by Tina Martin
“No. I need to ask you something,” she said fighting back tears. She took a good, hard look at him, noticing he was scruffy. His eyes were heavy. He looked tired. Had he even slept at all? “Where were you last night, Tyson?”
“Where I was last night is irrelevant.”
“No it’s not. You’re my husband and you didn’t come home—”
“Oh...now I’m your husband!” he roared. Then something in him broke. Shattered. He knew it was his heart. “Was I your husband when you were with Dilvan in Chicago?”
“What?” she asked, tears spilling out of her eyes, one hand resting on her stomach. “Tyson, what are you talking about?”
He figured it would help if he asked the question a bit slower. “Was...I...your...husband...when...you...were...with...Dil...van...in Chicago?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tyson frowned and glared at her. “You know, I never took you for a liar.”
“A liar? I’m not lying about anything. I have no reason to lie, and what exactly is it that you’re implying?”
“Is the baby even mine, Gabrielle?”
A hurt look of confusion took over her face as more tears spilled out of Gabrielle’s eyes. “Tyson, of course the baby is yours. Do you think that something happened between me and Dilvan because I would never—”
“I trusted you. I never thought you would do this to me. I never thought you could hurt me like this,” he said, pacing the floor.
“Tyson, please listen to me. I didn’t sleep with Dilvan. I don’t even know why you’re saying these things to me. And of course or baby is yours.”
“Stop lying to me!”
“I’m not lying,” she said tearfully. “I would never cheat on you, Tyson.”
“Then I’m going to ask you one question, Gabrielle. One question, and you better not lie to me. When you went to Chicago, were you ever alone with Dilvan?”
“Yes, but—”
“That’s all I needed to know,” he said, interrupting her and not giving her any time to explain. “You’re no different than Desiree. I can’t believe I actually thought I could have a future with you.”
“Tyson, please listen to me. I never cheated on you,” Gabrielle cried, feeling the Braxton-Hicks contractions intensify.
“I thought you really loved me, too.”
“I do love you, Tyson.”
“Yeah. Sure you do.” Tyson walked away from her and out of the room. He came back soon after though and said, “I should’ve taken care of Dilvan a long time ago.” He walked over to the dresser, took a case from the drawer, unlocked it and removed a gun. He stuffed it in the back of his jeans.
“Oh my gosh, Tyson. What are you doing? Don’t do this.”
“Too late. Just like our marriage, Gabrielle, it’s already over and done with.” He rushed out of the bedroom in a hurry and slammed the front door so hard, he almost tore it away from the hinges.
Gabrielle cried harder. Tyson was going on a rampage, accusing her of things she hadn’t done and he was on his way to Dilvan’s house with a gun. Would he really kill him? Was he capable of doing such a thing?
Gabrielle didn’t care much for Dilvan, but she didn’t want him to die, nor did she want Tyson in prison for the rest of his life. How would he see his son grow up if he was locked up?
Her nerves were out of control. With shaky, fidgety hands, she took her cell phone from the nightstand and called Padma.
“Everybody’s here except for you and Tyson, honey. Are y’all on the way?”
“No, Padma,” Gabrielle cried. “Tyson has gone berserk...I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but he’s on the way to Dilvan’s house with a gun!”
“What?” Padma asked, realizing that it was all crashing down. She tried her best to keep the rumors and Lalita’s confession at bay, but somehow it had gotten out.
“He thinks I had an affair with Dilvan and he’s heading there with a gun. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, Padma. I tried to tell him that I didn’t cheat on him and he wouldn’t listen to me,” Gabrielle said through tears. “He wouldn’t listen.”
“Okay. Calm down, Gabrielle. I’m heading to Dilvan’s house now. I’ll send Tamera back over there with you, okay.”
“Okay, Padma.” Gabrielle sniffled. She hung up the phone and rubbed her stomach, praying that Tyson got some of his common sense back.
Chapter 14
The baby shower was over before it had a chance to begin.
