Addicted to an Addict

by Honey

  “Man, why are you calling me? Why didn’t you just walk your lazy ass back to your office?”

  “Uh . . . huh . . . uuugh . . .”

  “JoJo? JoJo! What’s going on, man?”

  Trying like hell to stay on his feet and on the right side of consciousness, Josiah leaned even farther on the desk. A granite paperweight shaped like the state of Georgia toppled over noisily.

  “JoJo! JoJo!”

  Chapter Forty-one

  “What’s wrong, Jeremiah? You’re scaring me.”

  “Something ain’t right. JoJo sounds like he’s sick or something.” He rounded the desk in a hurry. “Stay here.”

  Gypsie totally ignored Jeremiah. She took off running behind him and slammed the door shut. She sprinted down the hall on his heels.

  They entered Jeremiah’s office within seconds and closed the door.

  Josiah stumbled toward them, but collapsed to his knees, holding his chest with sweat and tears trickling nonstop down his face. His body began to jerk violently as if he were having a seizure.

  “Oh my God!” Gypsie screamed.

  Jeremiah was on his knees by his brother’s side in a flash. He snatched Josiah’s shirt open, sending buttons flying around the room in all directions. Then he started massaging his brother’s chest while he cradled him in the crook of his arm. “Dial 911! I think he’s having a heart attack!”

  Gypsie dashed toward Jeremiah’s desk, but Josiah reached out and tugged on her skirt. He wrapped his arms around her legs, holding her in place. He shook his head frantically.

  “Let go of me, Josiah! I’m trying to help you.”

  “N-no . . . n-no . . .” He continued to shake his head and wheeze for air.

  “JoJo, you need medical attention, bruh. Let Gypsie go so she can call an ambulance.”

  “N-no . . . n-no . . . uuugh . . . no . . . no . . . no . . . ambulance. . .”

  “Okay, we won’t call an ambulance, but you’re going to see Ship right now. Let’s go, bruh.”

  Josiah released Gypsie and wrapped his arms around Jeremiah’s neck. He began to sob miserably like a helpless baby. His body tremors grew more intense, and his sweat-soaked shirt clung to his skin.

  Gypsie kneeled next to them and caressed the top of Josiah’s head gently as tears fell freely from her eyes. She had no idea what was wrong with him, but she silently thanked God that he didn’t have a heart attack. The fact that he was able to breathe, speak, and cry was proof of that. But even though it appeared that Josiah was nowhere near the grave, he was definitely experiencing some type of sudden illness. Gypsie would bet her last dollar that it was an emotional episode that had everything to do with the phone call from Serenity Springs. More specifically, Mrs. Mink Bishop had done something to break her husband’s heart once again.

  “I can’t get him up, Gypsie. He’s too heavy. I think he’s having a mental breakdown. What am I supposed to do?”

  Jeremiah’s voice fretting through tears and panic snatched Gypsie back to the current situation. The heartbreaking sight of two grown men on the floor bawling their eyes out unleashed more emotions from her heart. She couldn’t control the waterworks cascading down her cheeks. Josiah’s whimpers mixed with Jeremiah crying and cursing Mink to hell and back were pushing Gypsie closer and closer to the edge. But even in the midst of fear and shock, she somehow pulled herself together. Josiah needed her, and she refused to let him down.

  “I’m going to call his doctor, J. What’s his name?”

  “Our homeboy, Ship, is our doctor. His number is on my iPad on the left side of my desk. My password is T-WI-N-B and the number 2. Scroll through my contacts and find Davion Ship. Please hurry, baby girl.”

  Gypsie followed Jeremiah’s instructions. She found Dr. Ship’s name, but there were three different numbers listed for him. “Which number, J? There’s more than one.”

  “Try the one with the 770 area code. I think that’s his cell phone. When you get him on the line, tell him who you are and give him the entire rundown on what’s going on with JoJo. Tell him I said he needs to drop whatever he’s doing and get to city hall ASAP.”

  Again, Gypsie did as she’d been told. She held Jeremiah’s desk phone receiver to her ear as it rang on the other end.

  “This is Davion Ship.”

