Stalker

by Brenda Hampton

  “It’s about a mile or so from where I live. I may have to take you there one day, just so you can see for yourself. Again, I’m not saying these wings are bad. The sauce just needs to be a little spicier for me. I like spicy food.”

  “I do too. And I’ll take you up on your offer, whenever you’re ready to take me there.”

  We laughed, and within minutes, we were at Clinton’s apartment. Velma was standing outside talking to another woman. This time, she had on a sweat suit and her hair was in a ponytail with a big puffball in the back. Clinton turned to me with a blank expression on his face.

  “Thanks for the wings. I’ll see you around eight tomorrow morning. Something tells me this is going to be a long night.”

  “Maybe so, because she doesn’t look too happy. How about I pick you up around noon? Get some rest and I’ll see you at noon.”

  “Okay, cool. See you then.”

  Clinton could barely get out of the car before Velma came up to him, hooting and hollering about how long he’d been gone. She pointed her finger at his head. “See, nigga, you play too fucking much. You couldn’t even call me?”

  I didn’t want her to say anything to me, so I drove off, looking in my rearview mirror. She was all up in Clinton’s face. He ignored her and walked inside. I hadn’t a clue what was up with that relationship. It was one that puzzled the heck out of me.

  I was happy to be home, but to my surprise, as soon as I got out of the car, Brent’s car came speeding down the street. He hurried out of it to catch me before I went inside.

  “Are you ready to talk to me like you got some sense?” he yelled. “You know damn well that you flattened Lajuanna’s tire. Who else did it but you, Abby?”

  I crossed my arms, stepping a few inches back because he was too close. “How many times do I have to tell you that I had nothing to do with the damage to her car? If I did, you would know all about it. As would she. Now, good night, Brent. Go home and enjoy some quiet time with your wife.”

  I started to walk away, but he tightly grabbed my arm. I snatched away, but he grabbed it again, holding it tighter than he’d done before.

  “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you’re traveling down a dangerous path,” he barked. “And—And when did you start dating somebody else? Were you fucking him while you were fucking me?”

  I answered by spitting in his face. That surely made him release me, but he responded with rage. He shoved me backward, causing me to fall hard on my ass.

  “Don’t you ever do that shit to me again!” he shouted. “What in the hell is wrong with you, huh?”

  I laughed after seeing him so unhinged. “What’s wrong with me? You mean, what’s wrong with you. I told you to stay away from me, Brent. You made your choice, so why are you still calling me and coming over here. I don’t get this, and who I’m fucking is none of your business.”

  He pointed his finger at me. “I have a bad feeling about you. I want you out of my life, and I do not believe it was a coincidence that you were at the pool hall tonight.”

  I got off the ground and wiped my scraped knee. My face was scrunched. My feelings were quite bruised because every time he said it was over, I felt anger inside.

  “In case you forgot, I was the one who told you about the pool hall. I used to go there way before you ever knew about that place. I’m not going to stop going places because you want me to. I’m not going to stop fucking who I want to, and to answer your question, hell, yes, I was seeing him at the same time I was seeing you. I just didn’t want to choose, so I didn’t.”

  Brent caught me off guard when he grabbed the front of my shirt, gathering it in his hand. He pushed me back, this time against my car. His other fist was tightened, and his eyes narrowed as he spoke through gritted teeth.

  “You’re a whore.” His spit sprayed in my face. “A fucking whore who better stay the hell away from me and my wife if you know what’s good for you.”

  He yanked me forward, then slammed me against the car before releasing my shirt. The real Brent had finally shown. I never thought he would put his hands on me, but there he was showing every bit of his ass. His finger was pressed against my temple.

  “I don’t know why I ever got involved with you. It’s too late to have any regrets, but fuck you, Abby. Have a nice life with your other man, and tell him to stay the hell away from me too.” He pushed my head with his hand, then walked back to his car.

