The Estates

by LaJill Hunt

  “Thank you, Scorpio!” Kaz smiled with a vindicated look on his face.

  “No thanks needed. You’re my favorite Hot Boy!” Scorpio winked.

  “What the…” the smile on King’s face disappeared.

  “Too bad you’re married,” Scorpio teased and it was Kaz’s smile that now dropped, “Congrats on the new baby!”

  “Uh, thanks,” Kaz told her, clearly disappointed. “Lemme get the security dude.”

  Cheddar came in and not only did the ladies take pictures with King and Kaz, but the rest of the guys as well. Jewel was ecstatic and became even more so when King suggested they all go out for drinks to toast her birthday.

  “I’m sorry, we have an early morning flight to catch,” Scorpio explained.

  “Damn too bad,” King told her. “I was hoping to spend a little more time with you and get to know you a bit better.”

  “Really?” Scorpio seemed surprised.

  “I would, even though I’m NOT your favorite Hot Boy,” King laughed. “Why does that seem to surprise you?”

  “Because I never formally get asked out on a date, I guess.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Nope, not at all. Guys will send messages through my publicist, and she sets the dates up most of the time.”

  “Well, I’m a real man, so I’m doing what real men do. Would you like to go have dinner and drinks with me when your schedule permits?”

  Scorpio looked at him and smiled. “I would love to. Give my publicist a call and have her set it up.”

  The room erupted with laughter and King realized that what he thought was a private conversation, was being heard by everyone. Talking with her made him feel like they were the only people in the room. It was magnetic.

  “I’m just kidding,” Scorpio teased. They exchanged numbers and before he knew it, they were in a whirlwind romance. Flying into different cities to see one another, taking romantic getaways between his concerts and her photo shoots and runway shows. The moments they spent together were brief and sporadic, but intimate and passion filled. King was in love and so was she. He didn’t ask her to marry him. Instead, he called her publicist and had her check Scorpio’s schedule and asked when would be a good time to have their wedding. The publicist called Scorpio to confirm. The wedding was planned and they got married. Their lives continued as they were until the label decided it wanted to go into a younger, different direction and they were dropped. Just like that, King’s life changed. Instead of being on the road for months at a time, he was now home and he wanted his wife there with him. Scorpio, however had no desire to slow down and when she was home with him, they usually argued about her schedule. It got to the point where neither one of them were happy with the situation. Things got worse after his mother’s death. Depression kicked in and he began hanging out on the local club scene, drinking and partying heavy. He was enjoying the attention from other women because he wasn’t getting any from his wife. Word got back to Scorpio who couldn’t believe that he had the audacity to cheat on her, the woman who had just been named one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People and one of Time Magazine’s Most Interesting People in the World. For Scorpio, it was an insult and her heart was broken. Everyone in the world wanted her, except for the man she loved. She wanted King to hurt as much as she did. Not only did she tell him she wanted a divorce, she made it a point to make it the worst situation for him ever. Her demands were over the top. She smeared his name in the media, and left the country, refusing to talk to him or his lawyers. It had been months and King didn’t even know she was back in the states until he got the call from Leo telling him about the fire, and that she had been in the house.

  ***

  King tried not to flinch as the nurse came in and took tubes of blood from his almost ex-wife. He settled back into the chair and continued to hold her hand and they stared at one another until Scorpio’s eyes closed again and so did his.

  They were both awakened a few hours later by the sound of Dr. DeWitt who came in with the results of Scorpio’s blood work and test results.

  “Well, it looks like we can go ahead and take the tube out.”

  “Okay, that’s good,” King nodded. “I guess I can go call her mom and let her know.”

  Suddenly, Scorpio’s grasp tightened on his hand and he saw the frown on her face.

  “Uh, maybe not,” King shrugged, nodding to let her know he understood. He stepped away so the doctor and nurses could have room to maneuver. “I should step out so you guys can work.”

  “You can stay. It’ll only take a few moments,” the doctor said, putting on a pair of gloves and leaning over Scorpio’s body.

  King was squeamish and he hated anything that had to do with blood or any other bodily fluid. He fainted in the delivery room when Knight was born and waited in the lobby of the hospital while Portia gave birth to PJ. He turned his back and closed his eyes, moving closer to the wall. He listened as there was a slight commotion and the doctors and nurses talked, followed by a swooshing sound and suddenly, the sound of Scorpio coughing and gagging.

  “I’ll get her some water,” a nurse said.

  King’s back remained turned and he closed his eyes tighter like a scared little kid watching a horror movie, too afraid to peek.

  “Mrs. Douglass?” Dr. DeWitt asked. “Is that better?”

  “Yes, much,” Scorpio’s voice was raspy and she coughed a little more.

  “Good, good,” Dr. DeWitt told her then said. “Mr. Douglass, it’s okay. You can turn around.”

  King turned around and saw Scorpio staring at him. She smiled weakly and whispered, “Punk.”

  “I think she’s going to be okay.”

  “Me too,” King nodded.

  The doctor and nurses made sure she was fine and left the room. King sat back in his seat beside her. Scorpio was holding a small cup with a straw.

