BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (129 page)

"I'm not gonna run away if that's what you're thinking! I promised my dad I wouldn't put him through that again."

"What about me Angela, what that would do to me?"

She flopped back down on her bed turning her back to her mother, "I said I'm not gonna - so go already."

Deidre sat a moment more, caught in the midst of indecision. "We won't be gone long, you'll be safe. You have your TV, you have a stereo, if you want to listen to music, and video games, and a brand new computer..." She stood, opening the cabinet where it set, hidden away. "... see, so - if you want to chat with some of your friends, well - you can."

Angela turned over looking at the computer, she sat up. "Maybe I will."

"You sure you don't want to come with us?"

"No, go - I'll be fine." She sat, not moving.

Deidre walked to the bed, leaning down, she awkwardly kissed her brow, "I love you, and I'm so glad you're home."

Angela sat saying nothing.

Deidre stood, sighing. "We won't be out long."

"Bye, have a good time."

"There's plenty in the kitchen if you wish to have the cook prepare you something, all you have to do is ask. Or, you can order something, whatever you want."

"Bye." She waved with the lift of her hand.

"Okay, see you in a bit." She slowly made her way to the door, opening it, she gazed back at her daughter, quietly she slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Angela rose from the bed, going to the computer, she switched it on, waited for it to boot up, sitting down, she went to her own yahoo account that she'd had for over a year. She sat thinking, and then remembering Sylvia's email address, she entered it and in the subject line.

"I miss you already..."

*

They were sat at a table towards the back of the restaurant as near to the rear exit as they could get. Charlie insisted upon it to keep a full view of the rest of the room and who came in the front door. She sat off to the side to give Deidre and Jeremiah privacy. Because it was evening now, dark out, Samuel stayed with the vehicle. They were both somewhat quiet, subdued with the earlier situation of Shawn playing through their minds. From him, Deidre's thoughts went to her daughter.

"She's never going to forgive me for this."

"Don't say that, she just needs a little time. She'll come around." Jeremiah reached across the table to take her hand in his, gently caressing the soft skin of her knuckles.

"Maybe - I don't know, sometimes I think, it's too late for her and I. I don't think we'll ever fully connect and bond as a mother and daughter should. She has that connection, that bond with her father, and sadly, more so with a woman who has been in her life for only a couple of months. I shouldn't have given her to them and then, took her back, it's only made things worse between us. But I had no choice."

"Of course you didn't. She must be safe, that is your first responsibility, to see to her safety."

"And Shawn-..."

"I know," He cut her off saying, "I must admit, I've never - not ever, seen a man react in such a way concerning his daughter. With having to leave her with her own mother. I mean, it's not like she's taken into foster care, or turned over to strangers. She's right where he can find her, any time he wishes."

"I told you, I knew it. They have always been, very close, from the moment she was born - I hadn't a clue of what to do with her. But he, he stepped right in, took her up with no fear, and he - taught me, how to care for her. It's supposed to be the other way around. I just, I didn't know what to do - she was this delicate little being that-..."

"You don't have to explain it to me, I know, I understand."

"I should call, check on him, see that he's all right, but - to be honest, I fear what Sylvia must be thinking. I just don't want to deal with anymore stress tonight, Shawn was enough."

"You think she'll be upset?"

"I don't know, I really don't. I can't be sure what her reaction will be, but I do know, she was very good to Angela, she was really happy with Sylvia, with her son and daughter. I'm just too much of a chicken-shit to test the waters right now. If she calls me about it, well then, I'll have to speak with her - right now, I want to avoid it as long as I can. One thing at a time, you know."

"She might surprise you Deidre, she seems to be a pretty reasonable person to me. I mean, it's not difficult to see your reasons for taking her back."

"They could fight me for her, legally speaking, I gave her up to them. It's just that, when it comes to something like this, they should not have to jeopardize their own safety, their lives, for my daughter. For my curse or billions, it's not fair to put her or her children in harms way, I just wish I could get that across to Angela, that being with them, could cost them their lives. I couldn't live with that, neither could Shawn, this is best for all."

