I Know I've Been Changed (5 page)

“Raul, I am forever indebted to you.”

“Come, come. Let me ease that tension from your body.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“It is. But I have just the thing for that.” He wiggled his fingers in the air as I smiled and followed him into the back.

Chapter 5

“Y
ou still mad at me?” Myles was leaning up against the frame of my front door.

“May I help you?” I tried to be cold, but the truth is, seeing Myles standing there in his three-piece, tailored suit warmed me from the inside out.

“Oh, so it’s like that, now?” A sly grin spread across Myles’s face.

“It’s how you make it.” I leaned against the door, still not moving.

Myles sighed and motioned toward my living room. “May I come in?”

“You sure you have time?” I didn’t mean to be difficult, but I was getting sick of Myles only fitting me into his schedule when he found time.

“Okay, since you want to be like that, I guess I’ll just have to take this and go give it to the homeless woman I passed on the street on my way over here.” Myles reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a long, rectangular Tiffany box with a huge white bow on it.

I pursed my lips and, just as he was about to turn away, called out, “I guess you can come in.”

He smiled again. “That’s what I thought.” I opened the door all the way and let him pass. He strutted in, took off his jacket, and threw it across the chair. He reeked with confidence. It would have pissed me off if he weren’t so dang cute. “Now, why should I give you this?” he asked as he waved the box around.

It was my turn to smile. I felt like a giddy kid at Christmas. “Because it’s your way of apologizing for being an insensitive jerk.” I reached for the box. He pulled it back just out of my reach.

“I don’t believe I was insensitive, but I do apologize that you had to go to the play by yourself.”

“I didn’t go at all. My tickets went to waste. You owe me two hundred dollars. Now give me my present.”

Myles handed the box to me, letting his hand linger on mine. “I hope you’ll accept my apology.”

I took the box, tore the ribbon off, and opened it. It was a pink ruby tennis bracelet. It was beautiful.

“Ooooohhhh,” I squealed as I gently pulled the bracelet out of the box. “You should have.” I slid the bracelet around my wrist.

“You know I give my baby the best of everything.” Myles pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. I could never stay mad at Myles long. He would shower me with gifts and whisper sweet nothings until I forgot what it was I was mad about in the first place.

I reached down and started unbuckling his trousers. “Let me show you how much I appreciate you giving me the best of everything,” I said with a wicked grin.

Myles reached down, took my hands, and stopped me. I looked confused for a minute until he pulled my hands up to his lips and gently kissed them. “No, I’m the one who was in the doghouse. So let me show you.”

“You should make me mad more often,” I giggled as I nuzzled Myles’s neck. We were lying on the zebra-skin rug in my living room.

“Naw, baby,” he said as he gently stroked my hair. “I just want to make you happy.”

We lay there in blissful silence for a few minutes before his cell phone went off. I silently blasted whoever had invented the cell phone before rolling over out of the way so he could answer it.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” I asked when he didn’t move.

“No, the rest of the night is yours. And yours only.”

I shrieked with delight. Yes, Myles could be a jerk sometimes, but when it all boiled down to it, I couldn’t help but feel my relationship had been made in heaven.

Chapter 6

I
could really get used to this. I stood proudly next to Myles while he cut the ribbon for a new homeless center in a part of town called Fifth Ward. It was a historically black area that had become dilapidated over the years. It was part of Myles’s district, and he had been the spearhead behind getting the new homeless center built.

Now, as we stood outside among a sea of smiling faces—Myles, the noble, debonair councilman, and me, the doting, beautiful girlfriend—I couldn’t help but feel that this was how life should be.

Myles extended his hand toward me and I smiled as I stepped forward. I politely waved at the crowd. I could hear the generous applause. A scraggly figure in the back of the crowd caught my eye, mainly because she was wearing a long overcoat, a scarf and shades in the middle of May. My mind immediately went to all the nut cases my station had covered. Don’t ask me why, but she looked out of place. Myles always says I’m morbid and paranoid, but when you’ve covered as much death and destruction as I have, you can’t help but be that way.

