Color of Deception (6 page)

Chapter 14

Pete was sitting in his car as he stared at the entrance of the grocery store. The car was still running but he had turned down the radio. He contemplated whether or not to go in and… ask Debra to go on a date with him. Pete knew she was working today, he had figured out her working pattern. He had convinced himself of a great approach last night – walk up to her, place his items to purchase on the conveyor and confidently say, “Hi Debra, I would love to take you out on a date, are you interested?”  As he thought about it again while he sat anxiously in his car, he thought perhaps it was a stupid adolescent approach.
What the hell am I doing?
He cut the car off and quickly got out and walked with determined strides toward the grocery store entrance. There she was at her cashier station ringing up a customer. Her long natural red hair cascaded along her back. He surveyed her body from behind and began to get a little excited. He hadn’t felt that for a woman since his wife.

After he grabbed a basket, he walked down aisle five and got a loaf of bread. Next down aisle three and grabbed some lunch meat and cheese. Making sandwiches was his go to meal now, because he had gotten used to relying on his wife to cook a home cooked meal he didn’t know how to do it himself. All he needed next was some bottled water and soda.

He threw caution to the wind and walked boldly up to the register where Debra stood waiting for the next customer. When he saw her face it instantly brought a smile to his mouth. It seemed he hadn’t done much of that lately – smile.

“Good afternoon, did you find everything okay?” Debra asked after Pete approached and began to place his items on the conveyor.

“Would you go out on a date with me?” Pete blurted out. He felt stupid immediately afterwards and questioned whether that was the right approach or not.
Damn!
He shook his head in frustration.

“What?” Debra looked puzzled.

“Never mind, it was nothing,” Pete retreated. Embarrassment washed over him.

Debra looked at him questionably. She heard what he had asked, but wanted him to repeat it just so she was certain. She played it off as if it was nothing and started to ring up his groceries. Relief overwhelmed her.

Pete picked up his grocery bag, after the awkward few minutes it took to price and pay for his items, and like a sad puppy walked out of the store. He couldn’t believe he embarrassed his self like that. After getting married he thought he was done with dating for life, now he was back to square one and he hated it! This made him really miss his wife more and made him resent even more the man that ended her life. His whole life had been flipped upside down since Moriah’s death and a black man was the cause of that.

Chapter 15

The police department had given Pete the clear to reopen business but Carlisha still felt leery returning back to work days after the botched robbery. Everything in Pete’s office was cleaned up and had no trace of a person being shot when she apprehensively walked in to retrieve the cash drawer.

“Hey Carlisha,” Rachel walked quietly into the office then surveyed the area.

“It’s weird being in here after what happened, huh?”

“Yes! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come in today. But Uncle Pete said everything was cleaned up and sure enough it looks like nothing happened.” Rachel walked over to her desk and rested her purse on it.

“I still can’t stop thinking about it though. I’ve been freaked out all weekend.” Carlisha stood at the door holding the cash drawer.

“Me too. But that’s why I still went on my trip to New York with my friends – it was a good distraction.”

“Yeah well I had some drama of my own here…” Carlisha said more so to herself than to Rachel who didn’t hear her.

“Do you think they’re going to catch the guy that ran away?”

“I hope so. Plus didn’t the girl rat him out?”

“I don’t pay either one of you to chit-chat all day!” Pete grumbled. He startled Carlisha when he walked past her after she stepped aside to let him in the office. “You should be getting the retail store ready for business,” Pete continued as he walked toward his desk.

“Sorry Uncle Pete. We were just talking about what happened on Friday.”

“All three of those bastards are in jail so no need to worry.” He sat behind his desk after he took his cellphone out of his pocket and placed it on the desk.

“Let everyone know we’ll be having a brief staff meeting at ten.” Pete said to no one in particular, he still hadn’t looked at either Carlisha or Rachel directly. He wanted to have a meeting to update everyone on the new security measures. He’ll be damned if he got robbed again and if he did he was determined to kill the fools the next time.

**KC**

Weeks later, James and Carlisha were stocking the shelves in retail with some office supplies since things were kind of slow and they were caught up with their other duties.

“I just found out that Kim is pregnant,” James announced with a huge smile on his face. He picked up a few packets of pens and slid them on the hook in front of him for display.

“Aww, congratulations!” Carlisha turned and faced him.

“Thanks! When she told me I felt like a million bucks. I’m going to be a dad!”