"I don't think you should let her leave here without explaining your position, you owe her that much - you two shouldn't let anything come between the friendship you've formed."

"I know, you're right, I will - I'll let the dust settle for tonight, and then, give her a call in the morning to explain things, I just hope you're right."

Terra walked up to their table from the kitchen, wearing her white chef top and black pants, smiling at them, "Hey you two, becoming regulars here I see, have you ordered yet?"

Deidre looked up, "Nooo, not yet - you have a minute?"

"Sure I do." She took a seat adjacent to Deidre.

"If you ladies don't mind, I'm gonna step outside, check my messages, give you two a minute." He made his excuses because he knew what Deidre wanted to ask her about, and to give them privacy, he'd check his messages and on Samuel.

Deidre turned to Terra, "Well, it's done, we did it, I have her back now."

Terra sat back in her chair and sighed from deep within, "Oh Deidre, and so, come on, tell me, what happened."

"Just like you said, just as I knew - he's absolutely furious and - broken hearted. I can pretty much tell you, that as of tonight, if he never hated me before, he's close to it now."

"He'll never hate you Deidre, he's just as you said, furious and hurt. I so wish you could have thought of another way to work this out."

"Well, it's done now." She sipped from her wine, then glanced up at her friend again, "Why did you tell him Terra?" She asked softly.

Terra sat forward, not sure of what she meant, "Tell who what?"

Deidre took a deep breath, "You told Shawn about the baby. The one that I lost, that I believe my mother had aborted."

Her hands went to her face, covering it, smoothing her brows in a guilty gesture, "I kno-o-ow I know, I just - at the time, I wanted him to know what you'd been through, the things they'd done to you. I'm sorry, afterwards, I wished I'd kept it to myself. So he mentioned that I told him?"

"Yes, he threw that in my face! He used it against me - he was so out of control, him knowing about that, only made things worse."

"I'm sorry Deidre, I didn't tell him for him to use it against you like that."

"I guess it really doesn't matter now, he knows, it's out. He's just so - emotional, he gets livid and - out of control when he can't control a situation - like this one with Angela. I just hope that he went straight home and calmed down."

"Maybe you should call and check on him." Terra suggested.

"Are you kidding me, I'm the last person he wants to hear from today."

*

Chicago...

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Can't no shit like that get passed me! What I tell you, didn't I tell you! So he by there now?"

"Yes, Sheila you told me, and you were right."

"Hell, I knew that! Gone tell me the child ain't like that! Hell with that, the minute they ass born and you see that lil'pee-pee - you know right then, there gone be some shit as soon as they figure that lil'son'va'bitch out! And he done figured it out and you done took him back for more!"

"Hello-o-o, he asked me would I take him there, what was I gonna say? No!" Vivian defended.

"So how he ask you, what he say?" Sheila dug for details.

"He showed up at the L, on time as always, and when I got in, he already had his lil'overnight bag in there-..."

"Damn!" She grinned, "It must be good to'em!" She crinkled her nose, talking raunchy.

"Do you mind if I finish?"

"I wish you would! So he had his lil'bag, then what?"

"Basically he said, you asked me to be honest and let you know my plans, well - since we're leaving Friday, can you take me by Jackie's, I'm uh, staying the night."

"Just like that! He said it like that?!"

"Pretty much, he hemmed and hummed a bit, but he got it out, that that is what he wanted to do."

"Chile, chile, chile, I bet he over there ridin' ha ass now!"

"Sheila why you got to be all nasty about it!?"

"How I'm bein' nasty? How you figure that? That's what he went back there for, some more of that dark stuff! Shi-i-it, you know damn well, once them white boys get a'hol' of that dark chocolate, they can't be right no more! Heh heh!" She jumped up grinning and shimmying, making Vivian shake her head, laughing as well. "I shouldn't be tellin' your butt nothin'! Know how you are!"

"Why not? You supposed to tell me thangs! Who else you gone talk to about it, but Sheila, baby! You gone tell his daddy?"

"No I am not!"

"You not gone tell'em?" She asked from the sink, running herself a glass of water.

"Nope."

"Girl, what if he find out?"

