Approximately thirty minutes later, Lindsay looked up to see her teary-eyed children returning.
“She’s gone, Mama. Grandma Pat died just a few minutes ago,” Shauntae announced.
Her poor child was heartbroken. Li’l Shaun’s tears had dried, but his saddened eyes tore a hole in her own chest, and she too began to weep as she gathered her babies to her bosom and held them.
Death was such a common event in the city of Detroit that none of the other waiting room occupants even flinched at the sorrowful scene in the middle of the room. It was as if they all at some point or another had been right there in that very spot, and they totally understood the small family’s need for silence and solitude. The room had become eerily quiet.
“No, you don’t!” Tameeka screamed, tearing large holes in the serenity of the quiet waiting room. “You don’t get to grieve my mama’s death. You killed her. You killed her just like you killed my brother.”
Before Lindsay had a chance to react, Tameeka charged in her direction, arms flailing, and landed an open-handed swing to her right cheek. The noise from the blow was just as deafening as her scream.
Lindsay was so caught off guard by Tameeka’s attack she didn’t have a moment to think of defending herself. She just stood there speechless, holding her throbbing cheek. Shauntae had to take up the charge of defending her mother.
“No, Auntie. Please don’t fight my mom,” she screamed as she struggled to push Tameeka away. Li’l Shaun immediately came to the aid of his sister as he grabbed Tameeka by her leg in an effort to stop her from advancing again on his mother.
Just as the two siblings were able to get one out-of-control aunt away from their mother, Francine came into the room. “Tameeka, why did you leave from upstairs like that? We still have to ...” Her voice trailed off as she saw how disheveled and frantic her sister looked. She then noticed the source of her sister’s enraged appearance. Francine became instantly furious as well. She stood shaking in place, incensed at her former sister-in-law’s gall.
“I cannot believe you have the nerve to even be here. You really do think you are tough, don’t you?” With each word, Francine took a menacing step toward Lindsay. By the end of her speech, she stood just inches away from her nemesis.
Lindsay was not going to be caught slipping twice. This time, she was braced and ready to defend herself if Francine decided to do something other than just talk. She understood the sisters’ grief, and they could say whatever they felt, but she was not going to allow them to physically assault her again.
“Hit her, Frannie. Stop talking to that witch and knock her butt out,” Tameeka screamed.
“Don’t!” That one word was all Lindsay said, but that one word seemed to be like gasoline doused on a raging fire. Suddenly, all hell broke loose in that previously tranquil waiting room.
Francine started swinging. Lindsay started swinging in defense. Tameeka broke loose from Shauntae and Li’l Shaun in an attempt to get in the fray with her sister against Lindsay. The kids were screaming, trying to protect their mother, grabbing flying arms wherever they could. The receptionist was so focused on watching the chaos she neglected to alert security.
Lindsay and Francine tussled and tumbled throughout the lobby. Just as Tameeka got close enough to the fighting pair to get in the brawl, she found herself being lifted into the air by her waist by a pair of nearly colorless hands. At the same time, Keva came into the room and attempted to get between Lindsay and Francine. With the help of the children, they were finally able to pry the dueling women apart. A lone but armed security officer finally entered the ruckus and endeavored to bring the entire fracas under control.
“All right! I want everyone to stop swinging and screaming. As a matter of fact, don’t anybody move until I point to you,” the officer yelled in a booming voice. Everyone in the waiting area froze as they heard the thunder in his command. The movement of his feet and the ringing telephone at the reception area were the only sounds that could be heard.
“Sir,” he said, talking to Cody, “I want you to put the young lady on her feet. Young lady, when he puts you down, I want you to come and sit in this seat right here.”
“Put me down now, White Boy,” Tameeka screamed at Cody.
“Young lady, I’m the only one giving orders in here. There will be no further name-calling, either.”
“I didn’t call him a name. White Boy is his name,” Tameeka replied indignantly. But she sat obediently as the officer instructed.
The officer then looked in the direction of the crowd that consisted of Lindsay, Francine, Keva, Shauntae, and Li’l Shaun. Looking directly at Francine, the officer said, “Miss in the red blouse, I need you to come and sit in the seat across from this young lady.”
He shifted his position in the room to stand between the two chairs. He wasn’t sure just yet who was in alliance with whom and who were foes so he stood there in case these two decided to start throwing blows at each other.
Cody addressed the officer. “Sir, that is my wife and her friend there.” He waved his arm in the direction of Keva and Lindsay. “These are our children. May I go to them?”
The officer looked at Lindsay. Her blouse was ripped, and there was a trickle of blood on her slightly swollen bottom lip. He then looked at Francine whose appearance looked similar and surmised these two women to be the main tusslers.
“Sir, take your wife and the rest of your family over to that side of the room. Do not move until I come over there to talk to you all.”
Cody and his crew moved to the location of the lobby directed by the officer.
“Okay, ladies, what’s going on here?” the officer asked Tameeka first.
