Poo Poo is one of the few who can talk to me in that way and I don’t take offense.
“I’m just getting my appetite back; it’s been a long time since I have really been able to enjoy food.”
I sat there and devoured the ribs; they were so tender, and the sauce was delicious. Too bad I didn’t have any bread to sop the sauce.
“How is Dr. Rodney, Gemini? Have you talked to him since he punched that son of a bitch Barney Austin out?”
“I have. He is doing okay, but he is worried about Tracey Marshall. She is the one that is caught up in this mess. She is being used to ruin his reputation.”
“Well, that damn Barney Austin is helping, if you ask me. That story in the paper makes Dr. Rodney look like a predator.”
“Hey, Gemini Jones, what’s going on with Dr. Rodney?”
The question came from someone sitting behind me, and when I turned around, I saw it was Tyrone Evans. Tyrone, Esther Gibson, Anthony Mack, and a few others were in the same group I joined as a teenager. We were all helped by Dr. Rodney.
“Hey Tyrone, good to see you,” I said, and we exchanged hugs.
He had brought a chair with him and sat it next to me. He looked good, and from the clothes he was wearing and the jewelry, he must be prosperous as well.
“You are looking good, Tyrone; life has been good to you.”
“Yeah, well, I have been in the Mill for thirty years. Getting ready to retire soon. Gonna open my own business. I owe all of that to Dr. Rodney. You know I was in a bad way when I joined that group. I would probably be dead if it weren’t for him. He helped me through a lot of bad stuff. You know that to be a fact, because he helped you too.”
“Yes, he did. That’s why I am trying to help him as much as possible now, although I can never repay him for what he did for me.”
“Yeah, me too,” Tyrone replied. “I still think about that trip to Africa he took us on, remember?”
“How can I ever forget,” I said. “That trip had a healing effect on all of us. Anthony Mack and I got along well on that trip. You remember the three of us didn’t start off right. You two tried to jump on me after the first meeting.”
“Yeah, I remember, but I learned to like you, and we got along fine after that. And we had a ball in Africa! It’s too bad Anthony didn’t learn anything from that experience. You know, he’s due to be released from prison next year. Served twenty of the thirty years he received for murdering that store clerk. And he didn’t even pull the trigger. But because of his family ties, they wanted to make an example of him. Too bad he didn’t hire you as his attorney. Hey, when you talk to Dr. Rodney again, give him my best.”
“Tyrone, why don’t you call him yourself? I know he would love to hear from you.”
“You’re right, Gemini, it’s just that, well, I wouldn’t know what to say to him.”
“You’ll find the words to say to him. Remember, he did a lot for you, for all of us.”
“You right again, Gemini. That’s why I can’t understand how Tracey could be lying on him like that. He always acted like a gentleman around her. Remember, he didn’t like it when Anthony disrespected the girls in the group. And he certainly treated Miss Aurelia like a queen. I just don’t understand where she is coming from.”
Poo Poo interjected, “Sometimes when a woman is lonely, she will fantasize about a relationship that doesn’t exist. I used to watch her when she came into the club. She would always sit in a corner by herself and watch other people. She would never get up to dance, not even to do the electric slide. Just sat there with the saddest look on her face. She wanted to be a part of the crowd, but something was holding her back.”
“Did you know she used to date Calvin Dunlap?” Tyrone asked. “They dated a long time and a lot of folks thought they would get married. But he married that Comer girl, I forget her name.”
“Zandra Comer was her name,” I replied.
“Yeah, that’s her,” Tyrone said. “Calvin was messing around with her and she got pregnant. His parents made him marry her. That broke Tracey’s heart.”
“Which explains a lot,” Poo Poo said. “She never got over what Calvin did to her. She’s really messed up.”
“Yes, she is, and someone is taking advantage of her to destroy Dr. Rodney. That person is just as sick as Tracey is,” I said.
I chatted with Tyrone for a minute before he announced that he was on his way to work, and before he left, he told me that he would stop by Dr. Rodney’s office to see him. He would call the others that were in our group and have them call him also. A few of them kept in touch with each other, and I was sorry that I hadn’t. We had all shared our innermost thoughts in that group. The trip to Africa had been a turning point for all of us, except for Anthony Mack. Dr. Rodney had tried to save us all from a life filled with pain and suffering, and he had almost succeeded. He had saved all but one.
A few minutes after Tyrone left, Nathan walked in. He was wearing a purple and yellow sports jacket and a pair of jeans. The purple shirt he had on had the letters of his fraternity in bold letters. I had never really seen him so casual, but he did look good. As he walked towards my table, I could smell his signature cologne. He wore it every time he came to see me. The crowd delivered the usual greeting to him as he walked through. You could tell he liked the attention.
Poo Poo noticed him and rolled her eyes. That reminded me that I must ask her if she was ever involved with him. That was the impression that I got.
