by Cydney Rax
“No, Jerrod. I can’t. Can you see I’m trying to leave Gallery Furniture? It’s not like you can find anything in there for less than a hundred.” She laughed and tried to make another joke. But Jerrod did not join in. His jaw was rigid and tight with anger.
“I don’t really care about all of that. Because you see, Leno has two parents that are in a position to help him. My own father is in prison,” he explained to Leno. “Aggravated sexual assault was the charge. He got the maximum sentence too. I was about six years old when my daddy got arrested. That was twenty years ago.”
“Damn! That’s too bad.”
“My daddy was convicted and locked up in the state prison a little while after your, um, aunt Elyse was born. Yeah, my dad’s been in prison almost as long as Elyse has been alive. Let’s see, he should be turning fifty-seven at the end of this year. Imagine having twenty birthdays pass by while you’re locked up from the free world. Twenty long years with no candles to blow out.”
“Uh, sorry to hear that,” Leno told him.
“I’m sorry too. Breaks my fucking heart that my daddy got taken away from me. Taken away from my mother. Our family.”
Leno looked confused.
“Oh, my bad,” Jerrod continued. “Your mom and I lived across the street from each other when we were kids. I used to date your aunt Drucilla from elementary school to high school. That was my girl. Did she ever mention me?”
“No, the hell she has not, Jerrod. Now if you don’t mind, we gotta be somewhere else.” Alita grabbed Leno’s arm to drag him along. She knew that Jerrod would finish explaining to Leno what happened. That he did not find out until he was fifteen who his dad was accused of sexually assaulting: his girlfriend’s sister, Alita. And that would explain why, later on, Jerrod’s mother never wanted him and Dru to be boyfriend and girlfriend. His mom suffered in silence and had spared him of the truth for years. And after he discovered the truth, he did not want anything to do with Dru or her family. That is, until he got the idea that Alita should personally pay him for everything she’d done to destroy his family. And initially, Alita agreed to fork over tiny amounts of cash to him because he’d convinced her that what happened between her and his father was partly her fault. And when he threatened to tell her then-husband Leonard about the baby, she offered to pay him more money. Plus that’s what her mother, Greta, had encouraged her to do when she’d been alive. Greta kept Alita’s name out of the news during Jack’s trial. The lies began. The cycle continued.
These days Jerrod felt Alita should pay. “I don’t care where you gotta be, Alita. You think you can ignore my calls and not answer me when I’ve texted you twenty times.” Jerrod was angry and unrepentant.
“That’s ’cause I’m kind of busy right now, Jerrod.”
“You think I care that you got better things to do than to give me money like you’ve done for the past ten years?”
“What?” Leno said. “Mom, what is he talking about? Why would you give him money? Is that why you can’t afford to buy me a car?”
“H-he’s lying,” Alita said. She despised Jerrod for his lack of concern. “It’s a big misunderstanding.”
“One thing I can’t stand,” Jerrod replied, “is being called a liar. Not when I know what I’m saying is the truth, and you know it too, Alita.”
“Jerrod, please. Leno, baby, go get in the car, I need to handle something real quick.”
Leno reluctantly returned to the car, but he looked back at his mother a couple of times before he got inside the vehicle.
And it took everything inside of Alita not to fling Jerrod to the ground and stomp him across his face. “Jerrod, please, please don’t do this anymore. Leno doesn’t need to find out like this.”
“I knew it. You’re a fucking scammer. You’re stringing along your son and Elyse just like my mother did to me until I found out the truth. She made up stories about what really happened to my dad. And now they don’t even know what a liar you are.”
“I can handle this situation any way that I choose, Jerrod. It has nothing to do with you. The truth is mine to tell, not yours.”
“The truth is anyone’s to tell.” He came so close to her face that she could smell his breath. “And if you don’t tell it, I will.”
His voice sounded so threatening that Alita felt herself shrinking before him. That was something she never wanted. And the fact that Jerrod could make her feel panicky caused her to grow angrier. “Jerrod, I’m warning you one more time. Leave us alone. Stop asking me for money. I don’t owe you shit.”
