Soulful Strut (2 page)

The director’s five-foot-four-inch frame in
no way diminished her imposing presence. She wore a pale pink
sweater twin set and brown tweed skirt. Her makeup was minimal, and
her only jewelry was pearl stud earrings. Age lines fanned out from
the corners of her eyes and around her thin lips. Monette judged
her to be around fifty. At forty-three Monette figured she still
had a decade more street experience. Still, she didn’t think Trudy
could be easily played.

“Have a seat, please.”

“I’m sorry we got here so late, Ms. Sherman.
What with the traffic and—Monette stopped as the director broke
in.

“Not to mention your media interviews.” The
director opened a folder on her desk, and then looked at
Monette.

“I really should have insisted on an earlier
taping instead of agreeing to the live interview. My fault,” Lucy
said quickly.

“Being on time and sticking to the house
rules aren’t negotiable,” Trudy Sherman spoke to Monette.

“I won’t disrupt the routine or break the
rules again. I’m sorry,” Monette said without hesitation.

“Of course your situation is unique, to say
the least”

“That’s a good way of putting it, Ms.
Sherman,” Monette replied.

“We’ll talk about that later. We need to get
several admission procedures out of the way.”

For the next forty minutes Trudy Sherman
meticulously went through the admissions procedure. Monette signed
several forms, one of which confirmed that she agreed to abide by
the house rules. Even as she listened and wrote her signature,
Monette took in the office. Two degrees with the director’s name,
one a master of social work, hung on one wall. Framed prints of
flowers and birds were on the other walls. A large window faced
south and onto the street in front of the house.

“Any questions?”

“Not right now.” Monette made a neat stack of
the copies she was to keep.

“You can have this folder. Welcome to New
Beginnings, Monette.” Trudy Sherman wore a restrained smile.

“Thanks, Ms. Sherman.”

“We’re not formal around here. Just call me
Trudy. Now about your job. We’ve dealt with a few high-profile
residents, but usually the interest fades over time. That won’t
happen with you, right?” Trudy gazed from Monette to Jim and back
again.

“I’ll be doing book signings, giving
speeches, and I might be on the radio. People are gonna talk, and
that’s the idea.” Monette shrugged. “I don’t see any way around
it”

“What with the pardon application and the FBI
involved, reporters will most certainly show up on your doorstep,”
Jim added.

“We don’t have a lot of space, and even if we
did, I don’t want cameras in here. We have to protect the privacy
of the other residents. Several ladies have already expressed
concern, and others may feel the same. Interviews will be done on
the porch or in the courtyard. Last resort you can use either my
office or the other small office on this floor.” Trudy’s tone
clearly said there would be no negotiation on the issue.

“Fine with me.” Monette gave an inward sigh
of relief. Trudy conceded more than she’d expected.

“But no late nights outside the house, no
more phone calls than anyone else, no cell phones and no other
special accommodations will be made. You have to make it fit, not
the other way around.” Trudy stopped, clearly waiting to hear
Monette agree.

“Gotcha. I’m not tryin’ to be a diva around
here. I want to do my time and get along.” Monette had no illusions
about her situation. She was still in the custody of the Louisiana
Department of Corrections. Until she was pardoned or finished out
her parole, she could get sent right back to prison.

Trudy nodded. “Good. Being free after so many
years won’t be easy.”

“Yeah, but hard out here is a hell of a lot
easier than hard behind bars.” Monette looked out the window.

Trudy’s expression softened just a little.
“Prison is a rough world, especially if you didn’t commit the
crime. I can only imagine how you must have felt. I hope we can
ease your transition and help you put those days behind you.”

“I’m afraid that won’t happen, but I want to
rebuild my life to make it better than it was before. Thanks for
giving me this chance.” Monette stood, and so did Jim and Lucy.

“Nice meeting you, Ms. Sherman. I’ve heard
good things about New Beginnings.” Jim nodded to her.

Trudy wore a pleased expression. ‘Thank you.
I’m proud of our work here. For seven years New Beginnings has
helped a lot of women. Of course, I’ve only been here for the last
two years, but in that time we’ve made changes that have improved
on a solid foundation.”

“Of course. I’ll get your bags from the
trunk, Monette,” Jim said.

