by LaJill Hunt
"So, let's go and find some nice furniture for you. I just wanted you to see it and made sure you liked it before we went shopping," Mrs. Gordon smiled.
I couldn't do anything but stare at this woman who had been nothing but a godsend to me and shake my head. "Mrs. Gordon…"
"Evelyn," she corrected.
"Evelyn, you've already done more than enough for me. I don't have a job, money…"
"You have peace, and that's all you need to be focused on right now. All of that other stuff will come later. Probably sooner than you think," she put her arm on my shoulder and led me out the house, showing me how to put the alarm on before we closed the door.
"I'm never gonna be able to repay you for everything you've done for me," I told her as she drove.
"You don't have to worry about repaying me. All I ask is that you pay it forward, the same way I'm doing you," she replied. "Each one, teach one, that's my motto."
"I wanted to be an art teacher," I mumbled. It was strange because until that moment, I had forgotten all about wanting to be a teacher. It seemed so many years ago, and the memory somehow seemed faded in my mind.
"So, be an art teacher," she said, as if it was as easy as buying a lottery ticket from the 7-11.
"I didn't finish school. I finished my junior year of college and then dropped out," I confessed. "I got married and never went back. I love to draw and paint. I even had a studio at home...well, where I used to live."
"You can have one in your new home. You have an extra bedroom. And you can teach art to the kids at the day care center. See, now you have an art studio and a job. See how God is working everything out for you?"
Kids...babies...my baby…
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I appreciate the offer for the job, but I don't know if I can be around kids right now."
"I understand, but whenever you're ready to start teaching, we'll be more than happy to have you."
"Thanks, Mrs...Evelyn," I said, not bothering to wipe the tears that had started to form. I had learned that there was no point in fighting the tears that often came; it was a part of my healing, and I was sure that Evelyn was pretty used to them by now.
Hours later, we returned to the duplex to find a white pickup truck parked in the driveway. Leah wondered who it could be, especially since Mrs. Gordon didn't mention there needing to be any work done on the duplex.
"Who in the world is that?" Evelyn asked.
"I know you're not asking me," I said, trying not to panic. I wondered if Kellen had hacked into Dallas' or my mother's computer, traced the IP address, and somehow found me. My heart began pounding. He had sent someone to come and get me.
"Hey, sweetie!" Someone called out from the apartment on the opposite side of Leah's. They got out of the car and soon were greeted by Mr. Gordon, followed by another man.
"Victor, what in the world are you doing here?" Evelyn asked, stepping out of the car. The relief I felt was overwhelming, and I got out as well.
"I came to show Omari the apartment and help him get settled in," Mr. Gordon told her.
"I didn't know Omari was moving in," Evelyn said, looking over at me in a way that let me know she really had no clue.
"Hey, Mrs. G," the man said, walking over and kissing Evelyn on the cheek.
"Hey, Omari, it's great to see you," she said. "This is Leah; she's moving into the apartment next door. But, I'm sure you already know that, because Victor has known that since last week, haven't you, dear?"
Mr. Gordon looked at her and grinned, sheepishly, "Well, Omari actually arrived sooner than anticipated, so I really didn't have a chance to tell you, formally, Sweetie, but I'm sure I mentioned it a few weeks ago."
I looked over at the man, who I assumed was Omari. I could tell he felt a bit uncomfortable, and I did too. The Gordon's were having a private conversation about us and had forgotten that we were standing there.
"It's cool, Mrs. G," Omari said. "He was just showing me the place to see if it was something I was interested in. Nothing's definite."
"Everything's fine, O," Mr. Gordon assured him. "Why don't we help the ladies with all these bags? From the looks of the back seat, they've done some serious shopping. And if I know my wife, the only reason there are bags in the back seat of the car is because there was no more room in the trunk."
"You're pushing it, Victor," Evelyn said, popping the trunk open.
"And then we can all go to dinner. How does that sound? After all, Leah and Omari will be neighbors," Mr. Gordon smiled. He was just as kind-hearted as his wife and had a way of putting me at ease. I was sure that Evelyn had told him my story, especially since I had been living under their roof for almost a month. Evelyn handed him the bags and just shook her head at him. I could tell this wasn't gonna be the end of the conversation; there was more to be said.
"Well, when you think about it," Mr. Gordon said, a little while later as we sat in Morton's Steakhouse, waiting on our meal, "it would seem to me that having Omari in the apartment next to Leah would be safer than having her there alone."
I looked over at Evelyn and watched her stare at her husband, "I guess you do have a point. I'm not going to say no…"
"Nothing really has to be decided right now anyway. Leah isn't moving in for a few days. You said her furniture isn't even scheduled to be delivered until next week. Let's just enjoy our dinner and talk."
"We'll discuss it later," Evelyn said.