  “Um, Dr. Ship, my name is Gypsie Robinson. I’m Mayor Josiah Bishop’s administrative assistant. His brother, Jeremiah, insisted that I call you because . . .”

  * * *

  Mink breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the row of public phones along the wall near the Delta Airlines reservation counter. She rushed over, pulling the handle on her rolling suitcase and carrying an overstuffed duffle bag. She dropped her bags and grabbed a phone. When she raised the receiver to her ear, her other hand paused in midair, inches away from the number keys. Mink didn’t know who to call. Leaving drug rehab in the middle of nowhere without a plan was the stupidest thing she could’ve ever done. And she had done lots of stupid shit since she’d been in the grips of heroin. But all of her drug madness had taken place in or around Atlanta, which made it easy for her to return to Josiah’s open arms like a little, lost puppy whenever she crashed.

  The very thought of Josiah caused Mink’s heart to rip right down the middle. She figured that someone from the Serenity Springs staff had notified him about her disappearing act by now. He was probably pissed. And he had every right to be. Mink knew Josiah had sunk over $15,000 in cash into her treatment this time around. Her ongoing bill was gnawing a hole through his health insurance plan too. But what the hell could she do about it now? She had left Serenity Springs like a teenage runaway, and she had no intention to go back.

  “I’ll make you understand, JoJo.” Mink pressed the phone’s receiver to her chest and cried. “Because you love me, you’ll understand why I left that awful place. It wasn’t right for me. Bad people . . . very bad people . . .”

  Mink inserted several quarters into the coin slot and dialed Josiah’s private line at city hall. The phone rang several times before the call rolled over to voicemail. Frustrated, she dialed his cell phone and got the same result after the fourth ring. Mink hung up without leaving a message, only to dial a number that she hadn’t dialed in a very long time. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Plus, they owed her as far as Mink was concerned. Actually, they owed her a lot after all the pain they’d caused her.

  “Hello?”

  “Daddy, it’s me, Mink.”

  The sounds of the estranged father and daughter breathing filled in the moments of tense hush. It felt like the hands of time had turned back almost two decades. Once again, Mink was that very frightened and timid 15-year-old girl, reaching out to her father for love and understanding. She had needed him back then, and she damn sure needed him now. Her heart ached at the memory of how her father had disappointed her all those years ago. Mink hoped he would show her a speck of compassion today.

  “Daddy, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here. What can I do for you, Mink? Go ahead and tell me what kind of nonsense you’ve gotten yourself into this time.”

  Mink sniffed and dried her tears with her forearm. “I need to come home for a little while. Things are kind of complicated for me right now. But if—”

  “Save it, Mink. You can’t come here. I won’t allow you to come to this house and drive your mother and me crazy like you’ve done Josiah. And I thought you were in rehab somewhere up in the mountains in Montana anyway.”

  “I was, but those people are crooks. There were more drugs in that facility than I came across on the streets. So, I got the hell out of there.”

  “You left, huh?” Major Sinclair laughed, and the roughness in his tone caused Mink to flinch. “So why didn’t Josiah fly up to the mountains and take you back to Atlanta? Better yet, why didn’t he send for you?”

  Mink didn’t have a truthful answer, so she didn’t respond. She just continued to cry quietly.

  “Just as I tho
ught. You took off without his knowledge. Damn it, Mink! What the hell is wrong with you? You haven’t learned a goddamn thing since you were 15. Wasn’t that enough? You should be thanking God every single day that you ended up with a good husband like Josiah after what you and that . . . that . . . son of a bitch, Ethan, did to this family!”

  “Calvin, who are you talking to, babe?”

  Mink’s heart palpitated when she heard the familiar voice in the background. “Is that Mom? I want to speak to her, please.”

  “Who’s on the phone, Calvin? You sound upset.”

  “Let me speak to Mom, damn it!”

  “I will not. Her health is too fragile for your drug foolery. The doctor finally stabilized her blood pressure, and her sugar is under control. Do you think I’m going to let you bring her world crumbling down and cause her to stroke out? I’ll be damned. Go back to rehab, girl, and don’t call this house again until you complete treatment and you’re off of that stuff.”

  Mink’s heart dropped to her belly when the dial tone hummed in her ear.

