Lyfe Changing (8 page)

He shrugged like he was
just in the neighborhood and was passing through. “Well I just
wanted to check up on you…see how you’re doing …pretty rough
accident.” I nodded not buying his so concerned act. “Well as you
can see I’m alive and well.” “That you are…thanks to a Destiny
Witt.” He said looking from me to a sheet of paper in his
hands.

“
That was a pretty brave
act she did. Helping you escape from an exploding car… you might
want to thank her.” I nodded. “Oh Detective I plan to…in more ways
than one if you catch my drift.” I laid back and smirked at him. He
smiled as well but it didn’t register in his eyes.

“
Derrick you’re sliding on
the line of confidence and cockiness…good thing you wear it
well.”

“
It’s a talent of mine…Now
Detective it’s been a long day, I really don’t have time to do the
same song and dance with you as always, so can you get to the real
reason why you’re here.”

My body was aching and I
was ready for his ass to leave not knowing why he had come in the
first place. He nodded and proceeded on. “Yeah regarding your
accident you were on the road pretty late…mind telling me where you
were going?” I pretended to think of something before answering. “I
was delivering food boxes to a homeless shelter in the Bronx.” I
said sarcastically. “At two in the morning...now we both know you
weren’t doing that.” He said with such an annoyance I knew I was
getting to him. “No you really don’t do you?” I continued to
antagonize him. Detective Trent and I had are run-ins on numerous
occasion being in my chosen profession, but he and his dumb nut
team could never charge me with anything because I was to smooth to
get caught…knew the game to well. The best he could hope for was to
get a confession out of me...and there was no chance in hell of
that happening. Detective Trent stepped closer to me and circled
around the room.

“
You know Derrick you and I
have been tip toeing around each other for a while now.”

“
Yes we have.” I
agreed.

“
But I could never catch
you doing your dirt…until now.”

My face froze and I
suddenly felt cold. “What are you talking about?” He pulled out a
bagged weapon from behind him that looked very familiar and my eyes
widened in shock. “Doctors found this on you when they brought you
into the hospital…an unmarked gun Derrick? What is that… five maybe
ten years?” I shook my head knowing damn well I was screwed. “Lord
knows what I’m going to find when I search your place.” Detective
Trent went on. “What!” I looked at him in disbelief. “Oh yeah…that
search warrant I have been trying get on you finally panned out.”
He said pulling out a blue slip from his jacket. He looked down on
me with pitying eyes. “Looks like your luck has gone…it is over
Derrick.” I looked away from him and shook my head.
Damn. How the hell I was going to get out of this
mess?

7

Coming Home

Destiny

I sat at my desk reviewing
request for upcoming galas that had pre ordered particular
paintings from my gallery. I had to make sure everything was right
and in order before sending them off. I stood up and walked around
my office as I reviewed dates, locations, and times trying to focus
on work and not the events of the past week. “Ok paintings three
and four go to Staten Island…Paintings five and two go to
Queens….paintings one and six…” I stopped as Derrick Lyfe once
again entered my thoughts. All I could see was his handsome face,
battered body, and terrified eyes. “C’mon Destiny…forget about
him…it’s over with.” I sighed.

I threw the review orders on
my desk and paced the floors. It had been a while since the
accident and I had tried my hardest to bury those memories in the
back of my mind. The entire experience had been so traumatic for
me...for the both of us. When I went to the cabin that night I had
no idea I was going to leave so early, let along witness an
accident and put myself in harm’s way to save the victim …but I
did. I wanted to stay at the hospital with him to make sure he was
all right.

He looked so hurt…so
bruised… I wasn’t sure he would recover. When he opened his eyes he
was so deranged and frantic like a wild animal…it still to this day
frightened me. “Why am I still thinking about him?” I chuckled to
myself as to why this man wouldn’t leave my mind. It all seemed
like a beautiful nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from, but in
reality I wondered would I ever see him again. I turned to a knock
on the door. “Is it ok for me to come in?” Marisol asked standing
in the doorway. “Oh yes, what’s up?” I asked welcoming her in.
Marisol brought in some coffee for the both of us and took a seat.
“I thought you could use it.” Marisol was the only I had told as of
yet about the accident and she had been checking up on me every
second of the hour. We both sat back and avoided the main topic
that was on both our minds.

