resisting the urge to break the phone. He looked at the caller id... and again the call had been withheld, there was no way to phone her back. Shawn's eyes narrowed as he slowly, with extreme patience, leaned over and gently, using painstaking gentleness placed the cordless phone back on the jack.

  "You're starting to get me mad now." He muttered to himself, then laid down in his bed thinking about her. "Women... goddamn women..." He thought about what Mundo said just earlier, "...all these women done lost they mind! Use to be a man's worl'!" - "You sure right about that my son, not anymore ... not any more, now its a world of men, run by women! And they're driving us all fucking nuts!"

  * * * * *

  Kathy Ann drove like a maniac to get to her brother. Her heart was beating like mad. Her husband was pissed. He was sick and tired of her running every time Jake called, or stepping outside when he showed up. For that matter... anything connected to her family... she was out of there! She knew she should give him more credit for his patience thus far, but she had little time to stand and listen to his ranting now that he'd finally blown his stack again in the last year when her brother sounded as he did tonight.

  She could barely make out what he was saying he'd been so distraught, sobbing uncontrollably. One thing that came out clear, because he'd shouted it.

  "SHE SHOT HERSELF!!! SHE FUCKIN' SHOT HERSELF... OH GOD - KATHY AN-N-N-N - PLEASE ... GET HERE NOW... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO... I DON'T FUCKIN' KNOW WHAT TO DO!?!" He sobbed out.

  "WHO? JAKE CALM DOWN... WHO SHOT HERSELF!??"

  "DORIS... DORIS PUT A FUCKIN' GUN IN HER MOUTH - AND... OH GOD... OH GOD... PLEASE... KATHY ANN... PLEASE!!!"

  "Oh my god... is she??"

  "SHE'S DEAD!!! BLEEDING ALL OVER - MAN... PLEEEEASE... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!"

  "Hang up... and phone the police Jake... I'm on my way! Wait... where are you?"

  "At her place... hur - reee." He began sobbing again.

  "Jake... call the police... call them now."

  She hung up and turned to see her husband standing looking at her.

  "What now?!" He asked.

  "It's Jake - Doris shot herself! I have to go!"

  "WHAT!! Oh great... IT NEVER FUCKING ENDS... DOES IT!?!?!"

  "DID YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID??? DORIS HAS SHOT HERSELF!!! JAKE IS GOING NUTS!!!" She yelled at him in disbelief that he could dare react that way under the circumstances.

  "Well considering whom she's been with the last few years... it comes as no surprise!" He spat unaffected.

  "FUCK - YOU!!! Talking about my brother that way! I have to go!!"

  "Mom can I go with you!" Jenny Lee jumped up asking.

  "I wanna go too!" Jason parroted.

  "NO! Not this time! Sit down and watch t.v."

  She rushed out the door with her kids standing having a fit, not wanting to be left behind with their father, who would make them go to bed early. No way she was bringing them into this. By the time she pulled up to Doris' double wide mobile home, there were flashing lights from the police and the coroner's wagon there. It took her forty-five minutes to drive from her place to Doris'. She pulled up, slammed her El Camino into park, tossed the door open and ran around the mobile home towards the front door. Rounding the corner, she saw her brother sitting on the steps with two cops standing beside him. He wore pants only, no shirt. The porch light shining behind him, the coroners wagon there, an ambulance, and two police cars. The neighbors were all out gaping and trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. It wasn't a big trailer park, but enough for this to be all over town by tomorrow. Her brother looked up to see her coming, his face ravaged and tortured. Blood on his arms, chest and soaking the front of his jeans.

  The police turned to see her coming as well,

  "Ma'am... do not cross that line-..."

  "I'm family! His sister... he called me! I'm not one of her fucking nosy ass neighbors! I'm here for my brother!" Kathy Ann announced gruffly. Ignoring the officer's glares as she tried to make it to his side, one of the officers blocked her from going near him. Jake was too choked up to speak, but she could see he was relieved to have family there for him.

  "Excuse me... I said I'm his sister!"

  "You can't touch him... you can't go near him!"

  "Why!?"

  "Because we said so... now back up until we're done questioning him. After that, he'll be going to the hospital and then the police station."

  "He's done nothing wrong! Take him to the police station for what?!"

  "There's been a death by un-natural causes, and until we know why, he must be questioned, and then examined."

  "Can't you question him after he cleans himself up... for goodness sake, look at him, he's covered in blood! Come on Jake, come inside and wash yourself-..."

