Dangerous Dana (A Suspense Thriller)

by Doris Miller

PARTMENT AND START PACKING MY BELONGINGS! SHE SAID FOR ME TO GO TO MY JOB TOMORROW AND START CLEANING OUT MY LOCKER!"

  "YES IT'S TRUE DANA!" Alan shouts! "YOUR MOTHER WANTS YOU ALL TO MOVE BACK DOWN TO JAMAICA WITH HER!"

  Tony, Diane D, Michael, Teresa and Joseph all become shocked and stunned as they shout, "WHAT!" They shockingly go to Christine as Diane D worriedly asks, "Aunt Christine? What do you mean that Dana and the rest of them have to move back down to Jamaica with you? What do you mean for Dana to go to her apartment and start packing her belongings? What do you mean for Dana to go to her job and start cleaning out her locker?"

  "BECAUSE IT'S TIME FOR DANA TO GO BACK TO JAMAICA DIANE! SHE KEEPS GETTING INTO TROUBLE UP HERE! SHE KEEPS GETTING ARRESTED AND GOING BACK AND FORTH TO JAIL AND EVERYTHING! I'M NOT GONNA HAVE THAT ANYMORE! I AM NOT GONNA HAVE MY CHILD RISK SPENDING THE REST OF HER LIFE LOCKED UP SOMEWHERE IN PRISON!"

  "But Mom?" Tony worriedly asks! "What about me? What about me and Dana's relationship?"

  "I'M SORRY TONY! BUT WHAT ABOUT WHAT DANA KEEPS ON DOING? SHE KEEPS ON GETTING ARRESTED! IF SHE GETS LOCKED UP IN PRISON FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, YOU TWO WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP ANYMORE ANYWAY! SHE'LL BE LOCKED BEHIND BARS FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, WHILE YOU'LL BE FREE DOWN HERE! WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WILL THAT BE? WOULD YOU WANT A RELATIONSHIP LIKE THAT? HUH? I MEAN WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE HAPPEN TONY? WOULD YOU RATHER FOR ME TO TAKE DANA AWAY FOR GOOD, OR WOULD YOU RATHER FOR THE SYSTEM TO TAKE HER AWAY FOR GOOD? WHICH ONE? LOOK TONY, I KNOW YOU LOVE DANA WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND EVERYTHING AND I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE ANY INCONVENIENCE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP, BUT I HAVE TO KEEP MY EYE ON THIS ONE," Christine shouts as she angrily points her finger at Dana! "Now Tony, I know you love Dana with all your heart and you've always been there for her! You've been with her for all these years! No matter what happened to Dana, you've always been by her side! So you're welcome to come move down to Jamaica with us if you want to, okay? Think about it, alright?"

  Dana angrily points her hand to her mother and shouts, "FORGET IT MOM! I'M NOT MOVING BACK TO JAMAICA!"

  Dana pulls away from her brothers and storms off again as Christine angrily shouts, "YES YOU ARE DANA!" Christine, Sammy and Thomas storm off after Dana as the rest of the family, relatives and friends storm off after Dana too! Dana storms right into a restroom and slams the door behind herself! Christine goes to the restroom door and starts to bang on it as she angrily shouts, "YOU CAN SULK ALL YOU WANT TO DANA, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK! YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE STILL GONNA MOVE BACK DOWN TO JAMAICA WITH ME! AND WHEN I GET ON THAT PLANE NEXT MONTH, YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL BE SITTING RIGHT BESIDE ME ON THAT PLANE, YOU HEAR ME? I ALREADY CALLED UP YOUR OTHER GRANDPARENTS DOWN IN JAMAICA! I TOLD THEM THAT YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE ALL ON YOUR WAY DOWN THERE NEXT MONTH! THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL START TO GET ALL OF YOUR ROOMS READY! THEY SAY THEY WILL HAVE ALL OF YOUR ROOMS READY BY THE TIME WE ALL GET TO JAMAICA!"

  Harold and Alan start to pound on the restroom door! They shout for Dana to come out of the restroom! Tony, Diane D and Teresa approach Christine as Diane D worriedly asks, "Aunt Christine, you're not gonna really take Dana back to Jamaica with you, are you?"

  "YES I AM! DANA HAS BEEN GETTING INTO TOO MUCH TROUBLE HERE! SHE IS GOING TO GO BACK TO JAMAICA WITH ME EVEN IF I HAVE TO DRAG HER AND PULL HER BY THE EAR! I MEAN THIS IS IT YOU GUYS! SHE'S GOING!" Christine starts to pound on the restroom door again, along with Harold and Alan!

  David soon approaches the crowd and shouts, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OVER HERE?!"