“Well has anyone called
about more orders?” I asked trying to avoid the conversation I
didn’t want to talk about. She shook her head. “No just
confirmations on already purchased items.” I nodded. “Good…more
satisfied customers equal more business.” Marisol eyed me closely.
I didn’t notice her gaze at first with my mind being so clouded. I
caught her staring and looked up.

“What?”

“You’re still thinking about
him?”

She asked wondering if I was
going to admit to her what I was thinking. I avoided eye contact
not wanting her to get the satisfaction of being right. “Thinking
about whom?” Marisol ignored my denial and laughed. “The mail man,
I thought you had a thing for him.” I shook my head smiling. “Look,
I just wanted to know if he was ok…had he recovered from his
injuries.” I shamelessly admitted. I didn’t know why I cared so
much but I did and I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about
Derrick until I knew he was ok. “Trust me…recovery is the least of
his problems.” Marisol said shaking her head reading the paper. I
looked at her puzzled. “What are you talking about?” She looked at
me as if she said something she shouldn’t have and wished she could
take it back. “Yeah…um…he’s being charged.” I jumped up from my
seat in shock. “What!” I yelled causing Marisol to jump
back.

“What do you mean he is
being charged, for what?” She looked at me wide eyed and
speechless. “The cops found a gun on him ….it turns out he is known
for being involved in criminal activity and now they’re going to
charge him. It’s all over the paper” I took the paper from her hand
and read the headline.
Hospital victim
turned criminal
. I was in utter
shock,
How could they do this?
I thought.
He almost
died, he is not even out of the hospital and they’re going to send
him to jail.
I paced the floors again; I
didn’t know why I was in such an uproar, it’s not like I knew the
guy that well but I had so much compassion for him, I didn’t want
him to go to jail, not at a time like this. Marisol watched as I
roamed around the room like a mad woman. “Um...Is there anything in
particular you would like me to do?” I thought about it for a
moment then looked at her. “Yes…get a number for me from Martin and
Lees, call them up and I’ll take it from my desk. “ I instructed
her. “On my way…” Marisol got up from her chair and left the room
while I sat at my desk in a daze. I didn’t know what the hell I was
about to do or why I was doing it….but it needed to be
done.

Derrick

“All rise…court is now in
session, Judge Latham presiding.” The Bailiff introduced the judge
as he came into court. I stood as the defendant while the judge
took his seat and prepared for my case. He was an old white man who
looked like he came from a long line of plantation owners…just my
luck. Don’t know how but those bastards finally did it, they got me
in a courtroom, charged and filed. After Detective Trent lowered
the boom on me at the hospital I was placed under arrest and
brought down to the precinct. After spending a night in jail I
started to think the hospital wasn’t that bad.
Damn
, I thought.
Not only was out of all the money I stole, I was going down
for a gun charge, how perfect was that?
I
lowered my head in defeat as the judge began. “We are here today to
discuss the case of Derrick Lyfe who is being charged with one
count of gun possession. Counselor?” He looked over to the
toothpick in a tailored suit across from me to speak.

The district attorney was a
regular tall and skinny pale man with a bad comb over ready to take
down yet another presumed thug. “Well your honor…the defendant
Derrick Lyfe was found with a .22 caliber in his possession after
being taken to the hospital after an accident.” I sighed and looked
at the D.A. with a scowl, I didn’t have time for this torturous
process… just lock me up shit, anything was better than this. “Mr.
Lyfe, did you not request for an attorney?” The judge addressed me,
not seeing some rich white attorney by my side. I didn’t request an
attorney, what was the point I figured. Unless Jesus himself came
down here there was no way I wasn’t going to jail. Before I spoke I
heard a voice in the back address the court.