Carlisha suddenly wished Roger had expressed those same feelings when she told him she was pregnant. “I’m really happy for you.” Carlisha placed her hand on her belly which was still camouflaged. Even with James telling her his big news, she still didn’t feel inclined to announce her own. Though as much as she thought she was hiding it, perhaps others had already suspected it. She had put on a few pounds, put still maintained her small frame.

Both Carlisha and James’ attention were suddenly brought to the entrance of the store. A woman aggressively pulled the door open and stomped in heaving excessively with a posse of three other women behind her.

“Where is that bitch?” She yelled at her girls as she scanned the large retail front.

James walked toward the front of the store to assist them. “Who exactly are you looking for?” He put on his charm in hope of defusing the anger that obviously raged over the leader of the crew, a woman standing at five feet, four inches. Her natural hair was pulled back in a huge afro puff and she had large gold hoop earrings dangling from her ears.

“Does Caresha, or whatever the hell her name is work here?” The woman demanded. Her posse started to walk about the store to search for themselves.

“Uh no! Nobody by that name works here.” James hoped Carlisha heard him and got the hint to go to the back so she won’t be seen.

“Here she is!” One of the women in the group announced when she caught Carlisha trying to sneak to the back. They cornered her.

“So are you the homewrecker that’s been sleeping with my husband?” The leader of the crew asked.

“I’m not a homewrecker, and if you’re talking about Roger I didn’t know he was married,” Carlisha defended.

“Ladies you have to leave or I will be calling the police,” James warned.

“Yes I’m talking about Roger. You sleep with so many married men you don’t know which wife is who whore?” Roger’s wife moved swiftly toward Carlisha and punched her in the face sending her hard to ground. Carlisha’s back bumped forcefully against one of the shelves. James quickly grabbed Roger’s wife by the arm preventing her from striking Carlisha again.

“Get out of here now before I call the police!” James shouted scaring the women off, not before Roger’s wife spat on Carlisha as she lie on the floor moaning while holding her belly, then moving her hand to her sore back.

Staff from the back rushed to the front after they heard the commotion.

“Call the police!” James demanded when he knelt down to assist Carlisha. “Are you all right?”

“Should we call Pete and let him know what happened?” Someone asked.

“No!” Carlisha managed to say weakly. “Please don’t call the police either.”

“What?! Why not, those women just attacked you.” James helped Carlisha to her feet.

“I just don’t want to deal with any police or anything right now. I want to go home.” Carlisha noticed the concerned faces of her colleagues.

“Would you at least go to the doctor? You got hit really hard.” James looked at the bruise that had already developed on Carlisha’s face.

The bruise on her cheek throbbed intensely and talking just made it worse. “I’ll be fine. I’ll put some ice on it.” Pain and embarrassment overwhelmed her as she walked silently, unassisted to the back to retrieve her things to leave. She would deal with Pete’s questions– if he had any – later. But right then she just wanted to be swallowed up by her bed. She was thankful that when she fell from the punch to her face, she didn’t fall on her belly. Her baby was still safe and that was all that mattered to her at that moment.

Chapter 16

The room was dark with just a peak of moonlight through the blinds. Carlisha lay motionless on her back. She had prayed for hours for sleep since she woke up at eight that night – but it never came. Now it was twelve midnight and pain radiated her entire body. The aspirin she had taken hours ago to help relieve the pain in her face and back did nothing to help the pain that now grew in her belly. Earlier that evening, her first instinct was to call the ambulance but from what she had read in her prenatal books she assumed she was just having Braxton Hicks contractions. She still had weeks to go before she was due. But the pain was beginning to alarm her now, especially after the incident hours ago at work. Carlisha rolled to her side and pushed herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. She rubbed her belly that was suddenly hard followed by a wave of pain in her middle section. She held her breath until the pain subsided. She reached for the cordless phone on the nightstand and dialed 911. She gave the details of her emergency, hung up that call then made another.

“Debra, yes it’s Carlisha,” she said in a strained voice as another wave of pain overtook her. “I’m waiting for the ambulance to go to the hospital. Can you please meet me there?”

