The Estates

by LaJill Hunt

  “Well I am biased but it is the truth. You know your mama doesn’t lie. Beside, I won’t have to say it much longer because you only have couple more weeks until I get to see you every day,” Olivia smiled.

  “Yeah, I can’t wait to get out of here, but I don’t know about seeing you every day,” Malachi laughed.

  “I am already getting your room ready. The new house is amazing and I know you’re gonna love being home. We are planning a dinner….”

  “Momma,” Malachi interrupted her. “Please don’t.”

  “Don’t what, Malachi?” Olivia stopped and turned to face her son.

  “Don’t make any plans for me when I get out of here. I’m good,” he shrugged.

  “I know you’re good and it’s gonna be good for you to be home.”

  “That won’t be happening, Momma. Don’t play. You already know that.”

  Olivia shook her head. “Why won’t it be happening? We are your family. I understand the relationship between you, your brother, and father is strained right now…”

  “You think?” Malachi laughed. “I don’t think the great Bishop Walter Burke would be too happy having his ex-convict of a son at the crib. You know that! And neither would his puppet, Micah!”

  “Don’t be rude, Malachi. I raised you better than that,” Olivia said, sternly. “Your father and brother love you very much and so do I.”

  “This has nothing to do with love, Momma. Come on, neither one of them has taken the time to visit or even write me in the past year and a half.”

  “You know both of them have been extremely busy. And your father has made sure you have been well provided for during this entire ordeal, do NOT discredit that,” Olivia told him, trying not to become upset.

  “Yeah, he made sure I had a good lawyer and money on the books every month. He should get the ‘Father of the Year’ award. Where are the nomination forms? Momma, please don’t stand here and try to defend him…”

  “I’m not defending him…”

  Malachi sucked in and quickly said, “Fine, maybe defend isn’t the right word. How about justify his actions or lack thereof while I’ve been in here, or Micah’s. It’s okay. I am good and I will be good once I get out of here.”

  “Malachi, I want you home.”

  “I love you, Momma, but that’s not my home. It’s yours,” Malachi shook his head.

  “It’s our home. You have just as much of a right to be there as anyone else. As a matter of fact, we’ve made provisions for you to be there. The house is everything you could ever imagine and more. It’s our dream house, Malachi. Remember when you were little and you would draw pictures of mansions and hang them on the refrigerator and say, ‘Momma, one day we are gonna live in a house like this!’ Well, that’s where we live,” Olivia laughed. “I just knew you were gonna end up being an architect.”

  “Too bad I ended up being a dope dealer, huh? I guess it’s true what they say,” Malachi sat on top of a nearby picnic table. “The apple don’t fall…”

  “You’re not a dope dealer, Malachi! You are more than that. You are a child of the highest God. You are smart and talented and you’re my son, so act like it. This situation you’re in now is just temporary and you will come out of it just fine.”

  “I hear ya Momma.”

  Olivia walked over, smoothed down the skirt she was wearing and sat beside her son, taking his hands into hers. “Malachi, you are so much like your father until it’s unreal.”

  “I am nothing like him,” Malachi snapped.

  “You are. Both of you are as stubborn as mules. Look at me. Promise me you will at least think about coming home, please.”

  She stared into her son’s eyes and smiled, hoping she could will him into saying yes. She thought about telling him about his brother’s upcoming nuptials that they were planning, but decided to save that news for later.

  “I will think about it Momma,” Malachi relented.

  Olivia leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Thank you. I know you’re gonna love it. It sits on the water and it even has a dock and a lift for two boats.”

  “I said I’d think about it. I didn’t say yes.”

  ***

  Since that visit, Olivia had been praying every night that her son would come home. She needed for her family to heal and in her heart she believed Micah’s wedding and Malachi’s homecoming would be just the events to bring her broken family back together again. It had been too long and now it was time for them to let go of the past and come together. Her husband and her boys were all she had and she was going to do everything within her power to pick up the pieces that had torn them apart. Her life depended on it.

  The house phone rang and Olivia put the picture that she was staring at down on the table. She walked over and answered it.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey sweetheart, I’m almost home,” Walter told her. “I know you’re up wondering what’s taking so long.”

  “I’m not wondering, Walter,” Olivia told him. “I know you were stuck after the service running your mouth.”

  “I wasn’t running my mouth woman. I was listening to other folks run theirs,” Walter laughed. “So go ahead and get upstairs and in bed. I’ll be home shortly to tuck you in.”

  Olivia tried not to blush, but she couldn’t help it. After all these years, her husband still had that effect on her. “Walter, where is Frank? I hope he can’t hear you talking like that.”

  Frank was her husband’s right hand man and security who had been by his side since he started “Greater Works” as they called it over twenty years ago in a storefront.

  “Frank is right here beside me driving and I don’t care if he hears what I’m saying. You’re my wife and if he knows like I know, he needs to be calling his own wife and telling her he’s about to come home and handle his business too,” Walter teased. “Now, go get ready for The Bishop. I’ll be home soon. As a matter of fact, don’t get in the bed. We still got a couple of rooms in that big, new house of ours to christen, remember?”

