Brickhouse

by Rita Ewing

  Nona shook her head. “Not really.” She glanced at Kelly.

  Derrick looked at Kelly, and then back at Nona. “Well, I know he’ll be fine. I just wanted to stop by to make sure that my two favorite ladies were doing okay.”

  “Can you stay for dinner?” Kelly asked.

  Just yesterday, she’d asked Derrick to dinner. Nona couldn’t believe it was only twenty-four hours ago. “Kelly, I’m sure Mr. Carter has other plans.”

  He unbuttoned his suit jacket. “Actually, I don’t and would love to stay.” He paused and looked at Nona. “If that’s all right with you.”

  It was the first time Kelly smiled. “I’ll go tell Odessa.” She ran from the room.

  Derrick smiled as he watched Kelly, but his smile faded the moment she was gone. “I hope it’s not a problem with me staying.”

  “No, I’m so glad to have you here.” She paused and added, “You’re so good with Kelly, and I want her to feel better.”

  “Is that all I do?”

  She felt her face heat, and she lowered her eyes.

  “Anyway,” he whispered, “I can tell there’s more to the story. What happened with Allen?”

  “I’ll tell you later,” Nona said as Kelly returned to the room.

  It was amazing to Nona, the transformation that came every time Kelly was around Derrick. Even though she could tell her daughter still carried the weight of worry about Allen, she chatted freely with Derrick.

  As they ate dinner, Kelly talked about school, her assignments, her friends, her upcoming role as Lady Macbeth. Although times had been much better since Kelly began meeting with Dr. Rutherford, Nona couldn’t remember an occasion when her daughter had been so animated. She talked straight through the dinner of grilled trout and a tomato and cucumber salad, and even had a bite of the triple chocolate bundt cake Odessa had baked.

  After dinner, Nona called the hospital, but there was no new news about Allen.

  “You can see him in the morning,” Dr. Sawyer advised.

  Nona tried to decipher what she heard in the doctor’s voice, but then decided it was nothing. Allen was going to be fine. She’d see him first thing tomorrow.

  When Nona joined Derrick and Kelly in the living room, her daughter had already coerced Derrick into watching one of her favorite DVDs.

  “Are you sure you want to stay?” she asked him.

  He smiled. “Yes. Come on and join us.”

  Nona sat on one end of the couch, while Derrick was on the other end. Kelly sat between them. As they watched Halle Berry slink across the screen in Catwoman, Nona reflected on her day–first, the news of betrayal and then the fear of sickness. But in the hours that Derrick had spent with them, she felt lighter with the hope that the future could be challenging, but in the end it would be all right.

  When the movie ended, Nona clicked the remote, blackening the large plasma screen. “Okay, young lady,” she said as she turned on the table light next to her. “It’s after nine. I think it’s time for bed.”

  “Do I have to go upstairs right now?”

  “Yes, you have school tomorrow.”

  “But what about Allen? I thought I’d be going to the hospital with you.”

  “Allen wouldn’t want you to miss school.”

  “But it’s the day before Thanksgiving. It’s not like we’re going to be doing a lot of work.”

  “Kelly, you have to go to school. But I’ll be at the hospital, and I’ll let Allen know that you’re thinking about him.”

  Kelly folded her arms across her chest. “Well, how am I going to find out how he’s doing, Mom?”

  “Why don’t I meet you after school tomorrow?” Derrick said.

  Kelly’s smile returned. “You can do that?”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you here after Odessa picks you up and I’ll make sure that you know everything that’s going on with Allen.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged him. “Good night.” Then, she turned to her mother. “Good night, Mommy.” She kissed Nona’s cheek.

  “I’ll be upstairs in a little while.”

  Nona waited until she heard Kelly’s bedroom door close before she rested her arm against the back of the couch and twisted her body to face Derrick. “I’m sure this is not how you planned to spend your evening, but thank you.”

  “No, I was happy to be here. I really had a good time with Kelly … and with you.”

