Trickery & Envy (29 page)

“Thank you
Charles,” she said. “Kiss Jennifer for me,” and she closed and locked the door behind him.

***

Four days later Jennifer appeared to be getting her strength back. She was released from the hospital and back home with her husband. She sat at the kitchen table in her pink robe and house shoes while Charles, also in his robe and house shoes, was fixing them something to eat. She was bothered about why her gynecologist wanted to see her.

“I told you there’s nothing to worry about,”
Charles said moving over from the stove and sliding one of two sunny-sides up eggs from a pan onto her plate. “Follow ups are normal. You’d probably be in better health if you didn’t worry so much.” He let the other egg slide into his plate.

“I know Charles, but why would
Dr. Maim ask us to come in if everything was okay.”

Jennifer rose
from the table to pour coffee into their cups.

Charles sat the pan back on the stove and reached for the pot of grits.

“Baby, you were just hospitalized.” He looked at her pouring coffee. “Maybe he wants to see if he should hold off on your last two treatments until all of your flu symptoms are gone. You know you’re scheduled to have surgery following your treatments. He probably wants to make sure you have enough strength for it,” and Charles added slices of bacon to their plates. He then moved over and kissed Jennifer on the cheek as she was putting the coffee pot back. “Sweetie you want toast or an English muffin,” he said.

Jennifer blew out a little of her anxiety. “Toast,” she said and move
d to the table where she took a seat and began adding cream and sugar to their coffee.

As
Charles placed bread into the four slot toaster he thought a prayer.
God please give this woman faith and the strength to get through this.

The next
morning not even Charles could calm the concerns Jennifer had, especially after being told that Dr. Maim was running an hour late. His lateness only gave Jennifer more time to worry if she would overcome her illness.

“Charles I can’t sit here. Let’s wait in the car,”
Jennifer said and alerted the receptionist of her plan.

Seconds after they got into the car Jennifer broke out in
gut-wrenching tears. “Some things you just know, Charles.”

“Baby, what are you talking about?” he said looking over at her.

“I’m going to die,” Jennifer told him and bawling uncontrollably.

“Your foolish thinking is what’s going to take you out of here. Baby you’re going to be fine. Stop thinking the wors
t,” Charles said and wishing she would have more faith, wrapped his arms securely around her shoulder hoping her prediction wasn’t correct. He looked up.
God please help my wife through this, please give her strength. Let her know she’s going to be fine.

Jennifer
solemnly revealed to him, “My mama, sister and aunt died from cancer.”

“That doesn’t mean
it’ll be your outcome. Jennifer will you have faith. As a man thinks it, so shall it be. Is that what you want? Quit thinking there’s no hope for you. Have you once thought about what your negative view is doing to me,” he said softly caressing her up and down her arm.

“Charles
! Listen to me!” Jennifer said as if she was irritated with him consoling her. “I know what having faith can do, but God also gave us intuition. I see him,” she said and sniffled again.

“Jennifer, Jennifer,” he murmured
, and squeezing his hand that was around her shoulder a little tighter. “Baby, don’t do this,” Charles said as if all her talk was foolish thinking.

“Charles, I think He wants me to prepare you...and Vi. A lot of people don’t get this chance.
” Jennifer smiled and then shifted her body to talk to him face to face. “Now I’m not going to say I’m ready, but God’s ready for me. I know Charles, He’s ready for me.”

T
ears slowly began to flow from Charles eyes. He closed them to seal the pain in his heart and to block out what could be the painful truth.

Jennifer placed one hand
tenderly against the side of Charles face. “I love you so much,” she said. “The next woman that comes into...”

“Noooo Jennifer
you’re talking out of your head. No other woman baby, please don’t say that. You’re going to live. We’re one. Baby things have changed. How cancer is treated today is the reason you’re going to survive this...you hear me,” and Charles lowered his head and sobbed. His body began to jerk from the possibility Jennifer was right that God was ready for her soul.

“
Death happens for a reason Charles...God’s reason,” and Jennifer looked and saw Dr. Maim getting out his black Mercedes. She waited a few seconds then said, “Dr. Maim just went inside the building, you ready,” and she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Charles cheek.

Wow
Sabrina thought after they entered the waiting room and took a seat. Instead of the sad, concerned temperament Jennifer had before she returned with an unperturbed smile. She glanced at Charles and wondered what occurred because they seemed to have exchanged spirits. Though Charles tried to look unaffected by Jennifer’s painful words it was obvious he was troubled.

Sabrina stood and politely sa
id, “Mr., Mrs. Washington, you want to come with me.”

They followed Sabrina into the exam room.

“If you don’t mind stepping on the scale,” Sabrina said opening Jennifer’s chart to record her weight. Afterwards, she said, “Mrs. Washington you can have a seat. Dr. Maim will be in shortly,” and she left closing the door behind her.

Dr. Maim
tapped on the door.

“Come in,” Jennifer said.

“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Washington, I apologize for having you wait.”

Charles
nodded and Jennifer displayed a short smile.

“I heard you had been battling the flu. It
is that time of year. Did either of you get the flu shot? We try to stress how important it is to get one.”

Jennifer smiled. “No, we haven’t gotten it. I guess that
’s why I ended up with it.”

“That’s a possibility,”
Dr. Maim said and moved on to why he asked them to come in.  With Jennifer’s chart in hand he opened it. “I received your results from your x-ray, as well as your blood and urine test taken on your last visit. As I explained, we perform x-rays after a couple weeks of treatment to see if and how much the tumor is shrinking.”

