Entangled (Real in the streets)

by K Elliott

  “So I guess you’re getting out of town tonight, huh?” she asked.

  “Yeah, can’t stick around here,” he said as he rolled the window down and blew out his cigar smoke.

  She felt awkward talking to him. She didn’t want him to leave, but given the circumstances, she knew he had to. “I guess you’ll call me when you get where you’re going, huh?”

  He nodded and leaned into her, giving her a peck on her jaw.

  “Give me a real kiss,” she demanded.

  He leaned into her; their parted lips met, and they kissed passionately for about three minutes. His lips were wet and succulent, and Dream’s whole body was shivering when she finally pulled away.

  “Please stay the night with me,” she pleaded.

  He grabbed her hand and stroked it gently. “I want to, believe me, but I gotta go, baby. I can’t rot in nobody’s jail.”

  She hesitated. “Well, I’m coming with you.”

  He looked at her strangely. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but then again, she had surprised him before when she offered to bring product back on the plane. He really didn’t want to put her life in jeopardy, but he didn’t have anyone else he could count on. He really did need her.

  “I love you, Jamal, and I want to be there for you.”

  He leaned closer and hugged her. “I’m going to need to get you a fake ID if you’re going to go with me. Is that okay with you?” “Whatever you want me to do, I’m with you. I love you.”

  Jamal pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Cedric. “Hey, man, I need an ID today for my girl.”

  “I can get you one, but it’s going to take a couple of days. I’m in Vegas right now.”

  “I can’t wait. Do you have anybody who can get me one? I got a thousand dollars. I need one today.”

  “Jamal, I want to help you, man, honestly, I do. But that’s going to be impossible because I’m out of town.”

  “When you get back in town, do you think you can make a couple of passports? I got somebody else working on it, but I trust you a little bit more.”

  “Jamal that 9/11 shit has made it damn near impossible to make a passport you could safely get by with,” Cedric said.

  “Motherfuck!” Jamal yelled into the phone before ending the call.

  “What’s wrong?” Dream asked.

  “I can’t get you an ID. You’re going to have to use your own name for a few days.”

  They quickly went inside her apartment and gathered a few of her belongings.

  A few hours later, they pulled into a Super 8 motel in Greensboro and checked in under her name.

  As soon as they were settled, Jamal called Angelo and told him about the outcome of the trial. He told him what his attorney had said about the Feds seeking indictments on the both of them as well.

  “So how much time is Dawg looking at?” Angelo asked.

  “At least twenty-five years, but that’s not what I called to talk about. I need to see you for business.”

  “Come on out tomorrow and I’ll fix you up real nice.”

  *** The next day Jamal shaved his head bald. He went to the Department of Motor Vehicles with the documentation he’d received from Cedric. When he came out, he was officially Andre Von, and that was the name he used to check into the airport.

  *** It was six o’clock when Jamal and Dream got off the plane in California. She rented a car, and they stopped at a mall where Jamal purchased two Samsonite briefcases. They checked into a hotel suite near Mission Beach. Jamal told Dream not to unpack. They would be going to Los Angeles later that night. She didn’t ask why.

  At 7:45 P.M., Angelo arrived at their hotel room. They hugged as they greeted. “We’re still standing,” Jamal said.

  “I know that’s right,” Angelo said chuckling. “I want to keep standing.”

  “Getting down to business. I need about ten kilos.”

  Angelo looked at Jamal suspiciously. “You’re going for the gusto, ain’t you? That’s a long way from your usual.”

  “I’ve gotta get paid. The stakes are high, man. I don’t know if I told you, but I’m trying to get the fuck out of the country.”

  Angelo walked toward the door. “Give me about four hours, and I’ll be back with what you need.”

  When Angelo left, Jamal asked Dream to help him fill both of the briefcases with newspaper. She became suspicious. In the past he had put his money in the briefcases. “Why are you putting newspaper in there?” she asked.

  “I ain’t got a whole lot of money, and I need to get my hands on some fast,” he said, looking away from her.

