Body By Night

by Day, Zuri

  D’Andra made one more call, canceling her Tuesday workout with Night. After threatening to work her double on Thursday, he wished her sweet dreams. There was a smile on D’Andra’s face as she drifted off into dreamland. For the first time in a long time she and Cassandra had had a civil, even friendly conversation. It felt good, and D’Andra hoped it was the start of good things to come.

  D’Andra awoke to the sounds of a dog barking near her open window. She looked at the clock and was surprised she’d slept solidly for almost nine hours straight. After a lazy stretch, she rolled over and reached for the cell phone she’d placed on silent before going to sleep.

  The first message was from Night, optimistic about another building he’d looked at in Culver City. He teased her about coming over and waking her up for some noonday nooky and said he’d call her later. There was a message from the moderator of the online nutrition course wanting to know if D’Andra would be interested in meeting with those participants who lived in Los Angeles and setting up a regular, monthly pow-wow to share information, experience and needed support. The third message was Cassandra, again. But this time the sunshine in her voice was gone, replaced by sheer panic.

  “Dee, what’s wrong with your phones? I’ve been calling and calling. Call me as soon as you get this message. And get down here to Martin Luther King Hospital. It’s Mama, Dee, it’s Mama. She’s had a heart attack. I don’t think she’s gonna make it.”

  27

  D’Andra threw down the phone and jumped out of bed at the same time. Five minutes later she was in her car, driving erratically and breaking speed limits to get to MLK Hospital and her mother. In the middle of this NASCAR-style speed racing she managed to speed dial Night, Elaine and Chanelle on her cell phone. She made a regularly twenty to twenty-five minute trip in half the time.

  She parked in the closest spot to the emergency ward doors, not caring that it was a handicapped space. She raced into the building and looked around frantically. Kayla spotted her first.

  “Aunt Dee!”

  D’Andra ran over to where Cassandra, Jackie, the kids, and a couple of Mary’s friends stood huddled together. They were listening attentively to a tired-looking doctor in a wrinkled white coat.

  “How is she?” D’Andra gasped out, trying to catch her breath at the same time.

  The doctor turned to her. “You must be the other daughter. I’m Dr. Wein—”

  “I know who you are.” Dr. Weinstein was the same doctor who’d spoken to D’Andra when she was in emergency five months ago. “How is my mother? Is she alive?”

  “You’ve got to calm down, Ms. Smalls,” the doctor said in a firm yet gentle voice. “The doctors are still working to stabilize her, but we believe she’s going to pull through.”

  D’Andra visibly relaxed, or almost collapsed is a better description.

  “As soon as she’s completely stable, we’ll have to run a series of tests to see exactly what’s going on in the old ticker,” he said, trying to ease a very tense situation. “I don’t want to say anything further until there is specific, concrete information available.”

  The doctor looked down at a sudden and somewhat forceful fist on his leg.

  “You better fix my grandma!” Antoine’s face was serious, his stance one of the kick-boxing positions Night had taught him.

  Dr. Weinstein, a grandfather himself, knelt down to Antoine’s eye level. “I tell you what, little man. The other doctors and I are going to do everything we can to make sure you get your grandmother back as good as new. Do you know what you can do to help me?”

  Antoine shook his head no.

  “You can send a whole bunch of love to your grandma by thinking good thoughts about her. This situation is scary isn’t it?”

  Antoine nodded yes.

  “Well, whenever you begin to feel that little shiver of fear, just send a whole bunch of I-love-you thoughts to your grandmother. You’ll be helping all of us doctors help your grandma get well. Deal?”

  “Deal.” Antoine then shook Dr. Weinstein’s outstretched hand.

  The small group of Mary supporters was silent as they watched the doctor’s retreating back go through the double doors down the hall. Antoine hadn’t been the only one listening to Dr. Weinstein’s instruction. Everybody in the huddle, in that moment, was sending Mary Smalls a “whole bunch of love.”

  D’Andra wiped away tears even as she felt arms come around her.

