by Nikki Turner
Gloria made them some hot tea. She carried the tray with the teacups on it out into the dining room and placed it on the table.
She had a serious look on her face. Yarni noticed earlier that Gloria had appeared uptight since she had arrived at her mother's house. Yarni asked, "Mommy, what's wrong?" She told Yarni, "I told you over the phone, I've got something extremely serious to speak to you about." Shivers went up Yarni's spine. She was afraid. Was her mother sick? Did she have cancer? Was it her father? Yarni couldn't imagine what could've been so serious.
Gloria looked at Yarni and took a deep breath. She got up from the table and began to pace the floor. Yarni got up and hugged her mother. She asked her, "Mommy what is it?" Gloria began to look out the window as if she was paranoid. Yarni became very scared.
"Mommy, you are scaring me." Yarni said. Gloria looked at Yarni and simply said. "I hope that I am making the right decision"
"Right decision about what, mommy?" Yarni said as she began to cry herself. Gloria noticed that Yarni was crying. She took Yarni into her arms and she wiped her tears away.
"Sweetie, stop it, don't you start crying. It's nothing bad. I need to get myself together, because it's so much to tell you, and I don't know exactly where to begin." Yarni looked at Gloria with a puzzled look on her face, and said "Mommy, just start from the beginning" Gloria sighed, "Well, it all started right after you returned from the kidnapping. I had no type of understanding of your forgiveness in your heart for Bengee." Gloria pointed to her chest.
"I wanted him dead myself. I couldn't grasp the notion that you had let it all go." She began to pace the floor as she continued to explain. "Your feelings were impassive towards Bengee. I automatically drew the conclusion that you were only experiencing post-traumatic shock. I was convinced as soon as the shock wore off, you were going to snap and..." She paused as she stopped in her tracks and looked at Yarni. Gloria breathed as she continued, "and... and kill Bengee. Once that would've happen, the justice system wouldn't have any sympathy or pity on you, and your struggle. I felt the need to gather collateral myself in case I needed to step in to look after you. I needed a shield of protection." Yarni listened attentively.
Gloria continued, Yarni could sense the seriousness in her mother's voice, as she sat down on the edge of the chair. She made direct eye contact with Yarni. "I went out and spent close to $15,000 in high tech video equipment. I begin to make movies and audiotapes of the corruption that I silently watch go on at these parties that I cater for the entire city and state officials." She shook her head. "Yarni, the contents of these tapes are so explicit. It is unreal. I have congressmen on tape giving each other blowjobs. It is so sick. I even planted a camera in the parole's chairman car. He arrived to a party and expected "ME" to park his car because the valet parkers were all tied up. At the time, I didn't know who he was, but I figured he had some skele-tons in his closet as they all do. I planted a micro size camera, the size of a dime, behind the BMW emblem on the dash of his car. I removed the emblem, put a pinhole in it, placed the camera under it. The camera revealed him having sex with fifteen-year-old girls and boys. The eye in the sky also exposed him sniffing cocaine. I also have evidence of judges accepting bribes."
Yarni listened in astonishment. Yarni asked, "Mommy, when did you get to be so gangsta?"
Gloria said, "I had to take precaution when you started getting exposed to this mean world. I wasn't going to let the system take you away from me as they had your father. You're all I have.
I figured that you were doing something you had no business doing with you going back and forth to L.A. especially when I seen all that elegant furniture and that piano. I knew the money didn't drop out of the sky." Yarni didn't comment.
Gloria looked at Yarni and told her "Yarni, I waited so long to tell you this, because I didn't know if you were going to get indicted. Now, since I feel secure, I am going to give you the evidence, and I want you to use it to get Des out of prison." Yarni begin to cry. She got so emotional. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Yarni was so happy.
Gloria pointed to a box. "There is all you need to negotiate Des' release. Yarni, remember what I told when you were a little girl. "Nothing in life is free! That goes for the contents in that box." Gloria stopped Yarni in her tracks as she sprinted to the box in the corner. This was the first time her mother had ever asked her for money. She was surprised, but she didn't care if she had to work the rest of her life to pay off her mother.
"Mommy, how much?" Yarni hesitating.
Gloria said, "You finish law school, take the bar exam and give me at least two grandchildren." Yarni smiled at Gloria.
