Small Sensations

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  Depression was like a dark cloud hovering over her. Now, after weeks of no communication, her son had come to her home to chastise her. To make matters worse, he had informed her that he was deeply in love with that woman and that he would reject his own mother for her, if necessary. It was all too much. Tears began to flow.

  “I’m an old woman, Justin and…”

  “You’re sixty years old, healthy and vibrant,” Justin retorted. “Please don’t try the pity act with me. It won’t work.”

  Katherine dabbed at her tears. “How can you be so cruel? Is this the result of raising you, loving you with everything in me and giving you the best that money can buy? You come here and treat me like this. What have I done to deserve such ungrateful children? Vanessa runs around here all but ignoring me, and you won’t speak to me at all unless it’s to fuss at me while I’m in my sickbed. What I did in finding out information about that woman was what any concerned mother would do.”

  “No, a concerned mother would let a grown man live his own life.” Justin’s eyes narrowed. “I meant what I said. Whatever you found out about Davia is not to leave this house.”

  Katherine’s eyes fell to her hands as she smoothed the satin bedspread covering her lap. She hadn’t said a word about what she had discovered about that woman to anyone, except to Charles, of course, and he didn’t count. She had hoped to use the information as leverage to get the woman to leave her son alone, but that seemed to be moot at this point.

  Katherine’s demeanor raised alarm bells for Justin. “You haven’t told anyone, have you, Mother?”

  Katherine sighed in disgust. “Who is there to tell? Do you think I want my friends knowing the depths to which my son would stoop to find a woman?”

  “That’s it!” Justin rose from the chair beside his mother’s bed. “I don’t have to take this.” He headed toward the bedroom door.

  “No, Justin! I’m sorry,” Katherine entreated, anxious about the deep anger she heard in his voice. She had to do something before she lost him forever. “I’m really sorry. I’ll try not to say things like that again. It’s just that…Son, I love you so much and I want the best that life has to give you.”

  Justin’s face softened. “Davia is the best thing in my life. I love her more than anything in this world.” Katherine winced but Justin continued. “She makes me happy, and if it takes me the rest of my life, I’ll see to it that she’s happy.”

  Katherine grimaced at the rapture on her son’s face as he spoke about that woman. The Justin she knew was gone from her. That woman owned him.

  Justin checked his watch. “I have to go. I have an appointment to get to.” He kissed Katherine on the cheek. “I hope that we won’t have to have this discussion again.”

  As he started to exit, he nearly tumbled over an unexpected obstacle in the doorway. Bianca stood at his feet looking up at her uncle. She was wearing pajamas and hugging her teddy bear tightly to her chest. He scooped her up into his arms.

  “Hey, peanut!” He nuzzled her neck and gave her a loud smooch. Usually this brought a hail of giggles from her, but today she didn’t respond. She lay listlessly in his arms, her usually bright eyes looking at him blankly. Justin’s heart wrenched. It had been weeks since he had spent time with his niece. He had neglected her badly since meeting Davia. Actually, he had neglected his whole family. Guilt washed over him as he hugged her small body to his.

  “What would you say if you and I go to the zoo this weekend, or maybe even to Stone Mountain? We could ride the train. Would you like that?”

  Bianca shrugged and wiggled to get out of his arms. Justin set her back on the floor and watched as she padded across the room and climbed into her grandmother’s bed. She looked so little and sad.

  Katherine lifted the covers for the child to crawl under and hugged her beloved granddaughter to her. “We’ve all missed you, Justin. Your neglect of us has hurt.”

  Her words had their intended effect. Justin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I know, and I’m sorry.” There were simply too many demands, and they were taking their toll.

  Pausing, he gave it one more try. “Give yourself a chance to know her, Mother. She’s a wonderful woman. She’s strong, capable and resilient—one of the most courageous women I’ve ever met. She’s a lot like you.” With that, he turned and left the room.

  Katherine steeled herself against her son’s parting words. Neither his charm nor his compliments would sway her. That Maxwell woman had to go.

  * * *

  For Davia the trip to California had been life renewing. She returned to Atlanta free from the burdens of the past. A few days after returning home she shared the last of her long-harbored secrets with CeCe.

  Davia had started out with an apology. “First, let me tell you how sorry I am that I’ve left you out of so much of my life over the years. You are the best friend that I’ve ever had. Outside of the Johnson family, no one has been there for me more or loved me longer than you. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world. Yet, I didn’t trust you with everything about my past and I know that I hurt you.”

  There could be no doubt about that. They had met years ago on a rainy, winter day in Atlanta. They both had been applying for the same waitress job. Each was down to her last $5, and both needed the job desperately, but neither got it. Instead, they had walked away with something more valuable—a friend.

  Now she watched as CeCe sat in silence thinking about what she had been told. She could see her mind at work. From now on, there would be no more secrets between them.

  “I’m so glad that I’ve finally told my story. I never thought that I could talk about the days before the Johnson family. It hurt too much. But Justin has made me realize that keeping it buried inside has been hurting me more.”

  Her talk with CeCe was the final catharsis. She was free now to live her life.

  Having formulated her thoughts, CeCe focused her attention on Davia. “Other than Justin and me, who else knows about all of this?”

