Chapter Twenty-Five

Saturday finally arrived and Naomi’s little home was gradually swarming with people. Half the workers of her little diner had to be on hand to help put their cell’s get-together together. Because of that, their diner suffered the effect of it. Keisha spent all morning baking cookies and waffles. Louis handled the logistics and a couple of others got the place organized as Naomi directed.

“Not bad…” she sighed.

“Still feels like something’s missing,” Naomi added. 

The other workers looked to themselves with bleary-eyes. Shocked that after such a hefty task, it was still not up to what this old woman wanted. 

“You know what, take a three. You both look like I’m in trouble,” she chuckled softly like an old woman working the nerves of a youngster. 

Jack and Beatrix slumped into her sofa and laid their heads on the lacey sofa runners. 

“Don’t you get your sweaty heads on my laces,” Naomi jabbed a finger in their heads. They quickly jolted back.

“Good,” she smiled to herself and walked away with her feather brush, sweeping it across anything and everything she came to contact with. 

It wasn’t long before her expected guests started coming in in droves. The Morreys were in, the Berkeleys too were in. Mr. Berkeley and his wife pastored their church. A few other families from the church were also present and even the Johnsons were in too. Naomi didn’t expect to see all three of them together there because of how Jamal seemed rather aloof the last time they came to her diner. But she was cordial with everyone the same way not allowing as much as a hint of however she felt about any of them. 

“Marissa, it’s so good to see you,” she pecked on her cheek. 

“Thank you Aunt Naomi,” she replied. Her face blanched with misery. If she didn’t have more guests to welcome she would have engaged her further but Grandma Morrey would take care of her later. 

After some time of receiving the guests, she moved to the centre of the room and kindly asked everyone to take their seats around her extended dining table which took more than half the apartment. Keisha came in with mittened hands holding a tray filled with hot cookies- chocolate chips and butter flavours. Splotches of flour dusted her cheek and chin. And her apron had smudges of batter and flour too. She carefully set them on the serving table and carefully arranged them on the decorated plates with a palette knife. Exhaustion was an understatement. She walked funny and the pony she tied as per her duties demanded was loosening already but she was too worked up to tighten it. Taking one heavy step after another she slipped and someone quickly rushed to her aid.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m alright,” she tried to get up by herself and felt a sudden burn on her arm. The hot tray must have left a sting on it when she slipped.

“Oh crap,” she mumbled. 

“Here, let me help,” he bent and held her up. When she saw who it was she jerked her shoulder off him.

“I’m alright,” she said flatly. The other guests wondered if she was really okay and were a little worried about how this young fellow seemed overly concerned with her when it was just a scratch. Marissa’s heart crushed at the thought of how she might be looking right now. She avoided looking at them the entire time and Grandma Morrey saw her uneasiness. She saw how she swallowed hard when she heard how the people on the table spoke in hushed tones.

“Let me see that, Keisha. It could leave a mark on your skin, I’m a health worker,” he smiled as if to pacify the group. Perhaps it worked. Keisha would have given more to be suspicious about if she refused his help after that. He put his arms around her and took her from there to his apartment which was just on the next floor.

“Mm. Mm. Mm. I smell trouble brewing,” Grandma Morrey later told Naomi.

“That girl is trouble, Naomi. Why do you still put up with her?”

Naomi saw the scene too and she felt the same way but she couldn’t walk away from her just like that, could she? Naomi gently asked Morrey to let them finish the day’s task first, afterwards, they could talk about other matters. Their cell started and all the kids, about ten of them had their space at the living room.

****

He gently set her on one of their dining chairs and brought out his first aid kit. He took out a cloth pad and wet it with water carefully pressing it against the burn as if she was an egg, all the while squatting down before her.

“We could have done this there. You didn’t have to bring me here,” she said, looking away from his intense gaze. 

“You still shiver whenever you’re nervous,” he cracked a soft smile. 

“I have to go now,” she stuttered a bit. 

Jamal held her hands firmly and looked deep into her eyes. He was totally smitten with them. A pity he was only realizing it now.

“Shasha,” her heart made a thump after that. 

“Please don’t leave me…” he said with a piteous smile. 

