“And I’ll tell you what I think,” Uncle Artis said, his voice rising. “I think you are making a big mistake supporting Rodney Earls. He ain’t nothing but trouble. I tried to get my brother to not let you join his group years ago, but he was dead set on you getting some help. Well okay, it helped you getting in that group, but you were strong even back then, and you would have come through without his help. And since you continue to support him, you are showing your continuous disregard for my feelings. I have no choice but to find another place to live. I have discussed it with my probation officer.”
“Uncle, why do you hate Dr. Rodney so much? What did he do to you?”
“Ask him, Gemini. Ask your hero what happened in Vietnam.”
He then rose from his chair and made his way downstairs to his room. Both dogs looked at him then looked back at me as if to say, What the hell was that all about?
I was about to turn in for the night but decided to check my phone messages first. There was one from Enoch, saying that he wanted to see me again and that “the ghost” would make all the arrangements. He would call me when everything was in place. Then he said, “Take care, Mother, I love you.” My heart melted. My son said he loved me, and all of the turmoil from today melted in that instant.
I went to bed that night and once again dreamed about my friend Savannah.
Things will work out, she said to me. I’m here to make sure.
I slept like a newborn.
---
Dr. Rodney was released the next day and called me when he got home. He did as I suggested: He didn’t say anything to the press but waited until I got in touch with Dwaine Newsome. When I did reach Dwaine, he said that he would be glad to talk with Dr. Rodney and I gave him Dr. Rodney’s contact information.
Antoinette called to see if I had heard from Dr. Rodney, and if there was anything she could do, to let her know. I then placed a call to Sydney Ingram. His secretary answered, and seconds later Sydney was on the phone.
Sydney and I were at Indiana State around the same time. He graduated a year before me and went east to law school. I wanted to make sure that Dr. Rodney had the best.
“Gemini, hey, great to hear from you. I was going to call you and ask if you wanted to have lunch with me. Are you free today?”
“Yes, I am, Sydney. I’m still on leave from the firm. What time do you want to meet? I wanted to call in a favor and ask you to represent Dr. Earls. He could really use your help. I am too close to represent him, and like I said, I’m still on leave.”
“That’s why I wanted to have lunch with you, Gemini. I did hear from Dr. Earls. I have heard great things about him. Let’s meet at Slappy’s today around one o’clock.”
“Sounds good to me, Sydney. I look forward to it.”
I thought it was a bit strange that he wanted to meet with me just to discuss representing Dr. Rodney, but it was a chance to go to Slappy’s again, and the food is great. I heard they changed the menu and added chicken and dressing, as well as a few other things.
As soon as I hung up with Sydney, my phone rang. I thought, hey, I’m popular this morning. It was Nathan asking me if we could meet for lunch. I told him about my meeting with Sydney and asked if we could meet for dinner, or better yet, could we meet at Club Escapades? Poo Poo was singing again that night, and I wanted to hear her. I was feeling good about seeing my son again and needed to have some fun. I was going to tell her about meeting Nobel, and, of course, I wanted some feedback from the crowd on the council’s decision to give the land to the Days and about the incident with Dr. Rodney and Barney Austin.
I fed the dogs and let them out for some exercise. They played very well together, and it was obvious that Charlie was in charge. Marley was twice his size, but followed the little guy around like a groupie. I’m glad that I decided to keep Marley. I love dogs and they seem to bring me comfort. They make me laugh and both love me unconditionally. Sometimes, at night, they will come into my room and sleep at the foot of my bed. Thank God that I have a king size bed. I don’t mind them being there. I feel protected and loved.
I heard Uncle Artis leave early that morning on his way to work or to his probation officer. I know she likes to meet with him early so that he can get to work on time. I am sorry that he feels the need to leave, but part of me wants to have my house back to myself. So maybe this is for the good of both of us. I make a mental note to contact Dr. Rodney and ask him about his relationship with my uncle in Vietnam. I hear a thud at the front door and realize that my paper has arrived. The front page has a big picture of Dr. Rodney knocking Barney Austin out with the caption “Man of Peace attacks Reporter.” There are several stories in the paper today—one covering the council meeting and the other covering the accusations made against Dr. Rodney. I read the paper from front to back over a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll. I don’t want to ruin my appetite for lunch with Sydney.
I hear barking at the back door and get up to let the duo in for their morning romp through the house and mid-morning nap. Just as I get up, I hear the shatter of glass. I go to my window and see a brick laying on the carpet, someone has thrown a rock throw my window. I run to the front door to look if I see the person but there is no one on the street. I know this is a warning for me to back off from helping Dr. Rodney and I also know who is behind it. If Tabitha Day thinks that I am afraid of her, she has another thing coming.
I decided to pay a visit to the church and have a talk with the Pastor and First Lady. I will tell Dr. Rodney also—I want him to be prepared just in case he gets a rock through his window. I placed a call to my handy man, who was at my house in less than an hour, went to the hardware store after he assessed the damage, and boarded up my window. The windows were custom made and he would have to order a replacement. I should have called the police but decided that if things got out of hand, I would let Griff know. He would take care of things his way, the street way.
