Careful of the Company You Keep (31 page)

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Authors: Angie Daniels

BOOK: Careful of the Company You Keep
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“I started packing this morning.” She signaled for me to follow her into her room. We moved through the kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled high in the sink. Canned goods with generic labels were on a small wooden kitchen table that had no chairs.
I stepped into her room and saw the twin-size bed and the small black-and-white television on top of a dresser that was missing a couple of drawers. In the middle of the floor was a suitcase that was almost full, and next to it was a large black garbage bag.
“You're taking that bag with you?”
She looked concerned. “Yeah, I don't have anything else. My suitcase is almost full.”
I was thinking about maybe giving her one of mine. “Is someone picking you up from the bus station?”
She nodded. “My brother will.”
She looked like she was waiting anxiously for something. Oh shit! I hadn't given her the money yet. I reached into my pocket and pulled out thirty-three dollars and handed it to her.
Her eyes grew large. “Oh thank You, Jesus! Thank You. Now I can eat! Now I can eat and won't have to ask my family for nothing!” She raised her palms toward the ceiling and said a silent prayer. I wish my kids got that excited when I gave them their allowance.
“I don't know how I'll ever repay you.”
“Don't worry about it. You just get down there and see your mother.” We moved back into the living room. “Please call me if you need anything.”
“You've done more than enough. I won't call unless I just have to.”
She handed me a disconnection notice from the electric company to write my number on. I knew what it was because I had one just like it at home. Mine was because I had been too lazy to mail the check. Hers was because she didn't have the money to pay it.
“Write your number big so I can see it.”
I wrote my name and phone number in big block letters and had her read it for me. She saw it just fine.
“Do you think you're coming back?”
She shrugged. “I don't know. I'm going to take all my clothes and see what happens when I get there. There's nothing important here so I can just leave it.”
“You got all your medicines?”
“Yes.” She rose and moved to the kitchen. “Come see.”
I followed her back into the kitchen and found six different bottles on the table. I glanced down at several that I knew my mama took. “You're diabetic?”
She nodded, then moved to the refrigerator and showed me her insulin.
“My dog's diabetic.”
She found that funny. I laughed with her, then moved back into the living room.
“You know, my mom is schizophrenic, so I understand. You remind me so much of her.”
“What's her name?”
“Bernice Brown.”
Her eyes lit up. “I know her.”
“You do?” She'd only been here five months, so there was no way she knew my mother.
“Yeah, I know her. I just saw her.”
My mind was racing and I wasn't sure what to believe. After all, this woman was crazy. “When . . . when did you see my mother?”
“I just saw her a couple of weeks ago.”
My knees buckled. My mother had been missing for years, yet this crazy woman said she just saw her. “Where did you see her at?”
“At the center.”
“What center?”
“At Nyra Recreational Center. The van picks me up every Wednesday. We do crafts and have classes on taking control of our mental illnesses.”
My heart was pounding rapidly. I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not.
“You look like her, except she has a bigger gap between her two front teeth.”
She
did
know my mother. Bernice was known for her wide, gappy smile.
“When . . . when was the last time you . . . uh . . . saw my mother?” I was so nervous I couldn't even talk straight.
“Let me see. I think it was probably three weeks ago. Once a month we have a birthday bash at the community center in honor of everybody who has birthdays that month. And your mom was there because I remember her standing up and being recognized for her birthday.”
Ohmygoodness. I couldn't breathe. It was June. My mama was born in May. I tried my damndest not to get overly excited because all I would do was set myself up for disappointment.
“When does the center meet?”
“Every day, but I go on Wednesdays. We have crafts and they make us lunch and have other activities.”
I nodded, then rose. I desperately needed to be alone so that I could think. “Hattie, if you need anything else, please call me.”
“Thank you so much. I'm going to finish packing tonight and have Melody drop me off at eight o'clock. I'll call you to let you know that I made it safely.”
“I'd like that.” I hugged her again, then headed out the door and climbed in my car. I only lived around the block, but it felt like eternity. I was shaking so hard I don't know how I managed to drive at all. By the time I pulled into my driveway my teeth were chattering. I couldn't believe it. I had found my mother.
I went in the room, buried myself in a pillow and cried like a baby.
52
Renee
I got up on Monday and called the clinic. I was shaking so hard I didn't know what to do. I gave her my name and number and waited for the nurse to return to the phone.
“Ms. Moore?”
“Yes?” I croaked.
“You'll need to come in and retake the test.”
“What? Why?” I could barely get the words out.
“Something was wrong with the specimen we took. You'll have to come back in.”
What the fuck? I've been agonizing now for the last five days just so this bitch could tell me I've got to go through the bullshit again? Hell nah!
“When would you like to come back in?”
I suddenly became sick with another thought. What if the test had come back, and instead of telling me my results were positive, this was their way of double-checking before breaking the bad news? Oh. My. God.
I dropped the phone and barely made it to the bathroom before I started throwing up. I heard someone at the door and tried to ignore it, but whoever was out on the porch was insistent because they kept right on ringing my damn doorbell. I moved to the window and spotted Danielle.
Surprisingly, I was glad to see her. Anything to take my mind off shit.
“What's wrong with you?” she asked only seconds after stepping inside my house.
“I'm about to lose my mind,” I said, then collapsed to my knees and started bawling. I just couldn't hold it any longer. Danielle rushed to my side.