  "I TOLD DANA THAT I WAS GONNA HAVE HER MOVE BACK DOWN TO JAMAICA WITH ME!" Christine shouts! "I TOLD HER THAT I WAS GONNA HAVE HER AND ALL OF HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS MOVE BACK DOWN TO JAMAICA WITH ME FOR GOOD! I TOLD HER THAT I WAS GONNA HAVE HER GIVE UP HER JOB AND THAT SHE WAS NOT GONNA WORK BACK THERE ANYMORE! SHE GOT VERY ANGRY AND RAN IN HERE! THEN SHE SLAMMED THE DOOR BEHIND HERSELF AND WE CAN'T GET IN! SHE HAD CLOSED HERSELF INSIDE THE RESTROOM! I WANT HER OUT OF THERE NOW!"

  David starts to pound on the restroom door along with Harold and Alan! They all push hard on the restroom door! They continue to struggle with the restroom door for a while! David, Harold and Alan finally get the restroom door open! They go inside the restroom as Sammy and Thomas follow in after them!

  A couple of minutes later, the men finally bring a fierce Dana out of the restroom with her lifted high in the air against David's chest! The crowd jumps back in fear, seeing Dana full of anger! They look on in shock and horror as the men carry Dana out into the hallway! They see Dana's long black hair hanging all in front of her face and chest as she violently jerks her body and angrily shouts, "I'M NOT MOVING BACK TO JAMAICA, MOM!"

  "YES YOU ARE DANA! LET'S GO," Christine angrily shouts as she grabs and holds tightly Onto Dana's waist as David continues to carry Dana! Christine, David, Alan and Harold all start to carry Dana away towards the exit as Sammy and Thomas follow off after them! Dana's younger siblings, her relatives, her friends and the rest of the crowd start to follow off towards the exit also! Christine and the men then go through the exit door and take Dana out of the building as Sammy and Thomas continue to follow off after them through the exit door, out of the building! The crowd is about to go through the exit door also, but a couple of court officers stop them! The court officers do not let anyone else outside the door, fearing that there might be a heavy commotion! The crowd stays inside the door looking on through the glass as Christine and the men continue to carry Dana away! They continue to look on in shock and horror as Christine and the men carry Dana out into the street!

  Christine and the men then carry Dana towards their blue van! The men put Dana down as they all start to argue and bicker among each other in front of the van! David continues to have his arms wrapped tightly around Dana's waist as Dana and Christine continue to argue and shout at each other! Dana and Christine are angrily pointing and waving their hands at each other as the men argue and bicker with them! Christine then shouts to Dana, "I HAVE TO KEEP FLYING UP HERE BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE YOU KEEP GETTING INTO TROUBLE!" Dana and Christine continue to argue and shout at each other as they stand there surrounded by the men!

  Everyone in the court building looks on horrified through the glass door as Dana stands there in the middle of the men, arguing and bickering with her mother! Missy's eyes are full of tears as she and the rest of the crowd worriedly look on from inside the court building's doorway. They all see Christine angrily pointing to the van, yelling at Dana to get into the van. They all see Dana fold her arms refusing to get into the van. All of a sudden, they see Christine swing her black bag, trying to hit Dana with it as the men quickly separate the two! The court officers and everyone else inside the court building seeing this start to rush out through the exit doors towards the commotion!

  David, Harold and Alan grab tightly on to Dana and pull her back as Sammy and Thomas grab on to Christine, pulling her back! David, Harold and Alan lift Dana up and carry her to the van as she frustratingly continues to argue and scream at her mother! Sammy and Thomas pull tightly on to Christine, trying to calm her down, but Christine violently pulls away from Sammy and Thomas! She rushes back towards Dana as David, Harold and Alan finally get Dana into the van! David and Harold quickly get into the van after Dana as Alan quickly rushes around the van to the driver's seat! He quickly starts up the engine as Christine rushes inside the van! Sammy and Thomas rush inside the van after Christine! They quickly close the door as the court officers, Tony and the rest of the crowd from inside the court building reach the van! The van then pulls off and quickly leaves the area! It races down the street as everyone, all stunned, stares at it!

  As everyone from the court building stare down the street at the van, Tony worriedly turns to Missy and asks, "Where are they taking her?"

  "I don't know Tony," teary-eyed Missy says. "I really don't know."

  The court officers and the crowd remain stunned as they all watch the van disappear down the stree
t. Tony, Diane D, Michael, Joseph and Teresa continue to look on.

  Back inside the court building, Dana's ex co-workers are talking about the incident they all have just witnessed! They all talk in the hallway as Morris excitingly whispers to Anne and Mary, "Hey! I hear Dana's mother is planning on taking her away! I hear her mother is planning on taking her back to Jamaica with her!" Anne and Mary become excited as Morris continues, "Yeah! I hear that Dana's mother is planning on moving Dana and the rest of the family back to Jamaica!"

