Two Tears in a Bucket (36 page)

“
Hello,” Beatrice greeted.

“
Can you believe…?” Felicia paused to catch her breath.

“
Hello,” Beatrice said again. “Who is this?”

“
Kevin just denied my fucking visit so he can see that bitch!” she screamed into the phone.

“
What?”

“
I know what’s going on!”

“
Felicia? Girl, I didn’t know who the hell you were at first.”

“
Ms. Kennard, I’ve had your son’s back for sixteen years! Sixteen muthafuckin’ years, and he gon’ turn my visit away for some bitch who wouldn’t let him see his child!”

Beatrice sighed. “Felicia, where are you?”

“
I’m sitting in the jail parking lot waiting for that bitch. I’ma fuck her up when I see her, too. Andre already told me what kinda car she drive and everything.”

“
Andre? Andre who?”

“
That bitch’s husband, that’s who! I ran into his ass a week ago on a fuckin’ humble. He told it all. Wait till that bitch pull up.”

“
And then what?”

“
I told you,” Felicia cried. “I’ma fuck her up! What, you think I’m playin’?”

“
Okay, well, I don’t know what’s going on. And if something were up, why would you care? I thought you were doing for Kevin because he was your friend and you felt guilty ’cause he got locked up over mess that happened at
your
house. Mess that
you
invited him to. Or is there something me and
your husband
need to know?”

“
What!” Felicia screamed. “You thought I was driving up and down this highway, sending him money ’cause he was my friend? I love him, and Kevin knows that,” Felicia cried hysterically into the phone. “Shit, my muthafuckin’ husband know it, too. That shit ain’t no secret. I’m divorcing my husband when Kevin gets out.”

“
Lord have mercy,” Beatrice mumbled into the phone. “Listen, Felicia. Get yourself together and leave. Kevin turned your visit away so he can see his daughter. And if you touch her mother, not only will the guards lock your ass up, but Kevin will really cut you off then. Is that what you want? This girl ain’t done a thing to you. And why the hell her husband’s starting mess is beyond me. That’s some fishy shit, too.”

“
But I’ve been here for him. Me! Writing letters, sending money, coming to see him—me! Not that bitch!”

“
Then take your ass home and write another letter,” Beatrice said, chuckling just a bit. “Look, girl. Did Kevin ever once express an interest in you while he was home?”

“
I mean, we weren’t—”

“
Felicia, the answer is ‘hell no.’ You knew what the hell you were doing. Now you thinking Simone’s out to do the same thing when all she did was allow Kevin and Jordan to meet.” Beatrice paused, waiting for Felicia to speak, but she said nothing.

“
Listen, don’t get me wrong, Felicia. I appreciate you being there for my son. You my girl and you know that. But you had motives, honey, and even beyond that, you have a husband. So does Simone, for that matter. He may’ve left, but legally, they’re still married.”

Felicia’s sobs spoke on her behalf.

“
All Kevin wants to do is see his daughter,” Beatrice said.

“
But I could bring Jordan when I come.”

“
Felicia, Kevin don’t want Jordan traveling in your circles.”

“
But I wouldn’t—”

“
Look,” Beatrice said sternly, “I don’t wanna hear no more. Now, I think you need to start your car up, take your tail home, and wait for Kevin to call you.”

Chapter Thirty

Andre was in rare form, gossiping like a bitch on her period, all in an attempt to taint Simone’s image. Her agents and people she hadn’t talked to in months all knew that Andre had left her. And if that weren’t enough, they all knew about her jailbird baby daddy.

Not only was Andre acting like a true bitch, but a true bitch with big-ass balls. Rumors created by his lips manifested like the plague. Yet, every morning since their split a few months ago, he woke up from wherever he was staying and seemingly forgot about the shit he was starting. The only thing that appeared to be on his mind was what he’d left behind. He called Simone at the crack of dawn every day hinting at counseling, which was the farthest thing from her mind. She’d tasted life without Andre and savored the joyous flavor it offered. There was no way in hell she was going back.

