by Doris Miller
It is evening now. Inside the organization lobby, members of the Diaz-Davidson Band and the Diaz-Davidson Choir straighten up some furniture as bystanders stand around looking on. Kenny is sitting down on a chair looking sad. Melvin stops and looks at Kenny. He approaches Kenny and says, “What's the matter Kenny? You miss Charlotte don't you?”
“Of course I miss Charlotte,“ Kenny says. “She's my wife.”
Everyone else stops and turns to Melvin and Kenny as Ralph asks, “Well why didn't you fly down to Jamaica with them all?”
“Diane and her family told me I couldn't come!”
“They did?!”
“Yeah! They said Charlotte is in their custody right now and I can't live with Charlotte because Charlotte is living with them! They told me I can visit Charlotte, but I can't stay with her. They said if I come down to Jamaica to visit, I would have to stay in a hotel or motel.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.”
“Man, the girls wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place if they haven't been fighting other female singers over Diane!”
“Yeah that's crazy the way they be fighting other female singers over Diane. They act like they own Diane, they don't own her!”
“That's right they sure don't,” Melvin says.
“Yeah that's true,” Anthony says.
“Yeah the girls might act like they own Diane,” Kenny says, “but to tell you the truth, Diane is no better than they are! She acts like she owns the girls! She tells them what to eat, what not to eat, she says to them ‘eat this eat that, don’t eat this, don’t eat that‘. She tells them not to wear any make-up and not to drink any hard liquor. If she catches any scent of hard liquor on any of the girls, she'll hit the ceiling! If she catches any of the girls with make-up in their possession, she'll take away their make-up and throw their make-up right in the trash! Then she'll start to holler and scream at the girls! When the girls try to explain things to Diane, she'll interrupt them and start to holler and scream at them louder. When the girls try to explain louder, Diane will interrupt them again and holler and scream at them even more loud! She'll make a complete scene and won't care who's around! Then she'll leave and come back with a vegetable or fruit and have the girls eat it! And she's ready to fight and kick anybody in the groin if they hurt or harm any of the girls! I think she's worst than they are! Y'all remember when she fought and kicked all those security guards in the groin when those security guards got rough handling Miranda and Bernice, then she winds up getting arrested and locked up in jail behind that! Then while she was being locked up, she tried to kick the correction officers in the groin right inside the jail cell!”
“Yeah I remember hearing about that.”
“Diane D don't really have the Dianettes eat the vegetable or fruit does she?” a female bystander asks.
“Yeah she does! We've seen it! If the girls don't eat the fruit or vegetable, Diane looks like she's about to jam the fruit or vegetable right down their throats! The girls would try to break away from Diane, but Diane would not let up! Then the girls would give in and wind up eating the fruit or vegetable!”
“That’s right,” Kenny says. “A couple of years ago, Diane caught Bernice with make-up in her hand, then Diane went into a fit! She ran right to Bernice and snatched the make-up right out of Bernice's hand and threw the make-up right in the trash! Bernice was real devastated. Then Diane hollered and screamed at Bernice. Then she went and got a fruit and brought it right to Bernice so Bernice can eat it. Bernice didn't want to eat the fruit so she turned around and ran off. And do you know that Diane went and chased right after Bernice!”
“She did?” a male bystander asks. “Are you serious man?”
“I'm dead serious, we were there! We saw the whole thing! Diane chased Bernice for two or three blocks! She caught up with Bernice and grabbed her! I thought they were about to have a fight. The security had to come to them! By the time we caught up to them we realized that Bernice had already ate the fruit because she was practically choking, tearing and gasping for air.”
“She was?”
“Yeah! We think Diane might have shoved the fruit right down Bernice's throat just before we and security got to them.”
“My god,” a second female bystander says. “Did any of you ask Bernice did Diane D shove the fruit down her throat?”
“Yeah we all asked Bernice,” Melvin says. “but she didn't answer. Her family and Diane's family asked them both about it also, but neither Diane or Bernice ever answered the question. They both refuse to talk about it even to this day.”
“Not only that,” Kenny says. “A few years ago while Diane was working at the computer in her office, she smelled a scent of hard liquor right on Charlotte and Miranda when they came near her. And do you know she went into a fit of rage, leaped up off the chair and knocked the whole damn computer and desk down, causing the computer and desk to crash to the floor and break!”
“What?!” a male bystander says.
“Yeah! Then she hollered and screamed at both Charlotte and Miranda for drinking hard liquor!”
“Really?”
“Yeah it's the truth! We all heard Diane yelling and screaming then heard a crash. Then we heard Diane hollering, cursing and screaming again so we all came running into her office to see what happened and to see what was going on. When we got into her office, we were all shocked to see the computer on the floor and the desk knocked down. We saw paper files, pens and pencils all over the floor! We didn't know what happened! At first I thought it was a fight in the office because it almost looked like a tornado had come through the room! Then we all found out that Diane smelled hard liquor on Charlotte and Miranda then went into a fit of rage! Diane's family got real upset when they came in her office and saw all the damage!”
“They saw all the damage inside her office?“
“Yeah.“
“Wow. That sounds like the same damage that we all heard was done to the storage room door and the storage room inside the hospital.”
“Diane’s family was wondering if history repeated itself when they heard that she kung fu kicked the storage room door in the hospital then did damage inside the storage room when they went to see the damaged storage room door and damaged storage room with doctors and the authorities.”
