by Doris Miller
Michael and the band members sit backstage at a theater getting their instruments ready. Diane D comes down the staircase with the Dianettes following right behind her. She looks towards Michael and the band members and tells them, “Let’s get ready to start the music guys. I want to hurry and hit the stage before we run into Mom and Aunt Celeste.”
“Okay Diane,” Michael says.
Diane D turns her head from Michael and the band members and walks away from the staircase as the Dianettes follow right behind her. Diane D and The Dianettes look around. Diane D turns her body around towards The Dianettes, gesturing for them to keep quiet.
Mary suddenly appears out of nowhere and says, “Hey girls.” Diane D and The Dianettes become startled, scream and stop as Diane D quickly turns her body around and sees Mary leaning against a wall with her arms folded. Diane D and The Dianettes puzzled stare at Mary. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Mary tells them. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Well you did Mom,” Diane D says. “What are you doing standing over there?”
“Waiting for you girls. I just want to check on you girls to make sure you all look okay before y’all go out on that stage. Wow, you all look very lovely tonight. Very lovely.” Mary leans off the wall. She walks towards Diane D and says, “Now Diane, before you go out there on that stage, where’s the bath oil? I want to rub it on all of your faces real quick.”
“Oh no not again Mom, we don’t have time for that! The show is about to start in a few minutes! Besides, Dad brought that bath oil back home with him after our last performance. I put that bath oil in my bag and told Dad to take my bag with him and he did.”
“What! You gave that bath oil bottle to your father?”
“That’s right Mom, I sure did. That bath oil is not here now, it’s home.”
“Oh no it isn’t Diaaaane!” a female voice from the side shouts. Diane D, Mary and the Dianettes all turn their heads to the side. They see Aunt Celeste standing several yards away at the backstage entrance with a couple of shopping bags holding a new bottle of bath oil shouting, “I had just found out fifteen minutes ago that your father had brought that bath oil bottle back home when he left backstage after your last performance! So as soon as I found that out, I went to the drugstore right down the street and bought another bath oil bottle for all of your faces girls!”
“You bought the girls another bath oil Celeste?” Mary asks.
“I sure did Mary!”
“Good. Just in time.”
“Let me put these bags down right over here.” Aunt Celeste goes to put the shopping bags down on a chair continuing to hold onto the bath oil. She bends back up and walks over to Mary and Diane D. “Here’s the bath oil Mary,” she says. “Do you want to rub it on their faces or you want me to do it?”
“I can do that real quick Celeste, because the show is about to start in a few minutes.”
“Okay then.” Aunt Celeste hands Mary the bath oil. Mary takes the bath oil as Aunt Celeste turns and walks away. Mary opens up the cap. She turns away from Diane D and walks towards a table. She lays the cap down on the table and pours a lot of bath oil in one of her hands.
Charlotte stands directly behind Diane D and holds Diane D’s arms. She whispers in Diane D’s ear and says, “Don’t fight it Diane, just bare with it for now, okay? It’s gonna be alright.”
Mary turns around towards Charlotte and shouts, “You’re right about that Charlotte, it’s gonna be alright! Because after I finish with Diane, you’re next! There’s plenty of bath oil to go around!”
Charlotte and the rest of the Dianettes look at Mary.
Mary then goes right to Diane D and says, “Here Diane, hold your head up a little.” Mary holds up Diane D’s chin. She starts to rub the bath oil all over Diane D’s face. Diane D has her eyes tightly shut as her mother rubs the bath oil all over her face. Mary soon finishes rubbing the bath oil on Diane D’s face.
Aunt Celeste walks over to Diane D carrying around 14 silver necklaces in her hands and around her arms and says, “Here Diane. I just bought these necklaces for you girls. I want you all to wear these necklaces while you’re on stage, okay? Here.” Aunt Celeste holds two necklaces over Diane D’s head. Mary holds back Diane D’s hair a little as Aunt Celeste brings the necklaces down around Diane D’s head and starts to wrap the necklaces around Diane D’s neck and chest. Aunt Celeste finishes putting the necklaces on Diane D. Diane D now has the necklaces around her neck. “There,” Aunt Celeste says. “Now remember Diane, don’t let any of those people take your jewelry, alright?”