Yarni opened the box. She was in total shock at the pictures.
Gloria had tons of audiotapes and videotapes. She even had cd's, which contained info. Yarni looked at her mother in disbelief. "Mommy, what about you? What about your business?"
"First of all, there is no way they can trace any of the tapes back to me. If they do, then what? I've got two sets of mastered copies. If anything ever happens to you or I, I've got people who have special instructions on what to do. Don't worry. I've got that part taken care of. Yarni, see I'm from the old school and my friends live by a set of principles and morals that your generation really doesn't understand or can't relate to."
"As far as my business, remember the canal that they're going to be opening up on the James River in Shockoe Bottom?
I've just closed on a building that overlooks the Canal as well as the James River. It's going to be upscale dining. It's going to be reservation required, after 5 attire, the whole shebang. So, Yarni I'll be just fine."
"Now you take the box and get out of here. You got some negotiating to do." She hugged her mother.
"Mommy, I love you so much. Thank you for being my mother as well as being a FAITHFUL MOTHER!" Gloria simply responded, "Well, sometimes a mother has to do what a mother has to do." She hugged and kissed Yarni on the forehead.
The next morning, Jack called Yarni before she left for work.
"Yarnise, I am just calling to remind you to bring Des' transcripts and paperwork." Jack said.
Yarni replied, "Oh, it's sitting at my front door. I should be there in about 45 minutes."
"See you then said Jack." Yarni hung up the phone.
She took the transcripts to work with her. For the next two weeks, she reviewed the information that her mother had given her thoroughly. She would go into work two hours earlier, to use the law reference books at the office. When she would arrive, she would observe Jack working so diligently on Des' case. Jack stayed past 9pm every night going over the technicalities in Des trial. This was the first time Yarni ever seen Jack actually enthused about something.
Jack called Yarni at 8:37 one Saturday night. He had come in to specifically work on Des' case. "Yarnise, it's Jack from the office. Are you busy?"
"No, is something wrong?" Yarni asked.
"If you're not busy, I need you to come by the office. I've got to talk to you."
"Jack, I'm on the way." She threw on some jeans and a T-shirt with her Air Max sneakers. She forwarded her calls to her cell phone. She knew Des was calling at ten. She knew she wasn't going to be back for his call. It wasn't a workday and she was going to talk to him even if Jack prolonged their talk. She would excuse herself for the twenty minutes of the call. Yarni drove over to the firm. Every stoplight caught her, simply because she was in a hurry.
Yarni finally arrived. Jack was waiting in his office. He removed his reading glasses. He said to Yarni, "Yarnise, I have to be straight up with you. I need to speak to Desmond. He's been sold out!
"What?" Sold Out?" Yarni frantically asked. Then she laughed, "tell me something that I don't already know."
"His lawyer sold him out. His lawyer may not have wanted to do it, but I guess it was greed. See, the police along with the commonwealth attorney composed a list called the "Blackball List." This list consists of individuals, usually mastermind criminals, who the city, c
ounty or state have spent so much money investigating and have came up with nothing. These individuals are clever. They almost never slip up. They humiliate the police department as well as the courts because they're never in a vul-nerable situation whereas the police can blackball them. So, whenever they may slip up the least little bit, they set them up.
The crime is usually a set up. The jury is usually rigged, typical-ly with undercover cops posing as citizens. The lawyers they hire are a set up as well. The lawyers are paid a large bonus to keep their mouths shut along with whatever money the clients pays them. It's all premeditated down to the judge presiding over the case. See they spend so much money in surveillance and never can get a conviction. They look like imbeciles. So, that's where the Blackball List comes into play." Yarni could not believe what Jack was saying to her.
Jack continued, "It's not all the lawyers. I'm almost positive that when you were shopping for lawyers for Des, maybe one or two said their caseload was too heavy to take on the case." Yarni reflected and shook her head in agreement. Jack added, "I've already called my friend, Larry Fair, the friend I mentioned earlier whose son was killed by electric chair many years ago. He's already on a flight from Canada on his way here. He plays dirty with these folks. He's what I call," Jack put his fingers up to make quotation marks as he said, "a Gangster Attorney." "He's no joke when it comes to throwing salt." Jack looked at his watch. "We have about an hour and half before we have to pick him up at the airport." Jack said.