  "Oh yeah?" Anne and Mary ask.

  "Yeah! Didn't you two just seen the argument that they had?"

  "Yeah, we saw it," Mary says.

  "Well do you two know what that means? That means that we don't have to be bothered with that Dangerous Dana anymore if her mother takes her back to Jamaica!"

  "Yeah, I know! If her mother takes her back to Jamaica, I hope her mother keeps her in Jamaica too!"

  A black male inside the court building over hears Morris, Anne and Mary's conversation. He asks them, "Why do you all say that?"

  "Hey, you don't know that woman, man," Morris says, "but she is a terror to work with! She has a very violent temper! She worked at our job being mean and unfriendly all the time! She has had plenty of assault charges against her in the past and I don't mean minor assaults! I mean vicious assaults like breaking people's bones and everything!" The man becomes stunned as Morris continues, "She also has had a few manslaughter charges against her too!" The man becomes more stunned as Morris continues, "Yeah! She's also been arrested a few times on suspicion of murder, but it couldn't be proven in court that she was behind those suspicious murders!"

  "Yeah it's true," Mary says. "None of us want to work around her! We're all scared of her! We're all sort of intimidated by working around someone capable of murder or manslaughter!"

  The man remains stunned as Morris continues, "And we don't mean capable of murder or manslaughter just one time! We mean capable of murder or manslaughter several times!"

  "Oh yeah? Wow!" the guy says.

  "Yeah," Morris says as Anne and Mary nod their heads in agreement. Morris frustratingly continues, "Boy I hope that woman's mother keeps her in Jamaica and never allow her to come back here!" Anne and Mary both agree with Morris.

  That same evening, Teresa calls up Diane D on the phone. Diane D, who is inside her grandparents Gracy and Mike’s house, picks up her cell phone off the table. She looks at her cell phone then speaks into it and says, "Hello Teresa."

  "Hi Diane! Hey Diane, I just called up Dana and Tony's number, but I couldn‘t reach them! Do you know where they are?"

  "Well I don't know where Tony is Teresa, but Dana is at my Uncle Kevin's house with her mother."

  "Oh that's where they took her?"

  "Yeah. I had called over there around an hour ago. They took Dana over there after they had left the court building today."

  "They did?"

  "Yeah."

  "Why did they take her over there?"

  "Well that's where my Aunt Christine and her family members are staying. When I spoke to my Aunt Christine on the phone, she told me that she's gonna try to keep Dana over there until they all go back to Jamaica."

  "What! Oh Diane, your Aunt Christine is not gonna really take Dana back to Jamaica with her is she?"

  "She just might Teresa. She just might."

  "What do you mean Diane?! Didn’t you hear Dana shouting to her mother in the court building that she’s not moving back to Jamaica?! Didn’t you hear that?!"

  "Yeah I heard it Teresa! Listen Teresa, Dana was very angry inside that court building when she had told her mother that she wasn't moving back to Jamaica! But Dana usually does cave in to her mother!"

  "What do you mean?"

  "If my Aunt Christine persists for Dana to move back to Jamaica, believe me Teresa, Dana is gonna go! She is gonna move back to Jamaica!"

  "But why Diane? Why would Dana move back to Jamaica if she doesn't really want to?"

  "Because she loves her mother Teresa! Listen Teresa, Dana does not only loves her brothers and sisters very much, she loves her mother very much also! She loves both of her parents and she usually does cave in to whatever they tell her to do sooner or later! Now if my Aunt Christine keeps persisting for Dana to move back down to Jamaica, believe me Teresa, Dana would move back to Jamaica!"

  "Even for good?"

  "If that's what her mother wants! If Dana's mother wants her to move back down to Jamaica for good, then believe me Teresa, Dana will move back down there for good."

  "Well what about Tony?! You mean Dana is just gonna pick up and leave Tony?!"

  "Oh Teresa, I don't know what's gonna happen between those two. My Aunt Christine did invite Tony to come move down to Jamaica with them all. She did invite him. I don't know if he's gonna take that offer. It's a real big step that Tony would really have to think about, giving up his life here, giving up his job here, leaving his family and then just picking up and starting a new life in Jamaica! That's something that he would really have to think about Teresa! That will be something that both him and Dana would have to work out together somehow."

  "Yeah Diane, but what I don't understand is, why does your Aunt Christine want all her children to move back down to Jamaica?"

  "I don't know either Teresa! I guess when Dana just got arrested this last time, my Aunt Christine had decided that this would be the last straw! I guess she just got so mad and fed up, that she decided everybody goes back!"

  "Oh Diane, would they all really move back to Jamaica? Do they all really want to move back to Jamaica?"

