by La Jill Hunt
“Uh, she’s upstairs, sixth floor waiting room. But, uh, I think she might be in Avery’s room, because, uh, the doctors finally let the family in.”
“Are you okay, Celia?” Champ was looking at me strangely.
I nodded. “I’m fine. I’m just worried about Avery.”
“Naw, girl. You ain’t fine. And it ain’t just about Avery. What’s going on?”
Again, tears began streaming down my face, and I began crying harder than I had in the bathroom minutes earlier. Champ looked confused for a moment, and then he pulled me into a supportive embrace, and I buried my head into his chest. I was an emotional wreck, and I was glad that he was there, even if it was just to awkwardly pat my back.
“I’m sorry,” I said, embarrassed by my breakdown.
“It’s okay.” He smiled and hugged me again. “Now, what’s going on?”
“Celia, what the hell are you doing?” Darnell’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Darnell, leave me alone. I’m not about to do this with you. Not now and not here,” I told him.
“What’s good, Darnell?” Champ spoke, but Darnell just looked him up and down. Normally, the two of them got along really well. I could see that Champ was confused by his sudden discontent with him, but he shrugged it off.
“Celia, we need to talk about this.”
“Not now, Darnell. Leave me alone,” I warned.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but—”
“You’re right. You don’t know what’s going on, so you need to stay out of it, Champ,” Darnell told him.
“Celia—” Champ started, but Darnell interrupted him.
“Damn, Champ, leave us alone!”
“Who the hell you yelling at, son?” It was obvious that Champ was done trying to be pleasant about the situation.
“I’m yelling at you!” Darnell responded.
The two of them came face to face, and I could feel the tension building. My husband wasn’t much of a fighter, and as bad as I would have loved to stand back and watch Champ kick his ass, I couldn’t allow that to happen. I went to step between the two of them when Kendra came running.
“Daddy?”
“Hey, baby.” Champ immediately stepped away and went to put his arm around his daughter. “How you holding up?”
“I don’t even know.”
“Kendra, how’s Avery?” I asked. “Did you see her?”
“Yeah, Aunt Celia. Her face is all bruised and swollen, and her leg’s in a cast, but it looks like she’s just asleep.” She was crying.
“It’s gonna be okay, baby,” Champ told her.
“Celia, listen . . .” Darnell started again.
“Kendra, listen, I gotta go, okay? But you call me if there’s any change.”
I expected Kendra to throw a fit, but instead, she looked from me to Darnell, then back to me and said, “Okay, I will.”
“Don’t worry, Celia. I got her.” Champ hugged Kendra tighter. I knew that between him and Nikki, she and Ashley would be fine until I got myself together enough to be able to come back, if that happened.
“I love you,” I said, kissing her cheek. Then I looked at Champ and said, “Thanks, Champ.”
The two of them headed back into the hospital, leaving Darnell and me alone.
“Celia—”
“Darnell, I’m gonna tell you this one more time: leave me the fuck alone. I don’t have anything to say to you right now, and I suggest you don’t even come home tonight,” I told him.
“Where the hell am I supposed to stay?” he asked.
“Don’t know and don’t care. Maybe you can stay wherever you were earlier when I was trying to reach you. I’m sure there’s plenty of room in Diane’s bed,” I said and walked away.
Kendra
“What the hell is he doing here?”
I had hoped my dad and I would somehow miraculously avoid seeing my mother. Unfortunately, as soon as we walked into the waiting room, she walked in. As happy as I was that he was there for me, I knew she would go ape shit when she laid eyes on him. I had faith in my father, though. It didn’t matter how bad my mother clowned; he was going to be pissed, but he wouldn’t lose his cool.
“Hello, Di. I came to check on Kendra,” he said simply.
“Well, as you can see, she’s fine. You can leave.”
“Where’s Ashley?” I asked her.
“She’s still in there with Avery,” she answered, still staring at my father.
“How is she?” my father asked.