I eased back behind the podium. If she started firing, I didn’t want to be first in the line of fire. But just as quickly as I noticed the woman, she was gone. I shook off my paranoia and turned my attention back to the press conference. Myles was talking about how much the district meant to him. Unfortunately, it was all an act. Myles had grown up a sheltered, spoiled rich kid, getting the best of everything. But my man had game. He knew what he wanted and knew how to get it, and it didn’t hurt that he was helping people in the process.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I watched Myles continue to work the crowd. I didn’t stray too far from him, wanting to make sure everyone knew we were together.

“Miss Rollins, I love your work on Channel 2.” I hadn’t even noticed the petite woman standing before me. She had a huge grin on her face and was clutching a pen and paper in her hands. “May I have your autograph for my son, please?”

“It would be my pleasure.” I took the pen and paper from her. I scribbled my name and station call letters on the paper before handing it back to her.

“I like you so much better than that Lorna lady at Channel 13,” the woman murmured.

“That is so sweet of you. You must give me a call at the station so you can come by for a visit.”

The woman smiled excitedly before scurrying off. I would try to return her call if she followed up on my invitation, but with the amount of calls I got each day I didn’t know how realistic that actually was.

Myles had maneuvered his way several feet from me, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his secretary, Karen, was fawning all over him. I felt my blood rising as she brushed some lint off his jacket shoulder. Her hand lingered a little too long.

I eased over to where Myles was, making sure to drape my arm through his, and push Karen out of the way. I ignored the sneer on her face and put on my television personality as I continued to greet people.

We had just finished saying our last good-byes and were about to get into the car when a man stopped Myles and started talking to him. I made my way on toward the car, anxious to get home. The driver had just opened the door when I noticed the woman in the overcoat again, walking toward me. She still had on the shades and scarf, so I had no idea who she was. I was just about to jump into the car when she called my name. Normally, even that wouldn’t have stopped me, but she called me by my whole first name.

“Hey, Raedella.” She removed her sunglasses and was now standing directly in front of me. I motioned for the driver to go on and get in the car, which he did. “It’s me, Laila,” she said after I didn’t respond. Honestly, I couldn’t respond, because this could not possibly be my cousin standing in front of me. The Laila Evans I knew was a robust young woman with a beautiful smile and warm personality. She was my auntie Mel’s oldest granddaughter. But this woman standing before me now was anything but beautiful.

I knew I was standing there with my jaw hanging open as I looked her up and down but I couldn’t help it.

She chuckled. “I know I look different now, girl. Big-city living will do that to you.”

She was saying that as if it were a good thing.

“Well, ain’t you gon’ say something? It’s been what, ten, fifteen years?” She hit my shoulder, almost knocking me over.

“What happened to you?” was all I could manage to say.

“Dang, is that any way to greet your long-lost family?” She scowled.

I know it was rude, but I kept staring at her. She looked like she couldn’t weigh any more than a hundred pounds, and that was soaking wet. Her skin looked like it was hanging off her face. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. Her teeth were yellow and she was missing a tooth in the front.

“I got a little hooked up on some drugs, but I’m clean now.” She held out her arms and started pushing up her coat sleeves as if I were actually going to examine her arms. I was still stunned because the Laila I remembered had always been a straight-A, prissy young woman. “I came down here with my boyfriend—you remember Janky?” She paused, I guess waiting for me to confirm or deny I knew this Janky person.

“Anyway,” she continued after I failed to respond, “that bastard got strung out then had me strung out too. He’s up in county now, left me out here to fend for myself. I had to turn a few tricks and thangs, but I don’t even do that anymore,” she proudly exclaimed. “Now, I’m getting myself together. I live in that halfway house right over there.” She pointed to a dilapidated building across the street.

“I don’t have any money.” I was wishing she would move on before Myles wrapped up his conversation.

She hit me on the shoulder. “Girl, I don’t need your money. I just wanted to come say hi, that’s all. I’m happy your boyfriend got this building for us. We need it.” We stood in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds.

“Okay, then,” I said, trying to ease closer to the car.

“You know, since Mama died, I hadn’t been back home, so I was just wondering how everyone was doing.” She lowered her head and her voice got soft. “I don’t want to go back till I’m completely cleaned up.”

I felt a twinge of sympathy for her, but I still knew I had to wrap up our conversation. “I don’t know how anyone is doing. I don’t talk to them anymore.” I looked around nervously and noticed Myles heading to the car. “Oh, well, see you around.” I reached for the door to try to hurry and ease into the car.