  "Well Teresa, as far as I know, none of them really want to move back to Jamaica, but they will do it for their mother, including Dana."

  Teresa becomes very worried. She is terribly afraid for Dana to leave and move back to Jamaica.

  The following Tuesday morning, Teresa soon shows up at Gracy and Mike‘s house. Diane D opens the door and lets Teresa inside. Teresa comes inside and says, "Good morning Diane. Are you ready?"

  "Yeah I'm ready Teresa,” Diane D says. “Let me just grab my jacket." Diane D grabs a jacket out of the closet. She then says, "Okay come on. It's getting late. I want to stop over there real quick before I go to work."

  "Wait a minute Diane," Teresa nervously says.

  Diane D looks at Teresa and asks, "What is it Teresa?"

  "Diane, before we go, can I ask you an honest opinion about something?"

  "An honest opinion? About what?"

  "Well, I wanted to ask you this for a long time. What I'm about to ask you, I want it kept just between the two of us, alright?"

  "Alright. What is it?"

  "Now, Diane, this is only an opinion I'm asking you, alright?"

  "What opinion Teresa?"

  "Well we all know that Dana choked and killed that woman Rose, right?"

  "Yeah."

  "And we all know that Dana punched and killed that suspected rapist who tried to attack Landa, right?"

  "Yeah. What's your point Teresa?"

  "Diane, do you think, do you think Dana murdered that woman Kathy?"

  "Why are you asking me that Teresa? You're not wired, are you?"

  "Wired? No! Of course not Diane! I'm not wired!" Teresa lifts up her clothes a little to prove to Diane D that she is not wired and says, "See, look! I'm not wired! Oh Diane I wouldn't do that to you or Dana! I wouldn't set either one of you up! Diane, I'm not out to get Dana or trap Dana, but I don't blame you for asking me that question, because I probably would ask the same question myself if somebody asks me that opinion! Diane, I'm not asking you to give me any facts! I just want to know your honest, deep down, personal, opinion, being that you and I are both close with Dana! I just want to know your opinion that's all!"

  Diane D hesitates. She then says, "Okay Teresa. But what I'm about to answer you is not a fact, alright? It's just my honest, deep down, personal, opinion, okay?"

  "Okay. So do you think Dana murdered that woman Kathy?"<
br />
  Diane D nods her head yes.

  “What!” Teresa shouts as she shockingly holds her hand over her mouth and stares wide eyed at Diane D.

  "Now remember Teresa, this is my honest, deep down, personal opinion, alright? It's not a fact. I wasn't there when that woman Kathy was murdered. There were no witnesses around when it happened. Therefore, no one knows who the killer is! Why what do you think Teresa? Who do you think killed that woman Kathy? Do you think Dana murdered Kathy?"

  Teresa hesitates. Then she sadly and tearfully nods her head yes. She starts to cry and says, "Oh Diane, I had thought this way for a long time, but I was so afraid to say anything to anybody about how I felt! I was afraid to ask anybody else their opinion! I was just curious to know whether anybody else had thought or felt the same way I did. But one more question Diane."

  "What is it?"

  "Do you think, do you think Dana killed that woman Sandra too?"

  Diane D looks at Teresa. She then nods her head yes.

  Teresa shockingly holds her hand over her mouth again as she stares wide eyed at Diane D again.

  "Now remember Teresa, my answer to that question is just an opinion also, not a fact. I wasn't there when that woman Sandra was murdered, therefore, I don't know who killed her. Well what do you think Teresa? Do you think Dana killed that woman Sandra too?"

  Teresa tearfully looks at Diane D and sadly nods her head yes. "Oh Diane, I could never ever kill anybody!"

  Diane D firmly stares at Teresa. She then says, "Come on Teresa, it's getting late. Are you ready?"

  Teresa puzzled stares at Diane D. She then says, "Yeah I'm ready."

  "Let's go." Diane D opens up the front door. Teresa sadly walks out as they both leave the house.

  Diane D and Teresa soon arrive to Uncle Kevin's house. Diane D rings the doorbell as Teresa stands nervously behind her. Uncle Kevin opens up the front door. He sees Diane D and says, “Hey Diane!” He gives her a big hug.

  Diane D then says, "Oh Uncle Kevin, you remember Teresa, don't you? A friend of Dana's and mine?"

  "Yeah I remember Teresa,” Uncle Kevin says. “How nice to see you again Teresa! Come on in!"

  "Thank you," Teresa says as she nervously follows Diane D inside the house.

  As Diane D and Teresa come inside the house, they hear shouting coming from the kitchen! Diane D asks, "What's going on back there?"

  "I don't know Diane," Uncle Kevin sighs. "Christine has Dana handcuffed to her."

  "WHAT!"

  "Yeah! Go back there."