Sha’Ron entered the waiting area at that moment. He looked around and saw his aunts sitting near the security officer. He noticed Aunt Francine’s torn blouse. He continued to scan the room and saw his former stepmom in a similar condition and concluded these two must have been in some sort of fight. His anger leaped above the pain in his heart. Everything in him wanted to charge at Lindsay and choke her until she was as dead as his father, his mother, and his grandmother. The only thing that kept him rooted in his place was the large gun he saw on the security officer’s hip. He elected, instead, to impale her with cold cruel eyes, screaming volumes of hatred and death. Just about everyone in the room could see it as well, including the security officer.
“Who is that?” he asked Tameeka before she had a chance to answer his first question.
“That’s my nephew, Sha’Ron. Sha’Ron come over here and sit down.”
Sha’Ron reluctantly tore his gaze away from Lindsay and joined his aunts and the security guard. The officer could feel the hate oozing from the young man’s pores. There was obviously some very serious and very ugly history going on between these two groups of people.
“Okay, let’s get back to my questions. What’s going on here?” the officer asked.
Tameeka spoke first. “My mother just died a few minutes ago.” She paused as she choked on a sudden sob. Getting herself together, she pressed through to continue talking. “My mother just died. She was sick with cancer and had a stroke. That trick over there is the reason she was so sick and stressed out. She killed our brother, my nephew’s father, two years ago.” Tameeka jabbed her forefinger in Sha’Ron’s direction. “And now she has the nerve to show up here like she has a right to be here. Me and my sister just snapped and attacked her when we saw her.” Tameeka broke down and could no longer speak. Francine finished answering the officer, though she too was in tears.
“Officer, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago, but she beat it. When my brother was killed by his raggedy wife over there, my mother relapsed. Her two kids are our niece and nephew, and this is our brother’s oldest son. She also killed his mother.”
The officer’s head was spinning by the time the two sisters finished talking. He took a glance at the woman they were talking about. Nothing about her suggested cold-bloode
d murderer. Even just coming out of a fight, the woman was beautiful. He almost envied the man who sat holding her hand and had introduced himself as her husband.
“I’m Officer Antoine Wade. I’m very sorry about your mother ...” Looking at Sha’Ron he said, “and your grandmother. I understand the anger under the circumstances as you have explained them to me. But I can’t just allow you all to be up in here fighting. I’m going over there to talk to them. Then I will get them to leave so you all can finish handling your business here. Again, I’m sorry about your mother and grandmother.” Officer Wade left the grieving trio to one another while he went to talk to the other party of this dueling drama.
When the security officer walked away, Sha’Ron looked into the eyes of his aunties. The sadness, pain, and anger he saw only strengthened his resolve to deal deadly with the root cause of all their grief. He shot a glance across the room at his family’s nemesis and promised to put an end to her reign of terror on them very soon.
“Come on, Aunties. We need to go back upstairs and finish some paperwork.” The trio stood up and headed back up to where Patricia’s body lay.
“Did either of you hear back from Uncle Bobby yet?” he asked them as they walked in the direction of the elevators.
Tameeka simply shook her head.
“Not yet. I think he’s out of the country. I left two messages. He’ll call soon,” Francine answered.
They all walked out of the waiting room without looking at the other folks.
“Hey. I’m Officer Antoine Wade. I just came to talk to you all about the fight.” He looked directly at Lindsay and asked, “What is this about you having killed several members of their family?” He lowered his voice as he asked the question.
“Officer Wade, my name is Cody Vincini. Lindsay here is my wife. I am also her attorney.”
“Mr. Vincini, this is not an official interrogation, so there is no need for you to be anything here other than a husband. I’m just trying to get her side of the story on the fight.”
“I’m okay, Cody.” Lindsay gently rubbed Cody’s thigh to let him know she was capable of speaking to the officer. “Mr. Wade, I used to be married to their brother. I did shoot him after several years of emotional abuse. I snapped and killed him after the accidental murder of my best friend.”
Officer Wade stared bug-eyed as he learned of another death associated with today’s drama. It was crazy situations like this that made him consider taking early retirement from the police department.
Lindsay continued. “Sha’Ron, my former stepson, called my daughter to let her know their grandmother was close to death. She wanted to come and be with her brother and see her grandmother for the last time. So I brought her and my son down here. The two sisters attacked me when they saw me. This is the first time we have seen each other since my ex-husband’s funeral more than two years ago. I understand their hurt and their anger, but I had to defend myself. That’s how the fight started.”
“Well, surprisingly, the stories seem to match. I won’t call the Detroit Police Department out here on this if you all just agree to leave now while they are finishing their business regarding the deceased.”
“No problem, Officer. We’ll leave now. We are truly sorry about our part in all of this,” Cody assured the officer.
The party of five got up from their seats and moved toward the exit of the hospital. Lindsay paused between the exit door from the hospital and the one leading to the street. “Shauntae, take the keys and you and your brother get in the car.”
The adults waited until the kids were out of earshot. They had seen and heard way more than any child needed to for one night.
“Keva, what in the world are you doing here? I thought you said you were not going to bring Kevaun down here,” Lindsay said.
“I didn’t. After I talked to you, it dawned on me that you were going to be down here with the Addams Family all by yourself. Looks like I got here just in time.”