“Maybe we can get together some—”

I slammed the car door before she could finish her sentence.

Myles joined me in the car. “Man, I’m tired. I can’t wait to get home. Who was that homeless person you were talking to?”

“Nobody. Just someone begging for money.”

Myles leaned back in his seat and loosened his tie. “I can’t for the life of me understand why those people don’t just get a job.”

I nodded my head in agreement.

Chapter 7

T
here had to be something major going on. Everyone in the newsroom was gathered around the big monitor that hung at the front of the room. I had just gotten in, late as usual. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get to work on time. Usually, I didn’t care what anyone thought, but today, I was thankful for the diversion. I know people have been whispering about my hours and I just wasn’t in the mood to add fuel to their fire. I glanced at Richard’s office. The light was off and the door was locked, which meant he wasn’t even in today. I relaxed a little.

“Oh, no! He’s gonna crash,” one of my colleagues shouted.

“He’s going down the freeway the wrong way!” another one screamed.

It sounded like they were watching another high-speed chase. I glanced up and saw the chopper camera aimed at the U-Haul flying down Interstate 610.
Why do we insist on carrying those things live?
I wondered as I made my way into my office.

“Don’t you want to watch this?” one of the photographers asked as he passed by my office.

“No. Unlike you people, I don’t get off by watching high-speed chases,” I snapped.

The photographer, Todd, laughed. “This is good. This dude just escaped from prison, held up the Bank of America downtown, shot a security guard and a six-year-old kid. Now, he’s about to kill somebody else flying down the freeway like that.”

I ignored Todd and grabbed my coffee cup before heading to the break room to fill up on my daily dose of java. I passed by the studio set where Keith, my male coanchor, was giving a play-by-play of what was going on.

After filling up my cup, I took a slow sip and savored the hot liquid as it slid down my throat. Myles was pleased with the ribbon-cutting ceremony so he’d wanted to go out to a jazz club. We were up late celebrating. I was absolutely worn out.

I glanced up at the TV in the break room and shook my head again at the way our helicopter camera followed every move of the U-Haul.

I was making my way back out to the newsroom when one of the reporters stopped me. “Rae, that guy has the same last name as you.” He laughed, pointing to the mug shot that was flashing on the screen. “You sure that isn’t your brother?”

I prepared to roll my eyes when I glanced up at the TV set. The next thing I knew, my cup of coffee had slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor. The noise made everyone jump and turn toward me, but the panicky voice of the helicopter pilot quickly diverted their attention.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. Kevin. Oh, my God. That was my cousin’s mug shot plastered across that set. What the hell was going on? How could I be dealing with two of my relatives within the same week? I hadn’t seen him in years, but there was no denying it. Those were his features, the narrow, cleft chin and eerie-looking eyes. Then they flashed his name on the screen—Kevin Rollins—and I swear, I thought I would pass out right there.

I managed to compose myself and ask Keria, one of the assistant producers, what was going on.

“Girl, this guy overpowered a guard in a prison work-release program in Huntsville and escaped. They say he’s from Arkansas and a dangerous felon. He supposedly killed four people.” Keria’s wide eyes remained glued to the set.

I felt my throat dry up. I was so grateful no one knew I was from Arkansas.

“You know, I feel sorry for his family,” Keria said, shaking her head. “I don’t understand what kind of upbringing breeds a cold-blooded killer.”

I could barely talk. Kevin’s mother, my aunt Ola, my mother’s oldest sister, was a churchgoing, God-fearing woman. She had done her best to raise her one girl and eight boys. But seven of the boys turned out terrible. And her only daughter, Nikki, was the biggest slut this side of the Mississippi. I wondered if Aunt Ola had any idea it was to this extreme with Kevin. This would kill her.

“Rae, are you all right?” Keria asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“What? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. I-I just have to get back to work.”

“I think the whole newsroom is on an official break while they watch
America’s Most Wanted,
” Keria joked.

But I was in no laughing mood. That was my cousin, a wanted murderer/bank robber/escapee/God-only-knew-what-else, speeding down the highway.

I moaned as I walked back into my office. I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. If I ever needed confirmation that getting away from my relatives was the best thing that had ever happened to me, this was it.