  “Mama Willa. She told Papa Josh.”

  “You didn’t want them to adopt you because of what happened?”

  Davia was in the bedroom of her friend’s condo. She slipped from the bed on which they both had been sitting and walked to the window. Looking out into the moonlit night, she pondered CeCe’s question.

  “I didn’t want them to adopt me because I feared for their lives.” She turned back to face her. “Money had put a contract out on me because I tried to kill him.”

  “It’s too bad that you didn’t.” CeCe’s voice was granite.

  The room was quiet as Davia rejoined her on the bed. CeCe looked at her pensively. There were tears welling in her eyes.

  “You know something, Davia, you must have a guardian angel that has been working overtime in your life when it was most needed, because, girlfriend, you are truly blessed.”

  The comment caught Davia off guard. If she thought about her life and the dramatic twists and turns it had taken over the years, perhaps “blessed” wouldn’t be the first word she would use. Yet there was Stephanie, the Johnson family, Gabby, Reba, CeCe, Leroy and now Justin—a collection of friends and family, each holding a special place in her heart. They had been there when she needed them, and each filled her life with miracles that she hadn’t imagined were possible. Perhaps CeCe was right. Despite all that had happened to her, she was truly blessed.

  * * *

  Charles Cash had never been one to panic. He had built his reputation on his ability to maintain his composure under pressure. He wasn’t about to change now. Having finally listened to what Katherine had been saying to him about the Maxwell woman, he had taken the information she provided and carefully sorted the facts. His final analysis had been conclusive. This woman who called herself Davia Maxwell was the scrappy kid he had known twenty years ago as Shanay. He had never known her last name.

  How could he forget the girl? She was soft, luscious and ready for all that he could teach her, and she h
ad also scarred him for life. Shanay had tried to kill him. He had ended up in the hospital fighting for his life. He still carried the gruesome scar she gave him across his stomach.

  He had vowed revenge. He’d had his men looking for her for weeks. They were to kill her on sight, but she disappeared. Time passed and things changed. He had abandoned the search. He vaguely remembered that years later his man BoBo told him that he saw her somewhere. He did say something about her having a kid with her and that she panicked when she recognized him. Bobo was willing to find her and kill her and the kid, but lucky for her, the death of his father turned his interest elsewhere. Yes, it was true that he carried the scar that reminded him of Shanay, but the truth was that as the years passed, he could barely remember the girl.

  That was then. This was now. He was a different man back then, with a different name and a different way of life. Then she was no threat to him, but this time it was different. He was the man he was born to be with the name given to him at birth. Now he had much more than pride to lose.

  He hadn’t officially met Shanay, aka Davia, and he didn’t think that there had been an occasion when she would have gotten a good look at him. When she did, would she recognize him? It had been two decades. He had put on a little weight and his hair had turned grayer, but basically he looked the same. She certainly didn’t. Her progression into womanhood had resulted in a fine package that had grown finer with time, but that aside, the woman could present a problem for him.

  He was a man of substance, most gained by legitimate means. After his mother died he discovered that she had reversed his father’s will. He was no longer the disinherited son. The money she left him wasn’t a fortune by some standards, but it had been quite substantial. That and the funds that he had accumulated through his business dealings were enough to resume his life as Charles Cash. He no longer had to live under an alias in a part of Chicago that he never would have set foot in, if his own father hadn’t disowned him. He had been disinherited because of a simple misunderstanding about the housekeeper’s little girl. However, his mother had rectified the situation concerning his inheritance, and he was able to rejoin the ranks of the social class into which he had been born. When he moved to Atlanta, it was with plans to further elevate his status. He was a well-to-do-man with plans to become even wealthier. Hobnobbing with Katherine and her friends was a major step toward achieving that goal.

  His days under the name of Money were behind him. Bullets, dope or disease had claimed the riffraff that knew about his past. It was a certainty that it wouldn’t be long before he married well. Such a union would increase both his social status and his bank account. The money was needed. He had expensive tastes, and bad investments were seriously threatening his lifestyle. Until now, there had been nothing in his way.

  It had taken him nearly a lifetime to get to this point in his life. He wouldn’t tolerate any obstacles, especially from a ghetto rat pretending to be a swan. Something had to be done about Davia Maxwell. He would kill her before he let her stand in his way.

  CHAPTER 19

  Everything was falling into place. Fears and doubts that Davia had carried throughout her life were fading with each passing day. The floodgates of truth were slowly opening, but they were opening, and for that she was grateful.

  It still took a while for her to seek the counseling that Justin and CeCe suggested that she might need to sort out her feelings. As far as she was concerned, the very idea suggested that she might be unbalanced, but eventually she began to understand that talking with a professional meant that she was truly ready to shed the pain of the past.

  Reba recommended one of her former professors who had recently opened her practice. Davia found her to be not only skilled, but warm and friendly. After her first session with the doctor, she left her office looking forward to the weekly appointments.

  Stepping out of the elevator, Davia’s steps felt lighter. The future looked brighter, especially the one she would have with Justin in her life.

