Sick Obsession: A Twisted Love Story (8 page)

“Uhm, I knocked on the door.  Just wanted to let you know the partners said they would see you now,” she said as she backed out of the office. Sam was about to explain what she saw to her but at this point, she no longer cared. She went into the conference room to explain to the partners that she would be leaving the firm indefinitely. They tried to convince her to stay but it was no use, she had made up her mind. She walked out of the conference room with a smile on her face. The secretary that worked for Lizeth thought her behavior today was just off, being that she had just spoken with her before she came in. Sam walked out of the building with great joy, she even told the partners not to contact her. She got in her car and drove back towards Lizeth and Darrius’ home. Now all she had to do was sit and wait for the next part of her plan to unfold.

As Darrius pulled up into his parents’ estate his nerves were starting to get the best of him. He didn’t know if he could handle seeing his father, a man so strong and healthy, weak and dying. Darrius turned the car off and sat in the car staring at the house, the same house he grew up in with many happy memories. Lizeth sat with him and put her hand on his.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I just need a minute.”

“Okay.” They sat in the car in silence for a good ten minutes before the front door opened and his mother came out.

Darrius’ mother was beautiful.  She had such beautiful caramel skin and long grey hair.  You could tell from her features that she was a knock out in her earlier days. She was short and nicely shaped for a woman of her age. The only thing that looked as if it aged was her hair, but even it was neatly done. She was about 5’6, compared to Darrius’ father who stood at 6’3.  All the men in the family were tall. Lizeth got out to greet her.  She always wore a welcoming smile.

“Lizeth, it’s so good to see you,” she smiled.

“It’s great to see you as well ma,” Lizeth said as she gave her a big hug.

“Yes, just wish it was not this type of visit,” she said.

“You’re right, but I am glad we are here,” Lizeth said. Darrius got out of the car and came around and hugged his mother.

“Darrius, look at you!” she said with a big smile.

“Hi mama, I missed you so much,” he said.

“I know, that’s why you call me so much,” she joked.

“Ma, come on now, you know I be busy.”

“Yeah that’s what your brothers say,” she laughed.

“Are they coming down?” Lizeth asked.

“No they got tied up.  Besides, I think this is more for Darrius than them,” she answered.

“What do you mean?” Darrius asked.

“Let’s get your things in the house and I will explain everything to you, okay?” she said as she ushered Lizeth into the house.

Chapter 8

Darrius forgot to let his mother know that he and Lizeth had agreed on staying at a hotel, but he planned to tell her once he got around to it. With so much going on, Darrius was forgetting many things. Darrius could hear his mom and Lizeth in the kitchen talking. He instead walked up the steps to his old bedroom. He walked in and to his dismay it was no longer his bedroom, but an office.  Why did they need another office in this big house? he wondered. Darrius decided to leave his old bedroom and go in search of his father.

Darrius walked through the house until he was standing directly in front of his parents’ bedroom door. He could remember all the times when he was young coming into their bedroom and spending time with his dad talking and discussing everything. Darrius felt himself tearing up, but he quickly composed himself. To think, this could be the last time that he walked into this room and saw his father. That hurt him deeply. Darrius knocked on the door.  He could hear the TV from inside the room.  His dad enjoyed game shows and it sounded as if Wheel of Fortune was on.

“Come in,” a voice from inside the room said. Darrius was not sure who that voice was but he was sure it was not his dad’s. When he opened the door he could feel the warmness of the room as he walked in.  It was much warmer than the rest of the house. A middle-aged woman walked up to him.  She looked to be a nurse.

“Hi, my name is Mattie,” she introduced herself as she extended her hand to him.

“Hi, how are you? I am Darrius,” he replied.

“Yes I know, your father goes on about you all the time,” she said with a smile.

“How is he doing?” he asked.

“Well, he is resting at the moment, he should be awake in a few hours,” she told him.

“Okay, well I will come back then,” Darrius said as he turned and walked out of the room.

Darrius found Lizeth and his mother in the small living room of the house. They were looking over photo albums of Darrius as a child. It seemed to be a tradition or something with his mother.  She would show pictures each time they came to visit and with each visit a new photo would appear, one that Darrius couldn’t remember ever taking.

“Showing old photos again,” Darrius said as he joined them in the living room.

“I will show them as much as I like,” his mother said. “Did you see your dad?” she asked.

