BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (34 page)

"WHY-Y-Y?! Derrick why-y-y-y!?" She screamed and cried on the other end.

"How dare you do this to my wife! What is your problem?! Do you know what you're doing to my family?"

"I'll stop if you just come - just come and see me, ple-e-ease?! It doesn't have to be this way - no one has to know about us - we-..."

He hung up, shaken, in disbelief. "Turn off all the phones, now!" He ordered brusquely.

The kids all took off in a sprint to get it done as quickly as possible. He turned over the phone base he'd just been on, about to switch it off when it started ringing again. He couldn't believe it. He flipped the switch to off. Setting it down on the table. Yet throughout the house, the phone rang, the echo of it growing less with each phone the kids reached to turn off. He looked up at his wife. Meribel was standing there, tears rolling down her face.

He stood a moment paralyzed by what was happening to them. Paralyzed by the pain and fear he saw in his wife's eyes. Before he could say a word, their kids were calling up the stairs that they'd turned off the kitchen phone, the living-room, the basement, his study, and even the one in the garage. All of them ran back up the stairs, back to their bedroom, crowding the door, looking from one, to the other wondering what was next. All were quiet except for a bit of heavy breathing from different ones. Derrick wasn't sure what to do to calm his wife, but he knew he couldn't stand the thought of her leaving him, "Can we please, please leave the kids out of this? Can we please, please work this out-..."

Meribel swiped angrily at her tears, hating for once, that she loved him as much as she did.

"Do not stand there, saying please to me, as if this is my fault."

"Honey, I am not blaming you."

"She is nuts. Turning off the phones, telling the school board, whatever - isn't going to work."

"It's all I can do, for now."

"No, you can give me her address."

"And what, Meri - are you going to do with that? Break the law?"

She was about to answer when he held up his hand to halt her words; turning to their children he pointed out of their room. They all made faces, neither wanting to leave. He walked towards them to usher them out and close the door. Before he could, Sasha asked, "Is mami going to leave?"

"No, no one is going anywhere." He answered pushing the door, saying as he did, "Go downstairs."

With the door shut, he turned back to his wife.

They both stood staring across the room at one another. "Come on Meri, don't allow her to come between us."

"You need to say that to yourself. Remember that movie Derrick,
Fatal Attraction
? You think that only happens in the movies? Because if you do, there is no hope for us, because she is that woman, I am convinced. You did not hear how deep her hatred is for me. You keep playing Mr. Gentleman with her, someone is going to get hurt, if not ... killed."

"I'll go to the police, I promise you."

"And say what? No crime has been committed."

"Dammit Meri, I don't know! If I give you her address, a crime will be committed. You can't just go to someone's home and - and do - whatever it is you plan to do. It's wrong. I won't have you jeopardizing yourself, or - our family by doing that. We both know that it's a fact, the police will not hesitate to arrest you."

She knew that his words were true. She was a minority. A Puerto Rican at that. She had worked so hard to build her life into one that was the American dream she'd always wanted. A loving husband, beautiful children, a beautiful home. She did all that was required of her to do. From the depths of her heart and soul, she loved her husband, this man who stepped into her life and made it what it now was. Even while it was happening, she couldn't believe it. Of all the times to have her dreams come true, it had been while she was pregnant with a child she hadn't a clue of how she might take care of. He thought she had just been lost in the woods when he found her. No ... in fact, the truth was, she had been lost, long before that day in the woods.

She stood in the closet door and couldn't stop the building ache in her stomach, her chest. Her eyes filled as she stood looking at him.

She began sobbing and with her hands up to him, she begged his forgiveness, "I'm so sorry I hit you, so sorry I hit you. I am so sorry ... please forgive me."

Derrick rushed to her, grabbing her, squeezing and lifted her off of the floor, walking to the bed, kissing her wet face as she continued on as if in a song to him. "I would never - ever hurt you - you saved my life. You saved my life - I love you so much. I don't know what to do." She cried holding onto him. "Look what I did to you honey, look what I did..."

"Shhh - shhh - I'm a big guy ... I'm okay - I'm okay ... I know honey, I know you love me, I love you too. Its okay, its okay. We can get through this, I know we can. You know, surely you do, that I have loved you from the moment I saw you beneath that tree. Scared, face wet from crying, like now." He chuckled, kissing her brow, her forehead, her salty lips.

Meribel clung to him, holding on tightly, yes - she was scared. Not of facing Margaret Wheeler, but of the unknown. Of being caught unaware. This event was bringing it all back to her, old familiar feelings, of needing to watch her back. Because Margaret, knew where they were. That was to her advantage over them. Over her. Meribel knew, as she clung to her husband, that she truly was the one under threat. Men like Derrick Paul McPherson, were a rare find. They didn't just come along everyday. She knew without a doubt - Margaret Wheeler had
just cause
to want him. He was made up of everything a woman wants out of her man. Tall, rugged good looks, the very depth of masculinity oozed from his pores. He was intelligent, hard working, loyal, faithful and true and yes - well endowed. He was a family man, that loved his children and his only aim in life was to keep the peace and please.

