by H. H. Fowler
“Sanchez, what’s up, my man?” he greeted.
“Why do you sound so excited to hear my voice? I just spoke to you two days ago.”
“You are so full of yourself. You mean you spoke to me two weeks ago.”
Sanchez chuckled. “You ain’t never had a friend like me who spends two dollars a month on overseas calls from the Bahamas, checking on your well-being.”
“What is a measly two dollars?” Dominic laughed. “Man, you’re an idiot.”
“Admit it, bruh,” Sanchez continued to tease. “You miss me being in Tampa.”
“I will not give you the satisfaction,” Dominic said. “These two years I’ve been doing fine without you.”
“That’s bull and you know it. When did you last show up on the basketball court or spend a decent forty-five minutes of hard labor in the gym? What about those times when I schooled you on the fleshly proclivities of the opposite sex. I made you the sculptured specimen you are today that Tayah can freely enjoy and this is how you speak to me, bruh?”
“Man, I can’t get over how crazy you are. When are you coming to Tampa? The twins are scheduled to be dedicated two Sundays from today and I would like for you to stand as their godfather.”
“So you’ve been tellin’ me since they were born,” Sanchez said. “You know I will be there, man. I have a week of vacation left of this year and I’ve decided to spend it in Tampa with you guys. I can see you smiling right now.”
Dominic shook his head and said, “You really think you’re that important, don’t you?”
“It’s okay for a brutha to tell another brutha that he loves him, you know. Because I can tell that you are excited about my coming.”
“Man, get off my phone!”
Tayah waltzed back into the room just as Dominic disconnected from Sanchez. The oldest twin was being supported on her hip. Without a word, she rested a bottle of breast milk on a pillow, and then fixed the baby in Dominic’s lap. She turned to leave, knowing she didn’t have to explain anything to her husband. He was a good father and would know exactly what to do in regards to taking care of his boys.
Dominic planted a kiss on the baby’s forehead and then asked Tayah in a humorous tone, “You still mad with me?”
Tayah paused in her stride and said, “I’m not mad; I just don’t feel like talking.”
“But that’s how I know you’re mad. You’re giving me the silent treatment.”
“What else do you want me to say, Dominic?”
Again, Dominic allowed his wife to walk out of the room without further protest. He felt a tinge of pain for the way she was treating him that morning, especially because he could not think of anything he’d done that would put his wife in such a mood. A simple, heartfelt prayer began to descend from his lips,
Lord, whatever it is that is messing with Tayah; please don’t let it come between us or disturb our marriage. Let us work through it in understanding and mutual respect. I love her more than life itself and I don’t know if I could survive if I was forced to live without her.
Chapter Nine
A female prison guard accompanied Shaniece as she rolled her wheelchair down a long hallway toward the visitation area. Shaniece was beginning to look forward to these weekly Monday visits from her sister, as they were making her feel useful and that her God-given talents weren’t being wasted behind these dreary prison walls. If she ever got another opportunity to go after Leroy for stealing her sister’s innocence and subsequently getting her pregnant, she would ensure that Leroy would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and not allow his fame and influence to get him off the hook like the last time. It would be him behind these walls looking out.
Because her sister was so enamored with Leroy, Shaniece had been forced to pull back on her wrath on many occasions. Not that she’d shown Leroy that much leniency, but Ellie had pleaded with her not to take her child’s father out of his life. However, Shaniece regretted taking Ellie’s whining to heart, because in the end, she had nothing to show for all of the hard work she’d put into Mount Moriah Baptist Church. Shaniece grunted in annoyance as a huge steel door opened before her, prompting Shaniece to roll her wheelchair in front of a thick wall of glass.
Her disability was yet another reason to hate Leroy and that holier-than-thou wife of his. They were enjoying the wealth and pageantry of a church that she’d helped globalize, while they left her to gain weight and rot in prison for the punishment Leroy should have received. Shaniece was still out for blood and had waited for two years to come up with a successful plan that would destroy the Paxtons once and for all. Thanks to Phillip’s illness, she’d found not only the motivation, but a way to work herself back into the game.
By now, if Tayah had read the email, she should be second guessing her relationship with Dominic. Tayah was the type to mull over a situation until she jacked up her equilibrium, eventually jacking up everything else. All it took was a few choice words to get Tayah moving in the right direction, with the first step being to get Phillip out of prison. From that point on, Shaniece would depend on Phillip working on Tayah’s conscience to get her conviction overturned. It appeared to be long shot, but with Shaniece, all things were possible.
Feigning a warm smile at Ellie through the glass, she picked up the receiver and placed it against her ear. Ellie smiled back, loving the closeness she was beginning to feel between her and her sister. Their relationship had been through World War III during the last few years, but ever since she started visiting Shaniece on a regular basis, one day Shaniece suddenly ditched her nasty attitude and began to show interest in patching things up between them. Ellie had always craved the love and validation of her sister so much so that oftentimes she mistook Shaniece’s disparaging advice as a means to toughen her resolve.
“I just want you to know, Shanny, that I’m really beginning to enjoy these visits with you,” Ellie started. “I’m sorry lil’ man couldn’t come. I had to drop him off at school…but all that does is just make more time for us to bond.”
