Ebony Angel

by Deatri King Bey

  Skeet telling her Trae was leaving the lifestyle registered in her brain; hearing Trae confirm his life change registered in her heart, became real. She felt overjoyed and teared up. “I’m so proud of you.” She hugged him. “Sorry I’m acting so crazy. I’ve been through a lot lately.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Everything’s finally coming together. We’re all gonna make it out alive.”

  “I have a favor to ask. You see, my getting out will place you and Crystal in more danger. I have a plan to keep you safe.”

  “What?”

  He lifted himself slightly, taking a set of keys out of his pocket. “I’m giving you your graduation gift now, instead of after the ceremony next month.” He held the keys out. “This whole set of homes is yours.”

  Her mouth opened wide. “No way! What are you talking about?”

  “I bought them with legit money as a wedding gift. Since your plans changed, now they’re a graduation gift.”

  “I can’t believe this. You’re actually giving me this town house?”

  “All five. You can collect rent on the other four. You can’t go wrong owning property. I already have a prospective renter for one of the units.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, this is all yours.”

  Overwhelmed with everything that had gone on since the new year, she took a few seconds to gather herself. “I love the house, but I can’t accept this.”

  “The hell you can’t.”

  She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I’m so tired of this. Trae, please…” She sat up straight. “I was wrong. I should have never accepted a dime from you. This,” she motioned around, “was bought with drug money. How many addicts did you create to pay for it?”

  “I’m leaving the life.”

  “And I’m grateful to God for sparing you, but don’t expect me to live under a roof paid for in dollars of sin.”

  “Listen, you can’t stay on the west side. I’ve already started a rumor that I’m the one who beat Smoke. By the time I drop you off, everyone will know.”

  His words took a while to process because she knew he couldn’t have said what she thought he said. But just in case, she asked, “Why would you do something like that?”

  “To keep you safe. People have to think you’ve given me walking papers. We need to have a fight over Smoke, and you move to get away from me while I’m out of town.”

  “You put this cockamamie scheme into action without even consulting me? This is ridiculous. I’m not into playing games.”

  “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “From danger you put me in. This isn’t the life I want, Trae.”

  “You don’t have a choice. You have to move away. Take the damn house.”

  She held up a finger. “That’s where you’re wrong. If you had come to me before you set this crazy ball to rolling, you’d know that I deposited my sign-on bonus in the bank. I planned to take Crystal out this weekend to go condo shopping.”

  Trae just stared.

  She tapped the prices listed on the brochure. “I can’t afford a whole set, but I could swing a middle and an end unit. I may have to ask Mom to cosign a loan, but so be it.”

  “Fine! Do it your way, but this is a bunch of bull! I want you to move this weekend. Don’t tell anyone where you’re moving. Tell the boys you’re afraid I’ll find you. I’ll bet they’ll try to keep you hidden from me.” He snarled more than smiled.

  “Does Skeet know the plan?”

  “Whose idea do you think it was?”

  “Figures.”

  “I also told Dan and Marissa.”

  “So everyone knew except me. I need to get control of my life.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Trae watched Ebony as she paced her flat, arguing with her mother on the phone. He had known separating Ebony from Marissa would be easy. Marissa was the type of person who refused to move out of the neighborhood. He didn’t understand the mentality, but thanked God she felt that way. He also knew that she would give Ebony a hard time, but would cosign the loan. With the way Marissa’s shops pulled in the dough, he would bet she could have bought the entire Hidden Oasis.

  “I’m not deserting you, Mom. I asked you to move in with us.” She massaged her temples. “I know I grew up here and came out fine…Are you going to cosign or not?”

  Trae rested on the recliner. Separating Skeet from Ebony would be impossible, so he would have to keep Skeet close. Dan was the real danger. If his plan for coming between Dan and Ebony backfired, Trae would never recover. He also feared he would create more than a temporary rift between the two.

  “…this weekend, Mom. Trae will be out of town, so I have to move fast.” She sat on the couch, then covered the receiver with her hand. “This woman is driving me crazy,” she whispered through clinched teeth. “I’m not trying to keep your grandchild away from you. Please, Mom. I need for you to back me on this.”

  Why he was shocked that Ebony wouldn’t accept the complex from him was beyond him. He should have known not to even try. Over the years, she had even been wasting the money he gave her for Crystal on a bunch of junkies. He would have stopped the flow of cash to her long ago, but chasing crackheads seemed to make her happy.

  “Yes, Crystal can stay with you at Dan’s for a few days…if that’s the way you want it.” She held the phone in front of her face, stared at it a few seconds, then tossed it to the side. “She hung up on me.”

  “She’ll cool off.”

  “She says not to speak to her unless it directly relates to Crystal, but she’ll cosign the loan. Talk about mixed messages.”

  “She’s been worrying about your moving for years. Give her time. She’s always been melodramatic. All of you Washingtons are.”

  “Why can’t she just be happy for me? Why all the drama? I need a drink. Do you want something?”

  “Nah.” He could see her retreating to some place deep inside as she headed for the kitchen.

