The Other Side of Divine

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  “Imani has her music blasting. She can’t hear us. But I know you want this thing with Jasmine to be resolved. I know you believe all of our children have a right to know their sister. And as soon as Gabrielle allows me to move forward, we’ll take care of that. Gabrielle says she wants to wait until her wedding is over in June. After that, she promises we can tell both Imani and Jasmine the truth.”

  “My necklace, Lawrence. Why are you giving it to me now?”

  “Right. A few months after we got married, I did put the necklace in with some of your other jewelry. But by then, you were pregnant and not interested in wearing jewelry much. After Paris was born, I took it back out to give it to you as a gift.”

  “And—?”

  “And then so much started to happen. You and I got into stupid arguments. I decided to hold off until another time because I didn’t want to have to explain anything. I found myself right back to the same reason why I couldn’t tell you before we got married. After Imani was born, I figured you’d have the problem with which daughter to pass it down to—”

  “So you were sparing me the anguish of having to choose which daughter? Is that what you’re saying? That’s why you kept it for some thirty years?”

  “Things were complicated. I then forgot about it. But today . . . today God brought it back to my memory and my heart. I wanted to do right by you. So the necklace is finally back with you where it belongs. And I’ve told you the truth concerning it. Please forgive me, yet again, for the boneheaded things I’ve done. But please know that I love you, Deidra. And I’m trying to make things right, at least with those things that I can.”

  Deidra touched the necklace again. “Well, it certainly has been preserved well. It looks exactly like it did when Granddaddy first gave it to me. I don’t agree with everything you did when it comes to this necklace. But Lawrence, I do appreciate that I finally have it back.”

  Lawrence took her hands and held them. “I’m going to make you love me again, Dee. I’m going to make up for all the wrong I’ve done when it comes to you and my family. I promised you that back in August, and I meant it.”

  Deidra removed her hands from his and stood up. “I hope so, Lawrence. Because I still have Gigi’s number. And if I need her to find out anything on you, you and I both already know that she’s good, really good.”

  Lawrence shook his head. “I still can’t believe you and William crossed me the way you did. William, I might have expected, but not you,” Lawrence said. “You hiring Gigi the PI to investigate me—now that totally took me by surprise.”

  “If there was nothing to report on you, what I did in hiring Gigi wouldn’t have ever mattered. You have only yourself to blame for what she discovered. And as for William: I guess you see that William had his own agenda. He definitely didn’t have any problem when it came to selling you out if it advanced his own interest and pockets. Too bad he didn’t realize he would push things too far and both of you would end up out and in the unemployment line,” Deidra said. “Although in William’s defense, I don’t think he was trying to hurt you by having Gigi give Paris that information about Gabrielle having given her baby up for adoption while trying to be the one to adopt her after the fact. He truly was mainly trying to stop Paris from ruining both of your good things. William, as he can sometimes do, merely overplayed his hand with a Paris that was pretty much primed to blow Gabrielle out of the water if she found the right ammunition, which we now know that she did.”

  “Yeah, well, William has a new job now, the double-crossing snake, while I’m still trying to find what’s available for an ex-congressman, other than becoming a lobbyist. But he’s going to get his one day,” Lawrence said. “You mark my words: William is going to get his.”

  “You mean the same way you seem to have gotten yours?” Deidra patted him softly on his chest. “As they say: live and learn. Live and learn.”

  Chapter 13

  Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll.

  —Zechariah 5:1

  Three weeks had come and gone and Bennie was still staying at Gabrielle’s house. They hadn’t talked a whole lot. When Gabrielle’s aunt Cee-Cee found out her brother was out of prison and at Gabrielle’s, she quickly rushed over to see him. Gabrielle was not there at the time, but Miss Crowe was, and none too happy to have to lay eyes on this despicable woman. Aunt Cee-Cee mistreating Gabrielle as a young child, then taking the money and opportunity Miss Crowe had provided for Gabrielle through a well-paid, thought-out plan for her to attend Juilliard was the last straw for Miss Crowe.