  “Baby doll, I’m here.” Night turned D’Andra into his chest and hugged her tightly.

  D’Andra fought against breaking down completely. “Night,” she whispered. She held on to him for dear life, as if she were a sailboat flailing in a storm and he was the life anchor.

  “I got here as soon as I could. How’s your mother?”

  “She’s alive, thank God. The doctor said he thinks she’ll make it.” D’Andra remembered Dr. Weinstein’s words. “She’ll make it,” she said with more confidence.

  Night hugged her again.

  “Wait,” D’Andra pulled back from Night. “What about your other clients, your meeting…”

  “D’Andra, nothing is more important than you and my being here to make sure you’re all right. Surely you know that by now.”

  D’Andra nodded her head against his strong chest. “I love you,” she whispered.

  Night wondered if he’d heard what he thought he heard. He squeezed her to him a little tighter. For now it was enough to believe that he had.

  Within the hour, several more people joined the vigil for Mary taking place in the emergency room waiting area. Elaine came in bearing gifts: donuts, fruit and an assortment of coloring books and crayons for Cassandra’s children. D’Andra marveled at her maternal thoughtfulness even as she realized that care and compassion came as natural as breathing to her dear friend Elaine. Chanelle arrived about fifteen minutes after Elaine. When D’Andra looked up and saw Frank coming through the doors she almost lost it again, and ran into his arms.

  “Thanks for coming, Frank!” she cried.

  “You know I wasn’t going to leave a Berry fan hanging. How’s your mother, doll?”

  “We think she’s going to…she’s going to be okay.”

  “What about you? How are you doing?”

  D’Andra smiled into the kind, worn face of this gentle man. “Better now.”

  The cast of characters in Mary’s drama expanded then decreased over the next three hours. Everyone stood to their feet when Dr. Weinstein came into the room. That he was walking over with a smile on his face relieved everyone.

  He walked over to Antoine and once again held out his hand. “You did a very, very good job,” he told the wide-eyed five-year-old. “Your grandmother is doing well, she’s resting comfortably, and I am positive she felt your love.”

  Antoine looked solemnly at the doctor for a moment before throwing his little brown-skinned arms around a ruddy neck. Everyone watching held back tears.

  Dr. Weinstein then addressed the larger group, telling them that they would be keeping Mary a while, that a series of tests had to be run and that everyone should go home and try and get some rest.

  “When can we see her?” D’Andra asked.

  “She’s pretty groggy right now. If we could limit these first visits to the daughters and maybe one or two more people, and only for a few minutes, that would be best.”

  Within minutes D’Andra, Cassandra and Jackie were standing around a sleeping Mary Smalls. D’Andra held her mother’s hand tightly while Cassandra kept smoothing Mary’s hair. Without thinking, D’Andra found and took a fast-beating pulse. Jackie whispered The Lord’s Prayer under her breath. Mary’s eyes fluttered open.

  Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What…what are y’all doing? Why…are…you…standing…”

  “Shh, Mama. Don’t try to talk. You had a heart attack and are in the hospital. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “I…what?”

  “Just take it easy, Mama,” Cassandra said. “
Try and get some rest.”

  “Auntie, what are you doing? Trying to scare the hell out of me? Well, just for the record, it’s working. I think I’ll go to church next Sunday, and I haven’t been since I don’t know when!”

  Jackie’s outburst brought the slightest of smiles to Mary’s lips.

  “Good,” she whispered. I need to go too, if I make it out of here, Mary thought. Her eyes lit up when she saw Cassandra, and her smile widened when she turned and looked at D’Andra. She looked at her eldest daughter a long moment. “I love you,” she mouthed. Then her eyes fluttered closed.

  After a few moments, a nurse came into the room. “Sorry folks, but we need Mary to get her rest now. She’ll more than likely sleep for at least four to six hours. So if I were you, I’d go get something to eat, and some rest, and then come back tomorrow. Everyone, including your mother, will be feeling better.”