Yes ... she knew what she was up against. And if her husband wouldn't give up her address, she would have to get
it
, herself. After all, this was about survival. He may not see it that way; because he wasn't aware that the battle had begun; he didn't realize that Margaret Wheeler had laid down a gauntlet. Meribel knew when a gauntlet was being laid. It would not be the first time such a thing had been done in her life. After all, having once been a member of a gang herself, part of the
Latin Knights
, the name for the guys; and for the girls ...
Lady Assassinators -
because of that, she knew. Derrick didn't know - that
that
had been the
real
reason her mother had sent her to Wisconsin to live with her uncle. Not
really
because of Armundo -or-because she was pregnant by him. No, but - rather - because she was pregnant and
targeted
to be taken down by the
Twilight-Vipers
- the girl members of the rival Mexican gang,
King Cobras
. Targeted because she'd led the way in a fight, and in the ass beating of their leader as well others in a turf battle. It seemed so long ago. She'd always hated her life in the big city but there had seemed to be no way out of it. So many times, she'd tried to back out of the gang and then when she'd become pregnant, she'd had little choice - a way out had needed to arrive, and arrive quickly. Like so many others, she didn't want that kind of life anymore - not for herself, and certainly not with a baby on the way.

Her new life began when in her seventh month, word had gotten back to her that she was to be the initiation for three new members of the rival gang. The deed or act - was to trap her, beat her up, cut the baby out and bring it back to the leader of the
Twilight-Vipers
,
alive;
who would then keep it as her own. She had two other children the same way. Brought to her from the belly of her enemy to raise as if they were trophies - and - to use to get welfare assistance, because she didn't work; just dealt drugs, and gang banged. If the baby died, the three members who did it would get beaten to within an inch of their lives. After the leaders quota of three was met, the others - babies that is - would be left wherever around the city. Many, in garbage cans or dumpsters. If people only knew. So many thought the babies were there from mother's giving birth and deserting them to whatever fate; some instances, that
would
be the case - but not all. In any case, her mother called her brother, and he took her in, which put her in place to meet one, Derrick Paul McPherson. He became her new life. So caught up in the ugly reminiscing Meribel did not at first hear what her husband was saying to her.

"Meri? Meri?"

They were both kneeling on the bed, his massive hands cupping her tear ravaged face as his eyes searched her eyes to get her attention. "Have you heard anything I've said?"

She slowly shook her head, speechless at that moment as she stared into his eyes, knowing that, what she might have to do, could turn him against her. She'd never told him about that part of her past. About being a Chicago gang member. After all, by the time they were in love and working out a life together, her mother had moved from that part of the city to Cicero, a clean cut area of Chicago mostly populated by whites, practically gang free - back in the day, that is. She could have gone back home, but she had met Derrick by then and a whole new life had begun.

"I said ... I will do everything in my power to make this right. I need you to trust me and believe that I would never let anyone, hurt you, or our family. But it will be within the law, we will not - take the law into our own hands, okay?"

She swallowed nervously and slowly nodded her head, okay. Knowing that if, and when, she found where Margaret Wheeler lived - there would be no more threat. She knew that she had other options, after all, there were her cousins. If she told them what was going on and supplied Margaret Wheelers address, then too - no more threat. She hoped to god her husband really could handle it
his
way, because if not.

"Meri ... okay? You'll leave this with me, right?"

She sniffed, nodded and then answered her husband. "Right ... I'll leave it with you."

*

Shawn looked over at Sylvia with a smile on his face and a lifted brow, "I think my wife is having a good ol'time, is that right wife?"

Smiling Sylvia turned to her husband, who was driving once again, "Yes, your wife is having a very nice time, thank you for this."

"And you're not getting tired yet? Because if you are, I can ring them real quick and let them know, we can do this another night."

"No way! I'm fine. Dinner was great, fantastic food. I met two pretty well known authors and their spouses. I met Lowell & Mercy James. Now ... we're actually going back to their house, so we can talk some more, I can't believe they invited us over. And you think I'm giving that up to go home? No way! I already feel my writing juices rejuvenating and starting to flow."

"Emmm, that sounds, sss, oooh."

"Just cease with Mr. nasty - Mr. Styles." She simpered, shaking her head at him.

Shawn chuckled. "Oookay, for now I will. Glad its working to your benefit, you sure weren't saying much at dinner."

"Shawn, I didn't know anyone. Besides, it was more important to listen and learn. Now that the other two couples are gone, we get them all to ourselves, they are so nice. I think Mercy James likes me. She kept looking at me smiling, including me in on the discussion as if she were pitching to me as well."

"That's because she knows you're a writer. Now, she's going to pick your brain, see how good your ideas - I think she has her eye on you."

"Oh Shawn! I hope so! I still hate that I didn't bring any of my work. Shawn - you should have told me to bring something!" She fussed whimpering a bit.

Laughing Shawn shook his head, "Blame me - it's all my fault. But hey, I told you where we were going."

"I know - but I was so nervous about it, I wasn't thinking straight."

"Well don't worry about it now, let's just go in there and enjoy ourselves." He stated pulling up to their winding drive way.

"Honey wait for them to let them in, I'm gonna run upstairs, check on the kids and get out'ah these clothes. When they get in, send Sylvia up as well. I finally get to clear out the preggie section of my closet - yes!" Mercy James was cheesing, cheering and doing a little shimmy dance as she made her way to the stairs.

"Hey! Not so fast, you might wanna hold on to a few." Lowell joked, grabbing his crotch Michael Jackson style, flexing his brows and looking up the stairs at her lustfully.

Laughing, Mercy called down to him, "Man hush yo'mouth you dirty ol'lech! Don't start acting like that with them here! You better behave yourself! Our baby making days are over, ain't no'mo this way comin'." She stated emphatically rushing up the stairs.

"Hey,
yo'
baby making days might be over, but
mine
aren't, I'm still in tact, my magazines full."