  And still Aunt Cee-Cee was trying to defend her thievery in having taken that money through fraudulent means and trying every avenue she could think of to get Miss Crowe to drop the charges against her. Still, Cecelia Murphy was roaming free, appearing to have so far beaten the system of paying for any of her misdeeds.

  Miss Crowe had already told Zachary she wasn’t leaving Gabrielle’s house until Bennie was gone. Zachary didn’t want his aunt getting in the middle of anything. In fact, he didn’t want Bennie there at all. But Gabrielle had explained to him that Benjamin Booker was still her father. It didn’t seem right to just turn him out on the streets without anywhere to go. He appeared to be a truly changed man, although when pressed about it, Gabrielle had to admit that she was too young to remember much about who he had been before he murdered her mother.

  “But he says he’s saved now, Zachary,” Gabrielle said. “Who am I to argue that he’s not? I can’t judge him on where he stands with the Lord. But I will say that if at any time I see his actions lining up differently from that, I’ll have him out of here faster than he can take a second breath. I’ll not put me or my daughter in danger to discover whether I’m right or wrong about my father.”

  Zachary shook his head. “Okay. Then why don’t you do this. Why don’t you let him come to my house and stay? Aunt Esther is already here at your house anyway. She claims to help out with Jasmine and to work on the wedding plans, but I know my aunt.”

  “Yeah, I know your aunt, too. She doesn’t trust Bennie. I told her I can take care of myself.”

  Zachary took her hand and held it. “You might as well not waste your breath on Aunt Esther. Once she’s made up in her mind to do a thing, she becomes like cement that’s been poured and hardened in whatever form it was poured into.”

  “Well, my father is my problem. I won’t be punting him off on you or anyone else for that matter.” Gabrielle glanced down at her hand and how gingerly he was holding it.

  “You’re just as bad as Aunt Esther. I don’t know what I’m going to do with the two of you,” Zachary said.

  Gabrielle smiled. “Love us. That’s what you’re going to do with us. You’re going to do just what you’re doing now and love me, love Jasmine, and love your aunt.”

  Zachary raised Gabrielle’s hand up to his lips and gently placed a kiss on it before lowering it back down. “You’re right. And part of loving someone is to protect them, something your father apparently didn’t know before and I’m not convinced that he knows now.” Zachary shook his head. “I don’t feel good about that man being here. I just don’t. Call me overprotective; call me crazy, but I don’t want him here alone with any of you. So give me a little peace of mind and let’s move him into my place. He can come over here whenever the two of you want. In fact, I’ll be more than happy to bring him after I come home from work.”

  “I don’t want him at your house when you’re not there, Zachary. And the truth is, you’re not home most of the day.”

  “So . . . what? You think he’s a thief? You think he’ll rob me?” Zachary sat back against the couch. “If he’ll steal from me, then that means he’ll likely steal from you. I don’t care about my stuff, but I do care about you.”

  Gabrielle smiled. “I know you care about me. And I’m not saying that I believe he steals. But Zachary, I don’t know this man, either. You’re offering to allow a perfect stranger into your home. When it
comes to me, he’s my father. If anyone has to put themselves out there for him, it should be me.”

  “Why? What has he done for you? You don’t owe him anything. He wasn’t even here for you when you needed him. He was the one who took your mother from you. I don’t mean to be cruel, but these are the facts.”

  “They are the facts,” Bennie said, standing quietly in the den entranceway.

  Zachary stood to his feet. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be hateful, but—”

  “But . . . you love my daughter. You want to take care of my daughter. You want to protect . . . my daughter. You’re doing what I’ve not been around to do.” Bennie walked into the den where Gabrielle continued to remain seated.

  “I do love Gabrielle. I love Jasmine. And I don’t trust you. I’m sorry, but I don’t,” Zachary said. “You murdered her mother—”

  “Zachary, that’s enough,” Gabrielle said, looking sternly at him.

  “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t keep saying that. But the thought of a man, any man, being violent to a woman causes my blood to boil.” Zachary balled his hand into a fist and punched it down into the air.

