by La Jill Hunt
“Oh, really.” She smirked briefly, then frowned. “Well, let me first say I don’t really give a damn what you think. Now, I know you’re her new so-called friend, and I know why you’re posted up beside my daughter and being so—what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh, I know: supportive.”
“Mm-hmmm.” Ronda nodded. “Real supportive.”
The elevator stopped, and a few other people got on. Putting our conversation on hold, it allowed me a few minutes to think. I gladly put some space between me and Diane for the other people to get on. As soon as we reached the lobby and stepped off, a couple of news reporters waved their arms at Diane, who seemed pleased with the attention and eager to go see them. I knew if I was going to say something, it needed to be now.
“Diane, I don’t have any ulterior motives by being here with Kendra. You’re right; I am her friend, and I care about her a lot. But I don’t expect anything from her. All I’m asking is that you give her a break and be reasonable. That’s not too much to ask, is it?” I said.
She turned and faced me. “You say you don’t want nothing from my daughter?”
“No, nothing at all,” I replied. “Like I said, I’m just here for support, and I’m also trying to understand why you’re doing this to her.”
“You’re a damn fool if you think I believe that. No man does shit for a woman and expects nothing in return, including you. Now, you ain’t doing shit for me, so I don’t owe you nothing, not even an explanation, but if you truly care about my daughter like you say that you do, you’ll encourage her to do what the hell I tell her to do in the future, because now it looks like you’ll be supporting her ass while she’s living on the street.”
“Look, you don’t have to do this.” I shook my head.
“Oh, I know I don’t. But, you see, Kendra, my sister Celia, and everyone else has been treating me like what I say doesn’t mean shit. All I asked her to do was play her position and go to church tomorrow, and she couldn’t even do that. Now the time has come for me to show them better than I can tell them.”
In that moment, I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t matter. This woman was on a mission, and whatever it was, she wasn’t going to back down until she had what she wanted. She was willing to do whatever it took to get it.
Kendra
“So, you mean to tell me your mother really kicked you out?” Sierra asked.
“Yep, she did,” I told her as we stood outside of Cell City. I had come to talk to Dante before the store opened, to discuss me taking a few days off to care for my family. I had also emailed my professors. Most of them had heard about Avery’s accident either on the news or through social media and were understanding.
“So, where are you staying? Do you want to come and stay with me? You know my mama won’t care, and we have a pullout sofa in the den. Or you can sleep on the air mattress,” she offered.
“No, I’m fine. Most of the time I’m at the hospital anyway,” I told her.
“You’re sleeping there? That can’t be good.”
“No, I leave at around ten at night when they kick me out,” I said.
“Don’t tell me you’re sleeping in your car, Kendra.” Sierra frowned.
“No, I’m not sleeping in my car, Sierra.” I exhaled and then looked down shyly.
“So, where the hell have you been staying?”
“With Bilal.”
“What? Oh my God! And you’re just now telling me this?” She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the back hallway. “I’ve texted you damn near every day. I know you said he was checking on you, but you damn sure ain’t mention sleeping at his crib.”
“I know, I know. I kinda wanted to tell you face to face.” I shrugged.
“Damn! So, tell me. Is his place nice? Where the hell does he live? Does he live by himself? Is this a permanent situation? I need details.” She asked all the questions at once. “And make it quick, because you know Dante is about to come waltzing in here giving orders in a few.”
“His place is nice. He lives downtown in one of those renovated office buildings that they turned into lofts. His is Waterman’s Towers. And yes, he lives alone, and hell no, this ain’t permanent,” I told her, making sure to answer everything she’d asked.
“Waterman’s Towers? Those are nice—and expensive. I definitely wouldn’t expect a street dealer to be living there, that’s for sure,” she said.
“He doesn’t sell dope, Sierra.” I laughed.
“What? Are you sure? Because I coulda swore—”
“Yes, I’m sure. He owns his own business. A legitimate one,” I said, reaching into my pocket and handing her one of the business cards that he had given me.
“Select Security Firm? Girl, you living with the ADT man?” Sierra teased.
“Shut up, Sierra.” I tried not to smile. “He is not the ADT man.”
“I know, I know. But I gotta say, this makes me a little relieved.” She passed the card back to me. “The thought of you living with a dope boy—I don’t care how fine he is—made me kind of nervous. I guess he’s the real deal, huh?”
Calling Bilal the real deal was a true understatement. From the moment he’d arrived at the hospital, he had been nothing but supportive. After my mother kicked me out, he insisted that I could stay at his house until things calmed down and I figured things out. At first, I was hesitant, because after all, I had only known him a few weeks. My plan was to just stay at the hospital as long as possible until my mother calmed down. She had totally ignored me when she came to pick up Ashley, so I figured it was probably going to take a few days before she would be over it. But on Sunday morning, when I went home to shower and change, I found all my belongings in garbage bags on the front porch. She sent me a text, instructing me to leave my key under the mat. I had thought that she was bluffing, as she had done several times before when she threatened to kick me out. This time, she had put some action behind her words. I picked up the bags and put what would fit into the trunk of my car, and the remaining bags into the back seat, then sat in front of the house for a few seconds, trying to figure out where to go. After I couldn’t reach Aunt Celia, I called my father.