For the remainder of the meal, it was mostly Evelyn and Mr. Gordon doing all of the talking. Omari didn't have much to say, and neither did I. The only thing I gathered from the few sentences, he did offer, was that he had been a track star in high school. Mr. Gordon was his coach in the past and now his boss. He even gave Omari a company truck, which was parked outside of the duplex. The truck was also another surprise Evelyn didn't know about until it was mentioned. It seemed that Omari was starting over, the same way I was. I glanced across the table and saw that he was looking at me. Our eyes met briefly, and I quickly looked down.
"So, what's with all the paint stuff we took inside, Ms. Leah? Are you an artist?" Mr. Gordon asked.
"Leah was an art major, Victor. I'm trying to get her to come teach some classes at the school to the kids."
"Honey, please. Those bad-behind kids ain't trying to learn how to paint. I'm telling y'all, she's got the worst kids in town at that day care. It's like she has a sign out saying 'Uncontrollable Kids Welcome' outside the building," Mr. Gordon teased, and we all laughed.
"I refuse to let you sit here and talk about my babies like that," Evelyn frowned. "Not to mention that most of my kids belong to parents who work for Gordon Paper Company, so what does that say about your employees, huh? But, I do need a new sign. Is that something you can do for me, Leah?"
"Sure, that's not a problem," I nodded. Again, I looked across the table at Omari, and it was his turn to look down. I wondered how old he was? He didn't look that young, and he had to be at least thirty if Mr. Gordon had coached him in high school. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind. I was tempted to ask him a question, but something stopped me. I had too many problems of my own that I was dealing with, and I was sure he did too. I looked over at him again, and this time when our eyes met, neither one of us looked down. Then, I saw it, it was a familiar sight, one that I had seen in my own eyes every time I looked in the mirror these days: grief.
"So, Victor and I have agreed that the decision is solely up to you," Evelyn said a week later as she and I ate breakfast. My furniture was being delivered in a few hours, and we still had some last-minute items to pick up.
"But, I don't think I should be the one to make the decision. It's your property," I said. "If you all want him to move in, I can't say no. I mean, I'm not even paying to live there. You're doing me a favor," I said, not understanding why my opinion even mattered.
"Leah, it's not a favor. God is just allowing me to be a blessing in your life, the same way I know that you will be in someone else's. I'm not d
oing any of this and expecting anything in return; you really need to understand that. And the reason we want the decision to be yours is because the most important thing to Victor and myself is that you feel safe as you move forward in your life," Evelyn told me as she poured cream into her coffee and stirred. "I've known Omari for years, ever since he was in junior high. He's smart, gentle, and a good person. That much I can tell you. Victor was right when he said having him living next door would be a good thing. There's no doubt that I would be able to sleep a little better knowing that he, of all people, was your neighbor. But, I still feel that there are some things that you should know. You shouldn't fear anyone or anything."
There was silence for a few seconds. Finally I asked, "What is it that I should know, and why wouldn't I feel safe?"
Evelyn took a sip of the steaming cup. She looked at me and said, "Omari was just released from prison a few months ago, and now he's living in a halfway house."
Great, just what I need, I thought, an ex-con living right next door. I knew exactly why Evelyn felt that I needed to know this information, and I was glad that she told me. I couldn't imagine if I had found all of this out later. How safe would my new place be if there was a parolee living beside me? Would his gangster buddies roll up at all times of the night, disturbing what I had hoped would be my peace? And what would happen if his criminal activities weren't that of the past, but became that of the future. Would I be putting myself in jeopardy of having my home shot up by gang bangers over a drug deal gone bad? Wait, what was it that lead to his being behind bars? Drugs, guns, pimping?
"Wait," I was talking to myself then realized the words had escaped my mouth. "Why was he in jail?"
Evelyn inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled the words that I totally did not expect to hear, "Attempted murder."
Early Release
Omari
"So, I'm supposed to meet the owner of this other spot this afternoon and hopefully that will work out for me," I said into the phone.
"Why are you looking for somewhere else? Coach Gordon already told you that you could stay at the duplex. He's barely charging you rent, all the utilities are included, it's away from the neighborhood, and it's the best place for you," Shaunie sighed.
"I told you, they already rented the other apartment to that girl, Leah, and they didn't know if she would be cool having me live next door. It's all good, you know I'mma be alright."
"I thought you told me they were gonna talk to her first before they made a decision. Has Coach Gordon said it's a no-go?"
"No, but I could tell the way that chick was looking at me that she wasn't having it. Trust me, I already know that it's a no-go, without him having to tell me," I told her. As much as things seemed to be working out, I was still dealing with a lot. I had pretty much put things into motion before I even had my parole hearing. I knew without a doubt that I would be released. For nine long years, I was a citizen of the state penitentiary, and my prison record was stellar. I was a trustee, a tutor, and had not gotten in one incident while I was there. Before the bars closed behind me I told myself: I was not a prisoner and I refused to have the mentality of one. I kept to myself. The only time I dealt with others was in a helpful capacity. A positive attitude and a whole lot of prayers helped me bide my time. Time that I should have been spending with my mother, who had passed away a month before I was released. For nearly nine years, she wrote letters, sent money, and visited me without fail. She was my rock and my reason for maintaining my sanity throughout the years. I was the one who failed her, and it hurt me to know that she never got to see me walk out of that prison and cook the homecoming feast we had planned. Shaunie said the heart attack she had in her sleep had rendered her no pain, and we both knew she was in a better place.
