Beautiful Liar (9 page)

“You said it.”

“Is he going to make it?”

“The way Tracey was crying, it doesn’t seem
like it.”

“Who told her about it?”

“Nobody. She was there when it happened.”

“What! She fell back weak for him?”

“No. She’s real cool with his father, Terry.
Evidently, she was over there seeing him…I’m assuming.”

Rasheeda started laughing. “That’s what his
ass gets! But look, my man is on the other line. Call me back when
you get some more scoop.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Vicky ended the call just as she was nearing
Grady Memorial Hospital. She hated hospitals at all costs, but knew
Tracey needed her right now. Ever since they had fallen out over
Cairo six months ago, she had promised herself when they mended
things she would only uplift her niece. And if that meant going
through the motions of a situation she didn’t approve of, then she
would.

She got off the elevator on the floor that
Tracey had given her, and saw her niece sitting beside a man
crying. Vicky looked at the man’s features and immediately knew he
was Cairo’s father. She guessed him to be in his late fifties or
early sixties.

Tracey saw her aunt and got up to embrace
her. “Thank you so much for coming. I know how much you hate
hospitals.”

“Never mind me, how are you doing?”

“I’m doing. Trying to stay strong for Terry
and myself.”

Vicky glanced briefly at Terry, who was
staring blankly at the wall.

“How’s Cairo?”

“They just stabilized him, but…”

“But what, baby?”

“One of the bullets pierced his genitals, and
the doctor said he won’t be able to have any more children.”

Vicky pursed her lips, and Tracey perceived
she was disturbed by the news.

“Terry took it bad, too.”

“When was the last time you had some sleep?
You look tired.”

“It’s been a minute. I don’t have any time
for sleep, Cairo needs me.”

Vicky once more glanced at Terry and pulled
Tracey out of earshot. “I understand you’re cool with Terry and
Cairo is your baby’s father, but you mustn’t forget what kind of
relation you two have.”

“I haven’t I just…I’m not going to front, V.
I love him. And maybe after this he’ll realize it and change. It’ll
be so much better for the baby if we’re together."

Vicky remembered the promise she made to
herself, so she humbled herself with great difficulty. She then
took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I understand. I just don’t
want you to get hurt again.”

“I won’t. It’ll be different now, I know
it.”

“Are you okay?” Debbie asked.

“I’m trying to be. I’m just shaken.” Ray
said, with his back to her.

“It’ll be okay. Just try not to think about
it so much.”

He turned over. “I can’t help it. Now that I
know he’s going to make it, I’m so mad at him! That bastard almost
got me killed!”

“I’ve been thinking about that and what I
can’t figure out is: How did that girl know you?”

Ray sighed and brushed one of her dreads from
her face. “You know I love you, right?”

“Hmm…hm.”

“I have to admit I haven’t been
straightforward with you.”

She slid away from him. “Please don’t tell me
you slept with that girl!”

“No, I didn’t just hear me out. If you feel I
did something wrong, then I’ll take full responsibility for my
actions. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, sternly.

“The reason the girl knew me, was because, we
met them at a bar. And-”

“That’s cheating, Ray! I-”

“No, no! We were already at the bar when they
arrived. It wasn’t planned.”

“Oh.”

“And Cairo being Cairo, decided to capitalize
on the situation when one of the girls recognized him from their
commercials.”

He continued telling of the night while
Debbie listened, occasionally frowning.

She didn’t immediately respond. When he had
finished explaining, she just stared at him trying to read his
thoughts. “You swear you didn’t have sex with that girl?”

He raised his right hand high. “I swear on my
life! You know how I feel about gold diggers and women with bad
table manners. You believe me, right?”

“I believe you. I hope you learned your
lesson.”

“Oh, I did! I’ll never do anything like that
again.”

“Good.”

“You mad at me?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m just trying to
figure Cairo out. What’s wrong with him?”

“I couldn’t answer that to save my life.
Terry isn’t like that, and as far as I know, his mother wasn’t like
that either.”

“He’s sad.”

“God has given him a second chance. I hope he
changes his ways now.”

