Without stopping, Trenda walked the twenty feet to the corridor and followed the exit signs. She almost thanked God once she made it to the stairway without incident. As she walked down the stairs, the thought of Piper being dead slapped her with a steel fist of guilt. She might have been a lil’ crazy, but that girl would do anything for anybody…and now she is dead…dead because of me no doubt…
The sunlight outside wasn’t nearly warm enough to comfort the ache in her heart. As she raised her hand to hail a passing cab, she noticed the white hospital bracelet on the same wrist she had injured in the explosion. Using her teeth, she bit through it, removed it and tossed it to the ground. “Where to, lady?” the Middle Eastern cabbie asked.
“Will twenty dollars get me to the Hotel Oakland?”
The cabbie punched the coordinates into the GPS unit attached to his windshield and dropped the flag. “It’ll be close…”
She closed the door and sat back. “Well, just get me as close as my money will travel; that’s all I have—includin’ your tip.”
Leaving the cabbie the three dollars in change from her twenty, she hurried inside the hotel and straight to her room. A feeling of déjà vu surrounded her as she rushed to pack up her “Travelin’ Bag” once again. “Fuck! I am gonna have to leave almost all my new clothes,” she said as she changed out of her uniform and into some jeans and a light-pink Baby Phat shirt.
With less than eight hundred dollars left in her stash, the check from Eli gave her a measure of comfort. Her chest tightened as thoughts of her new friends invaded her busy brain. No time… ain’t got time for reminiscing right now.
“Are you checking out, ma’am?” the young Lebanese woman at the registration desk asked as Trenda headed toward the lobby exit.
Trenda patted her Reebok bag. “Nah, I’m on my way to work out with my friend at Curves gym up the street.”
The receptionist smiled. “Cool! I work out there myself! Maybe I’ll see you down there one day.”
Trenda’s fake enthusiasm was award winning. “That would be real cool! I’ll be looking for you, girlfriend!”
Five minutes later, after failing to find a cab, she put on her dark shades and began walking away from the hotel. She couldn’t recall a time she felt more rotten inside. After walking nearly half a mile, she paused in the middle of the sidewalk and looked around. Where in the world are you going, Trenda? The unfamiliar landscape added to the lonely feeling she’d begun to feel. The pain from the bump on her head was no match for the hurt in her soul.
Normally, she always had a friend to turn to in even the most desperate times. Whether it was her streetwalking friends like Constance, one of her former high-powered lovers, or crazy Piper, they had become her family. Now here, thousands of miles from her East Coast comfort zone, she felt as vulnerable as a newborn baby.
Pulling herself out of her pit of doom, she looked over her shoulder and spotted an approaching, Richmond-bound, AC Transit Bus. She hustled to the bus stop a few yards away and waited. I don’t know where Richmond is, but I’m hoppin’ on this bus anyway.
As the bus pulled into traffic, Trenda walked to the middle of the bus and took a seat across from the rear exit doors. A pair of rough-looking brothas sitting in the back of the bus patted the seat-space between them as she turned to take her seat. The droopy-eyed man gave her a gold tooth-filled smile. “Hey, sexy! You outta come on back here and keep us company.”
Ignoring the offer, she sat down and scooted over to the window seat. Why can’t I go just one day without some pest like that buggin’ me? She thought of something Constance once said to her a couple years ago. After a man relentlessly tried to get Trenda’s phone number as she and Constance were walking past Camden Yards, Constance laughed at her friend and said, Red, you remind me of one of those Sirens I read about back in high school. You know, those beautiful women in Greek mythology that lured men to their death with their irresistible beauty and singing. I never heard you sing, but we both know you are one of the finest bitches in B-More!
Leaning her head back against the backrest, Trenda found her eyes closing. The sound of the bus’s engine accelerating and decelerating, along with its gentle rocking motion, nearly put her to sleep. During one of her nodding-off moments, the image of King Gee tossing his drink on Lollie’s dress made her eyes shoot open. Now I remember why I was going to my car! That asshole King Gee called and said something about my car…
The veil of amnesia began to lift. Bits and pieces of the events leading up to the explosion became clear. As she stared out the window, struggling with putting the pieces together, the bus passed a sign saying, “Welcome to El Cerrito.”
