Crazy Summer (18 page)

He put it in his mouth and shook his lighter before striking it, his eyes glancing around. He was nervous, and it showed across his face. He was unshaved, and his teeth were stained. He hadn’t had a shower in seventy-two hours and had the house smelling like onions. Big Will struck his lighter and the flame blazed high. When he moved it to the other end of his shooter, he inhaled deeply; it almost took his breath away. The crack smoke hit him, going straight to the brain. He felt lightheaded when he stood up. He bought himself a dollar shot of gin, which was mixed with clear rubbing alcohol. He threw it back and swallowed it like a champ. He then walked outside into the fresh night air and stood on the porch for a few minutes, his shooter gripped tightly in his sweaty hand. He opened it, and it fell to the concrete. He crushed it in tiny pieces before walking away. Another junkie called after him and asked him if he were crazy for doing that.

“I’m through wit’ it,” he hollered and never turned back.

      After a five-minute walk through a few alleys, he was at the back door of Mrs. Diane’s apartment. He knocked three times before someone answered. The door slightly parted, and Summer’s face appeared. The twins were behind her. Big Will stood frozen, unable to say a word. He tried looking past her to see the boys, but the beautiful young lady who stood before him made him nervous. His eyes darted from her to the boys. A passing car blew a horn, but it didn’t distract him.

Finally, he asked in jittery voice, “Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

Summer stared at him fiercely for a moment. The twins hadn’t said a word; they knew their mother was about to explode.

“For what reason?” she asked politely. Her face expression didn’t change. She held her breath because the night air blew his odor straight up her nostrils.

“About the boys. I’ve been tryin’ to help them as much as possible,” he said. “I wanna admit myself into rehab, but I need a shower and a change of clothes.”

The twins’ faces lit up in surprise.

“Let him in, Mama,” Jermaine said.

She turned and looked at him, but not a word was said. Remembering that exact same look as a child, he bit his bottom lip and kept quiet. Summer turned back toward Big Will.

“Look,” he said, “I don’t wanna cause no problems for nobody…”

“Is that right?” Those three words sounded poisonous. “I’ma give you thirty minutes.”

She walked off and left the three standing there. Big Will came into the kitchen, and Jeremy closed the door.

“How long the rehab thang gonna take?” Jermaine asked.

Big Will shrugged. “It all depends,” he replied. “I’ve been to two already. I can come home after the first thirty days.” He paused and took a long deep breath, glancing from one twin to the other. “I have a purpose in life now. This isn’t the example I wanna set for y’all.”

“Man, if you got off da’ shit, Mama won’t be trippin’.”

Big Will took a seat at the kitchen table; his athletic feet were driving him crazy. He kicked off his left shoe and scratched between his toes.

“Any foot cream?” he asked.

“Come upstairs so you can get ready.”

Big Will scratched fiercely one more time before putting his shoe back on. He followed the twins upstairs. While Big Will showered, Summer was downstairs in the living room with her mother. She looked so peaceful lying there, but all of a sudden, something seemed wrong. Mrs. Diane’s body jumped as if a sharp pain had just hit her. Summer’s eyes widened as she placed a hand on each of her shoulders.

“Mama!” she screamed.

When Mrs. Diane jumped again, Summer called out to the twins, and they came to the top of the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” one of them asked.

“Call an ambulance! Hurry up.” Her eyes became teary.

Big Will was out the shower, with soap still behind his ears and a burgundy towel wrapped around his waist. He rushed down the stairs toward Summer and Mrs. Diane, who was letting a whimper out. Tears flooded Summer’s face as she held her mother in her arms.

“Let me see,” Big Will demanded. He looked around. “Cut the lights on and get me some cold ice water.”

Summer gave him a blank look; she was paralyzed.

“Get the water!” he screamed.

As she ran toward the kitchen, Big Will checked her pulse.

“The ambulance is on the way,” Jermaine shouted.

Big Will ripped open her floral gown, exposing her breasts. He pressed down on her chest two hard times. Mrs. Diane’s eyes opened wide, but her body continued to jump. He pressed again. By now, Summer was back with a pitcher of cold ice water.

“What to do?” She was in tears even more now.

“Wipe her face. Try to keep her as cool as possible. Get her neck, too.”

In less than seven minutes, the paramedics were coming through the door with a stretcher. The red and white lights flashed through the windows. They carefully loaded Mrs. Diane on the gurney. Summer would ride in the rear of the ambulance. Jermaine volunteered to go with Summer. His brother stayed at the apartment with Lil’ Danté and Alisa. Jeremy had given Big Will two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, and some three-month-old Air Force One’s. Four pairs of boxer briers were in a plastic grocery bag.