Shaniece couldn’t care less about the ‘bonding’ process between her and her sister. The only agenda on her mind was to exact revenge on the Paxtons – even if she had to use her brother’s illness or Ellie’s burgeoning obsession with Leroy to accomplish it.
“I am happy that you find these visits enjoyable,” Shaniece said. “They are for me as well, and in time we’ll be as close as we once were, like when we were growing up.”
Ellie gushed at Shaniece’s statement. “Thank you, Shanny. I really needed to hear that.”
Although Shaniece hated when Ellie called her by that dumb nickname, she kept that fake grin going. “So, tell me all about your experience when you showed up at the bishop’s mansion. I’m certain he was astonished to see you and little LJ.”
Ellie wrung her hands in search of an answer that would please Shaniece, but a little diversion was just as good. “Do you have any more news on Phillip’s condition?”
“He is still dying from cancer,” Shaniece suddenly spat, “if that’s what you wanted to know.”
“My God, Shanny, he is our brother. Don’t you even care what happens to him?”
“Of course I care and all you need to know is that I’m handling it.”
“Like you handled me and my son, almost killing us in that car –” Ellie paused to get a grip on her anger. It was clear she still had a lot of unresolved issues bottled up inside of her, especially over the way Shaniece had lied and manipulated her in the past. “I’m sorry, Shanny, I don’t know where that came from. It’s just that sometimes I get the impression that you’re still the same evil person who is only concerned about yourself. But I can see that you’re trying to change and I’m willing to give you a second chance.”
Shaniece smirked inwardly at how naïve Ellie truly was. “Maybe this will ease your mind,” she told her sister. “I sent an email to someone on Phillip’s behalf. I am confident that this person will respond and secure medical assistance f
or our brother.”
Those words, however vague they were, put a spark in Ellie’s eyes. “I am not going to ask you to tell me the name of the person. I am simply going to say thank you. Hearing this does ease my mind.”
Shaniece breathed a sigh of relief, as she thought, now back to the business at hand. “So, are you going to keep me in suspense about your visit to the bishop’s mansion?”
“There’s really nothing to tell,” Ellie said. “LJ and I were turned away before we got the chance to see Leroy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just as I said. They were having a party of some sort. Before I knew it, this white lady came out and threatened me, telling me that I could get arrested for trespassing on private property. I didn’t know what to do…”
So like the fool you are, you turned around and left. Shaniece swallowed her rage and tried to school her lips into a warm smile. “You know I only sent you there because as LJ’s mother you are legally entitled to receive a portion of Leroy’s substance to aid in LJ’s upbringing.”
“But Leroy did try to help, remember?”
“No, Ellisa,” Shaniece said firmly. “He tried to pay you off so that you wouldn’t ever bother him again with the needs of your child. There is a difference.”
“Well, not exactly. He offered me three thousand a month and you made me turn it down...”
“Because it was hardly enough to take care of a growing child these days,” Shaniece finished. She went on, sensing this was her chance to move in for the kill. “Leroy is a millionaire a hundred times over and he can afford to give you more than a measly three thousand dollars a month. That man got you pregnant at fifteen and left you to fend for yourself for seven long years.”
“He didn’t know that I was pregnant. I intentionally kept it from him because –”
“Listen to me, Ellisa,” Shaniece interrupted, tired of hearing her sister repeat the same old boring story. “That man owes you a wedding ring and a happily ever after. Imagine yourself living in that huge mansion. Everything at your beck and call. Leroy’s wife should be the one kicked out in the cold, looking in, as you and Leroy have passionate sex on those beautiful marble floors.”
Ellie gave Shaniece a side glance, despite her trying to downplay the ungodly images Shaniece had stirred in her mind. “What are you saying, Shanny? That I should break up the marriage between Leroy and Michelle? That is so like the old you.”
“I’m saying that you should go after what you deserve. Interpret that however you wish. When it comes down to the well-being of your son, nothing or no one should stand in your way.”
Ellie sat back and let a small smile toy with her lips. “Well, Shanny, I’m already one step ahead of you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“For starters, I’m meeting with Leroy today at the MOSI on Fowler Ave.”
Shaniece’s brows knotted with confusion. “Why there?”
“It is where Leroy told me to meet him. I was at Mount Moriah yesterday morning and while I was exiting the church, I secretly slipped a note into the hand of one of Leroy’s bodyguards. I wanted Leroy to meet me at Best Western that afternoon, but I guess Leroy got spooked and sent his bodyguard to tell me that the venue would be changed.”
Before Shaniece had an opportunity to respond, the steel door opened and in walked the female guard. She gruffly told Shaniece that her visit was over.
“I will let you know how it goes with Leroy,” Ellie said into the receiver before Shaniece moved her wheelchair from the glass.
Shaniece simply nodded her response. The look on Shaniece’s face suggested what she was thinking at that moment: Ellie was not as dense as she pretended to be.