  “I thought Angelo was your friend,” she said, trying to make eye contact with him.

  He turned and faced her. “See, in this game, you don’t have any friends. Dawg was the only real friend I ever had. Now that I’ve lost him and my mother, anything goes.”

  “So you don’t think Angelo is gonna open the briefcases and see the newspaper?”

  “No, because each will be covered with $25,000. That’s fifty grand.”

  She looked confused. “Why are you doing this? I don’t understand.”

  “Honestly, I don’t want to do this. But at this point, with everything going on, I don’t give a damn about Angelo. I got to make sure we’re okay.”

  She dropped her head, not knowing what to make of Jamal’s disloyalty.

  *** Less than five hours later, Angelo arrived with a huge green duffle bag. He and Jamal went to the kitchen, and Angelo opened the bag and dumped the product on the table. Jamal took a huge knife from the drawer, cut the wrapping off one of the kilos and used his finger to scoop a little bit of the coke from the wrapping and tasted it.

  “That’s the best in Mexico,” Angelo said.

  “Yeah, it tastes good and my tongue is numb as hell.” “Where’s the money?”

  Jamal went to the den and came back with the two briefcases in

  hand. “Here you go, $165,000.” Angelo cracked each briefcase open, saw the money, and closed them. “Well, I guess this concludes our business. Make sure you stay in touch with me and let me know what you’re gonna do. If you decide you need something else, call me.”

  *** As soon as Angelo left, Jamal and Dream got in the rental car and drove to Los Angeles. An hour later Angelo called, but Jamal didn’t answer his cell phone. He just sent the call to voice mail and laughed. “What a sucker.”

  Angelo called ten times before they reached Los Angeles. They checked in the Doubletree Hotel, under the alias Andre Von.

  They slept until noon the next day. The temperature was in the mid-eighties, and the sky was fairly clear. Dream wanted to sit out by the pool and take in the sunshine, so they sat at a table next to the pool, shaded by an umbrella. Dream looked troubled and Jamal wondered why. “Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering where do we go from here,” she said.

  “Right now, I don’t wanna think about that. I just want to enjoy the west coast,” he said, sipping pineapple juice.

  “I really don’t want to think about it either, but my parents are probably worried.”

  “Relax, baby. Let’s just enjoy L.A. Let’s do a tour, maybe check out some of these movie stars’ homes or catch a Lakers game.”

  She smiled. “I would like that very much. I love Kobe Bryant.”

  They traded in their rental car for a convertible Jaguar. Dream loved the Los Angeles scenery with the beaches, palm trees, and mountains. In Hollywood they dined at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Jamal ordered smothered fried chicken, livers, and giblets. Dream ordered a chicken breast with waffles. They both ordered orange juice. Shortly after the food arrived, R & B singer Brandy sat at a table adjacent to theirs. When Dream caught Jamal staring, she slapped him playfully. “Okay, Jamal, you can stop gawking.”

  “Ain’t nobody gawking. Now you know if Wesley Snipes or Taye Diggs, was in here you would be all in their mouth,” he replied.

  “Damn right. I ai
n’t gonna lie I would. But they’re not here, so it ain’t fair for you to be looking at that heifer.”

  “You’re a hater.”

  “I’ll be that.”

  *** After they left Roscoe’s, they took a tour bus through Beverly Hills. Dream looked in amazement at the big mansions. She felt like she was at a taping of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. From the tour bus they also saw the landmark Hollywood sign. The tour ended at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dream took a picture beside the Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes stars. “Keisha ain’t gonna believe that I was actually at the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Dream said before ordering Jamal to snap more pictures.

  The Lakers beat the 76ers in double overtime. It was 12:08 P.M. when the game was finally over. Jamal and Dream headed back to the room.

  Dream got into the shower and came out wearing a leopardprint thong. Jamal was lying on his back in his boxers. She lay next to him. Surprisingly he didn’t respond.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” she asked as she sat up on the bed. “Nothing. I’m just not in the mood,” he said as his mind went back to Candy. Then he thought about the day he had left the doctor’s office before getting the results of the HIV test.