He touched Monette’s arm as he went out.
Trudy’s eyebrows twitched at the gesture. She glanced at Monette
but said nothing. Monette wore a mild expression as she returned
her gaze.

“Congratulations, girl. You’re on your way.”
Lucy gave Monette a hug.

“I hope so,” Monette murmured in her ear
before they drew apart again.

“I’ll get one of the ladies to show you
around,” Trudy said as she left them alone.

Lucy checked the hallway, and then turned to
Monette again. “What do you really think?”

Monette glanced around more closely at the
office. She took in more clues about the woman from the way things
were arranged and family photos. “I can handle this. Trudy Sherman
is a little bit of a control freak, but we’ll get along okay.”

They walked out into the hallway again just
as Jim set down Monette’s modest luggage, one suitcase and an
overnight bag. Lucy gave Monette a good-bye peck on the cheek and
went outside to wait for Jim on the porch. Jim put one hand on
Monette’s elbow to guide her to the empty communal living room. Two
large sofas and one smaller one were arranged to face a big-screen
television. Other homey touches made the room attractive in a
generic way. Jim cleared his throat as he glanced around.

“Pretty nice place. Not what I expected. But
then I didn’t know what to expect.” Jim smiled and lifted a
shoulder.

“Yeah, nice. I’ll just have to get used to
tight-butt Trudy and her band of forty thieves,” Monette whispered
with a grin.

Jim squinted at her. His lanky,
six-foot-three frame seemed to lean toward her like a disapproving
school principal. ‘That is not the right attitude to start out
with, Monette. Make this stay uneventful, even boring. Think you
can do that?”

“You know me, Jim. I’ve never been able to do
boring. Stop worrying, cause I’m gonna be just fine. Don’t I always
manage to land on my feet? With a little help from my friends, of
course.” Monette grinned at him.

He smiled. “Getting you released from prison
has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done professionally.
Helping you get a full pardon would be even better.”

“I won’t screw up all your hard work. There
is no way I can repay you, Jim,” Monette said. She put a hand on
his forearm.

Jim placed his large hand on top of hers. “I
don’t expect or want anything from you. Just make the best of your
life.”

“Thanks.” Monette’s eyes filled with
tears.

Only a few people in her life had given
freely without expecting something back from her. None of the men
she’d known had been so generous. She swallowed hard and looked
away. Monette wasn’t accustomed to tender moments.

“Call me if you need anything,” he said
quietly.

“No news is good news.” Monette recovered her
composure. She gave him a playful grin as she extricated her hand
from his. “I’m gonna breeze through the next eighteen months. In
fact, in six months my parole officer might even approve me getting
my own place.”

Jim nodded. “I hope so.”

“And the way you helped me fill out that
pardon application maybe I won’t even have to finish parole at all.
Either way I’m sitting pretty”

“Behave.” Jim gave her a quick paternal
hug.

“Tyeisha is going to show you to your bedroom
so you can unpack,” Trudy said from the wide doorway. Though her
face was blank, her blues eyes sparkled with displeasure. She
pressed her lips into a thin, pale pink line as she gazed at
Jim.

Tyeisha blinked wide-eyed just over Trudy’s
shoulder. “Uh, I took your bags up already so you could keep
talkin’ to your lawyer”

“Thanks, girl. Guess it’s time for me to get
settled in.” Monette moved from Jim’s embrace. Still Jim kept one
hand on the center of Monette’s back.

“I’ll get going. Lucy must be pacing out
there. You know how it is with these impatient hotshot young
lawyers,” Jim said.

“Better not keep her waiting any longer then.
Goodbye,” Trudy said and pressed her lips together again.

Jim seemed unaffected by her terse reply. He
smiled at Monette. “I’ll be in touch if I hear anything.”

“Okay,” Monette replied. She watched him
leave, and then looked at the two women. “I’m all yours.”

Trudy spun around and walked away, clearly
expecting them to follow. They complied by following her to the
stairway and up the steps to the second floor. “You’ll earn
privileges based on your conduct and length of stay. You’ll share a
bedroom with three other women. We have three single bedrooms for
ladies with the best record of compliance and who will be leaving
soon.”