Yarnise, I need you to let Des know that we are taking over his case and he can fire that other poor excuse for an esquire." Jack added, "Maybe we should allow Larry to fire him. Larry gets a real kick out of these type of predicaments." In less than 20 seconds, Yarni's cell phone rung. She looked at her caller ID, and it was Des. She hurried to press 0 to accept the call. She explained to Des that she didn't want to talk over the phone, but she would be with Jack and Larry to see him in the next day or so. She said, she'd explain everything when they arrived. They're one step closer to him coming home. Yarni left the room to have some privacy while speaking to Des. She never revealed any of the new evidence to Des.
She stood at Jack's door. Jack asked, "Why that look?"
"Jack" she said, "I think I may have something, but I would feel more comfortable sharing it with you before Larry arrives." Jack looked puzzled, but he slowly said, "O.K."
"But we've got to leave now." Yarni drove them to a storage she'd rented, under an assumed name. They hopped out of the car, and Yarni opened the lock on the storage. She presented the box to Jack. He looked at Yarni before he took the lid off, and she shook her head at him to persuade him. He opened it and he too was bewildered. He had a cunning expression on his face. He simply said, "This is beautiful! Yarnise you are amazing.
Where did you get these?"
"I can't expose that. I'd die first." Jack stressed, "I totally understand. At this point of it, it doesn't even matter where you got it from with these indecent actions going on. Yarnise, we're going to definitely let Larry do the negotiating on this one." Yarni said, "There's one more thing.
I don't want Des to know anything about this evidence until he's released. I don't want him to get his hopes up too high for a let down." Jack agreed.
Jack and Yarni arrived at the airport. Larry's flight arrived right on time. Yarni didn't know quite what Jack meant when he said Larry was a gangster attorney until she met him. She then understood fully. As wealthy, energetic and intelligent as he was, she could detect a bit of ghettoism in him. He had a fire within his soul. She could see he was a warrior. He would die for his cause.
Larry was so excited that he had these political criminals backed up against the wall. When he studied the evidence, a few times, Yarni thought he was going to do cartwheels around the office.
The more evidence he saw, he jumped up and did the Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air dance. Yarni tried to determine if this guy was working with a full deck or not. She knew when he started to speak. He looked at Jack and asked, "Where can we go to get a blowout cell phone?"
"What's a blow out cell phone?" Jack asked with a confused look on his face.
Yarni interrupted. "It's a cell phone where you might pay $75.00, but the phone has no limitations. You can't receive any incoming calls. It is activated usually for a month or so. I may know someone who may know where to get one from." Yarni arranged to get the phone. Larry made the necessary calls, and the next day, Des was granted an unconditional pardon. The paperwork had to be signed the next day.
Yarni was so excited. She stopped by Gloria's house to give her the update on Des. Yarni asked, "How do you prepare for your man who's been imprisoned for the past ten years?" Gloria hugged her and said, "We're going to plan a celebration."
"Mommy, don't go all out. Something small." Gloria looked at her, "Don't tell me how to plan my son-in-law's release party." She was ecstatic.
Yarni called Joyce. "Hello, my dear daughter-in-law," Joyce said.
Yarni said, "Who would've thought that we'd end up so close."
Joyce laughed and said, "I'm telling you. I truly gave you a hard time."
Yarni interrupted before Joyce got carried away with that whole episode. "Listen Joyce, I need you tomorrow. I know you're working but I absolutely need you to take off." Joyce humbly said, "Say no more, I will take an emergency personal day. What's wrong, baby?"
"I can't and won't explain to you on the phone. Please just meet my mother at her house. She will explain everything in the morning."
Joyce said, "No problem, baby. I'll call your mother when I'm on the way."
The very next day, Yarni was on her way to the Haynesville Correctional Center to pick Des up. While she was on the way, she had butterflies in her stomach. She began to think, what if Des comes home and acts a fool. What if he comes home and tries to play catch up? What if he is released and doesn't love me anymore, because I've matured so much? I hope he don't just continue the relationship if his heart really isn't here, but he feels obligated because I've been there for him. I'm going to make that clear off the top, that he doesn't owe me anything. What if he comes home and goes back to that same lifestyle all over again? If he does, I will surely be gone. Those were all the things that Yarni thought about the whole way. She was so overjoyed and scared at the same time. She shouted out, "Des you better do right!"
