Authors: Michael Lewis
“Elias I have
some bags in the car. Would you mind helping me get them please?”
“Get them
yourself. You bought it, you pack it.”
“Okay.”
I knew not
even entertain him when he was in that kind of mood. The bags could stay in the
car for the time being, including the clothes I’d also purchased for him. I
changed into some jogging pants and my sports bra to go to the gym. As I
gathered my hair into a ponytail, I heard Elias yell my name from the living
room.
“Just a
minute Elias.”
“Bring your
ass here right now!”
“What’s the
matter with you?”
“Look at
these magazines? This magazine is out of place, it’s not at a 45 degree angle
like it’s supposed to be.”
It was easier
to just put it like he wanted than to argue, but I had grown tired of being
complacent and frankly, I’d grown tired of him. I patiently gathered all of the
magazines, stacked them neatly, picked them all up, opened the front door, and
threw them in the front yard.
“Now, that
problem is fixed.” I responded.
When Elias ran
outside to pick them up, I closed the front door and grabbed my keys. I decided
not to wait to go to the gym because I needed release right then. When I was
walking into the garage, Elias came back through the front door. As I stood in
the garage waiting for the automatic door to come up, Elias ran into the garage
puffing and blowing like a steam engine.
“You are not
going anywhere!”
“I’m going to
the gym Elias.”
“You’re gonna
get your ass in that house.”
“Or what?” I
said as he blocked my car door.
“Get in the
house Rachel; I’m not playing with you.”
“Move Elias.”
I said as I tried to maneuver past him and get in my car.
“Bitch I told
you to get your ass in the house.” Before I knew anything, Elias had shoved me
about 3 feet backwards and as if
in slow motion,
his open hand was coming toward my face. He slapped me hard across my left
cheek.
“Get in the
fucking house!”
I managed to
get past him and to my car door. Just as I was getting into the car he grabbed
my hair. When I turned he balled up his fist and drew back. Suddenly I heard
someone yell “Hey!” The sound kept getting closer and closer.
“Hey! Hey!
What’s your problem?” a man asked as he walked into the garage.
It was our
next-door neighbor, who happened to be a police officer.
“I am trying
to leave, but he won’t let me.”
“Oh
everything is fine, just a little tiff.” Elias lied.
“Looks like
more than a tiff. As big as you are you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I haven’t
done anything to her.”
“I saw you
slap her. Mrs. Richards get in your car and go ahead where you were going
ma’am.”
“Thank you.”
I had been
driving about ten minutes when I reminded myself that Elias had hit me. I
forgot all about the gym and went straight to Zeke’s house. Feeling the hot
tears come to my eyes, I tried to straighten my face before I rang the bell. It
was no use. When he opened the door he knew something was wrong and my tears
burst forth.
“Oh my God,
baby what happened?” Zeke asked.
“That son of
a bitch slapped me!”
“That bastard
has gone too far!”
I told Zeke
everything that happened and he grew more frustrated by the minute. Hearing our
conversation, Alton came from the back to see what was going on.
“What’s
goin…..? Rachel what the hell happened to your face?”
“Elias
slapped me. He was trying to keep me from leaving.”
“What
happened to your head?” I asked as I saw the bandage Alton wore.
“Nadiah threw
some keys at me when I walked in the door last night.”
We looked at
each other and shook our heads.
“Oh uh, hey
everybody. Sup Alton, Rach--- Whoa what happened Ma?” Jazz said as he walked
into the room.
I updated
Jazz on the evening’s happenings.
“That ain’t
right. You know, if you want, I can handle him real quick for that bullshit.
Let’s see how quick he is to hit a man.”
“Thanks, but
I think I’ll be okay.”
“Alright. If
that punk ever does anything else to you, call me or Zeke.” Jazz said and he
reached for my cell phone to save his number in my phone book.
“Thanks
Jazz.”
“No Problem.”
Once Zeke was
sure I was ok, he went to work on a project for school. Jazz went to his room
and left Alton and I alone in the living room.