  “That’s a first.”

  “I was just laying here thinking about prison and how much I hated it.”

  “I can’t imagine being locked up with somebody telling me what I can and can’t do,” she replied.

  “It’s rough, and the funny thing about it is, I ain’t even been out long.” He looked uncertain about what lay ahead.

  Dream didn’t hear the confidence she had once heard from him, and for the first time since they’d left Charlotte, she wondered if she had made the right decision.

  *** Jamal woke up around 6:00 A.M. He called the airlines and found that there was a 1:00 P.M. flight from L.A. to Charlotte. When Dream awakened, he told Dream they would be flying back to Charlotte. “Are you crazy?” she asked.

  He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “I am not about to go through what I went through the last time. Did you forget that you're being watched? By now you might even be charged.”

  “No, I didn’t forget. I have a new ID, remember?”

  “You do, but I don’t, remember? My name may be on some sort of watch list by now.”

  Jamal hadn’t thought about that possibility. After all, Dream had been harassed by the DEA in the San Diego airport as well. “We can always drive,” he suggested.

  “How long will it take to get back to Charlotte?”

  “We can do it in about two and a half days if we hurry, but I ain’t in no hurry. We still haven’t visited The Mall of America like we had planned.”

  She looked confused. “Do you think that would be a good idea? I mean, with the drugs we got on us, and with Angelo probably after your ass now, shouldn’t we just go somewhere and get settled?”

  He laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve done this before. Nothing is gonna happen to us.”

  Within the next hour, Jamal wrapped the product in fabric softener to kill the scent. He also painted JUST MARRIED on the back of the car. He knew that people, including police, were receptive to newlyweds. Dream giggled when she saw the car. “Jamal, you are crazy.”

  “I gotta do what I gotta do to be safe,” he said.

  “It’s creative. I can definitely give you that.”

  *** The next morning the DEA picked up Tony Jennings and brought him in for questioning. Tony had always been fairly comfortable in the interrogation room, but today he appeared really uneasy as Mark and U.S. District Attorney, David Ricardo hammered away with questions. “Do you know why you’re here?” Mark said.

  Tony shrugged. “I ain’t got no idea. Why am I here?” “Do you know Jamal Stewart?”

  “Yeah, I know Jamal.”

  Mark took a seat beside Tony and looked him directly in the eye. “We just received word that you have been extorting him and Steven Davis.”

  Tony turned from Mark and breathed heavily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Did Jamal tell you that?”

  “Actually, Jamal hasn’t been arrested yet. Did you or didn’t you do it?” David asked.

  “If we find out you did do it, you know you’re going to prison for a long time. There’s a good chance you’ll be in jail with some of the same people you helped us bust,” Mark said.

  “If I admit to it, what will happen then?” Tony asked curiously.

  “We know you had someone helping you who worked with us. We need to know who assisted in this corruption,” Mark said.

  “Agent Tolliver helped me. He supplied the information to me that I used to bribe Jamal and Dawg with, and this ain’t the first time we’ve bribed big drug dealers,” Tony said.

  Mark and David looked at each other. “Jeremiah,” they said in unison.

  *** It had taken Jamal and Dream three days to reach St. Paul, Minnesota. Many travelers seemed to take notice of the JUST MARRIED sign on the window. Complete strangers rode by honking their horns in congratulations. A couple of cops even drove by and gave them the thumbs-up. They checked into a Hampton Inn in Bloomington, Minnesota. After they were settled, Dream called Keisha from the hotel room phone. She knew Keisha would be worried.

  “What in the hell are you doing in Minnesota?” Keisha asked. Dream knew she must have looked on the Caller ID to figure out where she was. “I’ll be home in a couple of days.”

  “You better come on back. I spoke with your mother the other day, and she is about to file a missing persons report if you don’t show up. You need to give your parents a call.”

