Former Rain-Forsaken Box Set

by Vanessa Miller

  When he walked into the kitchen, Mattie said, “Leave it to you and I guess you would give this baby scalding hot milk.”

  He really wanted to tell this woman to shut up, but he was already in hot water with his wife. He wouldn’t win any points with Cassandra by telling her mother off. He bit on his lip as he turned to Cassandra. “I pulled out a couple of DVDs. We’re ready to go whenever you are.”

  ***

  Vivian stood in the Thomas’s backyard peeping through the family room window. The family looked happy as they sat around the family room, laughing, joking and watching a bunch of stupid cartoons. Vivian wanted to throw a brick through the window. She would love to see JT’s face as the brick sailed through the window and landed smack dab in the middle of Cassandra’s fat head.

  JT would be horrified to see his precious Cassandra with a big brick dent in her head. Vivian laughed at the image. But then she remembered that she was peeking through their blinds and ducked. She then got on her knees and crawled all the way back to the front of the house and then ran to her car. When she got in her car she saw the spray paint can in the passenger seat. “There you are,” she said.

  She picked up the can and got back out of her car. When she was in the backyard being a peeper, she had wondered if she’d left the spray paint at home. She had been angry with herself, thinking that she’d missed an opportunity. She walked right up to the front door and spelled out s-i-n-n-e-r. The front door was tan, the spray paint, red, so the letters were much more magnified for all the neighbors to read.

  Vivian dropped the can in the yard as she ran back to her car. As she sped off, Vivian’s visual picture of the scene in the family room caused her to pull the car over and think about what she saw. Cassandra was on the couch with Jerome. JT was on the floor with Aaron. But there was also a baby in the playpen. She knew this because the baby cried every so often and JT would get up and tend to the baby.

  “Why did JT tend to the baby every time it cried? If Cassandra was babysitting for someone, wouldn’t she have gotten up to see about the baby?”

  When Vivian was sixteen, her mother made her give her baby up for adoption. All these years she’d thought that her baby was gone for good. At least, that’s what her therapist had told her. But that hack didn’t know insane from sane, that’s why Vivian stopped going to her sessions. And now look; things were finally turning around for her. She had known all along that fate had brought her and JT together, and now she knew why. JT had been keeping her baby for her. As she put her car in drive and continued on her journey, Vivian wondered why her baby hadn’t gotten any bigger in all these years. But then she decided not to trouble her mind with insignificant details. She had bigger things to think about, like how she would get her baby away from JT.

  CHAPTER 24

  “I want that woman arrested, I’m tired of this!” JT yelled at the police officer as they stood in the front yard looking at his door.

  “Did you see this woman anywhere near your house today?” the police officer asked.

  “No, we were in the house all day. We didn’t even know she had spray painted my house until my neighbor rang the door bell and told me.”

  “I will check into this, Mr. Thomas. But I can’t arrest her without an eye witness.”

  JT looked at the man’s badge and then said, “Look, Grayson, my primary concern is my family. Vivian is obviously unstable – she slashed my tires, left a dead rat on my doorstep and now she’s spray painting my house. What more do you want this psychotic woman to do to my family before you take action?”

  Grayson looked at his notes and then told JT, “One good thing is that she was in front of your house the day you found the dead rat. So, I should be able to question her on that with no problem. The rest is a little shaky, but I will do my best.”

  JT rubbed his forehead and around his eyes, making circular motions with his hands on his face. He took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Okay, Detective, you do what you can and I’ll protect my family the best way I can.”

  “Be careful,” Grayson said as he walked away.

  JT was fuming as he went back into the house. Cassandra and Mattie were waiting in the living room for him. The kids had been put down for their afternoon nap. “What did he say?” Cassandra asked as soon as JT walked into the living room.

  “Not much they can do.” JT angrily shook his head. “I don’t understand this. Vivian comes over hear and terrorizes my family and the police can’t do anything because she didn’t sign her artwork.”

  “Are they going to question her about this stuff?” Cassandra wanted to know.

  “Yes, but that’s about it.” JT sat down across from Cassandra and said, “I’m really getting tired of this.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, maybe you won’t be pulling your pants down at anymore church functions,” Mattie said with a raised eyebrow.

  JT exploded. He shot up and pointed at Mattie. “I want you out of my house today. Get your bags and get out of here.” He’d taken all he was going to take from this woman.

  Undaunted, Mattie stood up and told JT, “You wish this was your house. When my daughter gets finish taking you to the bank, you’ll be sleeping in your car.”

  “Mother,” Cassandra said while raising her hand to quiet the situation.

  “Don’t Mother me,” Mattie said as she turned to her daughter. “Why do you let this low-life get away with treating you like dirt? I’m sick of it. Do you hear me?” Mattie was becoming hysterical as she continued. “I saw how you were acting toward JT in the family room today. And you didn’t look like no woman planning to see her divorce attorney. I won’t let him treat you like this. Do you hear me?”

  “Mother, calm down,” Cassandra said as she walked over to her hyperventilating mother, grabbed hold of her arm and sat her back on the couch. “Why are you acting like this? What’s wrong?”