GOOD GIRL GONE BAD
As Yarni approached the stoplight, upon noticing a woman about to cross the street, she snapped out of her thoughts. On the medium strip of Jefferson Davis Highway stood a young woman wearing an old 1992 multicolored suede jacket that was three sizes too big. It was practically hanging open off of her shoulders and she had on nothing under it but her panties, bra and some fluorescent orange socks. Yarni felt sorry for her as she watched the girl look both ways and then drop her head before putting both her feet on the pavement to cross the street.
Damn, I hate to see a sister out here like that. It's almost 100
degrees and she hasn't got a clue. I would call the fire department because she's about to burn up. I remember I used to have a coat like that. Cara and I drove to Potomac Mills and got coats just a like. She and I used to be sho-nuff road dogs, now we don't even speak. Funny how you can be somebody's best friend one day, and one incident can show you their true colors. I wonder why she hung around me so long if she really didn't care for me.
The light changed before the girl was finished crossing the street. Yarni waited for the girl to get to the other side and she pulled off. As soon as she pulled off, she looked in the rear view mirror and then looked again. I know that walk from somewhere. She made a U-turn. When she got back down to the stoplight, the girl was lying on the ground. She pulled her car in a Chinese restaurant parking lot. She opened the door and hopped out of the car, as tears formed in her eyes. "Cara, oh my God?" She put her arms around Cara. Cara couldn't look at Yarni. She jerked away.
"Cara, I am not going to hurt you. Just please let me help you." C
ara only sobbed.
"Yarni, I am soo sorry, for everything," Cara cried.
"I know, Cara," Yarni said to Cara in an understanding tone.
"Now, please just get in my car." Cara shook her head, "How can you honestly help me after all I've done to hurt you?"
Yarni was squatting in front of her. She ignored Cara's question. "Cara, please just get in my car. I don't want anybody to see you out here like this. Now, please!" Yarni said as she cried herself.
"Yarni, you don't understand. I think you're blind to the fact of everything I've done to you. I'm sorry, Yarni. I'm sorry." No matter how much Yarni insisted for Cara to get in the car, Cara repeatedly told Yarni, she was sorry.
Yarni tried to be strong for Cara, "Cara Ann Bloomfeild, I am demanding that you get off these streets half naked." At that moment, Cara realized just exactly what she was wearing. "Oh, my God, where are my clothes? All I remember is I was getting high with two white guys, and the next thing I know I woke up laying on top of my coat."
Cara said to Yarni as she wiped her tears, "Yarni, I have to tell you because I know it's probably killing you, but I was the one who trashed your condo."
Yarni covered her mouth and just cried. She got up and walked off. She couldn't believe her once best friend in the whole world, had actually hated her so much. They both cried.
Cara got up and zipped up her coat and walked over to where Yarni was standing.
"I am sorry, Yarni, I swear I am so sorry. I'll do what I have to do to repay you," Cara cried.
"You mean that?" She raised her voice at Cara. "Do you really mean that?" Under any other circumstances, Yarni would have probably hit anybody else up side the head, but she just couldn't lash out on Cara.
Cara nodded her head timidly and said, "Yes, anything Yarni."
Yarni grabbed Cara's arm and pulled her over to the car's side view mirror. "Look at yourself? You look a shitty mess! Now what you're going to do is get your frail hind parts in the dag-gone car." Yarni said, pointing to the car. "Right Now!" She opened up the car door and pushed Cara in the car. Yarni ran around the other side, got into the car and drove off. Yarni pulled down the mirror in the roof of the car because Cara was afraid to look at herself in the side view mirror. "Look at yourself." Cara had no choice but to look. She slowly glanced at herself in the mirror and screamed. "Oh, my God." They were both quiet. Yarni pulled up into the gas station parking lot on the corner of Maury and Jefferson Davis. "Stay here." Cara shook her head and watched as Yarni went to get the key for the bathroom from the gas attendant. Yarni popped the trunk, grabbed her gym bag and instructed Cara to go into the bathroom and put the shorts, t-shirt and sneakers on. Cara did as she was told. While Cara was in the bathroom, she went back into the store. She knocked on the door, "Here Cara open up, here is a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and deodorant." Cara finally was dressed. Yarni was waiting in the car.