Mary then goes right to the Dianettes with the bath oil in her hand and tells them, “Okay girls, you’re next.” Mary pours a lot of bath oil in one of her hands again as she stands in front of Charlotte.
Michael appears and says, “Are you girls ready? Your performance is about to start. Nicolas and Mickey just finished their performance, you all are next. Y’all got to get out on stage now.”
“Alright Michael,” Diane D says. “We’re on our way.” Diane D is about to walk away.
Aunt Celeste quickly grabs Diane D by the arm and says, “Wait a minute Diane.” Diane D turns to Aunt Celeste as Aunt Celeste tells her, “You can’t go out there now. The rest of you didn’t get your necklaces put on.”
“That’s right,” Mary says. “I didn’t get to put the bath oil on the rest of you either.”
“They don’t have any more time!” Michael shouts. “They have to get out on stage now! The people are waiting!”
“Well they’re just gonna have to wait Michael!” Aunt Celeste says.
“What? Wait? How can you say that Aunt Celeste? How can you make the people wait for the next performance?”
“Michael, Mary and I aren’t finished with the girls yet! It’s not gonna hurt the people to wait another twenty or thirty minutes!”
“Twenty or thirty minutes?!” Diane D shouts. “What more do you have to do to us Aunt Celeste?! Our performance is about to start now, any minute!”
“Look Diane, I paid a lot of money for these necklaces, and I paid a lot of money for that bath oil too, and I paid a lot of money for those outfits that you girls didn’t wear on your last performance!”
“And the people paid a lot of money to see all of our performances Aunt Celeste!” Michael shouts.
“Look Michael, I paid around two thousand dollars for these necklaces and the girls are going to wear them! I paid around ten dollars for that bath oil too! You all are not going to have my money go to waste! Now the quicker the girls put these necklaces and the bath oil on, the quicker they could get out on that stage! Now the rest of you girls put these necklaces on!”
“And the bath oil!” Mary shouts. She then jerks and pulls Charlotte by the arm and shouts, “Let’s go Charlotte!” Charlotte and the rest of the Dianettes scream a little as Mary pulls Charlotte towards her very rough.
Diane D pulls Charlotte away from Mary and shouts, “Don’t pull her like that Mom!” Diane D brings Charlotte behind her back and asks her, “Are you okay?” They suddenly hear music play outside in the theater. They all look towards the direction of the doorway. They then hear a loud announcement outside in the theater shouting, “Ladies and gentlemen, are you all ready for the next performance?!”
“Yeah!” voices of the crowd shout.
Diane D turns her head to Aunt Celeste, releasing her arm away from her and says, “We gotta go Aunt Celeste.” Diane D turns around and quickly heads towards the backstage doorway with the Dianettes quickly following right behind her.
Nicolas and Mickey suddenly appear in front of Diane D and the Dianettes. Diane D and the Dianettes stop as Nicolas says to them, “You girls ready? Because they’re about to announce you.”
“We’re on our way Nicolas,” Diane D says as she and the Dianettes go around Nicolas and Mickey and head for the backstage doorway.
Mary and Aunt Celeste look on anxio
usly and shout, “Wait! Wait a minute Diane!”
Diane D and the Dianettes stop in their tracks as they hear Mary’s voice say, “We’re not done with you girls yet!”
“Wait right there!” Aunt Celeste’s voice says.
Diane D and the Dianettes suddenly hear Mary’s and Aunt Celeste’s footsteps quickly coming behind them! Diane D quickly hurries out the backstage doorway with the Dianettes hurrying out the doorway behind her.
