Authors: Michael Lewis
“What?”
“The big
package walk. It’s a slow, relaxed walk, with the legs apart and the pelvis
tilted slightly forward. Instead of walking with one foot in front of the
other, the legs sort of swing out a little before coming forward. When they are
really confident they add a subtle bop in the stride.”
“I never even
thought about it but that’s his walk described exactly. He even has the bop you
described. I’m not satisfied with that explanation of ‘we keep up with our own’
How did you know about us?”
“I was in
Atlanta a while back. I just so happened to be in a certain Club Rain one night
when he introduced you as his baby. As I recall, there was another absolutely
delicious thing with you two that night. Tall, light brown, light eyes and he
REALLY had the “BP” walk.”
“Oh that is
my cousin. We are more like brothers. Hate to disappoint you but he is
straight.”
“That’s okay,
I’m sure that didn’t keep him from being the subject of many fantasies that
night, including mine.”
“What am I
gonna do with you?”
“Walk to the
door for me.”
“Umm okay.” I
said as I walked to the office door before he told me to stop.
“I was just
checking. You got it. So the answer to the question you just asked is …
anything you want to do with me.”
“I got it?”
“Yeah the
walk.”
“Oh, you are
so out of control.”
“And this is
true. Okay go on and get that man of yours off. I mean that in more ways than
one.”
“You are
special in the head! I’ll see you when I get back. Thanks again.”
“No problem.”
By the time I
got home the drama had already started. Actually it was sitting in my driveway
in the form of Jamal. I was ready to shower and go to bed. When I saw the red
Chevy Tahoe in my driveway, I knew that plan would not take flight.
“Hey I need
to talk to you.”
“Why are you
sitting in my driveway? How did you even know I was back in town?”
“Well I need
to talk to you and I am not going away until I do.”
“So talk?”
“Inside.”
I really
didn’t care what Jamal wanted to talk about but I figured if I let him come on
in and talk then the sooner he could go.
Jamal
followed me into my bedroom.
“You know
your boy is done. If I have anything to do with it his ass is gonna get the
death penalty.” He said.
“Jazz didn’t kill
Marlena. I know him and I know he didn’t. The case is weak anyway.”
“You’ve
played with him long enough. You know you want to be with me. It’s time to stop
this.”
“This is not
some game. You and I are through.”
“Zeke you
have no idea what I gave up for you. I gave up a lot and I didn’t do it for
nothing. You are gonna be with me and that’s all to it.”
“Okay, this
conversation is over.” I said as I moved toward the door.
“No it’s not!
Come back here. You’re not just gonna walk away from me.”
“Jamal what
are you doing? Let me go!”
“Not until
you say you still love me and that you’re gonna be with me.”
“Jamal are
you crazy? Let me go. I’ll never be with you again. Every time I look at you I
think about seeing you and Darian and I- I..”
“You what?”
“I hate you!
I hate you for what you did to me! I didn’t deserve that. I could have never
done to you what you did, and with my best friend. I hate you Jamal!” I said as
all my feelings came flooding to the surface all at once.
“Stop saying
that. You still love me.”
“I hate you
Jamal!”
“Don’t say
that again, I’m warning you.”
“I hate you!”
I said again.
The next
thing I felt was his palm across my face. After he slapped me he grabbed me
around my neck.
“I told you
not to say that. When I get through with you you’re gonna forget those words.”
I ducked his
punches as they came toward my face. Since he couldn’t get my face he began
punching my body.
“You crazy
bastard I’m gonna kill you for putting your damned hands on me!”
My mama
always told me you don’t run from nobody. If they are bigger than you, pick up
the nearest thing and knock the shit out of them. I did just that. The heavy
glass vase on my nightstand was the nearest thing and soon it was meeting his
head…. Hard!
“You little
bitch! You’re gonna be sorry!”
“I already
am! I am sorry I ever met your crazy ass!”
Just as he
came toward me Alton opened the door.
“What the
hell do you think you’re doing?”
