by Doris Miller
That same morning, it is a little pass 9:00 AM. Raymond walks through the school hallway and goes towards the school office door. When he opens the office door, a crowd inside the office jumps up and shouts, "SURPRISE!" Raymond becomes shocked! He is stunned! He sees almost the entire school inside the office! He sees party decorations and banners hung up all over the office walls! He sees lots of food set out everywhere! He looks at everyone stunned! The people look at him stunned and ask, "Where's Missy? We're all giving her a surprise going away party! Where is she?"
"Yeah Raymond?" School principal Jesse Harris asks. "We all thought she would be walking in here with you! Where's Missy Raymond?"
"Missy's gone."
"WHAT!" everyone shouts.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Neil asks stunned. "Gone where?"
"Back to Jamaica," Raymond says.
"BACK TO JAMAICA?" everyone shouts.
"What do you mean she's gone back to Jamaica?" Maurice asks. "Don't tell us Missy and her family left for Jamaica already, did they?"
"I'm afraid they did. Their flight was supposed to leave for Jamaica this morning."
"What!" Russell says. "We thought this was supposed to be Missy's last day here! You mean to tell us that Missy's gone already?"
"I'm afraid she is. Her entire family was supposed to leave out of New York by 8:45 this morning. Their flight left already."
Everyone remains shocked and stunned. They all become sad. They sadly look at each other. They start to look around the school office at all the food and the wall decorations. They sadly look at the wall banners which have drawings of palm trees and big words that read, "FAREWELL MISSY! HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE IN JAMAICA! YOU WILL SURELY BE MISSED!" Their eyes become full of tears. One of the children sadly says, "We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to her." Everyone sadly looks at the children. Some of the children start to cry and lean on some of the adults' shoulders. Some of the adults start to cry and lean back on the children's shoulders. They will all miss Missy. Raymond looks around the office. He also looks at the wall banners which have drawings of palm trees and big words that read, "FAREWELL MISSY! HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE IN JAMAICA! YOU WILL SURELY BE MISSED!" He quietly walks back out the office and closes the door behind himself. He sadly starts to walk through the school hallway with eyes full of tears.
That same evening, a very sad and depressed Teresa calls up Gracy and Mike's home. The phone rings inside Gracy and Mike's house. Uncle Willie picks up the telephone and says, "Hello?"
"Hello, Willie?" Teresa nervously asks.
"Yeah?"
"Hi, this is Teresa, Dana and Diane's friend. I'm the one you drove back home from the airport this morning with my boyfriend Joseph."
"Oh hi Teresa! How are you doing? How are you and Joseph feeling?"
"Oh we're feeling alright. I'm still depressed though, but I'm alright. I just wanted to know if you had heard from Dana, Christine or any of them yet?"
"Yeah I heard from them!"
"You have?"
"Yeah! I heard from my parents too! They had called me around 4:00 this afternoon and told me that they had all made a safe landing down in Jamaica!"
"They did?"
"Yeah!"
"That's good!"
"Then I spoke to Christine and David for a while!"
"You did?"
"Yes! They told me that they're both planning on shopping around for a bigger house in Jamaica next week to move themselves and ALL of their children in!"
"What! Christine and David are planning on shopping around for a bigger house?"
"Yeah! They said they want ALL of their children to live in the same house with them! That's why they're going to shop for a bigger house!"
"What! You mean to tell me they want all EIGHT of their grown children to live in the same house with them?"
"Yep, even the grandchildren!"
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
Teresa becomes sad. She starts to feel left out again as she sadly says, "Oh that's good. Well have you heard from Dana?"
"Yeah I heard from Dana!"
"Oh you did? Well how's she doing?"
"Oh she's doing alright Teresa! Dana had come right on the phone while I was in the middle of talking to her mother and father!"
"She came on the phone?"
"Yeah!"
"Well what did she say?"