“In a fucking coma. How do you think she is?” Mama snapped at him then looked at me. “Where the hell did Celia and Darnell go?”
“They left,” I answered, remembering the conversation I’d overheard and the look of hurt on Aunt Celia’s face when she was in the parking lot. She finally knew about my mother and uncle. Had my sister not been in the ICU, I would’ve left with her. She was the last person I wanted to be around.
“What? Why would they leave when all of this is going on? Any other time she would be all up in my business, trying to dictate what should be going on with my children, and now she decides to dip out? This is that bullshit I’m talking about. But she loves y’all so much.” Mama rolled her eyes at me.
“She had a valid reason to leave,” I said flatly.
“Oh, really? What reason is valid enough to leave while her niece is laying in a coma in ICU?”
“Diane, you know Celia—”
“Why are you still here, Champ? I asked you to leave.”
“I ain’t going nowhere until I get ready, Diane. I told you, I’m here for Kendra,” Daddy told her.
“You know what? I don’t have time to argue with your ass right now,” she said, then turned to walk out. “I’ll be back later.”
“Mama, where are you going? Don’t you need to stay up here to talk to the doctors?” I asked.
“I need to go and handle my business; that’s what I need to do. Champ, you better not be here when I get back. I don’t want to have hospital security kick you out,” she said before leaving.
“Unbelievable.” I sighed and flopped down on the sofa. My dad came and sat beside me, rubbing my back as I leaned forward, holding my head in my hands.
“It’s okay, Kendra,” he whispered. “I know you’re scared and your mother ain’t making this no better, but it’s gonna be okay.”
“I hate her,” I said.
“You don’t hate her. You just don’t like her, and for good reason. She’s a hot mess,” he said. He was trying to make me smile, but it didn’t work. “Come on. Let’s go check on your sister.”
“You heard what she said? If she finds out, she’s gonna be pissed,” I warned him.
“Hell, it won’t be the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
When we got to the nurse’s station, she led us back, and I was surprised to see Ronda in the room.
“Okay, Ashley, move a little closer and kiss her cheek,” she instructed my sister.
“Oh my God, what are you doing?” I demanded, realizing she was standing at the foot of the bed, taking pictures with her cell phone.
“Girl, chill out,” Ronda told me. “Ashley, move closer!”
“But her tube,” Ashley whined, looking like she was gonna cry. She was leaning close to Avery’s bruised and swollen face, which was covered with medical tape that held a respirator in her mouth.
“Ashley, move,” I said, pulling away.
“Ronda, put that damn phone away,” my dad whispered.
“First of all, why the hell are you even here, Champ? And second, don’t come in here telling me what to do. You must have me mixed up,” Ronda snapped at him.
“Why would you even be in here doing this?” I asked her, feeling violated. “Why would you even want to take pictures of my sister like this?”
“Because her mama asked me to. She needs them.” Ronda shrugged.
“Needs them for what?” my dad asked.
“None of yo
ur business. And again, why the hell are you here, Champ? This ain’t your daughter, remember?” Ronda taunted. “The twins ain’t yours, and you got the blood test to prove it.”
Ashley looked down at the floor and started to cry. I felt horrible. Even though she never brought it up, she hated the fact that she didn’t know who their father was. I walked over and put my arm around her.
“Ronda, can you please just leave?” Daddy asked her, his voice full of tension.
“Hold up. That’s a good one.” Ronda held the phone up again, facing it toward Ashley and me, and I heard the camera snapping. “Both of the sisters crying at Avery’s bedside.”
I walked over and reached to snatch the phone away, but she was too fast.
“What the hell are you doing, Kendra? Don’t get fucked up in here. We’re in the hospital, so the damn ER is right downstairs. I will send you there.” Ronda stood so close to me that I could feel her stank breath on my face.
“Get the hell away from her,” Daddy warned.
“Your mama told me you think you grown these days. I guess somebody need to show you that you ain’t,” Ronda said.