  D’Andra was touched by the nurse’s bedside manner. “Oh, you’re good, you’re real good,” she said with a smile. And then she whispered in the middle-aged blonde’s ear. “And that’s spoken from one nurse to another.”

  The nurse winked at her and then her demeanor changed from personal to professional as she began checking her patient. D’Andra blew a kiss to her mother and the familial trio quietly left the room.

  Night looked up as D’Andra reentered the waiting room. He quickly finished his call, flipped shut his phone and met D’Andra in the middle of the room. His facial expression was a question mark.

  “She was only awake for a few minutes, but there’s color in her cheeks and her breathing was fairly normal. The doctor said there was nothing we could do right now and the nurse admonished us to try and get some rest.”

  “Where’s your car? I’ll follow you home.”

  “That’s so sweet of you baby, but really, I’ll be okay. I know yours has been an incredibly long day already. Elaine and Chanelle are here and said they’d stay with me as long as I needed.”

  “But I want to be here for you too.”

  “You already are, and I appreciate it more than you know. But you’ve been working so hard, and these long hours will take their toll if you don’t get some rest. I’ll call you later, promise.”

  Night hesitated, visibly torn about leaving D’Andra at such a vulnerable time.

  Elaine walked up and put a hand on his arm. “We’ll take really good care of her,” she said softly. “And we’ll make sure she calls and keeps you updated on everything going on.”

  “She’s lucky to have a friend like you,” Night replied to Elaine. “You too,” he said to Chanelle.

  “We’re the lucky ones,” Elaine and Chanelle said in unison.

  Their joint laughter lightened the mood of the room and while Mary’s friends decided to stay a while longer, everyone else headed to the parking lot. Night walked D’Andra to her car.

  He opened her door and made sure she was buckled in before giving her a gentle, probing kiss full of all the love and compassion his heart felt at that moment. The poignancy of his touch moved D’Andra to tears.

  She cupped his face. “What did I do to deserve you?” she asked.

  “Be born,” he said simply. “Make sure you keep checking in with me so I know you’re okay.”

  A short time later, D’Andra, Elaine and Chanelle sat at a 24-hour diner.

  “Try and eat something,” Elaine coaxed D’Andra. “You’ll need your strength later.

  D’Andra managed a few small spoonfuls of the aromatic vegetable soup she had ordered. Meanwhile both Chanelle and Elaine had finished their meals and sat silently watching their friend.

  “You know,” D’Andra began, fiddling with the spoon in her soup. “My mother said ‘I love you’ to me today. I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

  “Being close to death always puts things in perspective,” Elaine offered. “Maybe out of this horrific incident can come a new, more agreeable relationship between you and your mom.”

  “You know Miss Mary loves you,” Chanelle said. “Some people just have a hard time saying it. My mother’s the same way. That just makes the words even more special when I hear them.”

  D’Andra nodded. “I know that Mama loves me. But it sure felt good to hear the words, even whispered.”

  While Chanelle and Elaine ordered dessert, D’Andra called the hospital for an update on Mary’s condition and then checked in with Night.

  “I’m checking in,” she said with a smile.

  “Thank you, doll. Any change with your mother?”

  “No, I just called the hospital and they said she’s resting comfortably. They’ll run tests later tonight, or tomorrow, depending on how she’s feeling. Now, why aren’t you asleep already?”

  “I was waiting for your call.”

  His thoughtfulness nearly moved her to tears. “I love you Night.”

  Night was sure he’d heard the words this time, and his heart swelled at the sound. He answered without hesitating. “I love you, too.”

  D’Andra had just hung up from Night when her phone rang again. She didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway.

  “Baby, it’s Miss Val,” said the voice on the other end of the line. “Night told me about your mother. I hope you don’t mind that he gave me your number and I’m calling so late.”

  “Not at all, Miss Val. It’s so sweet of you to call.”

  “I know how upsetting something like this can be, especially when it’s your mother. I’ve been there, and wanted you to know I was thinking about you, and praying for you, your mother and the rest of your family.”