“You serious?”
“Hell, yeah. Because what you’re doing could land you in jail just like your no-good daddy. You’re extorting me. And you’re taking money, food, and clothes out my child’s mouth.”
“You think I give a fuck about the money I’m taking from Leno so you can pay me for taking my only father from me? You should have thought about all of that before your ho ass starting sleeping with Daddy.”
“I didn’t start sleeping with him.”
“My parents were happily married. And you weren’t raised right, Alita, or you never would have fucked an old man, a man with kids, and got pregnant by him.”
“Jerrod, please lower your voice.”
“My voice is the only thing you’ve left me with.” He actually choked back tears. “It’s all I’ve got.”
Alita hated seeing how hurt he was, and she wondered how the truth about this situation might affect Leno. And Elyse. Maybe it was time the young woman learned that Alita was her mother. But what if she wasn’t emotionally strong enough to handle that type of news? And how would Leno feel when he found out Elyse was his sister? And Dru? Poor Dru. She could not fathom how everyone would act upon knowing her secrets.
“You may not agree with or like the decisions I’ve made, and that’s fine,” Alita continued. “But I was young back then. I was still a stupid, clueless teenager. And your daddy took advantage of me, Jerrod. I’m the true victim! So don’t get mad at me. Your daddy should have known better than to fuck around on his wife with me or any other female. Because quiet as it’s kept, mine wasn’t the only neighborhood pussy he toyed with.”
Jerrod swung his arm and smashed his balled fist against Alita’s mouth. The impact cracked her lips. Her mouth began to swell, and she felt numbing pain. She ran her tongue across her teeth and tasted the saltiness of blood.
“You sonofabitch—”
“What? Who you gone tell?” Jerrod asked. “Nobody! Because you can’t handle telling the truth. I want my money, I don’t care how you get it. If your son starves to death, let him starve. If you end up homeless, tough shit. Get me my fucking money.”
* * *
Oh shit, what should I do?
Alita was scared that Jerrod would carry out his threats. But she had no more money to give.
When she got back in the car, Leno took one look at Alita and yelled, “What the hell is going on, Mom?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Did he hit you?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“You’re strange.” Leno looked back as they sped away from the furniture store. “If I ever see that guy again I’ma bust him upside his head.”
“Don’t say that. Stay out of this. I’m handling it.”
Leno gave her a knowing look. “Yeah, it’s looks like you’re handling it all right.”
Alita shushed her son and drove along the freeway, thankful when Leno finally stopped questioning her. Soon he grew tired. His head leaned back against the seat. And his mouth fell open as he snored. When he completely fell asleep, Alita retrieved her cell phone and texted as she drove.
Dru Boo, we need to talk
Alita felt nervous after she pressed send. She knew that when she finally told Dru what had happened between her and Mr. Jack Dawson, the truth would have to extend beyond the sexual sin she committed with a married man.
Dru called her right away.
“Hello,
Sis. What’s going on? What are you doing on this beautiful Saturday morning?”
“Um, well, me and Leno, he’s with me in the car right now, we had to go to get him a new bed and mattress. He’s still growing like a wild plant that’s out of control. But as his mama, I did what I had to do.”
“Oh wow, you should have told me. I could have helped chip in some money. Or you could have asked B. You two may butt heads, but Big Sis always has the wherewithal to help you out anytime you’re in need.”
That was Dru. So intelligent, reasonable. Warm and compassionate. “You are amazing, Dru. Have I ever told you that?”
“Nope, not that I can recall.”
Alita laughed at Dru’s honesty. And she realized that on many days, condemnation kept her tongue from expressing to Dru how much she loved and admired her. She was the levelheaded, kind-hearted Reeves woman. Very bright, goal-oriented, and someone to be proud of because of her common sense and decency.
Oh, how Alita did not want any of Dru’s wholesome qualities to worsen if the whole truth was ever disclosed.
Oh well, she thought. Let’s get this over with.
