A Sorority of Angels (35 page)

Pilar continued. “We offer a choice to honor the appeal Laura made on your behalf for leniency. We will be generous and considerate to minimize pain. We offer you three choices.”

Pain? Did she say pain?

“Go ahead. Let’s get this absurdity over with.”

“Choice number one, the fastest method. You go for a walk in the woods with that gentleman,” she pointed to Tomayo. “He’ll shoot you in the back of the head as you’re walking. You won’t know when he’ll fire. It is quiet out here. No one will hear the shot – an unfortunate hunting accident.”

I was struck dumb. The incredibility slumped me in the chair, aghast. “Are you crazy? That’s murder!”

“I asked you to stand. Please rise.” Fear energized my body. I stood. “The doctor will explain choice number two. I believe you know Doctor Soom.”

Doctor Tao Soom approached me.

“The hypodermic needle contains a new drug, an amnesic agent. The drug blocks out memory for a short period or causes temporary amnesia. The drug will erase what you know about this organization. It’s experimental. The drug will erase the past three or four months of your memory. Then I’ll give you a saline injection to restore selective memory. The drug may last longer. It is difficult to control and the saline may not work. When it’s over you will no longer remain a threat. But the dosage may destroy your brain cells and make you a vegetable for life. With this, at least, you’ll live.” My eyes expressed the horror. “Do you understand?” asked Tao.

Pilar prodded in a louder voice. “Please answer the doctor.”

“Oh, er…I understand.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Pilar said. Tao returned to his place. “Desiring to be lenient we have another alternative for you.” Pilar addressed Laura. “Laura, I know this is difficult for you but please stand next to the defendant. It may help his decision by being near the one he loves. After all, we are civilized and want to make this as easy as possible for him.”

Laura stood, put the handkerchief in her purse, and came distressed to my side. She turned and faced the committee without looking at me.

“Laura,” I pleaded in a whisper. “What have you done to these people with your schemes? You can’t let them do this to me.”

“You’ll make it worse,” she whispered. “It’s out of my control. Be quiet!”

I recoiled and straightened from the unexpected growl.

“Madame Chairperson,” Laura said, “I have another suggestion the committee should consider. I know he must pay a penalty for silence. He has a ravenous appetite for sex and castration will be worse than death to him. This is cruel and unusual punishment but better than death or becoming a vegetable.” She turned to my horrified expression. “I’m trying to save you.”

I looked at her incredulously.

“This is a nightmare! Have you all gone insane?”

“Laura,” Pilar responded. “We shall consider that, a humane option. But first…” Pilar’s mood was somber and serious as she nodded to Kim.

“Kim, would you please go out and bring him in. He’s waiting in the backyard.” Kim left.

I tried to read in each face, who was coming? Who waited outside? What was this alternative? How much worse or better could it be? I looked at everyone around the room again. All faces looked perilous as if the next choice meant impending disaster, the worst.

I could feel it in the air.

I could sense the horror.

I looked at the door.

Waiting.

The door opened.

Kim came in followed by a tall man in his fifties with a gray suit and blue tie holding a Bible. Is he going to give me last rites? No wonder they’re all dressed up. They’re going to my funeral.

My palms sweated. I considered fleeing from this madness and chance escape. The menacing gun kept me glued in place – maybe later at first opportunity. I will never surrender without a fight.

The tall man waited for a cue to act.

Pilar looked at Laura. Laura looked at Pilar.

Pilar began to grin. Laura grinned, then Shaba, then Alise and Kim, and Jasmine and Asmir, and Tao and Tomayo. Kim smiled harder and covered her mouth.

I was confused.

What the hell are they laughing at the sadistic bitches.

I turned to Laura to ask about this freakish thing. She smiled. She tucked her arm beneath mine and kissed me, and trying to restrain from laughing.

Pilar stood and spoke in a loud voice.

“Adam, your next choice is that you marry Laura Johnson!”

“Wooo-weeeee!” shouted Shaba. “Wooo-weeeee!”

