With Dr. Rodney’s help, I came to terms with my illness. Although I am bipolar, I learned not to play the victim and to be victorious instead. I managed to graduate from high school, college, and law school. I owe my life to God and to Dr. Rodney Earls.
I am now in therapy, I do take medicine for my condition, but I have also found that meditation and exercise help.
I have been called “crazy” by the press because of the way I defend my clients and my attitude when addressing them. My methods may be unorthodox (I’m sure you remember the incident at city hall when I was defending Dr. Marquise Crawford), but they work. Any good attorney thinks outside the box while acting within the law to defend their clients.
Ask yourself this: If you killed someone at noon in front of city hall while 2,000 people watched, who would you want representing you?
Sincerely,
Attorney Gemini Alexis Jones
I did not mention Ruthann Lawson in the letter; she was still on the run from the police, and I didn’t want to stir up the investigation again. Nor did I want to mention the fact that it was her son Milton Wilkes who had shot and wounded me and killed Prosecutor K. J. Williams. And I wasn’t ready to reveal the source of all our pain and suffering, Mamie Wells. I needed to protect my son. As far as the public was concerned, my son had been placed for adoption, and I had no idea where he was.
The letter appeared in The Times a few days later, along with several other letters from people that Dr. Rodney helped. Once the word got out that he was in jeopardy of losing funding for his program, many people stepped forward and submitted stories to the paper about how Dr. Rodney had impacted their lives.
My interview with Dwaine Newsome went well. I revealed more to him about my illness, I relived the time I witnessed Harvey’s death, but could not talk about the rape. Nor did I mention my son. I was still trying to protect him.
I was fearful of how the firm would react to my coming out about my illness, but to my surprise, they were behind me one hundred percent. The day I returned to work, I received a standing ovation from everyone in the office, including Donald Webber, who came to my office an hour later and told me that he admired me for my courage and had a better understanding of who I was as a person as well as an attorney. The firm received even more business as a result of my story. My plan was working. The public was seeing how much Dr. Rodney had contributed to the area, and I hoped that this would stop the evil campaign of Tabitha Day.
The Times received one more letter addressed to Dwaine Newsome. It was from Anthony Mack. The Times printed the letter and it appeared in their Sunday edition. In the letter Anthony explained how he had come to join the group, the problems he faced coming from a criminal family, and the pressure to follow in their practices. He knew that Dr. Rodney was steering him in the right direction, but family pressure had forced him to participate in criminal activities. He was serving time for his crime and vowed to himself, and now the public, that once he was released from prison, he would do everything in his power to make up for his past crimes and to help Dr. Rodney. He had received a degree while he was incarcerated and wanted to help Dr. Rodney with his ex-con program upon release. I cried when I read the story. The Earls read the story also and were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and respect from the community. Hopefully this would put Barney Austin and Tabitha Day on the defensive, and maybe Tracey Marshall would recant her accusations.
I have returned to work and Antoinette is filling me in on some of the cases that the attorneys are working on. I had a meeting with Quinn, who asked if I would act as a mentor to Nobel. I hesitated but accepted, and told him that I would meet with her later. She was representing a man that had been accused of beating his wife’s boyfriend severely and had been charged with assault. I would go over her plan of defense and offer any advice I could.
Nobel was in her office and I stopped by to say hello. She was sitting at her desk and smiled when she looked up and saw it was me. Her smile is comforting, and once again, I found myself drawn to her. I know in my heart that she is a good person, and I know that if I had to choose someone for Phillip, somehow it would be her.
“Attorney Jones, I’m glad to see you are back. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. I was in court today, as my client appeared to offer his plea.”
“First, call me Gemini. Attorney Jones is too formal if we are going to work together. Second, I just came to tell you that Quinn wants me to take you under my wing, so I will act as a mentor just in case you need my help.”
“I’m glad you are willing to offer advice; I really want to do a good job and I know that I will be able to learn a lot from you. Phillip says that you are the best attorney he’s ever had to work with. He likes that way you think outside the box.”
The mention of his name hurt my heart, but I didn’t react. Of course, she had no idea how I felt about him—she had no reason to. That was the way it was going to stay.
“I learned a lot from Phillip,” I replied. “If anyone thinks outside the box, it’s Phillip Lyman.”
“Gemini, I wanted to tell you that I read your story in the paper. It meant so much to me, and I learned so much from reading it. It makes understanding people and their behavior a lot clearer. I admire you for what you did. It took a lot for you to share with the public your pain and the things you suffered. Thank you for opening my eyes to a lot of things. I hope to learn more from you.”
I felt that she was talking in riddles and that there was a hidden meaning. The attorney in me wanted to pursue this feeling I had, but that urge quickly went away.
“Have one of the clerks bring me a copy of your file. I’ll review it and will give you feedback. Oh, and by the way, I am a dinosaur when it comes to paperwork. Don’t have the clerk e-mail it to me; I want a hard copy. I still like to read a paper file.”
