Chapter Three

Night’s Mare was the club of the streets. Wild, yet people still trooped in anyway. It had a lounge, the bar area, the dance floor and some few rooms available for those who had more on their agenda than what’s presented. The revolving lights changed colors from green to yellow, then blue to red. Everything necessary to make a place lively was present- loud dirty music videos, suggestive wall arts that could mar a child’s innocence, just to name a few.

The ladies warmed themselves on the couch and Keisha ordered a cigar for herself. 

“Old habits die hard, huh”

“It was never an old habit. I just didn’t have the bucks for it,” she stuck it in her mouth.

“You know that’s one thing I like about you. Always honest even with the kind of job we do- tricking people by telling them the truth they want to hear…”

Keisha said nothing. She was beginning to think of her as a talkative, forgetting she’s always been that way. 

Her chest started again and she knew she needed to excuse herself.

“I’m gonna use the restroom”, her voice hoarse. 

“Is everything alright?” She nodded in reply and excused herself for a few minutes. 

Why would she not spit out more blood when she was doing the very thing that triggered it? Her hands clamped heavily on the sink, she looked at her face in the mirror and still saw the part she didn’t want to see even behind the wild makeup. She didn’t want to see the innocence she’d lost, the dreams which didn’t come true, the mistakes she made and the body she was slowly losing to death.

Tears were the last thing she thought of shedding at that moment. She stifled a laughter revealing the blood which lined in between her teeth. 

Since there’s nothing she could do about her condition she thought she’d better enjoy every day and make the most out of it. She dabbed off the sweat on her face and rinsed her mouth with water. 

“Time to have some fun,” she told herself with half a smile. She tried to wash off a few blood spots that stained her wine bustier. She could barely get everything out before she gave up. Raking her fingers through her hair like a comb, she managed to make it look almost  as sleek as earlier, finally ready to step out. 

Mel had found herself a club friend already and it looked like she did all the talking. Why wasn’t she surprised? It felt good to not have to deal with her again for the rest of the night. She sat at the bar area and was offered a punch. 

“I didn’t order.”

“You don’t have to,” the waiter smiled. 

“Anyway, thanks.”

“My pleasure”, the waiter moved away to serve another while she sat and sipped from her punch bowl. It tasted like squeezed berries with citrus slices. This waiter must be on to something, she thought. However, if there’s a price to pay, it shouldn’t be higher than getting into bed. That would be affordable and he was already in her eligible age range. 

Couples marched to the dance floor as if on cue as the music was turned up. She could feel the vibe in the room slowly seeping into her and tugging on her heart. She gulped down the punch and felt lightheaded enough to dance away the troubles she’s had to endure even if it lasted for just one night. She didn’t even realize when she bumped into stranger danced with him. Their movements were so in sync that it only took a short while for those closest to them to see the connection between them. It wasn’t exactly a dance you’d see in church but it was one you’d definitely expect to see in a club, and that was perfection right there. She was so winded up by the punch that she hardly recalled planting a soft kiss on this stranger and falling into his arms, completely stoned.

She woke up in her room at the apartment the next day, with hangover tea on her bedside table. Everywhere was quiet except for the car honks and music from the streets. The memories from the previous night were a blur. How did she get home? Did she do something crazy? She checked herself beneath the sheets and she was still in her clothes from yesterday. She saw a folded note by the tea on the side table and quickly opened it. She would have guessed it was Feena but Feena would hardly be home at a time so early in the morning. 

“Nothing happened.” The note read. 

A part of her sighed in relief but another part felt like she had just missed out on her prime chance to have fun. She folded the note again and tucked it under her pillow. She reached for the tea and drank it all up. Whoever it was, the person was definitely proactive. 

Someone pounded on their door heavily. It must be that old nurse going to make a fuss about their evening larks. If she didn’t want her kids polluted she could enroll them in boarding school, she muttered under her breath. Their hood was dangerous with or without their being in it.

She wasn’t going to bother with her. It was too early in the morning for that. She had a hospital appointment that morning and the last thing she needed was someone who made her hate the idea of hospitals. She wondered how a grump like her could be a nurse.

Ms Morrey cared less whether or not she opened up. She rained insults at the door until Naomi came and calmed her. The rest of the occupants had gotten used to the daily morning routine, depending on how often Feena and Keisha had their nights off. 

“You shameless children of the devil! Cream-faced loons! Instead of you making something out of your lives all you do is break people’s homes and poison children. You should be ashamed of yourselves!” She ranted.

“Ms. Morrey, please calm down. I’ll handle this” Naomi approached her from her side trying to calm her down.

“Naomi, you have to establish that this building is a house of worship, not the devil’s hideout!”

“I understand, Ms Morrey. In fact we do have a cell meeting tonight at my place. Please come over, we’ll really appreciate your presence a lot,” Naomi changed the subject. That had little effect on the vexed old woman seeing how her chest rose and dropped after every breath.

Keisha prepped up for her visit to the hospital, not the least bit daunted by Ms Morrey’s display of displeasure. “I never said I was a teacher for me to be concerned about some folks’ kids”, she usually said in her defense. She wore a simple casual plain dress and headed out, not casting even a look around to see if she was safe enough to step out. She pranced down the stairs like a queen among her subjects. Naomi caught a glimpse of her through the diner and only sighed at herself.

“What am I going to do with this one, Lord? I’ve already lost one of these to only you know where, Jesus. Why is this devil so aimed at these helpless young men and women?” She asked herself, reminding herself of her own pain and regret. 

“Ms. Naomi, please someone wants to speak with you on the phone” Benny interrupted her thoughts. She hurried to pick up.

“Any news yet?” Naomi asked. Her face fell at the reply from the caller’s end. 

****

Dr. Geller stared long and hard at the test results. Being his final patient before retirement was devastating for him. He hoped to have climaxed his career saving a life not losing one. Keisha sat before him not sure what to expect to hear. Her mind was all over the place but somehow managed to distract herself by looking around the doctor’s office like a child. However, unlike the child, she looked around wondering how long she had to keep seeing colors and pictures like these.

“Ms. Lyall, you need to be transferred to our admission facility as soon as possible for close monitoring,” he finally spoke, heaving a deep sigh and resting his chin on his crossed fingers. She smirked at the sound of that. 

“Do I have to prepare a will or something”, she ribbed at the thought of it. 

“Why are you doing this to yourself? Don’t you have any loved ones to care about living for? Friends? Family? If not, you should have a bucket list of what you wish to do as you young people call it…”

“I appreciate your concern, Dr. Geller,” she smiled. She refused to give any thought to what he just said since it only reminded her of what she didn’t have. 

“How much time do you think I have?”

“Hard to tell but it depends on you,” he said. “If you’d stick to the medication and the lifestyle,” he added.

She nodded with a smile and asked for her leave.

“It’s not too late, Ms. Lyall” he chipped but she couldn’t bring herself to believe that. Curling a corner of her lip, she nodded again but slightly and walked away. She continued on to the beach to meet her new friends.

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