Mary and Aunt Celeste stop and become hysterical. They look at each other. They then look at Nicolas, Mickey and Michael as Mary tells them, “We’ll be right back fellas.” Mary and Aunt Celeste hurry out the backstage door as Nicolas, Mickey and Michael puzzled look on.
Mary and Aunt Celeste are running through the backstage hallway shouting, “Wait girls....wait!”
Diane D hurries down a long hallway. She quickly turns and hurries up a few steps! She hears the loud announcement again shouting, “Another family member is about to perform!” Diane D stops on the steps and listens as she hears, “Ladies and gentlemen, The Diaz-Davidson Organization presents Diane D And The Dianettes!” Diane D hears the crowd screaming and cheering as the music plays. She turns her head around. She does not see any of the Dianettes. She backs down the steps. She looks down the hallway and sees that Mary and Aunt Celeste has caught up with the Dianettes, trying to force the Dianettes to put on the necklaces! Diane D sees the Dianettes giving right in to Mary and Aunt Celeste, taking some of the necklaces trying to put them on. Diane D becomes angry. She pounds her fist against her palm and shouts, “Lonna! Kelly, Charlotte, Nancy, Bernice, Miranda, let’s go, get out on that stage!” as she angrily points her arm and finger right up the steps! The Dianettes hurry away from Mary and Aunt Celeste, trying to put some of the necklaces on as they run! They hurry towards Diane D! They then run past Diane D, turn and hurry up the steps as Diane D hurries up behind them!
The Dianettes hurry down another hallway!
Mary and Aunt Celeste hurry up the steps as they shout, “Wait girls....wait! You still have a few more necklaces to put on, wait!”
Mary and Aunt Celeste reach the top of the steps. They stop running and look down the hallway as Mary shouts, “Diane get back here!” Mary and Aunt Celeste continue to look on stunned and upset. They then look at each other as Aunt Celeste says, “We gotta get her.”
“Come on let’s go,” Mary says as she and Aunt Celeste start to hurry down the hallway.
The Dianettes quickly go behind the stage curtain. They form a straight line behind the curtain, one behind the other! They stand still. Then they all spread their arms out. Suddenly, the first Dianette jerks her head back, followed by the second Dianette, then the third Dianette, then the fourth, then the fifth, then the last, going like dominos until all the Dianettes have their heads back! They then separate the stage curtain and go through the opening one by one.
The crowd jumps and screams as the Dianettes suddenly appear out on the stage from behind the curtain! The Dianettes spread out on the stage. They start to sway their bodies back and forth as the music plays. Diane D does not appear from behind the curtain. The Dianettes turn and look at each other. Then they look back towards the curtain. The Dianettes look at each other again. They then nervously look back at the crowd as the crowd continues to scream and cheer!
Mary and Aunt Celeste has caught up with Diane D in the backstage hallway. They are on each side of Diane D, tightly holding onto her arms quickly fixing the waistline on her leggings as Diane D angrily struggles with them and shouts, “Will you two let go of me! I have to get out on stage, let go of me!” Mary suddenly smacks Diane D on the behind. Diane D looks at Mary and shouts, “Mom!”
Mary angrily pointing her finger at Diane D’s face and shouts, “Don’t you ever run from me again!”
“What! Mom..…”
“Don’t ever run from me again, do you hear me?! We have to make sure you’re fixed up before you go out on stage!”
“I was already fixed up Mom!”
“I know Diane, but it’s nothing wrong with double checking!” Mary looks back down as she and Aunt Celeste continue to fix Diane D’s waistline. Mary and Aunt Celeste finish fixing Diane D’s waistline. Mary lets go of Diane D’s arms. She takes the opened bath oil bottle and says, “Here Diane, I’m gonna rub some more bath oil on your face real quick.”
“No! No more Mom!”
“Look Diane, I didn’t get a chance to put the bath oil on the rest of the girls, being that you all were running away from me and your Aunt Celeste!”
“That’s right Diane,” says Aunt Celeste. “We have to make sure you be as fresh as possible before you go out there in front of all those people!”