My meeting with Sydney took place hours later at Slappy’s. There I ordered the chicken and dressing, and Sydney had salmon croquettes with rice. We started the conversation by catching up on some of the people we both knew at Indiana State. Then we focused on his representing Dr. Rodney.
“Gemini, I’m going to have to turn you down, but not because I am swamped. I wanted to tell you why in person, but this must stay between the two of us. When Dr. Earls first contacted me, I told him that I would represent him, especially since he said you had referred me. But then I got a phone call threatening me. The person said that if I valued my home, I would back down from representing him. Gemini, you know that I am not the kind of person to back down, but my wife is pregnant, and I want to keep her safe. We have waited so long to have this child, and I don’t want anything to go wrong. You do understand, don’t you?”
“Of course, I understand. I can always recommend another attorney for him. I’m sorry that I got you into this mess.”
That ended our conversation about him representing Dr. Rodney. We then turned our attention to our meals.
I drove home thinking about my conversation with Sydney. Someone had threatened him and had thrown a rock through my window. This was getting serious, and I now considered letting the police know. But Sydney didn’t want the incident repeated, and I had promised him that I would keep quiet. So that is when I made the decision to call Griff and let him know, as well as Dr. Rodney. I didn’t want anything to happen to the Earls, but at the same time, I wanted Tabitha Day to know that I was not afraid of her—that I had my own means of justice.
I made it back home and there was a message from Vincent telling me that Griff would be picking me up to take me to our favorite visiting spot for a talk. Again, at the end of his message he said, “Love you, Mother.”
He would be there in an hour, so I would have to postpone my meeting with Nathan. I didn’t want to call him as I had a feeling that Mrs. St. James monitored his phone calls. She is the on
e with the money. So, I called Poo Poo at the club and told her that when he arrived to tell him that I had some pressing business to take care of and to call me later in the week. She seemed reluctant to relay the message, but I assured her that there was nothing going on between us and that I wanted to come to the club and hear her sing. I also told her that I wanted to discuss something with her, and it was not about him. She agreed to deliver the message.
Griff came to pick me up, and we drove to Greenwood Cemetery. On the way, I told him about the brick through my window and my suspicions of who was behind it. I also told him about Sydney Ingram being threatened, and he said that he would investigate the matter. If he found out that Tabitha Day was behind it, he would take care of it. I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about. I asked about Stan and Terrence, and he told me that they were not available. I didn’t ask why, since they worked for “the ghost.” I didn’t want to know.
Vincent was waiting for me when we reached our destination. He looked tired, but I knew he was doing okay, because when he saw me his face lit up with a smile.
“I need my hug from my mother,” he said, and gave me the biggest, strongest hug I have ever received.
I hugged him so tight that I thought I would lose the circulation in my arms. There were two chairs waiting for us and we took our seats.
“Mother, how are you? Have you gone back to work?” he asked.
“Not yet. I plan to return the first week of next month. Just trying to make sure that I am ready to go back. A lot is happening right now, and I want to take care of some things before my return.”
I told him about Dr. Rodney and the trouble he was in, and I told him about the brick through my window. He asked if I had any idea who was behind it, and I told him about the Days and the recent fight over the land near their church. I also told him that I suspected the wife was behind it, because of the grudge that she had against Dr. Rodney.
Griff overheard the conversation; he was never far from Enoch, and told him that he was going to find out and take care of it.
“You got more pressing things to take care of, Enoch. I’ll take care of your mama.”
“What’s going on?” I asked my son. “Are you in trouble?”
That is when he told me the purpose of his trip here to the Midwest.
“You might say that I am looking for Treasure,” he said.
Treasure Cummings was a young girl that had run away from home and ended up staying at Mamie’s house. The two of them had become friends and had planned to run away together. But Treasure disappeared, and he was sure that Mamie had sold her.
“I wouldn’t be surprised about anything Mamie did. Child trafficking was not beneath her. Do you know where she is?” I asked.
“I was here trying to find out, and I found some information. This means I will be leaving the area in a few days. I want to make sure that this information is legit.”
“Do you know who has her now?”
“A man by the name of Lucerne Gorsuch. He calls himself a pimp and does business in this area and in New York. I went to New York to see if I could locate her there, but I couldn’t find her. Now it looks as if I must return to New York. I was told that he took her there to work in one of his clubs.”
“Can’t you talk to the New York Police or the FBI?” I asked. “This sounds very serious, and you could get killed.”
“I have to deal with this my own way, Mother. Besides, I have a score to settle with Lucerne. He killed one of my friends, I saw him do it. That is why I don’t want anyone to know that I have been in touch with you. It could put you in danger. That is also why I have asked Mr. Karwatka to watch over you. He is impressed with you, so he agreed to help. Once I leave, it may be some time before you see me again, but I will let you know through Griff how I am doing. I do have to ask you for a favor, however. May I borrow some money? I need to have cash on hand and can’t leave a money trail.”
“I will give you the money, Vincent. You don’t have to pay me back. It’s yours anyway, for all the years I wasn’t able to support you. Is ten thousand enough?”