“What are we
gonna do?”
“I don’t know
Alton. I can’t believe he hit me.”
“That pisses
me off Rachel. I’ve prayed about our situations but nothing changes.”
“I’ve prayed
too. Same thing here.”
“I think when
we pray God hears us; he automatically does his part, and then just waits for
us to do our part. I just wish I could figure out what that is.”
Alton made me
feel comfortable. Maybe it was the fact that he spoke about spiritual things.
It could have been his calm, soothing way of speaking. I felt a feeling that I
hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt that I didn’t have to hide anything from
him. I didn’t have to try to be brave for him. I could let my vulnerability show
without worrying that he would use it against me. The feeling has a name, its
known as trust.
“Rachel, it’s
still early, would you like to go have some dinner?”
“I don’t have
much of an appetite.”
“Okay, how
about coffee?”
“Sure, I’d
like that.”
Nadiah
I don’t know
what made me throw those keys at Alton. I guess I just felt like it. I did mean
things to him out of habit I think. It was such a normal thing for me to treat
him any kind of way that I just did it. The fact that he never did anything is
probably why.
I threatened
to abort the baby. It’s the one thing that gave me power over him. What he said
to me really struck a chord in me though. It would have been pretty trifling to
get rid of my baby just to spite him. I thought it would make him stay but he
left anyway.
I called
Alton and did everything short of begging him, to get him to come home. I
couldn’t let him get used to being without me. The longer he was, the more he
would realize he could make it without me. I couldn’t let that happen. That’s
how I was able to control him for so long. He usually couldn’t resist me when I
tried hard enough but nothing worked that time. Three and a half months was
long enough. I knew he was at Zeke’s so I went over there to demand he come
home.
Alton was
just pulling up when I got there. I sat in my car and watched him as he got out
of his truck, walked around to the other side, and opened the passenger door.
Out stepped that same bitch I caught over there the last time! I waited until
they both got out of the truck and jumped out of my car.
“So this is
why you haven’t come home yet.”
“Nadiah it’s
not even what you think.”
“Why is it
that every time he comes over here, your happy ass seems to pop up? What the
fuck is going on here? I am pregnant with his child you know?”
“Alton talk
to your wife. I’m going inside.”
“Yeah go
inside bitch. So I can talk to my husband alone.”
“Why are you
here?” Alton asked.
“You didn’t
plan on getting caught did you?”
“Nadiah you
haven’t caught me doing anything. You know damn well why I left!”
“Alton you
are coming home now.”
“I am not.”
“You are
crazy if you think I am leaving you here with that bitch!”
“Nadiah we
just came back from church, remember that place? I went to church to pray
for our marriage. That’s what we did tonight. The bible in my hand should be a
clue.”
“Yeah tell me
anything that could be a souvenir from the motel. I know one thing Alton, if
you don’t come home tonight, you will be sorry.”
“I’m sorry
right now! You can’t manipulate me anymore. I need time away from you if there
is any chance I’m gonna stay with you.”
“Fuck you
Alton Allen! I’m gonna make a believer out of you!”
“Yeah, I love
you too Nadiah.”
I went home
defeated but determined. If he was going to leave me, it would cost him dearly,
maybe even his life! I tossed and turned all night thinking about what to do. I
waited another two months then decided to ask Alton one more time to come home.
“Hello, Alton
how are you?”
“I am fine.
How are you?”
“I’m good.
Haven’t you punished me enough?”
“Nadiah I
didn’t leave to punish you. I want to have a family more than anything and I
want that family with you. I don’t deserve to be treated the way you treat me.”
“Alton, I
think you are trying to find a way to tell me you aren’t coming back.”
“If I wasn’t
coming back I would file for divorce. I need time away from you to get my head
together.”
“Alton, I
refuse to accept anything else other than you coming home. I am not playing
this out any longer.”
“Nadiah you
are not calling the shots. You can’t make the decision for me and you won’t
manipulate me.”