“Do you think he will?’

Ray thought about that and shrugged. “Common
sense tells me he should, but you just never know with Cairo. He
might really treat women bad now.”

“You might have to find you somebody else to
hang out with.”

Ray didn’t respond to that. Some things were
better left unsaid.

Cairo was in a peaceful
sleep when he
felt someone stroking his cheek. The touch was a soft and loving
caress that made him open his eyes smiling.

“Good morning.” Tracey said, matching his
smile.

“Good morning. You still here?”

“I feel guilty being anywhere else. Want
something else to drink?”

“Please.” He drank his fill and laid back.
“Thanks.”

“No problem. Are you hungry?”

“Nah, I’m cool.” He stared at her for a
moment. “You’re probably saying I got what I deserved, huh?”

“No matter what we go through, I’ll never
wish anything bad on you.”

“Even though those were the same females that
got you fired?”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t like I was trying to
make a career out of that job. I hated it, actually.”

His eyes roamed over her body. “I see that
your stomach is getting big.”

“Yeah. My due date is in exactly three
months…a Halloween baby.”

“Whatever it is, I hope you have a healthy
baby. You don’t deserve anything less.”

She frowned. “I can’t help but notice how
you’re referring to our baby like it doesn’t have anything to do
with you.”

“Tracey, I appreciate you being here, but
don’t think just because the doctor said I was sterile, I’m going
to start claiming that baby. I’m almost a hundred percent sure it’s
not mine. Find your real baby daddy.”

A lump formed in her throat that prevented
her from speaking. “W…What have I ever done to you to make you
think I’m like that? I’ve been nothing but faithful to you…” she
trailed off when the phone started ringing.

He answered. “Hello?...Hey, baby girl!..I’m
feeling much better now that you called. Wish you were here in town
because that would probably heal me completely…Nobody really, just
somebody getting on my nerves,” he said, looking at Tracey in
disdain.

She because furious and snatched the phone
line out of the wall. “You’re a bastard!”

“What the fuck are you doing, girl?” He began
reeling in the phone to see if it was broken.

“You’re a fucking jerk!”

“That’s better than being gullible. Get the
hell out of my room! It’s reserved only for the rich and
classy.”

“You’re so full of yourself, that’s why
you’re never going to have any luck!”

“Please! I could get shot every day and I’d
still be better off than your miserable ass!”

“The only reason I’m miserable is because I
believed in your sorry ass! But all that ends today!”

“Holla!” he said in a singsong voice. “And
please don’t come back."

Tracey was so devastated she almost knocked
Terry down as he entered the room. He called out to her, but she
continued down the hall at a rapid pace. He shut the door behind
him harder than he intended to. It shook the room. “What’s wrong
with her?”

“Uh, I’m okay, Pops, considering I was shot
twice in the chest and once in the genitals.”

“Son, I’m grateful that God spared you,” he
responded, sitting down. “But you have to change your evil ways. He
didn’t give you a second chance just so you could resume your same
pattern.”

“I know this conversation didn’t derive from
Tracey,” he said, rolling his eyes to the back of his head.

“Son, that girl loves you. She hasn’t left
your side since you got hurt.”

“You know why, right? Because she thinks it’s
beneficial. That little gold digger.”

“I don’t believe that to be true.”

“Come on, Pops. I know you’re not fooled by
that ‘good girl’ act.”

“Nobody’s beyond being fooled, son. Don’t
forget that. But I’ve been dealing with that girl for the past four
months, and she hasn’t displayed anything but sincere fondness for
you.”

“Maybe she has, but the truth of the matter
is, she’s not for me. And if by some slim chance her baby is mine,
which I seriously doubt, I’ll take care of it.”

“I know damn well you will! I didn’t raise
you like that. I’m still trying to figure out where you got your
doggish ways from.”

Silence followed afterwards, until Terry
changed the subject a minute later. “The police still haven’t found
that girl who shot you.”

“She’s probably gone back to VA. Can you plug
the phone back up?” Terry did so, and immediately started ringing.
“That’s my new thing calling back. A R&B singer."