  “I’m glad you’re alive,” he told her.

  Scorpio took another small sip of water and coughed a bit more. King became nervous until he heard her raspy voice. “Me too.”

  Scorpio passed him the cup.

  “Man, this is crazy.” King took the cup from her and placed on the tray near the bed.

  “I know,” Scorpio nodded.

  “You almost died. Your mom is…”

  “I know,” Scorpio repeated.

  “I’m just trying to figure it all out. I didn’t even know you were back in the states. When did you get back? You know what? It don’t even matter. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  Scorpio rubber her fingers along the back of his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s cool. I mean, we just gotta deal with it as it comes along. What’s important is that you’re okay,” King told her.

  “Thank you. I look terrible.” Scorpio looked down at the hospital gown she was wearing and touched her wavy hair which was slightly disheveled on her head.

  “You look gorgeous as always, especially for someone who just survived a fire.”

  “Liar.” Scorpio smiled.

  “I do have one small question though, Scorp.” He looked at her.

  “What?”

  “Why did you burn down my damn house?”

  Scorpio began coughing again and he quickly passed her the water. She slowly drank from the straw and when the coughing stopped, she cleared her throat and took another sip.

  “I didn’t,” She shook her head at him and frowned.

  “The fire marshal told me their investigation is pointing toward arson,” King told her. He couldn’t believe it himself when the investigator told him the news. Although he knew he and Scorpio weren’t on the best of terms, the fact that she would actually burned down his house, especially one that she helped design, plan and was in the process of fighting him for in the divorce settlement was unimaginable. Scorpio loved that house as much as he did.

  “It…It…it wasn’t me,” Scorpio managed to get out.

  “Was it the guy you were with? Bishop Burke�
��s son? Why was he even at my house?”

  “Gave me a…a ride. I was drunk,” Scorpio cleared her throat again and tears formed in her eyes. “He pulled…pulled me…out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Scorpio nodded and a tear slid down her cheek. “H…he…saved…me.”

  King could see that she was straining and he didn’t want to upset her.

  “Ok, it wasn’t him and it wasn’t you. Maybe they’re wrong. It’s a newly built house. Maybe the wiring had something to do with it,” he reached over and wiped the wetness from her face.

  Scorpio shook her head and said, “Th…there was…another g…girl.”

  “Another girl?”

  “In…i…. in the garage.”

  King was even more confused. Neither the fire marshal, the police, not even the media said anything else other than Scorpio and Malachi Burke being in the house when the fire happened. Scorpio must have been mistaken because if there was another woman, where was she now?

  Malachi Burke

  So, this is what death feels like, Malachi thought to himself. Everything around him was completely dark and he couldn’t move. He had to admit, he was kind of disappointed. Although he lived a little on the reckless side, he thought he had a couple more years on earth.

  “Hey Dad, how is he? Any change?”

  “Hey Micah. No, not since yesterday.”

  Shit, this ain’t what death feels like, I’m in hell. Malachi heard the voices of the Bishop and his brother and wondered if he would have rather been dead. He definitely didn’t want to be anywhere near the two of them.

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “I’m right here. Hey baby, hey Adrienne,” his mother said. Malachi could hear her kissing someone on the cheek. He realized that he could also smell the scent of her latest favorite perfume, Euphoria by Calvin Klein.

  “What are the doctors saying?” Micah asked. Malachi knew his brother was probably hoping he died. If for no other reason, than to have the satisfaction of saying ‘I told y’all he was bad news. The world is now a better place without him.’

  “They say there really isn’t a reason for him not to be awake. Sometimes the body just needs time to heal itself,” his mother said quietly.

  Wait…I am awake, well, at least I think I am.

  “What’s that?” the Bishop asked.

  “Oh, one of the neighbors brought a goodie basket by the house. It has all sorts of things in it and I figured we would bring it so you can have something to snack on. The muffins are really good,” an unfamiliar soft voice said. Malachi figured it must have been his brother’s new fiancé, Adrienne.

  “That was thoughtful.” The Bishop responded.

  “Try one Mama,” Micah said. “They’re the bomb!”

  “I’m not hungry sweetheart. But you can put it over there,” his mother told her.

  “You need to eat something, Mama,” Micah told her. “Please.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Burke?” Another male voice said and Malachi realized someone else had walked into the room. “I’m Detective Adam Frazier with the police department.”

  “Yes, how can we help you?” The Bishop asked.

  “I’m sorry about your son, Malachi. But we did have a few questions for you. We are investigating the cause of the fire and it appears to be arson. Now, it seems that your son was released from prison the day before the fire….”

  Arson! What the hell? Oh no…I ain’t have nothing to do with that fire!

  “Leave!” Malachi’s mother yelled.

  “Ma’am, excuse me?” Detective Frazier asked her.

  “I’m asking you to leave. Now is not the time, and certainly not the place for you to be questioning us about this,” she replied.

  “She’s right. We don’t have any answers for you and my son and his health are the only thing we’re concerned about right now,” The Bishop told him. “Now kindly excuse yourself.”