“More than enough, Mother. Small bills, if you can arrange it.”
“I’ll give it to you in nickels, if that will help,” I said and we both laughed.
“One more thing, Mother, do you think you can find it in your heart to call me Enoch?”
“With pleasure, son.” I said, and we hugged again.
I cried, and he held me and assured me that he would be ok.
“Remember,” he said, “I am the man who walks with God.”
Our visit lasted another hour before he left in an old brown car. Then Griff returned me to my home. I realized that I still had time to meet Nathan, so I called Poo Poo and told her I would be there.
I called Dr. Rodney, who informed me that Sydney Ingram had called him and recommended another attorney for him. He asked if I had read the paper, and I said The Times. He then suggested that I read the Gary paper. There was an article on the accusations Tracey Marshall had made, and I should look at Barney Austin’s column.
“You are mentioned in it, and he wasn’t nice at all.”
“He never is, Dr. Rodney, at least not as far as I am concerned. I don’t think he’d be nice to Jesus if it would increase the paper’s circulation.”
I hung up the phone shortly after, changed my clothes, and headed for Club Escapades. I was anxious to hear Poo Poo and what the crowd had to say about Dr. Rodney and the Days.
chapter six
Things were going as planned for Tabitha, and she celebrated her victory with her lover at their favorite spot. She told him that the plans to break ground on the studio would begin in a couple of weeks and somehow, she would make sure he was there. She wanted him to be there from the beginning to the end. Not to worry, she told him, Pastor didn’t have a clue about what was going on and she had tied up a few loose ends. She didn’t tell him that she was behind the story about Rodney Earls and Tracey Marshall. Some things a woman had to keep to herself. Besides, no one knew how much she hated Rodney, but everyone would know when his reputation was ruined. They would know everything about him and that holier-than-thou wife of his, Aurelia.
She remembered Aurelia in school. She was so popular and pretty. She wasn’t stuck up like the other girls she hung out with. She and her friends were known around school as the “Lemon Bunch” because they were all high yellow, and their parents were considered respectable. Everyone knew that Tabitha’s daddy was a big-time gambler, and most parents didn’t want her hanging around their children. Rodney’s mother was the only parent who didn’t seem to mind her being around. She was the only one who knew that despite her presenting herself as confident, Tabitha was a lonely child who only wanted to be accepted. Rodney had accepted her, and that was what made high school bearable for her. Then he dumped her, just because she did not like the ring he’d chosen for her. Why shouldn’t she have the ring she wanted? The one her father purchased was only a few thousand more than the one Rodney had given her.
Her lover left their “nest” first. She waited ten minutes and left as well. She never noticed that she was being followed. It would have been in her best interest if she had. She arrived at the church and was informed by Mattie Lightfoot that the Pastor was in conference with Tracey Marshall. She rushed in to see what they were talking about. She hoped that Tracey hadn’t revealed to her husband that it was Tabitha who insisted that she talk with Barney Austin. Tracey had just arrived, so she hadn’t had time to spill the beans on her.
Tracey was concerned because she felt that things were getting out of hand, that Barney Austin wanted her to say that Dr. Earls had sexually assaulted her, and that simply wasn’t true. The Pastor told her that if it wasn’t true, that she shouldn’t bear false witness against her neighbor, which made Tabitha want to throw the cross-shaped paper weight at him.
Pastor
Day went on to ask Tracey if she was sure that Dr. Earls had been inappropriate. Sometimes women who are lonely and feel rejected may be oversensitive to a situation. But if she felt that her recollections were correct, she should continue to pursue justice for herself and for the many children that were participating in Dr. Earls’ program. But she needed to be sure.
They ended the session with a prayer, and the pastor told her to make an appointment with him the following week.
Good, Tabitha thought to herself. That would give her time to get in touch with Austin and turn up the heat on Rodney. She was determined that he was going to lose everything. She was paying Barney Austin enough to make that happen.
---
Gemini
Club Escapades was crowded, and Poo Poo was making the place jump. She had reserved a table for me and as I sat down, one of the waitresses walked over and asked me what I wanted to drink. I am still on medication, so I ordered ginger ale. The smell of food was coming from the back, and I asked her the price of a dinner. She informed me that Poo Poo had paid for my meal, and when she returned with my drink, she had a plate of food with her.
There were rib tips, chicken, mac and cheese, greens, hot water cornbread, and spaghetti. There was so much food, I didn’t think I would be able to finish it all in one sitting, so I asked her if she would bring me some foil and a bag.
Poo Poo finished her last song, thanked the crowd for coming out, and said that she was going to have a chat with her good friend Gemini Jones. People clapped when they heard my name. As she sat down, the DJ took over and started playing stepper’s music. The old timers and real steppers got up to show the rest of us how it was done.
“Poo Poo, who do you think you were feeding, the five thousand?”
“Hell, Gemini, you need to gain some weight. I don’t like the way your clothes are fitting you. That crazy medicine you take make you lose weight like that?”
The Future of My Past Page 10