Push Comes to Shove (38 page)

Kitchie tapped GP on the shoulder. “Eavesdropping on the girls?”

GP shut the door. “No. Well, kind of.” He looked at Junior. “What’s wrong with you?”

“He’s mad because I made him get off of his motorcycle.”

“Straighten your face, little man. You can ride later.” GP picked up the box and addressed Kitchie. “You bring it?”

She tapped her pocket. “She’s right here.”

“Good.” He pushed the door open and led them into the theater. “Special delivery for a Ms. Secret Patterson.”

Secret’s eyes lit up as she marveled over the big pretty box in her father’s hand. “What is it?”

Kitchie lifted her shoulders. “Your father and I found it at the front gate with your name on it.”

GP pinched her cheek. “Open it.”

Nise nudged her. “Girl, hurry up.”

Secret dropped to her knees and unraveled the bow. She lifted the lid and a puppy poked its head out. “He’s mine?” She picked it up. “It’s so cute.”

“What kind is it?” Nise asked, looking at the brown and white dog. “I’ve never seen one like that.”

“Me either.” Junior took a closer look.

“It’s a Basenji.” Kitchie removed the nicotine patch from Nise’s arm and replaced it with another.

“Thanks, Mommy.”

Everybody looked at Nise. She blushed and Kitchie hugged her.

Secret turned to her father while rubbing the tiny puppy. “What’s a Basenji dog?”

“It’s the only dog in the world that doesn’t bark.”

“I knew it,” Junior said. “That ain’t no dog. It’s a cat. Any dog that doesn’t bark is a punk.”

“You’re a punk.”

“Not like you and your cat-dog, sissy.”

“That’s enough.” GP scowled at Junior. “Now, there’s something else I want everybody to see. Well…I should have said
somebody
else. Where is she, Mami?”

Kitchie removed a ring box from her pocket and flipped it open. The 3.12-carat diamond was brilliant. It caught the overhead dome lights and glowed with life.

Everyone stared with astonishment at the yellow diamond.

“It’s so pretty, Daddy.” There was a twinkle dancing about Secret’s eyes.

“But I thought you wanted us to see somebody.” Nise looked at GP, then Kitchie.

“Yeah, that is a ring.” Junior touched the puppy’s wet nose.

“This is your Aunty Jewels,” GP said.

Secret’s eyes filled with tears.

Junior’s brows furrowed. “It’s Aunty?”

“This is a little too weird for me.” Nise took the puppy from Secret’s arms and sat down.

Kitchie draped an arm over each one of her children. “It’s going to be hard for you to understand now, but your aunty wanted this.
You know how some people are turned into ashes when they pass, like Aunty Jewels?”

Secret blinked a tear loose. “Yeah.”

“Now it’s a way to turn people’s ashes into real diamonds.” GP wiped away Secret’s tears. “Now Aunty Jewels is with us forever.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Daddy.” Junior looked at the ring once more.

“You will one day.”

Kitchie glanced at her watch, then dimmed the lights. “Come on, we’re about to miss the movie.” She pointed a remote control at the control center.

A 120-inch screen came to life. It turned navy blue, then bright yellow as a drug-prevention commercial came to an end.

GP smiled at Jewels when the
Street Prophet: A World Premiere
stood out in bold letters across the screen. It took months for the project to come together, and for GP, it was definitely a dream come true.

“You did it, Papi.”

Oasis is the award-winning author of
Duplicity
. He is the
CEO of Docuversion, a full-service editing firm, and an expert
creative writing instructor. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio,
and a proud father. For more information on Oasis,
visit
www.oasisnovels.com

1. As a child, GP was abused by Mr. Reynolds. Why was it that, as an adult, GP still allowed Mr. Reynolds to torment him in the recesses of his mind? Is this a form of self-defeating behavior?

2. GP was offered a job with the
Plain Dealer
newspaper. Was it a selfish act to turn down the job when he had the responsibilities of father and husband? Should priorities always precede integrity?

3. Was Kitchie’s mother, Mrs. Garcia, right or wrong in her position of not taking Secret and Junior in during their time of need, predicated on her disapproval of GP and Kitchie’s relationship? Explain.

4. It’s obvious, due to Jewels’s mentality, that she had a different idea of how children should be raised. How did her influence affect Secret and Junior? How did that influence affect her relationship with Kitchie?

5. Should Kitchie have taken it upon herself to use force with Conrad Tharp over the money he’d duped her out of? Should she have handled the situation differently? How?

6. Share your insight on the statement Secret made when she said, “Once you know something, you’re held accountable for what you know.”

7. Should children have homosexual role models? With Jewels as a role model, was Secret at risk of becoming curious about same-sex relationships? Explain your position.

8. Should Kitchie have accepted money from Desmond? Why? What was the best way for her to handle this situation? Why?

9. There will obviously be times when adults will have to discipline children, as in Mr. Reynolds’s case. What are the acceptable guidelines when administering discipline? When does discipline become abuse?

10. GP responded irrationally when he heard a couple having sex in the apartment above Jewels’s, having assumed that one of the participants was his wife. How should he have responded to this situation?

11. If Mayor Brandon Chambers was so concerned about Secret and Junior, as he portrayed to be, do you believe that he should have taken more initiative in making sure to drop them off in the care of an adult? Why? Was his decision based on self-preservation?