“Anyway, Dru. I need to talk to you . . . in person . . . about something important.”
“Sure. Is everything good?”
“Uh, it’s complicated . . . that’s all. And messy as hell . . . point-blank, it’s all fucked up.”
“Now you’re scaring me. Can’t you tell me right now?”
“No! Leno is with me. I don’t want him to hear this conversation. I’ll explain later.”
She dropped Leno off at their home and attended to her busted lip. A half hour later, she arrived at Dru’s.
“Tyrique here?” Alita asked.
“Um, yeah, but he’s upstairs being a sleepyhead right now. I can’t wait to join him. Hey, what happened to your lip?”
“Cold sore,” Alita fibbed.
“Looks terrible.”
“It’ll heal.”
“Oops, excuse my rudeness, Lita. You want some hibiscus tea?”
“Yeah, that’ll work,” Alita told her. But then she thought about how scorching hot a cup of tea could be, and she had a quick change of mind. “You know what, scrap that. Just get me a can of soda. I’ll pour it in a glass and add some ice.”
Dru got her sister the ginger ale and started the microwave to prepare a bowl of popcorn.
“Now, what is it that you want to tell me?”
Alita stared at the counter then looked up at Dru.
“You know how with Sister Day we are supposed to tell the truth? And how it’s something that our mother wanted us to do, to stay in touch and help each other out through thick and thin?”
Dru nodded. “Go on.”
“I remember one time you told us at our meeting that you have trouble with truth. And, to be honest,”—Alita nervously laughed—“I have a problem with it, too.”
“Now that’s something I find hard to believe.”
“Well, believe it, Sis, because depending on what it is, sometimes I struggle with it. Truth can cause misunderstandings. And it can make people’s lives change . . . in a bad way. Like when you find out a husband is unfaithful. It may be their truth . . . but it can mess up other people when it’s revealed.”
Dru told Alita, “Hold that thought.” She rummaged through the cabinets and found two small bowls then carefully poured the popcorn in and sprinkled some seasoning on top.
This minor diversion gave Alita more time to think and consider what she did want to tell Dru and everything she wanted to leave out.
“Okay, done. Now go ahead with your story. But will you please just tell me what you’re trying to say?”
“All right. Um, I just wanted to say that, a long time ago, back when you were six or seven, and I was around seventeen, maybe younger . . . um, it was a Sunday afternoon and I was at home. And I went outside and walked across the street to visit Roro.”
“Jerrod’s sister. I remember her.”
“Good. So you should remember back then we were tight, like sisters. I was always welcome over at their spot. I could come up to their front door and if it was unlocked, it was nothing for me to just go right in, no problem.” Alita could visualize in her mind’s eye how everything played out on that fateful day.
“And, um, so on that day, I ran up the stairs to Roro’s bedroom, and I saw that she was passed out asleep in her bed. I thought I’d leave her alone and catch up with her later. And back then it was nothing for me to just hang around the Dawsons’ house like I lived there. So, um, I ran back down those stairs and I decided to see what they had in the fridge. Their mom was a great cook, she was from Memphis and she could grill a mean barbecue. And she would leave big pieces of ribs and homemade potato salad in the fridge and she always encouraged us. She would say, ‘My house is your house. Feel free to get whatever you want.’ And so we did.”
Dru stopped tossing popcorn in her mouth. All she could do was stare at her sister and listen and wonder about the wayward method she was using to tell her something that she had described as “very important.”
Alita sadly laughed to herself. “Like I said, we were like family. So as I’m reaching in the refrigerator trying to move bowls of food out the way so I could get that BBQ, and I-I, um, I felt this big hand. And it touched my back, right? I turned around. It was Mr. Jack. Mr. Dawson. And he was—” Alita closed her eyes and took a sip of her beverage.
“Go on, Sis, tell me what happened. No judgment.”
“Jack started rubbing my back all slow and heavy-handed.”
“What did you do?”
Her eyes popped back open. “I looked at that bastard like he was crazy.”
“Good.”