“They wondered if history repeated itself?”
“Yeah they wondered that! When Diane knocked the computer off the desk, her family realized the computer was damaged and couldn't be fixed. They said all the important information and files they kept in the computer might have gotten destroyed. Then they got upset with Charlotte and Miranda asking them did they had to come near Diane and let Diane smell the hard liquor on them. Diane's grandparents had to buy two whole new computers and two new desks for her office. They bought two computers just in case one of them gets knocked down in the future, the other computer will still be there.”
“They hope,” Melvin says.
“Ever since that incident, none of the girls dare to come anywhere near Diane after they sneak and take a sip of hard liquor! They won't even come in the same building she's in. They would rather stay outside in the cold or go home first, then clean the liquor scent off themselves before they come anywhere near Diane again. Diane has a crazy temper you know.”
“Yeah we all seen that,” Al says.
“My god,” the male bystander says. “Why did Charlotte and Miranda come near Diane D after they snuck and took a sip of hard liquor?”
“They didn't know that Diane was gonna smell the hard liquor on them,” Kenny says. “They only took a sip which was a few hours earlier!”
“Wow,” the second female bystander says. “Maybe Diane D is allergic to the scent of hard liquor, that's why she gets irritated if she smells it.”
“Oh Diane is not allergic to the scent of hard liquor, she drinks hard liquor herself!”
“She does?”
“Yeah! She drinks it with Dana!”
“She drinks hard liquor with Dana?”
“Yeah! She won't get irritated if she smells the scent of hard liquor on you or anybody else out there! Diane smells the scent of hard liquor on plenty of people, she doesn't say a word to them! She just goes on about her business like nothing! She smells the scent of hard liquor on us, she doesn't say a word to us about it! She's mainly concerned about the girls, she doesn't want any of them to drink hard liquor! But once in a while the girls would sneak and take a couple of sips of hard liquor when Diane's not around. Then they would stay far away from Diane until they get the scent of hard liquor off themselves. They know Diane is gonna blow her top if she smells any scent of hard liquor on any of them and they don't want any problems from her.”
“But isn’t Diane D being very hypocritical if she tells the Dianettes not to drink hard liquor then she goes and drinks hard liquor herself with her cousin Dana?”
“Yeah Diane is being very hypocritical! You can’t tell her that! One time in the winter, all the girls came to the organization and found out Diane was inside the building. When they found out Diane was inside the building, they refused to go inside because they all just had a sip of hard liquor from a bar. They almost couldn't get home because the roads were all icy and blocked, not too many people were able to drive on the icy roads.
FLASHBACK:
The Dianettes, their boyfriends and some of the band members are inside a bar having drinks. Melvin then turns to the Dianettes and says, “Y'all shouldn't be drinking hard liquor. You know Diane is gonna have your hides if she smells hard liquor on any of you.”
“Diane went to Philadelphia with Michael,” Nancy says. “I don't think they're gonna be back home until tomorrow morning. The smell of hard liquor is gonna be off us by then.”
“Yeah I hope so.”
“Are we ready to leave now?” Bill asks.
“Yeah we're ready. Let's go back to the organization girls.” Melvin, the Dianettes and the fellows put their drink glasses on the bar. They turn around and walk towards the exit.
Twenty minutes later, the Dianettes and the band members are walking on the sidewalk heading towards the organization. They reach the organization gate. They then walk towards the organization door.
The Dianettes and the band members reach the organization front door. Nancy is about to unlock the door with the key. Before she gets the chance to unlock the door, the door swings open. Michael starts to come out of the door and runs into the Dianettes and the band members. The Dianettes and the band members are stunned to see Michael. “Michael!” they all shout.
“What are you doing here?” Nancy says.
“We thought you were in Philadelphia with Diane,” Melvin says.
“We were on our way there,” Michael says, “then the person in charge of the meeting over there called on our cell phone and told us we didn't have to show up because they ran into a family emergency over there, so Diane and I had to turn around and come back.”
“Oh yeah? Where's Diane at now?”
“She's inside.”
“What!” the Dianettes shout.
“Diane is in side?!” Nancy shouts.
“Yeah,” Michael says.
“Well I'm not going in there!”
“Me neither!” Charlotte says.
“Why what happened?” Michael asks. “Don't tell me you girls had some hard liquor?“”
“Yeah they did,” Kenny says. “We all did. We thought you and Diane weren't gonna be here until tomorrow morning!”
“Yeah we thought so too.”
“Well I'm getting out of here!” Nancy says.
“So am I,” Lonna says.
“We're y'all gonna go?” Melvin says. “There's hardly any vehicles driving right now.”
“Hey I see a taxi cab down the street!” Nancy shouts. “Maybe we can catch it real quick!”
“What!” Miranda shouts. “I don't feel like running after any cab!”
“Yeah!” Bernice says. “Especially in this cold!”
“Come on Miranda and Bernice!” Lonna shouts. “Where are y'all gonna go?”
“We're gonna stand near the side of the building and call for another cab!” Miranda shouts. “Y'all should stand with us too.”
“It might take a long time for another cab to come, I don't want to stand in the cold!”
“That's right!” Nancy shouts. “Not too many vehicles are running in this icy whether!”
“Yeah, so let's just try to catch that cab!” Charlotte says.
“You're not gonna catch it Charlotte!” Miranda shouts.
“Yes we can, it's stopped at a red light! We can make it!”
