by Miss KP
After goin’ through all of the processes it was time to see Carlos’ remains. Surprisingly, they allowed both of us to view him, after Marisol went off on one of the medical examiners. It was so cold in the room where his body was kept that we both began to shake before they even lifted the white sheet.
“Now, I have to warn you that the body is badly decomposed due to it being under the water for so long. It probably isn’t even gonna be recognizable, but because bodies decompose faster in the air and underground surprisingly there was a small amount of tissue remains that has some markings on it. We believe it may be a birthmark or tattoo that you might be able to recognize. If not, then we’ll have to count on dental records,” the assistant medical examiner stated. “Are you ready?”
Marisol shook her head. “Yes.”
My eyes immediately filled wit’ tears, and the guilt set in even further when the examiner finally lifted the sheet. As much as I’d prepped myself, I was still shocked at what I saw. There was no hair, no recognizable body parts, just bits and pieces of gray colored tissue that smelled like rottin’ fish. Luckily, I caught Marisol before she fell to the floor.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” the examiner asked.
“Yes, I’m sure she’ll be fine. This is just too much. Can we hurry up and get this over wit’?” I said, holdin’ onto Marisol’s arm.
“Sure. As you can see in this area of tissue, there’s a marking that appears to be tattoo or something,” the examiner pointed out.
Tryin’ to get a closer look, I stared in the area that he was referrin’ to and could easily make out part of the tattoo that used to be on Los’ arm; a tattoo that had the initials M.O.B. which stood for Money Over Bitches. When I looked at Marisol, it was if she knew.
“It’s him! That’s my husband,” she said, then cried quietly. “Can you give us some time alone, sir?”
“Of course,” the medical examiner answered as he placed the sheet back over Carlos’ remains.
“Oh my God, Rich it’s him.”
I shook my head. “I know.”
“I want you to stay with me please,” she cried.
“I wouldn’t dare leave you.” I stepped behind Marisol and put my arms ard her as she stared down at the sheet.
“First, Mia is diagnosed with Leukemia, and now it’s confirmed that my husband is gone. What am I gonna do without him Rich? Carlos was my everything!”
“I’m gonna be here for you through it all. Anything you need from me, I owe it to you.”
“We need to be there for each other.”
I instantly noticed the slip up. However, Marisol was so distraught that she didn’t even realize that I said I owed her.
“Whoever did this to my husband is gonna get an old fashion, slow, Columbian death. Rich, I’ve killed before over money and loyalty, but this shit is on another level. They will pay,” Marisol stated.
“Umm, excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt you guys, but we’re not allowed to have you in here alone for an extensive amount of time. So if you…”
“No, please don’t make me leave my husband. Please don’t!” Marisol screamed ‘til we finally carried her out.
Once they sat us in another room, we were told that although they believed Carlos died from drownin’ because his remains were found in the trunk in the car, the state still demanded that they perform an autopsy. Hearin’ that, I wasn’t sure how I felt. I was positive that once they studied his bones, they were sure to find evidence of the gun shot wounds. From there it would probably be a homicide investigation, which really would cause some drama. The last thing I needed was the cops sneakin’ around my crib and askin’ me questions.
On the way back to my house, Marisol’s eyes were blood shot red from cryin’ and probably lack of sleep. I let her know that she didn’t have to go to her house in Potomac and be there alone, so she agreed stayin’ at my house would be best. Once we finally made it back from Baltimore, I helped Marisol out of the car and into the house. She was out of it, but was coherent enough to ask for some water to take a couple of Excedrin PM’s. Before she passed out, she let me know that it was okay for me to call Uncle Renzo. She obviously wasn’t in the mood to talk to him, and little did she know, I wasn’t either.
After Marisol fell asleep, I gave Juan a call and updated him on what was goin’ on. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before Uncle Renzo would be in town on our heels; ready to blame whomever he could for Carlos’ death. Juan assured me that his conversation wit’ Lisa went well and that I had nothin’ to worry about. Apparently, she was on board and knew that any slip up would put all of our lives at risk. After hangin’ up wit’ Juan, I built up the courage to call my Uncle. The phone only rang once before he answered.
