When Memories Fade

by Tyora Moody

  “Aunt Liz, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t recognize your voice. He will be here in a little while. He just called. I guess he just arrived in Charlotte. “

  Liz paused. “Arrived?” she finally said.

  Angel said, “He left for New York last Friday. I just heard from him, so I assumed he just arrived back in Charlotte.”

  “He was here? In New York?”

  Angel frowned. Liz’s questions were confusing her. Then she remembered Jacob had moved out of their home. “He told me he had to return to work.” Liz was so quiet, Angel thought she’d hung up. “Liz, are you still there?”

  “Angel, your uncle lost his job last year.”

  Now Angel was floored. What was up with the family secrets? “I had no idea. Well, didn’t you say he moved out? Suppose he found another job?”

  “He hasn’t. I only asked him to move out a few weeks ago. I don’t know what he is doing, but he’s not looking for a job.”

  “Of course he is. Jacob is, like, lost without working. I heard with the economy, it just takes a while to find what you are looking for.”

  “Yes, it’s not that easy when you are Jacob’s age, but your uncle has not been himself for a while,” Liz revealed. “I can’t even begin to explain to you what has happened and when it all began. Even before he lost the job, he was just . . . preoccupied.”

  “By what?” Angel inquired.

  “I don’t know. I just know after he lost his job, which I didn’t find out about until I went looking for him one day, he was just not the same Jacob. I told him he needed to get himself together, seek counseling or something.” Liz choked up.

  Angel swallowed. She felt bad for Liz. “I’m sorry that Jacob is not acting right. I wish I knew what to tell you.” Now Angel was wondering where Jacob had been all this time. What really alarmed her was how Grams was actually being taken care of. She didn’t understand her grandparents’ finances. “Liz, when Jacob gets here, I will tell him you called.”

  “Thank you, Angel. I still love your uncle. I just wish whatever is going on with him, that he would get some help. I gave him an ultimatum when he left. That he either get some help or this marriage was over. I know he has carried demons for years, and he’s never one to talk. It’s time. Past time.”

  Angel heard the front door open. “Liz, I have to go. Good-bye.”

  “Good-bye, Angel.”

  Angel hung up the phone and went out into the hallway to see her uncle. He was dressed just like he’d been when she saw him at the hospital a few weeks ago, his clothes rumpled and his beard fully grown in now. She remembered her uncle being such a handsome man. The man who stared at her looked older and beaten down.

  Jacob asked, “Are you ready?”

  “Liz called,” Angel responded and watched her uncle’s face. As usual, he was stoic, his face void of emotion, but she could sense questions in his eyes.

  Jacob answered, “What did she want?”

  “I guess she was worried about you.”

  “Sure she is. Look, we need to go, or we will miss the appointment.”

  “Let me grab my bag.”

  They had to ride together, and Angel wasn’t about to let the drive be in silence. She waited until Jacob backed his BMW, which was visibly unclean, out of the driveway. There were coffee cups on the floor, and she noticed clothes on the backseat. Her uncle was a workaholic, working out business deals even during family events. It wasn’t unusual for him to be a walking office. He had worked hard toward having the American dream. He was a proud man. How was he carrying on day to day without his job?

  She decided to ask him a question that she felt safe to ask. “How will Grams’s medical bills be paid?”

  Jacob looked straight ahead, not even giving Angel a glance. Knowing that she had talked to Liz, he probably already knew his secret was out. He cleared his throat. “Medicaid will take care of her bills. We just need to get her care set up for home. It’s going to be hard for her, but we—or, rather, you—have been through this with Dad. She will probably be in a wheelchair until she hopefully can walk on her own.”

  With Granddad having been an amputee in a wheelchair, the house was pretty set up. There were ramps at the front door and the back door. It had been only three years ago when Angel watched as her grandparents’ bedroom and bathroom were transformed to comfortably accommodate her granddad.

  “Who knew that Granddad’s needs would be suitable for Grams now? How long will she have to continue doing rehab?”