“Yeah let's hurry and go for it!” Nancy shouts.
“Come on!” Kelly says. Kelly, Lonna, Nancy and Charlotte turn and race down the sidewalk. They wave their hands and call out to the taxi cab shouting, “Wait! Taxi! Wait!” Everyone watches as Lonna, Kelly, Nancy and Charlotte race down the street.
Miranda and Bernice turn and walk to the side. The fellows look at them as Melvin asks, “Where y'all gonna go?”
“We gonna stand near the building to keep warm while we call for another cab,” Miranda says. Miranda and Bernice go to the side of the building and cuddle to each other, shivering from the cold as Bernice takes out her cell phone and dials a number.
“I think y'all should go inside to get warm.”
“No that's okay. We'll just wait for another cab.”
“Come on this is ridiculous!” Michael shouts. “We can't just let y'all stand out here calling and waiting for another cab that might not show up in this whether!”
“It'll show up!”
“Come on we can't leave y'all out here!” Ralph says.
“Y'all can go inside,” Bernice says. “Just don't tell Diane we're out here.”
“Listen,” Michael says. “If you two don't get in here, we're gonna pick you up and bring you in here!”
“Okay,” Miranda says. “But can we just finish calling the cab? If the cab don't show up, I promise we'll come inside.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Just bring some hot tea out here for us.”
‘Alright, but that cab better be here in ten minutes or else we're gonna pick you up and bring you in here!”
“Okay.”
Michael and the guys stare at Miranda and Bernice. They then go inside the organization.
Ten minutes later, Michael and the guys bring some hot tea in foam cups out the building. They look and do not see Miranda and Bernice anywhere in sight. “My God,” Michael says. “Where did they go? They're not here.”
“I guess the cab did come after all,” Melvin says.
“Good. I'm glad for their sake, because I don't want them standing out here freezing.”
“Me neither,” Ralph says. The fellows turn around and head back towards the front door of the organization.
It is three hours later. It is now dark. Michael, Kenny and several other people are inside the organization lobby. The doorbell rings. Michael goes to answer the door as Kenny follows him. He opens the door. Outside stands a middle aged black male with booklets and pamphlets in his hand. “Hello sir,” the man says. “I'm Steward. You're Michael, Diane D's husband right?”
“That's right,” Michael says. “What can we do for you?”
“Well, can I leave some Jehova Witness information with you and your family's organization?”
“No thank you sir.”
“No? Why not?”
“We don't need it right now.”
“Aah can't you just take one more pamphlet from me?”
“One more pamphlet? What do you mean ‘one more pamphlet’? You never gave us a pamphlet before.”
“Yes I did. I just gave the two young ladies standing out here a pamphlet.”
“Two young ladies?”
/> “What two young ladies?” Kenny asks.
“Two of the young ladies that be singing and dancing on stage with Diane D,” the man says. “The Dianettes.”
“The what?!” Michael shouts. “Don't tell me that Miranda and Bernice are still out there!” Michael and Kenny rush out the door! They look out at the side of the building. They do not see anybody. They turn to the man as Michael shouts, “Sir! What are you talking about?! We don't see anybody out here!”
“Well there were two young ladies that look like the Dianettes just here standing over there shivering.”
“Shivering?!” Kenny says. “Really?! When?!”
“A minute ago.”
“A minute ago?!” Michael says. “There were two young ladies standing out here a minute ago?!”
“Yeah.”
“They were standing out here three hours ago!”
“Three hours ago? Well they're not there now. I guess when they saw me walking to this door they decided to leave because they did ask me, why was I gonna ring the bell if they already accepted a pamphlet from me.”
“Oh really! That's probably why they accepted the pamphlet from you! To keep you from ringing this doorbell, but you came and rang the doorbell anyway!” Michael rushes back to the front door. He pokes his head inside the door and shouts, “Come on guys we got work to do! We got two young ladies to look for to pick up and bring in here!”
BACK TO PRESENT:
Back inside the organization lobby, Kenny then says, “So now we all realized a cab never came for Miranda and Bernice. When we brought the hot tea outside to them and they weren't there, we now realized that they were hiding from us so we can think they caught a cab, but they didn't catch a cab. They wind up standing outside the building in the cold that whole time for three hours!”
“My God,” the female bystander says. “Well if the other four Dianettes went to catch that cab, why didn't they had the cab driver turn the cab around to pick up Miranda and Bernice?”
“Because we found out later, that the other four girls never caught that cab!”
“They never caught it?!”
“No! They knew they weren't gonna catch that cab!”
“So why did they try to go after it?”
“They were only pretending to go after that cab! They were only using that cab-chasing as an excuse to get away so none of them would have to face Diane!”
“Really?”
“Yeah!”
“Well if they didn't catch that cab, what happened to them?”
“They walked all the way home!”
“They walked all the way home?! In the cold?!”
“Yep in the cold! We had four girls walking all the way home in the cold! We had the other two girls standing outside the building in the cold for three hours! I mean those girls would rather face the cold than face Diane! If it wasn't for that Jehovah Witness guy, we would have never known that Miranda and Bernice were still out there in the cold.”
“My God. Did Diane D ever knew or found out that Miranda and Bernice were outside the building freezing or that the other four Dianettes walked all the way home in the cold?”
“No, she never knew any of the girls were out there in the freezing cold. She would have had a fit if she knew about it! She would have chewed all of the girls out, then chewed us out for not telling her that they were out there!”