“Yes, Rich, what is it?”
“Hey Unc’ umm, I don’t know how to say this but umm…”
“Spit it out Rich, what are you trying to tell me, time is money.”>
“Well, umm..”
“Land the plane Rich, I’m handlin’ business. Don’t fuck with my money. Is it my son? Is that what it is?”
“Yes. Today me and Marisol went to Baltimore to view a body and it was Los’.”
“What the fuck do you mean?”
“Well, she got an anonymous call from a woman sayin’ that Los’ body was dumped in Baltimore.”
“What!”
“She called her PI and asked him to look into it. He called…”
“So, the cock sucker that I’m paying looked into this without contacting me. He’ll be dead by the morning. This is unacceptable. Why didn’t Marisol call me, where is she?”
“She’s upstairs sleep. She’s really out of it. This is hard for us all. Marisol’s intentions were to find out if the tip was real or was some bullshit before she called to let you know anything. That’s why I’m callin’ now.”
“Oh my God! You better find out who’s responsible for this, Rich. His blood is on your hands. What kind of shit did you get Carlos wrapped up in?”
“Nothin’! You’re the one who kept a secret and didn’t tell us we were brothers, and now you’re pointin’ blame at everyone but yourself!”
“Don’t you dare talk to me with disrespect!”
“We’re all mournin’, Unc’. We’re all hurtin’!”
Before I could go any further, the phone went dead. Now, I was convinced that I was on borrowed time and I knew that I would have to act fast in order to survive.
Chapter Eleven
LISA
Over the past three nights, I’d been dreaming about Carlos nonstop. Dreams of us raising a family together and moving away to some low key spot in Europe. It felt so good that sometimes I wanted to stay asleep especially during our passionate lovemaking sessions. Even when I wasn’t asleep I constantly thought about the times we shared together and what could’ve been if he wasn’t ripped away from me. Something told me that despite his marriage to Marisol eventually he would’ve left her for me. His body language often told me that he wanted me to be his girl, and I knew if he’d gotten the chance to see Carlie…that would’ve been the icing on the cake.
I constantly flooded my mind with good thoughts of him. Not the fact that someone had contacted Marisol about the location of his body. Not only did I block out what his remains must’ve looked like, but I didn’t even want to think about what Uncle Renzo had planned to do now that Carlos’ death was finally confirmed. My main focus was to somehow keep my name out of anything relating to his murder and to protect my beautiful baby girl. If Uncle Renzo ever got suspicious, Rich was gonna have to deal with that shit on his own. He was gonna be the one to go down…not me.
In a rush to see Carlie, I quickly got dressed, throwing on a fitted turtleneck and a pair of jeans, with my black fur vest and matching boots. Even though I shouldn’t have been concerned about appearances, I tried to be on point when I visited Carlie to erase the perception the hospital staff had of me. Especially that nosey-ass social worker who’d already labeled me
an unfit mother. I hated that bitch, and needed her off my case.
Thirty minutes later, I pulled into a parking space and power walked up the sidewalk, slushing my feet through the water from all rain we’d been getting. As I made my way into the hospital and up to the NICU, I spotted Nurse Brooks. With an outdated Northface jacket on, it looked as if she was getting ready to start her shift.
“Well, hello Lisa. How are you feeling this cold winter morning?”
“I’m okay, any updates on my baby girl?”
“She’s definitely progressing and has been able to do a better job at mastering her feedings. We’re just hoping within the next couple of weeks her lungs will develop even more so she can be ready to come home with mama.”
“Yeah, I would like that a lot.”
“I’ll keep praying for you and that beautiful daughter of yours.”
“Thanks I’m going to need it.”
“You’ll be fine. Now, let’s go and get you all ready so you can nurse that baby girl and think about her coming home to you. That’s all that matters right about now.”
“You’re right. Thanks for being so caring,” I said, as we both got on the elevator.