  I yelled out to him. “Wimpy bastard! Got your feelings hurt, didn’t you? How does it feel? Feels good, doesn’t it? Now you want to come here and accuse me of doing something that I didn’t do! Go to hell, Brent, and take your hooker-looking-ass wife with you!”

  He ignored me, got in his car, and sped off.

  My body was aching from him pushing me on the ground and shoving me against the car. I was sure there were visible bruises, and surely enough, I saw them when I went inside and took a shower. I took pictures of my injuries, but waited until morning to go to the emergency room and get a sling for my arm. I guess he was too stupid to realize that he had really screwed up. The evidence I would use against him was starting to pile up.

  Chapter Seven

  When morning came, my body was sore all over. My head was banging too, and after I took two aspirins, I put on some clothes. Kendal was already dressed for school, so we headed out together.

  “Do you want me to drop you off at school?” I asked.

  “No, I’m taking the bus.” Her mood was somber.

  “What’s wrong with you this morning?”

  “I didn’t get much sleep last night. Kept tossing and turning, and then I heard a lot of commotion going on outside. Who were you talking to? Brent?”

  “Yes, that was him. He’s having a difficult time letting go, so we had a little confrontation. Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. As long as you don’t start seeing him again. You need to let him move on.”

  I smiled, then reached into my purse to give Kendal some lunch money. My shoulder was stiff, and my body ached even more as I extended my hand to her.

  “Here’s some lunch money. And please don’t worry so much about my past relationship. Brent and I are done. Meanwhile, Clinton is coming back over today to get started on your closet. I’m not sure if he’s going to finish today, but I don’t see why not.”

  A smile appeared on her face. “That’s great. I saw your closet and was like daaang. He really did a good job. And he’s kind of cute. You should hook up with him and leave Brent alone for good, Mama. I doubt that it’s really over. If it was, he wouldn’t have been here last night.”

  “I’m not going to keep saying the same thing over and over again. Now, bye, Kendal. Have a good day, okay?”

  She walked off to go catch the bus. I waited until it came, and then I drove myself to the emergency room. When all was said and done, I pretended as if I was hurting real bad and left with a sling on my right arm. As soon as the nurse left the room, I lifted my phone, taking a picture of my arm in the sling.

  Since I didn’t have to pick up Clinton until noon, I made a stop to put some fear in Brent. It was almost ten o’clock. I assumed he was in class teaching. I knew the woman, Sarah, who worked at the front desk. She waved at me, questioning why I was there.

  “Brent left his keys at my place this morning,” I said to her. “I also need to give him something else.”

  “Go right ahead,” she said. “You already know where his classroom is.”

  I surely did, and with my high heels on, a tight skirt, and with my hair looking fly, I marched down the long hallway with a sling on my arm. A .22 caliber pistol was tucked inside of it, and if he said the wrong thing to me today, I sure as hell would use it.

  Before going inside of his classroom, I looked through the windowpane. Brent was in front of the classroom with a yellow shirt on, navy pants, and black shoes. A tie was around his neck, and his bald head was cleanly shaven with a shine. Glasses shielded his eyes, and his goatee was tri
mmed. He definitely looked like an intelligent teacher. The classroom was filled to capacity with mostly teenage white students, only two black. They were tuned in to him speaking with a book in his hand. But when I pulled on the door, many of their heads shifted in my direction. So did his. He was stunned.

  “Don’t mind me,” I said, looking at him. “Then again, you should. And while you’re in here teaching class, maybe I should teach them a thing or two, as well, especially the young ladies.”

  Brent stood stone-faced as I walked up to the chalkboard and started to scribble on it with chalk. “Rule number one,” I said out loud. “Do not date men who abuse you and treat you like crap. Two, do not date men who are married. Three—”

  “That’s enough,” Brent hissed as he walked up to me. “Get out before I call security.”

  “Three, do not date men who make threats and who want to play the victim, when they’re the ones who screwed you over.”

