by Tra Verdejo
“Damn, nigga! You tryin’ to make me cry? Don’t worry. I’m coming back. I just want you to hold shit down while I’m gone.”
“I got you, but I just wanna let you know I’m not feeling all these moves you’re making on your own. You know I’m here, twenty-four/seven for you. You should have came by and scoop me up, my dude.”
“My bad, but that’s what I been trying to say all along. I need to do this alone. Get the minivan ready.”
“And you takin’ the minivan? Now I know you about to start a war.”
They both laughed as they walked to the back of the business. Lucky headed to his unit, while Divine went to load up the all-white minivan with all kinds of weapons.
Right before Lucky jumped in the van with limo-tint windows, he turned to Divine and said, “Don’t worry. God, I will be back.”
“You better! Watch your ass out there, and don’t sleep on no one, not even baby mom. It’s been a while since you seen them,” Divine said.
They once again embraced.
Lucky turned the van on and began his trip. He ignored that last comment by Divine. There was no way Tasha could betray him. It was only about a five-to six-hour drive. Lucky figured he could make it four and a half. He started off doing close to ninety miles per hour. He didn’t care about any troopers or his own safety. The thought of any harm to his daughter took precedence over common sense.
After three hours of driving like a maniac, he started to realize he needed to slow down a bit. Long drives always made his mind wander, and he started thinking about Tasha and how they’d met.
He always felt she was a perfect match, a love at first sight for sure. She was also a gym rat, one of the many things they had in common. She loved working out and keeping her body in shape. She worked as a bartender in two of the hottest clubs at the time, Club Limelight and the Palladium. Tasha also took a lot of self-defense courses. Being a female bartender in New York City wasn’t an easy task. Every night, she was either cursing or fighting a drunken jerk off her. She had to be on the defense at all times.
Tasha was five-four, caramel complexion with hazel eyes, had a flat stomach, and a nice juicy peach on her backside. No stretch marks or bumps, skin real silky, Lucky always thought she bathed in milk. Customers, both men and women, would always come on to her, looking for one-night stands.
Lucky always partied at the Palladium, and from afar, he had a big crush on her. He would always order from different bartenders because he didn’t want her to remember his face and think he was a stalker. He wanted to wait until the perfect moment to make his move and ask her out.
One night, there was a stabbing after the club closed, and Lucky and Tango were two of few officers at the scene trying to calm down the rowdy partygoers. Lucky noticed two drunks harassing a young lady. As he got closer, he noticed it was the bartender. He didn’t have to intervene, though. Tasha kicked them both in the nuts and slapped one of them with her purse while she maced the other. Tasha noticed Lucky approaching, and was about to spray him, until she saw the badge hanging from his neck. Lucky always remembered that day. It was the first day Tasha lay in his arms.
They dated for about six months before they moved in together. It didn’t take long for her to realize his dirty laundry in the streets. She often asked him to stop before he lost his job or his life, but Lucky didn’t take her advice at the time. He was making too much money. Instead of losing his life or job, he lost his first love.
Tasha knew it was over before she got pregnant. They had a long conversation about their next move. She wanted an abortion, he didn’t. Tasha thought it was worth believing his words. After Tamika was born, Lucky indeed began slowing down, but was still playing with the devil’s cards. Tasha didn’t like it, but she didn’t complain.
One morning, Tasha found him passed out on the floor of their driveway, car still running. Lucky had cocaine smeared all over his nose and mouth. That morning she decided it was time to leave, and leave him for good. When she went to turn off the car, she found an open box of condoms, two of them missing.
Tasha was more devastated about the drugs than his sleeping around. She had no idea he was snorting cocaine. She left him there on the floor, packed up a few things, and left with Tamika.
When Lucky woke up, he was on the floor with the sun beaming. He went inside and found a letter on the kitchen table. Tasha kept it short and sweet.
Lucky, you are a drug addict, a cheat, and a criminal. I’m moving into the summer house in Cape Cod. You know how to find us and send money. Don’t you dare show up unless that life you are currently living has one hundred percent disappeared out of your system, no ifs, ands, or buts. Tasha
Lucky snapped out of his daze, his eyes watery. He couldn’t believe he let Tasha and Tamika walk out of his life. He still didn’t know why he’d waited this long to finally reach out to them. All he could hope for was for a new chance. He was ready to settle down and become a real family man.
For the past few years, the only communication he had with his daughter was through a P.O. box address. Every holiday and birthday he would send cards and gifts. Every six months he would send money. Lucky even helped in changing their identities with fake but legit birth certificates and Social Security cards. He even gave Tasha a new driver’s license with the new address in Cape Cod.
About two years ago, the last time he actually spoke to Tasha over the phone, she gave him an address at the time and told him, if he ever decided to come up there, to stop by that address first.
When Lucky finally reached his exit, he became real excited. He was about to see his little girl. The long drive was helpful to him because not for one minute did he think about his old partners.
Lucky pulled up to the address and was taken by surprise at the look of the old house. He had to double-check the address a few times. It was the correct house. He just didn’t believe someone lived in it. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell three times.
“Why are you ringing my bell this late, Sonny?”