  “That means more to me than you know. I’ll carry the thoughts of your prayers with me. Now, how’s that leg?”

  “You know, baby, it’s the strangest thing. But every time that cute little therapist gets to touching it I feel better.”

  Val’s light humor instantly lifted D’Andra’s spirits. “You’re a mess, Miss Val. But isn’t Bryan off today?”

  “Yes, child, but I’m talking about the other one, Matthew.”

  D’Andra had heard about the part-time therapist the hospital had hired, but she’d never met him. She shared this information with Night’s mother. “I’m sure you’ll tell me all about him when I see you.”

  “Uh-huh. I even sent Carter out for some magazines just so I could, you know, have some private time with my new friend.”

  D’Andra’s laugh was genuine. “I can see I might have to come in early and make sure you behave.”

  “Don’t worry, I have another new friend who’s taking care of that.”

  “Who?”

  “Her name is Frieda. She heard me humming a hymn when she was doing her hall walking exercise. Came in and introduced herself. She come calling me Grace the next time she came in, and I told her that if she wanted to keep coming into my room, to get my name right.”

  D’Andra howled at this news. “Well, you’re a better woman than I am. She calls me Grace too, and I just call her Miss Daisy.”

  “You know where that name came from, right? Now I don’t know how true this is but my mother, who was born in Mississippi, said her mother told her the old masters would often go through several housekeeper maids in as many years and instead of bothering to remember their real names would simply call all of them Grace.”

  D’Andra was appalled; she’d had no idea.

  “So I wanted to make sure—who do you call her—Miss Daisy and me got off on the right foot. That she understood I wasn’t born yesterday and that she’d have to get up mighty early if she wanted to pull an insult like that over on me. Anyway, you take care, baby. I’ll see you soon.”

  Val’s phone call totally changed D’Andra’s demeanor and lifted her spirits. For the first time she truly believed that her mother would live. The realness of this belief revitalized D’Andra.

  “Waiter?” she called out as the young man passed their table. “Can you heat up my soup?”

  Jazz sat and gazed at the doors to Bally Fitness
, wondering for the umpteenth time why she was there, why Night wouldn’t return her calls and why she couldn’t get him out of her thoughts. At first she placed her fixation on the fact that he’d been by far the best lover she’d ever had. Then she wondered if it had to do with knowing she’d been replaced by a woman twice her size. Finally she gave up trying to figure out why. She just knew she’d do anything to win Night back.

  She straightened out her carefully chosen outfit as she walked toward the gym to demand a conversation with Night. An earlier phone call to the gym had confirmed he was teaching his Wednesday night kickboxing class, a fact further evidenced by seeing his car in the parking lot.

  Appreciative male eyes and envious female ones turned toward her as she walked into the gym. Her form-fitting white mini-skirt showed off a tight, round derriere and firm, scar-free legs, further elongated by three-inch strappy white sandals. The matching white midriff she wore emphasized a flat stomach and played up her surgically enhanced orbs. She walked up to the glass of the room where Night’s class was being conducted and tossed back her long, straight black hair while lifting her chin in greeting when he noticed her. Then she sat on a workout bench directly in front of the glass, crossed her legs and waited patiently. She looked as though she’d been torn from a fashion magazine, with the poise and grace of a princess.

  “Why didn’t you take the class?” Marc asked as he sat down on a bench next to hers.

  “Hey, Marc.”

  “You’re looking beautiful, as usual.”

  Jazz simply smiled.

  “So you just came down to stare at your ex?”

  Jazz’s smile disappeared. “Is why I’m here any of your business?”

  “Whoa, what’s with the attitude? I just asked a question. You’re not a member here; it’s not like I had to let you in.”

  “You’re right, Marc. I apologize for being snippy. I’m here to see Night for personal reasons.” Jazz flashed a come-hither smile. “Is that a better answer?”

  “Much.”

  “What time is this class over?”