Skeletons (19 page)

Tabitha walked into my office as soon as she saw the post it note on her computer, “You wanted to see me?”

Looking at the smug look on her face I directed her to close the door.

“Mike looked pissed off.”

“He isn’t the only one. Where is my credit card Tabitha?” I asked.

“What credit card?”

“The one that you took from me at Maggiano’s the other night.”

“Oh, the one that you gave to me.”

“I didn’t give you shit.”

“Yes you did.”

“Okay whatever, where is it because I see that you took it upon yourself to go on a shopping spree.”

“What is this about Tabitha? Are you jealous that I was out with Christy this afternoon?” she asked as if she didn’t know.

“No, I’m mad that you were out on some sort of shopping spree with my card!”

“You handed it to me.”

“I was upset about my friend getting shot and you took it to pay for our meal.”

“Why didn’t you ask for it back?” she was playing a game that she has played many times before.

“You are lucky that I don’t turn you in.”

“Why would you turn me in Santana, are you a lover scorned? Jealous that I dumped you and moved on with someone new?” the smug look returned.

“Excuse me!” I rose from my desk.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been through this and I’m sure that it won’t be the last. You older women kill me with how territorial you can be. First you wine and dine me then as soon as shit turns sour you want all of your shit back!”

“Tabitha, you really don’t know me. You have one minute to give me back my fucking card, two minutes to pack all of your shit and three minutes to get the hell out of here.”

Tabitha laughed, “The thing is you don’t know me.” Held up her iPhone and played a video of her lying on the bed with our male partner caressing her naked breast and my face buried deep in her pussy. “Smile for the camera?” she said on the video as she laughed. I looked up at the camera, lips wet from her juices, eyes glazed from the drugs that we’d taken and I smiled.

Tabitha smirked at the look on my face and said softly, “Who has more to lose?” Turning, she sashayed out of my office.

39

Asteria

P
andia had been acting very strange towards me, but she came by to take Latif to the park with her and little Keith while Eric and I chilled around the house. It was nice to finally have a boyfriend as someone to call my own, but I was always on edge that he would find out about Keith and I.

My sister returned with Latif an hour after Eric left.

“Hey sis, come in.” I offered as she stood on the porch.

“No, I’m good.” She said flatly.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yep. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” She turned and walked away.

Latif and I visited Jovanna while Justin was at work. Jovanna was discharged from the hospital three days ago and I wanted to give her some time to rest before I went to see her. I knocked on the door, a visiting nurse answered and let me in. Jovanna was lying across the couch while the nurse took her vitals and checked her wound.

“Hey love, how are you?” I asked as I took Latif’s coat and hat off.

“Tired and in pain.” She said drowsily, “Hi Latif.” She smiled at my son.

I watched as the nurse finished her work, had Jovanna sign a few pieces of paper then left.

“How are things with Eric?” she asked.

With a huge smile on my face, “Great, he is such a wonderful man Jovanna. I didn’t think that any of those existed anymore.”

“How are things with your sister and Keith? The last time I saw her she was pissed off about him running out on her.”

“That will be the story of their lives.” I laughed, “I guess things are alright, she has been acting kind of strange towards me though.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know, maybe because I have been spending so much time with Eric and not enough wiping her tears.”

“That is what sisters are for.” She grunted as she tried to sit herself up, I came over and helped her get situated.

“Have you talked to Santana?”

“She came over the other day and made dinner and told me about your argument.”

I sighed, “I didn’t mean for it to have gone that far.”

“I know, but you two have been friends forever Asteria and it is time that you made up. Trust me life is too precious to waste time.”

“I know, but Santana has been so wrapped up in Tabitha that she pushes her real friends off to the side.”

“What is up with Tabitha?”

“Tabitha is a gold-digging whore who preys on married women. I did a little asking around and found out that she has ruined a few marriages between associates that I know.”

Jovanna laughed, “Do you think that she is munching Santana’s carpet?”

I laughed, “Yeah right Santana doesn’t even swing that way, but for the life of me I can’t understand why she would hang with someone like Tabitha. That bitch has been around the block more times than the Good Humor Man.”

“Wow.”

“We do need to talk because I miss her.” I said looking at my son play, he did look a lot like his father and I wondered if that was why my sister has been acting standoffish towards me lately.

“I am so glad that you stopped by though. I need someone to do my laundry because Justin cannot wash worth a damn.”

I laughed, “No problem, just point me in the right direction.”

I finished washing Jovanna’s clothes, cleaned her kitchen and made pork chops and green beens. After we ate I took Latif home to put him to bed.

A few nights later while lying in bed, I received a text message from Keith:

Hi

I text back:

What now Keith?

Keith:

What are you doing?

Me:

What does it matter?

Keith:

I want to see you.

Me:

I told you that it was over.

Keith:

Please let me see you just one last time.

Me:

Only if you promise to leave me alone.

Keith:

I promise. Meet me at the Red Roof Inn off of 270

I called the babysitter to come over and watch Latif while I went to the hotel. Keith was nothing special to me any longer so I didn’t feel the need to dress up for him as I once did; throwing on an old sweat suit I drove to the hotel to meet Keith. As much as I hate to admit it I did missed Keith, but I didn’t miss him enough to put up with his bullshit for the rest of my life. I pulled up next to his truck that was parked in the back of the hotel and walked in.

As I went to the front desk to ask for his room the clerk looked at me and said, “I’m sorry, but we don’t have anyone by that name.” irritated I turned around and there stood Pandia with tears pouring down her face; we stood face-to-face my secret fully exposed.

“It’s been you all along.” She cried, “How could you?”

I was speechless. There was so much that I wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“You are not only my sister, but we shared a womb together and here you are fucking my man. I trusted you, I cried on your shoulder and you knew all along.” She spat.