“He stopped rubbing me and he was like, ‘Hey, Lita. Those pots are too heavy. Let me help you with that.’ I moved out the way and let him. And he got the food out for me and got me a plate and set it on the table. Except I didn’t feel hungry anymore, Dru. But I wasn’t sure exactly how to tell him. And while I stood there thinking all kinds of thoughts and trying to figure out how to leave, I noticed that Jack was staring at me something fierce. And he, um, he finally told me that his family was planning a surprise party for Roro real soon and he asked me if I wanted to be in on it. I guess I said okay because next thing I know he tells me to follow him. And he gets me to go down the hallway, and we wind up in his bedroom.”
Dru’s eyes were enlarged. “His bedroom? Lita, no!”
“Yes.” Alita’s normally loud and boisterous voice grew smaller and feeble. “He takes me inside of that cold-ass, dark room, and at first I’m sitting on a chair that’s next to a small desk. He turns on this lamp and I noticed a calendar sitting there with Roro’s birthdate circled and some notes written down about what they wanted to have on the party menu. But, Dru, he took me by the hand and, um, he asked me to stand up. So I did. And Mr. Dawson’s creepy ass then told me to excuse him for saying so, but he thought I was pretty. Told me I was sexy. And that’s when I kicked him in his balls and smacked his hand so hard that it made my fingers sting. He asked me what I did that for. I told him don’t say shit about how I look. That it was none of his business. And I guess I shocked him. Because his face grew all ugly and crazy looking. And he yells at me, then grabs me by the hair and yanks it. And he asked me why I assaulted him like that. He tells me that he can call the police and report me because women were getting arrested for hitting, punching, twisting arms, pushing, slapping men, you name it. He was holding his balls all this time he was telling me this stuff. I could tell the man was in pain and, hey, I got real scared. I felt confused. Even though I did not trust him, I knew he was the adult, so I believed what he told me. Then Mr. Dawson told me he hadn’t even done anything to me to make me do that to him, and because I was so aggressive and went Billy Bad Ass on him for no good reason, he had a right to defend himself. And he wanted to teach me a lesson so I would never pull that with any other man again. And he pretty much forced himself on me, Dru. Push
ing my head down to give him oral sex, all kinds of stupid shit that I hated but did anyway. I thought if I didn’t do it he’d kill me.”
“That sounds messed up.”
Dru jumped up and hugged Alita. “Oh, my poor sister. I’m so sorry you went through that. Had no idea. I’ve never heard this story before.”
“Sometimes things happen that people never tell. Or they wait a long time before they tell it.”
“That’s horrible, Lita. Did you file charges?”
“I’m not done with my story. Have a seat.”
Alita continued. “Long story short, nine months later, Dru, I-I gave birth to a baby around the same time that Mama had a baby.”
Dru stared at her sister, her face registering confusion.
“What are you saying?”
“No one knew I was pregnant. I didn’t gain a lot of weight. The pregnancy was hidden.”
“By who?”
“By Mama and Daddy. Mama faked her pregnancy.”
“She what?”
“Yup. Mama stuffed padding into her shirt, walked around with her hand on her hip, and knew how to make herself throw up.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“It doesn’t matter, because I was there. She and Daddy covered it all up to protect me and our family. You were only seven or eight and no way you could’ve guessed what was going on. But remember when I left to go stay with Grandmamma for a few months? That only happened after I reached my seventh month. And I got homeschooled for a quick minute, and she took care of me till I gave birth. Then we moved from that house to the one where Coco stays now.”
“My God,” Dru exclaimed, her eyes widening with every shocking revelation that Alita exposed. It felt odd to hear such things and know that it had happened right under her nose. “And the child that you had? Where is it these days?”
“Um. I-I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“Mama, our sweet, image-conscious mother, took that baby from me, Dru.”
“Wait a minute. She did? But how? What are you talking about?”
“It’s true. You may not have known, but I lived this shit. This unfair, demoralizing shit became my life. And to have my child taken away from me, snatched out of my arms as if I did not matter, it messes my head up to this day.”