One Safe Place (44 page)

I see U in my dreams and I'm not perfect enough

I wish I could be

Every day

Our days are getting shorter

I pray

God's will

I'll be loving U and you'll be in love

With me

Making our days

Happy

As I kiss U

You're in my arms

I'm loving your

Skin

Eyes

Lips

Curves

Hands and feet

Walk

and

Whispers

and

How you listen to me

I want you in my life forever

Sweet dreams

Watching U sleep

Next to me

I kneel, to give thanks

To admire

Your mind, body & soul

and

Loving U while overlooking the best views in the world

Holding your hand and walking with U

Stop and tell you

I love you

To death do us part

I love U

and

One day

This earth will lay us to rest

Until then

I'll be dreaming

Of loving U

In heaven

While you are my heaven right here on earth.

 

“G
ood morning, America. With us today, is the former Secretary of State, Gabrielle Brandywine Black. Madam Secretary, it is thrilling to have you on with us. All of America wants to know how you are doing, and what's going on in your life?”

“Well, thank you for having me on. Life is good. I've been out of politics for nearly eight years. I've taught college, and I'm a part of a foundation to help older children. Many are younger adults trying to adjust to life after maybe things got off to a bad start, and I've done some traveling as a regular citizen.”

“Well, Madam Secretary, about a year and half ago, you had the scare of a lifetime. But you're doing okay?”

“Oh yes, I'm doing well, I'm fully recovered physically, and I'm better for it mentally. I made many changes in my life. I became aware that life is too short, and I wanted to be able to do my best in all I do. ‘Girls just wanna have fun,' as they say. I've been given what many may call a second chance.”

“That is wonderful for America to hear. I guess in many ways, you are still showing us leadership.”

“I'm happy if young ladies and young men can see that one can recover, and move forward, no matter the challenge.”

“Well, Madam Secretary, speaking of ‘girls just wanna have fun,' clue us all in on that pretty ring on the ring finger.”

“A month ago, I married a wonderful guy. I married the perfect
man for me. He's my best friend, and he is my protector. I married my soul mate.”

“Oh…wow. Do you hear that, America?”

• • •

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Texas, a conversation is taking place…

“She married an ex-Secret Service agent; the black man with that wine-stain birthmark under his eye. Let that birthmark be the bull's-eye target we aim for.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I don't think we want to go after him, or anyone associated with her.”

“Don't you want to get even for the little dunk in the river they gave you? The Black Goose—that woman—had to be behind you being kidnapped.”

A sharp pain, imagined or real, shot down the spine of a cowardly, squat-looking man who resembled a duck. Pain pricked his asshole and his head, sending a reminder to his evil soul.

“Like I said, sir, with all due respect, I don't want to go after her or him, or anyone associated with them.”

“Okay, we'll leave the both of them alone.”

• • •

Meanwhile, in the meeting room of One Safe Place, Security and Protection…

Psalms, Suzy Q, Mintfurd, EL'vis, and Zelda were in the midst of a meeting evaluating their latest mission. Two years before in Florida, a young black male was walking home from a store. He had candy, a can of pop, and a cell phone on him. A cop-wannabe saw the teenager, and profiled the kid as trouble because he wore a hoodie, even though it was raining.

The cop-wannabe had a history of trouble. He initiated an encounter with the young black male by getting out of his vehicle and following the young man, after he had been told by the police he should not. The young man was talking on his cell phone to a friend when the cop-wannabe decided to confront him. Moments later, the defenseless teen was gunned down.

The following year, the cop-wannabe was brought to trial and was acquitted of all charges. Undoubtedly, the man was guilty. Many in the nation hurt, shouted, and marched as they had so many times before, and then things died down until the next injustice.

• • •

Many of the people who were involved in helping to rob justice for the family of the dead teen thought their life could move on without retribution.

Many lost hope and faith, and feared for their children's safety. Children and parents lived in more fear than another time since the days of lynching black men. People with cold hearts, such as ultra-conservative gun-toting nutsos, politicians, and TV pundits mocked the teen's death. Some people in power tried to pass even more laws that would encourage more offenses.

Recently, Velvet was out power-walking with her son near sundown, and a car of white teens drove by and yelled, “Hey, where's your Skittles and hoodie? You're gonna need them, black boy.”

Psalms and the crew rarely did a job without being requested, but this time they decided to see if they could change the national conversation and attitude through fear. They wanted to send a clear message: You can't hide from real justice.

In the media, it became prominent news that the cop-wannabe disappeared, and an untraceable electronic message of information was released.