After a moment’s thought, she pulled the cable signaling the bus driver she wanted to get off at the next stop. Why am I trippin’? All I have to do is go ahead, hook up with Eli, and chill. The bus slowed, pulled to the curb and stopped. Trenda grabbed her bag and exited the bus. Even if Darius did kill Piper, knowin’ him, he got the hell out of Dodge. He can’t afford to hang around here.
Now that she had a game plan, she began to feel a little better. Even the aches from her many injuries seemed to have subsided. She managed a small smile as she sat down on the bus stop bench, opened her bag and pulled out the envelope from Eli. She checked the time. Yeah…I think I’ll surprise him. He should be off work in about an hour; hopefully he’ll stop at his house before goin’ to the hospital lookin’ for me. She removed the check and read his address in the upper-right corner. Now, let me call a cab…
Half an hour later, she got out the cab a block away from Eli’s home. As she walked down the tree-lined street of Eli’s quiet neighborhood, a familiar-looking blue car passed her by. She stopped next to a large oak tree. Hmmmm…I see loverboy is goin’ home a little early.
Three houses up from where she stood, Trenda watched as Eli got out, hustled around his car and opened the passenger door. Ohhh! What is this? Even from that distance, she recognized the woman as the infamous Meagan. Wow! She is a lot cuter than she looked in that picture in his wallet!
The couple stood face-to-face, next to Eli’s car, having what looked like a heated conversation. Trenda watched Meagan try and wrap her arms around his neck. The look she gave him as he wiped her arms off him was unmistakable; she was hurting. The heartbreak on her face was beyond sad. Trenda eased behind the tree, out of their line of sight. Her good mood dissipated. Well, maybe it’s for the best…after all, he did tell me he wasn’t happy with her…
Eli looked to be in a hurry to do something. He opened the trunk of his car, removed a red backpack, handed it to her and closed the trunk. At that moment, Trenda recalled the happiness they shared in the photos in Eli’s wallet. They look good together. All of a sudden, the temperature seemed to have dropped a hundred degrees.
After wiping her eyes, Meagan walked over to the yellow Volkswagen across the street, hopped in and drove off crying, right past Trenda. No more than ten seconds later, Trenda saw Eli remove his cell phone and dial. Her phone vibrated in her purse. She took a deep breath, took her phone out of her purse and stared at Eli’s name on the caller ID. She was surprised at how hard it was for her to answer his call. Before she could decide, the call rolled over to her voicemail. He then got into his car and drove off in the opposite direction.
I gotta go… She hitched her bag up on her shoulder and walked away from Eli’s house. As directionless as a leaf in a windstorm, Trenda just followed her feet as they led her away. An ocean of guilt washed over her.
With the sun fading in the horizon, Trenda found herself trudging down San Pablo Avenue with no destination in mind. Her eyes fell to the ground in front of her as she walked. “You know damn well why you didn’t answer Eli’s call.” Her angry conscience yelled in her mind. “You know he only broke up with Meagan because of you.”
The blare of a bus’s horn brought her back into reality. While walking with her head down, she had nearly stepped off the curb onto a busy intersection against the red b
linking “Don’t Walk” sign. She stood on the edge of the curb, watching a fast-moving cement truck hurtling her way. With the truck only seconds away from where she stood, a lifetime of thoughts went though her head, with the most recent developments leading the way. It would be so easy to just step off this curb… The cement truck got closer. I bet I wouldn’t even feel no pain as big and heavy as it is…
Forty-Five
“I have no idea where she went, “nurse Baker said as Dr. Rambis stood next to Trenda’s empty bed. “I came in to check her vitals and see what she wanted for dinner and found her gone.” The young blond doctor exhaled loudly and looked over at Detective Winslow. “Well, detective, what now?”