“Pandia I…”

“Don’t you dare say a word!” she yelled with her finger pointed in my face.

“I am sorry.” I cried. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“How dare you stand there and cry. How dare you! After all of these years you knew! You were getting child support from my husband behind my back.”

The clerk came up to us, “Excuse me, but I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Don’t worry I’m going.” Pandia tightened her coat and stormed out of the double doors.

I couldn’t move, I only stood there and cried.

40

Jovanna

I
’d been held up in the house since I’d been discharged; Justin decided to take me out to dinner at the Drunken Fish for sushi. I was still in pain, but with the right amount of painkillers I felt good enough to get out of the house.

“How are you feeling?” he asked when we sat at our table.

“I’m alright.” I grunted. “I’ve been better.”

“I am glad to hear that Jovanna came over and did the laundry because I didn’t want to hear your mouth about me bleaching your DKNY again.”

“I could’ve killed you.”

Justin laughed.

“Justin thanks for being so understanding and I am sorry for hiding this from you. This has been very difficult for me, I don’t know if I would have gotten through this without you.”

“You are welcome Jovanna.” he smiled brightly, “Now let’s not talk about that right now. Let’s have a good night instead.”

“Now, can I get some sake?” I smiled ready to have a drink and some fun. It felt good not to have to look behind my back all of the time.

“You wait here while I get the car.” Justin offered after dinner. I fought off the pain that was beginning to return as I struggled to put on my coat and scarf as I waited for Justin to pull up in the warm car.

After waiting ten minutes I decided to see what was taking him so long, I walked out to the parking lot where we parked the car and that is when I saw Chad’s red Cadillac sitting next to our car. Panicked my eyes darted to the left of Chad’s car where Justin was fighting for his life.

As fast as my body could manage, I limped across the parking lot, Chad held onto a long blade as Justin tried to fight him off.

“Justin!” I called which was a mistake because when he looked over at me Chad took the blade, plunging it into Justin’s body sending him falling to the ground. I screamed ignoring the strong pain in my arms, back and leg as I ran as fast as my body could take me to where he lay on the ground.

Upon seeing me coming for him Chad smiled, “See Marquita I told you that I’d get what you took from me back.”

“I gave you your money!” I yelled.

“It was never about the money! I have money! You took my reputation away from me; it took me a lifetime to build that up and now it is gone. Because of you I lost my respect, because of you I am a weak fool playing the role of a pimp. You took away my life and now I return the favor.” Chad’s eyes were as cold as the air that circled around our bodies as he lunged towards me with the long, blood-covered knife pointed at my heart. Dodging him, he slipped on a piece of ice losing his balance, dropping the knife. Living in Memphis Chad was unaware of winter fashion in the ice and snow. His purple gators were not match for the slippery substance that surrounded us.

With adrenaline keeping me from feeling the pain that was shooting through my healing body I acted quickly and dove for the weapon, suddenly slipping myself barely missing landing on top of Chad as he struggled to gain his footing in order to get up. I called out in pain as my wounded body came crashing down upon the ground.

Two sets of eyes, riddled with fear and pain looked at the knife as two sets of hands clawed at the ice and two sets of legs kicked at one another as we fought to regain control on the ground as we competed for the shiny steel blade. Chad grabbed at my sprawling legs as I attempted to crawl toward the knife which was almost within arm’s reach. I could hear him struggle to grab me, but the pain in his shattered knee and age kept him from being successful.

I grabbed the blade in my right hand while I regained my footing. Walking towards him as he laid out of breath on the frigid pavement; a cheap pimp in a five-hundred dollar suit. With all of the strength that I had left I brought my boot down upon his body as it landed hard on his chest. Chad let out a loud groan as he rolled over to his side unable to catch his breath. Years of expensive Cuban cigars, dark cognac and rough sex finally caught up with him. The man who I once feared and thought to be invincible now lay at my feet unable to even stand and continue to fight me.

Holding the blade in my hand I waved it at him, “I didn’t take anything from you because it was never yours to begin with. You took my life from me when I was too young and naïve to know what life was and when I asked for my life back you refused so I took it.”

“Fuck you bitch!” Chad spat a thin trail of blood clung to his bottom lip refusing to hit the ground.

I could hear Justin moan out in pain as he lay on the icy street still bleeding from his wound.

“You think that you are better than me now; you were nothing when you were working the pole at the Honey Lounge until I made you something! I made you who you are now without me you would still be turning tricks for dollars in Memphis or just like your lousy crack head parents!”

Justin moaned again.

Chad struggled as he made it onto his feet, “I should have killed you when I had the chance, but that was my fault, but trust me I won’t make that mistake again Marquita.” Chad lunged toward me with his arms outstretched. He had ahold of me around my neck, but this time instead of falling I plunged the long, steel blade deep into his chest as he attempted to choke my life away from me. Chad dropped his arms and held the spot where the knife made a home of flesh and bone. The look of agony, fear and regret were in his stony eyes as he fell to the ground and a pool of fresh blood poured out of his body and onto the ground where he lay.

“Drop the knife!” I heard a cop yell. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Chad, this time I had to see him die I couldn’t leave this up to chance like I did ten years ago. The knife hit the concrete, but my eyes never left the sight of my ex-pimp, the man I once loved as he wrestled with the angel of death until he finally lost.

“Turn around and put your hands on your head!”

I blinked my eyes as I entered back to reality to find myself surrounded by police and blinking lights. I looked for Justin, but the paramedics were tending to his injuries. Doing as the officer told I put my hands on top of my head and allowed them to arrest me; my only regret was that Justin was fighting for his life because finally I was free.