  Nona sighed. “This has been the longest day.”

  “It’s been a lot to handle. First you find out about the disc, and then this happened to Allen.”

  “That’s the thing, Derrick,” she whispered and looked toward the stairs, making sure there was no sign of Kelly. “I’m trying to figure out if this is all connected.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “It was Allen making copies of the disc.”

  “What?”

  Nona told him what she knew–from the security log to her suspicions about Toni, and finally the one-sided conversation she had with Tracie. “It was when I confronted Allen that he collapsed.”

  “You told him what you knew?”

  She nodded. “But he didn’t have a chance to confirm or deny. He didn’t say anything.” She shook her head, fighting to keep that image from her mind. “He just fell to the floor.” She wished she could take back her words.

  He reached for her hand.

  “He just fell,” she repeated as the scene played over in her mind.

  “Nona, it wasn’t your fault. What you said couldn’t have made him collapse.”

  She nodded, wanting to believe him. “Actually, the doctor said that Allen has been abusing steroids.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “It’s a long story, but he was using steroids as medicine.”

  “Oh.” He squeezed her hand.

  “Derrick, I don’t understand how Allen could do what he did with the disc, but I’m convinced now that it’s not what it seems. Allen’s like my brother, has been like a father to Kelly. He’s taken care of us for years.”

  “Sounds like he’s a good man.”

  She looked at him. “He is. He’s wonderful.” And then it began. Nona told Derrick how she had met Allen when they both worked at the New York Fitness Club, how he helped when she decided to bring a health facility to Harlem, how he had never believed in the concept, but had faith in her. How he spent weekends and school holidays taking Kelly to movies and amusement parks. How she had lived her life with him and couldn’t imagine a moment without him.

  Nona talked as if speaking about Allen’s history would keep him alive, make him well. And Derrick listened, knowing that was all Nona needed.

  She had no idea how long she talked without taking a breath, without Derrick saying a word. But finally her mouth felt as if cotton had been stuffed inside. And she became silent.

  Derrick was quiet too, letting the stillness rest comfortably between them. When she looked down, she noticed for the first time that Derrick was holding her hand, and she wondered when that had happened. It felt strange–to have a man holding her like that, gently caressing her fingers.

  “I can’t believe you just let me go on like that,” she said.

  He squeezed her hand. “You said what you needed to say.”

  “Thank you.”

  He reached for her other hand and held her. Long seconds seemed to pass as Nona stared into his eyes. When she felt her heart begin to pound, she pulled her hands and her eyes away from him.

  The silence continued until he said, “I think it’s time for me to go.” His voice was husky. He stood and slipped on his jacket.

  Nona walked him to the door. “Thank you again, for spending the time with me and Kelly. You made what could have been a tough night a little bit better.”

  “I’m glad. Let me know if you need anything.” He leaned forward. She held her breath. Her first thought was that she loved the way his lips felt against hers–as if they were meant to be there. His lips were soft–he was gentle. He
pulled away and looked at her, but only for a moment. “Good night,” he said before he opened the door and walked outside.

  As she watched him trot down the steps, Nona’s hand touched where his lips had been. She smiled. She didn’t know what was happening between the two of them, but things were changing. She allowed her hand to linger on her lips for a moment longer before she closed the door. When she turned around, she glanced at the grandfather clock. It was midnight. Derrick had helped her make it through the day. Now it was time to pray that Allen would make it through the night.

  twenty–three

  The morning sounds of Brickhouse coming to life floated through Nona’s door. She looked at her watch and cringed. She hadn’t planned to be in the office past eight o’clock. She had wanted to run in, scan her mail, answer a few e-mails, gather phone messages, and be on her way to the hospital before too many people could see her, stop her, and question her.

  But it was already quarter to nine. Well, it didn’t matter. No one would stop her. She had to get to the hospital.

  She stuffed her mail into her backpack, glanced at her messages once again, and walked toward her door. As she touched the doorknob, the door swung open, startling her. She stood toe-to-toe with Toni Lee.