“This is Reverend Seaman. Reverend, please proceed with the rehearsal,” Pilar ordered.

Joy spread among the women, Tomayo, and Tao. Pilar called to Tomayo.

“Tomayo put the water pistol away and get the champagne.”

Alise hastened to the tape and stereo console, selected a cassette and put on the wedding march.

I stood stiff as a scarecrow, astounded, serious.

Laura hugged me and laughed.

“Come on. You deserved that scare for walking out on me like that. Since we don’t have a license this is a rehearsal of our wedding.”

“Adam,” said a jovial Shaba. “You should have seen your face when Tao described the drug’s effects on your brain. If you were black you would have turned white.”

They all laughed.

I wasn’t amused.

“We planned this last week,” said Laura. “We rehearsed last night, and why we were able to be serious and why I had you fly up this morning. Did we convince you? Did you like the castration part? I loved it.”

But their mirth waned as my anger became evident.

The reverend looked bewildered.

The others turned confused as their smiles faded.

I pushed Laura away from me, avoided the others, and headed towards the door without changing expression. The anger increased and stabilized, bristling in my eyes.

“Adam, what’s the matter?” asked Laura. “Come on. Lighten up. Where’s your sense of humor. It was all a joke from friends. I thought it was a good idea, a unique way for us to get married, and memorable.”

I stopped and turned to them.

“A joke? You scared the shit out of me and you call that a joke? You people call terror a joke? Your cause nearly killed me in Washington. Damn near killed me! I don’t find that funny.”

The smiles vanished.

Tears came to Pilar as she reached out and held Shaba’s arm tight.

Shaba turned somber.

Alise turned off the music.

The negative boomerang effect brought regret.

My distressing response hit as an invisible slap on every face. My unexpected reaction was painful and received hard. Alise sat with a heavy heart. Kim hid her face with both hands to hide her tears as she looked out behind open fingers. Tao and Asmir hugged her with mutual consolation. Tomayo stepped closer to Pilar. Jasmine didn’t react, waiting for the drama before her to unfold.

My vented anger subsided as I glared at Laura.

“Your cause is stronger than your love for me, becoming obsessive and destructive. You’re not the person I thought or want you to be. I tried…I wanted to forget what happened with Bender and Judy, to set aside my principles. I cannot. Goodbye and to hell with your cause, and your outrageous and sadistic prank.”

I turned abruptly, hesitated then hastened to the sofa and opened Laura’s white purse. I pulled out the car keys then strode out of the room and house slamming the screen door behind me.

I didn’t rush away from the house.

Once outside, I walked outraged down the porch steps to the car. I didn’t hear the birds, or feel the warm sun or focus on the tranquil surroundings. My anger was all consuming, unforgiving. I needed to escape.

I opened the Mustang’s trunk, removed, and placed Laura’s luggage roadside refusing to look towards the house.

I never thought it possible that I would initiate the separation.

The relationship was over and knew I wouldn’t go back to Laura although doubt lingered as I sat behind the wheel. The doubt suspended my mind for ten seconds massaging the residue of pain I will have for losing her. I started the engine and shifted to turn the car around. In the middle of the turn, Laura ran from the house with wet eyes waving a brown purse for attention.

“Adam, wait! Wait!” I stopped, hoping she could find a way to unravel my stubbornness or firmness, as I preferred to call it. She raced to the car. “Adam, don’t do this. What’s the matter with you? Why must you act this way? You’re ruining this day. Come on! It was a joke.”

I refused to look at her tears. “I didn’t ruin anything. You did.”

“I thought you wanted to marry me.”

“I did.”

“And you…you don’t anymore?”

My knuckles whitened as I gripped the steering wheel for self-control. I needed to be firm.

“No more.”

“You can turn off your feelings for me so easily?”

“No. Walking away from you is the most difficult and painful act I will ever do. I can’t stay.”

“Can’t you forgive me? Inside was a practical joke. Why are you difficult? Please, Adam, reconsider.”

Impatient, I opened the door and jumped out of the car, grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook.

