Saving Her Shadow

by Lutishia Lovely

  “Cool, starting back up in a couple weeks. KC asked about you. Said to let him know of any way he can help.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Bryce sat down, initially listening as the others discussed how best to find Abby, and finally jumping in. “She’s probably hiding out with someone in that cult. That’s where you need to be looking.”

  Bruce gave him a look. “You really think we haven’t thought of that? You sound pretty good on that KCK track. Stay in your lane.”

  “This is my girl,” Bryce shot back. “So this is my lane.”

  “Calm down everyone,” Valarie said, with a hand toward each man. “Bryce, the Illumination is a huge organization to crack. They have money, power, and a network that extends all over the country and out of it. The very fact that the church and Raina’s parents know we’re looking will make Abby very hard to find.”

  “We’re not going to stop looking,” Bryce declared.

  “Absolutely not,” Raina said.

  With the increased media coverage, social media coverage and the Storytime viral video views still climbing, Raina’s private life all but disappeared. Someone leaked her cell number. The phone began to ping so much she turned off notifications. Texts poured in from friends and strangers alike. She had to quit her job at the Breadbasket. That night she came home to find Christine and her friend Lois Monroe, one of the woman who’d helped bail her out of jail, with their heads together at Christine’s dining room table, reading a national paper. Even from a few feet away, the article’s title jumped out: “Saving Her Shadow.” Beneath it was the picture taken at the winter solstice celebration. Memories of that moment flooded in. Raina had said something funny to Abby, who responded with one of her contagious laughs, bright eyes and a toothy grin. Raina grabbed Abby’s hand while looking directly at the camera. She hadn’t seen that Abby only had eyes for big sis. It was one of Raina’s all-time favorite pics.

  Jackie and Monica handled the social media sites—reading the comments, responding to some of the messages, and tracking the numbers of likes, shares, and views. Raina’s video on Storytime grew the fastest. Two hundred thousand views. Then six hundred thousand. Felicity secured the interview with Gayla Kingsley and had been contacted by Ella. Raina appeared on the Gayla Kingsley show, via satellite. The day her segment aired, five million people were watching. That night her video reached one million views.

  Just past seven thirty on the following Monday morning, Christine’s doorbell rang. It was Bryce, looking for Raina.

  “Don’t even think about going to school,” was his greeting, after she’d shimmied into a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and met him in the living room. Had she not been so consumed with all things Abby she would have remembered to be upset and ask what he was doing there.

  Instead she simply asked, “Why not?”

  “Reporters are everywhere. There’s at least a dozen news trucks lined up and down the block.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I wish I were. I thought it was crazy before but the interview with Gayla has blown your story up for real.”

  Raina walked to the couch, plopped down, and covered her eyes. What had she done? They’d wanted attention on Abby’s situation. She hadn’t considered how that would look or what it might cost her.

  Christine walked into the living room and sat beside Raina. “Baby, what are you going to do?”

  “I can’t deal with any of that,” Raina answered, waving her hand toward the window and the news crews she imagined beyond it. “I don’t want to go to school.”

  Christine placed a comforting arm around her. “You don’t have to, sweetie. We’ll call Valarie and see how we can get you excused.”

  “I need to make sure they’ll let me make up any assignments up that I miss. This close to graduation, I don’t want any problems.”

  “That’s admirable to be focused on your education, honey. But I’m more concerned about you.” Christine pointed a finger at Raina’s chest. “Your welfare is what’s most important right now.”

  “That’s right,” Bryce echoed, as he pulled one of Raina’s hands into his own. “Can’t let nothing happen to you.”

  Valarie picked her and Bryce up later that morning. She’d gotten Raina excused from school, spoken with the principal and guidance counselor, and arranged for the possible use of a tutor, at least until the frenzy died down. The message Raina heard a short while later when checking her voicemail, assured that wouldn’t be happening soon.