“I remember from reading the rules.” Monette
looked into the open doors of three bedrooms. Only one was
occupied. A Latino woman nodded to Monette as they went by.

“Everybody else is at work. Lenore and me
have the day off” Tyeisha said.

They arrived at the largest of the three
bedrooms. Two sets of bunk beds were pushed against opposite walls.
Monette’s bags sat at the foot of one bottom bunk. She stepped
inside and made a turn, taking in the room. The same bedspread in
different colors neatly covered all the beds. Soft medium blue
floral curtains framed two sets of windows. Pictures of children
and adults, obviously family members of the women, were scattered
on the walls in frames.

“Tyeisha will show you the rest of the house.
We’ll have a house meeting this evening when everyone is home. I
have a part-time social worker, Sherrial Jones. She’ll be here
tonight as well. Please make out a schedule of your activities,
since your ‘career’ is so different.” Trudy rolled out the orders
like a Marine sergeant.

“Yes, ma’am.” Monette reverted back to her
prison habit of obedience.

“We’ll meet in the big living room downstairs
at six- thirty. Look forward to helping you get back into society,”
Trudy clipped. She took three paces around the room, taking in
every detail, then left

Tyeisha watched her leave. She didn’t speak
until the sound of Trudy’s footsteps retreated down the stairs.
“Trudy can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she generally leaves
us alone. Just don’t get on her crap list. Anyway, this is your
bed. Sorry you have to take the lumpy mattress. Kristen is leaving
in a few days though, so you can have a better bed.” She patted one
of the top beds with a lavender coverlet.

“I’ve slept in much worse places,” Monette
quipped. She lifted the larger of her two bags onto the bed and
started unpacking.

“Me, too.” Tyeisha sat on a lower bed and
folded her legs under her. “Saw you on television. That was
somethin’ about the DA jackin’ you up. Ain’t that the way though?
He’s livin’ large in a fancy condo in Florida while you go through
hell. Men are real bastards.”

“Not all of ’em, sugar. We just have a habit
of pickin’ out the bad from the good.” Monette took out a large
cosmetics bag and went to the small dresser closest to her bed. The
drawers were empty. “Guess this one is mine?”

“Yeah. Your lawyer looks like a pretty decent
guy. They all want somethin’ from you sooner rather than later.
Trust me, I know.” Tyeisha’s young voice sounded raspy from
experiences, most of them unpleasant.

Monette realized the older home had little
closet space. She put her underwear in the second drawer. Next she
unpacked the rest of her clothes. All she owned was three skirts,
two pairs of jeans, four blouses, and one pair of sneakers. Still,
she had a lot compared to most people who left prison.

“What are you, twenty?” Monette said over her
shoulder.

“Twenty-three,” Tyeisha replied.

“Baby, everybody wants something. Now when
you meet a guy, don’t you want something from him?”

“What do you mean?” Tyeisha cocked her head
to one side. Her long dreadlocks cascaded over one shoulder.

“Whether it’s love, sex, money or security,
we all want something. The question is what are you willing to give
in return?” Monette kicked off her navy blue pumps and unbuttoned
the crop jacket that matched her skirt. The skirt came off next. In
minutes she’d slipped into a pair of blue jeans. She took money and
her phone card from her small purse and stuffed them in her jeans
pocket

“Deep. What’s your lawyer want outta helpin’
you?” Tyeisha asked.

Monette grabbed one of her T-shirts. She
pulled it over her head before answering. Tyeisha was obviously
curious about Monette’s relationship with Jim. The young woman
leaned forward in anticipation. “The reward of fighting for the
underdog.”

“Yeah, right,” Tyeisha said with a crooked
grin. “I’m glad you’re here. Hey, I write poetry. Just started on a
short story. Maybe you can help me.”

“I’m still learning myself. Maybe we can help
each other. This place got a computer and Internet access?” Monette
sat down on her bed across from Tyeisha.

“Yeah. Trudy put a block on the real
interestin’ porno sites though.” Tyeisha let out a raucous
laugh.

“Nothing we both haven’t seen,” Monette
teased back. “I was hopin’ to make that my new career. Build my own
web cam site. It’s perfectly legal.” Tyeisha stood. She twirled,
then did a bump and grind.