I heard a few “amen” as she stepped to the podium.
She told the board that several major movie studios had shown an interest in helping them with the project. She also said that there were other types of businesses that were willing to invest in the city as a result of their project.
I found her to be an eloquent speaker, but from my earlier observation of her, I knew she was phony and would do anything to get what she wanted. She was charming the board members; that was apparent from their smiles and nods of approval. I had a feeling that she had others assisting her with her agenda, and I would not be surprised if she hadn’t already secured the support of some of the council members before the meeting.
The Days finished their presentation and answered several questions by the members of the council. After the Q & A, the couple made their way back to their seats. I noticed the slimeball reporter get up and make his way to his original spot. He must have all the dirt he needs to sabotage Dr. Rodney’s chances of getting the land, I thought. Then it occurred to me that the council was supposed to make their decision during the meeting, so there must be another plan underway to make things rough for the Earls.
The president then invited Dr. Rodney to come up and present his case. There were several “boos” heard from the audience, and the woman who had tried to stop me from entering the building shouted, “Get behind me, Satan.”
The crowd cheered and there were a few “amens,” and it took at least five minutes before order was restored. The president then took the time to remind everyone of the importance of conducting a proper meeting and suggested that those who continued to cause a disruption would be physically removed by members of the police department.
Dr. Rodney’s presentation was filled with facts as well as passion. He talked about the need for a house for ex-cons to live to help make a smooth transition back into society. He pointed out that without a program like this, most would become repeat offenders, which is something this community did not need. He also reminded everyone that we all knew a friend, relative, or neighbor who was currently or had at one time served time in prison, and how many of us wished that there had been a place for them to go after serving their time. He stated that while the house would be located across the street from The Fishers of Men Community Church, the church could serve as a spiritual retreat for the men. He had contacted a security firm in the area, whose owner was an ex-con, that would provide security for the house and would work closely with the church security to make sure there would be no crimes committed by house members.
He reminded us that these men were the product of this community, and that we were all responsible for supporting the needs of this city to make it a safe place to live for ourselves and our future generations.
“We are not only responsible for them,” he said, “we are responsible for the children, the elderly, the disabled, and those who feel disenfranchised. If this city is to grow and prosper, we must create an inclusive society where everyone feels connected and can grow and develop. Isn’t this what Christ commanded? That we be helpers of one another?”
He ended his presentation by thanking the board for its time and made his way back to his seat.
There were a few soft cheers in the audience. I was close to tears and saw Antoinette wiping her eyes. I glanced over at the Days and saw that the Pastor was also moved by Dr. Rodney’s presentation, but I also saw the hatred in Tabitha Day’s face. She was out to destroy him. Something else that I noticed was the look in Tracey Marshall’s eyes. It was a mixture of what can only be described as sadness and admiration. She was in love with Dr. Rodney and something had happened to make her leave her job. And Tabitha Day had somehow persuaded her to tell her story to destroy Dr. Rodney. She not only wanted the land, she wanted to destroy him. She didn’t like the fact that he had walked away from their relationship and she was going to make him pay. This told me one thing: That she too was still in love with him. Once you are over someone, you are done, and this woman was far from done.
It was time for council members to discuss the presentations before the vote. A few were empathetic to the concerns of Dr. Rodney, the importance of a program like the one he presented. However, most were impressed with the potential of the studio and what it could mean for the city.
The biggest opposition to the building of the halfway house came from Councilman Cedrick White. His argument was the safety of the members of the church having ex-cons living so close.
“Isn’t it the responsibility of the prison system to provide a place for these men?” he asked.
I wondered if he was the weakest link in this chain—the one who was in the pocketbook of Tabitha Day. It only took a few minutes of discussion and the council was ready to vote.
In the end, the land was awarded to the Days for the building of the movie studio. The members did express a desire to help Dr. Rodney with his project, and suggested that there was other land available and that someone would be in touch with him to discuss his options. The crowd erupted into cheers and I could hear Pastor Day thanking the council members as the meeting was adjourned.
We made our way out of the council chamber to the elevator, and once we reached the first floor made our way to the exit. Several television cameras were in place with reporters from the local television station, several newspapers, and a couple of Chicago stations. The Days had prepared a statement, thanking first God and then their supporters. They were going to move forward with their plans to build the studio. Dr. Rodney did not have a prepared statement but spoke from the heart, informing the press that he was not about to abandon his plan for a what he termed a “much-needed facility” for men transitioning from prison to society.
The next thing that happened startled all of us for a minute, because Pastor Day stepped forward and put his arm around Dr. Rodney.
“Just before the council meeting, Dr. Earls and I discussed the possibility of joining together to see his plan come into fruition. I am inviting him to meet with me in the near future to discuss how we can both come up with a solution that will satisfy all of our needs. God placed this on my heart, and I am determined to help this brother. For it was Christ who said that we should be helpers of one another.”