The black, middle-aged, gray-haired detective, holding a notepad and pen, peeked behind the curtain at Trenda’s former roommate. “What about her? You think she could tell us anything?”
The doctor walked over and checked the patient’s chart. “Not a chance. It’s a miracle she is even alive. She’s been comatose for two days now.” He tapped her body cast. “Good thing she is; or else she would be in a world of pain right now.”
The detective cast his eyes on the quiet couple sitting and holding hands across from Trenda’s bed. “And you two say you haven’t seen her since around one this afternoon?”
Walter shook his head. “No…I even checked her room at the hotel she was staying in. It appears she packed some of her things and left. The receptionist said she saw her leave the hotel around two. She said she was going to the gym to work out.”
Worry covered Lollie’s face. “I went to the gym and they said no one by the name Mya or fitting her description had been in today.”
The detective scribbled a few notes. “Thanks, you two. Remember, if you see or hear from her, be sure to use the business cards I gave you and give me a call ASAP. And like I said, she is not a suspect; we just have some questions we need answered.”
Walter shook the detective’s hand. “Sure thing…if we hear anything, we will contact you.”
“Thanks,” he turned to the doctor and nurse, “same goes for you and the rest of your staff.” On his way out, the detective took the plastic drinking cup off Trenda’s food tray, poured the last few drops of water back into the carafe, removed a plastic evidence bag from his briefcase, put the cup inside, and carefully placed the bag back in his briefcase. Exiting the room, he took the same stairs Trenda had. Why were you in such a hurry to leave, Ms. Collins?
Forty-Six
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
—ISAIAH 9:2
Someone tapped Trenda on the arm. “Hey, lady, this fell out your bag,” said a little girl holding the envelope from Eli.
Trenda stepped back and turned to the little girl just as the cement truck zoomed past, running the yellow light. Trenda looked at the cute little black girl. She had to be no more than four years old. Trenda managed a smile as she took the envelope from the little girl. “Thank you, sweetheart!”
“You’re pretty!” the blushing girl said.
Trenda saw a teenage girl a few yards away, busy talking on her phone. She looked just like the little girl. She smiled at the shy little girl. “I’m not as pretty as you!”
The little girl looked down at the ground. “Nuh uh…my friends always call me ugly.”
Trenda gazed at the brown-skinned little girl. Splotches of eczema covered her arms and neck. The perm in her hair was in desperate need of a touch-up. Pity for the poor child welled inside her. Kids can be so fuckin’ mean! She stooped down and gave the girl a hug. “Remember, you are a pretty princess and one day you are gonna grow up to be a beautiful queen.” Without thinking, Trenda showed the girl her arm. “I used to have eczema when I was your age.” She showed the girl the unblemished skin on her neck and arms. “See! It’s all gone!”
The girl’s eyes bugged out. “Wow! Is mine gonna look like that when I grow up?”
Trenda nodded. “It sure is, hon…you just wait and see. Let those bad kids say what they want, but me and you know what’s gonna happen when you get older, right?”
A magnificent smile filled the girls face. “Yeah! I am gonna be a beautiful queen like you!”
Her big sister, still a few yards ahead of Trenda and the girl, turned around with the cell phone to her ear. “C’mon, Raven, leave that lady alone so we can get home.”
A mix of emotions swirled inside Trenda as she stood up. “You are already beautiful…now go on so you don’t get in trouble. And don’t forget our secret.”
“I won’t!” The smiling girl ran off to join her sister.