Lindsay hugged Keva. “Thank you so much for thinking of me once again.”
“No problem, again. I’m just glad I got here before things got too bad,” Keva replied as she affectionately returned Lindsay’s hug.
“Girl, I have got to get back home and soothe things over with Cheval. He was not very happy about me coming here to a potential fight scene in my pregnant condition. I’ve got to go home and do some kissing up to get my husband to forgive me since he’ll be able to see that I’m okay.”
“Oh, no, Keva! I forgot you’re pregnant. Cheval is right. You should not have come.”
“I will tell you like I told him. I had to come. I care about you, Nay. I knew God would protect us all, including my baby.”
Keva left. As Lindsay watched her leave she had to stifle the urge to cry. Her emotions were overwhelming her on so many different levels. She was very happy and grateful to have someone like Keva to care about her. She also felt a bit grieved as Keva’s concern reminded her again of her dead best friend. The thought of death brought her back to the present and the ugly scene that just played out in the hospital in front of her children.
This was a complete mess, Lindsay thought. One she would have to try to talk through with the kids before she put them to bed tonight. The only bright spot to this whole thing was Cody’s presence. She didn’t know what his intentions were beyond that very moment, but she was happy he was there.
“Cody, thank you for showing up also. I’m sure you came for the same reason as Keva.”
“You’re right. I got out of the shower and got your voice mail message. I nearly went crazy.”
It was Cody’s turn to wrap his arms around his wife in a hug. “Sometimes I wonder if you are braver than you are smart. What were you thinking coming here by yourself, knowing you would come face-to-face with the people who hate you the most in this world?”
Lindsay didn’t even mind that he was scolding her. All she cared about was being in her husband’s arms again. She responded to his question.
“I honestly did think about the repercussions, but Shauntae’s grief overshadowed my logic. I would have felt terrible if I had prevented her from seeing her grandmother one last time before she died because of my drama.”
Cody pulled out of the embrace, which, by the way, felt wonderful to him, in order to look in Lindsay’s face.
“But look at the drama she had to see you in, again, because of this family.” Cody softened his voice to barely above a whisper. “It’s a good thing these kids are in therapy. They’re going to need it.”
Lindsay realized Cody was not trying to criticize or berate her. He was doing what he always did, helping her to understand the gravity of the situation. Even though he was pointing out the very ugly in this mess, she discerned his continued concern and obvious love for her. In reality, she never ever doubted how he felt for her, even after he left.
“As sorry as I am about what the kids have been through this evening, I’m just as sorry to have dragged you into this mess.”
Cody stared at his wife and realized he would never stop loving her. He would never stop caring for her. He would never stop protecting her. Therefore, there was no use in staying away from her. Her drama would always be his drama; her life, his life. Her children, even though they would be the only children they ever had together, would always be his children.
“I’m coming home tonight, Lindsay. I’ll follow you all there. I’ll go back to the hotel tomorrow to check out and get my things.”
“Okay,” was Lindsay’s only response. She hugged her wonderful husband, then hurried to her car to get to her children, who were, undoubtedly, an emotional wreck. She was glad to know she would at least have her husband there with her as she worked to get them through this ordeal one night at a time.
Sha’Ron, Tameeka, and Francine all left the hospital at the same time. Sha’Ron got a ride to his house with Tameeka. He had come to the hospital in the ambulance with Patricia. Francine followed them to her now deceased mother’s home.
The somber trio entered the home together. Not a word had passed among them since they left the hospital when they had discussed riding arrangements to the house.
Tameeka went straight to her mother’s bedroom, lay on the bed, and cried hard. Francine and Sha’Ron followed her. Francine sat on the bed with her sister and cried as well as she rubbed her sister’s back. Sha’Ron stood just inside the doorway. He allowed his tears to flow too, but he didn’t join his aunts. He just stood there watching them on the bed, all of them sharing the same grief. They grieved for Patricia, and they also grieved for Shaun.
Sha’Ron had also lost his mother, but he was not close to her. He had been raised by his father and his grandmother. Now they were both dead. As far as he was concerned, they had died at the hands of the same woman. She had to pay.
“Do either of you believe in God?” Francine asked.
Neither of the room’s other occupants said anything for several moments. Finally Sha’Ron gave his opinion.
“I sat in church today and listened to some preacher talk about how God loves us, but there are still consequences for our bad actions. He said the penalty of sin is death, but that God’s love for us is so deep that He gave His only Son to die for our sins so we don’t have to pay that penalty ourselves. So either the preacher lied about there being a God, or if there is a God, He didn’t love Daddy and Grandma.”
Sha’Ron leaned against the wall, then sank to the floor after stating his case. He started to cry again, and he allowed himself to do so without inhibition or hesitation. He was glad that Uncle Bobby was out of the country because he needed to cry. His dad allowed him to cry whenever he needed to. Now he was crying because he no longer had his father and his grandmother was gone too.
“I don’t believe in God. I hope losing my mother to a painful, dreadful disease isn’t supposed to make me a believer now,” Tameeka said.
Lindsay's Legacy Page 15