  “He’s no good, Baby. Them preachers are no good, the whole lot of ‘em,” Mattie said.

  “That’s not true, Mother, there are some good men out there that preach the gospel. You can’t look at my situation and lump together all the preachers in the world.”

  JT stood in his living room amazed at this woman’s hatred. He knew where her hatred came from. It was a secret he had kept for all the years he’d know Cassandra. But he couldn’t hold it any longer. He had to let Cassandra know what was going on before her mother’s bitterness became a cancer to her also. He put his hand on Cassandra’s shoulder and said, “Baby, your mother feels this way about preachers, because your father is a preacher.”

  Cassandra swung around to face her husband. “What are you talking about, JT? My father was a soldier. He died in the Vietnam war.” She turned back to her mother looking for confirmation and said, “Right, Mother?”

  Mattie patted Cassandra’s hand as she kept her eyes averted from JT and said, “Yes Honey, your daddy was a soldier. I still miss him to this day.”

  “Tell her the truth,” JT demanded.

  Eyes of hatred looked up at JT. “What do you know about it? You weren’t there.”

  “Yeah, but I can see, Mattie. And I asked questions about what I saw and low and behold I found out I was right. You have lied to Cassandra for years and have afflicted her with your hate because of something you did.”

  With a raised eyebrow, Cassandra asked, “What is it that you see, JT?”

  JT put his hands on both of Cassandra’s shoulders as he faced her. “Don’t you see it, Baby? The two of you have the same bone structure and your eyes are exactly alike. Sometimes when I’ve looked into your eyes, it was as if he was standing right there with us.”

  Cassandra sat down as her eyes filled with revelation. She put her hand to her mouth and lowered her head for a moment. When she raised her head back up, she looked at her mother and said, “Do you remember when I was six years old and I came home from a weekend at Bishop’s house?”

  Mattie nodded but said nothing.

  “I told you that
Troy said that his mom told Bishop she was tired of his illegitimate child coming over their house. Troy told me that they were talking about me, so I asked you what an illegitimate child was and do you remember what you said?”

  Again, Mattie nodded but said nothing.

  Cassandra wasn’t letting her off the hook, though. “You said that an illegitimate child is one who lost her father, and another nice father steps in to take his place. You told me that mean old Susan was just angry about how special I was to Bishop.”

  JT looked at Mattie. He saw her eyes fill with tears, and at that moment he actually felt sorry for the woman. He could see by the pain etched on her face that she still felt guilty for what she had done all those years ago. He sat down next to Cassandra and said, “Everyone makes mistakes, Baby. We’ve just got to learn from them and move on.”

  But Cassandra wasn’t listening. Her jaw was set tight as her eyes bore through her mother. “Is Bishop Turner my father?”

  Mattie sat silently with her head lowered and tears falling on her lap.

  “Answer me!” Cassandra demanded.

  “It’s complicated, Cassandra,” Mattie said finally.

  “How complicated?” Cassandra asked in a tone that dared her mother not to respond.

  “My husband was away at war, Cassandra. I was lonely, and when my husband died, I was so vulnerable that I fell into that awful man’s arms and he never even apologized for how he took advantage of me,” Mattie said as she stood up with her arms folded across her chest. “I’m leaving. I can see that I’m not wanted here and I will not stay where I’m not wanted.” She grabbed her purse and began walking toward the door.

  Before Mattie could walk through the door, Cassandra said, “You still didn’t answer my question. Is Bishop Turner my father?”

  Mattie opened the front door, she looked at the words that spelled out sinner and said, “Yes.” She then closed the door behind her and left.

  As the door closed, Cassandra put her hands over her face and sobbed. JT sat back down next to Cassandra and pulled her close to him. “How could she… how could she?”

  As much as JT wanted Cassandra to be mad at her mother so that she would draw closer to him, he couldn’t do it. Cassandra loved her mother and she needed to remember that right now. “Your mom is human, just like we are. You need to give her a chance to explain all of this to you.”

  She pulled herself out of his arms and wiped the tears from her face. “Don’t you take up for her. She doesn’t even like you.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Cassandra picked up her telephone and dialed Bishop’s cell phone. It rang once and then he picked up. “Hey, sweetheart, how are you doing?”

  Cassandra was hurt and angry. Tears were flowing down her face as she said, “How could you?”

  “What? Cassandra, what’s wrong?”

  “How dare you. How could you make me believe that you were no more than my godfather all these years?”

  Bishop stuttered. “W-what’s going on?”

  “You know what’s going on. I know the truth and I will never forgive you for this.”

  “N-now wait a minute, sweetheart; I don’t think you know the whole truth,” Bishop said.

  “Oh, I know,” Cassandra told him, her voice steadily rising as she continued. “I know that you brought me to your house on weekends and allowed Susan to treat me like I was nothing. I always knew she didn’t like me; I just never imagined that this was the reason.”

  “Stop crying, Cassandra. Susan loves you, Honey. She’s told you that more than once.”

  Cassandra wiped some of the tears from her face. “She treats me all right now. But when I was a kid, I could tell that she didn’t like me. And that was because of what you had done – it was your fault.”

  “I’m coming to town today, Cassandra. I’ll be there to see you this evening. I really want to talk to you about this,” Bishop said.