“Girl, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“John . . . has . . . H . . . I . . . V,” I cried hysterically.
“What? When did you . . .” Her voice trailed off and I knew I'd caught her off guard. “Jesus! That DL shit done caught up with him.”
My chest was starting to hurt. “He . . . he didn't get it from Shemar.”
“Then who . . .” Her voice trailed off again and I knew it had registered, the most likely suspect—me.
I reached for a tissue and wiped my nose, then forced myself to calm down and take a deep breath. “Me. Maybe. I don't know. I went down last week and took the test, but something happened with the blood so I've got to go back and take it again.”
“Oh, Nae-Nae, why didn't you tell me? I would have gone down there with you.” She stroked my back.
I gave a defeated shrug. “I was too embarrassed to say anything. I just wanted the ordeal done and over with. Now I got to go back down to the clinic tomorrow.”
“Fine, then I'm going with you and taking the test. Hell, it's been a year since I've been tested. Might as well get it over with.”
I pulled my legs up to my chest. “Danny, this is so unreal. I never thought something like this could happen to me.”
“None of us do. We put our lives at risk each and every time we lay down with a man. It's a damn shame. I just never really thought about it until now.”
I shook my head. “I've been a ho for years, so this would have to be God's way of getting back at me for my wicked ways.”
“He wouldn't do that,” she stated firmly. “Everything is going to be fine, watch and see.”
“I hope so.”
“Quit worrying. What we need is a girls' night to take your mind off things. How about a slumber party?”
I gave her a weak smile. “That sounds like fun. We haven't done that in months.”
“Then a slumber party it is.” She moved to the phone to call my girls.
I got rid of my kids for the evening and waited for the girls to arrive. I pushed back all the furniture in the living room and got the blender ready for margaritas.
I put my sister's picture on the table. Lisa was the glue that always held us together. So if we're having a get-together, her presence and wisdom were definitely needed. I wished she was here because one thing my big sister always did was find a way to cheer me up.
Damn, now I'm crying again!
I brushed the tears away, then moved into the kitchen to find the popcorn.
The doorbell rang and they filed in one after another with hugs and words of wisdom. Danielle had definitely made sure they all knew what I was up against.
Kayla gave me a big hug. “Renee, I'm going down there with you tomorrow and take that test.”
“Me, too,” Nadine chimed in.
“We're all going to take that test. There is no reason you need to go through this alone.” Danielle poured ice into the blender and frowned. “Let me get my hands on John's ass and I'll kill him myself, putting you through this shit.”
I shook my head. “If I got it, then he got it from me.”
“Well, we're not going to worry about that now, are we?” Nadine took my hand and smiled. “I've got some good news.”
I sighed with relief. “Thank God! Because we can sho use it.”
“Jordan's having twins.”
We all screamed with excitement.
Kayla clapped her hands. “That is wonderful! I can't wait to hold them. I know they're going to be beautiful.”
I looked over at Danielle and smirked. “Of course they are. Their daddy is one fine mothafucka.”
Danielle rolled her eyes. “That crazy bastard. I hope you don't plan to let him be a part of the baby's life. Hell, he doesn't take care of the son he has.”
Nadine removed the glasses from the top shelf and shook her head. “No way. That was part of the contract agreement.”
“Good,” Danielle said with a sigh of relief.
I poured the tequila in and added the mix. “Is he still stalking you?”
“Girl, yeah. I went and got an ex parte but I still see him popping up all the time. That's one I'll never be able to get rid of.”
“You can if you really want to.”
“That's the problem. I think about Calvin all the time, yet I miss Chance. I don't understand it.”
I do. She's stuck on stupid. That fool is crazy. “Can't nobody tell you when enough is enough. You have to decide that on your own. I just hope it's before he pops that head.” I turned to her. “Are you still receiving those notes?”
“Yep. I got one last week.”
Kayla gave us a puzzled look. “What notes?”
Danielle briefly told them about the notes she had been receiving.
Kayla turned to me. “Are you still getting the calls?”
I shook my head. “I haven't received one in almost a week now.”
“Maybe whoever it was got the hint.”
“I sure hope so.” But I wasn't going to get my hopes up.
Danielle turned on the blender. I got the straws from the pantry and put them in the glasses. As soon as she had them all full, we carried our drinks into the family room and flopped down on our sleeping bags.
“Well, we have a month before Kayla's wedding and Portia's due any day now. Here's to new families,” Danielle said and we all clicked our glasses together.
“Speaking of families, how are you and Portia getting along?” Nadine asked between sips.
“Fine, actually. I think we're going to be able to get past all that and start over.”
Kayla smiled. “I'm glad to hear that.”
“So am I, because I can't wait to hold that little baby,” I said.
Danielle beamed with pride. “Neither can I. It's funny. I was so upset when I first found out she was pregnant, but now I'm so excited I don't know what to do.”
“That's the way it works sometimes. Quinton and Kenny's daughter are still together, so I guess I don't have any choice but to learn to accept her ass.”
“We can't pick the girls our sons choose,” Nadine said from experience. Her son was dating a girl who had recently been arrested for shoplifting.
I scowled at the thought. “Yeah, I know, but it doesn't mean we have to like it.”
“No, but if you want to have any kind of relationship with him then you're going to have to get over it. One day she might have kids, and I know you want a relationship with your grandbabies.”
I had to smile at that. “I think I'll be a wonderful grandmother.”
“Just remember that Kenny and Reese will be the grandparents as well,” Danielle teased.
I tossed a throw pillow at her. “Thanks a lot.”
We all started laughing and for the rest of the night I forgot all about my problems.

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