He sees Poo Poo and nods his head to her. They exchange a greeting and she motions for the waitress to come over and take his drink order. I notice the way the waitress looks at him; he is a lot older than she is, he could be her grandfather, but she notices what all women notice. She openly flirts with him and he flirts back. It is something he can’t help. He must be the center of attraction to women and it is easy to fall for him. He is sexy, and he knows it. The fact that he is married never stopped women from becoming involved with him.
“I must get back and start my next set,” Poo Poo said. “I’ll leave the two of you alone.” She then glanced down at Nathan and said, “But I’ll be back.”
“Your friend doesn’t like me,” Nathan said.
“What did you do to her to make her not like you?” I asked. I was laughing, but figured this was my chance to find out if there had been anything between them.
“I may have dated a friend of hers once,” he replied. “But that was years ago.”
That explained why she didn’t like him. He must have dated someone close to her, but Poo Poo didn’t have many friends. Her closest friend was her sister Rita. They were thick as thieves even though they had different mothers. Rita moved to California a few years ago and married a minister. From what Poo Poo tells me, she is very happy.
The young woman brings Nathan his drink. He gives her a tip and says, “I wish I had more to give you.”
The young woman catches his innuendo and replies, “I’m sure that you can think of something.”
She looks at me with that ‘look’ that women give each other when one of them is being disrespectful. I looked at her with that ‘you’re stupid’ look and shook my head. Her exaggerated switch walking away from our table has Nathan watching her until she disappears in the back. He turns back to me and sees that I am smiling and shaking my head. It makes him smile back.
“You can’t change, can you, Nathan. You can’t teach a smooth dog new tricks.”
He laughs at my statement and says, “I’m more bark than bite these days. This ol’ man is slowing down.”
“Playas’ everywhere are bowing their heads in silence; this is a bad day for them. The king is slowing down.”
“Why do you treat me so bad, Gemini? You know I would be a one-woman man if only you’d say yes.”
“I thought you were going to behave yourself, which is the only reason I agre
ed that we could be friends.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t fault a playa from testing the waters.”
I threw one of my rib tips bones at him.
“Have you gone back to work? You look rested. I know the firm is ready for you to come back.”
“Not yet. I’m going back the week after next. That will be the first of the month. I am anxious to get back; I’ve missed practicing law, but I was in a bad way for a long time. Besides, this will give me a chance to keep up with Dr. Rodney. Things didn’t go well for him at the council meeting, nor after.”
“Yeah, I read about it in the papers. Some woman is accusing him of sexual misconduct. That doesn’t sound like him.”
“I know, Nathan, and that is what I don’t understand. Tracey Marshall knows that Dr. Rodney wouldn’t do anything to hurt or disrespect women. I remember when he took us to Africa years ago, he explained that our ancestors’ culture was based on the matriarch. That the woman was the center of the household, how she is to be revered and respected. He called the young girls queens in the making, and I don’t know how many times he told black boys that they should respect and love us for our strength and inner beauty. Tracey was there; she heard the same thing we did. I just don’t understand how she could have misinterpreted any actions on his part.”
“I know that you are doing all you can to help him. You got him an attorney. At least that is what you said the last time I saw you.”
“Yes, I did, but that didn’t turn out the way I planned. So, I am going to have to go another route. I must help him; I owe him so much, Nathan. The man saved me from a life of hell. I could have easily ended up in prison, just like one of the guys from my group did. I could be strung out on drugs, or a lot of other bad things if it weren’t for him. I have got to help him.”
“Can you act as his attorney? You are the best in the city.”
“Thanks for the compliment, but no, that is not my area. Besides, I am too close to him. But I have got to do something. I wish I could get Barney Austin in a room alone. That would help a lot.”
“Now, Gemini, I know you are not advocating violence against the man. He is only doing his job.”
“My guess is that he is being paid to do his job. And very well, I would bet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing I can put my finger on right now, but I will find out. Someone is pulling the strings to destroy Dr. Rodney, and I mean to prove it and cut those strings permanently.”
“Who do you think has that much power to dictate what a newspaper reporter writes?”
“Are you kidding me, Nathan? Barney Austin would print a story about his grandmother running a whore house if it would sell papers. He is always attacking me, every chance he gets. I’m surprised he didn’t mention that fact that I was with Dr. Rodney when he punched him.”
“You may be a little biased when it comes to this reporter. I take it he doesn’t like you.”
“He thinks that I am crazy and not fit to practice law. There is mutual contempt on both our parts.”
“Maybe you should back down and stay out of his way. You don’t want any trouble, and you haven’t gone back to work.”
“Are you kidding me, trouble just happens to be what I live for. Especially for those that I love. I don’t know how I am going to help Dr. Rodney, but I am determined to do it. The one behind the smear on his name has picked on the wrong person. When you pick on someone I love, you have picked on me!”
Poo Poo returned to the table after her second set, and Nathan, seeing her approach, got up and announced that he had to leave.
He nodded to her again as he was leaving, then turned to her and said, “How is your sister Rita doing?”
“She is fine and living in California. I’ll tell her you asked about her, and I’ll tell her to pray for your lost soul, too.”
I had my answer.