Mary pours some bath oil in her hand again. “Keep still Diane,” she says. “I’ll make this real quick, promise!” Mary holds Diane D’s chin up and rubs the bath oil all over Diane D’s face again. Diane D’s eyes are tightly shut as Mary quickly rubs her face with the bath oil. Mary finishes rubbing the bath oil on Diane D’s face. “There. I told you it would be quick!”
“Okay fine,” says Diane D. “Now can I go?”
“Not yet Diane,” Aunt Celeste says.
“Look Aunt Celeste, the crowd is out there waiting for me! I’m not gonna waste anymore time back here!”
“Diane the crowd can wait another fifteen or twenty minutes!”
“Another fifteen or twenty minutes?!”
“That’s right!”
“Please Aunt Celeste, don’t make me get ugly!”
“Get ugly? Oh you’re not going to get ugly Diane, especially for that crowd!”
“Oh no?”
“Nooo!”
“Watch me!” Diane D suddenly lifts her entire left arm high in the air and then throws it backward causing Aunt Celeste to lose her grip on her arm and lose her balance! Aunt Celeste is about to fall backward but Mary quickly catches Aunt Celeste as Diane D quickly hurries away and runs off!
Mary holds on to Aunt Celeste as Aunt Celeste holds back on to her. Mary helps lift up Aunt Celeste as she asks her, “Are you okay Celeste?”
“I’m fine,” Aunt Celeste says. Aunt Celeste and Mary look towards the hallway as Aunt Celeste shouts, “We love you too Diane!” Aunt Celeste and Mary look back at each other. Aunt Celeste then stands on her own and painfully holds her arm.
“Are you hurt bad Celeste?” Mary asks her.
“Well my arm is in pain.”
“Your arm hurts?”
“Yeah. Wow, that kid’s got a lot of spunk doesn’t she?” Aunt Celeste says as she nods her head looking back and forth at Mary and the hallway.
Mary annoyingly looks at Aunt Celeste then turns and looks towards the hallway.
Diane D hurries behind the stage curtain. The Dianettes anxiously hurry from behind the front of the curtain and run right into Diane D. They surround Diane D as Bernice asks, “What happened Diane?”
“Are you alright?” Miranda asks. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m alright,” Diane D says. “Mom and Aunt Celeste caught up with me. Come on, we gotta get out on stage.” Diane D and the Dianettes suddenly hear Mary’s and Aunt Celeste’s footsteps coming. They turn their heads around to look.
“That’s their footsteps,” Lonna whispers.
“Come on,” Kelly whispers. “Let’s get outta here.” The Dianettes quickly grab Diane D by both of her arms as they turn around and hurry towards the back of the curtain, pulling and bringing Diane D with them.
Diane D and The Dianettes come out on stage. The crowd starts to cheer! Diane D waves to the crowd as she and the Dianettes walk on stage. Diane D walks towards the front of the stage to a microphone. She starts to adjust the microphone. She then speaks into the microphone and shouts to the crowd, “Hello everybody!”
“Hi Diane D!” the crowd shouts and cheers.
“Good to see you all!” Diane D suddenly hears
footsteps! She turns her head to the side of the theater. She sees Mary and Aunt Celeste standing on the side of the theater watching her, looking on. Diane D stares at Mary and Aunt Celeste as they look back at her. She then rolls her eyes, turns back forward, speaks into the microphone and says, “What’s up ladies and gentlemen, you feeling alright tonight?!”
“Yeah Diane D!” the crowd shouts and cheers.
“Good! Now The Dianettes and I are gonna sing a wonderful song for you guys which I’m sure you’ll all enjoy.” The crowd cheers more, waving their arms and hands high in the air” Music starts to play. Diane D starts to sing as the Dianettes start to sway their bodies back and forth again and sing back-up with her.