“No not yet, he was sleeping,” Darrius said.

“Yeah he does that a lot,” she said with hurt in her eyes.

“Mom it’s going to be okay,” Darrius insisted.

“I know, but that does not stop the hurt,” she said softly.

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me that he was this bad off?” Darrius asked.

“He asked me not to.  You know how your father is.  When he wants you to know he will tell you.”

“Well, I got a visit from Travis,” Darrius said.

“I am aware of it, he called,” she said.

“So did he mention our conversation?” Darrius asked. His mother nodded her head and just looked as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Lizeth could see that maybe they were having some kind of coded conversation without saying much.

“Darrius what’s going on?” Lizeth asked. The room went silent for a few seconds.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” he said. They both faced his mother who was standing in pure silence.

“Look, you two just got here, can we enjoy each other’s company before we discuss all that needs to be discussed?” she finally answered.

What is with the prolonging of it? Darrius wondered to himself. Maybe there was some truth to what Travis said. Darrius could sense how odd his mother was behaving.

“Fine we can wait, but I want answers today,” Darrius told his mother.

Lizeth could feel some light tension between the two of them.  However, she decided to leave it alone and not say anything. Her cell phone has been buzzing with notifications of messages and missed calls from her secretary. A few of the calls came from other employees at the firm as well. She was not sure why everyone was reaching out to her, they knew she was out of town.  Besides, what was going on here was more important than what the office needed. She decided she would check the messages later. Her only concern was her husband. Despite everything, he needed her.

Darrius informed his mom that he and Lizeth would be staying at a hotel instead of at the estate with them. She understood and without any protest, said no more of it. Darrius felt like that was not like his mother so he could not wait any longer.

“Mom are you okay?” he asked. The expression on her face told a story she was not telling.

“Just don’t think of me differently,” she said.

“Why? What is going on, why I would think less of you?”

“Not now Darrius. Let us just get ready for dinner, maybe your father will join us.”.

“Fine,” he said. Darrius was getting aggravated with all the silence.  He wanted to know if what Travis said was true.

Darrius was silent at dinner.  His father’s nurse came down to inform everyone that his father decided to have his dinner upstairs, he was too tired to come down. However, he wanted to talk with Darrius afterwards. Darrius finished up his meal rather quickly and as he headed up the stairs his mother stopped him in the hall.

“Darrius please understand,” was all she said as she walked back towards the kitchen. 

Darrius made his way back to his parents’ room and the door was ajar since he was expected. The same warmth he felt earlier brushed across his face again as he entered the room. The nurse Mattie was sitting in a chair reading a book next to the bed. Darrius walked up and around the big king-sized bed to the side his father was laying on. He looked at his father and almost did not recognize him. His once full head of dark hair was no more. His body frame that held his broad shoulders were small and shrunken. He looked more of a fragile version of his once strong self. His father’s eyes remained dark and full of life despite his outer appearance. Darrius could not take the look much longer and he was about to walk away until his father spoke.

“Don’t run from me,” he said as if he could read his son’s very thoughts.

“Dad I can’t stand to see you like this,” Darrius said.

“Would you prefer me in a casket and not moving?” his father asked.  He still had his sense of humor as well as his deep voice. His father sat up in the bed as much as he could. Darrius offered to help him get more comfortable but he refused it.

“It’s good to see you son,” his father said.

“It’s good to see you to dad.”

“I know you have many questions son.”

Darrius nodded in agreement. “I do.”

“I will try an answer them, but what I can’t answer your mother will,” his father said.

“I understand,” Darrius nodded. His father went on to tell him how he met his mother and that when he saw her he knew she was the one for him.

“When I first met your mother she was all I wanted. She was beautiful and I loved her instantly. I couldn’t see myself without her so when the opportunity presented itself I asked her to marry me. She was so sweet and naïve,” he said, reminiscing on the good days.  Darrius gave his father an expression to signify that he did not like that comment. “I see you have my temper,” his father chuckled, noticing his expression. “Just calm down, and allow me to explain. The reason I said she was naïve was because she trusted me.  She loved me so much that she didn’t notice how awful I really was. I cheated on your mother a lot.  I would leave for long periods of times and she thought it was work.  No matter how much I loved her I still couldn’t be faithful.  My pride got the best of me.  As long as I took care of home I felt I should be able to do as I pleased,” his father said.