Alton didn’t
wait for an answer before he charged forward.
Alton flew
into a rage. Once I caught my breath, I reluctantly began to pry him off of
Jamal. His hands were clutched around Jamal’s throat like a vice. Rachel came
in to see what was going on.
“You want to
put your hands on somebody huh? Fight me then! Fight someone your own size!”
Jamal
couldn’t answer because he couldn’t breathe. His eyes were bulging and turning
red. It was obvious he was losing consciousness. Rachel and I pleaded with him
to let him go. Finally he listened to us.
“Get your ass
out of here!” Alton shouted.
“Man you just
messed up.” Jamal shot back.
“Put your
hands on him again and you’re a dead man. I promise to God I’ll kill you!”
Jamal,
embarrassed yet again, hurriedly left.
“Zeke you
okay?”
“I’m fine
thanks.”
Eighteen
Jazz Hardaway
When I walked
in the room and saw Zeke I wanted to turn and run right back out. I slowly
walked over to him and took a seat at the table. He looked at me silently for a
moment and I could tell he wanted to touch me just as I wanted to touch him.
“Zeke, I
thought you were in Cali.”
“I was but I
came back. My director decided to change the shooting schedule and do the
scenes I wasn’t in to give me time to come back home.”
“Zeke I don’t
know how I got into this, I really don’t. It seems like I can’t stop messing
up. I know I let you down again.”
“Jazz this is
not your fault. This is a set up plain and simple.”
“Zeke I
didn’t get a chance to say this at the airport and I want to say it now. Zeke I
love you with everything inside me. Nothing means anything to me, not the
career, not the money, none of it means anything if I can’t share it with you.
I feel like I’ve been held hostage by an image I have to keep and I just can’t
do it anymore. I love you. I want to be with you. I’m not ashamed, and I don’t
care who knows.”
“Hindsight is
20/20. I wish I would have just stood up to Marlena when she first made her
advances. My career may have taken a little longer but I wouldn’t be here now.
I’m sorry Zeke. I thought I was doing a good thing, I really did.”
“I understand
Jazz. I am not mad at you. There is more going on than we know about and I
think it’s all about to hit the fan.”
“Here’s a
little bit of other news for you. Nadiah remarried but you will never in
a million years guess who she married?”
“I’m scared
to ask.”
“Elias.”
“Elias as in
Rachel’s ex?”
“The one and
only.”
“Damn! Things
are getting crazier by the moment.
“They were
fighting last night and Nadiah called Alton to come to her rescue. He told her
to call the police. I don’t know how they ended up together with their bad
tempers and abusive ways.”
“Their mean
evil asses are just alike that’s how.”
“Jamal
somehow found out I was coming home and was waiting in my driveway when Alton
and I got there. He told me I was getting back with him and didn’t have a choice.
I told him not a chance and he went crazy. Luckily Alton was there and stepped
in.”
“He didn’t
put his hands on you, did he?”
“He did and I
hit him in the head with that vase from my nightstand.”
“If I was
with you where I shoulda been none of this would be happening.”
An officer
came in to let Zeke know that visiting time was over. On the way back to my
cell the officer informed me that I had been moved to a different area.
“Why?”
“All I know
is you were reassigned and your stuff was packed up. They just told me where
you were supposed to go.”
“Alright”
I wasn’t
there even 10 minutes before I saw a guard bringing Randall down the hall to
the cramped cell. The officer opened the cell and Randall waited until he was
out of sight before he started talking.
“Jazz, I got
some great news for you.”
“I could use
some. Do you know why the hell they moved me to this small ass cell?”
“That’s the
news. This is a holding cell. They are processing you out right now. You are
going home as soon as they finish the paperwork.”
“You’re not
playing. I’m getting out of here for real?”
“For real!”
“Does Zeke
know?”
“No, I
figured it could be a surprise.”
“So did they
find out who killed her?”