  I turned to the kids who all looked as if they were in shock. No one blinked, no one moved. That was, until Brent grabbed my arm again. I immediately lifted my sling, just so he could see the pistol inside. He slowly backed away with bugged eyes.

  “Uh, boys and girls, I want you all to get out of your seats and exit now. No questions, just do it.”

  It didn’t take long for chaos to erupt. Books were slamming, desks screeched on the floor, and there was a lot of pushing and shoving going on.

  “Get the hell out of my way,” one student shouted. “You guys are moving too slow.”

  “She has a knife or something. Oh my God!”

  Brent stood nervous as he watched his students trying to exit from one door. They panicked as they walked by me, but I wasn’t there to cause any of them harm.

  “Call security, the police, or whomever you’d like,” I said to Brent. “I have evidence that I’m the one who was battered. I had to let you know how serious this is for me, and if you ever put your hands on me again, you will pay with your life.”

  The bell rang, and it wasn’t long before the hallways filled with students from Brent’s class, along with students from other classrooms as well. Brent stood speechless. He wasn’t sure if I was going to blow his damn brains out or not. The fear in his eyes made me smile.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I whispered. “I love you too much to kill you. Love you too much to let you go too, so we will meet again.”

  I blew him a kiss before leaving. I wasn’t sure if he would contact the police or not, but as I rushed through the crowd of students, some of them pointed me out to other students. I hurried to my car, fleeing before more trouble ensued.

  Chapter Eight

  Clinton had just gotten started on Kendal’s closet when the police arrived. I suspected that they would come to my house, but with my car parked in the garage, I didn’t answer the door. Clinton asked me what was going on.

  “Last night, my ex came over and started harassing me,” I said as the doorbell rang again. “He also put his hands on me, so I contacted the police. They said they would talk to him, so I guess they’re back to tell me what he said. I don’t feel like dealing with this crap right now. That’s why I’m not going to my door.”

  “I don’t blame you one bit. And as for your ex, you need to have him arrested. That’s the only way you’re going to stop him.”

  “Either that or stop him with a bullet. I’ve never thought about hurting anyone in my life, but last night was the final straw.”

  I put that out there just to see how Clinton would respond. There was a chance that I would pay him to handle a few things for me in the very near future.

  “Don’t do anything stupid like that. He’s not worth it. You have too much to live for, and the last thing you want is to be locked away in a jail cell. Trust me, I know the feeling, and it ain’t no place for a woman like you to be.”

  “You’re so right. I know he’s not worth it, but I’m very upset about all that has happened. I just wish he would leave me alone. And to think, he’s the one married.”

  “That’s how some married men are. They want to have their cake and eat it too. It’s a good thing you ended things when you did.”

  I nodded, then looked out the window to see where the police officers had gone. There were two of them. They both were walking to their cars, getting ready to leave. That was a good thing, but I was sure they would be back.

  * * *

  Later that day, Kendal came home from school. Her closet was finished. She was ecstatic. “Oh my God,” she said, looking inside of it with wide eyes. “I love it! This doesn’t even look like my closet anymore. Thank you soooo much.”

  Clinton smiled from ear to ear, especially when Kendal gave him a hug. It made me feel good to see her so happy. If only I was too, but that was another thing.

  “You’re welcome,” Clinton said, then turned to me. “We need to get going. I told Velma I wouldn’t be too late today. I don’t want to cause any problems, if you know what I mean.”

  He was starting to irritate me with his concerns for Velma. I told him to gather his things so we could go, and then I made it clear to Kendal that she was not to open the door for anyone.

  “That includes the police. They want to talk to me about Brent. But do not open my door and tell them anything, okay?”

  She agreed not to. After that, Clinton and I left. I was real quiet in the car, thinking about how I was going to handle this situation with the cops. Nobody but Brent saw the gun. It would be my word against his. I was going to stick to that lie, in hopes that it would be enough to keep me out of jail.

