Get Somebody New

by Lewis, Michael

  “Okay, I can appreciate the direct approach.”

  “Good. I’d like to evaluate a little more of your work before I say yes though.”

  “Sure. I have some more discs at home. I can go get them now.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I mean a different kind of work.”

  “Huh.”

  She leaned in closely.

  “I want to see what kind of work you can do with this.” She said as she grabbed the crotch of my pants.

  “Damn, they were right. I was warned about you. I’m sorry lady but I’m not interested in that kinda work.”

  “Let me correct you. I’m no lady. Now are you sure you want to turn down my offer? That would make me unhappy. You don’t want me to be unhappy do you? I wouldn’t want me to be if I were you.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “I don’t threaten, I promise. If I get what I want, you get what you want. If not, you won’t work in this city, let alone this industry again.”

  “I don’t like to prejudge people. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You probably didn’t even like my work.”

  “I do like it.”

  “Well then my work should stand on its own without a side order of dick to go with it!”

  “You are new to this and don’t really understand how things work. I’ll give you a chance to think this through, but you better not make me wait too long.”

  “Wait on what? You ain’t gotta wait. I can tell you now I ain’t trying to fuck with you like that. Besides, you are old enough to be my mother.”

  “Oh trust me baby, your mother couldn’t even imagine half of the things I plan to do to you.”

  “I’m outta here.”

  I couldn’t believe that woman just grabbed my shit like it was nothing. The thought of getting it in with that broad was enough to make my dick shrivel and hide.

  Rachel

  Never in a million years did I think that Elias would do what he did to me. My decision was already made when he hit me in the dark. I could never go back to him even with all the begging and pleading in the world. I should have seen it coming because he had been leading up to it. I should have gotten away from him then. I am no fool who has to be burned twice to understand fire.

  “Wake Up! Wake Up! Rid yourself of the poison in your life!” I heard a voice saying. I turned my head and found the voice was not in my head but on TV, on a religious program.

  The preacher went on to say all marriages are not meant to survive. Just because two people say vows in front of a preacher and God doesn’t mean it’s a match made in heaven. He said only marriages that God is behind are blessed. That is the meaning of what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Many people fight a losing battle trying to keep a broken marriage afloat when they shouldn’t be together in the first place.

  He challenged everyone to look deep within and ask some poignant questions. Are you happy with your mate? Does your mate want the same things you do? Does your mate love God? Will your mate protect you just as he or she would protect himself or herself? Does your mate think of the two of you as one or do they separate themselves from you? Does your mate strive as hard as you do? What is the top priority in your marriage?

  He also said to look around at the bountiful blessings that God has provided and ask yourself if God would place you in a marriage to be miserable. Marriage is supposed to be a gift and a blessing not a punishment or curse.

  The minister asked the same questions I’d asked myself many times before and all the answers were a big, fat, resounding NO! He hit the nail on the head about what troubled me for so long. All I could think about was Alton. In our last conversation Alton wondered why we kept praying for our marriages if God wasn’t answering.

  He suggested that our prayers weren’t being answered because God was trying to tell us something. When I took a good look at where I was, why I was there, and who came to my aid, tears just started flowing. It hurt so deeply that the man I loved had done this to me.

  When I thought about Alton my tears turned to a smile. I thought about his smile, his heavily southern- accented baritone voice, his chivalrous manner, the way he bashfully held his head down when I complimented his looks. I realized that I’d been paying attention to things I never knew I was. I could vividly picture the way he walked, the way he picked his food up when he took a bite, the way he smiles out of one side of his mouth when he is amused. I’d noticed everything about that man without actively focusing on it.

  I needed some fresh air. I got out of bed, put on my robe and slippers, and walked to the elevator. A man walking down the hallway reminded me of Alton. His lanky gait and bowed legs looked familiar. I looked down the hallway again to see if he was coming to the elevator but he was gone. I got a cup of coffee, went out to the patio behind the cafeteria, and took a seat at an empty table. I enjoyed the fresh air, scented with the aroma of gardenias from the garden. They were delightfully fragrant as their scent traveled the humid Atlanta night. I couldn’t get my depressing thoughts off of my mind and started to cry again.

  The man I’d seen in the hallway came out to the patio. He walked over to me and handed me a napkin before he began to talk. Alton was heavy on my mind because everything this man did reminded me of him. The way he walked, his long slim fingers, the way he picked up his cup when he sipped his coffee.

  “What’s wrong? Girl, you are too pretty to be crying like that.”

  “You’re sweet. I am just going through something right now.”

  “You want to talk about it?”

  “That’s awfully nice of you. I can see you have been through something terrible and here you are offering me your shoulder to cry on, thanks.”

  “It always helps to talk about it.”

  “Well I’m here because of my husband. He attacked me; actually I think he wanted to kill me. I feel like God has forsaken me. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do as a good wife but then this happened to me. I know I should never feel that God has betrayed me because I am still so blessed. There is a man, a friend of mine, who is going through something similar. I can’t stop thinking about him. He is the one who came to my aid and protected me. He saved my life and brought me here.”

