Queen of Pain (Things YouCan't Tell Mama) (7 page)

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“Mama, I want to go for a drive. I want to go to where that trailer was we used to live in,” Tara said.

“Why in the world do you want to go there?” June said.

“I just want to go see the place. Come on. We can go get something to eat on the way back,” Tara said.

Tara, June, Caitlin and David all got into her car. June directed Tara down the winding blacktop road that was barely wide enough for one car to be on the road at a time.

“There it is right there. Pull over,” June said.

“Billy was right, it’s all grown up. So the old trailer is gone, huh,” Tara said.

“Billy, when did you talk to him?” June asked.

“That’s where I went when I left. He has a cute little boy. I didn’t know he married Becky. They seem to be happy,” Tara said.

“Why did you go and see Billy?” June asked.

“I told him I was sorry for quitting going with him the way I did when I was in the eighth grade,” Tara said as she looked out over the field.

“You told somebody you were sorry for something you did it the eighth grade? I guess if that made you feel better. Are you going to apologize for having me in labor for ten hours when I had you?” June asked.

“No, mama that was your job, would you rather that I still be in there?” Tara said.

“Oh lord no, never mind on that one,” June said laughing

“I just wanted to see the place, let’s get back in the car. It’s cold out here,” Tara said.

“How much did this car cost?” Caitlin asked.

“I didn’t know at first. I picked it out and Brandon bought it for me. Then the window sticker was in the glove compartment and I looked at it. It cost two hundred thousand dollars,” Tara said.

“So my butt is sitting in a car that costs more than most of the houses in this area? That a lot of money for a car,” Caitlin said.

“That’s a lot of money for anything. So where you lived in New York, people just drove around in cars like this like we drive pickup trucks down here?” June asked.

“Last year, Brandon bought a new Bugatti sports car for over two million dollars and he hardly ever drove it,” Tara said.

“Those people just have all of the money in the world while others can’t even put food on the table. How does the world work like that?” Caitlin said.

“You know that’s what I thought before I got there, but a lot of those people got rich because they invented something that everybody wanted. There are old money people whose great grandparents made things like steel and railroads. Some of the newer rich people like Brandon invented computer programs that everyone uses. Now you do have some that made their fortunes by buying and trading stocks and things like that. Some of them I wonder about, because a number of them are just making money off money, but others help companies grow by getting them financing. It’s a complicated world that I didn’t know anything about until I got there,” Tara said.

“Tara some people are going to say that you got what you have because you just married some rich guy for money,” June said.

“Mama, I’ve already heard that stuff,” Tara said.

“I know, but here’s the reality, no one can make anyone marry them. He asked you to marry him. Brandon screwed up and cheated on you in the worst way possible and was doing it before you even got married. He wasted three years of your life and destroyed a relationship with a man you would probably still be with today. He owed you every penny you got, so don’t feel like you didn’t deserve it,” June said.

Two months later the Wilson family stepped off a flight in Hawaii for Tara’s big interview with Opal and Tara was ready for any question that came her way. Opal didn’t go easy on Tara and even asked her if she was a gold digger. Tara gave Opal her mother’s answer.

“Brandon was a very wealthy man, but here’s the reality. No one can make anyone marry them. Brandon asked me to marry him and he was breaking our marriage vows before we even took them. That’s what the lawsuit was all about, because there was no way I would have married him if I had known that he was carrying on an affair with one of my bridesmaids that happened to be his good friend’s wife. That friend, by the way was one of Brandon’s groomsmen,” Tara said.

“What are you doing now?” Opal asked.

“I have expanded my outreach program for young American women that need positive mentoring and a helping hand in becoming productive, independent people. It’s called Tara’s Girls. I started it as an outreach program a couple of years ago when I was in New York and have some great sponsors, one of which is Nelson Security Software. Just go to Tarasgirls.org for more information,” Tara said.

“What has this experience taught you,” Opal said.

“This experience has taught me that what really matters is how we treat each other. I found out that we can’t understand the pain that we inflict on others, unless we have witnessed or felt that pain in our own hearts, and then we can say we’re sorry and really mean it,” Tara said.

Opal then ended the interview and then Tara introduced her excited family to Opal. Opal gave everyone a tour of the property and ended with all of them standing at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

“Mama, I told you I would bring you here, didn’t I? I just didn’t expect it to be like this,” Tara said.

“We are a long way from that old trailer house, aren’t we,” June said.

“Yeah, this is a long way from there,” Tara said as she pointed to a whale breaching in the ocean.

Tara Wilson became a world renowned figure in fighting for the future and dignity of young women across the United States and other chapters opened up internationally. Tara was the Chief Executive officer of the organization and she helped girls from the hills of Kentucky to the inner city of Los Angeles and around the world. One day in her office Tara opened a letter and inside there was a donation pledge for one hundred million dollars from reclusive billionaire Brandon Larson. The signature line on the letter had a smiley face drawn on it. Tara smiled and felt that things had come full circle. Tara got up from her chair and left the office to go home to her husband and three children, two of which were adopted. As Tara left her office she stopped at the office next door.

“Caitlin, it’s time for you to go home to your family. This stuff will still be waiting on us tomorrow,” Tara said to her sister, the Vice President of Operations.

With that, they turned off the lights, locked the doors for the day and went home. 

ESSENCE® bestselling author
D.T. Pollard lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area. He is married and has one son.

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