BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (219 page)

"Right you are, sorry about that. You ever meet Mr. Sykes?"

"No sir, I can't say that I have."

"I take it you were aware of the problems in their marriage?"

"Domestic violence is not a problem chief, it's a crime. A crime that takes place all too often, especially when the victim is someone who cannot defend themselves against the person they should be able to trust, in my sister's case, she was exactly that, a victim."

"There was a lot of passion and aggression in your words just then Mr. McPherson. I hear that in the past, you were fiercely protective and a force, all your own to contend with."

"Still am chief, I still am when it comes to my family."

"So how would you have dealt with a man like John Sykes?"

"Not kindly, had I met the man, not kindly at all."

"Define, not kindly."

"I don't have to, chief, not to you or anyone else. My sister is there across the road from me, safe now. They're divorced, so from the day the judge dissolved that marriage, he no longer has any rights to her. My suggestion to you chief, is to take in, that while married, he beat her, abused her. It's your licensed duty, to serve and protect, should he appear on the scene again. I suggest you have on hand those beneath you to be here should she need help, because anyone that comes on my property to do harm to my family, won't do it again." Shawn stood, "Anything else chief?"

"What has upset you Mr. McPherson?"

"All of this has upset me, your manner - and how you've questioned my family. You, and all those like you, standing behind your badges, are part of the problem, why so many women, don't survive, their domestic attacker - and the so called laws, set up to protect them. Ha! I'm going to be honest with you chief, I don't have much respect, trust or faith in the law. I happen to know, there are more crooks in the police force, than out. That's a fact, that you know, as well as I. My relocation to this small town, is with the hope, that maybe - and I stress, maybe - the handful of law enforcers here, might have taken their responsibilities to heart and really want to serve and protect. But then, had I not arrived back here from a business trip so long ago, the woman who is now my wife, carrying my child, might not be - no thanks to your office and the way things are done. So sir, don't come here, to my home, questioning us about someone neither of us knew, and would never care to know. If I appear upset and aggressive to you, don't let it bother you, I'm harmless as a pussycat - ask my wife, she'll tell you."

The chief sat a moment, sighed, stood, eyes making contact with Shawn's. "Mr. McPherson, this is a quiet, nice little town - I want it to stay that way."

"This is where I've chosen to bring my family up sir, I like that about this town, quiet and nice - you need any help, keeping it that way, you know where to find me." Shawn smiled.

Realizing the interview was over, he had to ask directly, "Mr. McPherson, I need to ask, you have anything to do with John Sykes disappearance?"

"Chief, as I said, I never met the man. Anything else?"

"Not right now, I may be back later however."

"That's up to you sir; now if you'll excuse me."

When Shawn re-entered his home, closing the door, he stood looking out of the peek hole to see what the chief was doing. He watched him step off the porch, cross the yard and then off towards his parked vehicle. Going from there to the back bedroom that Isaac and Darren shared, he watched from the window as the chief, got into his vehicle, started it, backed up to turn around and then righting the cruiser, heading back towards town. When Shawn turned from the window and went to leave the room, it was to encounter Mundo coming for the boys bag he'd packed.

"He gone?" Mundo asked right away.

"Yeah, just took off."

"We gonna ah, get out'ah here, for the day maybe."

Shawn stared a moment, "Why?"

"Emmm, well - mama gotta mood on-..."

"Shit!"

"Yeah, gone hit the fan you don't step carefully." Mundo warned, "I live with'er all my life, and I'm tellin'ya'naw - she smokin', and it ain't no weed."

Shawn turned leaning back against the wall while Mundo gathered up what he needed, heading out, "See'ya later."

"Yeah - see'ya later." Shawn returned, sighing, wanting to go back to bed. He stood wondering if he should - just pretend he didn't know and head back to bed, avoid the whole scene of what might be coming his way. But how could he? "Oh hell, I'm not in the mood for this either." He thought, and then, decided, "I'm going back to bed, just pretend I don't know." and headed that way, back in their room, stripped his clothes off down to his shorts and climbed into bed.