“Nothing can justify whatever happened but I must admit that I was just stupid. Blinded by my own self. Had I been given some time to sort out my own feelings, I would have known …” he paused.

“You had ten years, Jamal” she cut in softly without a hint of resentment in her tone like their previous encounter.

“I know…” he sighed in regret.

“It was hard to believe that you of all people would leave too. It was even harder when you said the things you did that day. I hadn’t even recovered from the pain I had survived the night before. I lived everyday with an engraved memory of everything that happened. It was always in my face. It tore at me, haunted me and even mocked me for believing that there could be anything between us. And you know what’s worse? Even after I found out you had someone else in your life, I still felt guilty for going through what those people did to me that day. Somehow I still hoped you would return to me after that nightmare. But after it happened, I figured you wouldn’t want me anymore. And indeed, you proved me right by what you did the next day. I couldn’t even blame you for that,” she smirked.

“Because I thought perhaps you were better off with the dream girl on campus than with some used, soiled, naive girl…” a tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly knuckled it away.

“It was a year after getting married that I found out what happened to you. I met Jacob perchance at another friend’s wedding. We had a good chat about your brother and you came up. It was there he told me I had gotten everything wrong that day. Somehow I wish he never told me because being an eyewitness, there were some details he couldn’t hold back. But Keisha even then, it was too late. I didn’t have the guts to come to your house and even if I did, knowing how things turned out between your brother and I, it’d only get things worse. What hurt me deeper was that I had spent the first few years after college resenting you for something you didn’t even do when I had wronged you the most. If I hadn’t forgotten all about the promise that day, if I had just checked up on you or called you ….” His voice went gruff. He was fighting the tears from falling.

“So no Keisha, I didn’t spend my life having fun with a trophy wife. And I’m not proud to say this but having to deal with that past was too much for me to live the present any better. Marissa and I have had our struggles due to an early marriage which was founded on something that looked like love but wasn’t.  And I know she’s trying her best to be the good wife but I’m not sure I can be a good husband to her. I did my best to be a good father but being a husband was impossible. We laid on the same bed yet my mind would be flooded with thoughts of another woman. Another woman I thought I only needed forgiveness from…” he trailed off. 

“I’m really sorry, Keisha” he cleared his throat. She only looked away, avoiding contact with his eye lest she be taken with them. 

Jamal leaned closer and drew her into his warmth.

“I’m sorry, Keisha.” his throat turned warm as he swallowed hard. He held her so close that he could actually feel her heartbeat. For the longest time, he held her not saying any words, just cuddling her. 

“I really have to go now, Jamal” her voice grew husky.

“Please… just a little longer,” he said.

“I’ve done too much in my life to not know what can happen now,” she sounded hoarse this time.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of regardless of what happens,” he kissed her head then her nape, and a few more touchy points. In a moment, all fears, boundaries and bitterness were thrown out the door, giving way for imprisoned passions to take them through the next few hours. 

****

The old ladies could see the pained look in her eyes. That personable expression she usually had on wore off, leaving behind a gloomy one. Grandma Morrey stroked her fingers which had gotten moist from perspiration. 

“Your husband isn’t going to return, is he?” Morrey asked the forlorn woman who sat still in her seat looking lost.

“He’s where he has to be?” She replied with tears in her eyes, trying to sound pleasant like she always does but the pangs in her chest wouldn’t let her. Morrey sighed in frustration. Why did she have to ask her that to remind her of her pain if she wasn’t thinking about it already.

“Stop smiling when you know you’re not fine,” she patted her gently, feeling agitated as to why a woman should be treated that way. 

“Tell you what, how about you join me at the kids section of the hospital. I think you can use a lot of distractions at this stage of your life. We can’t afford to have you this depressed when we’re expecting a baby in a few months, Marie,” Morrey suggested.

“Thank you Grandma Morrey but I-“

“No Marissa. I know this sounded like a suggestion earlier but it’s not. I’m not going to watch you lose your life by the second the more you live in that house! With that being said, you’re moving to my house!” 