  “Sir, I don’t think you understand the seriousness…”

  “You don’t understand the severity of my requesting that you leave, sir. And anything else can be handled directly though my son’s legal counsel,” The Bishop interrupted him before he could say anything else.

  “We’ll be in touch,” the detective said.

  “The nerve of some people,” Adrienne sighed.

  “Granted his timing was not the best, the man was just doing his job. We don’t even know why Malachi was at that house. Something was going on. He didn’t even tell us he was getting out,” Micah responded.

  Leave it to Micah to agree with the white man and accuse me of being the number one suspect.

  “Listen, since Micah and Adrienne are here now Ola…. Why don’t we go ahead and leave. They can sit with Malachi,” The Bishop sighed.

  “I’m not leaving and going anywhere. Look at what just happened!”

  “Mama, you’ve been here for two days. You need to go home and get some rest,” Micah pleaded. “I’ll be here with him.”

  “You can be here with him, but so will I.”

  “Olivia, I got to go and get ready for in the morning,” The Bishop told her.

  “Walter, what do you mean? I know you’re not trying to preach tomorrow!”

  “Olivia….”

  Even in his current state of what he thought was dying, Malachi knew the familiar argument his parents were about to have. It was one that he heard thousands of times before. A major family crisis would take place and yet the Bishop would still find it necessary to preach. His father’s Sunday presence in the pulpit was more dependable than the US Postal Service. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night would stop THE Bishop Walter Burke from the completion of his sermon on any given Sunday. Especially not even his son who was in the hospital. Well not his son Malachi. Had it been his other son Micah, The Bishop probably would have shut the whole church down. But one thing Malachi did know was that for some strange reason, the pulpit was a place of comfort for The Bishop and ministering brought him peace. He also knew that as angry as his mother was, she understood that as well.

  “You have an entire STAFF of preachers, Walter. Your son is lying here in a coma. You need to be ministering to HIM, not everyone else,” Olivia cried.

  “Mama, please,” Micah told her.

  “No, I want everyone to leave. Please just go and do what you all need to do. I want to be left alone with my son. So just go!”

  Hearing his mother sobbing made Malachi’s heart ache. He wanted so badly to wake up and tell her he was fine but for some reason, his body wasn’t listening to his mind and he couldn’t.

  “Olivia, calm down. Don’t act like this,” The Bishop’s voice was strained.

  “Listen to me, Mama. We’re leaving,” Micah told her.

  “Good,” Olivia snapped.

  “But when Adrienne and I come back, I’m gonna have her take you back to the house. You need to get some food in you and take a shower, put on some clean clothes. I will stay here with Chi while you do all of that and she’ll bring you back. But you can’t just stay in here with him for days at a time. It’s not good for you and you’re gonna stress yourself out and make yourself sick,” Micah tried to reason with his mother.

  As much as he disliked his brother, he knew he was right and was grateful that he was being the voice of calm and reasoning in the moment. Malachi hoped his mother would listen and agree.

  “Lady Olivia, we know you want to be here for Malachi, but you have to keep your strength up to keep being here,” Adrienne said.

  “O’la, listen to them.”

  “We’ll be back to get you later this evening, Mama,” Micah said.

  The room was quiet and for a second. Malachi wondered if they had all left until he heard his mother say, “I’ll be ready.”

  Malachi could sense the relief of all of them and soon he and his mother were the only ones in the room. He felt her lips kissing him gently on the forehead and cheek.

  “Chi, baby
, I know you hear all this nonsense going on but I’m here. Mama’s here.”

  And then, she began humming and even though his eyes were already closed, Malachi felt himself drifting to sleep as his mother sang the lyrics to one of her favorite gospel songs. Her talented voice comforting him as only she could:

  “Though the storms keep on raging in my life…

  and sometimes it’s hard to tell the light from day.

  Still the hope that lies within is reassured …

  as I keep my eyes upon the distant shore

  I know he’ll lead me to that blessed place he has prepared.

  But if the storms don’t cease…

  and if the winds keep on blowing…

  my soul has been anchored in the Lord.”

  Malachi continued drifting in and out of consciousness to the point where he sometimes didn’t realize if it was day or night or how much time had passed. Sometimes he would hear her talking and reading the Bible out loud to him. Other times, he would hear Micah and Adrienne talking about their wedding plans. He was never alone. For the most part, it was only the immediate family in the room with him. He knew that members of his father’s congregation had been dropping in to check on him, but The Bishop made sure that they didn’t get past the waiting room down the hall. A few times he was glad to hear the voice of his boy Trey who had somehow made it past the Bishop’s tight security he had in place to pop in and check on him. The few times his mother wasn’t by his side, Micah was. Those were the weirdest times for Malachi because he knew his brother would probably rather be anywhere else than stuck babysitting him.

  “Excuse me.”

  Malachi strained to hear who had entered the room.

  “Yes, can I help you?” Micah asked.

  “I just wanted to…see…check…” the voice was light, barely above a whisper, but Malachi still recognized it.

  “Scorpio right?”

  If Malachi could have breathed on his own, he would have let out the biggest sigh of relief. He had been wondering if Scorpio was okay. No one had really said anything so he wasn’t sure.