Downstairs, now that all the kids were gone, Sylvia prepared Shawn's breakfast, knowing he'd be hungry. However, there was no sign of him. Heading out of the basement door, her mind was wondering if he was still possibly on the porch speaking with the chief, but when she made it out front, there was no one on the porch, and walking further out into the yard, no sign of the cruiser the chief had come in. She stood in the front yard, looked around at all the workers, and then at the guys working on the apartment flat above her garage. One of them was coming out of the garage looking for something, spotted her, spoke.

"Good morning."

"Morning. Seen my husband?" She asked.

"He was out here a while ago, haven't seen him lately though."

She nodded, looked around, set her eyes on the studio and went there looking for him. She tried the door but it was locked. She knocked, waited and then walked around the side of the building, stepping over gravel ground and rocks because the landscaping hadn't been done yet, wouldn't be done until all of the building on their home was completed. At his office window, she looked in, nothing - not in there. "Well where in the hell is he?!" Her mood wasn't improving, "He knew damn well I would want to know what that chief and he discussed, the least he could have done was come and tell me what he said. Pissin' me off!" She fumed coming from the studio, back across the road, and despite her growing angst, smiled at those that waved or nodded at her. She checked on the side of the garage, his SUV was there, so he wasn't gone anywhere. Then checked his bikes, the Harley he road was there as well. Her car was there too. She went back into the house through the basement thinking she may have missed him, nope. Food still on the table, probably cold, no Shawn in sight. She went up the steps, into her kitchen, to her office, not there. Back through the house to her bedroom, she opened the door to check the bathroom and needn't go any further, there he was, in bed, the fan from the window blowing on him, sound asleep.

Not for long.

"SHAWN!?"

Her voice startled him enough to make him bolt up, he'd fallen back asleep, after worrying himself over should he have gone back to bed, and dozed off. "What?!" He barked.

"Oh hell naw! I know you trippin'! Why are you back in bed?!"

"I'm tired!" He answered back.

"Tired? You tired? You gone lay yo' ass down to sleep cause you tired?!"

"Yeah." He turned, putting his feet to the floor.

"And you don't think I'm tired?! I can tell you now, I sure as hell am, already, sick and tired! You talk to that chief?"

Shawn sighed, this was why he'd come back to bed. "Yeah, he left already."

"And you mean to tell me you didn't care enough to find me, tell me what happened? What he said? What you said? You just gone come in the house, go back to bed?!"

"I just wanted a couple hours more sleep - what's so wrong with that?"

"Oh hell naw Shawn, you too damn old to pull that one! Hell no! Considering the circumstances, you didn't think I'd want to know what the hell happened? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll get dressed now, come down, tell you whatever you wanna know."

"No no no, don't bother! Take your ass back to sleep! If you can sleep under the circumstances, it must not be a big deal to you! So sorry to have disturbed you! I'll take that breakfast I cooked you, and toss that shit in the garbage!"

"Is that what you're mad about? I'll come and eat it right now! How was I supposed to know you fixed me breakfast?"

He was making it worse, "How were you supposed to know I made you breakfast?! How about it's early in the damn morning, Shawn! Most people, get up in the morning, and want breakfast, Shawn! If I'm up first, I usually cook breakfast, Shawn! But never mind - go on and lay your ass back down! You don't care, shit - I don't care either!" She slammed out of the door.

"Oh God, Jesus and all the angels, break my fall, break my fall; because here we go. Damn! I shouldn't have come back to bed. Fuck, shit, hell, damn damn damn!" Shawn grabbed his jeans, thrust his legs into them, and grabbed his black shirt, snatching it on. He went into the bathroom, splashed his face, rinsed out his mouth and left the bathroom buttoning his shirt, and headed down the stairs into the lioness's den. She was at the sink, dressed in one of her very pretty summer dresses, given to her by Mercy James, which would accommodate her as she grew in her months towards the final stages of pregnancy; she was putting on her two inch healed sandals.

"Where you going?"

"Out!"

"Out where?!"

"Your food's on the table, eat if you want, if not, don't care."

"Hang on here, what's this all about?"

"Look Shawn, when will you learn, to leave me alone? I am a grown ass woman, if I feel in the mood to go somewhere, I have the freedom to do so. You are two-hundred fifty damn years too late to be asking me that shit, as if I need your permission!"

