No Mercy (10 page)

“I’m sorry I scared you but we need to talk,” Rah says, walking behind me. I have to be in Long Beach in thirty minutes and don’t have time for one of our regular arguments.

“It’s not a good time,” I say, unlocking the car door. I place my purse and overnight bag in the backseat ready to roll. “And how did you know I’d be here?”

“I ran into Bryan last night playing ball.”

I forget that dudes talk just as much as chicks do.

“Jayd, look. I know I screwed up again but you have to forgive me, please.” Rah sounds so sincere, but doesn’t he always? And I continuously have mercy on his lying ass, but not this time.

“Rah, as often as you make penance I could mistake you for being Catholic, ” I say slamming the back door shut. After finding out about him and Trish faking a happy home for the judge I’m really not moved by his words.

“Funny, Jayd. Real funny,” Rah says, unamused. “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

“No I haven’t, but I did loose one of my oldest and best friends over some nonsense,” I say, attempting to get in my mom’s car but this dude refuses to budge.

“You haven’t lost me as a friend, Jayd,” he says, touching my left cheek with the back of his hand. His touch still sends a chill down my spine. “Do you think I would’ve put you down on my character witness list if you did? I need you now more than ever.”

I back away from his advance. “Rah, we’ve already been through this before,” I say, remembering the last time I helped him gain temporary custody of Rahima. This time is for keeps.
“One advantage that I have over every other female in your life is that I’ve known you the longest. I know you too well and have been down this very same road with you before.”

“What the hell are talking about? We’ve never been here before—ever,” Rah says, completely vexed. “I’m trying to do the right thing by my child and you’re making this shit all about us when it’s not. It’s about me trying to be a good father to my little girl by keeping her crazy ass mama away from her.”

“You always find a way to make yourself the victim,” I say, returning the heat. “You always find a way to make everything all about you when it’s not. Damn it, Rah. Don’t you see how you’re just as big of an ass as Sandy is when it comes to getting your way?”

             
“That’s low Jayd,” Rah’s pain is written all over his face. “I don’t know if I can forgive that shit.”

             
“I’m not asking you to,” I say, feeling even more determined to get away from him. “I don’t need your mercy, Rah. Never have.”

             
Rah stares at me as if he doesn’t recognize me, the same girl he’s known and loved since junior high school. I love him, too but enough’s enough.

             
“Good morning, Rah; Jayd,” Daddy, says, parking his Cadillac in one of our two driveways. He exits the vehicle and kisses me on the cheek. Daddy usually comes home between sermons when he can to catch his breath. Dealing with an entire congregation of needy folks and over-loyal women can work even the holiest of man’s nerves.

             
“Pastor James,” Rah says, extending his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, sir.”

             
“Always good to see you, too, son. How’s that beautiful little girl of yours?”

             
“Growing every day, sir,” Rah says, a large smile spreading across his ebony face and replacing the anger that was there a moment ago. Anyone can see how much he loves Rahima by the way his whole being lights up at the mere mention of her name.

“I’m glad I caught you, Jayd,” Daddy says. “I want you to come by the church this afternoon. We’re holding the first of a monthly
program for recently paroled teens after church.”

“Daddy, I wish I could come but I’ve got errands to run for Mama.” Why do all of the men in my life always need me when it’s convenient for them?

“But your grandmother’s in New Orleans, Jayd. What errands could you possibly have to run for her that can’t wait?” Daddy looks at me quizzically, almost tricking me into a confession. I know he knows something else is up.

“Okay, I’ll be there.” I glance at Esmeralda’s house and feel someone’s eyes on me. The next time either Esmeralda or Rousseau rear their ugly heads I’m going to have something for their asses.

“That’s my Tweet,” Daddy says, winking at me. He must very proud to call me by his pet name for me. “See you this afternoon. Good to see you as always, Rah,” Daddy says, jogging up the front porch steps.

“Yes sir,” Rah says. He returns his attention to me, still shocked by my lack of empathy.

“Here, Rah,” I say, removing the gold necklace and ankh charm from around my neck—it was one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever received but I can’t keep it or anything else he’s gifted me with. “I’ll give you the cell back as soon as I get a replacement.”

“You better not even try to give back anything I ever gave you, girl. Everything I did for you was out of love. Still is.”
He attempts to replace the necklace but I move away, and finally manage to get in the car.

“I’m done
constantly jumping through hoola hoops to be in your life, Rah. You’re on your own this time.” I start the engine, grateful to have my ride back.

“Damn Jayd, it’s like that?” Rah asks, raising his voice. I haven’t seen him this upset with me in a long time. “So I guess I’ll just tell Rahima and Kamal that you’re not in our lives, again.”

“You can’t manipulate me into feeling guilty about something that’s all your doing, Rah. But it’s nice to know that you haven’t changed a bit. Now I know I’m doing the right thing.” I close the car door and lock it.

“Jayd, girl, get out of the car. We’re not done,” Rah says, knocking on the driver’s side window. He should know better than to try and bully me.

I wave good-bye to Rah but doubt that he can see me through the tinted windows. I’m sure he gets the message now that I’ve pulled away from the curb. I know I’m supposed to be all forgiving and turn the other cheek, but I’ve run out of patience with Rah. Maybe the old witch doctor’s got something to help me forget about his ass, too.

My trip to Long Beach was cut short because my morning drama. The priest wasn’t happy with my tardiness and let me know it as soon as I approached his house. He gave me a bag full of herbs and oils with instructions to follow and kept it moving. It’s not easy trying to do all of this without my grandmother here to guide me every step of the way. I’m used to doing little things to help my friends and myself out, but never work on Mama. I hope I get it right the first time because once Esmeralda and Rousseau get wind of my bag of tricks I doubt that I’ll have a second chance.