“Yes of course!” Debra practically jumped out of her bed in response. “I should be there in thirty minutes,” Debra said in a panic. She scrambled to find proper clothes to put on after she hung up the phone. She silently prayed that Carlisha’s emergency was just a false alarm, she knew Carlisha had weeks to go before she was due. But she wanted to be there for Carlisha - her new friend. Debra had taken a strong liking to her and she greatly sympathized with her being an orphan. She didn't want her friend to have to face childbirth and raising a child all on her own with no assistance. No one should have to do those things alone. And Carlisha was so young. “God please let Carlisha and the baby be fine. I will be taking her back home with me so she can rest and wait for the proper due date of her baby,” Debra prayed with faith. After putting on a jogging suit she dashed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, then raced out of the house.

**KC**

Hooked up to machines, Carlisha was in full revelation that she was in labor. The contractions were coming faster and more aggressive than before. But her main concern was for her child to be born healthy. She wished she had went to the hospital like James had suggested after her attack, but she didn’t have any immediate concern at that time. She was fully dilated now and ready to push, problem was her son was breech. Also, it was too late for her to get pain medication but her concern for her son’s life consumed her more than the need to get pain relief. The doctor debated whether to do a C-section, but after examination, baby was already feet first in the birthing canal.

Carlisha screamed in agony when she pushed several times, then she felt the relief of her baby boy delivered. She was a mother. Her pain was replaced with joy and a smile swept over her face. She never experienced joy like that before. The doctor quickly gave Carlisha’s premature son to the nurse as his concern was greater for Carlisha. Blood was everywhere. Carlisha laid her head back in exhaustion. She tried to take a peek at her son, but her eyes were blurry and all she saw was faint white lights. Soon the sound of her baby wailing comforted her and she closed her eyes. The sound of the heart monitor signaling that Carlisha was flat lining competed with the wails of her newborn son.

**KC**

The multiple rings of the phone woke Pete up with a start. He sat right up in the bed and looked around the dark room in bewilderment. The ringing again thirty seconds later confirmed why he woke up. Pete snatched the phone off the cradle that was on the nightstand. "What is it?" He was obviously annoyed. He yawned and stretched.

"Is this Peter and Moriah Holmes’ residence?" The caller asked.

              Pete rubbed the sleep from his eyes so he could clearly see. The clock on the nightstand read two-thirty in the morning. Pete was alarmed. “This is Pete. What is this about?"

"Sir, I’m sorry to have to report this, but Miss Carlisha Mitchell died this morning after giving birth to her son. He was born premature, but miraculously he's doing just fine –"

              "What?!" Pete ran his hand through his hair with his free hand. Did he hear him right?
Carlisha died after giving birth? What? Am I dreaming?
Pete looked around the dark bedroom in hope that it would confirm that he was in his right mind and hearing the gentleman on the other end of the phone correctly.

"Sir you and your wife are listed as next of kin for Miss Mitchell."

              "My wife is dead," Pete answered shortly, he was still confused. He yawned.

"Oh Sir, I’m so sorry for your losses. But I had to call. We also need to know when you will be coming in to see the baby."

"Baby? Isn't there someone else you can call? I’m not related to Carlisha. My wife took her in years ago and got her on her feet, but I’m in no position to deal with this."
And a black baby at that.
He yanked the covers off and got out of the bed. He paced back and forth, completely naked, as he tried to process what he was just told. The gentleman on the other end of the phone continued talking, but Pete's mind had left his present state.
Carlisha is dead? I just saw her yesterday. And I didn’t even know she was pregnant. Would I have even cared?
A pang of sorrow overtook him and the color of Carlisha's skin didn't matter to him at that moment. He wiped tears that unexpectedly fell from his eyes. Moriah would probably be ashamed of him on how he turned his back on Carlisha and how he had come to despise the skin she was in. But Pete felt that all the love and compassion that was once within him was buried along with his wife. He didn’t feel there was use for love and compassion without his wife – his definition of love, in the world. But the unexpected news of Carlisha stung.

              He remembered when he considered Carlisha a part of his family. Moriah adopted her by love into their home. They spent holidays together and even went on vacation as a family a few times. He did once feel like a father figure to her and now he grieved her death. He completely shut her out of his life and heart the moment her black face began to remind him of the black man that took his wife's life. Never did he consider how his actions may have affected Carlisha. The call was vividly reminding him of the call he received when Moriah died.

"Sir, Sir are you still there?" The caller interrupted Pete's thoughts.

              "Yes, I’m here. I will be at the hospital shortly." He hung up the phone and waited for the moment he would be awakened from the nightmare he swore he was having.
No way is Carlisha dead and leaving behind a baby?!
He stood frozen in his position by the side of his bed. He didn’t know what to do, who to call, what to say or how to react.