  “Walter! Stop it!” Olivia giggled. When they toured the ten thousand square foot architectural masterpiece that they now lived in, Olivia immediately fell in love. Walter, however, complained that it was too much house for just the two of them. Olivia pointed out that Micah could live in the adjacent two bedroom apartment and closer to his father to work on their ministry together, and then she threw in the promise that they would “christen” any of the rooms that he saw fit. That sealed the deal and within days the house was hers and her husband was smiling as she started making good on her promise before they had even brought in a piece of furniture.

  “I’ll see you in a few, O’la. Love you.” Walter called her by the nickname he gave her when they first met.

  “Love you too,” Olivia said and hung the phone up. She was about to head up the spiraling staircase when she peeked out of the front window when suddenly a flash of light in the distance caught her eye through the window. At first she thought maybe it was a falling star, or maybe even fireworks. She looked closer and then realized exactly what it was.

  Chapter Two

  Riley Rodriguez

  1726 Harrington Court

  “Damn.” That was the only thing Riley Rodriguez could think of as she stared at the large plasma television in her bedroom. She reached over on the nearby night stand and picked up the lit joint, taking a long drag as she watched herself onscreen, naked and having sex with a man she barely knew. From what she had been told, he was an up and coming rapper named “Touche.” Riley stared at herself. Her eyes were closed and she was moaning in ecstasy as Touche pushed her back, opened her legs and then began pleasing her with his tongue. Her fingers gripped the headboard of the king sized bed where they were laying and from the look on her face and the sounds of her moans, Riley was enjoying herself. But for the life or her, as she watched it all play out in front of her on the screen, Riley couldn’t remember any of it. Nothing was familiar; not the bed they were in, where th
ey were, nor when the entire escapade took place. One thing she was grateful for was the fact that her face was beat to the Gods. Her weave was tight as hell, without a hair out of place, and her manicure and pedicure were perfect. Not to mention that whenever this did go down, it was during a time when she had to have been hitting the gym because her body was contoured in all the right places and there was not an ounce of fat to be seen. It was a clear picture taken at a great angle and now the whole world was about to see it whether she liked it or not. The paperwork had been signed, the distribution deal made, and instead of being the star of the most popular family television show from the eighties, she was about to be another kind of star ─ porn star.

  Riley had been the center of attention since birth. She starred in her first television commercial at the when she was barely three months old, and by the time she was the age of six she had one of the most recognizable faces in the US and some foreign countries. Whether it was a commercial for cereal, toy stores, fast food restaurants or clothing stores, if they needed a cute face, then Riley was it. At the age of eight, she starred in “Family Brides” one of the highest rated television sitcoms in the world, until she was in her early teens and the show ended. Afterwards, she was the lead in a teen dance movie that became an instant hit. Against the wishes of her parents, and agent at the time, she played the love interest in a hard core rap video that was so risqué that it was only shown on the music channels after hours. Riley thought it would have led to more adult roles, but instead the offers stopped altogether. She didn’t let it bother her though. She felt that it was a sign from God that after working nonstop for years she needed a break. That break included rest, relaxation, lots of booze and narcotics, prescription and illegal. The past five years had been a blur, much like her memory of the pending sex tape she was watching.

  Riley took another drag of the joint and turned the TV off. She had seen enough. Reaching over into her nightstand, she took out a book titled “For the Love of Thomas.” It was about a woman named Sally Hemmings. The woman was the mistress of Thomas Jefferson. Riley came across the book during her last stint in rehab. Another female resident was engrossed in it nightly and Riley was curious about what was in this book that had her attention so much to the point that the girl wasn’t even interested in sneaking out and getting high with the rest of the celebrity residents of the facility. She gave the book to Riley and from the moment she began reading the woman’s story, she was hooked. She had read it three times since being released from rehab. It was as if she was obsessed with Sally Hemmings’ story. She even dreamed about the strong woman and all she endured. It was as if she knew her; like they met in a former life.

  “Riley, are you up?” There was a knock at the door. Riley quickly put the joint out and fanned the air. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she reached into the nightstand and pulled out a small bottle of spray from Victoria’s Secret, quickly trying to cover the scent. Riley held her breath and closed her eyes, hoping the person on the other side of the door would assume she was asleep and go away. “Riley, I know you’re still up. I smell the weed. I’m coming in.”

  The bedroom door opened and in walked Eden, Riley’s younger sister carrying a basket of folded clothes and a pile of mail. The two women looked similar, but whereas Riley’s body was the epitome of a Victoria’s Secret model, Eden was not so lucky. Although she was just as beautiful as her older sister, the only modeling she would be considered for would be for Lane Bryant.

  “My bad, I didn’t hear you,” Riley lied.

  “Sure you didn’t,” Eden said, putting the basket on the dresser and tossing the pile of envelopes at her. “Here’s your mail. I’ve already gone through it and I’ve also talked with Chet and made sure everything is paid for the month.”

  As usual, it seemed as if the roles had reversed and Eden was the older sister and not Riley. For the past few months she had stepped in and taken over as Riley’s personal assistant, manager, agent, chef, housekeeper, and anything else Riley needed. Riley had gone through so many employees and couldn’t seem to keep anyone around other than Chet, her accountant and Jeff, her part time security guard.