“Tasha gave me this address. She said you have a place for me.”
“Oh, yes, yes. You must be her cousin. She told me when the Army discharged you, you would stop by. C’mon in and let me show you to your new room. By the way, my name is Mrs. Rosie. Did you just arrive today?”
“Yes, I did. I really want to thank you for helping. I promise I won’t stay long. I just need a few days.”
“Don’t worry, honey. You can stay as long as you want. Tasha left some things for you about a week ago. I guess she knew you were coming.”
After the old lady left the room, Lucky quickly looked through the stuff she left him and found two handguns and pictures of their new looks and names. He laughed out loud when he saw the guns but then refocused his attention to the pictures. They didn’t change much. Only their hair looked different. Lucky could tell Tasha had some facial surgery, but she still looked the same.
Tasha’s new name was Luz, and Tamika’s was Jessica. For a few minutes, he choked up looking at the pictures of Tamika, now twelve years old. The last time he saw her, she was six going on seven. He felt bad about the choice he made. He promised, after all this drama was over with, he was going to build that relationship back with Tamika.
Lucky lay on the bed, backtracking his past, trying to figure out where he slipped up, and how could they have found his girls. He knew he must have made a mistake somewhere, but his mind went blank. He couldn’t remember anything.
He got up and looked out the window to help his mind wander. That didn’t help. All he saw was trees and birds. He felt like an inmate looking out his tiny window in a state prison. He wasn’t used to the quiet, laid-back atmosphere.
Lucky had to wait until the morning for Mrs. Rosie to notify Tasha. Mrs. Rosie didn’t own a phone, so she never asked for anyone’s phone number.
Lucky couldn’t take the suspense of waiting all night, so he sat on the edge of his bed in frustration and began talking to himself. �
�Fuck! I feel like a prisoner. I need a drink or two to help my mind relax.”
He opened the door to his bedroom and peeked out to see if he saw the old lady. He wanted to ask where the closest liquor store was, or if she had any liquor in the house. He heard what sounded like pots and pans banging against the sink. He figured she must be downstairs washing dishes, so he went downstairs.
He called her name out loud to not surprise her when he approached. “Mrs. Rosie, is you downstairs in the kitchen?”
“Yes, Sonny, I am.”
“Do you know where I could purchase some liquor, or even beers?”
“It’s almost midnight. Nothing is open this late, but I have a few bottles of whiskey in the basement that belonged to my husband. You could go down there and pick what you like.”
“Oh no, I don’t want to impose or use your husband’s liquor.”
“Sonny, you are not imposing. My husband won’t mind. He’s been dead for eight years. Go on downstairs and pick what you like. I also have some leftovers in the refrigerator.”
Lucky couldn’t believe how nice this old lady was. He was wondering how Tasha met her. He figured she must have been Tamika’s babysitter when she was younger or something. When he finally reached the basement, there were so many bottles of liquor, he thought Rosie’s husband must have died of liver poison. He’d never heard of the whiskey before and figured it was just some Cape Cod brand. He didn’t care. He grabbed a bottle and went back upstairs.
Before he went to his room, he asked Mrs. Rosie, “Mrs. Rosie, if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of whiskey is this? I have never heard of it before.”
“It’s homemade whiskey. My husband and his friend used to make it and sell it. I have to warn you, it’s very strong. It will burn a hole in your throat,” she said, laughing.
“I was wondering why there were so many bottles downstairs, but now it makes sense. Can I ask you another question? How did you and my cousin meet?”
“Actually, your cousin responded to an ad I left in the local grocery store. I was watching her little girl. She’s the most precious girl I have ever met. It’s a shame her father was never around. After a few years, we became family. She spent a lot of time in this house. She loved the quiet. Well, it’s way past my bedtime. I have to get up in a few hours. I’m sorry, Sonny. I’m going to sleep. Make yourself at home.”
“Thank you for everything, Mrs. Rosie. Good night.”
As Lucky went back to his room, he cracked open that whiskey bottle and put his lips on it faster than a two-dollar hooker. Lucky had been drinking for over twenty years, so he wasn’t scared of homemade liquor. He was ready for the challenge.
As soon as he took a big shot of the whiskey, he spat everything out. He started coughing so hard and loud, Mrs. Rosie was laughing at him.
“I told you, Sonny, it will burn a hole in your throat.”
Lucky was on the floor holding his neck, still coughing and tearing up. It took him a good fifteen seconds to regain his composure, but then he caught a head rush for another fifteen seconds.
He wiped the tear off his eyes and looked at the bottle. “What the fuck is this? I can’t believe these rednecks drink this shit out here.” He closed the bottle and took it back downstairs. He didn’t even want the bottle in the room.
While walking back upstairs, still banging his chest, trying to clear up his system, he decided to try to go to sleep. He got back in bed and started thinking about Diamond, wondering how she was. He knew she was lonely, but okay, because she wasn’t a homebody type of female. She would find something to keep herself entertained.