“Yes they
found the killer. I’ll tell you about that once I get you out of here. I’m
gonna go check on your paperwork. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”
After
pinching myself a few times, I was convinced it wasn’t a dream. About 30
minutes later an officer came and opened the cell to take me to releasing where
Randall was waiting for me. The officer removed the handcuffs. I signed some
papers, got my stuff, and headed straight for the door. Randall and I heard a
loud commotion, some shouting, and a gunshot. The only thing we could see was a
cluster of officers trying to subdue someone. The brother was giving the 6
officers a full workout too.
When they
finally got control of the man they lifted him and stood him upright. He was
still struggling and cursing at the officers but his movement was limited and
he couldn’t go anywhere. He looked like he was having a seizure or something.
He was sweating while muscles and veins bulged in his head and neck trying in
vain to free himself. I caught a glimpse of the dude and had to check myself
because damn if it didn’t look just like Jamal. I walked over to get a closer
look and that’s when I noticed he was wearing a police uniform. When he turned
his head again I was within 2 feet of his face and got a good look at him. It
was that bastard Jamal.
“What the
fuck you looking at?” He spat.
“I’m looking
at your Simple Simon ass. They finally caught your crooked ass huh? What did
you do? Try to frame somebody else?”
“Fuck you!”
“Nah, I’ll
pass. I’m about to go let Zeke take care of that. Randall let’s go.”
When we got
in the car my curiosity returned.
“So Randall,
who killed Marlena?”
Marlena’s Demise
As
Jazz approached Marlena’s front door, he never even noticed the SUV with tinted
windows parked on the opposite side of the street. Inside that SUV sat a man wearing
dark glasses with his gaze trained on Marlena’s house. He sat there seething
with anger while he imagined what activities were taking place inside the
house. Although he couldn’t see them, his imagination was quite accurate about
the activities of Jazz and Marlena.
Two hours
later the man still sat in the SUV and watched Jazz go to his truck. After
sitting for a little while longer, he decided it was time to carry out his
plan. Just as he started across the street, Jazz got out and went back to the door.
Once Jazz came back out, he waited until Jazz drove off then got out. As he
made his way across the street another car pulled into Marlena’s
driveway. A man stepped out of the car and walked quickly to the door. Marlena
greeted him with a kiss at the door wearing a sexy black negligee. The stalker
recognized the negligee as the same one he’d purchased as a gift for her. Her
audacity to wear it while greeting another man for an obvious sexual rendezvous
angered him even more. After all, Marlena was his wife and she was about to
engage in adulterous activity with yet another man only minutes after the last
one left.
After about 5
minutes a car sped down the street and stopped abruptly in front of Marlena’s
house with its tires screeching. A woman jumped out of the car and her anger
was unmistakable. She pounded on the door with a closed fist. After a moment
Marlena answered the door. When the angry woman caught a glimpse of the
shirtless man standing behind Marlena in the doorway clumsily adjusting his pants,
she went into attack mode.
“Markeith
you’re a lying dog! I knew I couldn’t trust you. I don’t know why I took you
back!” She shouted to the man.
“Shay is this
really necessary? Don’t cause a scene. I just borrowed him for a while. You can
have him back when I’m done.” Marlena said to her.
Shay grabbed
Marlena by her hair and pulled her out of the doorway and into the front yard.
After punching her relentlessly about the face and body, she threw Marlena to
the ground. Markeith tried to intervene.
“Come on Shay
get off of her. I won’t mess with her again I swear. Come on baby don’t hit her
no more.”
“Get your
paws off me dog! When I get through with this bitch, your ass is next!” She
shouted.
Markeith took
that as his cue to get in his car and leave. After the situation died down, the
man in the SUV was finally able to make his move. Before he lost his nerve, he
jumped out of his vehicle and darted across the street. He knocked on the door
and waited for Marlena to answer.
“What the
hell are you doing here?” She asked.
“Never mind
that. People have been telling me about your whoring ways but I didn’t believe
them. I finally saw it with my own eyes tonight. What about us reconciling?”
“I never
intended to reconcile with you. I played you, just like you played me. It
doesn’t feel good does it?”