  Since returning from California, she and Justin had taken care to arrange their schedules so that they saw each other more often during the week. He had also vowed to spend more time with his niece. As for Katherine, he had assured Davia that his mother would not be a problem. The information that she had gathered would not be used or repeated.

  Davia wasn’t as sure about Katherine as her son seemed to be. She had taken her own measures to neutralize her.

  Hurrying from the building, Davia’s face lit up at the sight of Justin sitting in his car at the curb waiting for her. They were going out to dinner to celebrate her first session with the doctor. He had called it her brand new day, and with each step that took her closer to him, her heartbeat increased. Her love for this man had taken on dimensions that she couldn’t understand, so she simply accepted love’s power and thanked God for His blessings.

  Justin glanced up in time to see the wide smile on her face. He opened the car door and she slid in beside him. He gave her a peck on the lips.

  “How did it go with the doctor?”

  Davia nodded. “I like her. She’s sharp.”

  “Do you think this can help you?” He sounded hopeful.

  Davia sighed. “It couldn’t hurt.”

  She was hopeful, too. She was tired of hurting…tired of running…tired of being afraid.

  It had been fear that brought her to Atlanta after she and Stephanie had literally bumped into one of Money’s cohorts at a mall. Years had passed, but he had recognized her and told her, gleefully, that Money was still looking for her and was going to kill her. More terrified for Stephanie’s life than her own, she had left a note expressing her gratitude to the Johnsons and she fled. For the second time in her young life she became somebody else. In Chicago when she lived with the Johnsons, she had used the name Davia Johnson. In Atlanta she emerged as Davia Maxwell. Shanay Wells had died long ago. It was time to bury her for good.

  Arriving at the restaurant, Davia excused herself and retreated to the powder room while Justin went to see about their table. Minutes later, she emerged and stepped into the restaurant foyer. She spotted Justin standing at a table next to the window. He was talking to someone. A closer look revealed that it was his mother, Katherine. Davia groaned. Of all the restaurants in Atlanta, Katherine had to pick this one in which to dine.

  Davia barely noticed the man sitting opposite Katherine. Her gaze was fixed on Justin’s animated mother. It was obvious that she was agitated. Davia could easily guess the reason why. The man at the table looked up to speak to the approaching waiter, and the movement caught Davia’s attention. Her gaze shifted to him. She vaguely remembered seeing him before. Where was it?

  He turned his head, giving her a better look at him. Obviously bored with the conversation between mother and son, his gaze began to wander aimlessly around the room.

  Davia continued to stare. She knew that man from somewhere. His gaze stopped on her. Embarrassed at being caught staring, she started to turn back toward the entrance. She was leaving. She wasn’t up to dining in the same restaurant as Katherine. Yet there was something about that man—

  She turned once again to sneak another peek at him and found him boldly staring at her. Davia’s eyes held his eyes. Where? Where did she know him from?

  A fleeting picture of the charity ball flashed through her memory—a moment, a brief glimpse of someone. That was it! The ball! She’d seen him talking to Katherine. She remembered thinking that he reminded her of—

  Raising a water goblet in mock salute, the man’s hard eyes pierced Davia. He gave her a sardonic smile. She inhaled sharply. Her heart slammed against her chest.

  No! No! It couldn’t be!

  * * *

  She recognized him. She knew who he was. Charles saw it in her demeanor. Calmly, he took another sip of water. No matter, it was inevitable. He would have had a good laugh at the irony of the entire situation if he had been alone, but he wasn’t. His attention drifted back to Katherine. She wa
s upset and complaining bitterly to her son about something. Mother and son were speaking in whispered tones, making sure that he was excluded. No matter, he had business to attend to at the moment.

  “Excuse me for a minute,” he said, getting up from the table. Katherine waved him away absentmindedly. She didn’t notice his expression darkened at her detached dismissal, nor did she notice his exit as she attended to the matter at hand.

  “You can tell your little friend that I don’t appreciate getting calls from some third-rate flunky in the White House,” Katherine huffed, trying to maintain her decorum.

  Justin was amused. Under different circumstances his mother would have taken an ad out on billboards letting everyone in Atlanta know that she had received a call from Burton Johnson, special assistant to the President of the United States. But this circumstance was different.

  “You didn’t receive the call, Mother, your spy did.”

  “He was not a spy, dear. He was a paid employee, a professional.”

  “He’s an unemployed professional now.” Justin couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.

  Davia had pulled out all of the ammunition in her arsenal against his mother. It looked as though Katherine had met her match this time, and she was at a loss as to what to do about it. Verbal attack was her only option.

  Katherine scowled. “The man was threatened. If I’m not mistaken, intimidation is against the law.”

  “How was your ‘employee’ intimidated? From what I heard, all Burton wanted to know was why the man had been hired. Doesn’t a brother have a right to ask about his sister’s welfare?”

  Katherine had called Justin that morning to complain that the private investigator she had hired to check on Davia had informed her of the call from Davia’s foster brother. Actually, there had been two telephone calls made to the investigator. The first was from Bernard Johnson, an Illinois congressman. To further emphasize his twin brother’s point, Burton had called Katherine’s employee and had made his own inquiry. The detective had gotten the point. He quit.