Padma rounded up Heshan, Prasad and Lalita, told them what happened, then after they all jumped in her SUV, she floored it to Dilvan’s house. Dilvan brought her much heartache over the years, but she still didn’t want to see her son dead. She wanted to see him get help. He could thrive and be a responsible, productive, sane member of society, but not without the proper treatment.
“Heshan, I told you to let me handle this,” Padma said. “Now look at what’s happening?”
“Mother, Tyson overheard me on the phone talking to you about it last night and confronted me. I couldn’t lie to him.”
“Oh my gosh,” Lalita said, placing a hand over her opened mouth.
“What are y’all talking about?” Prasad asked aloof. He was completely in the dark about what was happening.
“Don’t have time to explain it right now, Prasad,” Padma told him. “We just have to get to Dilvan’s house. Gabrielle said Tyson had a gun.”
“A gun?” Heshan asked, frowning.
Padma pressed the gas pedal harder.
“He really has a gun?” Heshan asked.
“Yes,” Padma said. “That’s what Gabrielle told me.”
“Maybe we can get to Dilvan’s before he does,” Heshan said.
“Should we call Dilvan?” Prasad asked.
“Yes,” Padma said. “Call him.”
Prasad dialed his brother’s number and when he didn’t get an answer, he called the home number.
“Alexander residence. How may I help you?” Beatrice answered, sounding more like a secretary than a housekeeper.
“Beatrice, where’s Dilvan?” Prasad asked in a panic.
“He’s in his office, Heshan.”
“This is Prasad—”
“Oh, sorry ‘bout that,” she chuckled. “I’m always getting you boys mixed up.”
“Listen, Beatrice. I need you to give Dilvan the phone. Tell him it’s an emergency.”
“Okay, shug,” she said, climbing the stairs, calling out to Dilvan on the way up. “Dilvan.”
Prasad listened.
“Dilvan,” she said tapping her knuckles against his office door. “Hmm, I thought he was here,” she mumbled.
“Just go on in?” Prasad instructed.
Beatrice turned the knob and saw Dilvan laid over on his desk.
“Is he in there?” Prasad asked.
“Yeah. I think he’s taking himself a lil’ afternoon nap. Dilvan,” Beatrice said, nudging him and that’s when she saw the empty pill bottle lying next to his head. “Oh my God!” she screamed, trembling. “Dilvan, wake up!”
Prasad frowned. “What is it, Beatrice?”
“He...he...looks like he took some pills. He’s not responding to me at all. Dilvan!”
“Oh, no,” Prasad said. “No, no, no...this can’t be happening.”
“What’s going on, Prasad?” Padma asked, fearing that Tyson was already there.
Instead of answering her right away, Prasad said, “Beatrice, hang up and dial 9-1-1. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Okay, Prasad.”
“What’s going on, Prasad? Tyson’s already there?” Padma asked, thinking the worst had happened, that Tyson had shot Dilvan and now Beatrice was calling 9-1-1.
“No...ah...”
“Spit it out, Prasad,” Heshan told him.
“Beatrice thinks Dilvan may have overdosed on some pills.”
“No, not my baby,” Padma cried, swerving onto the shoulder of the road and jerking the wheel
back onto the pavement.
“Whoa! Mom, calm down and keep your eyes on the road, okay, unless you want to pull over and let me drive,” Heshan said.
“We’re almost there now, Heshan,” Prasad said. “Mom, stay calm, okay. I’m sure everything is going to be alright.”
After a few minutes, she finally pulled up in Dilvan’s driveway, threw the car in park and took off running into the house as fast as she could, yelling for Beatrice.
“Up here, Padma.”
Padma ran up the stairs, out of breath, nearly about to faint. Heshan was behind her. Then came Lalita and Prasad.
“Dilvan, baby,” Padma cried when she rounded the door and ran into his office. She looked him over, placed her index and middle finger on his wrists and said, “He has a pulse. Tell the operator he has a pulse, Beatrice.”
Beatrice relayed the information to the 9-1-1 operator.
Padma noticed a letter next to him on the desk that he had written and she knew right away what it was – a suicide note. Dilvan had tried to kill himself.