"Ah come on Sylvia! All this because I didn't come down and eat my breakfast?!"

Sylvia slapped the counter, "You know damn well that's not what this is about!"

"Well then what is it about, Sylvia?!"

"Leave - me - alone!" She snatched her purse off the counter, glaring at him, as if daring him to make a move to stop her.

"Now you know I'm not gonna let you leave this house upset like this, so put the purse down and talk to me."

"If I choose to leave, you can't stop me!"

"Sorry sweetheart, I can, and you know I can."

"You try that shit on me today, and we gonna be in one helluva tussle! You will, have to hurt me today, that's no lie!"

"Jesus Christ! What the hell did I do?!" He blazed, "So I went back to bed, what's the big deal? I'm sorry, okay? Don't blow everything out of proportion!"

"And don't you minimize the importance of this situation! You know damn well, why I'm upset! How in the hell do you expect me to feel Shawn?! I'm not like you! I can't just close the door, walk away, turn over and go back to sleep! You know damn well this entire situation is freaking me the hell out!"

"You knew this day was coming, Sylvia."

"So - damn - what! Okay! It doesn't make it any easier to live with! It may not be a big deal to you, but it's one hell of a big deal to me! Just like that..." She snapped her fingers, "... it's stressing me the hell out! My goddamn head is spinning, Shawn! And the least that you could have done, was to come down here and made a little effort to relieve my worrying about it! But no - you were too goddamn tired! So go! Take your tired, triflin' ass on back to bed! 'Cause I don't need this shit!-..."

"Okay okay, calm down, please - will you calm down!"

"NO! I don't wanna calm down! I'm pissed off, and I'm staying pissed off until I don't feel like being pissed off! If you don't like it, there's the goddamn door! I was heading out of it, but you had to get in my damn way!-..."

"Well look at you Sylvia! Talkin' about me needing anger management, I'm not the only one here needing-..."

"Don't tell me what I need Shawn, I know what I need, a goddamn stress-free-ass-life! Same shit - different nigga'! One nigga given me stress and then don't pay the rent! Only difference is, yo'ass at least will pay the rent! I suppose I should be grateful for at least that! But you know what, I can pay my own damn rent, shit! My own house note!-..."

"I'm gonna tell you now, I resent you comparing me to him, I am nothing like that asshole you were married to before me, so don't compare us!"

"I will compare who the hell I want! Shit! I'm the one in the middle of this shit! My stupid, sorry dumb-ass! Had it made, "No goddamn men allowed!" And what did I do, open the door and let your ass in and some more stress, drama and bool-shit!"

"Fine, that's the way you feel, maybe I should just go then." Shawn, feeling edgy and resentful over being compared to Armundo, snapped back.

"Yeah, maybe you should! Let's not be confused, you not necessary for my goddamn existence! Who the hell are you? Shit!-..."

"Careful what you say, once said, you can't take it back!"

"I ain't gone take it back either, shit! I will simply have to live with the consequences! Hell, I have lived through the hardest thing I could ever endure, my goddamn father walking out the door on me! Shit! Who are you? I knew waaay back then baby, I had no one to depend on, but ME! Shit! Same for that sorry ass nigga that came before you! I didn't need his ass, I don't need yours! I took care of my babies by him, and will do the same with this one! Shit - BYE! Walk your ass out! Go! Go quickly - the hell with long goodbyes!" She swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks, pissed about them, "And so you know it, I'm not crying either! So don't stand there looking at me, feeling sorry for me, because Sylvia Lucinda Martin - don't need shit else, but some goddamn peace and peace of mind!"

"You think I'd walk out this door for good, you have lost your mind."

"No, I lost my mind, letting you in the door, in the first place!"

"Maybe, maybe so." He took a chance walking up on her, Sylvia shook her head, backing away, "No Shawn, leave me alone! Just go away, and leave me alone!" Now she really was starting to cry.

"No chance, no chance in hell. No matter what you say, how you feel, I love you baby, I love you."

"Why'd you have to do what you did Shawn!? Why do you have to be the way you are?!" She cried out, still backing away from him, soon to run out of space, the wall to the bathroom was coming up behind her.