  “Whatever you do, don’t let them file a report. Let my mother know that you spoke with me and that I’m alright.”

  “What am I suppose to do when she asks me where you are?”

  “Just tell her I wouldn’t say, but I assured you that I was alright.”

  “You know they’re blaming Jamal for your disappearance, don’t you?”

  “What?” Dream said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

  Jamal looked on wondering what had happened.

  “Yeah, they’re accusing Jamal of abducting you, and debating whether they should go to the police.”

  “You can’t let them do that. You have got to go over and let them know I’m okay. Promise me that.”

  “You got my word. I’ll go over and let them know.”

  After they hung up, Dream lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. “What’s going on now?” Jamal asked.

  “Nothing. My parents are just worried about me since they haven’t heard from me in a while.”

  “Maybe you should call them.”

  “I’ll just see them when we get back to Charlotte.”

  “Have it your way, however you want to do it. In the meantime let’s go to the mall. You have got to see it. You ain’t gonna believe the size of this thing.”

  CHAPTER 25

  T HE MALL OF AMERICA had 525 specialty stores and four major department stores: Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom’s, and Sears; a huge amusement park; and a wedding chapel. Dream was completely astounded by the size. “This thing is unreal. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. It’s gonna take us forever to walk around this mall.”

  “I know what you mean. I heard someone say the last time I was here that seven Yankee stadiums will fit in here,” Jamal said.

  Dream and Jamal walked around for about two hours, visiting at least twenty different stores. Leaving Bloomingdale’s, they saw the wedding chapel. The Chapel of Love was beautifully decorated. The pews were all white, and the walls were decorated with elegant floral arrangements. There was no difference from a real church. Wedding ceremonies and christenings were performed daily. Jamal and Dream looked at each other upon entering the chapel.

  “Let’s do it,” he said.

  “I don’t know. Do you think we should, especially since we don’t know what the future holds?”

  He looked into her eyes. “Let’s not worry
about the future, because whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen. I know I said earlier that I didn’t think we should get married, but I want to do it, because honestly this may be my last chance.” He knew that he would probably leave the country if he didn’t get killed shooting out with the police, but he had been fortunate enough to find someone whom he truly loved, and marriage was something he wanted to do before it was too late.

  “You really are serious, aren’t you?” Dream blushed.

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “I guess we can do it since the car already says we’re married,” she said, laughing.

  The attendant’s name was Meagan. She was a tall blonde with a lean frame. She showed them the various packages, including music, photos, and flowers whenever requested. They were surprised to learn that the chapel even had a bridal boutique.

  “You mean I can pick out a wedding dress?” Dream asked as she beamed with excitement.

  “Yes, our designers include Jessica McClintock, Alfred Angelo, and a lesser known company called U.S. Angels. What size are you?” Meagan asked.

  “I’m a size six,” Dream replied.

  Dream decided on a ravishing, cream strapless, floor-length Jessica McClintock gown with a flared bottom. Jamal chose a black-and-gray Hugo Boss, single-breasted, three-button tuxedo.

  “You two make a lovely couple,” Meagan said with a bright smile. “Now, do you guys have a marriage license?”

  Dream and Jamal looked at each other. Neither had thought about a marriage license. “How long does it take to get one?” Jamal asked.

  “There is a five-day waiting period if you’re from Minnesota. Where are you guys from?”

  “North Carolina,” Jamal answered.

  “Well, I can probably get you guys one today. Fill out these papers, and I’m going to need a copy of your birth certificate and your driver’s license.”

  “Excuse us for a minute,” Jamal said as he pulled Dream aside. “Listen I forgot that I don’t have my real ID. There is no way we can do it unless you want to marry Andre Von.”

  Dream looked down at her gown. She had really hyped herself up for a wedding ceremony. Though she would be getting married in a mall, this was supposed to be her day, but there was nothing they could do. “I guess I can take this dress off now, because I don’t have my birth certificate either.”