"She wanted to ask me when was I going to ship her car over," Willie laughs.
"Oh she still wants her car?" Teresa sadly laughs. "She still wants you to ship her car over to her?"
"Yeah! I told Dana that I would try to ship the car over to her! Then I told her that if I can't ship the car over to her, then I'll just buy the car from her."
"You told her that?"
"Yeah!"
"What did she say to that?"
"Oh she wasn't too happy with that Teresa. I told Dana that she's gonna be in the hospital for a while anyway! I told her she can't use her car while she's in the hospital!"
"What! You told her that too?"
"Yeah! I'll see what I can do about her car. I'm not sure yet, but I'll see what I can do."
"Alright then. Did Dana mention me at all when you spoke to her?"
"Not that I can remember Teresa. She might call you later though. Give her a chance. She'll call you."
"Alright. I just wanted to know if you had heard from any of them, that's all."
"Yeah I have. They all seem to be doing fine."
"That's good. What about Diane? How's she doing?"
"Oh Diane's doing fine also! They're all doing fine!"
"That's good. Let me ask you something Willie."
"What is it Teresa?"
"Dana doesn't have that double chain and those two locks still wrapped around her waist, does she?"
"Oh yeah, she still does!"
"She still does?"
"Yeah! Christine said she's gonna keep that double chain and those two locks wrapped around Dana! Christine said she's not gonna take that chain nor those two locks off of Dana until next month!"
"WHAT! UNTIL NEXT MONTH?"
"Yeah! Christine said she's gonna keep that double chain and those two locks wrapped around Dana until they all put Dana into the hospital, which is next month!"
"What! You mean to tell me that Christine is gonna force Dana to walk around, sleep, shower and go to the bathroom in that chain and those two locks?"
"I'm afraid so Teresa."
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes!"
"Well how will Tony handle it if he's gonna be there with Dana for three weeks? I don't mean to be personal or anything like that, but how will he be intimate with Dana at night with that double chain and those two locks wrapped around her waist?"
"Everybody asked Tony about that already," Willie laughs.
"They did?"
"Yeah!"
"What did he tell them?"
"He told everybody that he's just gonna have to work around the chains and locks!"
"What! He told everybody that he's gonna work around the chains and locks?"
"That's what I heard! I heard they all laughed and told Tony to make sure he and Dana don't make too much rattling noises with the chains and locks at night, disturbing everybody in the house! I heard they all told Tony that if they hear any chains rattling during the middle of the night, then everybody in the house is gonna know what's going on! Then I heard they all laughed about it again."
"Wow! I guess Tony and Dana better find a hotel or motel to stay in at night, huh?"
"Oh no, Christine is not gonna let Dana out anywhere! Christine and David said they're not gonna let Dana out anywhere unless Dana is with one of them or another family member! When Christine said she's gonna keep a tight leash on Dana, she meant it!"
"Wow. I guess Dana better start behaving herself, huh?"
"Yeah, that's what we all told her!"
"You all told her that?"
"Yeah, we had to tell her that! We told Dana b
efore that if anyone hurts or harms her or any of her loved ones in any kind of way, she should just rough the person up some, but not kill them!"
"Y'all told her that too?"
"Yeah Teresa! We all told Dana before that she doesn't have to go as far as killing anybody who harms her or her loved ones, but that's just how far she takes it! But hopefully she'll get some help from the hospital. It's a good religious hospital for people with problems like Dana's. They're supposed to give her counseling, therapy and medication. Hopefully the hospital will give Dana the help she needs."
"Yeah, I sure hope so too. Listen Willie, I have to get ready to go. If you hear from Dana, tell her that I called and tell her to call me soon."
"Of course Teresa. I will."
"Thanks a lot Willie."
"No problem Teresa. You take care of yourself, you hear?"
"Alright Willie. I will. By now."
"By Teresa." Willie hangs up the telephone.
Chapter 31
Teresa Returns To Work