  They stared at each for a moment, and then Nona reached for her friend. She closed her eyes as they hugged, and thought about how she’d been sure Toni was the culprit who had taken the disc. She remembered her anger, and that memory made her hold Toni tighter.

  They stepped into her office, and Nona closed the door.

  “Toni, where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you.”

  Toni nodded and lowered her eyes.

  Nona couldn’t hide her surprise. Her normally flamboyant friend was missing her zest, her energy. Even her bright green eyes, which always shone with the promise of a wonderful life, seemed dull. And then she knew; Toni had heard about Allen.

  “You know?” Nona asked as she dropped her bag to the floor and they sat on the couch.

  She nodded. “Late last night. Sam heard from someone here at the club. I couldn’t believe it. I called the hospital, but the only thing they would tell me was that he was a patient. And it was after midnight, so I didn’t want to call and wake you.” When Toni looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. “What happened?”

  “The doctors aren’t sure. But I’m on my way to the hospital.” She took Toni’s hand. “Come with me,” Nona asked, standing and returning her purse strap to her shoulder.

  Toni nodded. “But first there’s something I have to talk to you about.”

  “Sure.” Nona sat down again. “Sounds serious.”

  Toni looked at Nona and then turned her gaze away. “I have to apologize. I know you’ve been trying to reach me.”

  Nona remembered Sam’s words. Yeah, she thought. For weeks.

  Toni continued, “I’ve been avoiding you.”

  “Why? What did I do?”

  “Absolutely nothing, except be your wonderful, charming, beautiful, smart self.” Toni took a deep breath and tossed her blond hair over one shoulder. “And with that, you took Derrick Carter away from me.”

  “What?”

  “The funny thing about this is I never had Derrick for you to take away. But in my mind I did, or at least I was hoping to have another chance with him. And then all of a sudden, there was you.” She looked at Nona. “And my best friend became the enemy.”

  Nona shot up from the couch. “Toni, that is ridiculous. Nothing is going on with me and Derrick.” She paused and remembered their kiss last night. “If you still want that man, you can have him.”

  It was Toni’s turn to show her surprise. “Nona, I’m telling you it’s okay with me now. I’ve been acting like a jealous schoolgirl. I had to stop myself. With what’s happened to Allen, I realize that our friendship is what’s most important. So I wish you well.”

  “That’s all good, but there’s nothing going on with me and Derrick.”

  Toni raised her eyebrows.

  “Well, yes, we’ve had a few meetings.” Nona waved one hand in the air as if that wasn’t important. And she tried her best to ignore the way her heart seemed to take an extra beat every time she said Derrick’s name. “But that’s all,” Nona continued objecting. “It’s just about business.”

  “I think you protest too much.”

  “I don’t even like the man, Toni. Do you remember that?”

  Toni folded her arms, and a smirk filled her face.

  “Okay,” Nona continued. “Well, maybe I do like him now. He’s not as bad as I thought. But it’s only business.”

  Toni’s smirk turned to a smile.

  “Look, I don’t care what you say. The fact is, there is nothing going on with me and Derrick. I’m not interested in him, and I know he’s definitely not interested in me.”

  Toni chuckled. “Whatever you say.”

  “I’m not going to talk about this anymore. I need to get to the hospital.” Nona was surprised that her tone was filled with frustration, and she lowered her voice when she asked, “You’re coming with me, right?”

  Toni nodded, stood, and hugged Nona again. “Of course. I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t mad at me.”

  “I’m not mad,” Nona said.

  Toni leaned back from the embrace and looked at her friend.

  “Okay,” Nona agreed, remembering that it wasn’t just her friend’s lack of access that had made her angry. She still wanted to talk to Toni about her relationship with Derrick and why their stories about what happened with Toni’s pregnancy were so different. But the more she thought about it, the more Nona realized that Toni had not lied. She had just given Nona her version of the truth–her truth that made the entire situation easier for Toni to handle. “Maybe I was a little … annoyed. But I could never be angry with you for long. It’s a good thing I didn’t know what was really on your mind. I’d have been pissed.”