“I’ll have it for you shortly. I’ll bring it myself.”
“Make the clerks earn their money, have one of them bring it to me. You’re an associate now, you paid your dues. Let them pay theirs.”
I spent the day going over the case Noble was working on; things were hectic around the office, but there were three new associates working, and Quinn and Donald and Marshal Strain were all representing clients. I could take my time getting back into the swing of things, but that was not going to be the case. Three events happened that day that would turn the next few weeks into a nightmare, and I would once again have to face my past.
I received a call from Barney Austin asking me if I would meet with him. He wanted to bury the hatchet. Maybe he’d been led down the wrong path by Tracey Marshall and wanted to explain. I didn’t trust his intentions, but I couldn’t resist the chance to see what he had up his sleeve. There was no doubt in my mind that he was up to something and that Tabitha Day was behind it. Or maybe Tracey Marshall had read all the letters that appeared in the paper and was ready to recant. I was right.
The second call came from Dr. Rodney. He had received a call from Tracey Marshall; she was hysterical on the call, apologizing repeatedly for what she had done. He wanted to meet with her, as he was worried that she might do something to herself, but I advised him not to go. I suggested that he ask her to meet with him at his office and that one of the female staff members join him; not Miss Aurelia, but someone who would be objective. He was to inform me when the meeting would take place, and I would join him if he needed me. I also told him that if he could secretly record the meeting, that would work in his favor.
The third call I received was the most shocking of all. It was from Pastor Day, asking me to meet with him at the church. He said that God had instructed him to reach out to me and that he had been unable to sleep. He knew it was because he had failed to do what God had asked him to do. I told him I would have to think about it, but he insisted and said that it would help him to rest to do God’s will. So, I agreed to meet with him after I left the office for th
e day. It was my first day back and I had nothing pressing, so I decided to leave for the day.
Nobel was leaving the office at the same time and we walked to the parking lot together. She was excited about her parents coming to visit her. She had just moved into an apartment in Highland and was excited for them to see what she had done with her place. I wondered if Phillip lived with her but didn’t dare ask.
“Do your parents live in the area?” I asked.
“They live in Michigan City. That’s where I was raised,” she replied.
I said goodbye to her and walked to my car, got in and drove to The Fishers of Men Community Church. I really liked Nobel Cummings and was glad that I was giving myself a chance to get to know her.
I arrived at the church a few minutes later. There were several people in the parking lot getting into their cars and leaving. I saw some men working on the lawn and looked for Uncle Artis. I was greeted at the door by a nice young man who directed me to the pastor’s office. He asked if I’d ever visited the church and when I replied no, he offered to give me a tour.
I must admit, the church is beautiful. There are stained glass windows with biblical depictions of Christ and other spiritual figures. He showed me the auditorium, which seats two thousand people. The pews are white with purple cushions, and my tour guide told me that purple is the pastor’s favorite color. He led me past several offices and classrooms where they have Sunday school for children K-12. There is a daycare for children and one for adults. He showed me the huge kitchen where the church runs its food pantry, and he told me that they feed the homeless three times a week, including Sundays. I must admit that I was impressed with the services they offered, and the credit goes to the Pastor. The tour ended at the Pastor’s office. I thanked the young man, whose name I learned was Gabriel. He smiled and said that someone would be with me shortly.
I was then greeted by a young woman who identified herself as Mattie Lightfoot. She said that the Pastor was expecting me and showed me into his conference room. The room had seating for up to thirty people. There was royal blue carpet on the floor, but the table and furniture were cherry wood. The cushions in the chairs matched the color of the carpet. A very regal looking room. Whoever decorated this place had impeccable taste.
I didn’t have to wait long for the pastor to arrive. He entered the room and smiled when he saw me. I was surprised to see him in casual wear, but he quickly asked me to forgive him for the way he was dressed. He and several other members had taken a group of teenagers on a field trip and had just returned. He sat down next to me, shook my hand, and again thanked me for meeting him. He asked if it would be okay if one of the sisters of the church joined us, and I agreed. Mattie Lightfoot came in and sat on the other side of the table. I thought this was an unusual move, but a smart one. Considering recent events between the Days and Dr. Rodney, my guess was he wanted to be careful.
“Miss Jones, I like to start all my meetings or sessions with a prayer,” he said, and immediately began to pray.
The prayer was short but meaningful; he thanked God for his presence, and for a chance to do his will. He asked for forgiveness for taking so long to get in touch with me. He ended by asking that God continue to bless the three of us and again thanked him for his continuous blessings. I was moved by the sincerity of his prayer. He then began speaking to me.
“All praises to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all our comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others when they are troubled. We will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with this comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down in troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. Miss Jones, God revealed to me long ago your suffering. Your letter to the newspaper confirmed what God had told me. I wanted to reach out to you and let you know that God knows your pain. He knows what the three of you suffered as young girls and He wants you to know that He is with you. There is one among you who will bring you peace. He walks among us as a mortal, but he walks with God. That is what the Lord asked me to reveal to you. I don’t know what it means, but I was told this is what you needed to hear.”