  “I saw a sermon today about getting the poison out of your life. The minister said that many of us try so hard to hold on to the person we actually need to get rid of all in the name of marriage. We sometimes block our blessings trying to hold on to someone who’s killing us spiritually. If you allow someone to successfully kill your spirit you are as good as dead anyway. This body is only temporary, but the spirit is withstanding. The man said.”

  “I saw that sermon too and it really hit home with me.”

  “So this guy, your friend, do you like him?” He asked.

  “Yes, he is everything I want in a man. He is God-fearing, gorgeous, sincere, funny, caring, warm and a real gentleman. He has been nothing but kind to me even while he was having his own problems at home. I’ve also fallen for him.”

  “Do you know if your friend has feelings for you?”

  “I think he does.”

  “I have a strong feeling he may be in love with you also. He could be that blessing that you were blocking trying to hang on to the man that put you here?”

  “It’s funny you say that. All during that sermon I was thinking that same thing. Alton, that’s his name, could be the blessing in my life that I am blocking.”

  “I think you owe it to yourself to find out.”

  “I think I will. Thank you uh Mr.…. What did you say your name was?”

  “Eugene”

  “Okay, thanks Eugene.”

  “God bless you beautiful lady.”

  I went straight to my room and called Zeke to get Alton’s cell number.

  “Hello Zeke?”

  “Hey, Rah Rah how are you doing? I was just on my way to see you.”

  “Oh I am good. I’m calling because I want to get Alton’s
number. I want to thank him.”

  “Well, umm, he…. hold on a minute.”

  “Zeke, honey what’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Rah. Alton is in the hospital.” He said solemnly.

  “The hospital?”

  “Yes. He was in his truck on my driveway about to leave when someone drove up and…” Zeke said before the line went silent.

  Something bad happened to Alton but I didn’t know what? I was frantic because I just knew Zeke was about to tell me that someone shot Alton while he was sitting in his truck.

  About 10 minutes later, Zeke walked in the room with a little girl I recognized without having seen her before. She was a little version of Alton and cute as a button.

  “Hey Rae, I am so sorry. My phone died.”

  “I figured that. What happened to Alton?”

  “Someone threw a Molotov cocktail in his window.”

  “Oh my God! Who would do such a thing to him?”

  “I know Nadiah and Ingrid are tied to this somehow.”

  “She really is crazy if she did that. What hospital is he in?”

  “He is right here.”

  “In this hospital?”

  “Yeah, he’s right down the hall. Come with me. It will cheer him up to see you.”

  “Did he get burned badly?”

  “Well I couldn’t really tell. The fire melted his dash. I had to pry the door open to get him out and he was unconscious. They had him wrapped up with bandages after applying an antiseptic as a precaution but they said he could take the bandages off today.”

  I went with Zeke down the hall.

  “Hey cuz. Ready to take those bandages off?” Zeke asked.

  “I am not ready to face what may be underneath.”

  “Well I have two special visitors with me, Rachel and Paige.” Zeke replied.

  “So that WAS you! Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

  The man with the bandages was Alton. I thought the walk and the hands looked familiar.

  “I’m sorry. Once I knew how you felt about me, I wasn’t sure you would still feel that way if I was disfigured. I wanted to wait to see what I looked like before I told you. Please don’t be upset. I wasn’t trying to deceive you.”

  “Alton, I am not that shallow. I mean I love your face, but it’s not all I love about you. The person you are is more than a face.”

  “Will you take the bandages off? I don’t think I can do it.” He asked.

  “Sure.”

  I opened a sterile suture removal kit and used the small scissors to carefully cut the bandage while waiting anxiously to see his face. I didn’t care if there were scars or not. It was still Alton. I saw a glimpse of the skin on his forehead first. It was the same beautiful caramel brown color. Slowly I uncovered the features of his face one by one, his nose, his lips, and his neck. After I’d removed the whole bandage I looked at Zeke and said,

  “So what do you think?”

  “Well the most important thing is that he is alive and we love him. It doesn’t matter what he looks like.” Zeke replied.

  “Yeah that’s the important thing.” I said.

  Alton held his head down sadly. I quickly grabbed both sides of his face. I kissed his forehead first, then his cheeks, his nose, and finally his succulent, full, beautiful lips. As I kissed him, Zeke grabbed a handheld mirror.

  “You are beautiful to me, Alton.” I said as Zeke handed me the mirror.

  I slowly held the mirror up to Alton’s face so he could see what he looked like.

  “Thank you God! Thank you God!” he exclaimed. Man y’all scared the mess out of me with all that ‘it doesn’t matter what I look like’ crap. That’s stuff you say when you don’t want somebody to feel so bad about being jacked up!”

  “Daddy!” Paige said after recognizing her father without the bandages.

  When she held her arms out to him, I saw so much love for his daughter in his eyes.

  Alton was his same handsome, beautiful self.

  Eight

  Alton Allen

  Nadiah did what I hoped she would never do, she pushed me to the point of hating her. When I filed for my divorce I made it clear I didn’t want to waste time. I paid extra to have things expedited. I’d already separated my money and she only had access to what I gave her. Damned if I was going to be mistreated, almost murdered, then turn around and pay for her legal representation to try and clean me out. Had she not spent all her money on clothes and bullshit then she would have had some money. That’s what she was supposed to be working for but she spent that and the allowance I gave her in addition every month, all on herself and Ingrid.