The information stated:

We found him, and we got him, and anyone can be found sooner or later if you play any part in the harming of a child, or taking an innocent life. If unfair laws are used to protect killers, wrongdoers will be found.

There was a juror who went on national TV in anonymity, and used racist-coded words that assured the murderer was going to get off no matter what. That juror lost their house in a fire bomb, and all assets electronically disappeared.

Another electronic message was released following that incident, that read:

We can find you sooner or later if you play any part in the harming of a child, take an innocent life, or profit from the loss of that life.

Others were dealt with in different forms. A few racist radio and TV loudmouths and overtly racist politicians, had petrifying fear injected into their…spines. More related information was sent to the media. The national conversation did change, and many who lacked scruples in making just laws have started committing to speaking of change. The crew did not set out to prevent people from having a difference of opinion, or to take away people's rights to have conservative or liberal trains of thought. It was about bringing more honesty, with decreasing the immoral, hidden agendas and racist actions of people with power to influence or cause harm. It was a big undertaking, but the One Safe Place crew put the work in.

Psalms and the crew believed in justice, but not in a justice system set forth by laws put in place by so-called impartial men. Judges, lawyers, and the police had a motive different from what the people often needed. The One Safe Place crew understood that sometimes justice was to prevent avenging.

Then there were those other times…when one safe place may not have been found.

The themes of
One Safe Place:

1 To those who attempt to rewrite history to attempt to profit and control the narrative of open dialog.

To those who attempt to rewrite history cannot hide the ugly truth behind their vanity and ego.

Your thoughts on that statement after reading
One Safe Place?

2 A Cause must stand alone as a value.

You cannot be larger than the Cause.

Or the Cause will die…when you are no longer a value.

Your thoughts on that poetic statement after reading
One Safe Place?

3 WE need less talk and more action, and less gossip and offer more sincerity.

WE need less doubt in each other, and more solidarity for good causes in honest support.

WE need less negative verbal responses to differences of opinions.

Let me say that again . . .

WE need less negative verbal responses to differences of opinions, and let the church say “Amen.”

WE need a whole lot less seeking weak people to do our biddings.

WE need less conning or using folks to get the hook-up or getting over on others at their expense We need less backroom arrangement, back-door deliveries, and behind-your-back transactions WE all lose in the end if we cheat honest dealings.

Let the church of
One Safe Place,
say, “Amen.”

Your thoughts on that poetic statement after reading
One Safe Place?

4 We have dummied-down our ability to communicate. Because either, we take each other for granted, or we never had it, or lost our way when it comes to communication. In generations before, as a child, you were kept out of adult conversations until you were old enough to comprehend all that was said.

Households decades ago, as a whole you were allowed to mentally and physically mature to understand before you opened your mouth.

Now it may seem men and women, we speak less from the heart out of fear that the other person can spread our life out in the open in social media. Often when we do speak our minds in social media, we are meanly ridiculed, called names, bullied and or mocked in kind-a-like the small-town mentality of everyone knows your business, and you're humiliated.

Have we become surface-level people making it harder to get to know others and trust asking questions or telling our stories. We want so much to open up and feel we have a safe place to let what is inside us out and not be judged for the thoughts we can have without borders. So we suppress and don't share and we pass each other like strangers in the night while chit- chatting on our cell phones and social-media outlets to strangers.

Your thoughts on that statement after reading
One Safe Place?

“Lusty, heady, action-packed; is there a safe place to hide when mystery collides with betrayal, wealth and deception? Beautifully resurrected from Alvin Horn's novel,
Perfect Circle,
Psalms Black and Tylowe Dandridge are enmeshed in adventure and scandal all in
‘One Safe Place.' ”

—L'N
ORA
,
author

“A true storyteller that knows how to arouse your deepest emotions. Alvin L.A. Horn's words are captivating, alluring, and heartfelt. His poetic flow is one that is undeniable.”

—
N
IYAH
M
OORE
,
Literary Artist/Author

“Simply put, Alvin L.A. Horn is of the elite of storytelling. He captures a vivid narrative of incredible surreal intense reality in novel writing that in my opinion, positions him amongst the best now and in the future.”

—
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“Coach Sparks,” one of the trainers called out, “you have a phone call in your office.”

Ayman Sparks walked through the locker room, his top lip curled up in front of his nose. The funk and noise in the locker room was thick and loud. Locker doors slammed and reverberated. The young men were all talking loud, and cracking jokes. Someone called out, “Your mama smells like doo-doo.”

“Knock it off! I've told you guys that I won't have that kind of shit on this team!” Ayman stood still, piercing his glare at any eyes that dared to look his way. “Look at what you guys just made me say.”