“Grandma Morrey…. I understand your concern. And I’m very glad to know how much you care about me but this is all too sudden. Give me some time to think about it. I promise to get back to you on this,” she blinked away a tear and plastered a wan smile on her face. 

“Fair enough,” she purled and turned away from her.

Marissa sat through the whole program not saying more than a sentence to anyone. She was totally lost and buried in her mind.

Naomi had hoped on this one chance to get Keisha involved in their cell meetings, to get her in a safe community of Christian women but nothing was going according to plan. And she feared that her little good may have been changed into a bad one as her imaginations ran wild of the possibilities.

****

They both laid awake in his matrimonial bed with sheets over them and her head laid on his chest like a little girl with her dad while he stroke her gently on her arm. She finally got what she had been chasing for weeks but from the wrong man. She could care less about that part though. Seeing this as any other fling she’d had before, she got up to dress up and leave. Jamal felt the difference in how she behaved. Rather than feel some closeness to her, he had the feeling like he was just used.

“Shasha…” she turned to face him with an awkward smile.

“I want you to know that this means a lot to me. It wasn’t a fling,” he added.

“I know it wasn’t,” she replied. Not sure if she was ready to admit hers to him. 

“So what happens now?” She quickly switched the unasked question which was aimed at her.

“Do we have to keep defiling your marital bed?” She added flatly, as she buttoned the last one. It was a hard question. No doubt. But he was too shameless and too desperate to have the girl in front of her that he’d say anything to keep her.

“It doesn’t have to be this bed,” he replied. A flush of guilt spreading across his face. She put on her apron and paid him half a smile. 

“I’ll see you around,” she replied and left to Naomi’s apartment below. By the time she arrived, they were already closed and a few guests remained chitchatting. Marissa remained in her seat and she saw her enter. She smiled awkwardly and turned away. It felt as if she knew what she’s done but she pushed her guilt aside and decided to get started on the rest of her duties there. 

Naomi and Grandma Morrey were in the kitchen speaking quietly. Morrey had brought up the topic Naomi tried to stall from. Keisha entered and one look at her, she knew she was the subject. She rolled her eyes at her and turned to Naomi. 

“You took quite a while in getting back, are you alright?” She asked with concerned eyes. Morrey got vexed and muttered something under her breath, storming off. She even shouldered her slightly but Keisha wasn’t ready for her. 

“I’m alright. Anything left to do?” She asked.

“What have you done this time?” Naomi wished she could ask that question as she studied her closely. She noticed the unsteadiness in her breath and how her work clothes were all crinkled up. But she figured it wasn’t the best time. She asked her to help return the items they had brought from the diner instead.

****

Laureen was finally through with reservations for the day but the diner had to continue running 24/7 since their guests usually swung in and out for some quick snacks. She never thought that there’d come a day where she would say this work was stressful but that was the best way to describe it. Jefferson still continued his daily routine of being a thorn in their flesh but the worst part was, after all this slaving for him, he wasn’t going to offer her a pay raise. When Laureen questioned him on it he said they needed to start working on the annex for the motel, as if they were partners, she smirked at that idea. She trudged to the kitchen for a leftover snack and found her colleague seated deep in thoughts. 

“Hey, you alright?” She perched on one stool facing him with the counter between them. 

“You had a call today,” he replied, snapping out of his thoughts. 

“Really? That’s a first. Who was it?” She gulped down a full glass of water. 

“Keisha,”  her eyes widened in surprise. 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” She exclaimed and dashed straight to the telephone. It was good graces that Jefferson had stepped out otherwise she would have had to pay for call time. She quickly dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. The receiver picked up at the third beep.

“Laureen…”

“Keisha! I just got the message. Sorry it took so long,” she apologized.

“That’s alright. I wasn’t expecting you to have a new worker so soon. Business mustta been good then,” she tried to make conversation, waiting to get the right opening to ask for what she really wanted to talk about.

“More than good, actually. We have people coming in hordes daily in hopes of getting a reservation and I never thought I’d have to tell people that we have no more rooms,”she yawned slightly.

“Oh wow, you must be exhausted. Then I guess it’s a bit too late to request for two rooms,” Keisha chipped in.

“You’re coming back?” She sounded a bit too excited. 