“My God.”
“I don't understand,” the male bystander says. “Why would Diane D drink hard liquor herself and not want the Dianettes to drink it?”
“She claims it's no good for the girls or their health,” Kenny says. “She's always lecturing the girls about their health and their eating habits. She just wants to make sure they're eating right and eating healthy.”
“Yeah but what about her health? Why does she drink hard liquor then?”
“We all asked Diane the same question, why does she drink hard liquor herself but she will never answer the question. She would change the subject or just walk away from us. Whatever the answer is, I'm afraid only she and God knows the answer.”
“Wow. I just want to ask you. Since the Dianettes be sneaking behind Diane D's back to take a sip of hard liquor or gotto sneak to have make-up in their possession so Diane D won't get into a fit of rage, why don't the Dianettes just stand up to Diane D and say ‘Hey! We're grown and we do what we want to do!’”
“They tried that. Believe me, the girls tried to tell Diane that they're grown. It didn't do any good. When they tried to tell Diane that they're grown, Diane did not listen to them! She kept interrupting them by hollering and screaming at them like she didn't hear them! It was like it went in one of her ears and right out the other. She just continued to holler and scream at the girls even louder, totally ignoring that grown statement! Then she'll get the girls' parents and family involved and everything, then it'll turn into a whole big hassle because the girls' parents and family members will always side with Diane, then they all will start hollering and screaming at the girls right along with Diane!”
“They do?”
“Yeah!”
“I think the girls' parents and family members probably only side with Diane just to shut her up,” Melvin says.
“They probably do. I mean the girls just can't win against Diane! Besides, Diane's the one who had me arrested a few times before whenever Charlotte and I got into a fight!”
“Diane D had you arrested?” the male bystander asks.
“She sure did.”
“Well what happened?”
“Diane and her family made Charlotte put out an Order of Protection against me. Whenever I came near Charlotte, Diane and her family would have me arrested for violating the Order Of Protection! Each of those times, I wind up staying in jail for a week or two.”
“You did?!”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you and Charlotte be fighting anyway?”
“Because she's the one who be starting the fights. I think Charlotte's spoiled. She's was spoiled as a child and I think she's still spoiled. She keeps getting an attitude towards me. If I don't do things her way, she starts arguing with me and hitting me!”
“She be hitting you?”
“Yeah. She banged and broke my car windshield right in the middle of when I was driving. We could have had a serious accident! Glass could have gotten into both of our eyes and everything! She starts all the fights, yet Diane and her family want to jump and attack me for it! Then they would have me arrested for assaulting Charlotte and make Charlotte get an Order Of Protection against me!”
“They would?”
“Yeah! Last year, Diane and her family had Charlotte put an Order Of Protection against me. After that, I saw Charlotte alone and tried to talk and reason with her. Then Diane and her family came along and caught me! Then Diane came charging right at me like a raging bull!”
“She did?”
“Yeah! She tried to jump and attack me, but her family came charging right after her and pulled her back!”
“They did?”
“Yeah!”
FLASH BACK:
Kenny is inside the organization hallway trying to talk to Charlotte as Charlotte stands there nervously looking around. Charlotte then turns to Kenny and says, “Kenny would you please hurry and get out of here before Diane and the rest of my family and relatives see you!”
“Okay I'm going, I'm going,” Kenny says. “Charlotte please think about what I said alright? Please?”
Diane D, her family and relatives, Kelly, Bernice and Nancy suddenly appear from around the corner talking and laughing. They all look forward and see Kenny talking to Charlotte. They shockingly stop in their tracks.
Charlotte and Kenny nervously look at Diane D and her family. Diane D becomes angry. She points her arm and finger at Kenny and shouts, “Get the hell away from her!” Diane D charges towards Kenny and shouts, “You're supposed to stay the fuck away fr
om her!” Diane D's family, Kelly, Bernice and Nancy charge after Diane D as she lunges straight for Kenny trying to attack him, but they all and Charlotte grab Diane D and pull her back! They all hold tightly onto Diane D with their arms wrapped around her torso and waist as she tries to struggle away from them all continuing to yell at Kenny as she points her arm and finger at him and shouts, “Stay the fuck away from her!”
“She's my wife!” Kenny shouts.
“I don't give a good sh…!” Diane D tries to go after Kenny again, dragging her family and the Dianettes along with her as they all scream, struggling to hold on to her!
Margarita anxiously comes in front of Diane D and shouts, “Diane stop it!” Diane D ignores Margarita as she continues to drag her family towards Kenny as they all scream, struggling to hold on to her! Margarita anxiously turns to Kenny and shouts, “Kenny just go please!”
“Alright fine!” Kenny says. “I'm going!” Kenny turns away and quickly leaves the area.
That afternoon, the police have Kenny in handcuffs leaning him against the hood of the police car as Diane D's family, Charlotte and the rest of the Dianettes stand to the side. A police officer speaks with Diane D and says, “And you say he violated an Order Of Protection against your cousin Charlotte, his wife?”
“Yes he did,” Diane D says.
Charlotte approaches Diane D and cries, “Diane!”
Diane D angrily turns and points her finger at Charlotte shouting, “Excuuse you, I'm not finish!” Diane D turns her back to Charlotte as she faces the officer and continues to talk to the officer as Charlotte frustratingly walks away back to Diane D's family.