  “Not sure how long. It all depends. She will continue to need to see the physical therapists and speech pathologist.” Jacob braked for a light and finally looked at Angel. He said, “It will work out.”

  She thought for a split second about her next question and then asked, “Are you and Liz going to work things out?”

  Jacob turned away and stared ahead. When the light turned green, he pushed the accelerator a bit too hard, making the car lurch forward. Angel didn’t think he would answer, but he finally responded, “I’m concentrating on my mother right now. That’s the best I can do.”

  With that Angel didn’t ask any more questions, but her mind whirred with thoughts about what the future held. Before long they arrived at Trinity Home Health.

  Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

  Angel and Jacob met with Wilma Houston, the director of Trinity Home Health Care. Ms. Houston was pleasant enough, but a deep sense of sadness fell over Angel like a blanket as she listened to the services offered and nodded. She’d always felt different, but now it seemed she definitely wasn’t living the typical life of a twenty-five-year-old. Her conversation with Jacob had left her more uncertain.

  After they left the director’s office, Angel thought she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see Wanda Cade coming toward them.

  Wanda came up to Angel and hugged her. “Angel, it’s good to see you again.” She looked over at Jacob and beamed. “Well, Jake, it’s been a long time. You owe me a hug too.”

  Angel watched her uncle’s face. For the first time in a while, he smiled and reached down to hug his old friend. “Long time no see, Wanda. You look good.”

  Wanda waved. “Oh, stop. It’s been rough. As I imagine it has been for you. How’s your mother? Angel told me about Fredricka’s stroke.”

  Jacob nodded. “She has a road ahead of her. We were just talking to the director about hiring a nurse.”

  “Good plan,” Wanda replied.

  Angel asked Wanda, “How’s Detective Cade doing?”

  Wanda shook her head. “Well, I guess I may be in a similar situation. Wes has been telling me I should get some help. I’m just looking at my options. I’m so used to taking care of him myself, but it’s getting hard.”

  Jacob and Wanda looked at each other for a minute. It felt like a long minute to Angel. She asked, “So, you two were really close at one time . . . friends, that is?”

  Wanda laughed. “We were pretty tight. Jacob could be fun.”

  “My uncle?” Angel lifted an eyebrow. “For real?”

  Jacob frowned. “Hey, I knew how to have fun.” He smiled again. “Does seem like a long time ago, though.”

  Wanda agreed. “You used to be able to make me laugh so hard, my stomach would hurt for hours afterward.”

  So what happened to him? Angel wondered as she looked at Jacob. It was like the man who was considered the stable sibling, always taking care of things, was on the verge of falling apart, if he hadn’t already. Despite the distance, she had known she could always count on her uncle. Lately, she wasn’t sure whom to depend on anymore.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “Please stop fretting. I can handle this okay. Don’t you need to be going?” Wes rubbed his hand over his head and observed as his mother gripped the car keys in her hand.

  “He’s just had a really bad day. I really need to work this shift tonight. I’ve traded as many shifts as I can. Ms. Williams had to go out of town. She’s been so
good about helping me watch him.” Wanda looked back into the bedroom where Pops lay resting. “As long as he is sleeping, he shouldn’t be any trouble.”

  “We will be fine. Like you said, he’s sleeping. He usually sleeps through the night, right?”

  “I know you think this should be simple, but he could wake up disoriented, and he may not know you.”

  “Mom! He’s sleeping. Now go. I got this.”

  Wanda stared at him for a long minute and then took a deep breath. “Okay.” She kissed Wes on the cheek and went out the door.

  He closed the door behind her, hoping to use the time to rest himself. Wes had been running and tracking down leads. He had finally set up a time to talk with Minister J.D. If he could find out what the minister knew about Melanie’s secret record deal, surely this would make his producer, Alan, a happy man. Wes was interested in knowing what type of contacts Minister J.D. still had in the business to be able to help Melanie.