“I ain’t scared of you,” I told her.
“Kendra, step back,” Daddy told me, his hand on my shoulder.
“You better listen to your daddy.”
“Leave her alone,” Ashley cried, pulling my arm. “Kendra, let’s go.”
“What’s going on in here?” A nurse came in, confused by what was going on. I glanced from Ronda over to her. “In case you all don’t realize, this is a hospital, and that young lady laying in that bed is in critical condition.”
“I’m sorry.” I apologized as I stepped back from Ronda. She went to step toward me again, but Daddy blocked her.
“Don’t,” he said.
“Get the fuck outta my face, Champ, before I whoop your ass and then whoop Kendra’s ass too.” Ronda’s neck rolled as she spoke.
“Ronda, you and I both know that ain’t happening,” Daddy said calmly.
“That’s it. I’m calling security.” The nurse turned and left the room.
“Daddy, let’s go back to the waiting room,” I told him.
Daddy turned and looked at me, then backed away. My racing heart slowed down, and I took Ashley by the hand.
“Kendra!” she shrieked.
I turned to see Ronda aiming for me, but Daddy blocked her and pushed her before she could make contact with my face. Surprised by his actions, Ronda stumbled backward, and she grabbed the first thing she could to keep from falling—Avery’s IV pole. It tumbled to the floor, and alarms began sounding. Within seconds, the nurse returned with two security guards, and behind them, my mother.
“What the—Oh my God, Ronda!” Mama rushed over to Ronda instead of Avery, who was being treated by the nurse.
“He pushed me down!” Ronda shrieked, pointing at Daddy.
“He did what?” Mama yelled. “Didn’t I ask you to get the hell out of here, Champ?”
Ashley tried to explain. “Mama, that’s not what—”
“Shut the hell up, Ashley!”
I walked over and stood beside my father. “Come on, Daddy.”
“You better get him the hell out of here,” Mama said.
“All of you need to leave. Now!” the nurse said.
“All right, everyone, let’s go,” the two security guards said.
“Thank you.” Mama smirked.
“You too,” the nurse told her.
“What? I ain’t going nowhere,” Mama told her.
“Security.” The nurse gave them a look.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry. You need to leave. Let’s go,” one of the officers told her.
“This is my daughter’s room. You can’t kick me out.”
“I can and I will,” the officer told her. “You can either come now willingly, or I will not only take you out of this room, but out of this hospital.”
“Don’t worry, Di. I got it all right here,” Ronda said, once again holding up her phone.
“Ma’am, I’m gonna ask you to put the phone away,” the other security guard said.
“Keep filming, Ronda, so folks can see that this is the mistreatment I’m dealing with. First the city police officers, the hospital staff, and now the security. This is how they treat black women, and I’m sick of it,” Mama said into the camera.
“Ma’am, please leave so we can take care of our patient,” the nurse said again.
“That patient has a name!” Mama screamed “Justice for Avery! Justice for Avery!”
I grabbed Daddy and Ashley. I could no longer stomach the circus my mother was creating and starring in. We walked back down the hallway and into the waiting room.
“This is embarrassing,” I said. “She’s making this bad situation even worse than it already is.”
“I know, baby. She just likes being the center of attention, that’s all,” Daddy told me.
The door opened, and Mama and Ronda walked in, escorted by the hospital security officers. This time, there was a city police officer with them.
“Now, we’re gonna let you wait in here, but if there is any other disruption, you’re gonna have to leave,” the security officer said.
“I want him out of here!” Mama demanded, walking into the room and pointing at Daddy.
“Sir?” The city officer looked over at us.
“It’s not a problem, officer. I can leave,” Daddy told him.
“And I don’t want him back here. He shouldn’t be here in the first place,” she said.
“I told you I’m here to support my daughter,” Daddy explained.
“He’s my father,” I told them, holding Daddy’s arm.
“It’s okay, Kendra,” he said.