He again began to cough a lot harder this time. The nurse was about to come to him but he told her he was okay. Darrius started to have flashes of his own flaws and the conversation he had with his bother came to mind.

“I couldn’t understand why I did what I did. It went on for so long, only because no matter what I did I could always come home to your mother.  She would have me with open arms no matter what. I stopped feeling bad about it, I knew she had to know,” his father went on, but all Darrius could see in his mind was his mother crying and hurt. Then he began seeing Lizeth crying and hurt and he could feel the anger boiling in him.  He was not sure if he was mad at his father or at himself for being just like him. His father went on to tell him about how he was verbally abusive to his mother as well. He told him that he had so many women that he could not keep count. Darrius was enraged.

“Darrius are you listening to me?” he asked. Darrius did not speak he was too afraid of what might come out.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked his father.

“Because I wanted you to know that what you’re going through is not just you,” his father said knowingly. Darrius looked at his father shocked that he too knew about his situation. “Yes I know about all that you’re going through,” his father spoke with concern.

“My situation has nothing to do with what you did to mom,” Darrius said with arrogance.

“You’re stubborn like your mother,” his father said.

“Don’t you dare talk about my momma,” Darrius said and got up from the bed.  He did not want to hear anymore.

“Sit down,” his father said loudly. The nurse looked up but remained silent and continued to read her book.

“Like hell,” Darrius muttered. Despite his father being weak and ill he still had his smarts and wits about him. Darrius was indeed mad but he knew better than to cross his dad or disrespect him, which he would not do. Darrius remained standing.

“You have every reason to be upset,” his father said.

“How could you be so damn grimey?” Darrius shouted.

“How can you?” his father shot back. “I did it the same way you do it, with a straight damn face,” his father said. Darrius felt that blow.  It hurt because it was true.

“Boy you heard of generational curses?” his father asked. Darrius nodded his head.  He wasn’t the most active churchgoer but he did remember a sermon about it.

“You feel that’s what’s going on here?” he asked.

“I do,” his father nodded.

“Why is it when people do wrong they want to go all churchy?” Darrius said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Why would you say something so simple?” his father asked.

“It’s the truth!  You’re trying to say it’s a curse now, that what you did was not you,” Darrius said.

“No that is not what I’m saying.  I’m trying to educate you on something,” his father said. “I know I was wrong, I have made my peace with what I did.  What about you?” his father asked.

“Whatever,” Darrius mumbled. “My wife and my situation don’t have a thing to do with this,” Darrius said.

“Yes it does. I told your mother my wrongs years before I found out I was sick.  She was the only one to stand by my side once I got ill.  The other women did not care,” his father told him.

“So what is it you want from me?” Darrius asked.

“Nothing. I can’t ask for your forgiveness because it’s too soon, but that’s on you.  When you were younger you started to act out because of the way you saw me treat your mother.”

“I don’t remember you mistreating mom,” Darrius said.

“That’s because of that place we sent you to,” his father said.  Darrius gave his father a puzzled look.

“What place?”

His father started to cough and the nurse walked over to check him out. Darrius moved to give her room.

“You will need to rest soon,” Mattie said.

“I was a different man back then.  Not only was I cheating, but I was verbally abusive to you mother. You were so close to me but then you started acting out, blaming your mother for me not being home. Your temper was out of control. Your mother couldn’t deal with it, so we got you professional help,” he explained.

Darrius was in shock.  How could they keep so much from him for so long? His father continued to tell him about a local place he was sent to first. They could not help him so he was sent to a place in Arizona. The therapist and team there did so well with him that when he came back he was like a new person. His father said the family decided never to speak of his past or having to go away again.

Darrius just stared off into space.  He was at a loss for words. So many things were going through his head he was not sure if he was coming or going.

“I don’t know if I know who I am now,” Darrius said.

“I know it’s a lot, but I wanted to tell you before I---,” 

Darrius looked at his father, it was as if he was looking at a stranger. “You’re clearly not the man I thought you were. I think it will be best if I leave now,” Darrius said, turning to leave.  He was angry, pissed and hurt.  All at the same time.

“I understand,” his father said quietly. Darrius walked out of the room and stood in the hall for a moment.  He had to get his thoughts together. Darrius walked back into the kitchen and was instantly angry once he saw his mother.

“How could you stay with him?” he asked her. His mother turned around once she heard his voice and looked at him. “Were you desperate or was it the money?”