  Wes sank down into his mother’s chair. No wonder his mother loved this chair. He could feel the tension leaving his body as he jotted down notes for Minister J.D. Soon his eyes began to close. Seeing a losing battle coming, Wes tossed his pen and notebook on the coffee table and decided to let a catnap take over.

  He was jarred awake by his ringing cell phone. Wes sat up as quickly as he could in the recliner, which seemed to be pulling his body backward. With one last lurch forward, he reached for the phone. “Hello.” He rubbed his eyes and realized it was after ten o’clock.

  “Hey, Wes. This is Big Al, man. I think I see your guy.”

  Wes shook his head. “What?”

  “Your man, the one in the photo you showed me, with the Kangol hat. He’s here, kind of creating a scene.”

  “You’re kidding me. What’s going on? What’s he doing?” Wes grew warm with excitement. Melanie Stowe’s dad had surfaced.

  “Well, he seems upset. Is this guy the father of that missing singer?”

  “Yes, he is. Is he talking about her?” Big Al didn’t answer him back. “Al? Al, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, man. Hey, look, brother man just broke down. I don’t think he knew she was missing. Isn’t that crazy?”

  Yeah, real crazy! Wes thought he heard something in the back. He got up and walked toward the hallway but didn’t see anything.

  Big Al continued. “Drunk as a skunk. What do you want me to do with him?”

  Wes asked, “How long do you think you can keep him? Has anyone come up to him to ask questions?”

  “I don’t know. He has been talking to a lot of people.”

  “Hey, Al, hold on a minute. I got to check something.”

  Wes looked at his watch. He walked to Pops’s room and peeked inside. He could make out Pops’s body in the bed. He walked into the room to listen. Pops was breathing regularly and sleeping soundly. Wanda would kill him if he did what he was thinking about doing, but he had to do this. It would take him all of fifteen minutes to drive downtown, ask questions, and come right back. He could return in an hour. Even as he thought about it, Wes felt uneasy.

  “Al, try to distract him and hold him. I will be there soon.”

  Wes peeked in on Pops one more time. He’s sleeping. He will be fine. Wes drove the whole way, willing Pops to remain asleep and hoping this wasn’t a wasted trip. If Melanie’s dad slipped through his fingers, this could be one of the stupidest stunts he had done in a long time to get a story.

  He arrived at the bar and looked around. He didn’t see Big Al anywhere at first. He nodded to the bartender he’d seen the other day and walked toward the back. Wes saw Melanie’s dad before seeing Big Al. He glanced around the room and slipped into the chair across from the man. He looked much thinner and grayer than in the photo, but sure enough, he was wearing a Kangol hat. The hat could’ve been the same one in the photo.

  Larry squinted at him. “Who are you?”

  “Just here to be supportive. I heard about your daughter.”

  The man rubbed his head. “It’s my fault. Sins of the father have come back to haunt me.”

  Wes leaned in farther. “Sir, what do you mean?”

  “Somebody took my girl to get at me.” Larry picked up his glass and drained the rest of the liquid. He looked at Wes. “You going to give a brother a refill? There was a big cat around here helping me out.” Larry searched around the bar.

  “Probably Big Al. He should be back soon. Why would someone take your daughter to get back at you?”

  Larry looked back at him; his bloodshot eyes were watery. “I’ve done some bad things.”

  “If you think you know who has your daughter, why don’t you tell the police? People have been searching all over for her.”

  “No! I told you, I did some bad things.”

  “Your daughter has been missing for weeks. Don’t you want to save her?”

  “It’s too late.”

  Wes looked at the man across from him. Whatever had happened to Melanie, his gut had been telling him this man had to have something to do with it or knew who did. This was out of Wes’s league, though. It was time to get some backup, but he needed to be sure not to let Larry disappear again. “You look like you could use some rest. Can I take you home?”

  “I don’t have a place to stay. Got kicked out of the last place I stayed.”

  “I can get you a room for the night. Get you a good night’s sleep. Maybe we can talk more tomorrow.” Wes looked at his watch. He’d been there almost an hour, and he really needed to get back to the house. “So, what do you say I get you a place for the night?”