Within a few minutes, Nurse Brooks got me set up in my private nursing room with Carlie, who was fast asleep. As I held her, I admired the way she was fighting for her life and yet still managed to look so peaceful. It was as if she didn’t have a care in the world. It made me think about how I let the small things in life bother me so easily. At that moment, I decided to whisper a sweet poem to her that my father used to say to me when I was little.
My sweet precious baby girl, do you know that you’re my world. Laying there without a care at peace, rest my child enjoy your sleep.
Before I could continue, the sound of my voice must’ve awakened her because her eyes slowly began to open.
“Hey, sweetie. You ready to eat for mommy.”
I pulled out my right breast, lowered my bra then placed my nipple by her mouth, but she wouldn’t latch on so. “Come on Carlie. You need mommy’s milk.”
After trying this for at least five minutes, I decided to give up. The last thing I wanted was for her to be hungry so I called Nurse Brooks in to give me a bottle full of the breast milk I’d already pumped. Happy that the hospital was able to store my nutrients, I couldn’t help but smile when Carlie took the bottle like a pro.
“That’s it. Eat up so you can get big. Mommy needs you to come home,” I said, playing with her soft jet black hair.
After only drinking one ounce, I stared down at her as she peered up at me. Even though it was a priceless bonding moment, I started to feel sad when thoughts of my daughter growing up without a father entered my mind. I really hoped that I could give her a life of happiness and raise her differently then I’d raised Juan and Denie. A world without drugs and violence. In the Sanchez family, that appeared to be a perfect world, but I was determined to become a better mother. I was gonna do things right this time.
All of my thoughts were suddenly interrupted when my phone rang. It was Cornell. He’d been calling me for days, but with all that was going on, I hadn’t accepted any of the calls. Realizing that he was very persistent, I finally decided to answer.
“Hello.”
“Wassup stranger?”
“Why did you say that?”
“Well, I haven’t talked to you since we met so that qualifies you as a stranger. What’s been up? You alright? You sound like you just lost your best friend.”
“I sorta did? You know we had a death in our family, so I was dealing with that. Plus,
I’ve been busy visiting my daughter in the hospital. It’s just been very stressful.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Should I call back at a better time?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“So, how old is your daughter?”
At that moment, I’d totally forgot that Cornell and I had yet to discuss Carlie. I knew that what I was about to say could possibly scare him off, but if he wanted to fuck with me he had to accept her, too. “She’s a newborn. She’ll be six weeks tomorrow, actually.” Silence immediately fell over the phone. “Hello.”
“Umm…yeah I’m here. I didn’t know that you’d just had a baby,” Cornell replied in a disappointed tone.
“You didn’t ask,” I said with a smile. I hoped sarcasm would lighten the mood. “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all. As long as you ain’t with her father we should be straight.”
Please, if her father was still here we wouldn’t even be talking right now, I thought. “No, he passed away.”
“Damn, everybody in your circle is fallin’ off,” Cornell said with a slight chuckle.”
“Very funny. You better be glad I have a sense of humor.”
“So, how’s the baby? Why is she in the hospital?”
“She was born a bit early,” I replied. There was no way in hell I was gonna tell him about the drugs, so I hoped he didn’t ask. “She’s building up her strength and getting healthier every day. I just got finished feeding her actually.”
“Don’t you sound like the sweet mama?”
“I’m just enjoying the only peace I have in my life right now and just trying to concentrate on my future with her.”
“Well, am I goin’ to be a part of that? That future thing sounds good to me.”
His comment made me blush like a high school crush. “If you act right. You know how you athletes are.”
“Man, I’m tired of hearin’ that. One thing I can promise you, when I have a woman that I’m in love with, I treat her as if she’s the only lady on this earth.”
“Blah, blah, blah. Haven’t I heard this all before?”
“Alright Miss Lady, you either gonna let me take you out and give me a chance, or I’ma let you think what you want about me and wonder later about what could’ve been.”
“Wow, did I hit a nerve, sir?”