Trenda stuffed the envelope back in her bag. A burst of satisfaction shoved aside some of the sadness and stress inside her. For the first time in her adult life, she felt fulfilled; as if she’d found her true purpose. Even though I never had eczema, somethin’ told me lyin’ to that baby was the right thing to do…I think that is just what she needed…
Trenda stood at the intersection contemplating what had just happened to her in the space of the last five minutes. Me talkin’ to that little girl might change her whole life…she might have enough confidence to handle anything now…what if—
The thought of what she had considered before the little girl tapped her arm horrified her. Her head began to spin. Sitting down on the bus stop bench, she tried to calm her nerves. What if I had been a fool and stepped out in front of that cement truck? Don’t even lie to yourself; you know damn well you was serious about doing it…
At the same time, her phone rang in her bag. It stopped before she could answer. After unzipping the bag, she checked her phone. Her caller ID was littered with missed calls from Lollie, Walter, Eli, Constance, her parole officer and a host of other people wanting her for one thing or the other. After shutting her phone off, she stood and looked at the post office behind her. I gotta do this…
The clock in the post office lobby read a quarter ’til five. Good, I have fifteen minutes. After purchasing a pre-stamped envelope, she walked over to the counter people used to address packages before getting in the cashier line. She then withdrew the envelope from Eli, from her bag. The agony she saw in Meagan’s face earlier replayed in her head as she stared at the five-thousand-dollar check in her hand.
Taking a deep breath, she ripped the check into four pieces. That’s the fastest I have ever blown five grand… She found the piece with Eli’s address on it and addressed the pre-stamped envelope. After putting the pieces inside the envelope, she took the note Eli wrote to her, flipped it over, and using the chain-attached black pen on the desktop, wrote a note back to him:
Hey, Eli, check this out. I am flattered you like me as much as you do, and I can’t lie, I like you, too, but Meagan is the right woman for you. I bet before I came along you guys were happy. Don’t let a big butt and a smile (smile) ruin that for you. I am just a thorn in your side; not a rose in your garden. Do the right thing, take this money and marry that girl. I saw y’all arguin’ today by your house. She loves your ass more than I ever could. I have to do this, teddy bear. You will never see or hear from me again…
One love, baby…
The pain in the shrinking knot on the side of her head felt a bit better as she licked and sealed the envelope. She reflected on the genuine joy on the face of the little girl as she dropped the letter in the mail slot. She walked outside and scanned her surroundings. An itch underneath the bandage on her left wrist, as well as the bandage on the infected cut Gloria treated for her on her right shoulder, reminded her of the serious jeopardy her life was in. Even with that knowledge, she had a bit more confidence that her story was not yet over. A few blocks to the north of her, she spotted a large Greyhound bus station sign.
Hoisting her Travelin’ Bag up on her shoulder, she began walking…
Forty-Seven
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far a
s it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
—ROMANS 12:17-21
“Fuck this,” Trenda said as she spun on her heels, and headed in the opposite direction. “I ain’t runnin’ away like a scared bitch.” Instead of going to the Greyhound station down the street and getting out of town, she had unfinished business to tend to.
As her head began to clear and more memories of how King Gee had blown her car up—damn near killing her—filled her mind, the angrier she got. “I’m not about to let that fake-ass pimp punk me…and I’m through runnin’ from Darius, too. I’m gonna handle my business with these fools or die tryin’.”
In the distance, she spotted a bus heading toward downtown Oakland. Hitching up her bag on her shoulder, she walked to the bus stop across the street. The lump on the side of her head served as a reminder of how bad she wanted to get King Gee. “First thing I gotta do is find someplace safe to chill.”
The bus sat at a red light about six blocks away. She removed her “Travelin’ Bag,” opened it up and took out her wallet. Her bankroll had dwindled down to her last seven-hundred dollars. Shit…maybe I should have kept that check from Eli.
Ripping up that five-grand check she had received from Eli still felt good to her. She knew it was the right thing to do. Shoving those thoughts aside, she focused on how to draw King Gee out so she could extract her revenge.
As the setting sun’s light reflected off the post office windows across the street, the lights of the club Fats came to mind. She recalled how she and Lollie had had a good time there until that bastard King Gee had fucked up the groove. She took her phone out of the bag and dialed information to get the number for the club. I wonder if they have anything going on down there tonight.
Sins of a Siren Page 24