  Chapter Forty-two

  “How is he, Ship?”

  “I injected him with a sedative, so he’s pretty mellow right now. From everything his assistant told me over the phone, I figured he was having an anxiety attack, so I came prepared.” Ship removed the stethoscope from around his neck and placed it on Josiah’s desk. “But what the hell is going on, J? How come my boy flipped out like that? Is the reelection campaign that damn stressful?”

  “Nah, man, that ain’t the problem. It’s that dope fiend wife of his. I swear that trick is going to be the death of my brother. And I’ll probably die right along with him. But I’ll take her ass out first. Then I’ll close my eyes and drop dead.”

  “What’s her deal now? I thought she was away in rehab.”

  “I don’t have a clue. The only thing I know is someone from the treatment center that JoJo tucked her ass away in called him. They must’ve told him some pretty heavy shit because he bugged out before he got a chance to give me the rundown. But I’ve got an idea about what’s going on.” Jeremiah frowned and massaged his temple.

  “What?”

  “I think Mink did an abracadabra on him.”

  Three quick knocks at the door ended the conversation abruptly. Rev and Myrlie rushed inside Josiah’s office with worried expressions on their faces.

  “Hello, Reverend and Mrs. Bishop.”

  Rev extended his hand and grabbed Ship’s in a friendly shake. “It’s good to see you.”

  “I’m so glad you came to take care of my baby, Ship. Where is he?” Myrlie asked.

  Jeremiah hugged his mother. “He’s resting in my office, Ma. Ship said he’s going to be fine.”

  “Why did you leave him alone, son?” Rev asked.

  “I didn’t. Gypsie is with him. And anyway, as I said, he’s asleep.” Jeremiah turned back to Ship. “What should we expect for the rest of the day and even tomorrow?”

  “I made a referral for JoJo to see one of my colleagues in the privacy of his home first thing in the morning. His name is Saidu Kabbah. He’s a psychiatrist.”

  “Psychiatrist? My baby ain’t crazy!”

  “No, ma’am, he’s not. But as a physician, I recommend that JoJo speak with a mental health professional about his feelings and concerns. He may even need medication to offset future anxiety attacks and depression. I trust Dr. Kabbah to take good care of him. He’s the best in his field of expertise.”

  “Something terrible must’ve happened to my child. Who or what upset your brother, J?”

  Rev wrapped his arm lovingly around his wife’s shoulders. “Calm down, Myrlie Anne. Let the boy explain what’s going on.”

  “The truth is I don’t know what’s going on. A staff member from Mink’s treatment center called JoJo and whatever the woman said to him caused him to have a major emotional shakeup. I was so scared that I freaked out. If it hadn’t been for Gypsie, JoJo and I would have a joint appointment with that shrink tomorrow. That girl saved the day.”

  “Yeah, thank God Gypsie was here. If she hadn’t called me, JoJo would’ve been carried out of city hall on a gurney. The incident would be all over the news by now. That wouldn’t have been a good look for him.”

  “Thanks for showing up, Ship. You came through for my son.”

  “JoJo is my lifelong friend, sir. Some of my fondest childhood memories took place in your home or at your church. Nothing could’ve kept me from coming here to help my boy. I just hope he’ll overcome this.” Ship turned to Jeremiah. “I left Dr. Kabbah’s address and phone number on your desk. He’s expecting JoJo at his crib in the morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

  “Cool. I’ll drive him there. Thanks, man.”

  “No problem.” Ship reached out and gave Jeremiah a man hug. “Take your parents down the hall to see your brother. He should be able to walk out of here in two or three hours, but he can’t drive until Dr. Kabbah gives him clearance. I’ll check in with you later to see how he’s doing.”

  * * *

  “JoJo, it’s your mama, baby. Rev and I came to see about you.”

  “He’s sleeping, Myrlie Anne. That shot Ship gave him knocked him out cold, so he can’t hear you.”

  Myrlie reached down and stroked Josiah’s cheek with the gentleness that only a mother possessed in the palm of her hand. And her firstborn son secretly basked in the warmth of her touch. The familiar scent of the hand cream she’d used since he was a little boy was like a balm for his troubled spirit. The combination of the softness of Gypsie’s lap, where his head lay comfortably, along with his mother’s caress and his father’s voice was better than anything the doctor had ordered.