  “Hello, Raina, this is Shanice Gibson with the Ella Show. We’ve been speaking with Felicity Moore about you and your sister. Ella saw your video and wants to speak with you directly before possibly having you booked on the show. Please return my call ASAP at 310 . . .”

  She didn’t wait to hear the number. “Miss Valarie! That was a message from someone named Shanice with the Ella Show! What should I do?”

  “The obvious,” Valarie calmly replied. “Call her back.”

  First, Raina had to calm down. When it came to talk shows, day or night, Ella DeBlanc was her hands down favorite, the comedic actress-turned-host of the biggest and best talk show on television. They pulled into the bureau parking lot. Valarie turned off the engine. Nobody moved.

  She looked at Raina. “Well?”

  Raina retrieved the message, dialed the number and tapped the speaker button.

  “This is Shanice.”

  “Hi, Shanice. It’s Raina.”

  “Hey, Raina! It’s great to hear from you. Ella has heard your story and is so proud of you.”

  They talked a bit more, then Ella got on the line. After joking a bit, she had only one question. “Have you ever been to California?”

  “No,” Raina said.

  “Well, start packing, baby girl. I want you on my show.”

  Chapter 24

  The whirlwind continued as five days after speaking with Ella, and nine days since being interviewed by Gayla Kingsley, Raina was in the back seat of Valarie’s car, headed for the airport. Conversation was light but tension hung in the air. Gayla’s segment had been done by satellite, from the studios of a network affiliate. This would be Raina’s first national, face-to-face appearance. Though confident that Ella’s would be a sensitive, compassionate interview, they’d wanted a list of the questions that might be asked. Shanice had told Valarie that wasn’t possible. Ella’s conversations were spontaneous, unscripted. Valarie had watched the show and understood. But still, she was wary. Bruce, even more so. They were also concerned for their client’s mental well-being. A lot had been put on her eighteen-year-old shoulders. For the most part she’d handled the pressure like a trouper, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t ready to blow.

  Valarie tried to lighten the car’s heavy atmosphere. “How do you feel about your first trip to the City of Angels?”

  “So nervous that I’m about to throw up.”

  “Relax, Raina,” Bruce said, with a wink. “You’ve got this.”

  “That’s right,” Valarie said. “Try not to focus on the interview. That’s not until tomorrow. Today is all about oceans, palm trees, and Hollywood.”

  “Wow!” Raina said. “I feel better already!”

  “You’ve never seen palm trees?” Bruce asked, as Valarie’s SUV ate the distance between Chippewa and Kansas City International Airport at eighty miles an hour.

  “I’ve seen them, in Florida. My family attended a conference in Orlando a few years ago.”

  “Did you go to Disney World?”

  “No.”

  “Really?” Bruce said. “I thought everybody who visited Orlando went to Disney World.”

  Not members of the Illumination, Raina thought, but said nothing. To do so would bring up more that she’d have to explain and she didn’t want that organization in her energy right now.

  “I’ve been to Florida and seen the Atlantic Ocean,” he continued, “but California is my favorite coastal state hands down. Many people who visit don’t like Los Angel
es, but, Raina, I think that you’ll like it just fine. Lots to do, the people-watching is fabulous, and the food . . . man! Some of the best I’ve ever had.”

  They boarded a stress-free flight and, three-and-a-half hours later, arrived in LA. April showers had brought May flowers. The city burst with flora of all shapes, colors, and sizes. The bird of paradise bushes that dotted the landscape took Raina’s breath away. They met Shanice and quickly learned that whatever sightseeing they were going to do had better happen this evening, because tomorrow would be work without play.

  Raina’s nose was pressed against the window of the limousine, looking out at a view that she’d only seen in pictures, online, and on TV. She marveled at the palm trees, the crowded highway, and buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see. Beside her Valarie, in Jackie O–style shades, looked the epitome of calm, as if it were every day one got invited to the country’s number-one talk show. Bruce sat on the opposite side in the oversized limo, focused on his cell phone. Raina wished she’d been able to share the experience with Jackie and Monica, and especially Bryce. They’d not been around each other much, and were technically not dating, but whenever she thought of boys and love, which wasn’t often given the focus on Abby, his face was still the one that she saw.