Terry ignored his son’s outstretched hand and
answered it himself. “Hello?...Calm down, Ray, I can’t understand
what you’re saying…Who?...Are you sure?” Terry shuffled over the
window and gasped. “Oh, my God!”

“What, Pops?”

Terry ignored his son and ran out of the
room. Cairo sat up to try to see what his father had noticed out
the window but the phone ringing prevented him. He answered and
heard his new girlfriend’s voice on the other side; his father’s
destination was the furthest thing from his mind.

Tracey laid her head on the steering wheel,
crying. The scene was all too familiar to her and she was sick of
it. She had found herself in this same predicament so many nights,
and each time, she had promised herself she wouldn’t shed another
tear over Cairo. But for some reason she couldn’t understand, Cairo
had the combination to her heart. She couldn’t break loose from
him; no matter how much he disregarded her feelings, she couldn’t
bring herself to disregard her own. Vicky’s warning popped into her
head, and she reached for her cell phone.

“Hello?” Vicky answered.

“I’m so stupid, V! I can’t believe how stupid
I am!”

Vicky exhaled loudly. “Tell me what he did
now.”

“I done sat in that bastard’s room worrying
myself to death, and the first thing he did when he woke up was
deny my baby! I can’t believe this shit, V!”

“Settle down. Everything’s going to be
alright. You don’t need him.”

“I’ve done all I know to prove to him that I
love him, V. And he treats me like shit! I can’t take it no more. I
just want to die!”

“What did you say?”

She repeated herself.

“Don’t ever let me hear you say that again!”
Vicky snapped. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“You just don’t understand!”

“No! You don’t understand! You can’t ever
give a man that kind of power over you—a man or anybody else! If
you want to be loved and made happy, then you got to do it for
yourself, Tracey! A man is only an accessory, not a necessity.
You’re one of the most beautiful and intelligent girls I know. But
since you met that loser, you’ve been acting very contrary to
that.”

“It…It’s because I’ve never been in love
before.”

“You’re in everything but love, darling,
because love doesn’t hurt. Love is affection, attachment, and
devotion. Cairo hasn’t displayed any of those traits. Believe me,
I’ve been loved, and I’ve been dogged, and the two are nothing
alike. What you need to do is cry, scream, or whatever it takes to
get him out of your system. Because if you’re not all the way right
upstairs when that baby comes, it’s going to affect y’all’s
relationship, and ain’t nothing worth that. Understand me?”

“Y...Yes.”

“Quit crying Tracey. Where are you right
now?”

“In the hospital parking lot.”

“Come over here and help me eat this gallon
of double-fudge ice cream.”

They laughed.

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

“Everything is going t be alright. I love
you.”

“I love you, too.”

Tracey ended the call and started her car.
She didn’t know if it was a coincidence, but Royal Royce’s “Love
Don’t Live Here Anymore” was playing on the radio. She smiled
through her tears as she pulled up to the ticket booth.

The man working inside of it took her ticket.
“Uh, let me see. That’ll be thirteen-ninety-six, ma’am.”

She noticed that he was staring intently at
her. “What?”

“Nothing.” He accepted the money. “I was just
thinking you are too beautiful to have to cry alone. I hope I’m not
out of line but if I was your man those tears would never touch the
ground, because I’d be there to catch them.”

Tracey’s mind went to Cairo, and the tears
began flowing again. She was so filled with grief and self-pity
that she unconsciously let her foot off the brake, and drifted out
into traffic.

The driver of the Dodge Durango slammed on
the brakes, but that did very little to soften the impact of the
collision.

By the time that Terry reached the wreckage, the
street was filtered with police, fire fighters, paramedics, and
spectators. He saw the firemen using the ‘Jaws of Life’ to get
Tracey’s door opened, and he unsuccessfully attempted to reach
her.

“You can’t go over there, sir,” a police
offer said, intercepting him.

“That’s my daughter-in-law, she’s
pregnant!”

“They’re working as fast as they can to save
their lives, sir.”

“Then what’s taking them so long?! She’s
going to die in there, for Christ sakes!”