I noticed the first lady and she was not a bit surprised by her husband’s statement. She should have been furious with him, as I felt certain that was not part of her plan. I got my answer with the second surprise of the evening.
We were preparing to leave, when Barney Austin stood before Dr. Rodney and said, “Dr. Earls, do you think the councilmen and the pastor would be willing to help you knowing that you are being accused of sexual misconduct by your former employee, Tracey Marshall? What was it, Doc, you wanted to test the waters again and took advantage of this young woman? Wanted to see if you still had it?”
That sent the press into a frenzy, and Dr. Rodney was taken off his guard. The Days were led away quickly by their security people, but not before I noticed the look of total satisfaction on Tabitha Day’s face. Dr. Rodney regained his composure and punched Barney Austin in the face, knocking him to the floor. He lost consciousness, and I heard a few cheers from the crowd. Miss Aurelia, Antoinette, and I wasted no time getting Dr. Rodney out of the door, down the steps of city hall and to his car.
Luckily, our cars were not parked too far apart. I repeated my plan to the Earls once they were inside, and after Antoinette and I were inside my car, I followed them to their house.
“What the hell was that? I have never seen Dr. Rodney react that way to anyone.” Antoinette said. “Of course, the son of a bitch had it coming to him.”
“I agree, Austin had that coming to him, but what is Tracey Marshall trying to do? Better still, why does Tabitha Day hate him so much that she would ruin him? She has the land she wanted, what more does she want? The press is going to crucify him, and this is going to put his whole program in jeopardy.”
; “I wonder why Tracey waited so long to make this accusation. I wonder what Tabitha Day promised her?” Antoinette asked.
“Antoinette, I don’t think she promised her anything. I think that Tracey is a pawn in all of this. She may have gone to Tabitha for counseling or something, and Tabitha is using this woman’s problem to her advantage.”
“Well, she got her way if that was her plan,” Antoinette said. “And Dr. Rodney helped even if he didn’t mean to.”
We pulled up to the Earls’ home and parked behind their second car in the driveway. They arrived shortly after.
Dr. Rodney is a modest man except for one thing: He loves cars. That is the only passion he has next to God, family, friends, and community. We parked in the back of a mother-of-pearl-colored Lincoln SUV. I smiled as the Earls exited a dark blue Jaguar with what can only be described as a peanut butter interior.
“You still have taste in automobiles, Dr. Rodney,” I said as the four of us walked to their front door.
The Earls live in the Glen Park section of Gary known as Morningside. My former client, Dr. Marquise Crawford, lives on the next block with her father. The house, a two-story brick with four white columns, sits on a corner lot, so part of their huge yard faces the avenue. The yard is fenced in and well-manicured. Dr. Rodney inherited the home from his parents, who bought each of their children homes before they died.
Dr. Rodney and Miss Aurelia did the renovations themselves, with the help of family. The house was featured in a Chicago area home and garden magazine, in a story on the City of Gary making a slow but steady recovery. The inside of their home is as beautiful as the outside. The décor of some of the rooms was influenced by different cultures.
Once inside, Miss Aurelia directed us up to the den conference room. Dr. Rodney told us to sit at the conference table while Miss Aurelia brought in some refreshments. I realized that I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch, and it was half past eight in the evening.
Dr. Rodney took the time to bless the meal, and as we eat, our meeting begins.
“Ladies, I would like to apologize for my behavior after the meeting,” Dr. Rodney says. “I have always had the deepest respect for women and have never conducted myself in a way that could be interpreted as disrespectful. Besides, I don’t like the fact that he was taking advantage of Tracey’s suffering just to sell newspapers. She is a tormented woman.”
“Dr. Rodney, believe me, he is taking his instructions from Tabitha Day. I saw the look on her face when he confronted you. This is going to get uglier. Don’t be surprised if the police show up at your door and arrest you.”
“Dr. Rodney, what happened to Tracey Marshall?” Antoinette asked. “I remember her coming to intern for you when I was a kid. As a matter of fact, she started the same time Gemini joined the group. After college you hired her fulltime. I thought she liked her job.”
“She did,” he said, “but Tracey has some deep seeded issues that were never resolved in her youth. She needed to seek professional help but didn’t think it was necessary. She became obsessed with me and imagined that our relationship was more than it was. It became increasingly difficult to work with her. She seemed to be angry with Aurelia; she saw her as an obstacle between the two of us. I assured her that there could never be anything between us and that I loved Aurelia. So, I asked her to resign. I thought this was the best for all concerned. She was angry and stormed out of the office. She started calling Aurelia, making all sorts of accusations and started stalking me. I wanted to keep things as private as possible for all our sakes, including the agency, so I didn’t go to the police.”
“I agreed with Rodney about not calling the police,” Miss Aurelia said. “I called Tracey and asked her to meet with me in a public place to talk. We met at Slappy’s and I had my brother watching from another table in case things got out of hand. I got her to realize that she was lonely and that she needed someone to talk with on a professional level. Tracey is terribly lonely, and Rodney was such a gentleman to her that she mistook his kindness for attraction. That happens to women who have been lonely for prolonged periods of time. I gave her the name of a therapist—someone we were both familiar with. I was surprised to see her at the meeting tonight, but Gemini, if you think that Tabitha Day is behind this then I think she has taken advantage of her vulnerability.”