Five minutes later, Diane D and The Dianettes finish their performance. The crowd cheers excitingly. A very handsome very dark skinned muscular Caribbean looking guy with a very short haircut who stands at around 5’8” tall wearing tight black slacks and a white buttoned up shirt with long sleeves is standing on the side cheering with the rest of the crowd. Diane D looks towards the side and notices the Caribbean looking guy. She stares at him. She sees the Caribbean looking guy looking back at her smiling at her. She looks back towards the front of the crowd and smiles to the crowd as the crowd continues to cheer.
A half hour later, Diane D hurries outside the theater wearing a white turtleneck shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbow. She looks towards the crowd as they leave the theater. She sees the Caribbean looking guy. She hurries towards him. She takes a note pad out of her pocket. She throws the note pad at the Caribbean looking guy. The Caribbean looking guy turns around and looks. Diane D waves her hand to the Caribbean looking guy to come over to her. The Caribbean looking guy stares at Diane D. Diane D waves her hand to him again. The Caribbean looking guy bends down and picks up the note pad. He bends back up and walks towards Diane D. He approaches Diane D. He smiles to Diane D and speaks in a Jamaican accent saying, “Hello.”
“Hey, what’s up?” says Diane D.
“Nutin much. How are you?”
“I’m okay. How about yourself?”
“Okay. Wow, that was a wonderful performance you, the Dianettes, your brothers and your husband gave.”
“Thank you. Did you enjoy it?”
“Of course I enjoyed it. I would love to see your performances again.”
“I would love for you to come see our performances again.”
“You would? Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So what’s your name?”
“Jonathan.”
“Jonathan? That’s interesting.”
“I already know your name. I already know who you are, Diane D.”
“Yeah. I noticed you watching the show on the side of the theater.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I was checking you out.”
“You were checking me out?”
“I sure was.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No I’m not kidding. I was really checking you out.”
“Wow that’s a coincidence, because you know what? I was checking you out too.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not kidding either. I was always checking you out.”
“You were always checking me out? You’ve seen me before?”
“Of course I’ve seen you before Diane D. I’ve been to your family’s shows before?”
“You have?”
“Yeah mon. I always come to see your family’s shows.”
“You do?”
“Oh yeah. You just can’t see or notice me against all the people in the crowd, but every time I come to see your family’s shows, I be checking you out because you are gorgeous Diane D.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah mon, you are one gorgeous chick.”
“Thank you Jonathan. What a coincidence that we’re both checking each other out because I think you are hot.”
“You think I’m hot?”
“Oh yeah, you are hot to trot.”
“So are you Diane D. So are you.” Jonathan and Diane D laugh a little.
Diane D then looks at Jonathan’s left fingers and asks, “So are you married Jonathan? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
“No I’m not married Diane D.”
“You’re not married?”
“No I’m not.”
“That’s even more interesting.” Diane D and Jonathan laugh again.
Jonathan then says, “But even though I’m not married Diane D, I am seeing someone.”
“You‘re seeing someone?”
“Yeah.”
“Well who are they?”
“It’s my girlfriend. Her name is Candis.”
“Candis?”
“Yeah. She’s my steady girlfriend.”
“Your steady girlfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“Well how long have you and she been together?”
“For around two or three years.”
“Two or three years?”
“Yeah. I’ve brought her to your family’s shows before.”
“You have?”
“Yeah.”
“So she’s seen me before.”
“Sure she’s seen you plenty of times before Diane D. We both watch you on stage together.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. She knows who you are.”
“That’s nice. So, I hear a Jamaican accent on you Jonathan. I assume you’re from Jamaica, right?”
“Yes I’m from Jamaica.”
“That’s interesting. I have relatives in Jamaica.”
“You have relatives in Jamaica?”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you Dominican?”
“Yeah.”
“But yet you have relatives in Jamaica. How’s that?”
“Well my dad is not Dominican.”
“He’s not?”
“No.”
“Well where’s he from?”
“He’s from St. Thomas.”
“St. Thomas?”