  Gabrielle stood up and rubbed Zachary’s back. She knew he was not only thinking of her mother, but his sister who had been beaten and died after her boyfriend set her on fire. Her father was bringing up all of the thoughts and emotions Zachary was trying so hard to keep buried regarding his sister’s death that had eventually caused Zachary to become a burn specialist.

  Bennie came and stood face to face with Zachary. “Son, I was wrong all those years ago. I’ve come to a place in my life where I openly own what I did wrong. I was sent away to prison, away from everything in my life that I held dear, the most important being my baby girl here.” He nodded toward Gabrielle, and then turned back to Zachary. “I had anger issues that have since been resolved. Not through counseling, although I did get that. But through getting to know the greatest Being who ever walked on the face of this earth: Jesus Christ. The one who died on the cross for my sins before I ever even committed them. The one who was buried in a borrowed tomb. The one God raised up from the dead that Sunday morning and who now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercessory on each one of our behalves.”

  Bennie placed his hand on Zachary’s shoulder. Zachary instantly turned his head toward his hand. “I’m not the same creature I was. I’m not. Granted now, I’m not all I desire to be. But I thank God I’m not what I used to be, do you hear me? I’m trying to live my life for the Lord. Whatever I can do to make things right, I’m trying to do that.”

  Gabrielle was sniffling at this point. Bennie turned to her and, putting his arms around her, pulled her close to him. “I can’t bring your mother back, baby girl. Believe me: If God told me that I could trade my life and He would bring your mother back to you I would do it in a heartbeat. I mean that. But that’s not going to happen. So all I can do is try to make things right for you now. Understand?”

  Gabrielle nodded. Zachary slowly shook his head. This was hard for him. He knew Gabrielle wanted nothing more than to believe her father, believe he truly was a different person. Zachary understood that much. But if trusting a person was the only way one could tell if one can trust a person, he wasn’t sure that Bennie wouldn’t hurt Gabrielle again.

  Bennie pushed Gabrielle away from him slightly and looked into her eyes. “If you want me to leave, I’ll pack my things right this second and like smoke in the wind be gone. So don’t you be worrying about me. I’m going to be all right. I didn’t come here to cause you any more pain than I’ve already done. I appreciate you allowing me to stay these three weeks. I’ve been trying to find work, but it’s not easy out there for someone with my kind of record.”

  “I know, Daddy. I know. And with the economy already a wreck, too, I know.”

  “Yep. And for whatever reason, society says you may have paid your debt by being locked up, but we’re still not going to give you a break once you come back out amongst us. Nobody seems to want to hire an ex-con.” Bennie shook his head. “But I’m not giving up. I don’t mind sweeping floors, cleaning toilets, digging ditches—”

  “They have machines to dig ditches now,” Zachary said clearly frustrated.

  “Yeah. I’ve been reading the flying rolls.”

  “Flying rolls?” Zachary said.

  “Yeah, you know . . . scrolls. It’s like the handwriting on the wall. I’m not equipped to work, but if I don’t have a job I can’t support and sustain myself. So then what am I left with?”

  “That’s why it’s fine that you stay here while you get yourself together,” Gabrielle said.

  “But if it’s going to cause you problems or stress,” Bennie said to Gabrielle before turning to Zachary, “or you distress, then I’ll get my stuff and move on. I asked my sister about possibly staying with her, but she shut me down before I could get the words out of my mouth good. But there are other places.”

  “Of course,” Gabrielle said. “Aunt Cee-Cee and the whole gang were trying to stay here with me last year at one point.”

  “Yeah, she did sort of mention that, inferring that you’re somewhat not appreciative of all she’s done for you,” Bennie said.

  “More like to her,” Zachary said. “What they did to Gabrielle.” He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. Some habits are just hard to break.”

  “I’m sure Aunt Cee-Cee called me an ingrate,” Gabrielle said. “I try to forgive, but I’m not going to just lie down and let folks step all over me. If you knock me down, I’m going to get up and stop the spiking of the heels.”