“No, I just don’t want to go back and forth about what I can do to change your life and what you’re used to. It’s too early in the morning for that.”
“Well, what are you doing up anyway? Where are you?”
“The early bird catches the worm,” he said, letting out a slight laugh. “Naw, for real I’m about to hit the gym for a few hours. So, is it a date or what?”
“It’s a date. Come pick me up around six.”
“Bet.”
“And Cornell, don’t tell Juan.”
“I won’t. Kiss the baby for me,” he addd before hanging up.
Shocking myself, I couldn’t believe I’d decided to go on a date with him. For some reason he put me in a better mood and at that point, I started to think that maybe he was what both Carlie and I needed. I knew once Juan found out he would be furious, but I didn’t care. Cornell was a millionaire and if I played my cards right, he could potentially be my future for me and Carlie. Since Cornell didn’t have any kids and didn’t appear to have a girlfriend, I was sure that I could make my way into his life. No baby mama drama was a plus and I knew that with him only being twenty-eight years old, I could work my mojo.
After my visit with Carlie, I ran a few errands and by the time I made it home, I only had an hour left before Cornell arrived. Although I could’ve used a power nap so I could be well rested, I quickly hopped in the shower and lathered up in my favorite vanilla bath gel. Even when I got out, I kept the vanilla scent going with the lotion, and body spray. I knew that he would go crazy from the aphrodisiac scent.
Going in my closet, I placed the tip of my index finger in my mouth trying to decide what to wear. It had been years since I’d gone on a date, so I had to impress. I can’t even call me and Carlos’ rendezvous real dates, I thought then stopped at my shoe section.
Since he was 6’ 7’ I was sure that my five inch Gucci platform boots would put me only a foot away from his gorgeous lips, so I decided to grab them. Making my way to my lingerie drawer, I put on a sexy black Badgely Mischka thong
set. I had no intentions on letting Cornell see it tonight, it was just that I needed to feel sexy in order to open up and show him the real Lisa. Since I’d been nursing Carlie, my breasts were looking quite yummy and I knew that it was important to wear something sexy enough to tease him. At that moment, I thought it was a good idea to put on my black fitted Cavalli dress that tastefully hugged my curves.
Once I got dressed, I sat at my vanity and started on my hair and make-up. Searching through my numerous eye palettes, I decided on three warm colors so I could create a great smokey eye. Looking in the mirror, I admired my new look. Thinking back, I couldn’t believe that I’d let my hairstylist Jermaine, give me a choppy bob. With the exception of when those bastards cut off my ponytail, my hair hadn’t been this short since the tenth grade, but I liked it. It gave me more character and pizzazz.
After I completed my look, something suddenly came over me. I was convinced that I needed to go on the internet to see what the media had to say about my date before he arrived. As I opened my laptop, I wondered if it was a good idea, but the nosey side me made me proceed. Once my laptop was loaded, I went to my Google search engine and typed in Cornell Willis’ girlfriend. I knew that if he’d ever taken a picture of him and some woman, it would be posted on at least one gossip blog.
There was nothing under images, but there was a link to some pro athlete girlfriend website. As soon as I began to read the posts, it was unbelievable how all types of jump offs went on the site and posted their sexual experiences with different athletes. Surprisingly, there weren’t too many things on Cornell. One girl just said he was an asshole and extremely cheap. I figured she must’ve been an after the club chick he’d hit and rolled out.
When I couldn’t find anything else on Cornell, I started to explore other players and couldn’t believe what these girls were saying. Most of them were married, which led me to believe that their wives couldn’t possibly know about the website. This was one of the main reasons why I didn’t want to date an athlete. Then I thought about it. I was married to a drug dealer for almost two decades and he cheated the whole time. At least these guys had guaranteed money and a real job. The more I thought about it, the more enticed I was to give Cornell a chance. Grabbing my phone out of my purse, I texted Cornell to see how far away he was. I wanted to get out of the house before Juan got home. As soon as he texted back to say he was less than ten minutes away, I heard Juan punching in the ADT code to enter the house. Shit, just my luck.