Lucky felt bad about the whole situation. She was the one to get a raw deal. He was never going back to her. That’s why he gave her so much money and the house. It was a hard decision, but a man couldn’t choose another woman over his family. Lucky understood Diamond was deeply in love with him, and he only hoped she didn’t take it too hard and tried to hurt herself. He sat back up on his bed, experiencing one of the longest nights of his life.
Right after getting Diamond out of his head, he started thinking about Tamika. He could remember the first day she was born. He’d kissed her on the forehead and promised he would protect her for life. He broke that promise, and now he needed to make it up big-time, because of his drug abuse.
Once he finally saw her in the morning, he knew it was going to be an awkward reunion. A lot of years had passed, but they wouldn’t have time to catch up right away because he was going have to tell them about the danger they were in, and about possibly relocating.
When the morning sunlight hit the glass window and the reflection glared off his face, Lucky woke up. He didn’t know at what time he’d passed out, but he was happy it was morning. It felt like a Christmas morning.
He washed up, got dressed, and waited for Mrs. Rosie to return. Around ten in the morning, she returned but had a long face.
“Is everything okay?”
“Tasha never showed up. I waited for two hours, and she never showed. That’s not like her.”
“Maybe she was tired and never got out of bed,” Lucky said, hoping that was the case.
“It’s still not like her.”
Lucky couldn’t hold back and play Mr. Nice Guy anymore. “Mrs. Rosie, let me have the address where you were supposed to meet her. If you have her home address, that would be better. Any information would be helpful.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know her home address. We were going to meet at Joe’s Diner for our usual breakfast meeting. I’m telling you, something is not right. If you want the address to Joe’s Diner, here is their card. It has the address on it.”
“Thank you.”
Lucky entered the address in his GPS system and headed out the door. He wasn’t about to sit back, knowing his old partners were out there and Tasha was missing.
While driving, he was so nervous, he couldn’t stop shaking, and his heart was pounding in his chest. It was about a fifteen-minute drive, and he drove with caution, looking inside every car he passed. The pounding in his heart felt more like a stampede.
He wanted to stay positive, but it was hard to. He kept saying to himself, “If you touch my little girl, I’m going to kill your whole family.”
Lucky noticed the Joe’s Diner sign was getting closer. He pulled up to the restaurant, drove around the parking lot first, and didn’t see Tasha’s car. Mrs. Rosie told him she drove a green truck, but didn’t know the make of the car. Lucky thought, Maybe she got the colors confused, so he parked down the street and walked to the diner.
He went in, glanced around the dining area, and didn’t see anyone who resembled Tasha or Tamika. He asked one of the waitresses if she knew where the post office was located.
The waitress pointed out the window. “It’s right across the street, mister.”
Lucky thought quickly and asked for a table. “Well, since I’m already here, I might as well eat something.”
Lucky was able to get a seat right by the window. He figured he would sit there until Tasha showed up. He ordered three pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a beef sausage. He was starving.
After eating his meal and drinking three cups of coffee, he noticed this one car had been parked in the same spot for the past hour. What was odd was, the driver had been sitting there for almost an hour with his engine running. At first, Lucky thought the driver was waiting for someone, but he thought it was crazy to keep your car running so long.
“Shit, not even getaway cars keep the shit running that long. But who’s the suit in that car? I’m going to have to take a closer look. Something is not right,” he said to himself.
He signaled for the young, pretty blond waitress to bring his bill.
“Here you go, mister. Thank you for coming to Joe’s. Come again.”
“I sure will come whenever I’m in town.”
“Oh, you from out of town, too. Are you with John?”
“I’m sorry. Who?”
“With John. Him.” She
pointed outside to the car Lucky was about to check out.
“No, I’m not with him, but between us, he’s been there for like thirty minutes,” he said, trying to bait her into giving up more info.
“Thirty minutes, yeah, right. More like all morning. When I came in this morning, they were parked there. There were two of them this morning, but now I just see one.”
Lucky gave her a fifty-dollar bill and told her dumb ass to keep the change.
Then it hit him. “They must know about the P.O. box address.” Lucky walked past the car on the driver’s side, close enough to see that the car doors were unlocked. When he walked back, he noticed John was barely keeping his eyes open. They must have been there all night.
Lucky moved in quickly. He went around the passenger side, opened the door, jumped in, and pressed the barrel of his gun against his face.
“What the fuck is going on here? I’m a federal agent. You sure you want to kill me?”
“A federal agent? Get the fuck out of here. Why are you watching the post office? Did Captain Tuna from New York send you here? If he did, then you a dirty agent.”
Agent John tried to play it cool. “No, I’m just waiting for my wife to come out the postal office.”
“Bullshit! You think I don’t know you been here since eight o’clock in the morning? Where is your partner? Who else came out here with you?”
“Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m here waiting for my—”
Lucky cocked back his gun. “Go ahead and say you are waiting for your wife again. Go ahead and say it.”
John froze like a statue. He knew he was dealing with someone who would pull the trigger. “Okay, yes, you’re right, Tuna sent us out here, but I came out here by myself.”
Lucky pistol-whipped John and split open his head, and blood splattered all over the steering wheel and dashboard.
“I’m going to ask you one last time. Who else came here with you, and where are they at? Are they inside?”