Jennifer place
d her hand on Charles knee.

Dr. Maim
closed the chart. “I’m sorry, but the cancer has spread.”

Charles
lowered his head.

Jennifer
gave him a few pats on the knee as an indication that it was okay.

Dr. Maim
was confused by his patient’s response. “Are you okay?” he asked surprised at how calm she was.

Jennifer nod
ded, yes. “I’m fine,” she said.

“
Your cancer has metastasize meaning it has spread outside your uterus and into nearby lymph nodes. We are no longer looking at a Stage II, but a Stage IV. It has spread to your bladder. I’m concerned with how quickly the cancer is spreading. There’s a possibility that the radiation caused a reduction in your white blood cells, which is needed to help protect the body against infections. It may be why your flu symptom continues to linger.”

Jennifer continue
d to appear unmoved by her new diagnoses.

“How’s your energy level?”
Dr. Maim asked. “Since your last weigh in you’ve lost fifteen pounds.”

“So
-so. I don’t feel like eating sometimes and lately I’ve been feeling exhausted.”

Jennifer
then smiled at Charles when he looked at her. He had already taken notice that Jennifer was losing a lot of weight, but didn’t point it out to her, for fear it would give Jennifer something else to worry about.

“Dr, what
do you suggest?” Charles said. He was hoping for an optimistic proposal to show Jennifer that she was wrong in her prognosis that she was going to die.

“We
can keep with the treatments consider increasing the dose and the number of treatments. Though, first we have to get you healthy enough to withstand them, get some protein drinks in you,” Dr. Maim said looking at Jennifer.

Charles nod
ded as if it was the positive news he’d been waiting to hear. “Okay,” he said, still nodding his head. “Let’s go that route.”

“Whatever you say,” Jennifer said
with a soft look at Charles.

“I’m going to leave you
two. If you have any questions, please, give me a call,” Dr. Maim said and turned to leave the room.

“
Dr. Maim,” Jennifer called out and then smiled at Charles. “You mind giving me a minute with Dr. Maim?”

Charles
shook his head okay, and then left them alone.

“D
octor I need you to be honest with me.”

He nod
ded.

“How much longer do you think I have?”

“Shouldn’t this be a question your husband would want to know the answer to as well?”

“He didn’t ask the question
Doctor, I did. Knowing Charles he’s going to be in denial. He probably thinks I’m going to live forever. How long Dr. Maim?”

“
I was going to speak with you about this after you gain some of your energy back. Three to six months,” he stated.

“Okay,” Jennifer said. “It’s not like God hasn’t already
forewarned me. Doctor, I appreciate you being honest with me. Unless Charles asks, I would like to keep my inquiry between us.”

Dr. Maim
nodded then left the room with her records in hand.

***

Vivian heard Charles and Jennifer’s garage door closing. She went for her purse in the bedroom with her gun inside. She put on her brown knee length tweed coat then headed over to Jennifer’s house. She shook the cool air off as she scurried across the lawn and rung the doorbell anxious to get out of the cold.

“Hey, you must have
seen us pulling in,” a cheery Jennifer said. “How are you doing?”

“
Okay,” Vivian replied and turned and locked the door for Jennifer.

Jennifer saw how quickly she locked the
door and felt her friend was probably still a little frightened from being attacked.

Charles walk
ed into the living room. “Hey Vivian, how are things going?” he said.

“Okay, I guess.”

“Baby, I’m going to catch up on some things. I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” Charles said and he headed for the basement.

Before Jennifer became ill
Charles hardly went into the basement. He now sought the laundry room out as a sanctuary to let loose what he was feeling. He closed the door and dropped to his knees clasping his hands together with tears clouding his eyes. He began to pray for a full recovery for Jennifer.

“
Father God, don’t take her away from me. Lord, please don’t take her away from me. I ask you in the name of Jesus to rid her body of all its pain and disease. Lord, please heed my prayer and free the illness inside her. Heal her God in the name of Jesus. I’m asking you to prove her wrong. We took a vow, ‘til death do us part. If she’s to go I ask you Lord to take me with her. You said Lord, you won’t forsake me. God don’t divide us.” He sniffled again. “In Jesus name...Amen.”

Charles r
ose to his feet wiping at his eyes. He saw that the laundry basket was full of clothes and set the washer to clean them. He then opened the dryer and removed sheets that were in it and folded them. He left the laundry room in search of any other chores that needed to be done and did them. He didn’t want Jennifer to do anything but lift a spoon or fork to her mouth to eat. If she needed help with that, he would help her with that task as well, anything to preserve Jennifer’s strength.

Jennifer and Vivian
had got comfortable in the living room. Jennifer placed a pot of left over spaghetti on the stove and began to heat it.

“Jen, girl,
have you been eating?” Vivian said and stretched out on the dark blue leather sofa with a copy of Ebony magazine, rifling through the pages.

Jennifer sat
on the matching lazy boy.

“I haven’t had much of an appetite.
Dr. Maim mentioned today that I lost fifteen pounds,” Jennifer said with a tender smile on her face.

“What else did he say?”
Vivian asked while turning another page in the magazine.

“Nothing I didn’t already know.”

Vivian looked over at her. “What is it that you already knew?”

Jennifer sh
rugged her shoulders. “That the cancer had spread. You come across anything good in that magazine?” she said referring to recipes. “I said I was going to cancel Ebony.”

Jennifer
moved to get a magazine from the bottom of her deep brown and glass cocktail table.