Silence filled the house, and Jeremy sniffled at the kitchen table while staring into nowhere. Big Will stood behind him, his hand on the shoulder of his son.

“Everything’s gonna be alright,” he leaned down and whispered in his ear.

“I don’t want anything to happen to Grandma.”

“She’s gonna be alright. I’m telling you.” He didn’t really know this for a fact, but he hoped God had answered his prayers.

Being that M.C.G. was the closest hospital, and probably the best one around, that’s where she was taken. They arrived there within minutes. The medics hurried Mrs. Diane into ICU. Summer and Jermaine had to wait in a spacious waiting room. The chairs were comfortable, and the music that echoed from the hidden speakers was boring.
The Fresh Prince of Belair
was on the tube. Jermaine had seen the episode before, so he wasn’t interested. He sat next to Summer and threw his arm around her shoulders.

“You alright?” he asked her.

She stared straight ahead, her eyes puffy and red. With her arms folded across her chest, she rested her head on her son’s shoulder.

“It’s jus’ so much shit goin’ on right now.”

“I know,” he said. “But, I believe Grandma’s gonna be alright.”  He took a long breath. “You think Big Will helped her?”

There was a short silence before she responded.

“I guess he knew what he was doing.”

“You don’t really like him, do you?”

“I don’t––” She caught herself. She was about to say she didn’t know him, which she didn’t, but that was something she’d keep to herself…at least for now anyway.

“What were you about to say?”

She paused briefly. “Nothing.”

A doctor walked into the waiting room, and every family there waited to see who he was looking for. The doctor scanned the room.

“The Walker Family,” he said politely.

Summer glanced back at the television, while Jermaine stood up and walked toward the doctor.

“What about Diane McKey?” he asked, interrupting the family that was talking to the doctor.

      Summer rose to her feet, as well, and walked up behind her son. She gripped him by his arm and pulled him away from the family and the doctor. Then another doctor entered. He paused in the doorway briefly. He looked young and scanned eagerly from behind a pair of bifocal glasses. Summer caught his stare. He smiled.

“Mrs. McKey?” A slight bow came after his words.

Summer approached him and shook his hand. She tried to conceal her worry, but it showed in her eyes.

Noticing it, he said in a very calm voice, “She’s gonna be alright.”

Summer could’ve melted. Her heart eased within seconds.

“Can we see her?” she asked.

“She’s resting now,” he said. “But, sure. Follow me.” 

He turned and walked through the door with Summer and Jermaine right behind him. He led them to a room in the intensive care unit.

Mrs. Diane was hooked up to several machines, including a heart monitor. Summer covered her mouth with both hands, then turned to the comfort of her son’s arms. The doctor told her that they would keep her for a while to run more tests. He also informed her if she wouldn’t have come when she did, they might have lost her.

She thought of the deed Big Will had done, and that thought lingered heavily in the back of her mind.

When Summer got back to the project the next morning, she actually noticed her surroundings. There wasn’t anything there for her. She definitely wanted a better life for her kids. She’d had about seven thousand dollars stacked up from working while in the halfway house, and there were several things running through her head, a majority of them involving illegal ways to make money. She tried hard to push those thoughts away, but she had four kids that she needed to take care of. She shook her head in disgust and took a deep breath.

“You alright, miss?” the cab driver asked, staring at her through the rearview mirror.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of him in the mirror. “I’m okay,” she finally said.

“Looks like you’re worried about something.”

The meter read three dollars and eighty cent. She handed him a five while saying, “I am. I need a job.” She then opened the back door and climbed out.

As she was walking off, the driver yelled out, “Fine as you are, you need to be dancin’ at Stacy’s.”

She never looked back, but she did have a smile on her face.

Inside the apartment, Lil’ Danté and Alisa rushed her, each of them grabbing a leg.

“Is Grandma alright?” Lil’ Danté inquired.

“When can we see her?” Alisa asked.

Summer looked at Lil’ Danté. “She’s doing good.” She smiled and turned toward Alisa. “And we’ll go see her tomorrow.” She looked around briefly and asked, “Where are the twins?”

“Upstairs sleeping.” Lil’ Danté said, then asked, “Mama, will you buy us a Playstation?”

She nodded. “Let Mama get herself together first, okay?”

Lil’ Danté nodded. “You still gonna let me box?” His bright eyes stared up at her. “You said you would.”

She closed her eyes for a second or two, then took a deep breath. “Okay, Danté, you can box. Jus’ be careful.”

“I gotta get the form so you can fill it out.” He turned and ran upstairs.

Her and Alisa were left standing there. Summer knelt down and kissed her cheek. “I love you,” she told her daughter.

“You gonna stay wit’ us?”

“We’re gonna stay together. Mommy’s gonna get us a house, and we’re all gonna live together in it.”