  “You are your father’s daughter,” Bennie said with a chuckle. “That’s the Booker blood in you. But I’m not going to do anything to hurt you ever again, not if I can help it. So if I need to go to a homeless shelter while I get things together, I’ll do that.”

  “If I might interject,” Zachary said. “I don’t feel comfortable with you being here. I’ve offered to let you come live at my house.”

  “And I’ve told him that won’t be necessary,” Gabrielle said, giving Zachary the eye before pivoting back to her father. “You can stay here. I have the room and you are my father.”

  “I appreciate that,” Bennie said. He took her hands and held them.

  Zachary came and took Gabrielle’s hands out of Bennie’s. “I do have one other possible solution.” He stood squarely in front of Gabrielle. “The other house that’s presently in your possession.”

  Gabrielle frowned. “The other house? Are you talking about Jessica’s house?”

  “Yes. It’s vacant. There’s furniture in it. We could have the utilities turned on and it would be perfect for Bennie.”

  “I can’t do that,” Gabrielle said, taking her hands out of Zachary’s.

  “Why not?”

  “Because, Jessica left that house for Jasmine. I’m merely the guardian.”

  “Yeah. And Jasmine has a home here with you. And after we get married”—he touched her face with his right hand—“you both will be living in my house with me, which will effectively become our house.”

  “I’m not trying to be any trouble. I’m sorry this has turned into that,” Bennie said.

  Zachary threw a hard glance Bennie’s way, almost appearing to tell him to shut up while he and Gabrielle were discussing this.

  “I don’t think it would be right for me to use the house in that way,” Gabrielle said. “It’s Jasmine’s house. I’m just keeping things for her until—”

  “Gabrielle,” Zachary said with a grin. “Jasmine is nine years old. I think there will be plenty of time for her to have the house even if you did something with it right now. It’s not good for a house to sit unoccupied. At the very least, Bennie here”—Zachary nodded toward Bennie—“would be helping out because he could maybe clean things that need cleaning. You know: Get the spider webs out and things like that. I wouldn’t doubt if Benjamin has some handy traits lurking in him where he could fix some things that
may need attention.”

  “I can do that. I’ve always been good with my hands. If you’d like me to go somewhere and do something, I can do that. No problem,” Bennie said.

  “I don’t know. You being here so far hasn’t been a problem, either,” Gabrielle said to Bennie.

  “Well, whatever you want, I’m with it. I’m just thankful not to be out on the streets right now. There are many in my predicament who are not as blessed,” Bennie said.

  “For now, I think it’s best that you stay here. But I may get you to help me do some things over at the other house,” Gabrielle said to Bennie. “I do need to do something with that house to ensure it remains in tip-top condition for Jasmine.”

  “Did somebody call my name?” Jasmine said, skipping into the den.

  Gabrielle hugged Jasmine when she came over and stopped.

  “Girl, you need to slow your roll,” Miss Crowe said. “I’ve told you I’m not as young as I used to be. I can’t be running and skipping and stuff.” Miss Crowe placed her hand on her chest.

  Bennie hurried over to Miss Crowe, beating Zachary to her. “Let me help you, Esther.” He walked with her over to the couch, where she slowly lowered her body down. “I don’t know why you be perpetrating. Talking about ‘slow your roll.’ ” He giggled slightly. “You know you have plenty of pep left in your step.”

  Miss Crowe looked up at him without cracking a smile. “I’ve told you not to bother trying to sweet-talk me. I’m not falling for it.” Miss Crowe adjusted her body better. “Zachary, I need you to find something to do.”

  “You’re getting rid of me, Aunt Esther?” Zachary said.

  “Yes, I am. And take Casanova Lite with you. We womenfolk have some business we need to take care of,” Miss Crowe said to Zachary, then winked. “Miss Jazz, come on over and bring that folder so we can show your mother what we’ve found thus far for the wedding.”

  “I know I’ve not said this, and I certainly have not been asked, but I pray you’ll allow me to attend and possibly give you away at your wedding,” Bennie said.