BACK TO PRESENT:
Back inside the organization lobby, Kenny says, “So that’s how Diane got me arrested.”
“I can’t believe Diane D actually had you arrested,” the female bystander says.
“Yeah. Anytime Diane makes Charlotte get an Order Of Protection against me, she would not hesitate to call the police if she finds me anywhere near Charlotte or anywhere in the area where Charlotte is! When she made Charlotte get an Order Of Protection against me last year, she heard I was in the area outside the organization.”
“Oh yeah?” the male bystander says. “What happened?”
“Scott and I snuck around the organization earlier that day. I wanted to secretly talk to Charlotte and reason with her without Diane knowing I was anywhere there. Some people saw me. I guess word got back to Diane that I was in the area. I heard that Diane came to Charlotte and started yelling and screaming at Charlotte asking Charlotte did she see me or if she knew I was in the area. So Scott and I left. Later on that day, Scott and I came back and snuck around the organization again. We were outside the building. Then we heard and saw Diane and some of the girls outside around the corner.
FLASHBACK:
Kenny is walking and ducking on the grass behind a brick wall as another black male Scott walks and ducks behind him. “Yo Kenny,” Scott says. “Are you sure it's gonna be safe to try to talk to and reason with Charlotte? What if Diane D or anybody else sees you?”
“Well we have to make sure that Diane or anybody else don't see me,” Kenny says. “It's okay for Diane to see you, she doesn't know you. She has no idea who you are, she's never seen you before. So I need you to take a peak out there for me and see if you see Charlotte. If you see her, try to get her attention and let her know that her husband is here. Just don't let Diane or anybody else know that I'm here.”
“Gotcha.”
Kenny pauses as Scott heads in front of him. Scott and Kenny come to the edge of the brick wall. They hear hollering coming from around the corner behind the brick wall. “That sounds like Diane,” Kenny says. “Let's take a peak and see what's going on.”
“Okay.” Scott and Kenny peak their heads from behind the brick wall and look around the corner. They look way in the distance.
Around the corner way in the distance, Diane D is angrily walking away as Miranda and Bernice hurry and approach behind her. Diane D turns to her right and throws her right arm in the air, pointing and hollering at Charlotte as Charlotte and Lonna come from another distance. Diane D hollers, swears and points her finger at Charlotte shouting, “You keep fucking with me and you're asking for it, you hear?!”
“But Diane!” Charlotte shouts. “I swear I didn't see Kenny!”
“You keep fucking with me! Just keep fucking with me!” Diane D angrily turns away from Charlotte, Lonna, Miranda and Bernice as she walks towards Scott and Kenny's direction.
Charlotte cries to Lonna, Bernice and Miranda and shouts, “See?! She never listens to what I have to say!”
Diane D looks in the distance. She suddenly spots Scott and Kenny peeking from behind the brick wall and stops right in her tracks!
Back around the corner behind the brick wall, Scott and Kenny quickly turn their heads away from Diane D as Scott says, “Oh oh she saw us!”
Kenny quickly hides behind the brick wall while Scott has his face turned away from Diane D. Kenny leans his back against the brick wall. He then looks at Scott and asks, “She didn't see our faces good did she?”
“I don't know.”
“Diane don’t know who you are Scott. You don't need to have your face hidden from her. Turn your head back towards her. Take a look back at her and tell me what she's doing.”
Scott nervously turns his head back towards Diane D and looks at her.
Back around the corner in the distance, Diane D stands there and shockingly stares towards Scott’s direction. Lonna, Charlotte, Bernice and Miranda stand beside Diane D puzzled looking at her. They then turn and look towards Scott‘s direction to see what Diane D is looking at. Lonna, Charlotte, Bernice and Miranda turn their heads back towards Diane D puzzled looking at her. They come closer to Diane D and surround her. Lonna, Charlotte, Bernice and Miranda turn their heads back puzzled looking towards Scott’s direction again. They turn their heads back puzzled looking at Diane D again. Miranda comes right in Diane D's face puzzled staring in Diane D face, blocking Scott right out of her view as Lonna, Charlotte and Bernice come beside Diane D staring in Diane D's face also.
Back behind the brick wall, Scott stares towards Diane D and the Dianettes. Kenny continues to lean behind the wall. He looks at Scott and asks, “What's she doing?”
“Nothing,” Scott says. “She's just standing there staring towards this direction.”
“What? Is she looking at you?”
“It looks like it. It looks like she’s looking right at me.”
“Oh oh.”
Back around the corner, Miranda, Bernice, Lonna and Charlotte continue to stand in front of Diane D's face trying to find out what's wrong with her as she stands there in a trance like state staring in the distance. “Diane are you alright?” Miranda asks.
“Say something Diane,” Bernice says. Bernice, Miranda, Lonna and Charlotte puzzled look at each other. They do not know what to do. They puzzled look back at Diane D. They wave their hands back and forth in Diane D’s face. Diane D does not respond. Bernice, Miranda, Lonna and Charlotte turn their heads back towards Scott’s direction. They look back at Diane D. Bernice then shouts, “Snap out of it Diane!”
“Yeah please snap out of it,” Charlotte shouts.
“Say something Diane!” Lonna shouts.
“You know this has got to stop!” Miranda shouts. “I’ll get her to snap out of it! Here goes!” Suddenly Miranda raises her arm.
Behind the brick wall, Scott and Kenny hear a smack. Kenny puzzled looks at Scott and says, “I just heard a smack. Don't tell me the girls smacked Diane in the face?!”