“Hey, baby girl. How’s Avery?”
“She’s improving, Daddy. They say she’ll make a full recovery,” I told him.
“That’s good. I’m glad she’s doing better.”
“Champ, you want these pork chops fried or smothered?” I heard a female voice ask.
“Don’t matter to me,” Daddy answered. “I’m sorry, baby girl. Doreen in there cooking dinner, and you know she don’t do that very often.”
Doreen was his on again, off again girlfriend. She didn’t really care for me that much, and the feeling was mutual. Her cooking dinner was a clear indication that they were on again, which meant staying with him wasn’t an option.
“Well, I didn’t want anything, Daddy. I was just calling,” I told him.
“I’m glad you called. Give Avery a big hug for me, and tell her I asked about her. And Ashley too,” he said.
“Champ, I need you in here to light this stove for me.”
“Okay, be there in a minute,” Daddy yelled.
Doreen’s voice was full of attitude and suddenly closer. “I need it lit now.”
“It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll talk to you later,” I said, hitting the END button without even saying goodbye. I checked my bank account to see how long I would be able to afford a motel room, because a hotel was definitely out of the question. Then, my phone rang, and it was Bilal.
“Hey, I’m just checking on you,” he said.
“I’m okay,” I lied.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Well, I wanted to go to breakfast before heading back to the hospital, if you’d like.”
“Bilal, you don’t have to come back up there. I know you have a life. I appreciate everything you’ve done so far, but I’m fine, really,” I told him, not wanting him to see that I was wearing
the same clothes from the day before.
“Nonsense, Kendra. Meet me at Brutti’s in twenty minutes.”
“Brutti’s? I’m not dressed for that place,” I said, thinking about the fancy, popular brunch spot that I had been wanting to try for months. “I’m fine. You go ahead.”
“You don’t want Brutti’s, that’s cool, but I’m not going anywhere to eat without you. You haven’t eaten, and neither have I. As a matter of fact, I’ll meet you at your house, and then we can decide.”
“No, wait, listen. I’m still getting ready. I’ll call you when I’m done, and we can meet up.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you then,” he said then hung up.
I debated on whether I should avoid him altogether until I figured out my living situation, or just face him. I closed my eyes and began to pray, something that I’d become quite used to doing these days, despite not wanting to go to church. If I ever needed God, it was definitely now, especially since I didn’t seem to have anyone else. I asked Him to forgive me for not going to church but hoped he understood my reasoning behind it, and I also asked that He heal my sister, and my Aunt Celia’s broken heart. Then, I asked that He look out for me.
Beep. Beep. The sound of the horn caused me to jump, and I looked into my rearview mirror. I looked at the time on my phone and realized almost thirty minutes had passed. I had fallen asleep while praying, and not only had Bilal pulled up behind me, but he had gotten out and was walking up to my car. I turned around and tried to think of a way to hide the bags in the back seat, but it was too late. He had already seen them. I opened the door and stepped out.
He gave me a concerned look and reached for my hand. “Kendra.”
“It’s cool, Bilal. She’s just being overdramatic right now. I’m good. If I can’t reach my Aunt Celia, then I’m gonna stay at a motel for a couple of days until she calms down.” I feigned a smile.
“What? Absolutely not.” He frowned. “You’re not staying in a hotel. I can’t believe she did this. I’ll talk to her.”
“No!” I said a little louder than I’d intended. “Don’t do that. You’ll only make it worse.”
“I gotta do something, and it’s either I talk to her and you move back in, or—” He stopped.
“Or what?” I asked.
“You stay with me.” His voice was as soft as his fingers that now touched my face.
“I can’t do that, Bilal.” I shook my head.
“You can, and you will. Now, get in the car and follow me.”
I didn’t bother protesting, because deep down, I had been hoping that he would offer me a place to stay. I didn’t have enough money to afford a hotel room—well, at least one located someplace safe. Spending a night or two with him would give me time to figure out what to do. I told myself that going to his place was a sound, practical business decision, even though I knew it had more to do with the fact that the more time I spent with him, the more I liked him.
I did as instructed and followed him to the building he lived in and parked in the parking space he directed me to. He waited while I went through the bags and found some basic toiletries and a change of clothes, then he took my hand, and we went upstairs to his apartment. He opened the door and let me walk in first.
“It’s a bit messy, but give me a few, and I can straighten—”
“It’s fine,” I said, looking around the spacious loft. Everything was modern, from the sleek hardwood floors that shone like they had just been buffed to the stainless steel appliances that I saw as we passed the entryway to the kitchen. The mess that he was talking about was a pillow and blanket that were on the sofa, and a pile of mail sitting on the coffee table beside a pizza box and a half-empty glass of what appeared to be red Kool-Aid. He grabbed the box and glass and took them away after pushing the pillow and blanket aside so that I could sit.
“You want anything to drink? I have juice, water, soda, and wine,” he called from the kitchen.
“Isn’t it too early for wine?” I asked.
“After the morning you’ve had, you probably need a glass of wine.” He laughed. A few seconds later, he returned, handing me a wine glass.