I was shocked at what he told me. How did he know there were three of us who suffered under Mamie Wells? I had only mentioned Savannah in my story, and as far as I knew, no one knew of my relationship with her. Secondly, was he talking about my son Enoch when he mentioned the man who walks with God? My shock turned to fear, and I knew he could see it in my eyes. Did he really get this message from a higher power, or was he somehow letting me know he knew the whole story?
“Please don’t be afraid, Miss Jones,” he said. “I didn’t ask you to come here today to frighten you, I only wanted to bring you comfort with a message of hope from the Father.”
I didn’t get a chance to respond because there was a knock at the door and the person immediately walked in. It was Tabitha Day.
She looked surprised—then angry—to see me, but quickly regained her composure. She glanced over at Mattie Lightfoot, and I could see the look that Mattie gave her. There was some sort of friction between them that I could tell. The pastor was oblivious to what was going on. I knew then that he had no idea of the kind of woman he was married to. I also knew that Mattie Lightfoot was very protective. I noticed the look she gave him when he entered the room, and although I had been swept up in his message to me, I had a chance to glance over at her and saw the look of devotion on her face. He was oblivious to what was going on around him.
“Pastor, I didn’t know you had someone with you. You’re Attorney Jones, aren’t you?” she asked.
You know who I am, I thought to myself. You knew I was here.
“I hope I’m not disturbing anything too important, but Pastor, I’m being called away. One of the sisters called me this morning. Sister Ellis is sick, and I was going to visit with her this afternoon.” She then turned to Mattie Lightfoot and said, “I’m sure sister Lightfoot would be happy to assist you in my absence.”
That was a crack if ever I heard one. She knew how this woman felt about her husband, and certainly didn’t care. I wanted to get out of this church, because that voice inside my head wanted to confront her about her crusade against Dr. Rodney. I was hoping for a chance to take a shot at her, and she gave me my chance.
“I read your story in the paper, Attorney Jones. I was inspired,” she said.
“Thank you. I wanted the public to know just how much Dr. and Mrs. Earls mean to me. They are such a lovely couple. They do a lot for the community, and after being married as long as they have, they are still very much in love. I wanted to and will continue to show my support.”
I knew I had touched a nerve, and for a slight instance I saw the flicker of jealousy in her eyes. But I realized that she was good at hiding her true self from her husband and from most of the members of their church. Mattie Lightfoot was not one of them. She knew a snake when she saw one—this I knew without any tangible evidence.
“My husband and I are concerned about Sister Marshall. She has gone through a horrible ordeal and has blamed the doctor for her troubles. I can’t imagine why she makes accusations against him if they were not true,” she shot back.
“I knew Tracey Marshall when I was a teenager. She was an intern with the agency. I can only say that sometimes people can be manipulated into saying all sorts of things to hurt and inflict pain. I know that Barney Austin is a snake with the press to back his evil sadist ways. Who knows who is behind this campaign to smear Dr. Earls. I mean to find out and God help that person when I do.”
I wanted her to know that I was going to give her a fight; she just didn’t know who she was dealing with, and I decided to remind her.
“People are still talking about how I defended my client Dr. Crawford; they know the lengths I will go to defend a client. Imagine w
hat I will do or what lengths I will go to protect someone I love.”
I saw in that instance a look of recognition. She knew exactly where I was coming from and knew who she was dealing with. But again, that look in her eyes was only there for a second. Then the fake personality was back.
“I pray this mess will be over soon,” she said. And with that, she left for her meeting.
The pastor hadn’t said a word during our exchange, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to observe him since I was looking at Tabitha during our conversation. I found it odd that he hadn’t responded, not even to tell her goodbye. After she left the room, I turned to him and responded to what he had said to me.
“I am touched by your concern, Pastor, and I assure you that I am dealing with the pain of my past every day. I pray, exercise, and meditate daily. I am determined to continue this road I am on to let go of a lot that I have suffered. I can only go up from here. But I thank you for your continued prayers.”
“I’d like for you to come and visit with us sometime,” he said. “I also wanted to let you know that I have spoken to Sister Marshall, and I have every intention of contacting Dr. Earls. I think it would be good if the two of them met and discussed this confusion.”
“I feel you mean well, Pastor,” I said. “But I don’t think that would be a good idea. At least for now.”
“If you think that is best, Miss Jones, I will stand back and let God work his plan.”
He was not a forceful man; I could understand how a strong-willed woman like his wife could take him and mold him. He was a sincere man whose only desire was to serve God. He chose to leave the business side of the work to others.
As we finished our meeting together, Pastor delivered another prayer and walked me to the door of his office. He thanked me for coming and asked Sister Lightfoot to walk me the rest of the way.
“Thank you for taking the time to walk me to the door. I was afraid I was going to get lost.”
The Future of My Past Page 12