“No! Unforgivable! I was terrorized in there. Humor did not exist in there.” I banged the car’s roof with my fist several times to expel anger. Then I shoved her away and got in the car slamming the door.

“I’m sorry. We all regret it. I thought a mock committee hearing would be perfect to punish you for rejecting me last week. I didn’t expect you to react this way. Neither did our guests. They were all concerned about the hearing but I assured them you’d take it in good humor. That is why they agreed. They’re all sorry and embarrassed. It’s my fault. Please forgive me and them.” She leaned in and tried to hug me as she kissed my face. “Don’t do this to me, Adam. You’ll hurt us both if you leave.”

“Get away from me, get away.”

I looked at her coldly, both hands gripping the wheel.

Stunned at my firmness, her eyes flared.

Her face stiffened with an anger that ascended her mind to a retaliatory response level. A violent plateau to answer my contempt and rejection of her, her friends, and her cause; a response whose seeds germinated when she heard me start the engine; a response emanating madness with the unacceptable reality that I was going to leave…to walk out on their rehearsal prank and her life. Her anger grew and flushed her face.

“Hold it, Adam. Open the trunk. You didn’t take out all my things.”

“I emptied the trunk.”

She whacked my shoulder and screamed, “Open the goddamn trunk!”

I have never seen her face in rage, crazed, or was it sudden hate to reciprocate a rejection. Did she already cross the line solving solutions by violence, a point of no return?

I pushed the trunk release, the trunk unlatched.

She rushed to the rear and opened the trunk. Unseen by me, she reached into the brown purse, pulled out a small round metal case and hid it behind the spare tire. She closed the trunk, returned, held me, and threatened.

“Don’t you dare leave! Don’t you dare do this to me! Don’t you dare!”

“Let go. You belong with them, not with me. They’re your future not me. If it’s any consolation, I won’t say anything about you people. You no longer exist. I don’t care anymore what any of you do or plan to do. Good riddance.”

She released her hold and stepped back, outraged but defeated.

“You’re wrong, Adam. I want you in my future. You are my future.”

“Maybe next week, next month or next year…I’ll call begging to see you again. Today I’m closing the book on our life together. I’m done, overcooked.” The words had difficulty leaving a choked mouth. “I loved loving you. I truly did.” My eyes wet. “I loved loving you.”

“You’re unreasonable. I apologize for the unfortunate joke that alienated you and embarrassed me with my friends.
Our
friends. Your response is outrageous, alien. Isn’t there anything I can say?”

“Say? Like what? That you love me? That’s the joke. Not what happened inside.” The words came with tears. “Goodbye, Laura. I’ll garage the car. Get a ride home.”

I found the strength to press the pedal.

The mustang drove away without extending grief and anger to the accelerator to negotiate the turn and winding road.

Laura watched the Mustang go and wiped her eyes dry with a hand swipe smudging the eye makeup then she reached into the purse for the compact.

She raised the lid exposing the two switches.

With stuttering hesitation, she pushed one of the switches up.

Tears blurred her vision again as her finger primed to push the other switch down. Laura wiped her wet eyes again then repositioned her finger on the switch knowing she must push the switch before the Mustang drove out of range.

Laura tried to stop the quake in her lips and the tremor in her fingers as she reached for the force and the decision to push her finger.

The car drove deeper into greenery.

“Goodbye, Adam. I do love you.”

The car drove farther away, the sound of its engine waning.

A thin dust cloud from the dirt and gravel road trailed behind.

Laura was in trauma returning the tears that surrendered her body to crying. Crying brought the decision. She heaved a deep breath and descended from her moment of madness and pressure on the switch eased as she withdrew her anger and finger.

She closed the compact and tossed it far into the pond, distressed she could think of maiming or killing the man she loved.

The splash, like a tidal wave, cleansed her priorities, her decision, and trauma.

She stared at the Mustang as the trees hid more and more until disappearing into the forest. She remained in place with the rejection residue then wondered if she would ever see me again.

Her hopes wilted as a dead body.

I was thankful the body wasn’t mine.