---
Barney Austin continued his crusade against Dr. Rodney in the paper. His next big article featured an interview with the supposed victim, Tracey Marshall. According to the interview, Tracey endured months of sexual harassment from Dr. Earls and that she had no one to talk to about her plight. She claimed that when they worked late together one evening, he complained to her about his marriage—that he wanted out if only he could find someone who shared his dream for the program. He told her that he felt that she was that person, that together they could build a program that would become international. That his wife wanted to spend all her time in Africa, and that he needed someone here in the States to continue his work.
According to her, they would have to keep their relationship a secret from the other workers, and especially from his wife. He became increasingly aggressive when they were alone, demanding sex from her. She told him that while she was attracted to him, she could not betray his wife. The story got worse until the reader came away feeling that Dr. Rodney was a leech. Of course, there was no one in the program that would substantiate her story; they were all too afraid to talk or risk losing their jobs. Some of them were receiving grant money for their research and didn’t want to risk losing that revenue. His attack then turned to me, stating that Dr. Rodney was seeking the advice of the mentally ill Gemini Jones, again stating that I was unfit to practice law. “You never know what is in that mind of hers.” He then reminded his readers about the incident involving Prosecutor K. J. Williams, and how he had been shot to death on the steps of city hall, thanks to the outlandish antics of Attorney Gemini Jones.
The only redeeming factor in the event was that Attorney Jones was shot also and has been out of circulation for the past few months. Hopefully she will take herself out of law and buy a farm and raise bees. He ended by suggesting that it was time for the public to step up and demand that Dr. Rodney Earls be held accountable for his outrageous actions against this poor woman, who had no one to support her except this humble reporter, who wanted to see justice for her and for women like her.
I was ready to march down to the paper and punch Austin out myself. But I had a plan, and if I was right, I was going to give Barney Austin and Tabitha Day a run for their money. They had messed with the wrong person. But first, I would talk to Dr. Rodney and Miss Aurelia about my plan. I needed to get them on board if it was going to work.
---
Gemini’s past on display
The next day, I went to Dr. Rodney’s office to discuss my plan with him and with Miss Aurelia. I had placed a call to Antoinette, asking her if she would participate in my plan. She considered it an honor that I asked her to help. When I laid out my plan to the Earls, they sat in their chairs in silence. Tears began to roll down Miss Aurelia’s eyes, and Dr. Rodney expressed concern over the effect it would have on me and the firm. I told him that I was going to inform Quinn of my decision, and if he didn’t agree, it would not matter. It was something that had to be done. Especially now, since Dr. Rodney had informed me that the foundations that supported his program were threatening to stop his grant money. Two organizations had already informed him that they would not be giving his program funding for next year until this incident with Tracey Marshall was thoroughly investigated and the accusations were found to be unwarranted.
I left the office, first knowing that I had their blessing on what I was about to do, and secondly, with a list of telephone numbers of the people who had been members of my group.
It took a few days, but I finally contacted each member of my group. Some were easier to contact because they had remained in the city. Tyrone told me that he would participate and that he would contact Anthony Mack in prison and ask for his help. Amazingly, everyone I contacted said they would be more than willing to help Dr. Rodney. The first part of my plan was set.
I next contacted Dwaine Newsome from The Times and asked for his assistance. He said that he would be happy to meet with me. We met for lunch, and I told him what I wanted to d
o. Not only did he agree to do a story, he told me who I should contact at the city’s paper.
I sat down later that evening at my computer and wrote down the words that were going to appear in the local paper. These words would also be the topic of my interview with Dwaine Newsome.
Hello citizens of Gary,
By now you have read that I am crazy and unfit to practice law. I think it is time that I respond to those accusations. I have a story I need to share, and you can be your own judge.
When I was nine years old, I witnessed the brutal beating and murder of my best friend, Harvey Willis, at the hands of his father. At the age of fourteen, I was raped by someone I thought was my friend. I became pregnant and was sent to a home to have my baby. I have learned not to hate my parents for their decision, because they thought they were doing what was best for me at the time. It wasn’t. I suffered severe emotional abuse and had to fight several times for survival. This abuse came from the owner of the home. For legal reasons, I will not mention her name, but I hope she reads this. I was not alone in my suffering; my good friend Savannah Wooten was also beaten and emotionally abused there. She had been raped at the age of eleven and was also placed in that hell hole to have her baby. You may remember that I represented her when she was accused of murdering David Ban. He was the man who raped her and later raised their child, Gina, as his sister.
When the time came for me to have my baby, out of fear I gave birth to my child in the basement of the home. I was alone but determined to escape. I tried to get away, but due to complications I passed out on the stairs, where I was found and sent to the hospital. My parents were called, and I never saw my child again. I returned home without my child. I also returned an angry, frightened, and very sick young woman. I suffered from extreme rage followed by bouts of depression. I was destined to live a destructive life filled with guilt, anger, and pain. Then I met Dr. Rodney Earls, who asked me to join a small group of teens who, like me, had suffered tragically as young children and were headed down a road to prison or death.
The Future of My Past Page 11