  “Look!” She pointed out her window. “It’s the Hollywood sign!”

  “It sure is,” Shanice said, without looking up. She’d been on her phone, either talking or texting, since waving the gang over to where she stood near the carousel in baggage claim.

  “Will we get to see it up close?”

  “Not really. It used to be that you could walk right up to the letters, but not anymore.”

  “I want to see some of the stars’ houses,” Raina gushed, “and Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. And how far away is Disneyland?”

  Even as she reeled off these fantasy locations, the words of her dad and the council rang in her ears. One selfie taken with Mickey Mouse and she’d be damned to eternal darkness and totally obscured. Being this close to the places she’d dreamed of gave her the courage to take her chances. She’d take her chances while she had them and then try and find her way back to the light.

  “Both the hotel where you’re staying and the studios are in Hollywood, so if you’d like, you and Valarie will get a chance to see some of those sights tonight. I put together an itinerary of what’s in the area along with their hours of operation and ticket info. In the morning, we might be able to do a quick limo tour before heading to the airport. Other than that there’s no room for sightseeing. The schedule is pretty tight.”

  Raina tried unsuccessfully to hold on to her smile.

  “Sorry, kid,” Shanice said. “Maybe next time.”

  Raina all but laughed out loud. Next time? Raina knew that this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime situation.

  After receiving a detailed schedule of tomorrow’s taping, the SUV limo dropped them off at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, an iconic landmark built during the “Golden Age of Hollywood” and named after the twenty-sixth president of the United States. Located on the aptly named Hollywood Boulevard, part of the stars’ Walk of Fame, Raina learned that in its heyday guests at the hotel included Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. Later, music icon Prince and actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were among the famous people who stayed there. Once in their double deluxe room, Raina couldn’t help but wonder about the other people who’d stayed in this room; celebrities whose feet may have touched the same floor. She didn’t ponder for long though, because Shanice was right. The hotel was located smack dab in the middle of the Hollywood happenings. Bruce left to visit his LA pals. After freshening up and eating burgers from a restaurant in the lobby, which cost more than the dress from Ross Dress for Less that Raina wore, she and Valarie went to explore the neighborhood. Every few steps it seemed Raina found something else to snap with her cell phone camera. They took selfies in front of the Chinese Theatre, where they also saw Michael Jackson’s gloved handprints. They saw more than a dozen other names they recognized on their way to the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, where they posed with everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Halle Berry, and Will Smith’s character in Men In Black to President Obama. Valarie had a particularly fun time schooling Raina on “old” actors she didn’t know about, like Bob Hope and George Burns and directors like Alfred Hitchcock. Once out of the museum, they spent about an hour just walking the streets and found people-watching as fun an adventure as visiting the museum had been. Raina could have stayed out all night, but because Shanice said a car would pick them up tomorrow promptly at eight, the ladies called it a night in time for Valarie to catch the latest episode of her favorite show, Queen Sugar.

  Raina was so excited she barely slept. The next morning the limo arrived early. They arrived at the studio ten minutes later. Shanice was there to greet them. She chatted with Valarie and Bruce while Raina was taken directly to hair and makeup. Afterwards, Shanice provided a rundown of the show’s overall direction and what they could expect to be asked. They were also informed that there might be other guests joining them, experts perhaps with counter arguments to the position taken by Raina and backed by Valarie, who along with Bruce would be seated in the front row. They were taken to a green room. Inside was a nice layout of breakfast options and a variety of drinks. Raina watched Ella’s show entrance and monologue while munching on a Danish and drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Valarie sipped black coffee. She couldn’t eat a thing. At the first commercial break, Shanice came backstage.