  Larry must have been ready for a bed, because it didn’t take too much convincing from Wes for him to get in the car. Wes drove to a nearby motel, paid for a room, and made sure Larry entered the room. Then he dialed Darnell’s cell number.

  Detective Jackson came on the phone. “Wes, this better be good, man. I just got in the bed.”

  “Man, I’m so sorry, but I thought you might want to know I found Melanie Stowe’s dad. He was pretty wasted, but he confessed he knew who took his daughter.”

  “Are you sure?” Darnell asked.

  “Yeah, he was spouting stuff like ‘sins of the father.’ Look, I got him a room at the Wren Motel. His room number is two-twenty-three. Can you get someone down here pretty early? I don’t want him to slip away, and I’ve got to get back to the house.” It was now over an hour and a half since he had left Pops alone.

  “All right, man. I’ll be there to pick him up.”

  “Great. Keep me updated. Don’t forget I helped you find him.”

  Wes drove like a madman back to his mom’s house. As he approached the front door, he froze. The front door was cracked open. No! Either the house was broken into or . . . Wes pushed the door open and called out, “Pops.” He ran into the house. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed in the living room. The lamps were still on, and the television was showing an old black-and-white Twilight Zone. Wes rushed to Pops’s bedroom. He turned the light switch on.

  He’s gone. Where would he go? It was after midnight. There was no way he could explain this to his mother. Wes ran toward the kitchen and checked the side door that led into the backyard. It was locked, but he opened it and ran down the steps. “Pops!” he yelled. Wes turned and unlatched the gate in the fence, headed to the street, and sprinted down the sidewalk. “Pops!” If there was any time in his life when he wished he could turn back time and reverse a decision he’d made, it would be right now.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Melanie rocked back and forth on the bed, humming, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!” She hadn’t thought of this song in years. It was one of her mother’s favorites. Mary Stowe would sing or hum the song in the morning or at night. When her mother was alive, they went to church almost every Sunday. Her daddy went on occasion, usually on a holiday like Easter. Most of the time, it was just her and Mom.

  Her mom could have sung in the choir, but she preferred to si
t on the pew. Melanie could remember hearing her mother’s soulful and smooth singing along with the choir. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oftentimes people would turn around and look at her mother, smiling. Her mother would smile back and keep on singing. It was the joy on her face that had always struck Melanie. She never looked that peaceful when they were home, especially when Daddy was around.

  Melanie stopped rocking and looked over at the table. She’d rationed what the man had brought her to eat. It seemed it took him longer and longer to come. Was this a part of his game? Why did she have to be his game piece? She still hadn’t touched the candy bar he’d left. It was tucked away. Her mind still spun with questions about how he knew.

  Does it matter? Melanie rocked again. She was almost sure she would go crazy from being cooped up in this place. Today, for the first time in a long while, she could vividly see her mother’s face. Not the face that was thin from the cancer that tore at her body, but a fuller version, smiling and singing.

  Melanie started to hum again. She hummed along as she heard her mother’s voice and then opened her mouth. In her mind, she sang alongside her mother. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

  As she rocked, she prayed. “God, if you save me, I will sing for you. I will sing for you.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Wes prayed. His mother would be home in a few hours. He had been up and down the neighborhood, driving around and around. His body was so tense with worry, Wes thought he would explode. Then he remembered where, a few weeks back, his mother had found Dad. It was worth a shot. He drove a few blocks down to the park. Surely, Pops didn’t really walk this far. Wes drove by the park and at first glance saw no one there.

  He parked the car and walked around. From a distance, he could see a figure sitting on a bench. Please let that be him. Wes walked up slowly and said, “Hello.”

  Pops turned around and looked at him. “Hello. What are you doing out here, young man?”

  Wes exhaled, not realizing he’d been holding his breath. “Pops, I have never been so glad to see you. We’ve got to get you back. Mom is going to walk in the door soon, and I already will be toast when I have to tell her I lost you.”