Simone’s phone began ringing all hours of the night. She ignored the calls, assuming it was Andre. Then she noticed a private number on her cell and on her caller ID box in her office.

If you have to block your number, we don’t need to talk
, Simone thought to herself, but the private caller became annoying and determined to speak with Simone.

“
Yes!” she snapped, irritated by the interruption in the middle of the night. The phone had rung every hour on the hour.

“
Hi, I’m so sorry, Miss Perkins. I really am,” the delicate voice said. “But I needed to speak with you.”

“
Who is this?” Simone asked.

“
I’m so sorry, Mrs. Perkins. My name is Tina, and I’ve been, well, I’ve been dating Andre for a while.”

“
What?” Simone snapped.

“
I know, I know, and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I just needed to know if you two are getting back together.”

Rubbing her eyes, Simone couldn’t help but chuckle. She and Andre had only been separated for a month. “What do you mean you’ve been dating him for a while?”

“
I met him coming out of a club the earlier part of this year. We’ve been talking ever since.”

“
Just talking?”

“
I mean, no. We’ve been intimate. I mean, we’re a couple.”

“
You’re a couple.” Simone repeated sarcastically as she sat up in bed. “So, you’re telling me that you’ve been fucking my husband for almost a year and now you’re wondering if we’re together or not? How’d you get my number?”

“
Who can’t find you, Mrs. Perkins? Your advertisements are all over the place.”

“
You’re right, Ms. Tina. They are. And unless you’re looking to buy or sell a house, please don’t call me again.”

Boxes were scattered all over the house. In a few more days, the contractors would finally be finished. The entire house had been painted, and the carpeting and all the appliances had been replaced. Any inch of doubt that Simone may have felt was dismissed the minute she ended her call with Tina. Soon, and very soon, Simone and her girls would be wiping their feet on a new welcome mat and Simone would be filing for her divorce.

Andre realized that Simone was dead-serious when he pulled up in front of the house and saw the Woodard Realty ‘For Sale’ sign. Though he hadn’t agreed to sell, Simone knew there was no way in hell he could cough up the $4,000 mortgage payment and maintain the utilities. Besides, with the upgrades they’d made, they each stood to walk away with nearly $150,000.

Engulfed in the peace of her own house, the highlight of Simone’s day seemed to come when Kevin called. She and Jordan shared the phone, and before long, after Jordan laughed and joked with her father for a few minutes, she retreated to her room to chat on her cell, leaving Simone the phone. Their conversation flowed so effortlessly, just like their laughter. They each shared their hurts over the years and their dreams for the future.

Cradling the phone with her shoulder, Simone swiveled back and forth in her high-back office chair, engulfed in her conversation with Kevin. She reached for the remote to her CD player and clicked on her music. The O’Jays’ greatest hits purred through her speakers.

“
Did you write any goals today?”

“
Yeah, I added a few more. Hey, what’s that you listening to?”

“
Oh, you can hear it?”

“
A little, but I can’t make it out. I hear you humming. I can tell you can sing,” he said with a smile in his voice. “What you listening to?”

“
Don’t laugh, but it’s the O’Jays’ greatest hits. Oldies remind me of my father. Especially Bobby Womack, Barry White, and Marvin Gaye. Those would have me boo-hooing, though.”

“
Is that all you listen to?”

“
No, I like everything. My all-time favorite entertainer is Michael Jackson.”

“
I know. I remember you telling me how your jacket used to be covered with buttons when you were in high school.”

“
Wow, you remember that?” Simone said more so to herself. “Hey, can you hear this?” Simone turned up the volume. “This should be our song!”

“
I can’t hear it. Turn it up a little more.”

Simone started the track over and increased the volume to the max.

“
Can you hear it now?” she yelled into the mouthpiece. “It’s ‘Back Stabbers.’ I know you know it. What black person don’t?”