  Rev was wrong. Josiah was very much awake and aware of everything going on around him. He was playing possum to avoid a conversation with his parents. He knew they were concerned about him and had billions of questions to ask about his nervous breakdown, but he wasn’t ready to face them or answer any of their questions yet. Hell, he hadn’t even told Jeremiah that Mink had left Serenity Springs. He would fill him in before the end of the day, though. And Gypsie deserved an explanation as well. So, Josiah would come clean to them at the same time as soon as his parents left. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, but what other choice did he have?

  “Let’s go, Myrlie Anne. We can check up on JoJo later. J will take good care of him, won’t you, son?”

  “You know I will.”

  Rev reached out and placed his hand on Gypsie’s shoulder. “God bless you, child, for all you do for my son and granddaughters. I don’t know where they’d be without you. If I had a million dollars, I’d give it to you, but I don’t. Don’t worry, though. God’s got a special blessing for you. Just you wait and see, baby. Just you wait and see.”

  * * *

  “So, what’s your next move?”

  “I honestly don’t know, J.” Josiah looked up at Gypsie and smiled after she placed a plate of food on the table in front of him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she softly replied before she left the kitchen.

  “I think it’s time for you to cut your losses, bruh. It’s been almost three years now. This ain’t about love and commitment or family anymore. It’s about survival . . . your survival. What more can Mink do to you other than stab you in the heart or blow your fucking brains out? It’s a wrap, JoJo. Just accept it.”

  “You’re right. I’ve done all I can do to help her, and then some. And God knows I love her, but one of us has to stay alive to raise Gem and Treasure. Mink is back on drugs and no doubt doing any and everything she can to cop a fix, so that leaves Daddy to take care of them.”

  “Correct. And I don’t even want to think about what kind of shit Mink will try to pull you into when she crashes back down to earth this time. End this thing now before it kills you, JoJo.”

  “I hear you. I have to live for my girls because their mom is out there digging her grave. I’ll call CoCo in the morning so she can s
tart my divorce proceedings.”

  Josiah and Jeremiah’s conversation shifted to the campaign and city hall matters over a late dinner Gypsie had prepared. Life and business had to go on, no matter what. Josiah couldn’t allow Mink’s unexpected departure from drug treatment and his breakdown to steer him off course. Gem and Treasure needed their father to take care of them, and his political allies were counting on him to win his second term in office. But even with all of that in mind, Josiah couldn’t stop thinking about Mink. Regardless of the horrible things she’d done to him and the girls over the past two and a half years, he still loved her to death, and he was very concerned about her well-being.

  Although Josiah’s head was screaming it was time to let Mink go and move on, his heart was begging him to give her one more chance. Divorcing his wife of almost nine years, the mother of his adorable daughters, would be much easier said than done. He had vowed before God to love and cherish Mink for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health . . . until death. But whose death? Would he have to die to be free of Mink’s addiction?

  “Are you going to eat that?”

  Josiah snapped out of his trance and stared at Jeremiah’s hand holding a fork above his succulent salmon filet. “Nah, man. Go ahead. That damn shot Ship gave me is messing with my appetite.”

  “Thanks. Gypsie put her foot in this food.” Jeremiah helped himself to Josiah’s salmon and half of his loaded baked potato as well. “I would prefer you to lose your appetite any damn day instead of your mind. You scared the shit out of me. And poor Gypsie damn near pissed her panties when you dropped to your knees, bruh. We thought you had a heart attack.”

  “I felt like I was having one too. I really thought I was gone, man. But then I thought about my princesses. God, I love those little girls. I can’t leave them here without a daddy to take care of them and protect them from man whores like you.” Josiah laughed at his jab at his brother.

  “With Mink out on the dope prowl again, if you die, Uncle J-slash-the godfather wouldn’t have a choice but to raise Gem and Treasure. And they would definitely grow up to be nuns under my watch. That’s exactly why your ass better end this bootleg marriage with their druggie mama once and for all so you can raise them.”