“I want him gone, and I want him banned from this floor.” Mama folded her arms. “As a matter of fact, I want him banned from this hospital.”
“We really can’t do that without some kind of order of protection in place. And that can only prevent him from being anywhere near you, not the hospital,” the officer explained.
“Fine. I’ll take out an order of protection,” Mama told them.
“Really, Di? Is that necessary?” Daddy shook his head.
“Mama, you’re being ridiculous.” I sighed.
“I’m protecting my family,” she said. “He assaulted my friend. He should be arrested.”
“What?” Daddy frowned, now realizing the extremes that Mama was willing to go.
“Is this true, ma’am?” The city officer looked at Ronda.
Ronda looked over at my mother. She was hesitant to answer until Mama gave her a threatening look. “Yes, he pushed me to the floor. They saw the whole thing.”
She pointed to Ashley and me.
“That’s not exactly what happened,” I said.
“Did he push her or not, Ashley? And you better not lie!” Mama yelled at my sister.
Ashley was so afraid that she was shaking. She looked from Mama to Daddy, to me, and then, finally to the officer and said, “Yes, he pushed her.”
“Sir, we’re gonna have to take you with us.” The officer reached for the cuffs that were attached to his belt buckle and stepped toward Daddy.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged and cried, standing in front of Daddy. “She was trying to hit me, and he stopped her, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re gonna have to step aside, miss,” the officer told me. “Or we’re gonna have to take you downtown too.”
“Kendra, let the man do his job,” Daddy told me.
I watched in horror as my father was handcuffed and taken away, my mother and Ronda smiling the entire time.
“Daddy, I’ll come downtown and get you,” I told him.
“You ain’t going no-fucking-where,” Mama said. “I swear to God, if you leave here with him, I’ll make sure you can never come back here to see Avery. Try me.”
Ashley wrapped her arms around my waist and clung to me. “Kendra, please don’t lea
ve me. You can’t leave me here by myself.”
“Stay here with your sister, baby. I promise I’ll be fine,” Daddy said as the officer walked him out of the room.
“You’re going to have to go to the magistrate to take out the protective order,” the officer reminded my mother. He said to Ronda, “And you’re gonna have to come down and file a report as well.”
“Serves his ass right,” Ronda said when they were gone.
“I told his ass a long time ago that I was going to get the last fucking laugh. Now, here we are.” Mama giggled, then looked over at me. “Well, some of us are laughing. Kendra ain’t.”
“Kendra was about to get her ass whooped.” Ronda glared at me. “That’s why.”
“Oh, really?” Mama asked.
“Hell yeah.” Ronda nodded. “But, check it. Not only did I get the video of you going off on security, but I got some good pictures, too, just like you asked.”
“For real? Good. Come on. We need to get these to Patrick so he can upload them,” Mama said.
“Girl, you ’bout to be paid,” Ronda told her.
Mama glanced back at me and said, “Exactly, and I damn sure won’t be riding around here in nobody’s hand-me-down Volvo.”
“Mama, you don’t have to do this. I told you, you can have the car,” I told her.
“Fuck that car. I’m ’bout to have a new ride that’s paid for. Again, I’m always gonna get the last laugh,” she said, and they walked out.
I hugged Ashley tightly, and we cried together. I reached for my phone and tried calling Aunt Celia, but the phone went straight to voicemail. My sister was in a coma, my father was being taken to jail, my mother had lost her damn mind, and my aunt was nowhere to be found. I tried to comfort Ashley, encouraging her to go to sleep and telling her that everything was going to be fine, but I wasn’t even sure if that was true. I was alone and afraid, with no one to turn to.
Thirty minutes later, she was snoring lightly as I covered her with a blanket that I got from one of the nurses. I was sitting with her head in my lap when I heard the waiting room door opening.
“Kendra?”
I eased Ashley’s head off my lap and stood up. “Bilal?”
“Yeah, I came to check on you. I was worried. Are you all right?” he said, whispering when he noticed Ashley sleeping.