“Only if I have a room” 

“Well, if it’s you, you can always share a room with me if that’s alright with you.”

“I’m fine with it but I’ll be coming with two more guests. They’re men,” she wiped a bead of sweat off her brow.

“Oh…” Laureen paused for a moment. 

“Hmmm… it shouldn’t be hard to get them lodged in. If they don’t mind they could also join Dave in his room too,” she snapped a finger at the thought.

“I don’t think they have that much of a choice.”

“For how long though?” 

“Two days.”

“Aaah, you must be attending The Mirror at the Purple Place, then” she guessed.

“Yeah, that’s what they call it”.

“Everyone’s talking about it and it’s the reason why I’ve not been able to have a good night’s rest these past few days,” she leaned against the wall.

“One more thing, won’t your boss give you a hard time when we share your rooms?” Keisha remembered how he was on her last visit there. 

“You’ve got nothing to fear. That old midget is in the palm of my hand now. He owes me too much to talk down to me,” she chuckled.

“I remember your boss and he’s far from midget, Laureen,” Keisha rejoined. 

“Point is, I’m in a good position now, so you shouldn’t worry about him. I’ve got him right where I want him,” she assured her. 

“Alright. Thanks. Good to know you’re better than when we last spoke. Will see you on Monday.” Laureen replied same and they both hanged up. She stretched her arms out and returned to the kitchen. It was already evening, and were not hoping for much activity so they both took a breather in the kitchen.

“Is she a friend?” Dave asked. 

“Mmhmm. New friend. She came to our motel a few months ago and was nice to me. She left me her contact to reach out to her whenever I needed help. Turns out she needs mine,” Laureen smiled, fixing herself some pies left over from the day.

He listened quietly and after hearing that, he rested easy a bit. Keisha wasn’t that generous to be handing out her contact on a whim like that. Not after what he saw the last time they met. But what if she had changed? 

“Anything wrong?” Laureen noticed the seriousness in his face. 

“I thought it was someone I knew. Doesn’t sound like her,” he smiled.

Sometimes she wished she could know more about him. To know the dark past he was willing to throw his name away for. She really wanted to know what would push Jamie to the end of the cliff. To make him wish he was dead. 

“Was she someone special?” Dreading the answer she was likely to hear. She tried to mask the feelings of her own. Dave took in a deep breath as if he’d been asked an impossible question.

“She was…” her heart did a flip.

“What happened?”

“I …hurt her,” he swallowed hard. 

“I should probably check on our guests if they need any handyman help. Two complained of a leakage this morning,” he averted and got up, leaving the young woman alone with her thoughts. She watched him leave and fidgeted with her fingers all that time. A habit that creeps up on her whenever she’s left unsettled or overwhelmed. She knew she had no business trying to tidy up someone else’s closet when hers needed some work too. It had been years since she stepped foot at that home. Not to mention the fact that she never called once to check up on the baggage she left at the doorstep of her mother’s apartment. Anytime she picked up the phone to call, she’d go spineless. Hadn’t her teen years been one nagging problem after another? Her mother’s words not just cut, they crushed. How then was she to tell her that she’d messed up in college and had two kids to show for it? She thought the only humane thing to do as a crackhead was to leave the kids with someone who would love them and she could think of no one but her mother although she was a pain.

She decided to make something out of her life after her boyfriend got arrested. To support the kids she had brought into the world and to lead a decent life. After slowly recovering from the addiction at a public therapy facility, she decided to change towns and see what she might be able to find doing, only to make a stop at this motel and find that she was short of money to cater for food. There was no doubt that Jefferson did not take it lightly with her and after ranting to the point where she felt her ears would actually fall off, they decided to strike a deal. To work one full week without pay to cover her debt and be free to go after that. However, Jefferson proposed a different deal when she was almost through with her penance. To work a full week with half a week’s pay.

Considering the uncertainty surrounding the town she planned to go to and the fact that the job she was going there for was waving at her there. She took it up. The money wasn’t much but she figured if she did her best perhaps, her boss would be generous enough. She was still waiting for the generosity now.

Sighing deeply, she also joined the other guests at the dining area.