  Toni smiled. “I’m glad we had this talk. I feel so much better connecting with my friend again.”

  “Good, because with all that’s going on with Allen, I know there’s nothing more important than friendship. Certainly not any damn man drama.”

  Toni chuckled and followed Nona to the door.

  “Before we go, I do want to say one thing.” Toni paused as Nona opened the door. “Don’t be fooled, Miss Thang. You think Derrick is not interested in you? Please. You are exactly the kind of woman that Derrick Carter has always wanted.” Toni tossed her gold-colored shawl over her shoulders, letting the fringes of her wrap gently flutter against Nona’s face. She strutted into the hallway with her leopard leggings hugging her legs.

  Nona looked down at the black velour Juicy sweat suit she wore. She shook her head, but then she couldn’t hold back her smile. At least she had solved her challenges with one friend. Now it was time to see what they could do for Allen.

  The small piece of cheer she’d found in seeing Toni that morning dissipated as Ray drove the two to Harlem Hospital. They rode in silence, each wondering what news this day would bring.

  Inside the hospital their silence continued, interrupted for moments only when Nona asked for directions to the intensive care unit.

  Outside room 205, Nona took a deep breath and turned to Toni. Without an exchange of words, Toni nodded and held Nona’s hand. They stepped inside the room, and Nona tried not to gasp.

  Against the starkness of the white–white walls, white curtains, white chairs, white linen–lay a man Nona didn’t recognize. This certainly wasn’t the strong, muscular man who for years had protected her.

  In front of them lay a stiff body, connected to life by machines and tubes and other apparatus that Nona couldn’t define. It didn’t seem possible, but Nona was sure that Allen had lost weight–even though he’d been in the hospital for less than twenty-four hours.

  Nona knew the same tears that were in her eyes were forming in Toni’s.

  “He looks so weak,” Toni said.


  Nona only nodded. She didn’t want to say anything, not sure of what Allen could hear. She pulled one of the chairs closer to the bed and sat.

  She knew there was still life in him because of the rhythmic beep of the monitor and the green lines that peaked every few seconds. But through the sheet that covered him, she could barely see his chest move.

  “Allen,” she whispered.

  Toni stood next to her. “Do you think he can hear us?”

  Nona shook her head. “I don’t know. But just in case …” She left the sentence unfinished, hoping that Toni would understand.

  “He looks awful,” Toni said.

  Nona shook her head. Toni would always be Toni. She just didn’t get it.

  They both looked up when the doctor stepped into the room.

  “Good morning,” Dr. Sawyer said.

  They nodded.

  “Would you mind waiting outside for a moment.”

  When they walked into the hallway, Nona leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, her mind a ball of confused emotions. This wasn’t just a fainting spell or a collapse brought on by exhaustion. She didn’t need the doctor to tell her that Allen’s condition was beyond serious.

  She hadn’t allowed that thought to enter her mind yesterday. She couldn’t handle the ramifications of what that would mean to her life.

  “I’m going to the bathroom,” Toni said.

  Nona watched her friend walk away, the pep once again gone from her.

  “Ms. Simms?” the doctor called, breaking her attention from Toni. “I’d like to talk to you. Let’s step over here.” She followed the doctor through the hallway, past machines and stretchers and carts filled with supplies. She sidestepped nurses and visitors for other patients until they were finally at the end where three chairs were lined up under the small window.

  “How’s Allen?” she asked as they sat.

  “Ms. Simms. It’s much more serious than I originally thought,” the doctor began. “Allen had a stroke.”

  “Oh, my God.” She covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn’t stop the tears that instantly flowed from her eyes. “A stroke? How can that be? He’s only thirty-five.”

  Dr. Sawyer nodded slowly. “It’s the steroids, Ms. Simms. One of the effects is the restriction of blood flow to the brain. That’s what happened to Allen.”