Chapter Ten
Any time Michelle put on a dark conservative suit and slipped her Ray-Ban sunglasses over her eyes, it indicated she was on a mission to nip a problem in the bud. Well, there were two problems she needed to nip in the bud. With the latter having to do with Ellie and her son, Michelle took a detour to Eric’s room. She had intended to get him alone to address this nasty attitude he’d brought from Denver. Earlier that morning, she’d witnessed when Eric rushed in from the kitchen entrance, appearing to be upset. She could only assume that he and Leroy had had a fiery exchange of words.
Raising Eric had always been a challenge, as opposed to raising Tayah and Sean. Eric’s indifference toward authority, coupled with an impatient temper was a deadly combination and oftentimes it made Michelle feel as if most of their parenting efforts had been in vain. Eric merely tolerated the affection of his family. Frankly, most times he resented it. But despite these rough patches in Eric’s personality, overall, he still turned out to be a good kid.
His magnetic smile and his ability to get people to follow his lead were a few of the positive traits Michelle appreciated in her son. And if those traits were groomed continually in the right environment, Michelle could envision Eric leading alongside Dominic and Tayah in the youth department and becoming a powerful force of inspiration. She knocked on his bedroom door to alert him of her presence.
“Are you okay?” she inquired. “I came to check up on you before I leave the house.”
Eric sat up in the bed when he saw his mother approaching. “Really? Oh wow, what did I do to deserve such special treatment?”
Michelle pointed at him with a well-polished finger. “Hey, don’t you dare be sarcastic with me. I am really concerned about you.”
“Thanks, Mom, but seriously, I’m okay. You don’t need to waste time checking up on me.”
“I enjoy taking an interest in the happiness of my children. I don’t consider that as wasted time. Now if you want me out of your room, you had better be upfront and tell me what is really going on with you.”
“Are you for real?”
“Of course I’m for real,” Michelle huffed. “I am not leaving this room until you start talking.”
Eric smirked at his mother’s poor attempt at coercion. “Okay, let’s see how long you last when I turn my back on you.”
“I didn’t come up here to play games with you, Eric,” Michelle reprimanded. “You’ve been acting quite strange ever since you flew in from Denver and you’ve got everyone walking on pins and needles around you.”
“I told Dad I’d be leaving tomorrow anyway. So, what’s the point?”
“No, Eric, I am not going to let you swat me away like I’m a fly on your shoulder. I want to know what is going on with you.”
“There’s nothing going on with me. Why can’t you and Dad leave it at that?”
Michelle stepped forward, invading Eric’s personal space. “I don’t believe you’re slapping cups out of your brother’s hand, storming out in the middle of a church service and snapping at everyone for no reason.”
“I can’t believe Sean opened his big mouth and went complaining to you. He is such a wuss.”
“Sean is worried about you, just as I am, as well as your father. Do you think I should just stand by and say nothing about your attitude? It’s even worse since your last visit.”
Eric fired back, “None of you have the slightest idea what it is like being in the NFL...everything I do is on display for the world to see.”
“You went into the NFL expecting that, but if you were having a hard time adjusting, why didn’t you call us and speak to us about it?”
“Because you guys don’t understand. You never even try to understand.”
“How can you say something so hurtful? The least you can do is meet us halfway and stop shutting yourself away from everyone.”
Eric sniggered. “First I’m snapping at everyone. Now I’m shutting myself away from everyone. You and Dad just love to go on and on about what you believe are my shortcomings.”
“Where is all of this coming from, Eric? I thought we had resolved these personal issues between us.”
“Don’t get emotional. It’s just the way it is in this family and it always will be.”
Michelle ste
eled herself against her son’s words and concluded by saying, “Maybe you should prolong this break of yours so that you can regroup. Because I fear life in the NFL is destroying what is left of your moral fiber.”
Eric glared at his mother without a reply, but his thoughts were moving a thousand miles a minute. I should just tell her that I have HIV and see how she reacts. But Eric did not want to be that presumptuous. HIV/AIDS was nothing to joke around about and if it did turn out he’d been infected, having that humiliating conversation with anyone would be near impossible.
Sensing she was not going to get anything else out of her son that afternoon, Michelle spun away and walked out of the room. Eric breathed a sigh of relief. His mother meant well, but he simply couldn’t handle the way she suffocated him with her concerns. He grabbed the earplugs that were attached to his iPad and stuffed them in his ears. He was not a huge fan of Oleta Adams, but when he heard her belting out the lyrics to “Many Rivers to Cross,” his heart suddenly felt as if it wanted to break in two.
****
By the time Michelle made it downstairs to the kitchen, her anger had abated. She was not going to let Eric push her over the edge. He was a twenty-one-year-old young man who needed a serious touch from God. Trying to rationalize or empathize with her son was not enough. But then, she wondered, as she opened the kitchen door to let Brenda in, what if Leroy’s indiscretion with Ellie and the child they produced had marred Eric’s life beyond what could be fixed? It certainly would be an uphill battle getting Eric to trust the stability of his parents’ marriage, much less Eric’s own relationship with the opposite sex.
“You look lovely, as usual,” Brenda said, greeting Michelle with a kiss to the cheek. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes. Just allow me to get my purse. Do you want something to drink before we leave?”