“Jayd, so nice of you to come,” Rita, one of the church elders says as I enter the dining hall. There are only two girls and
ten boys present at the meeting including G, Mickey’s man.

I haven’t spoken to Mickey since she informed me of her intention to act as his alibi for the night of Pam’s murder. I agree he was wrongly accused of the crime and know for a fact that he didn’t do it, but she’s wrong to lie for him no matter what her reasoning might be. And Mickey’s even more wrong to get back with G and leave Nigel out of the parenting equation. I have a feeling Mickey’s not going to be able to get away with her moves this time around. If it’s one thing I know about Nigel it’s that he doesn’t give up.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” G says as I step inside. Had I known I was coming to the church before I got dressed this morning I would’ve opted not to wear my hip hugging jeans and tank top. It’s apparent that these dudes can’t handle it. “There is a God after all.” G winks at me as I take a seat next to my grandfather’s chair at the head of the table. I guess he was released after Mickey’s false confession and placed on parole for one of his many other legal violations.

“Hell yeah there is,” another guy says, licking his lips my way and showing off his grill. Yuck.

I wish dudes would get it through their egotistical skulls that females don’t like that shit. There’s nothing sexy to me at all about a boy who let’s his drawers hang out of his low riding pants, or one who blings out his mouth rather than go to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned.

Daddy’s still inside of the sanctuary talking to a couple who’s planning to have their wedding here in a few months. I wish he’d hurry up so I can get on with my day. This is not how I wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon. I have three clients lined up for this evening not to mention that I’ve been neglecting my budding relationship with Keenan. 

The church ladies are busy preparing juice and cookies like it’s summer bible camp instead of a meeting for recent parolees but I can’t blame them. Once a mother always a mother, I suppose. Even Mama has sympathy for G. She and Netta secured his attorney and were willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court to prove that he didn’t murder Pam if necessary.

“Why y’all looking at her like she’s laying across the table getting served?” one of the two rough looking broads present says, staring me down. “She ain’t even all that, probably still a virgin.”

“Even better,” G says, smiling. “I haven’t had fresh meat in a long time.”

That’s the last thing I need
him to visualize happening. I want to smack the chick for putting that thought out there, but she looks like she’d have no problem beating my ass down in front of God and everybody else. The energy is already thick in here, like they could knock daddy out and run a train on all of the women if they really wanted to. But luckily there’s an officer posted by the back door to make sure everything stays chill.

             
“Okay, young men. Listen up,” Daddy says, slamming his Holy Bible down on the table, catching everyone’s attention.

             
Rita joins us at the table with a bible of her own.

“Damn, Reverend Massa. Ain’t no need for all that shit,”
G says, making the other dudes around the table laugh. He lacks the natural good sense filter most of us were born with.

I know they didn’t just call my grandfather Massa like he’s living in the big house and they’re on the plantation. I’m glad they’re getting a kick out of this because
pastor or not, Daddy doesn’t take any mess. I can tell by the heat rising out of my grandfather’s collar that he’s about to bring down the wrath of God on these unsuspecting so-called gangsters. Rita and I look at each other, take a deep breath and shake our heads: The shit’s about to go down and we both know it.

             
“Young man, I’ve had just about all the disrespect I can take from you. We’re here for you and this is how you act, like a little kid?” Daddy says, gesturing at Rita and me. “If it weren’t for Rita and your parole officer we wouldn’t be here. Consider yourselves blessed.”

             
The parolees shift in their seats as their parole officer makes his way over to our table.

             
“Is everything all right, Pastor James?” he says, his right fist balled up tightly ready to beat the respect back into any one of these fools if need be. I wish he would just take a pole upside G’s head. That would solve so many problems in my book. It was nice when he was locked up. All G’s good for is terrorizing our neighborhood. How Mickey ever hooked up with him is beyond me.

             
“Yes, Jamal. Everything is fine. We’re just getting some things straight. Isn’t that right, Gary?”

             
Gary? Who the hell is Gary?

             
“Yeah, we cool,” Mickey’s man says, shocking the hell out of me and then some.

All the
years I’ve known G I’ve never known anyone to call him by his name. Hell, I thought maybe he didn’t know it even if he had been given one. He walks around the neighborhood calling himself G for gangster, like his mama took one look at him when he was born and knew that’s all he would ever be. But now we know the G actually stands for Gary. Wow. I can’t wait to tell everyone about this discovery.

             
“Now, like I was saying. Ms. Rita thinks it’s a good idea that we talk once a month to get your spirits back on track and I couldn’t agree more. I take it personally that so many of the young women and men baptized in my church have now been baptized by the judicial system. I’m here to see that no matter what happens you become the grown women and men you keep claiming to be. My granddaughter, Jayd is here to help as well.”

             
I don’t know what it is he expects me to do but I’m here, even if I don’t want to be. Daddy’s always trying to get me more involved in his church as if I don’t have enough responsibilities to deal with.

             
“Ain’t nobody claiming nothing,” G says, squirming in his seat. “I am a grown ass man. Ask your girl,” he says to me, grinning.

             
“Have you no shame, young man?” Rita says, getting up out of her seat and smacking G on the leg with her church fan. “Watch your mouth around Pastor James. He’s a man of the cloth. Act like you’ve got the good sense God gave you and use it to shut up.”

             
I can’t help but snicker at little Ms. Rita checking the big and almighty G. She’s a little old lady with a lot of spunk and one of the few church ladies that doesn’t work all of Mama’s nerves.