Too Salty: Ain't a Damn Thang Changed (Part 6) (12 page)

Sitting in the hotel room
, Pam asked God to guide her footsteps. She got on her knees and prayed. She cried and demanded He helped her. Finally tired of praying and crying, she decided to go for a walk. There was a Target across the street, so she decided to go over there and grab a cellphone. One her way from Target, God sent her another sign that He was there when she stumbled upon a uniform shop that was on the outskirts of the shopping area she just left. Before walking in, Pam looked up to the havens, thanked God, and smiled. She found what she was looking for right in front of the store. Too excited to go back to her room, she paid the lady and asked if she could get dressed there. They owner had no problem with that. After Pam was dressed, she called a cab from her new cell phone.

For Pam
, the ride was long and anxious.  It was a Friday afternoon, which meant traffic. She pulled up in the cab about an hour later. When Pam paid the driver, she noticed the money the Roberts had giving her was getting low. Yeah, she needed to get the show on the road. Pam’s heart thumped a mile a minute as she made her way to the room where she last known Stacy to be. She kept her head down most of the time, she didn’t want people to stop and try to talk to her. Instead of taking the elevator to the seventh floor, she took the stairs.

“Hey
, sister,” Pam heard someone speak. She waved at her and kept walking. “Wait, come here,” the nurse called after Pam. Pam took a deep breath and stopped. She stood there impatiently waiting on the nurse. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been?”

“I had to go out of town,” Pam lied.

“Oh, ok. Well, it’s a lady in there that tried to kill herself after finding her husband dead on the front porch. She’s in custody and should be going over to the mental ward, but I thought maybe you would want to pray for her before they take her.”

Pam really didn’t have time, but to keep her disguise
, she gave the nurse a head nod. “Which room?” Pam asked.

“Come on
, I’ll walk with you.” The nurse walked off and Pam walked with her.  The girl was in the same room Jazz had been in. Pam’s heart dropped. 

“Greg
, come back, come back, Greg. I can’t make it without you,” the lady cried. She looked to be about Jazz’s age, no more than twenty, and was half black and Hispanic. Pam’s heart went out the young lady. She knew what it was like to love and miss someone that was so dear to your heart, and to find him dead herself. Pam slowly walked over to the lady. “Oh, noooooo, it hurts so bad. Please, God, take this pain away. Please, I can’t go on.”

Pam looked at the nurse.
“Does she have kids?”

“A little boy
. He is in foster care right now.”

“Jesus
.” The nurse, as well as the Catholic officer that was in the room, looked at Pam like she was strange. A nun calling on Jesus? Pam had no idea that she had said something wrong. The young lady had her undivided attention. Pam slowly walked over to her and touched her hand.

“I just want him back
. If I can’t have him back, I need to go with him.” She cried.

“Your son, what about your son
?” Pam squeezed her hand.

The young lady shook her head from side to side. “I can’t look at him. He reminds me too much of my husband. I can’t
, I just can’t go on.”

Pam didn’t know what else to do but grab her and hug her. She kissed the young lady on her head and began to pray.
“God, give her strength. God, Your daughter needs you. God, help her know that she can and will go on, and that the love of her husband will live in her heart and through that baby.”  The girl broke down in Pam’s arms. Every now and again, she cried out, from the depths of her soul, her husband’s name. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Even the officer had to step out to keep from crying. “Baby, I know the feeling, but your baby needs you. Your baby can’t lose you and his dad. Your husband wouldn’t rest well knowing that. It’s a cold world out here.” Pam rocked her. “It’s a cold, cold world and that baby needs you.”

“Arrrggggggghhhhh
, pleeeesssssssssssssssss…” She continued to sob.

“I’m praying that you never give up on you
, and especially not that baby. Baby, it will take time, but you will heal with time.” Pam looked over, and the nurse had walked over to the IV and injected it. Pam felt her relax and before Pam knew it, she was asleep. “God, be with her,” Pam whispered as she and the nurse eased her back down on the bed. Pam wiped her eyes and walked out. 

Pam approached Stacy
’s room, her heart pounded and her hands shook she hoped that Stacy didn’t freak out. Pam took a deep breath and let it out, and then quickly walked into the room. She froze when she saw her Gary and Stacy kissing. “What’s going on?” The words slipped from Pam’s mouth. They broke their kiss and looked at her. She couldn’t hide her feelings as she stood there. Pastor G looked in her eyes and chills ran down his spine. He didn’t know what it was about her, but it was something.  Stacy looked at Pastor G, and then looked at the nun. She smiled and held up her finger,

“Look
, sister, I’m getting married. He proposed to me and I said yes!” Pam darted her eyes toward Stacy and her ring. “I wasn’t sure at first, but now I am.” Stacy touched G’s hand. “I apologize about the outburst the last time you were here.”

‘His AIDS having dead bitch
.’ Those words flashed in Pam’s head. “You’re marrying her?” Pam frowned.

Stacy cleared her voice. She and G w
ere both ready to respond when in walked Calvin. Calvin pushed Pam to the side and she flew across the room, hitting her head on the chair. He leaped over and jumped on Pastor G, knocking Stacy over in the process. He jumped on G threw blow after blow to his face.

“Nigga
, you pulled a gun on my mother! Nigga, I’ll kill you. Where the fuck is my daughter at?” Calvin hit G so quick and with so much force, he couldn’t attempt to fight back.

Stacy screamed
for help. Pam had finally regained her composure and stood from the floor. Her eyes bulged out as she watched Calvin beat G. She wasn’t having that. She looked around the room and spotted a large flower vase with a teddy bear attached.
I love you
, she read as she snatched it off the counter, ran over to where Calvin was choking Pastor G, and banged him over the head. Calvin stumbled forward just a little bit. Pam then began punching him.