  Diane D rushes towards the kitchen as Teresa nervously follows behind her!

  When Diane D and Teresa enter the kitchen, they are shocked and stunned to see Dana handcuffed to her mother Christine as Christine argues with her brother Alan right in front of Dana! Diane D and Teresa see Dana, dressed in a gray denim jacket, matching denim pants and hair all pulled back in a long thick braid hanging down her back. They see Dana calmly sitting there on top of the kitchen counter with her head leaned back against the upper kitchen cabinets, watching her mother and her uncle face off with each other! They see a pair of handcuffs with a long chain between Dana's right hand and Christine's left hand! Diane D then shouts, "HEY!" Christine, Alan and Dana all turn their heads to look! They see Diane D and Teresa standing there at the kitchen entrance. Diane D approaches Christine, Alan and Dana. She looks at the handcuffs and asks, "What is this?"

  "I TOLD CHRISTINE NOT TO PUT THESE HANDCUFFS ON DANA," Alan angrily shouts as he holds the handcuffs way up in the air! "LOOK WHAT SHE DID! SHE WENT RIGHT BEHIND MY BACK AND DID THIS ANYWAY!"

  "OH ALAN PLEASE!" Christine angrily shouts.

  Alan angrily walks away out of the kitchen! Diane D looks at the handcuffs again and asks, "What is this all about Aunt Christine?"

  "Dana and I are going to go to her job this morning so we can clean out her desk and locker,” Christine angrily says. “I just want to make sure she goes to clean out her desk and locker this morning."

  "What do you mean clean out her desk and locker?"

  "When Dana and Teresa had gotten fired from their job, I heard Dana had left a lot of her belongings back at the job inside her desk and her locker. We're going to pick up her things out of her desk and locker today."

  "Aunt Christine haven't you heard? Haven't you heard that Stanley had gotten a promotion? He's head boss now! He rehired both Dana and Teresa back!"

  "Yeah I know he rehired both Dana and Teresa back Diane, but Dana is not going back. She's not going to work back there anymore."

  "No? Why not?"

  "Like I said before Diane, Dana is moving back down to Jamaica with me! I have to make sure she cleans her desk and her locker out this morning!"

  "But Aunt Christine, why do you have yourself and Dana in handcuffs? Do you have to have her handcuffed to you?"

  "Oh Diane, what's the big deal? You know, I don't understand why you and Alan are making such a big fuss about this! Dana has been in handcuffs before! This is not her first time being in handcuffs you know! She has been in handcuffs plenty of times before! She's quite used to it now!"

  "But Aunt Christine, are you really gonna force Dana to give up her job? A job that was offered back to her?"

  "Well Dana is gonna have to give up her job if she's gonna move back down to Jamaica with me. She can't take the job with her." Christine picks up the telephone receiver and starts to make a phone call. She begins to speak on the telephone, saying, "Hello? …… Who's this Stanley? …. Hi Stanley, I'm Christine, Dana's mother. …. Yeah. I just want to call you to let you know that Dana is giving up her job. …. Yeah. Thanks for offering her job back to her, but she won't be needing it. She's not gonna come back to work there anymore. ….. No. …. She's moving back down to Jamaica with me and the rest of her family next month. … Yeah. … Yes she is. So I'm gonna come up to the job with her today so she can pick up the rest of her belongings out of her desk and her locker. …… Yeah. I just want to let you know to be expecting me when I walk through the door with her, alright?" Christine continues to be handcuffed to Dana as she speaks on the telephone with Stanley. Dana continues to calmly sit on the kitchen cabinet as her mother speaks on the telephone. Diane D then looks at Dana and worriedly asks, "How do you feel about this Dana?"

  "I don't want to talk about it Diane," Dana says.

  "Well Teresa had come over here to see if you were going to start back to work with her today. Are you really going to give up your job Dana?"

  Dana refuses to speak again. She continues to lean her head back against the upper kitchen cabinets as her mother continues to talk on the telephone with Stanley.

  Christine finishes speaking on the telephone. She hangs up the telephone and says to Teresa, "Teresa, Dana and I are gonna drive up to the job. Do you want to ride with us since you're going that way?"

  "Okay," Teresa nervously responds.

  "Diane do you need a lift to the hospital?"

  "Yeah. I guess I can use a lift,” Diane D says.

  "Okay. We're gonna get ready to leave now." Christine turns to Dana and asks, "Are you ready?" Dana calmly steps down from off the kitchen counter as Christine helps her down. Teresa is about to walk out the kitchen towards the front door as Dana and Christine start to head towards the back door. Christine looks towards Teresa and shouts, "Teresa! We’re going out this way dear!" as she points her finger towards the back door. Teresa turns back around and nervously follows behind Diane D as they both follow Christine and Dana towards the back door. Dana firmly opens up the back door and walks out of it as Christine follows out behind her. Diane D and Teresa then follow out the door behind them.