“Oh my God, I don’t want that,” I said, staring at it.
“Relax, it’s just cranberry juice. I just wanted to make you feel special.”
I took the glass from him and took a sip. Sure enough, it was juice. “Not funny, but thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled and pulled me to him after sitting beside me. “You’re gonna be okay, Kendra. You can stay here as long as you need to, you know.”
“It will only be a night or so, Bilal.”
“Well, a couple of nights, a couple of weeks, a couple of years, I got you. Whatever you need.” He kissed the tip of my nose.
“Thanks, but right now, I need a shower.” I smiled.
Bilal’s loft had two master suites, one that was his bedroom, and the other that he used as a makeshift office. He insisted that I stayed in his bedroom and gave me some towels and a washcloth. I took one of the longest showers of my life. When I was finished, I got dressed and sat on the bed. I decided to lay back for a few minutes and close my eyes.
When I opened them, I was covered with a soft blanket, and it was hours later. I jumped up, and for a second, I didn’t know where I was. I walked through the house, calling his name, but Bilal was nowhere to be found. He walked into the apartment a little while later carrying bags of groceries.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked him.
“Because you needed some sleep. Did you know you snore?”
I felt my face turning red. “Only when I’m tired.”
“Well, you were really, really tired then.” He laughed.
“I gotta get back over to the hospital,” I told him.
“Don’t worry. We’ll head back over there after you’ve eaten. Now, go relax.”
He made a breakfast big enough for a king, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Then, as promised, we went to the hospital, where we stayed most of the night, until the nurse told me that we needed to leave and promised to call if there were any changes. When we got back to Bilal’s apartment, we watched TV on his sofa, where I cuddled on his chest until we both fell asleep. He had been a perfect gentleman. He even offered to cancel some appointments he had scheduled on Monday, but I assured him that I would be fine and agreed to come back to his place by midnight.
“Sierra, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but he’s perfect.” I sighed.
“You’re just saying that because you’re dickmatized right now. All girls think the first guys they have sex with are perfect,” Sierra said as we headed back toward the front of the store.
“I’m not dickmatized. We haven’t even had sex,” I told her.
Once again, she pulled me back into the hallway. “What? You haven’t given up the goods? Why not? You just said he was the real deal and perfect.”
“He is. He’s been like a knight in shining armor during this whole mess. I kinda feel bad, because if you look at it, he’s not even my boyfriend, for real. We’ve only been on like two dates, and then this,” I explained.
“Yo, that is crazy. Well hell, Kendra, do you want to sleep with him? Are you ready?” She leaned back against the wall.
“I like him. I know that. Honestly, I more than like him. He’s smart and funny, and it’s like, when I’m with him, I’m safe, and I wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.”
“But, do you wanna fuck him? You can like someone and not be ready to have sex with them. You know how many smart dudes I know that can crack jokes? That don’t mean I wanna sleep with them, Kendra.”
“I do wanna sleep with him. Well, I think I do. I mean, I don’t know, Sierra. Sex is the last thing I’m thinking about right now, and he hasn’t even brought it up.” I shook my head in confusion.
“You know what, girl? You’re right. And I’m sorry. With everything going on with your family, I’m sure it hasn’t crossed your mind, even with that tall, sexy
-ass might-be boyfriend by your side these past few days. But seriously, how’s your sister? I saw your mom’s interview with the news on my Facebook page this morning. She’s pissed at the police, but that GoFundMe is popping,” Sierra said. “She’s raised over eleven thousand dollars so far.”
I was in the middle of updating her on Avery’s medical status when Dante finally arrived. He gave me a hug and listened as I finished telling Sierra about Avery’s injuries. Then, to both mine and Sierra’s surprise, he offered me the rest of the week off, with pay, something that was unheard of. I thanked him and promised Sierra I would call her later.
I was headed back to the hospital when I took a chance and stopped by the accounting firm where Aunt Celia worked. The receptionist greeted me with a big hug.
“Oh, Kendra baby, how are you? How’s Avery? My prayer circle was at the neighborhood prayer vigil with your mama and sister the other night at Mount Hebron.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Bertha.” I tried to breathe while she squeezed me. “She’s hanging in there. Is Aunt Celia in her office?”
“Girl, no. She called yesterday and said she’d be out for the rest of the week, if not longer. She’s not at the hospital?” She frowned.
“Uh, okay. I’m actually on my way there now, so I’ll see her,” I said, turning to leave.
“Okay, darling. We’ll keep y’all in prayer. Oh, and the firm is gonna be making a donation for your sister’s fund. That poor baby. Don’t worry; God’s got her,” Mrs. Bertha called out.
“Thank you. I’ll speak with you soon.” I waved as I walked out the door.
I tried calling Aunt Celia again, but she didn’t answer. I spent the rest of the day hoping that she would show up at the hospital, but she didn’t. It was after ten o’clock when the nurse convinced me it was okay to leave. Instead of driving to Bilal’s loft, I drove to her house, hoping she would talk to me. When I got there, her car wasn’t in the driveway where it was normally parked. Still, I hopped out and rang the doorbell. There was no answer, so I returned to the only place I had to go.