  “You’re on, guys,” she said, while listening to someone in her headphones. “Come with me.”

  They began walking down a hall with a curtain at the end. “It’s hard to relax, especially the first time, but try not to be nervous. Just be yourself. Don’t focus on the audience. Look at Ella and answer her questions naturally, as though it’s just you and her in the room.”

  Shanice stopped them at the curtain’s edge. Raina’s stomach flip-flopped. She heard the familiar theme music and could feel the energy of the audience. One of her favorite TV stars was just on the other side of the curtain. And she was about to go out there and meet her. This was crazy!

  “And we’re back!” Raina heard Ella saying. “My next guest is kind of like the best big sister, ever. Her story came to the attention of one of the show’s producers when a video about her little sister that she posted on Storytime went viral. She can tell you about it better than I can. Guys, please help me welcome Raina Reed!”

  Shanice guided them out through the curtain. Raina tried not to “fan” out as she saw Ella smiling and waving, and the familiar chairs she’d watched on television every chance that she got. She reached Ella and was given a hug. The nerves went away. Raina looked out at the audience and was struck by how much smaller it was in person than it appeared on TV.

  “Welcome to the show!”

  “Thanks for having me.”

  “As I said in the intro, you definitely get the best big sister award for bringing attention to Abby. How were the two of you separated, and why is it so important to find her?” Ella turned to the audience. “I know many of you saw her video and know the story. This is for those who’ve just crawled from under a rock.”

  The audience laughed.

  “Yes, so my sister is Abby. I call her Shadow because of how she’s always followed me around . . .”

  Raina went on to share the story, succinctly and in a way that was heartfelt.

  “Now you’re her counsel,” Ella said to Valarie, seated in the front row.

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Valarie McFadden.”

  “Kudos to you for helping Raina. How’d you become involved?”

  “Raina is best friends with my daughter, Jackie. I’m one of four attorneys at a legal agency called the Justice Bureau that’s based in Chippewa. She came to me for advice on how best to help her sister. Since then, we’ve been working on that answer
.”

  “I understand that the parents have gone into hiding and so far refuse to allow their daughter to get medical treatment, citing religious freedom. Isn’t that like, illegal or something, if doing so endangers the child?”

  “We don’t know that the Reeds are hiding, just that they can’t seem to be found. A parent has the right to observe the tenets of their religion or beliefs. And while some states have laws regarding medical care that err on the side of protecting the child, the state of Kansas protects the parents and their right to not choose modern medical treatment.”

  “Do you believe Abby’s well-being may be in jeopardy?” Ella asked Raina. “I mean, you tried to kidnap her to get help, so you must have felt pretty strongly about it.”

  Valarie intercepted the question. “We can’t talk about the kidnapping charge as it is an open and ongoing case. However, regarding Abby’s health, we don’t know how she’s doing because we haven’t seen her. Raina hasn’t seen her sister in more than two months. Other than members of the church who say Abby is fine, and that they know of the Reeds’ whereabouts but refuse to divulge them, we don’t know anybody who has. Abby was pulled out of the private school she attended and according to them is being homeschooled. I find such behavior curious, at the very least. Raina wants to see her sister. I believe siblings have rights, too.”

  The audience showed their support with sustained applause.

  Ella asked a few more questions. “FYI,” she said into the camera, “we did invite members of the church to be on the show. A representative who was scheduled to join us today canceled at the last minute. We also reached out to the law firm representing the Reeds, with an invitation to fly the parents here with Abby in hopes that they’d want the country to see that she’s fine and to hear their side. We were told that any rebuttal or information provided by the Reeds would be broadcast directly from the church’s network, Illumination TV.”

  Once again, Ella trained her bright blue eyes on Raina. “I understand their religion doesn’t watch my show.” This comment produced the intended laughter and lightened a somber moment. “But if Abby were to see this and you could say something to her, what would it be? Look right over at that camera, yes, the one straight ahead, and talk to her.”