“I’m Mr. Lyfe’s attorney
your honor.” I turned around to see a young man in a navy suit and
black brief case make his way over to my table. He looked like he
had just come off of a clean and cut infomercial. I stared at him
strangely. “Who the hell are you?” I whispered. He smiled my way
ignoring my bluntness. “The guy who is about to save your
ass.”
Jesus
… I
thought. “You’re Honor I will be defending Mr. Lyfe today.” The
judge looked down at the young man beside me. “Matthew…not like you
to make house calls.” He nodded.

“Well I am to today
judge.”

“Good lets
proceed.”

The district attorney seemed
a bit annoyed by the appearance of Mr. Matthew in the courtroom
which let me know he must be a force to be reckoned with. “Well
your honor, I really don’t see the need for this proceeding, Mr.
Lyfe clearly was found with an unmarked weapon in his possession.”
My attorney shot back. “A weapon that was obtained during a fatal
accident that my client was the victim off.” The judge eyed the
stack of papers in front of him. “Charging an accident victim while
still in the hospital…that’s pretty low even for you
counselor.”

“
Just doing our jobs your
honor…Mr. Lyfe is a well-known criminal.”

The toothpick attorney
stared at me. I glanced his way, throwing him a you better be glad
were in a courtroom and not on the street look, causing him to ease
back. “Your honor, Mr. Lyfe has never been charged before this
incident so to say he is a well-known criminal is defamation.” Mr.
Matthew refuted…good job white boy. The judge nodded. “I
agree.”

“
But your honor, the
defendant has been involved in numerous criminal activities.” The
judge eyed the district attorney as if he were wasting his
time.

“Well unless you can show me
some charges or previous convictions I don’t want to hear about
it…let’s get to the problem at hand.”

“Your honor, being that
this was my client’s first offense I saw we plead out to a lesser
charge.”

Mr. Matthew suggested with
much pleading in his eyes knowing I had pretty much screwed myself.
“What are you offering?” The judge asked looking over at the D.A.
He looked frazzled that his plan to take me down was falling
apart…and that’s what his punk ass gets. “Well your honor the
people were thinking about five years Statesville…two years’
probation.” “What the hell!” I exclaimed. Mr. Matthew shushed me
quickly before the Judge put me in contempt.

“Your honor…this is not a
repeat offender, five years Statesville is a little
overreaching.”

“Counselors approach the
bench.”

The judge sighed. They both
stepped before him and conversed for a while, going back and forth
leaving my fate in their hands. I stood in wait sweating bullets
wondering was a miracle being worked or was I going straight into
lock up. Mr. Matthew finally returned to me with face that
surprisingly I couldn’t read. I stood up tall and crunched my
knuckles in fear of the information I was about to receive. There
was no way in hell these fools were about to lock me up. I was not
about to let my kids see their daddy in jail. He finally came back
and leaned over in his chair to speak with me. “Alright here’s what
we got…I got the gun charge down to class A which mean it’s a
misdemeanor. There offering five years’ probation.” I nodded…hey
five years was steep but anything was better than Statesville or
Rikers. “Ok… I can do that.”

He looked away from me like
he had something else to say but didn’t want to…me not liking to
beat around the bush I pressed him to come up off the information.
“What else?” Mr. Matthew looked back my way. “Five hundred hours of
community service.” My head dropped and so did my gut. “Are you
fucking serious?” I said looking at him like he was crazy. “So you
expect me to be in the damn hot sun for five hundred hours picking
up garbage off the street…are fucking you tripping.” Not
appreciating my tone Matthew narrowed his eyes at me causing me to
step back. I don’t know what he was thinking, just cause I was a
little banged up didn’t mean I still couldn’t whoop somebody
ass….especially some Richie Cunningham looking white boy. “Hey
you’re lucky you’re not going to Statesville right now….this was
the best I could do.” He pleaded with me. I finally nodded, he was
right, a minute ago my ass was about to walk the green mile until
he showed up and for that I was thankful. “Your right man…I
appreciate it.” He nodded and we both stood. “Your honor we are
taking the deal.” The district attorney looked pissed as hell and
stood glaring at us. He could kiss my ass for all I cared I was
free. The judge nodded and looked to me. “Mr. Lyfe what is your
current address so I can notify your probation officer?”