“They certainly did,” Scott says. “How did you know?”
“Because it's not the first time they had to smack Diane out of her trance.”
“It's not?”
“No.”
Scott continues to stare around the corner.
Back around the corner, Mi
randa, Bernice, Lonna and Charlotte continue to stand in front of Diane D's face trying to find out what's wrong with her as she continues to stand there in a trance like state staring in the distance. Charlotte then shouts, “Your smack didn’t work Miranda!”
“Let me try one more time!” Miranda shouts.
“No!” Charlotte, Bernice and Lonna shouts.
“Don’t smack her again Miranda!” Bernice shouts.
“Just one more time!” Miranda shouts. She raises her arm again and smacks Diane D right across the face again! Diane D suddenly closes her eyes as Miranda, Bernice, Lonna and Charlotte slightly back away from her frighteningly look at her. Then she opens her eyes again, shoves Miranda aside and runs off as Miranda, Bernice, Lonna and Charlotte scream and run from her! Miranda, Bernice, Lonna and Charlotte quickly stop running! They turn around towards Diane D as Diane D charges in the distance! They scream and shout, “Aaaahh! Diane! Where're you going?! Diane!”
Behind the brick wall, Scott is leaning against the wall near Kenny. They suddenly hear angry footsteps charging their way! They become puzzled! Scott pokes his head around the corner to look. “Oh shit,” he shouts. “She's charging over here!” He turns his head back towards Kenny and shouts, “Let's get out of here!” Scott and Kenny quickly run and dash from behind the brick wall! They make a run down the grass!
Scott and Kenny suddenly hear somebody crashing to the ground with a thump from where they just left as they dash out towards the streets!
Scott and Kenny continue to dash out into the street, making a run for it refusing to turn their heads back to look!
Scott and Kenny run across the street behind a different building! They lean against the brick wall of the other building out of breath! Scott turns to Kenny and says, “My God! She was really trying to get us!”
“I know!” Kenny says. “What was that loud thump we heard?! It sounded like she fell!”
“I think she did fall! I saw her charging towards our direction so fast like a raging bull, I think she tripped and might have hurt herself!”
“Oh my God! I hope she's alright. I hope she wasn't hurt too bad. If Diane's hurt, I feel responsible! Well I'm gonna get the hell out of here and get home before I risk being seen again! When I get home, I'm gonna try to see if I can contact somebody from the organization to see if Diane is okay. Come on let's get out of here.” Kenny and Scott quickly leave from behind the brick wall and hurry towards the street!
BACK TO PRESENT:
Back inside the organization lobby, the female bystander asks, “Did Diane D actually fall?”
“Yes she did fall,” Kenny says.
“Oh no! Did she get hurt real bad?”
“Yes she got hurt. The next day, I heard that when she fell, she tried to get up off the ground, but the girls refused to let her get up. They were scared she was real hurt so they called the ambulance for her right then and there. I heard Diane still tried to get up off the ground again, telling the girls she don't need the ambulance. The girls still refused to let her get up. Then they called her family. Her family rushed over there, then the ambulance arrived. The paramedics put Diane on the stretcher and she was taken to the hospital and she wind up staying in the hospital for three days for observation. The hospital didn't want to release her until they was sure she was okay. The third day while Diane was in the hospital, she told everybody she thought she saw me in the area so she tried to go after me, that's why she started running. Later on that day everybody came to my home jumped down my throat asking me was I in the area, did the sight of me cause Diane to run after me and get herself hurt.”
“They asked you that?” the male bystander says.
“Yeah they sure did.”
“Wow. It sounds like they were trying to blame you for Diane D getting herself hurt.”
“It certainly sounds that way!”
“What did Charlotte do or say about that?”
“I don't really know what Charlotte did or say about it, I wasn't allowed near Charlotte. As far as I know, Charlotte didn't do or say anything. I heard she stayed by Diane's side the whole time Diane was in the hospital. As a matter of fact, their family has a video of when Diane and Charlotte were both kids. In the video, Diane hit Charlotte so hard when she caught Charlotte and some other kids from the neighborhood playing and teasing a pit bull that was behind a gate. Charlotte and the other kids kept putting their hands and fingers over a fence, teasing and agitating the pit bull, putting their fingers right in front of the pit bull's face, then quickly pulling their fingers back as the pit bull tries to bite at their fingers! They were playing Russian Roulette with their hands and fingers! Diane saw what Charlotte and the other kids were doing from a distance and she flipped.
SCENE IN VIDEO:
Eleven-year-old Charlotte and some other kids from the neighborhood are playing and teasing a pit bull that is behind a fence in a front yard of a house.
Twelve year old Diane D sees Charlotte from a distance. She starts to shout, “Charlotte! Charlotte! Charlotte! Get the hell away from that pit bull!”
Charlotte and the rest of the children look at Diane D. They then walk away.
Diane D angrily stares towards Charlotte. She then turns and walks away.
Several minutes later, Charlotte and the kids from the neighborhood approach the pit bull again and start teasing and agitating the pit bull even more. They put their fingers right in front of the pit bull's face, then quickly pull their fingers back as the pit bull barks and tries to bite at their fingers!