“Get off him
, get him.” Calvin reached over and knocked her in the chin.  Pam stumbled back and Stacy screamed. She tried to get up off the floor, but her legs were too weak. They were going at it in there.

Security finally rushed in the room
and the nurse ran over to Pam. “You alright?” she asked.

“Help me
, help me.” Stacy wanted to get up. She got the nurse’s attention, and she ran over to help her. The cop that was over in the next room, along with a few other cops, ran into the room. They grabbed Calvin and cuffed him. Pam eased out of the room. She looked back at Pastor G, who was all bloody, but it didn’t stop him from hugging and rocking a crying Stacy.

****

Pam got out the shower. With water running all over her body, she walked back in the room and dropped face first on the bed. She needed a drink.

After what happened the hospital
, Stacy was moved to a private room and had around the clock security by her door. Stacy was distraught. She refused to let Pastor G leave her, but when he told her that he needed to go and check on something concerning Ken, she gave in.  Only if he promised that he would call her before he turned in and that he would be back to see her the next morning.  He agreed to all that. 

“Make sure you call
, and check on Jazz and Mrs. Brown,” he told her, and then placed a kiss on her forehead and neck.

“You make sure you have Mrs. Brown change that bandage when you get there.” The beating Calvin put on G left him with four sti
tches and a busted nose. There was nothing that could hold him back, though. He’d suffered with worse battle wounds.

“I will
, baby. I will call you when I make it out there.” He looked at her and smiled.   Pastor G turned and walked toward the door.

“Baby,” Stacy called behind him. He turned and looked at her. She wanted to ask him what he thought about that nun jumping in and helping him
, but thought she should ask at another time. He did say he needed to go and handle something for Ken. “I love you and I can’t wait to be your wife.” She held up her finger, exposing the two carat engagement ring.  Pastor G winked before walking out.

As soon as he stepped out of the hospital, he called Big Man to let him know he was on his way. Watching his back in-between steps, he made his way to his truck.  Thinking about how he hid out in the back of Mrs. Kenslow’s ride, he thought to check his own vehicle before getting in. Everything seemed on the up and up, so he hopped in and headed for the motorcycle club.

   It was still early when G pulled up
, so he didn’t have a problem finding a park. He called Big Man to let him know that he was outside.

“Come on in. I ain’t letting her out of my sight.”

Pastor G hung up, got out, and walked to the club. He thought about Calvin and how he attacked him, and couldn’t wait until he got a hold of him and killed him. In his mind, Calvin would always be a problem until he was six feet under.

Before stepping in the club, Pastor G spoke to a few of the members he knew. He looked around the smoke filled place until he spotted who he was looking for.
Big Man sat at the bar watching Laurie dance like a white girl all over the dance floor. Big Man looked to his left when G walked up. He gave a head nod toward Laurie’s direction. “How long she’s been here?”

“I followed her he
re about an hour ago.”  Calvin gave him a curious look. Big Man leaned over in his ear. “I did my research. It wasn’t hard to find the Kenslow estate. I wanted the momma, but got the one closest to her would work.”

“Yup.” G turned toward the bartender and
waved him over.

“Let me get a beer.” The bartender handed him his beer
, and he and Big Man continued to watch Laurie.

*****

“Met her in the club/took her to the crib/and you know I fucked/tooted and booted/tooted and booted
,”
Laurie sang as she danced around the club to YG. She was so drunk. She’d started drinking when she first got there three hours ago and hadn’t stopped.

     
Big Man and Pastor G began to get impatient. They wanted to say forget it and snatch her ass up out of there, but knew it would be a bad move. So, they sat and waited. They watched as Laurie flaunted her ass on different guys around the club. One guy picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist while he bounced her up and down. She fell backwards with her hands on the floor, laughing like she was having the best time of her life. They watched as she danced with a few more guys.

“Man
, let’s just drag her hot ass up out of here and go.” Big Man looked at G, awaiting a response.

“Naw, too many eyes.”

Just as he said that, Laurie gave dude tongue on the dance floor. Good thing she had on shorts because he felt all over her body. They watched as the guy whispered in her ear. Laurie threw her head back and laughed. She then grabbed him by the crouch. Dude placed his hands on hers and kissed her again. Laurie broke their kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. A slow song came on and she laid her head on his chest. Dude fanned at two other dudes that were standing on the other side of the club. They walked over and he mouthed something to them. They both smiled and gave him a head nod. He then took Laurie by the hand and they all walked out. G looked at Big Man, who was already looking at him. They stood up and followed the four out the door.

“Aye
, man, where you going with my niece?” Pastor G hollered toward them.

Dude turned around. “Man
, this my girl,” he lied. 

Big Man
didn’t have time to play. He reached in his waist and pulled out his heat. “Let her hand go.” The look on Big Man’s face let them know he wasn’t to play with. Dude let Laurie’s hand go.

“Baby
, come on.” Laurie turned around.

She was so drunk
, she had no idea what was going on.

“Come on
, girl.” G picked her up.

“Ugh
, let me go. Who you are?” She whined. G ignored her. Big Man watched the dudes as G walked Laurie to the car and put her in before turning around and lightly jogging to the truck. Big Man hopped in and they pulled off.

Laurie jumped from the bed holding her pounding head with one hand and her upset stomach with the other. Her first reaction was to run straight ahead. She was seconds away from letting out her insides. A scowl appeared on her face when she inhaled the stale smell of the room, and she became puzzled when she realized she was in an unfamiliar place. Before her brain could command her body to turn around and see who in the hell was in the strange place with her, her insides decided to have a convocation of its own right on the motel room floor. The more she tasted the liquor flavored vomit, the more she had to earl. It was disgusting and on top of that, her head was pounding.