  Dana's car soon reaches her old job in Long Island City, Queens and parks into a parking space. Christine opens up the car door and gets out of the passenger seat as Dana slides over the passenger seat and Teresa comes out of the back seat. Dana then comes out of the car. Christine has a jacket covering the handcuffs. She keep
s the handcuffs hidden under the jacket as she, Dana and Teresa go to the back door. Kenneth opens the back door to let them all in. Christine says to him, "Hello. I'm Christine, Dana's mother."

  "Yeah, Stanley told me to be expecting you with her. He says to just come straight into his office whenever you arrive."

  "Okay."

  Kenneth points his finger towards the office and tells Christine, "The office is right down this way at the end of the hall, well Dana can show you where it is."

  "Okay. Thanks." Christine turns to Teresa and says, "We'll be right back Teresa," as she and silent Dana start to head off towards the office.

  Around a half-hour later, Dana and Christine come back out of the office. They walk through the hallway towards Teresa's direction as they talk quietly to each other, having a private conversation. Teresa soon approaches them and asks, "Well how did everything go?"

  "Oh everything went okay Teresa," Christine says. "We're getting ready to go into Dana's back office to clean out her desk and locker now."

  Teresa becomes hysterical as she cries out, "Oh Christine, are you really gonna have Dana move back down to Jamaica with you? I don't want Dana to leave! I don't want her to go!"

  "I'm sorry Teresa, but it's too late now! Dana has to go!"

  Teresa sadly turns her head to the side and looks away. Christine says, "I'm very sorry Teresa! Listen Teresa, Dana and I are getting ready to go into the back office to get her belongings. Would you like to come with us?"

  "Okay," Teresa sadly says. She follows Christine and Dana towards the back office. Dana and Christine soon enter the back office as Teresa follows in behind them. Dana calmly leads her mother into the room. She and her mother pick up some big boxes that are down on the floor. Dana then leads her mother to her desk. Christine asks Dana, "Which items belong to you? Whichever items belong to you, put them all in this box," as she taps one of the boxes. Dana calmly starts to clean off her desk as Christine helps her. Teresa notices how calm and unemotional Dana seems to be as Dana and Christine clean off the top of the desk.

  After Christine and Dana finish cleaning off the top of the desk, they start to clean out all of Dana's belongings from inside the desk. After they finish, Dana leads her mother to the locker where she has several more belongings. Teresa watches Dana calmly opening up the locker door. She then watches Dana and her mother pick up and take Dana's belongings out of the locker still handcuffed to one another. Teresa sees Dana calmly cleaning everything out of her locker like some sweaters, a jacket, shoes and some other belongings. She sees Dana showing no emotions at all. She sees Christine trying to get a radio that is stuck up on top of the locker shelf. Teresa then sees Dana gently and politely moving her mother aside so she can try to get the stuck radio. Dana manages to get the stuck radio out of the locker shelf. Teresa then watches Dana and Christine put everything into the cardboard boxes. Two large ones and two small ones. Dana and Christine then lift the two large boxes up and start to carry them off. Teresa grabs the door handle and opens the door for Dana and Christine.

  A couple of minutes later, they all reach Dana's car. Dana unlocks her car trunk and opens it up. She and Christine put the boxes inside the car trunk. Dana and Christine then go back inside the building while Teresa waits outside near the car for them.

  Christine and Dana soon come back out of the building with the two smaller boxes. They put the boxes inside the trunk. Dana closes up the car trunk and walks to the passenger side with her mother. Teresa sadly walks behind them. Dana opens up the passenger door. Before she gets inside the car, she turns to Teresa and tells her, "I'll talk to you later Teresa."

  Teresa does not know what to say. She just sadly looks at Dana. Dana turns back to the car and gets inside the passenger side. Then she slides over to the driver's seat as Christine gets into the passenger seat. Christine closes the door behind herself as Dana starts up the car engine. Christine sadly looks at Teresa and says, "See you later Teresa, alright? We'll talk to you later."

  Teresa sadly looks at Christine as Dana starts to pull off. Christine looks back at Teresa and waves good-bye to her as Dana drives away out of the parking lot. Teresa's eyes become full of tears as she sadly watches Dana's car disappear into the street.