The constant barking attracts Diane D’s attention. She sees Charlotte from a distance again playing with the pit bull again. She becomes frightened and hysterical. She runs a little and calls out to Charlotte shouting, “Charlotte! Charlotte!“
Charlotte and the other kids do not see or hear Diane D coming as they continue to tease the pit bull, putting their fingers right in front of the pit bull's face.
Diane D becomes angry and runs towards Charlotte and the other children.
Charlotte and the other kids still do not see Diane D coming as Diane D heads towards Charlotte.
Charlotte and the other kids continue to tease the pit bull. Diane D angrily slows down as she approaches Charlotte. She is slightly taller than Charlotte as she angrily grabs and jerks Charlotte by the collar and shouts, “Didn't I tell you to leave that dog alone?! What the hell are you trying to do, lose your fingers!” Diane D smacks Charlotte hard across the back!
“Ouuuu!” Charlotte screams.
“Get in the house!”
An angry Charlotte tries to hit Diane D back but Diane D blocks her and smacks Charlotte hard across the back again!
“Ouuuu!” Charlotte screams again.
“Get in the house!”
Charlotte cries in pain again as she runs off screaming, “Ouuuu! Grandma! Grandpa Diane hit me!” Diane D angrily follows after Charlotte totally ignoring the other kids and everyone else as they quickly move out of her way. They all then look on towards Diane D shocked and stunned.
Five minutes later, Margarita, Tomas, Mary, Barry, Charlotte's parents Marilyn and Dante are outside the fence arguing and fussing with the owners of the pit bull as a crowd stands around looking on.
A few days later outside Margarita and Tomas’ mini-mansion, kids from the neighborhood are playing a game on the sidewalk. Charlotte sadly stands inside of the gate, watching the kids play as she painfully holds her back. One of the boys turns to Charlotte and says, “Hey Charlotte. You still on punishment for putting your fingers in that Pit Bull's face?”
“Yeah,” Charlotte sadly says.
“How long are you on punishment for?” a second boy asks.
“A week.”
“A week?” the first boy asks. “So you're not allowed out of the house at all?”
“No. I just snuck out for a few minutes to get some air.”
“Oh yeah? You lo
ok like your still in pain Charlotte. Does your back still hurt from when your cousin Diane hit you?”
“Yeah I'm still in pain.” Charlotte takes a look down the street. She sees Diane D and several other kids talking. She then sees Diane D turn around her way, coming right towards the house. Charlotte becomes nervous and heads towards the back door.
The neighborhood kids look at her. “Where're you going Charlotte?” the first boy shouts.
Charlotte turns to the boy and shouts, “I have to get back in the house, Diane is coming! I don't want her to catch me out here! She's gonna hit me again! And if she comes inside the house and don't see me, she's gonna look for me! I have to get back in the house!” Charlotte turns around and quickly makes a run for the house as the kids sadly stare at her then towards Diane D.
BACK TO PRESENT:
Back inside the organization lobby, Kenny says, “After Charlotte got in the house, that's when the video went off and finished.”
“Wow!” the male bystander says. “I’ve seen that video before. I thought Diane D hit her cousin Charlotte too hard in that video.”
“I think so too.”
“Diane D didn’t really have to hit her cousin Charlotte that hard?” the female bystander says.
Yeah. Charlotte says she still remembers how the pain felt to this day. She said it hurt like hell and she was in pain for a few days after it happened.”
“My God.”
“Did Charlotte ever say what happened when she got inside the house after she saw Diane D coming down the street?” the male bystander asks.
“Yeah,” Kenny says. “She said when she first saw Diane coming towards the house, she got nervous, went inside the house then ran straight upstairs and got in the bed, pulled the blanket half-way over her head and started to pretend she was asleep. Then she heard Diane coming inside the house, then she heard Diane's footsteps coming up the stairs. Then she heard Diane's footsteps coming inside the bedroom she was in. Then she heard Diane's footsteps walking right up to her bed, then felt Diane pulled the blanket off her head to check on her. Charlotte still pretended she was asleep. Then she felt Diane placed the blanket half-way back over her head, then she heard Diane's footsteps walking away then leaving the room.”
“Wow.”
“We started teasing with Charlotte and asked her, now that she's practically the same height as Diane, would she try to hit Diane back right now.”
“Oh yeah? What did she say?”
“She said no way! She said she would not hit Diane back now because first of all, Diane is not gonna allow her to hit her back now. Second of all, Charlotte says it was a long time ago and she would just like to forget about the whole incident because it was too painful for her.”
“My goodness,” the female bystander says. “How does Diane D feel about hitting Charlotte?”
“I don't think she regrets it. She said if she didn't step in, Charlotte would have definitely lost her hand and fingers from that Pit Bull and that situation would have been much worst.”
“My God. Does Diane D always interfere in you and Charlotte's marriage?”
“No. Only when Charlotte and I are fighting. As long as Charlotte and I aren't fighting, Diane does not interfere. Diane and Charlotte practically grew up together. They’re first cousins, their mothers are sisters. When Diane and Charlotte were growing up back in the Dominican Republic, Diane's family would sometimes live with Charlotte's family and Charlotte's family would sometimes live with Diane's family and they would stay with their grandparents Margarita and Tomas at times. Diane was always like a big sister or mother figure to Charlotte when they were growing up and she still acts that way till this day.”
“But Charlotte is your wife now,” the male bystander says.
“That doesn’t mean anything to Diane. As far as she’s concerned, Charlotte is still her cousin. Diane told me one time she doesn't give a damn that Charlotte is my wife. She told me not to ever hit Charlotte or else I'll have to deal with her.”