“Why, Dilvan?” Padma cried. “Why, baby?”
Heshan threw his arms around her to console her.
A minute later, paramedics were in the house. They checked Dilvan out, secured him on a stretcher and headed down the stairs.
Through all the chaos, Padma, Heshan, Lalita and Prasad had forgotten that Tyson was supposed to be heading there – to Dilvan’s house.
He never showed.
Chapter 15
Tyson remained parked beside the road, about five miles from his home. He was on the way to Dilvan’s when he nearly had a breakdown at the realization that there was a possibility the baby Gabrielle was carrying wasn’t his son. He was so consumed with rage, he could hardly focus to drive. He could barely breathe. Blinded by wrath and anger, he couldn’t see. All he knew was, Gabrielle had hurt him to the core. He couldn’t fully blame Dilvan for the affair when she was just as guilty.
When his phone rang, he glanced at the display and saw it was Heshan calling. He blew an agitated breath. Heshan, along with Padma and Lalita had let him down. It seemed as if the whole family turned on him, keeping a secret that was so detrimental.
“What?” he decided to answer.
“Man, Tyson, you need to calm down and think rationally, man.”
“Think rationally? Were you thinking rationally when you decided to make a fool out of me, letting me believe that I had a son on the way when—”
“You do have a son on the way.”
Tyson let out an uncomfortable chuckle.
“Listen...I need you to meet me at the hospital,” Heshan said.
“And why do I need to meet you at the hospital?”
“Dilvan tried to commit suicide and had to be rushed there.”
“Well good for him,” Tyson said, callously. “He’s finally managed to do something productive with his life.”
“Come on, Tyson, man. That’s my brother you’re talking about.”
“I don’t care who he is. He slept with my wife and you think I’m going to have sympathy for him?”
“Tyson—”
“I was on my way to his house with my gun, Heshan. Your brother has been nothing but a nuisance to me, to everyone and he...he slept with my wife and you actually think I feel sorry for him? How can I?”
“Tyson—”
“I’m glad something told me to stop...wasn’t worth losing my freedom over his nonsense. They say what goes around, comes around. Guess it’s finally his turn. Finally.” Tyson ended the call and tossed the phone in the passenger seat. How could his life feel like a dream come true one day and the next, it felt like the world was caving in around him?
Chapter 16
“What are you doing here, Tamera?” Gabrielle asked. Gabrielle was standing at the door with tears in her eyes. She looked a mess. Her hair was out of control and her nose was red, probably from being wiped so much.
“Gabrielle, what’s going on? Everybody was at the baby shower waiting for you and Tyson to show up then all of a sudden, Padma, Heshan, Lalita and Prasad jumped in Padma’s car and drove away in a panic.”
“Where’s my dad?” Gabrielle asked instead of answering Tamera’s question. “Where’s Carmen and Destiny?”
“Everybody is still over there at Padma’s house for the baby shower. I told your father I would call him to let him know that you were okay. Jeez. What’s going on?”
Gabrielle rubbed her eyes again and sat on the couch.
Tamera sat down with her.
“Tyson thinks I had an affair with Dilvan,” she cried. “And he thinks the baby isn’t his.” Gabrielle broke down in tears, crying loudly and clearly in pain – physical and mental.
“Why would he think that?”
“I don’t know, Tamera. I would never cheat on him. I don’t know why he’s doing this to me.”
“Maybe Dilvan made up a lie so he could break you guys up. I can see him doing something like that.”
“But still, why didn’t Tyson give me a chance to explain? He wouldn’t even listen to me. And then he took a gun out of the drawer and said he was going to take care of Dilvan—”
Tamera snapped her head back. “A gun?”
“Yes. He left here in a rage to go to Dilvan’s house. I called Padma and told her what was going on.”
“Oh, so that must be where Padma and the gang rushed off to. Let me call somebody so I can find out something. I hope my brother didn’t...” Tamera stopped talking. She couldn’t bring herself to say the rest. She dialed Tyson’s number first and when she didn’t get an answer, she called Padma. Still, she didn’t get an answer. “Jeez, nobody’s picking up.”