“Yeah. He went to the Dominican Republic when he was a teenager and met my mom there. My dad married my mom and they had three children which turned out to be me and my two brothers. At the same time, my dad’s brother who’s my Uncle David went to Jamaica and met a Jamaican woman there. They got married and had several children in Jamaica.”
“I see. So in other words, two teenage brothers from St. Thomas went to two different countries, one went to the Dominican Republic while the other one went to Jamaica. They married the women from those two countries then each couple had children born and raised in those countries.”
“Exactly.”
“I see.”
“One of my Uncle David’s children is my cousin Dana.”
“Your cousin Dana?”
“Yeah. We grew up together.”
“Y’all did?”
“Yeah.”
“Is your cousin Dana the one with the green eyes?”
“Yeah that’s her. So you’ve seen her before.”
“Well I think everybody’s seen your cousin Dana before Diane D, you two are always together. How did you and your cousin Dana grow up together if you two were born and raised in different countries?”
“Not even countries could keep my dad and his brother apart. Sometimes my dad would bring us to Jamaica to stay with his brother David‘s family and sometimes his brother David would bring his family to the Dominican Republic to stay with my family. Dana’s family and my family would visit each other all the time when we were real small. We would go back and forth between the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, then when I was six years old, my family moved from the Dominican Republic to New York, then Dana‘s family would come to New York to visit us and we would still go back to Jamaica to visit and stay with them. That’s how my cousin Dana and I grew up together.”
“I see. I go back and forth to Jamaica myself to s
tay with my family.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Does your girlfriend travel down to Jamaica with you?”
“She only traveled down there with me one time. Most of the time I usually travel down there with a few family members and sometimes I travel alone.”
“I see. So where is your girlfriend from Jonathan? Is she from Jamaica too?”
“No she’s American. She’s from here, New York.”
“She is?”
“Yeah.”
“What does your girlfriend do for a living?”
“She works for the Airlines.”
“She does?”
“Yeah, she works behind the desk. She’s trying to be a Flight Attendant.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. She’s planning to go for Flight Attendant training next year.”
“She is?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow that’s good. Sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders.”
“Yeah, you can say that.”
“By the way Jonathan, maybe if I‘m down in Jamaica visiting my relatives at the same time you‘re down there visiting your family, we can hook up and hang out down there together.”
“That sounds cool Diane D. I can bring you to Kinston where I’m from.”
“I’ve been to Kingston plenty of times before with my cousin Dana’s family.”
“You have?”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t mind going there again.”
“Okay. We can also go to the Margaritaville.”
“I’ve been there before too, but I wouldn’t mind going there again either.”
“Okay, that settles it then.”
“Say Jonathan? Why don’t we go somewhere and have a drink together?”
“You wanna have a drink with me?”
“Yeah, my treat. You have time on your hands?”
“Yeah I have some time. I don’t plan to meet up with my girlfriend until tomorrow.”
“Okay cool. We’ll just have a drink and talk. That way, we’ll have some time to get to know each other more.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“Cool. I know a bar a couple of miles this way south.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, let’s go for it.”
Diane D and Jonathan turn and walk away together as they smile at each other.
Inside the organization office one night, Diane D’s family and relatives are gathered around Mary and Margarita as Mary and Margarita show them some papers. Michael comes into the room. He approaches Diane D’s family and says, “Do any of you know where Diane is?”
“No,” Mary says.
“What’s wrong Michael?” Barry asks.
“I’ve been trying to call Diane,” Michael says. “I haven’t been able to get in touch with her. A couple of the guys told me after the performance, they seen Diane talking to a Jamaican guy.”
“What?” Margarita says. “A Jamaican guy? What Jamaican guy?”
“I don’t know. The guys said when Diane was talking to the Jamaican guy, the next thing they know is that she walked off and disappeared with him.”
“Disappeared with him?” Tomas says. “Disappeared where?”
“The guys told me they overheard Diane asking the guy to have a drink with her.”