  “No, no.” Cassandra waved her hands in the air. “I don’t ever want to see you again.” She slammed down the telephone.

  The telephone immediately rang and Cassandra put her hands over her ears. She screamed as she walked around the living room. JT walked into the family room carrying Aaron on one hip and Lily on the other. “Why aren’t you picking up the phone? I was changing diapers so I couldn’t get it.”

  “It’s Bishop, and I don’t want to talk to him,” Cassandra said with hands on hips.

  “Calm down, Cassandra,” JT said as he put Aaron in his playpen and laid Lily on the couch.

  “What’s wrong with Mommy?” Jerome asked.

  JT turned the TV on Sponge Bob and said, “Sit down and watch TV, Jerome. Mommy is okay, I just need to talk to her.”

  As JT started walking toward Cassandra the telephone rang again. They both looked at it. She shook her head and turned away. JT picked up the phone. “Hello… Oh, how are you, Susan?” JT hesitated and then said as he turned to Cassandra, “Can I have her call you back?” Another hesitation, then, “I understand, but Cassandra doesn’t want to talk to any-”

  Cassandra held out her hand. “Give me the phone.”

  He put his hand over the mouthpiece and asked, “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I want to talk to her,” she said as JT put the cordless phone in her hand. Cassandra walked into the hallway and put the receiver to her ear. JT followed her into the hallway and stood there looking nervous. “Hi, Susan.”

  “Cassandra, Honey, the bishop just called me. When he told me what you said, I had to give you a call,” Susan said.

  “I’m sorry this happened to you, Susan. My husband has just had a child by another woman, so I now know firsthand how awful something like that is.”

  When Cassandra made the remark about Lily, he went back into the family room and sat down with the kids to get out of her line of fire.

  “I wondered why you didn’t seem to like me when I was a child. I kept trying to do things to make you like me, but now I understand.”

  “We may have started off rough, Honey, but you made me love you. I need you to know that I truly love you. I wanted to tell you that Bishop is your father so long ago, but we kept up this charade for too long.”

  “How can you forgive Bishop for doing this to you?”

  “It wasn’t easy. We fought for years after he admitted his mistake to me. But I love him. He’s the only man I’ve ever wanted to be with. So we worked it out,” Susan told her.

  Cassandra glanced toward the family room where JT sat with his extracurricular baby as she said, “I don’t know if I can work this out.”

  “Give him a chance, Cassandra. From what the bishop has told me, JT has been through a lot lately. God may have humbled and changed him.”

  “I’ve got to go, but I do want you to know that I am truly sorry for what my mother and Bishop did to you.”

  “And I want to let you know that I’m glad you were born. You are the daughter I never had.”

  Cassandra hung up the phone and walked back into the family room. She sat down on the couch next to Lily. As she looked at this little baby, she wondered if someday she would come to think of Lily as the daughter she didn’t give birth to. Or would she only think of her as JT’s betrayal?

  “Are you okay?” JT asked.

  “No, I’m anything but okay,” she told him.

  JT turned to Jerome. “Hey, Little Man, why don’t you go get some of your trucks and toy men so we can play together?”

  Jerome jumped up. “Okay, Dad. I’ll be right back.”

  As Jerome ran out of the room, JT turned back to Cassandra and said, “I’m sorry, Baby. I just thought it was time that you knew the truth?”

  “I bet you did,” Cassandra said while glaring at JT. “I guess you thought that if I knew my own mother did the same thing that Diane has done to me; and if I knew that I am the child of an affair I would just shut up about what you did, huh?”

  “That’s not what I was thinking, Cassandra.”

  She stood up. “Y
ou probably even asked Susan to call me. I bet you thought after Susan told me she stayed with Bishop because he had changed; you hoped that I would stay with you. But I don’t know if I can do this.” She pointed to Lily and continued, “I don’t ever want to treat her like an inconvenient intrusion. That’s how I felt growing up. Susan doesn’t treat me that way now, but it took her twenty years to treat me like I was a human being with feelings that mattered.” Tears started back down her face. “I can’t do that to Lily, JT.”

  JT went to his wife and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t know how to say this in a way that you will believe, but I am so sorry for what I did to our family.”

  She pulled away from JT and said, “I’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to think, and I can’t stay here to do that.” She looked around the room at the three children and felt guilty for leaving JT alone with all of them. “Look, I’ll take Aaron with me so you don’t have to deal with all three of them by yourself.”

  “I know I have no right to ask this, but would you take Lily instead?”

  Cassandra looked at JT as if he had lost his mind. After a moment, she recovered enough to ask, “Why would I do that?”

  “See,” JT began while wringing his hands, “I think you have a big enough heart to treat Lily just as good as you treat our children, but you’re not sure. So, if you had some time alone with Lily, maybe you would realize what I already know.”

  She thought about that for a moment, then realized that she would like to know how she would feel about Lily when it was just the two of them. She didn’t answer JT, but she walked into the garage and came back to the family room with the infant carseat that had been taken out of her car months ago when she replaced it with Aaron’s toddler car seat. “Put this in my car and I’ll get her diaper bag ready.”