  * * *

  Orange juice, milk, Kool-aid, tea. Ebony closed the refrigerator door, took a glass out of the cabinet and ran cold tap water in the sink. She wasn’t thirsty; she was hurt. Why she continually put her faith in people just to be let down time and time again never ceased to amaze her. She should have been prepared for Marissa’s reaction. Yes, she had said she would cosign the loan, but only because she knew Ebony would get the money from Dan if she didn’t, and she didn’t want anyone saying she didn’t provide for her child.

  “You get lost in there?” Trae called from the living room.

  “I’m fine. I just need a few minutes—alone.” She cut the water off and sat at the table. Marissa would never change. She could remember when she had rushed home from school with her letter of acceptance from the University of Chicago.

  “Mom, I made it! I made it!” Ebony kicked off her shoes and ran into the kitchen.

  Marissa smiled. “Made what, child?” She stopped breading the fish momentarily, placing her finger close to her lips. “Keep your voice down. Crystal’s finally asleep.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just so excited.” She held up the letter so Marissa could read it. “I made it! I made it! I made it!”

  One glance at the letter and Marissa’s smile faded. “Girl, you don’t have no time for no college.” She pointed toward the bedroom, cornmeal and seasoning dropping from her fingers. “You have a child to raise.”

  “But, Mom, read all the way to the bottom.” She pointed out the lines. “They’re giving me a full scholarship. I don’t even have to pay for books.”

  “That baby in there will be five by the time you finish school, and then find a job. How will you support her until then, Ebony? Rent, diapers, food, clothes, health insurance and childcare all cost money.”

  Ebony had thought she’d live with her mother and continue working at the convenience store to earn extra money.

  “Does their scholarship pay for that? I’ve supported you long enough. After you gra
duate, you’re going to beauty school. That’s one job you’ll always have financial security in.”

  “But I don’t want to be a…”

  “No buts. I finally have enough money to buy us our own salon. I have eight beauticians lined up to rent space at six hundred a month each. You’re a smart girl, do the math. I have a large clientele. If you would waste less time at the library and spend more time braiding hair, you’d never have to worry about money.”

  “I work. I make money.”

  Marissa returned to breading fish. “Sorry, but that measly hundred a week won’t cover it. You’ll stay here with me and work at the salon.”

  “I could work full-time. People work and go to school.”

  “When would you spend time with your child, Ebony? She needs you.”

  “Who are you to tell me about spending time with my child? I spend more time with Crystal in a week than you did with me my whole childhood.”

  Marissa caught Ebony by surprise with a slap across the face. The letter flew out of Ebony’s hands. Refusing to cry, she stared at her mother.

  When Ebony was accepted to Whitney Young, one of the top high schools in the city, Marissa threw a fit, saying she should go to the neighborhood school, which happened to be one of the worst schools in the city. School is whatever you take out of it, Marissa used to say. Ebony hadn’t allowed Marissa to talk her out of going to Whitney Young, and she had no intention of being talked out of attending the University of Chicago.

  “Who do you think you’re talking to? I did the best I could for you. After your father died, I didn’t have a choice but to work two jobs to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly. What did you want from me? To take Dan’s drug money? Is that your plan? I hear Trae’s dabbling in the drug trade.”

  Rubbing her cheek, Ebony continued staring at her mother. She had remained silent for years, but no longer. She had her own child to raise, and wouldn’t be stopped. “You did have a choice. We could have moved in with Auntie Genevieve. Instead, you chose to leave me alone.”

  “You weren’t a baby.”

  “No, I wasn’t a baby, but I was far too young to be left alone. Everyone knew I was home alone. I lived in fear of being raped, mugged or murdered. Do you know how many perverts are out there? Do you think their remarks were only for other kids? Give me a break.” She bent, picking up the letter. “I’ll get a second job if I have to. My counselor said something about grants. I’m going to the University of Chicago with or without your support—and I’ll do it without Trae’s drug money. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

  “What about the shop? It isn’t good enough for you, I guess. You’ve always thought you were better than others. Hell, how many kids you know around here call their mother Mom?”

  Ebony set the letter on the table. She had a smart-aleck remark but held off. She didn’t want to be slapped again. “This is ridiculous. When I was fourteen, I tired of people teasing me for calling you Mommy, so I shortened it to Mom. If you had a problem with it, you could have said something. And of course the shop is good enough for me, but it isn’t my dream. That’s your dream.”

  “It’s our dream. I’ve been saving for us. You don’t belong out at that highfallutin’ school. They’ll treat you like crap because your pedigree isn’t up to snuff.” She softened. “I’m sorry I hit you, baby.” She caressed Ebony’s face. “You belong here with me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Let me be here for you now. You can’t raise Crystal on your own.”

  “But I want to go to college. I want to own my own business someday, not take over yours.”

  Marissa wet a towel in the sink, then cleaned the cornmeal off Ebony’s face. “Let’s compromise. When I open the shop, quit your job at the convenience store and work for me as a shampoo girl and braider. I found a place with a room we can turn into a nursery for Crystal.”