  Soon, word is out among all the other employees in the stockroom that Dana is not coming back to work there anymore! The word is out among the whole entire building that Dana had just cleaned out her desk and her locker from the back office and is moving with her entire family back to Jamaica, West Indies! Everyone in the stockroom becomes excited! They are all happy to hear that Dana is no longer coming back! Everyone decides to celebrate! Morris shouts, "LET'S BRING OUT THE CHAMPAGNE!" They all decide to throw Dana a little going away party, knowing that she won't be there, but that's the way they all want it, for Dana not to be at her own going away party. Everyone is excited! They are all happy to hear that a mean, unfriendly, grumpy person has just left their job and will no longer be with them! Everyone is all happy and excited, except for Teresa. She is the only one not happy about Dana's departure. Everyone else in the stockroom is very happy to hear that Dana is not coming back to the job and is moving back to Jamaica with her entire family for good. They all hope that she stays in Jamaica and never comes back.

  That same evening, Teresa calls up Diane D on the telephone. Diane D is inside her grandparents’ house again as her cell phone rings. She goes to pick up her cell phone off the table. She looks at it, speaks into it and says, "Yeah Teresa."

  "Hey Diane! DIANE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH DANA? HUH?"

  "What's wrong with Dana?"

  "YEAH!"

  "What do you mean Teresa?"

  "I MEAN THIS MORNING, WHEN WE HAD WENT OVER TO YOUR UNCLE KEVIN'S HOUSE WHERE YOUR AUNT CHRISTINE AND HER FAMILY MEMBERS ARE STAYING!"

  "Yeah, what about it?"

  "I MEAN DANA WAS JUST SITTING THERE ON TOP OF THE KITCHEN COUNTER! SHE WAS JUST SITTING THERE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER LETTING HER MOTHER MAKE ALL THESE DECISIONS FOR HER WHILE HER MOTHER WAS ON THE TELEPHONE TALKING WITH STANLEY! DANA WAS JUST SITTING THERE NOT SAYING ANYTHING! SHE DIDN'T SAY A SINGLE WORD TO DEFEND HERSELF WHILE HER MOTHER WAS MAKING ALL THESE DECISIONS FOR HER! SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!! EVEN WHEN YOUR AUNT CHRISTINE CAME TO OUR JOB, SHE AND DANA WENT INTO THE BACK OFFICE SO DANA COULD CLEAN OUT HER DESK AND LOCKER! AND WHEN WE GOT INSIDE THE OFFICE, YOUR AUNT CHRISTINE WAS TELLING DANA WHICH ITEMS TO PUT INTO A CERTAIN BOX! THEN THEY BOTH STARTED CLEANING OUT ALL OF DANA'S BELONGINGS FROM OFF THE DESK! THEN THEY CLEANED OUT ALL OF DANA'S BELONGINGS FROM INSIDE THE DESK! THEN THEY BOTH CLEANED OUT EVERYTHING FROM INSIDE OF DANA'S LOCKER AND DURING THAT WHOLE TIME, THEY WERE STILL HANDCUFFED TO EACH OTHER AND DANA DIDN'T SEEM TO SHOW ANY EMOTIONS AT ALL! I MEAN SHE WAS JUST ACTING CALM THE WHOLE ENTIRE TIME LIKE SHE DIDN'T EVEN CARE!"

  "WELL TERESA WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! DIDN'T I TELL YOU THAT SOONER OR LATER, DANA WAS GONNA CAVE IN TO HER MOTHER?! DIDN'T I TELL YOU THAT?!”

  "Wow! That means that Dana is really gonna leave, is she Diane?"

  "Yeah Teresa Dana is going! She is moving back to Jamaica, for good!" Teresa starts to cry all over the phone. "Teresa are you alright?" Diane D asks.

  "I don't know Diane. I just need to lie down for a while. I just need some rest that's all."

  "Okay. Don't get yourself too upset Teresa."

  "I'll try not to Diane. You don‘t sound too worried about Dana leaving Diane. How come?"

  "Because I know I’m still gonna see Dana. Being in different countries hasn’t stopped us from being around each other before and it’s not going to stop us now.“

  “Wow.“

  “It’s getting late.“

  “Okay. See you later Diane. By." Teresa hangs up the telephone and starts to cry.

  It is very early Wednesday morning. Christine stops by her inlaws Gracy and Mike's house where most of her children stay. She rings the doorbell. Robert opens up the front door. He sees his mother and lets her inside. Christine comes inside the h
ouse with four large shopping bags. She leans towards Robert as they both give each other a loving kiss. Robert tells her, "Here, let me take those for you Mom."

  "Oh thanks baby."

  Robert walks into the living room with the four large bags and asks, "What is this Mom? What do you have in here?"

  Christine follows Robert into the living room and says, "Oh it's just some pants suits in there that I bought for you all when we go back to Jamaica next month."

  "What! You got us all some suits Mom?"

  "I sure did! I bought them yesterday afternoon!"