  “What about my credit cards? Did he reactivate them?” Riley asked. Chet had taken it upon himself to cancel her cards and close her checking account, claiming that her reckless behavior was about to cost her everything she had worked for. He was so controlling, but one thing she could say was that he was brilliant when it came to her money. Even after the craziness of the last five years, Riley was able to purchase the sprawling mansion she wanted in Harrington Estates, and she also still had a Porsche, a BMW SUV, and an Audi convertible. In addition, she had nice chunk of change in the bank, investments, and a monthly stipend, albeit she considered it to be minuscule and barely enough to live off of.

  “You don’t need them. You have your monthly allowance if you want to shop,” Eden told her.

  “That’s barely enough to eat off of,” Riley complained, laying back on the huge pillows at the head of her bed.

  “Maybe if you didn’t spend so much on weed, it would be enough to shop,” Eden shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Don’t judge me. I have a lot going on right now,” Riley told her. “I’m stressed about my new porn career.”

  “Stop it,” Eden shook her head.“It won’t be as bad as you think.”

  “I really don’t think it’s gonna be that bad. I mean…. look.” Riley picked up the remote and clicked the television back on. Immediately sounds of she and Touché moaning filled the room. “I look fucking amazing. Or should that be I look amazing fucking?”

  Eden snatched the remote from her and clicked the screen off.

  “Riley, you don’t have to play hard core with me. I know you didn’t want this to happen. It’s kind of an unfair situation.”

  “Hey, it happened and it’s my fault. I’m not blaming anyone.”

  “Have you talked to this Touché guy? What does he have to say about it?”

  “Nope, I don’t even know that motherfucker!” Riley reached into the drawer and took the blunt back out, along with a lighter.

  “What do you mean you don’t know him?” Eden said, taking the items out of her sister’s hand.

  “Eden, this is gonna sound crazy, but I don’t remember even meeting that dude or anything that happened on that screen.”

  “That is crazy and dangerous, Riley.”

  “One of the downfalls of getting high, lil sis. Listen to me when I tell you this. Just say NO…to drugs and sex. It leads to starring in porn tapes with random strangers. Now give me my stuff back.” Riley held her hand out.

  Eden ignored her and reached for the book instead.

  “Hey, I read this. This is a great book.”

  “I know. I read it too, three times. This is my fourth.”

  “Really?” Eden looked surprised.

  “Yes, heffa, I do read. Well, sometimes when I’m not busy filming pornography,” Riley laughed.

  “Stop joking about it, Riley. It’s not funny and I know you’re pissed. I don’t blame you. It’s okay to admit that.”

  “It’s cool.”

  “I wonder who they’re gonna get to star as Sally in the movie that’s coming out. I heard they were thinking about that Lauren Carmichael chick.”

  Riley sat up in the bed.

  “Movie? What movie? They’re making this into a movie?”

  “Yeah, I read about it in People the other day. Some big time preacher bought the rights and is about to film it. He hired that guy that won the Oscar last year to direct it.”

  Riley looked down at the book in her sister’s lap and suddenly a chill went down her spine. She finally realized the reason the book had been so moving and she had felt so connected while reading it. It was meant to be.

  “I knew it!” she screamed.

  “You knew what?” Eden looked confused.

  “I am Sally Hemmings!”

  “Yeah, you definitely need to lay
off the weed, Riley. Is this stuff laced?” Eden sniffed the blunt she was holding then quickly put it down.

  “I want that role. I’ve gotta get it,” Riley told her.

  “What role? What are you talking about?”

  “The role of Sally Hemmings! I want it.”

  “Um, you do realize Sally Hemmings was a black woman, right? Riley, we aren’t black. We’re Hispanic…. Puerto Rican.”

  “Whatever, I want this. Besides, I am way blacker than Lauren Carmichael’s high yellow ass,” Riley said. “And she can’t act at all. Did you see her when she guest starred on that episode of Law and Order? She suck!”

  Lauren Carmichael was Riley’s well known arch nemesis. For years it seemed as if whatever roles Riley didn’t get, went to Lauren and vice versa. When Riley turned down the sequel to the teen dance movie she had previously starred, it immediately went to Lauren, who went on to star in the Broadway version of the movie as well.

  “Riley, you haven’t acted in years,” Eden told her. “You just got out of rehab last week, and considering the next movie that you’re starring in that is about to be released, I don’t know if they’ll even consider you. I’m just being honest.”

  Riley looked at her sister. Realistically, she knew that Eden was right. It didn’t make sense. But she knew that this was something she had to do, something she was born to do and something she would do. She just had to figure out how to do it.

  “That part is mine, Eden. I can feel it. I want this. I need this.”

  “Then there’s only one thing to do. Make it happen. Where do we start?”

  Riley jumped out of bed and smiled, “Where else? We call Peri!”

  Eden got off the bed and walked over to the window.

  “What in the world?”

  “What?” Riley frowned, “Is someone out there?”

  “Give me your phone, NOW!” Eden screamed.

  Chapter Three

  Peri Duboise

  1974 Harrington Way