Beyond the Hurt (19 page)

“Charlene, you are a joke! You stepped into the picture, not me. Remember, I have been here!” Raquel shouted, interrupting her thought.

“Mama, it’s time to go!” I interjected to stop the madness before it began.

I saw the look in my mama’s eyes. It took every fiber in her body to just grit her teeth and smile instead of going upside of Raquel’s head. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her in the sanctuary, that the woman was touched, lonely and desperate.
A Drama Queen
. Now, I also know that my mama is not blameless. She brought the entire situation upon herself, but whatever she felt she would gain from speaking with Raquel was a lost cause. I felt it my duty to my mother to step in.

“No, Debra! I have been walking away for far too long! This stops today!”

Raquel was now out of her seat and in my mother’s face. “Let me be clear, Charlene, Ed came a-knocking plenty of nights and I turned him away because I didn’t like the feeling of being the other woman. I knew you all had a family and believe-it-or-not, I wanted
your
kids to have the opportunity to have their father present. I don’t know what kind of woman you think I am, but I do have a heart.” She took in a deep breath, released and continued. “Yes, there were times when I was weak and I needed someone to hold me. However, if you think I am going to let you come in my face with this nonsense, you have got it all wrong. If you forgive Ed, then you forgive me! Don’t be the typical bitter woman who tries to take her frustrations out on the woman because you don’t have the gall to take it up with your own man.”

The sanctuary lay quiet. Without noticing their voices had escalated into yelling and everyone in the church was a spectator to the argument.

“What can I say? You’re right!” I couldn’t believe my ears. My mother conceded.

Edmond conveniently left himself out of the conversation. He heard them talking and convinced Samson to go out to the car with him just in the heat of the moment. He knew his wife was still capable of stirring the pot about matters that were now irrelevant. If he even attempted to step in between the two ladies, they might turn on him. His past experiences and wisdom taught him to stay out of the way when women were bickering. Eventually, they will come to a solution and a conclusion, which most likely would end up on his doorstep or through his pockets anyway.

I wanted to point the blame at Raquel, then at my father; but after much thought, I realized we were all broken. We took the pain from one situation and carried it into the next; hoping that the next person would fix it, would take fault in the matter and give the release. Everyone who stepped foot in that sanctuary suffered from pain beyond their control. All of us wanted to move beyond the hurt to a place where we could just live and be liberated in the moment. Some found their refuge in God that day. For others, the seed was planted by the preached word. Others failed to tap in and missed the opportunity. My eyes were opened. I could see clearly just, what the enemy was doing and I refused to allow it to consume my family.

“Mama, I know that black people don’t normally do this, but we need to all go to therapy. I met this extremely nice white lady who will render us services for free.” We laughed and embraced. All the people were making their way toward the exits as the deacons flickered the lights to let us know that it was past time to go. All seemed to be well for now.

Just as we stepped foot out of the church, a flood of cop cars came speeding up the street and surrounded the church steps. Five officers immediately hopped out and drew their guns. One overly eager officer announced to the crowd, signaling out my brother. “Samson Tucker, put your hands up! Don’t make any sudden movements. You are under arrest for the murder of Calvin Rogers.”

Epilogue

The fear in everyone’s faces told the story of how much we all didn’t trust the police. They were there to protect and serve, but too many young black boys were killed in the heat of the moment because they posed a threat to authorities. No one moved. Samson lifted his hands and gradually stepped closer to the police officer.

“Stop right there. Don’t move. Keep your hands in plain sight where I can see them.”

“What is going on with my baby?” Charlene glanced over to Edmond for answers. She recalled the confession of her son killing a young man, but he did it under the guidance of Calvin Rogers. “Edmond, what is going on?” She wanted to run to the aid of her little boy, but she knew it was impossible.

“You are under arrest for the murder of Calvin Rogers.” With raised guns, three of the officers quickly moved in. They placed the handcuffs on his wrists and read him his rights.

From the funeral straight to the police station, we opted out of attending the interment to immediately see about Samson downtown. My mother and father waited around in the lobby, while I decided to poke my nose around to see what I could find out. I overheard a few of the officers discussing how they found Samson’s DNA at the crime scene. I guess he was nervous and threw up and didn’t think to clean it up. Evidence of his belongings were found in Calvin’s vehicle. Let’s face it. He wasn’t a professional at killing people and covering it up. The most he knew was how to wipe his prints off the gun, which is what he saw on television. However, little did he know that, even that, was not foolproof. They tested Calvin’s blood and crossed it with Samson’s DNA sample. The next statement shattered my existence.

“What would possess this boy to kill his father?” the officer asked his partner, disgusted on how the world turned so evil.

“It’s a cold game. He probably wanted to take over his empire.” The officer responded chuckling and shaking his head in disappointment.

His father? What in the world? Never! Did Samson know that Calvin Rogers was his father and plotted to kill him?
Nothing about the scenario seemed right. I began to question everything. I was under the impression, from my mother’s confession that my father was the unfaithful one. My mother managed to carry this secret for this long and still point the finger at my daddy. Then I thought about it more.
What if she never knew? What if my mother in a wild rage spent a drunken night with Calvin to get back at Raquel and my dad?
It all became too much to bear. If it was a secret, it would remain that way. Therapy and plenty of Jesus became more and more of an urgency for us. We had a lot of sins that needed forgiving.

I joined my parents back in the waiting room. The investigator came out to let us know it would be a couple of hours before we would know anything for certain. I decided to go back to the car and get my laptop to start the narrative assignment for my English class. For some odd reason, I was feeling extremely inspired to write.

About the Author

Sharifa "Akilah Trinay" Norris is truly a unique soul. As one of the co-host of U Nation Radio’s “Monday Night Love Sessions,” she brings sexy sophistication to Internet radio. Akilah Trinay was born and raised in Oakland, CA and despite the fact that she has relocated to Los Angeles; “The Bay” will always be home to her. She graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

She briefly worked in radio, television and public relations before transitioning her aspirations toward education. She went on to earn her M. Ed. from Alliant International University. By day, Sharifa Norris is an educator and advocate for student achievement and by night, Akilah Trinay is the essence of the modern day Renaissance woman, evoking stimulating conversation and self-reflection. Through this endeavor, she was inspired to write her first novel "Beyond the Hurt".