My sister had been the one to bring pride to the family. After my arrest and conviction, she became a stellar student and track star, earning a full academic and athletic scholarship. She had recently graduated from college and was headed for the US Air Force Academy; she was also an Olympic hopeful. Shaunie was following my dream for me, since I wasn't able to. Without Mama, all we had was each other. I knew she constantly worried about me, and I hated it.
"I'm going to need for you to have a bit more positive thinking going on. You don't need to look for another place to live, you already have one. I have faith that you do," she said this with so much authority that I was inclined to somehow believe her. What Shaunie didn't see was the look that Leah had been giving me while we were at dinner with the Gordons. The look that said 'I don't know you and I don't wanna know you.' She had barely said ten words to me the entire evening. I couldn't blame her though. As much as I loved and respected Coach Gordon, I knew he hadn't talked to Mrs. G. about me renting the place, and the dinner was his way of trying to smooth things over with everyone. Now, I was back to square one in my search to find somewhere to live, which wasn't easy for someone in my position.
"If you say so, baby sis. Enough about me, what about you? You all straight?"
Shaunie went on to tell me about her life and then said, "I'm coming to visit you in a couple of months. So, get ready."
"Now I really gotta hurry and find a place," I laughed. "I'm really proud of you, Shaunie. You did good."
"I'm proud of you too, 'Mari," she said.
"For what?" I asked.
"For being the best brother I could ever want. I owe all of my success to you and Mama. I may have made a few mistakes…"
"A few?" I laughed.
"A few," she repeated. "But you both did a great job raising me."
By the time we finished with our 'I love you's' and disconnected our phone call, I was grinning so wide that my cheeks were hurting as I entered the job.
"Looks like you're having a good day already," Coach Gordon greeted me as I walked in the building.
"I just talked to Shaunie, so yeah, I am," I nodded.
"How is she? Still running, I hope."
"She's great, Coach…and yeah, she is. She's actually training for the U. S. Team tryouts in a few weeks."
"That makes me proud," he said, and I could see the pride in his face.
"Me too," I agreed.
"'Mari, look, I hope you know that you've always been like a son to me and Evelyn. And we're gonna do everything we can to help you get up and on your feet. I know that the situation with the duplex is sketchy, but we're gonna work everything out, I promise," he said. "Leah's had a rough time of it, and she's dealing with…"
"Coach, you have done more than enough for me. And you don't owe me an explanation about the duplex. I have faith enough to know that I'm gonna get a place. It's okay."
"You're a good man, 'Mari. You remind me of myself in a lot of ways. Trust me when I tell you that you will get everything that you deserve, and I mean that in a positive way. You deserve a whole lot of goodness in your life, and it's coming to you."
"Thanks, Coach. Now let me get to work before I get fired by the boss," I laughed.
A few hours later, just as I was about to go to lunch, Coach Gordon came and asked me if I would help him out with something.
"Sure thing, Coach, what do you need?" I asked.
"I feel kinda bad asking you this, but do you mind going along with me to help Leah get moved in? Evelyn just called and said they could use a hand."
Ain't this a bitch? I thought to myself. This chick doesn't want me to be her neighbor, but she has no problem with me helping her to move in.
I couldn't help but laugh, and Coach Gordon looked at me strangely.
"No problem, Coach. I'd love to help."
We pulled up to the duplex. A large delivery truck was parked outside, along with Mrs. G's car. We walked inside and found the two ladies hanging curtains and directing the delivery men.
"That dresser goes in the bedroom to the left," Mrs. G, stood on a chair, pointing, then smiled. "Hey, Omari, how are you?"
I walked over and gave her the usual obligatory kiss on the cheek, which she was leaning
down to receive, "Hey Mrs. G. I'm good. Hey, Leah."
"Hey, Omari," she said and gave me a curious look.
She was probably surprised I came to help.
"What do you need us to do, Evelyn? You know I got poker tonight and 'Mari's gotta be back at...he...uh...look, we ain't got all night," he said, looking at his watch.
"Can you get the stuff out the back of my car and take it into the kitchen? That's a good start," she told him. As I was walking out the door behind him, I heard her mumble, "They should be able to handle the simple tasks until we finish here and can be there to supervise."
The two ladies laughed. I told myself the faster we got done, the sooner I could leave. I tried not to allow my eyes to wander to the other side of the duplex that I had hoped would be my home. The day Coach G showed me around, I had already envisioned myself lounging in my living room, watching Sports Center on the plasma tv I had been saving up for, some homemade chili simmering on the stove. But now, like a lot of the other visions I had for my life, that one was gone...poof...in a heartbeat. For the first time, I was at the point that I wanted to give up, because it seemed hopeless.