“She told you that?” the female bystander asks.
“She sure did.”
“I don't understand,” the male bystander says. “Even after all I heard about what the Dianettes have been going through with Diane D, her hollering and screaming at them, telling them what to eat and what not to eat, telling them not to wear any make-up and throwing their make-up in the trash if she finds make-up in their possession, forcing and jamming fruits down their throats, getting into a fit of rage if she smells any hard liquor on them, they still want to fight other singers over her and refuse to share her with other singers?”
“Yep they still want to fight other female singers over her after all they've been through with her. Even though the girls go through this with Diane, and have been going through this with Diane practically all their lives, they all still love Diane and Diane loves them.”
“What? You mean all of that did not stop the Dianettes from loving Diane D?”
“Heck no! As a matter of fact, the girls not only love Diane, they're crazy about her.”
“They're crazy about Diane D?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. Maybe that’s why the Dianettes don’t want to share Diane D with other female singers. They fear losing all that attention Diane D gives them about their health and their eating habits, hollering and screaming at them, acting like she‘s their mother. They fear if Diane D gets together with other female singers and collaborates with other female singers, that Diane D might put all that health focus and attention on the other female singers and then Diane D will pay less attention to them and they don’t want to lose or share that attention!”
“They probably don’t. That’s probably why they fight over her. To keep her attention focused on them.” Everyone puzzled stares at Kenny.
“So have you heard from Diane D or the Dianettes lately?”
“Yeah, I heard from Charlotte yesterday. She said they're all okay. She said Diane is gonna work on the computer to file her and the rest of the girls' taxes for them.”
“Oh yeah? Diane D files taxes for the Dianettes?”
“Yeah.”
“All of them?”
“Yep all of them.”
“My god that's nice,” the female bystander says. “How come the Dianettes don't file their own taxes?”
“Please, the girls don't want to deal with that kind of paper work. They find it confusing. It gets too much for them. They become lazy when it comes to filing their own tax forms, so Diane does it all for them. Diane's been filing their taxes for them for the past few years! She's use to doing that and a lot of other paper work. She does accounting for people and charges a fee.”
“Diane D does accounting too?”
“Yeah, Diane does everything.”
“Wow,” the male bystander says. “Does she charge the Dianettes when she file taxes for them?”
“No she doesn't charge the girls at all. She doesn't want any money from them, she does all their taxes for free.”
“All of them?”
“Yeah, all of them. After she finishes filing all the girls’ taxes and get all their tax forms out the way, she files and works on her own taxes.”
“She does? Does she file taxes for you guys?”
“Yeah, but she will charge all of us if we want her to file our taxes for us.”
“Diane D would charge you guys if she files your taxes?”
“Yeah, but she won't charge any of the girls.”
“Well maybe she takes the fee out of their salary, after all, they do work for her family.”
“Anything is possible.”
“So Kenny, what are you gonna do about going down to Jamaica and seeing Charlotte?” Ralph asks.
“I plan to go down to Jamaica next week to visit Charlotte,” Kenny says. “Margarita and Tomas told me they were flying down to Jamaica next week. They said Dana's mother's family is gonna have a big dinner down there an
d told me I can come. I would just have to stay in a hotel or something.”
“Oh yeah? What about Diane? What if she tries to fight you for coming near Charlotte or try to get you arrested again?”
“Diane is not gonna have a problem with me as long as Charlotte and I aren't fighting and there is no Order Of Protection against me. Like I said, as long as Charlotte and I aren't fighting, Diane is not gonna bother me. When I go down to Jamaica, I'm gonna make sure Charlotte and I don't get into any fights, I'll just walk away before that happens. Plus when Charlotte spoke to me on the phone, she said she's not gonna start anymore fights because she doesn't want Diane or the rest of her family to get upset anymore.”
“Oh that's good. Hey? You want us to come with you down to Jamaica? We all miss Diane and the girls and want to see them too.”
“Yeah that's a good idea, you guys come with me! We can find a hotel we can all stay in!”
“That sounds cool!” Melvin says. “I can't wait to see Diane and the girls, plus I don't want to miss that big dinner. Count us in.”
“You got it!”
“That must be a big house in Jamaica for Diane D to have the Dianettes and the rest of her family living there for a while,” the male bystander says. “What bedroom do Diane D and the Dianettes all stay and sleep in?”
“Oh some of them have to pile up and sleep in the same bedroom with somebody else. Diane moved herself and three of the girls into Dana's bedroom to stay and sleep in there and moved the other three girls into another bedroom with Dana‘s sisters.”
“She does that at her paternal grandparents' house?”
“Yeah, all the time. See Diane doesn't have her own bedroom whenever she stays at her paternal grandparents' house. Every time she stays at her paternal grandparents house or lives there for a while, she always stay and sleep in Dana's room with Dana. Then whenever Diane brings the girls to stay there with her or have them spend the night, she just pile three or four of the girls into the same bedroom with herself and Dana and have them stay and sleep in there too and put the other two or three girls in the room with her aunt Celeste.”
“I see.”
“Well I have to get ready to leave.” Kenny says. He turns to the band members and asks, “Any of you guys need a ride?”
“Sure Kenny,” Vincent says. “I’ll ride with you.”
“You got it.” Kenny and the rest of the people start to leave.
Chapter 41
In Jamaica