  She stupidly tried to pull the alimony card. Nadia had an MBA from Berkley so it wasn’t like she couldn’t support herself. Getting alimony was a long shot. I also expected her to try to get Paige since she was a ticket to child support payments. My daughter wouldn’t be a pawn in Nadiah’s game against me. The pattern of her reckless and irresponsible behavior was well documented. I also had all of my hospital bills, discharge forms, and police reports to show her history of violence as well.

  Just like clockwork, she showed up at my mother’s house to pick up Paige. My mother called me and said Nadiah was there acting a “plum fool” so I rushed over to see what was going on. She was standing outside my mother’s house screaming at the top of her lungs that my mother had kidnapped her child in an obvious attempt to embarrass my mother into giving her Paige. She should have known better. When I got there my mom was about 2 seconds off Nadiah’s ass because she doesn’t play.

  Zeke and Jazz met me at my mom’s house. When I got out of the car Nadiah rushed up to me. Not knowing what she was about to do, I took a defense pose. Ingrid who’d been sitting in the car, jumped out at that point.

  “So you two think you are going to double team me? Remember what happened last time. Nadiah take your ass home. You know I don’t play when it comes to my mother.”

  “Fuck you. You think you can put me out of my house and divorce me and I’m gonna just sit and take it?”

  “I did, I can, and you will take it. You don’t have any other choice.”

  “Nadiah ran to my mother’s door and started beating on it like a madwoman. Open up this door bitch! I’ll break this door down if I have to.”

  No one calls my mother a bitch! Though my mother couldn’t stand Nadiah, she was always nice to her because of me. Nadiah had no cause to insult her like that.

  “Nadiah, you need to leave before you get hurt.”

  “You ain’t gonna hurt shit. I don’t know what I saw in you in the first place, you wuss.”

  “Okay, I’ll be a wuss but you need to get the hell off my family’s property.”

  All of a sudden Nadiah kicked my right leg and started punching and clawing at me. All I could think about was how I felt in that burning truck as my life flashed before my eyes. Before I knew it, I’d grabbed her by the head, picked her up, and started shaking her. Ingrid made a motion to come to her aid, but thought twice about it. I threw her into the yard just as the police turned the corner.

  The officer walked up and asked what was going on. Nadiah lied and said that I’d punched her in the face and that my mother was holding Paige hostage. While she was telling her exaggerated lies, the officer calmly cuffed her not me.

  “What are you doing? What is this?”

  “Ma’am, if he’d punched you you’d have a mark somewhere. The witnesses said you attacked him. He is the one whose face is all scratched up. You have been told repeatedly to leave the premises. I am taking you in for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and domestic abuse.”

  “Alton don’t let them take me, say something!”

  “Officer please drive fast as you can, pass go, and don’t stop!”

  “Alton how can you let this happen?”

  “Nadiah go to hell! I said as I turned and walked away.”

  Ingrid shook her head, got in her car, and drove off before the police had even left with
Nadiah. That gesture spoke volumes.

  The next morning was the court hearing for our divorce. They brought her to court in a bright, orange jail-issued jumpsuit. Just looking at her almost made my case. She hired Gail Milam, who has a reputation as one of Atlanta’s most vicious divorce attorneys. I would have been concerned, but I hired Richard Moss, Atlanta’s MOST vicious divorce attorney.

  It was only day one and I could see that Nadiah was going to try and play dirty. Her attorney tried to paint a picture of Nadiah as a neglected wife and insinuate that I’d been having an affair. My lawyer proved the opposite by introducing 2 love letters I found written to Ingrid.

  The female judge scolded her and her attorney about making a mockery of the judicial process. She said they were trying to use her court to railroad an honest man. All the evidence showed that Nadiah was nothing more than an adulterous snake and a gold digger that made all women look bad. She called the lawyer’s case a joke. She also blasted them for trying to paint Nadiah as neglected and alienated in an attempt to play on the judge’s feminine sensitivity, and said they should be ashamed of themselves.

  After court I went over to Zeke’s house.

  “Hey cuz, how was court?”

  “They tried to lie and the judge caught them and chewed both her and her lawyer’s asses out. They looked so simple after being thoroughly embarrassed and exposed.”

  “I would have paid to see that. Good is always vindicated in the end. Jazz spoke to the police today about your attack. He gave them the license plate number. They ran the number and traced it to a car rental company. When they contacted the rental office, guess who the car was rented to the day before?”

  “Nadiah?”

  “Close, it was Ingrid and Nadiah was listed as an additional driver.”

  “Now how dumb was that?”

  “Incredibly dumb. They were still looking for Ingrid about 4 hours ago, so they may have arrested her by now. I’ll check the website again.” Zeke said as he pecked away on his laptop.

  “They booked her at 3:15 P.M. today. She is charged with attempted murder. Let me check Nadiah too. Damn, they have her charged with attempted murder, arson, and felony assault as of today. They added the charges to the domestic assault and increased her bail. She was already in custody how convenient was that?”