“Asking the guy to have a drink with her?” Mary asks. “A drink with her where?”
“They overheard her say at a bar a couple of miles towards south.”
A couple of miles towards south?” asks Nicolas. “I think I know what bar that is. That’s the bar she wanted to go to before when we were all driving past it.”
“Oh my God!” shouts Mary. “We have to go get her!”
“Alright Mary,” Barry says, “we’ll go get her.” Barry turns to everybody and shouts, “Let’s go guys!” Michael and Diane D’s entire family turn and head towards the doorway then rush out the room.
Twenty minutes later, Michael and Diane D’s family rush into a bar. Barry approaches the bartender, an older black male and says, “Hello. I’m sorry to bother you sir, but I’m looking for my daughter. You might know her as Diane D.”
“Diane D?” the bartender says. “Yeah I know Diane D! She was just here a little while ago!”
“She was?”
“Yeah!”
“Who was she with?” asks Mary.
“She was with a gentleman.”
“A gentleman?” Michael asks. “What gentleman?”
“A Jamaican guy named Jonathan.”
“A Jamaican guy named Jonathan?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know where they went?” Mary asks.
“Well after they had a few drinks, I overheard Diane D asking Jonathan to go to a chapel with her.”
“A chapel?” Michael and Diane D’s family say.
“Yeah.”
“A chapel for what?” Michael asks.
“I don’t have any idea. I just overheard her asking him to go there.”
“Do you know where this chapel is?” Barry asks.
“Yeah. It’s two blocks around the corner.”
“Okay, thank you sir.”
“No problem.”
Barry, Michael and the rest of Diane D’s family turn and rush towards the door.
Michael and Diane D’s family rush inside a chapel. They look towards the front of the chapel and become stunned to see Diane D and Jonathan standing before a minister with Jonathan holding Diane D up. Michael and Diane D’s family rush to her. They see both Diane D and Jonathan dazed out. They grab and hold Diane D as Michael angrily shouts, “Diane, what’s going on?!” Diane D looks at Michael with a dazed look.
“Diane are you alright?” Mary asks.
“Yeah you seem out of it Diane,” Margarita says. “What’s going on?”
The minister, an older black male, looks at them all and asks, “What’s going on?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out sir!” Barry shouts. He turns to Diane D and says, “Diane what’s going on, what are you doing?”
“They’re trying to get married,” the minister says.
“What?!” Michael and Diane D’s family shout. “Married?!”
“What do you mean they’re trying to get married?!” Mary shouts. “She’s already married!”
“She’s already married?” the minister asks.
“That’s right!” Michael shouts. “She’s married to me!”
“She’s married to you?”
“Yeah!” Michael angrily turns to Jonathan and says, “And I would appreciate it if you get your hands off my wife you son of a b……!” Michael is about to lunge for Jonathan as Diane D’s family quickly grab him and hold him back.
Mary holds Diane D and asks, “Diane are you okay?”
“I think we better take her out of here now,” Barry says.
“Okay Barry.” Mary, Margarita and the women in the family take Diane D away as Barry and the rest of the men in the family try to control Michael and take him away.
Michael angrily looks back at Jonathan and shouts, “Stay away from my wife, you hear!” Barry and the rest of the men in the family look back at Jonathan as they continue to take Michael away.
Jonathan and the minister stand there looking on. They then turn and look at each other. The minister then asks, “What’s going on? What is this all about?”
“I don’t know,” Jonathan says. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
“You don’t know what’s happening to yourself?”
“No. I don’t even know what I’m doing here. How did I get here?” Jonathan and the minister puzzled look at each other.
Diane D is home in the bedroom lying on the bed all dazed out as Michael, her family and the Dianettes surround her. An upset Mary sits on the side of the bed besides Diane as Michael sits on the opposite side of the bed, holdi
ng Diane D’s hand. “Okay Diane what’s going on, huh?” Mary says. “What was in your drink? What were you thinking of trying to get married to some guy you don’t even know when you’re already married? What were you thinking of?!”