“Ah...” Gabrielle moaned, feeling a sharp pain rip through her. “Oh my gosh, Tamera. I think the baby might be coming early.”
“You have another four weeks to go,” Tamera said. “Those are Braxton-Hicks contractions you’re having, right?”
“Ah!” Gabrielle shrieked in pain again. “No. These are real, not Braxton-Hicks contractions. These contractions hurt. Get me to the hospital. Please! Ahh!”
“This cannot be happening,” Tamera said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! I’ve been having contractions for a couple of hours now and they’re getting worse, Tamera. Please take me to the hospital. Please. Ahh!”
“Okay, okay,” Tamera said, in a panic. “Um...do you already have a bag packed?”
“Yes. It’s in the closet.”
“Okay.”
Gabrielle cried out in pain again.
“Alright,” Tamera said. She leaned over so Gabrielle could use her for support to get off of the couch. “Can you walk?”
“Yes, I can walk.”
“Okay. Let’s slowly get you to the car. Once I get you in, I’ll come back and grab the bag.”
Tamera carefully guided Gabrielle out of the door, down the stairs and to the passenger seat of her car. Then she ran back in the house to get the bag and drove to the hospital. On the way there, she tried to call Tyson again, but there was no answer.
* * *
At the hospital, Gabrielle was in more pain. The baby was coming quickly and she was too far along to be given an epidural.
Tamera tried to call Tyson and when he didn’t answer, she left a voicemail:
Tyson, Gabrielle is in labor at Regional. Where are you? Please get here now! Hurry!
Tamera then stepped back into the room, hoping to be of some solace to Gabrielle, but she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Child birth was no joke.
“Okay, I see the head,” the doctor said. “Push.”
“I am pushing,” Gabrielle said, tears and sweat on her face.
“Come on, Gabrielle. Push,” Tamera said, clasping her hand.
“I can’t. I can’t push anymore. Please give me some pain medication.”
“Come on, Gabrielle,” the doctor said. “One big push and this will be all over with, okay, now I need you to push as hard as you can. You can
do this.”
Tamera squeezed her hand and said, “Yes, you can do this Gabrielle. My nephew is trying to get out of there. Give him some help, girl.”
Gabrielle laughed and cried at the same time, and then she pushed, giving it her all, screaming and hollering and Tamera screamed and hollered right along with her.
“He’s out,” the doctor said. “Here he is. Look at this beautiful little boy.”
Gabrielle panicked when she hadn’t heard any crying. “Let me see him. Is he okay? Why isn’t he crying?”
The doctor cut the cord, tapped the baby’s backside and then Gabrielle heard what she longed for – her baby crying.
Tears of happiness streamed down her face, and it was just as Rena said it would be. Once she laid eyes on baby T.J. for the first time, all the pain she felt had instantly vanished, replaced by complete joy and elation.
The nurse whisked the baby away, cleaned him up and laid him on Gabrielle’s chest, skin-to-skin. Her doctor’s estimate had been off. Baby T.J. was seven pounds, six ounces and twenty-two inches long. He was healthy. The doctor said he had a good, solid cry and when Gabrielle stared into her baby’s adoring little face, she noticed he had his father’s everything, right down to those cute little dimples. She swore he smiled at her.
“Oh my gosh. He looks just like Tyson,” Tamera said.
Gabrielle hadn’t responded. She was too enamored, too occupied with her baby boy that she couldn’t hear anything around her. She was only concerned with her baby.
“Gabrielle, I’m going to step out in the hallway and try to call Tyson again.”
Gabrielle still hadn’t responded.
Tamera proceeded to step out of the room, and standing in the hallway, trying to dial her brother again, she couldn’t get any reception on her phone. So she quickly took the elevator to a lower level. That would afford her the opportunity to stop by the café and grab a drink and take a few moments to catch her breath from a whirlwind of a day. Being a labor coach had proven to be hard work and she needed a break.