“
Oh my God,” Kevin mumbled.

“
What’s wrong?” Simone asked, turning the volume down.

“
Naw, the guard is waving me off the phone. Let me go. I should be able to call you back later.”

● ● ●

Kevin held on to the receiver, twisting the cord around his finger. He thought his feelings for Simone were gone. Yet, the minute he laid eyes on her after so many years, his heart skipped a beat. And after talking to her for months on the phone, it seemed as if the love he had for her so long ago was back as if it had never left. It wasn’t simply her looks that had wowed him. It was the constant encouragement, support, and positive energy that she offered over and over again. No one had ever reached out to him the way Simone had. No one had ever inquired about his goals or his interests. And unlike Yolanda and Felicia, her help came without conditions or motives. She offered her hand simply because.

But, Simone was in a different league now, rubbing elbows with society’s upper tier. What could Kevin possibly offer her? But as the introduction to the O’Jays classic hit rang through the phone, Kevin froze. He’d heard that melody in his dreams with the faceless woman more times than he’d cared to remember. He’d even written a love song to the melody, knowing he would have to get permission to sample the tune. Now he realized who the faceless woman had been—it was Simone. The funny smelling milk had been baby formula.

Kevin headed to his cell and stretched his body across his worn mattress.
Simone, Simone, Simone,
he thought. The springs squeaked and poked him in his side as he leaned over and grabbed the journal she had sent him. Following the instructions of his heart, he flipped the book open to the first page. His dreams were huge, but his feelings for Simone were enormous. His brain took the instructions from his heart and sent the signal directly to his hands. In the top margin of the page, above all his other goals, he wrote in all capital letters ‘SIMONE WILL BE MY WIFE.’ That was now Kevin’s ultimate goal.

Chapter Thirty-One

Four guards rushed past Simone and Jordan as they headed inside the building to see Kevin.

“
Stand back! Stand back!” an officer ordered in a panic to Simone, Jordan, and the other visitors. “You don’t want to see this.”

But, the warning was a little too late. A blood-drenched inmate was coming through on a stretcher with a stab wound to his neck.

“
Oh my God,” Jordan gasped at the bloody sight.

“
Hey,” the guard said with a simple shrug of her shoulders, “this is what you get when you put all the bad guys in a room together. Watch where you’re stepping,” she said, tossing a handful of napkins on the floor to wipe up the blood with her foot. “We need a janitor over here,” she said into her walkie-talkie. “You can go ’head in.”

Shaken by the blood incident, Simone and Jordan scanned the room of inmates for Kevin. They spotted him sitting near the back with a huge grin on his face.

“
Hey,” Kevin beamed, squeezing them and kissing them both on the cheeks. “Did y’all get caught up in that mess?”

“
Yeah, Daddy. Were you out there?”

“
Naw, I’ve been in here for ’bout two hours. They called me for a visit early this morning.”

“
So you had two visits today?” Jordan asked.

“
Naw. This is the only visit I have left for the week, and I knew y’all wouldn’t be here at no nine o’clock. So, I had one of the guards call and see who it was.”

“
So who was it?” Simone asked.

“
Felicia. I had to turn her away.”

“
Dang, you should’ve told me she was coming,” Simone said. “I could’ve just brought Jordan another day. She drove all the way down here for nothing.”

“
I didn’t know she was coming. I’ll call and explain it to her later.”

“
She’s probably pissed,” Jordan said.

Kevin took Simone and Jordan’s hands. “She’ll be okay. I’ve turned her away before.”

“
Really?” Simone asked.

“
Oh, it wasn’t like you’re probably thinking.”

“
What am I thinking?”

“
You’re thinking that because I’m in here with all these men, I would jump at Felicia’s visits, right?”

“
Yeah,” Simone said, “pretty much.”

“
That’s what I thought you were saying, and it wasn’t like that,” Kevin said with a raised brow.