“Calm down Mary,” Barry says. “I don’t think she realized what she was doing. Obviously something was in her drink if she’s trying to marry some fellow she hardly knows while she’s already married.”
“Yeah, but I wanna know what that something was Barry! What did the police say when you spoke to them.”
“They said they were on their way over here to make a report about this. After that, they’re gonna go to that bar to investigate and see if something was slipped in her drink. I’m gonna go with them.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna go with them too,” Michael says.
“Oh yeah?” Mary says. “I wanna go with y’all too.”
“No Mary,” Barry says. “I think you women should stay here with Diane. She’s gonna need y’all here to look after her.”
“Yeah, you’re right Barry.”
“The police should be here soon.” Barry, Michael and the rest of Diane D’s family continue to surround Diane D as she lies on the bed.
The next day, several seniors are standing around the hospital hallway talking and laughing with the same older gentleman again as an older woman says, “And he says he’s not married.”
“I’m not!” the older man says.
The next day, Mrs. Mosley is sitting in a chair inside the hospital room. Diane D enters the room holding a pill bottle and some water, still looking a little dazed. She sees Mrs. Mosley. She approaches Mrs. Mosley and says, “How are you, Mrs. Mosley.”
“Oh I’m fine,” Mrs. Mosley says. “How about you?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah I’m sure.”
“You look sort of dazed.”
“Yeah I feel dazed too.”
“I heard you were about to get married last night. Is it true that you were about to get married to another guy?”
“That’s what everybody keeps telling me Mrs. Mosley, but I don’t have any memory of it.”
“You don’t have any memory of it?”
“No I don’t. I don’t understand, why in the world would I marry a fellow I hardly know when I’m already married!”
“You don’t know the fellow you were about to marry?”
“No I just met him. I remember talking to him after my performance last night. I remember us going to a bar having a few drinks. After the drinks, I started to feel a little woozy. He said he was feeling woozy too. We got up, walked out the bar to get some air. I don’t remember anything after that. I just remember waking up this morning in the bed with my family surrounding me. I don’t even remember them bringing me to the bed.”
“No? I advise you and that fellow to stay away from those drinks.”
“You’re right Mrs. Mosley.” Diane D puts the pill bottle and water on the side. She grabs a pen and clipboard. She leans her backside against a table and is about to write on the clipboard. She then says, “So Mrs. Mosley, Dr, Philips wants to know did you take your medication this morning.”
“No I haven’t. I’m waiting for you to give me tickets for your family’s next performance? I thought you all were supposed to give me tickets so my family and I can see your shows?”
“You’re not getting tickets for anything Mrs. Mosley until you take your medication.”
“I told you I don’t like the taste of that thing.”
“I understand you don’t like the taste of it Mrs. Mosley, but what can I do? I had strict instructions from Dr. Philips not to give you any tickets until you take your medication.”
“Do I really have to?”
“Yes you have to. Now are you ready for me to give you your medication?”
“Yeah I guess so.”
“Good. I got the pills and water right here for you.” Diane D puts the pen and clipboard aside. She takes the pill bottle and pours a couple of pills inside a little white cup. She hands the little cup to Mrs. Mosley. Mrs. Mosley takes the little cup as Diane D grabs another cup and pitcher off the table. She starts to pour water into the cup from the pitcher. Mrs. Mosley puts the pills in her mouth and swallows them as Diane D hands her the cup of water.
“Oh boy, what a horrible taste!” Mrs. Mosley says.
“Are you sure you swallowed it?”
“Yeah I swallowed it.”
“Good. Isn’t it better that I gave the pills to you instead of my Mom?”
“Please! I don’t want your mother trying to force me to take any pills again! I don’t want your mother around me! Please keep her away from me!” Diane D looks at Mrs. Mosley, she then looks at the clipboard and starts to write on it.
Chapter 12
Fight At The Youth Basketball Game