  Clinton cleared his throat to snap me out of my thoughts.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked. “You’re awfully quiet over there.”

  “Just thinking about last night. I really don’t want to talk about it, because it upsets me. And putting that aside, I did want to apologize to you for causing trouble between you and Velma. It’s obvious that she doesn’t like me, and I understand her concerns with her man being with a woman she doesn’t like. The thing is, she doesn’t really know me so—”

  “So, it still doesn’t matter. Velma doesn’t like anyone but her friends she’s known for years. Don’t take it personal.”

  “She seems to like you a lot. And you seem to love her as well. I know the two of you have a baby on the way, but there seems to be many differences between the two of you. Meaning, are you two really compatible?”

  “I think we are, but, sometimes, I question that myself. I just take it one day at a time with her. The last thing I be trying to do is upset her, especially since she’s pregnant. So far, I haven’t been successful. And it doesn’t help that you’re a very attractive woman.”

  His comment made me blush. “You’re so sweet and nice. And there is no doubt that you have definitely upset her these past few days. I’m almost afraid to ask you to do any more work for me. That would mean you’ll be spending more time at my place. I’m sure she wouldn’t like that.”

  “She wouldn’t, but I need all the work I can get. Besides, I enjoy being in the presence of another beautiful woman every day. What man wouldn’t be happy about that?”

  “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Clinton Jackson? If so, you shouldn’t be doing that. Especially, since you have a sweet little ol’ innocent and pregnant girlfriend at home.”

  He laughed. “I wouldn’t say all of that, but pregnant she is. As for flirting with you, you know how we men do it. Regardless, I say those things to make you smile. You seem as if you got a lot going on, and I like to see you smile. Plus, I enjoy being around you. It feels good being in the presence of a woman I don’t have to argue with.”

  I had enjoyed Clinton’s company as well. And I needed him around more, to have a real effect on Brent. He bowled with his league on Thursday nights. I wanted to be there, but I didn’t know how I could convince Clinton to go along with me.

  “It’s good to know that someone cares about my happiness,” I said. “My ex surely doesn’t, but
it is what it is. By the way, I may need you to do a few more things for me in a couple of days. Until then, take good care of Velma and tell her I said hello.”

  I parked in front of Clinton’s apartment. This time, Velma wasn’t outside, but I saw him look around. He opened the door to get out of the car.

  “I don’t have a cell phone, but feel free to stop by if you need me Thursday. I can’t think of any other place where I will be, other than right here.”

  “Will do, Clinton. Thanks again.”

  He exited the car, and without a doubt, I would be back on Thursday to get him. After I left his place, I did my daily drive-by at Brent’s house. His car wasn’t there again, but Lajuanna’s car was. I wanted to get underneath her skin, so I parked my car in the driveway and went straight to the door. After I rang the doorbell, she yanked the door open and shot me a look that dared me to step forward.

  “Bitch, what is wrong with you? How dare you come to my house, as if I invited you here.”

  “If Brent can come to my house when he wishes, surely I can come to his when I want to. I just came here to tell you that he’s been harassing me. I don’t know what he’s told you, but he keeps calling me, keeps coming to my house, and when I saw him at the pool hall last night, he insulted the man I was with. They almost had a fight, but I told Brent he needed to back off. I’m just telling you this, because I know he’s been lying to you about everything.”

  She released a deep sigh. “He may be, and I’m going to check him on that too. Wait right there while I go call him.”

  She walked away from the door, but seconds later, she returned with a bat in her hand, swinging it down low.

  “You got one minute to get off my porch or else I’ma let your ass have it! I don’t give a shit what Brent is doing. Don’t you ever come to my house again!”

  She stormed out the front door with the bat in her hand. I damn sure didn’t want to get hit with it, so I rushed to my car, slamming the door after I got in. Lajuanna stared at me. I returned the evil glare right back at her.