"What is he gone do? That boy is 18 years old! And I am not his mama, ain't no sense in me trying to be, I ain't running and tellin' his daddy nothin'! If he want Jake to know, he'll tell'em hisself, I'm staying out of it!"

"Well I can tell you now, that boy gone be down here every time you turn around, just like his daddy was after you!"

"I don't see how, he doesn't have a car."

"He gone be borrowing that truck!"

"Jake is not gone be letting that boy take that truck on the road, no way!"

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

"Either way, it's got nothing to do with me, where Dennis at?"

"Awwwh gurl! Wait until you hear this!" Sheila rushed back to the table sitting down, leaning towards Vivian, "He got a call today from Lydia and Lucas-..."

"Sylvia mama and daddy?"

"Yep, and - guess what they ask him to do?"

"You don't like nobody to ask you to guess, why you making me?"

Sheila sat back making a face, looking down her nose with narrowed eyes, "Don't get on my nerve! Ain't you a trip!"

Vivian grinned, "See, see, see how it feel, now go on, what was you sayin'?"

Getting instantly over it, Sheila went on to say, "They called, to ask Dennis, to go downtown with Lucas, to look through photo albums at the police station."

"For what?!" Vivian asked with stunned wide eyes.

"The photo albums, are for dead, John Does."

"Dead John Does?! They know a dead John Doe?!"

"Listen fu-ool! Give me a minute and I will tell you. They have filed, a missing persons report for David."

"For David? David, David?" Vivian repeated the name trying to figure it out.

"Sylvia's brother David, gurl! You know David!" Sheila snapped.

"Wha-a-at?!"

"Yes! His ass been missing, all this time, ain't nobody even know it!"

"How do they know he's missing?"

"Ohhh yeah, part two, comin' up goddammit! Listen up, guess who done moseyed his ass back on the scene after all this time?"

"There you go again, there you go, doin' them guessin' games!" Vivian admonished sassily.

"Damn! I hate it when people use my own shit against me!"

"Spit it out, quit messin' around!"

"Lucas Henry Martin - Jun-ior!"

"Get out'o'here! Where the hell he been?!"

"He done call himself got a Jazz band, gurl. Call - I'on know, Take somethin', somebody, somewhere, some shit like that! He wasn't here for 30 minutes before I had to show his ass the door!"

"What? And you used to have a crush on him too!"

"Gurl, don't remind me! Anyway, he's the one that told Lydia this morning, before she threw his ass out of there too!-..."

"Damn, what is he doin'?"

"Talkin' shit! Talkin' shit to his mama, mad 'cause of shit in the past! Now don't get me wrong, I can understand being mad and hurt, feeling like you don't wanna hear it, but you don't go to your mama's house talkin' no mess and refusing to hear them out, you'd think he'd want to hear from them why!"

"Everybody's different Sheila, just because you would be one way about something, doesn't mean everyone will feel the same. That aside, how do they know David is missing?"

"Yeah, anyway - he told Ms Martin, that David was definitely going to stay with Sylvia the last he talked to him. And because he didn't have any money and no where else to stay, he said he definitely would have gone there. Now, Ms Martin thinks something may have happened to him."

"Man, that's messed up. I wonder do Sylvia know?"

"I doubt it, she still over there in California, which I believe, soon as she returns, she gone find Mr. Lucas Henry Jr. on her doorstep, that's gone be some shit!"

"Why is that?"

"Why - is the same reason I showed his ass the door. For one, he looking for her to see if she would sing in his band, and I told him, I don't see that happening, because her husband, ain't no way or how, gone let her be running up and down the road singing in no damn band, she pregnant too, and they just got married - ah hell naw!"

"That's for real, I don't see that one either." Vivian agreed.

"And second, his ass talkin' shit because I told him Shawn was white."

"What?"

"Yep, talkin' about the best thing for black women is a black man and all some other kind of shit about Sylvia and Armundo, pissed me off, I showed his ass the door! So if he run into you, and find out about Jake, get ready!"

"I'm not even tryin' to hear no shit like that! If my own mama can't tell me who I can see, Sylvia's brother sho' ain't gone be steppin' to me with that shit!"