  "I'm not going back in there! I'm not going back in there!" He gasped sniffing and blowing his nose. He had a roll of toilet paper sitting beside him.

  "Excuse me ma'am... he cannot clean himself off. He can not re-enter the home! If you wish to stay with him, you will remain quiet and let us conduct this interview to our satisfaction!" The officer in charge addressed her aggressively.

  "Can I at least get something for him to wipe some of the blood off of him?"

  "No - you - can't! He has to be taken in to be tested! His hands cannot be touched, nor what's on his body. He has to be physically examined, so you can't touch him!"

  "Tested for what?! He didn't do anything!"

  "If that is true, the test will show that!"

  Kathy Ann stood for a moment glaring.

  "Now... we're going to question him-..."

  "Well do you have to do it here? Take him away from here, everybody and their goddamn family is standing here rubber necking!"

  Kathy Ann had to bite her tongue and hard not to yell at the people boldly standing at the end of Doris' driveway eaten up with curiosity to see Jake, whispering about the blood on him, pointing at the coroner's wagon, willing to wait as long as it took to see them bring Doris' body out. Making matters worse, two more vehicles pulled up blocking hers in.

  Family of Doris... her sisters, and her younger brother.

  They leaped out of their cars screaming and running for the front of the house. Kathy Ann knew the police hadn't called the next of kin yet, so it must have been one of the neighbors. She had no way of knowing which, nor the time to worry over it because Doris' twin rushed around the officer's there, avoiding where she stood and attacked Jake before the officers could intervene. The younger brother was suddenly there as well, punching him from behind.

  Kathy Ann snatched one of the officer's baton's off of him and leaped into the mix as well, the sounds of them screaming and shouting, "YOU FUCKIN' KILLED MY SISTER YOU BASTARD!!!" Dott, Doris' twin had Jake by the hair, the police were trying to get in between them, Kathy Ann got t
wo good whacks slammed across the brother's back before the cop she took it from, could get a hold of her because she was swinging it like crazy to get them off of her brother. Aichen, his name, was truly aching making him turn from Jake immediately while the police wrestled with the hysterical sisters, pinching off the wrist of Dott who had Jake's hair, forcing her to let him go. At no point in the attack did Jake try to defend himself.

  "TOUCH MY BROTHER AGAIN AND I'LL SPLIT YOUR FUCKIN' SKULL WITH THE NEXT SWING!!!" She shouted trying to avoid getting the baton taken from her, before the officer could get it in hand, she jabbed Aichen in the stomach, making him bend over, it was snatched from her hand as she was shoved back. In the meantime, two other police cars had arrived on the scene and were trying to make order of it all. The officer's were furious with Doris' siblings because they had touched Jake, possibly altering the outcome of the test that would be needed to validate his innocence.

  "GET BACK!!! GET BACK NOW! IF WE HAVE TO SAY IT AGAIN, YOU WILL BE ARRESTED!!!" The officer's yelled over their shouting.

  "HE KILLED OUR SISTER!! JAKE YOU'RE DEAD NEXT FUCKER!!! YOU'RE DEAD NEXT!!!" They took turns yelling out instead.

  Kathy Ann went for one of the sister's then, Dott. "SHE FUCKING DID HERSELF - YOU STUPID BITCH!!! YOU GONNA THREATEN MY BROTHER!?!?! IF SHE'S DEAD - SHE KILLED HER DAMN SELF!!! NOW BACK THE FUCK UP OR THEY'LL BE LAYING YOUR ASS IN THE WAGON WITH HER!!!"

  Because of the disturbance of Doris' family, the police put Jake in one of the squad cars and sped away with him.

  "Look ma'am... let her go!" The officer was trying to get Kathy Ann's hand from Dott's hair. Realizing they finally took Jake away, Kathy Ann leaped back.

  "Where are they taking my brother!?" She growled.

  "To the hospital first, and then the police station. You better pray they haven't interfered with the evidence."

  "NO MOTHERFUCKER YOU BETTER PRAY!!! YOU BETTER PRAY!! I TOLD YOUR INEPT ASS TO TAKE HIM AWAY IN THE BEGINNING!!! YOU BUNCH OF STUPID ASS MORONS!!!" She shouted running for her car. She jumped in and started it. Because one of the other vehicles, Doris' sister's car, was blocking her in, she rammed it going into reverse and then cut her wheel as the crowd yelled at her while rushing back out of her way in the small confines of the passage between the mobile homes. The police were yelling at her as well, but she worked the El Camino around and shot out of there, blowing her horn for people to get out of the way.