“Dr. Rodney, you told me that you broke off your engagement to Tabitha. Did the two of you have a fight? Was it over a man?” I asked.
“It was over a ring, and no, there was no fight. The summer I proposed to her, I worked two jobs to buy her an engagement ring. I went to Comay’s downtown and picked out what I thought was a nice ring. Something she would be proud to wear on her finger. I gave her the ring after she said yes. I remember she just stood there and looked at it then ran to her parents. A week later, she showed me another ring on her finger. She told me her father had taken my ring to his jeweler in Chicago and replaced it with the ring she now had on her finger. Apparently, he did not think my choice was good enough for his daughter, and she felt the same. That is when I realized that I was never going to be the man she wanted me to be, and she was not the woman I needed in my life. I broke off the engagement.”
“I want to show you something, Gemini and Antoinette,” Miss Aurelia said.
She then reached across the table and showed us the ring on her left hand. It was a class ring that said Tolleston 1967.
“When I met Rodney, this was the only jewelry he had when he proposed to me. It is the only wedding ring I have ever wanted.” She then turned to her husband and I could see the look of love in their eyes. Their marriage had lasted over 30 years, and they were still very much in love.
“So it looks as if Tabitha wants to destroy your reputation and your organization, and she’s using Tracey Marshall and that scum Barney Austin. I want you to go on the offensive, Dr. Rodney. You will start by making a statement, apologizing for your behavior, but you will adamantly deny any inappropriate behavior towards Tracey or women in general. I’ll contact Dwaine Newsome from The Times. He has done some excellent features for the paper and his reputation is impeccable. Next, I’m going to call Sydney Ingram and ask him to represent you as a personal favor to me. He may have more business than he could handle right now, but I’m going to ask him to make an exception in this case.”
“Gemini, thank you for all your help. You are a blessing to us,” Miss Aurelia said and then came over and hugged Antoinette and me.
There was a knock at the door and Dr. Rodney stepped out of the room to answer it. Just as I had predicted, the police were outside and asked to come in to speak with him. Barney Austin had pressed charges as was expected, and they asked Dr. Rodney to go with them to the police station.
“Dr. Rodney, Antoinette and I will bring Miss Aurelia to the station. And just to be on the safe side, Dr. Rodney, don’t say anything.”
One of the officers placed handcuffs on Dr. Rodney, but then a smiled appeared on his face.
“Sir, if I had my way, this would not be happening to you right now. That Austin guy is a pain in the ass, err ‘cuse me ladies, and as far as I’m concerned, he got what was coming to him.”
The other officer agreed, but they did have to do their jobs. We understood, and Dr. Rodney left with them.
We followed the police car to the station where he was booked and placed in a cell. He kissed his wife, and I assured him that if Sydney couldn’t be there tomorrow, I would be there. I took Miss Aurelia and Antoinette home, getting to my house well after eleven.
Uncle Artis was still up watching television when I walked into the house. The dogs were sitting at his feet, but both were asleep. Uncle Artis heard me come into the living room and turned as he said, “So did you hear what happened at the council meeting tonight?”
“I was there, Uncle Artis. I know that the council voted in favor of giving the land to the church.”
“I wasn’t talking about that,” he replied. “Did you see what that man did to the reporter?”
“Yes, I did, and I can tell you that fool had that coming to him.”
“How do you know he did, Gemini? Maybe that Austin fellow was telling the truth.”
“I have known Dr. Rodney for years, and I have never heard anything bad about him. I would stake my own reputation on him, but mine is not the best in this town. People think I’m crazy.”
“I told you the man was bad news, and he is making things bad for the pastor. I hope he changes his mind and decides not to help Rodney.”
“Are you a Christian, Uncle Artis, or a Chrystian?” I asked. “You seem to cry Christ—scream Christ—every Sunday, but you don’t walk the walk. I can’t believe that you are so against a halfway house in this community. You of all people know the importance of having stability once you leave prison. This city needs a lot of things, but no one wants to take the initiative and do anything. Okay, so the Days will build a film studio that will bring in a few jobs, but if there is no one here prepared to do the job, then what difference does it make? Your church was so worried about the potential of thefts occurring in your parking lot while service is going on, but you are not concerned about the souls that you could save. I just don’t understand the church’s logic. There are plenty of places that studio could be built in this city. What about the land near US-65? There is plenty of space there. I just don’t understand the logic. The land where Dr. Rodney wants to build the halfway house is on a bus line, and on a main street. There are fast food places around and it isn’t near a school. I think the council made a huge mistake giving that land to the church. And I’ll tell you something else: I think your first lady is behind what happened at the meeting tonight, during and after.”
The Future of My Past Page 9