“That bitch
must still be there. You think I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not stupid
Alton.”
“Nadiah, she
is not a bitch, she isn’t here, and she has nothing to do with us. She is
married and I am not seeing her, can you get that through your head?”
“Alton, I
don’t believe……….Uh-OH…. ALTON!”
“What? What
is it?”
“Alton my
water just broke!”
“Okay, baby
I’m on my way!”
In a matter
of hours, my daughter Paige was here. She came into the world looking like a
virtual clone of Alton, from his haunting light brown eyes, down to the
irregular shaped birthmark on her right calf. Alton has the same birthmark but
his is on his left calf. I worried about my ability as a mother because my
maternal instincts didn’t kick in. When I held her, she squirmed and cried. As
soon as Alton took her she stopped crying and went to sleep. That didn’t make
me feel any better.
After eight
weeks, Paige still wouldn’t bond with me. Since Alton seemed to have better
luck, I let him get up in the middle of the night to feed her and change her.
He was happy to do it anyway, so I let him. I hated to admit it but I was
jealous of the way he was able to handle her and I couldn’t even get her to
stop crying. Seeing the two of them together, looking so much alike made me
sick.
Since I had
been playing mother I hadn’t been able to go anywhere and I was due for a
break. I called Alton’s mother and asked her if she would keep Paige for the
day while I went shopping and ran some errands. She was only too happy to keep
her first-born grandchild.
After I
dropped her off, I called Ingrid and told her I’d pick her up for lunch. I
hadn’t seen Ingrid in about 2 months because Alton had been watching my every
move since he’d come back home. I couldn’t take a deep breath without him
scrutinizing my actions. I needed a break from the prison he’d created.
Ingrid and I
went to PF Chang’s at Cumberland Mall for lunch and then did some shopping.
Afterwards, we came back to my house to relax for a minute. I knew Alton was
going to be working late so there was no chance of him coming home while she
was there.
“So what’s
going on with you and Alton? He got you on lockdown?”
“Yeah he has
been watching my every move. I don’t know how much more of it I can take.”
“Well divorce
him. It doesn’t matter that you have a child. It only sweetens the pot. He
makes plenty of money so you can get spousal support as well as child support
and be taken care of well.”
“I’ve been
thinking about it but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I have to
really think this through.”
“I don’t know
why you insist on living this lie. You know as well as I do that we should be
together. I’ve been more than patient, but I don’t know how much longer you
expect me to wait Nadiah. You’re going to have to make a choice soon, him or
me.”
Ezekiel
Living
with Jazz was pretty cool. We got along great and as long as I kept our
relationship in perspective there was no problem. I couldn’t help but think of
what it would be like to be with him though. It was the hardest on me when I
caught glimpses of Jazz in his towel when he came out of the shower. It was
especially hard when he’d walk around shirtless in his boxer briefs. Those
boxer briefs were always strained to their limit trying to contain all that he
has been blessed with.
After months
of no contact, Jamal called me out of the blue. I tried not answering the phone
but he continued to blow my phone up. I didn’t want him to show up unannounced,
which he was known to do when we were dating. I would hate to be left trying to
explain that to Jazz since he doesn’t even know I am gay.
For a while I
couldn’t even stand to think about Jamal without thinking about how I saw him
last, screwing the hell out of my best friend! I didn’t care to see him and he
didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting back with me. He committed
the ultimate betrayal and I can never forget that. I didn’t want to give him
any type of encouragement by calling him back. As sure as a hog loves slop he
called again
“Hello?”
“Hey um Zeke,
this is um…”
“I know who
it is, what do you want Jamal?”
“I really
want to talk to you.”
“Talk.”
“Well not on
the phone. Can I come over?”
“Not an
option.”
“Okay, can we
meet somewhere?”
“I will be on
campus all day tomorrow. You can meet me in the student center at 1:00 P.M.”
“Okay I’ll be
there. Thanks Zeke.”