  Ebony smiled, glad Marissa was finally cooperating. Her mother always gave her a hard time, but in the end she usually came through.

  “Malcolm X Junior College is right down the street from the salon. You can take a few classes there. I’ll even pay for it.”

  Ebony looked at her mother crosswise. “I have a full scholarship to one of the top universities in the country. People would kill to have this opportunity, and you want me to throw it away! Why are you trying to hold me back?”

  “I love you, baby, but you’re young, idealistic and dumb. I’m not holding you back; I’m giving you a head start. You have a baby and don’t have time for four years of college before you start your career. You can have your beauty license in a few months, then earn a degree in two years from a junior college if you decide to continue school. I’m telling you the fastest way to become independent.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  Marissa crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her gaze. “And who does, Dan? I know you’ve been sneaking to see him again.”

  Ebony folded her arms over her chest.

  “I didn’t graduate number one in my class, but I’m not stupid. Trae giving you Crystal has Dan written all over it.”

  “At least Dan supports me.”

  “Ebony,” Trae called from the living room, ending her trip back in time. “It’s getting late.”

  “Here I come.” She thought about Richard. They had both grown to be disappointments to their mothers.

  Trae moved from the recliner to the couch. “I have something for you.” He took a typed letter out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  She read the letter. “This says you beat Richard and threatened to kill his family if he didn’t stay away.”

  “I know. I wrote it.”

  “That’s horrible, Trae. What is wrong with you? Why would you write something like this?”

  “The words been spread around the street that I beat Smoke, but no one would dare to tell you for fear of crossing me. In comes the anonymous letter.” He flicked the letter.

  She pushed the letter toward him. “I don’t know about this.”

  “It’ll work.”

  “It sounds stupid, but I guess we don’t have a choice.” She set the letter on the coffee table, then leaned on the arm of the couch. “I’ll be glad when this is all over.”

  He toyed with the manila folder he had brought with him. “There’s something else I need to discuss with you.” He paused. “I’m truly sorry I didn’t give you legal custody of Crystal. Now that I’m going legit, I pray you can forgive me.”

  “I need time to think. Maybe we should have our showdown tomorrow. Mom’s drained the fight out of me.”

  He fingered the folder. “You didn’t legally adopt Crystal, so I had to do some research.”

  “Trae,” she paused, “I’m tired, upset and trying to figure out how to pull off this deception.”

  “It’s just, I found something. Have you ever seen your birth certificate?”

  “Of course. I trust you’re coming to a point.” She curled her legs under herself and used the armrest as a pillow.

  “I know you’re tired, but I don’t know when I’ll see you again. I’ve been putting this off for weeks.”

  She straightened up. It wasn’t like Trae to hem and haw. “What’s wrong?”

  He found a certificate in the folder and handed it to her. “Dan was married.”

  “No way!” She examined the duplicate of Dan’s marriage license. “Oh my goodness.” She laughed. “I can’t believe this. Wait ‘til I tell Skeet.” She reached for the phone.

  “There’s more.” He took the phone and set it to the side. “She died two years after their marriage.”

  “Poor Dan. No wonder he never talks about her.” She read the vital statistics on the marriage license. “She died the year I was born. I guess when she died his dreams of family died with her.”

  “He has family. He’s your father.”

  “You don’t know how many times I wished Dan was my father. I love Mom, but she never understood my needs, and emotional support was ou
t of the question. Our dads were too busy getting high to care about us. He didn’t even give me his name after they married.”

  “They had a baby, Ebony.” He handed her Savannah’s obituary. He had stolen the original from Genevieve’s years prior, made a copy, and replaced the original in case he ever needed to blackmail Dan.

  She looked up from the obituary. “She died on August sixteenth.” She felt queasy.

  “Your birthday.”

  “Yes, my birthday.” She silently read, “…Savannah leaves behind her husband of two years, Dan Washington, and her newborn baby, Ebony Washington.” Hands shaking, she dropped the obituary.

  He drew her into his arms, rubbing her back as she sobbed.

  “Why didn’t they tell me? I don’t understand. Why would they do this? They knew how much I wanted a real father. He’s been here all the time.” She thought about the nights she’d spent hiding in a corner of the room, worried someone would break in. She had called Dan many times, begging him to come get her, but he told her he didn’t have any rights and Marissa would have him arrested. He did have the right. How could he allow a drug addict to raise his child? How could he leave her alone? How could he?

  “I know this is a shock.”

  “Please, Trae, leave me alone.”

  “Why are you angry at me? I thought you had a right to know.”

  “I’m not angry at you. I’m upset, period: My fiancé dumped me, my mom’s not speaking to me; my father never claimed me. He knew I needed him and said nothing. Nothing, Trae! Well I don’t need any of them. I’ll raise my baby on my own.”

  He stared at her.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “Nothin’.” He raised his hands slightly. “I thought I’d stay away for a while, but I’ve changed my mind. I can sneak by and…”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I don’t need you to babysit me, Trae. I’ll be alone, not lonely.” She sorted through the documentation of Dan’s marriage, her birth, her adoption and Savannah’s death.