  Robert puts the bags down on the coffee table. Thomas then comes into the living room and greets his mother. Soon Gracy, Missy and Linda come out to the living room and greet Christine. Christine says to them all, "I had went to the airport yesterday afternoon. I had bought 11 airplane tickets for next month!" Everyone is stunned. Christine reaches inside her leather bag and pulls out an envelope. She reaches inside the envelope and pulls out 11 airplane tickets. She shows everyone the airplane tickets she had purchased. Everyone in the living room is shocked and stunned. They all look at the tickets.

  "Mom, how much money did you have to spend for all of this?" Thomas asks.

  "Oh Thomas, it's not that much money to spend! Each of you are only getting a one-way ticket!" Everyone looks at Christine. Christine then says, "After I left the airport yesterday, I stopped by the department store. I bought suits for each of you to wear for the trip back to Jamaica!" Christine goes into one of the large shopping bags. She pulls out three men's casual jacket and pants suits, with matching tank tops. One suit and one tank top for each of her boys. She hands the suits and tank tops to Thomas and Robert. She says to them, "Thomas, this brown suit is for you, Robert this maroon suit is for you and this gray one is for Sammy." Christine then reaches into one of the other large bags. She pulls out two identical women's short corduroy jackets with matching corduroy pants. One of the suits is dark blue, the other is dark green. Christine hands the two suits over to Missy and tells her, "Missy, this green corduroy suit is for you and the blue one is for Dana." Missy is all stunned as she takes the suits and looks at them. Christine then goes back into the bag and pulls out two matching lace edge bustiers. One is dark blue, the other is dark green. Christine hands the two bustiers to Missy, telling her, "The green one is for you and the blue one is for Dana." Missy takes the two bustiers and looks at them. Christine then reaches into a third large bag. She pulls out three more identical short corduroy jackets with matching corduroy pants. One of the corduroy suits is dark brown, another is dark purple and the third is dark maroon. Christine shows them all to Linda. Being that Christine cannot tell her own identical triplets apart at times and she cannot tell which triplet is which, she just hands Linda the three suits and tells her, "These are for you and the other two."

  Linda takes the suits and looks at them. Christine then pulls out three matching lace edge bustiers. One is dark brown, another is dark purple, and the third is dark maroon. She also hands them to Linda. Everyone in the living room is all stunned. They all look at each other. They all realize that Christine has bought eight pants suits for all of her children. Christine then surprises everyone again! She goes into the fourth large bag and pulls out some pairs of shoes! She pulls out three pairs of black, men's shoes for her boys. She shows them all to Thomas and Robert. Thomas and Robert take the shoes and look at them. Christine goes into the bag again. She pulls out some more pairs of shoes. This time, she pulls out two identical pairs of thick, white, women's shoes. She hands them over to Missy. Missy looks at the thick white shoes. Christine then pulls out three more identical pairs of thick white shoes. She hands them all to Linda. Linda looks at the shoes.

  Altogether, Christine pulls out eight pairs of shoes! Three black shoes for all her boys and five thick white shoes for all her girls. Thomas, Robert, Gracy, Missy and Linda look at the shoes, all wondering what's next! Then, Christine surprises them all again by saying, "And tomorrow I'm gonna start shipping some of your belongings down to Jamaica!"

  Christine starts to walk away towards the kitchen as everyone becomes shocked and shout, "WHAT! MOM!" as they stunned and worriedly follow after Christine towards the kitchen!

  That same morning, Missy goes to the school. She is so worried about what her mother said earlier about having some of her and her siblings' belongings shipped to Jamaica. Missy is so worried, that when she comes back home from work tomorrow, she will find half of her belongings gone. She is so worried, that her mother will start to ship some of her belongings to Jamaica, while she is working at the school.

  It is Thursday afternoon now. It is the end of the school day. Missy starts to rush home! She goes inside her grandparents' home and quickly rushes up the stairs to the bedrooms! She goes into one of the bedrooms and sees her grandmother and some of her siblings standing there in a half empty bedroom! Half of the bedroom is gone! Missy breathes hard as she shockingly shouts, "OH NO, DON'T TELL ME SHE'S DONE IT! DON'T TELL ME THAT MOM HAD ALREADY SHIPPED SOME OF OUR BELONGINGS TO JAMAICA ALREADY?"

  "YES MISSY," teary-eyed Gracy shouts! "I'M AFRAID YOUR MOTHER ALREADY DID!"

  "YEAH," Sammy shouts! "SHE EVEN CAME OVER TO MY APARTMENT AND TOOK A LOT OF MY THINGS OUT OF THERE! MOM SAID THAT SHE WAS GONNA SHIP ALL MY BELONGINGS TO HER HOUSE IN JAMAICA! THEN MOM TOLD ME AFTER SHE LEAVES MY APARTMENT, SHE'S GONNA GO BACK TO DANA AND TONY'S A