12. Did Jewels go too far when stepping outside the boundaries of the law when she sentenced Mr. Reynolds? Why?

13. In Miles’ situation, would you have told your mother if you had been indirectly responsible for your sibling’s disappearance? Explain.

14. GP once took the position that his stealing was justified when there was no other solution. Is there ever a right time to do the wrong thing? Explain.

15. What are the pros and cons of GP and Kitchie welcoming Denise into their home?

16. In your opinion, will Desmond take the money and leave things be, or do you think we’ll be hearing more from him? Explain.

17. Is it vain to have a loved one’s cremated remains turned into a diamond?

The apple of my eye, JaVenna. You are my ideas, hopes, desires, moral obligations personified. You are more woman than I would even dare pray for. You have enriched my existence, added new color and meaning to my world, and supported and believed in me effortlessly. Girl, to you I humbly extend my eternal gratitude for blessing little ole me with your presence this lifetime. Your love is awe-inspiring. (Okay, right now I’m down on my knee, gazing into your eyes.) Baby, I love you with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, showing you. Caring for you and protecting you. Will you make my dreams come true and continue this journey with me as my wife?

I am very thankful for everyone who contributed their talents and skills in order to make
Push Comes To Shove
a reality. Specifically, Brenda Hampton, Zane and Docuversion.

Of equal measure, I thank my family (Williams, Myrieckes, Smith and the Harris boys), knowing I have people like you in my corner is all the encouragement I need to write just one more page.

And to my amazing readers, I swear none of this would be possible without you. Thanks for holding me down.

Oasis

Fort Dix, New Jersey

July, 2010

[email protected]

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“P
USH
C
OMES TO
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HOVE,”
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Duplicity

BY
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ASIS
A
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OOKS
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NTERNATIONAL

P
arrish Clovis awoke naked on his neighbor’s lawn. He was stretched out beside a mountain of Rottweiler shit. He absolutely had no idea of how he’d managed to be spooning with dog crap. He scrunched up his stubbled face at the tangy smell. He distinctly remembered climbing into bed last night and screwing his wife into a frenzy. This change of location, he couldn’t explain. In fact, a lot of absurd and peculiar things had occurred lately that he couldn’t explain.

He glanced at his bandaged hand. He still hadn’t figured out how he’d fractured three fingers, either. One thing, though: he was grateful that daybreak was just approaching, and that his ass hadn’t been busted. The thought of explaining this bout of bizarre behavior to anyone embarrassed him.

Parrish turned up his nose at the rotten stench again, pulled himself to his feet, and trudged to the fence that divided the yards, his hands covering his sacred parts. When he hurdled the fence, his wife swung open the back door of their home.

Hana looked at him with disdain. “This is absolutely ridiculous.” Her Hungarian accent was intense, matching her glare.

“Don’t start, Hana. I’m really, really not in the mood. I smell like dog poop.” He stalked by her. “I hate that dog.”

“The enforcements are coming.”

“You called the cops?” He sighed. “Shouldn’t have done that, Han.”

“My anxiety has been agitated all night.” She followed him through the house. “Last time you showed up—”

“I don’t need reminding.”

“You swore everything was under control.” She looked at the pieces of grass that clung to his brown ass. “You’re nude. That’s miles away from control.”

He froze in his tracks and turned his head to a painting that decorated the wall of their staircase. A line creased between his brows. “Where did this come from?”

“You brought it home two days prior. Monday.” Tears streaked her beautiful face. “Don’t you remember?”

A stolen UPS truck plowed toward its destination. Ace, the driver, was a colossus man. Six-foot-eight with a stony, pale face and hands the size of baseball mitts. He had a balding crown that peeled because of a constant thrashing from the sun. He smashed his size 16s against the gas pedal and put an eye on his passenger. “You are right about me; I am not a good man,” the giant spoke, slow and without contractions. “It is true; I only joined the Rangers so I could kill people for free.”

The passenger chuckled. “You didn’t need the military. Y’all white folks been getting away with murder for centuries.”

“The military was my gymnasium to practice in.” Ace thumped a finger against the steering wheel. “Pop, and the enemy goes down. You are still sore that you did not beat me; could not beat me.”

“I didn’t kick your big ass because this trick knee gave out on me.” The passenger rubbed his knee and thought back to the day Ace had taken advantage of the injury and pinned him to a mat in front of his platoon. “You don’t feel good about the way you won the trophy.”

“We are fifteen years away from the Rangers…Sergeant Lindsay, but it is never too late for a rematch. Fighting makes my dick hard.” Ace parked curbside at an expensive home. He placed a toupee on his chapped, bald spot and patted it.

“Ace, I will fuck you up,” the retired sergeant said, handing Ace a package. “Now, do what the fuck I’m paying you to do.”

“Two wrongs don’t make it even, justify it, or make it right.” Parrish shut CNN off, disgusted. “They’re going to execute that brother no matter what. So what, they found him guilty? The conviction is iffy. People don’t have the permission to decide who should live and who should die.” He gazed through the window at his neighbor’s yard and wondered about last night.

“Tookie Williams deserves the death penalty,” Hana said, refilling her husband’s favorite Garfield mug with coffee. “He actually did horrible things, Parrish.”