-girl do you know what he did-[spoken]
If he ever left me, I wouldn't even be sad, no
Cause there's a blessing in every lesson
And I'm glad that I knew him at all
Cause he is the truth
Said he is so real
And I love the way, that he makes me feel
And if I am a reflection of him ,then I must be fly cause
his light it shines so bright, I wouldn't lie
I pulled up to my mother’s house got a bag of a few things I bought for her out the backseat and went inside.
“Mama.” I called out walking into her house.
“In the kitchen baby.”
I walked in the kitchen to find her cleaning off the counter. I kissed her on her cheek.
“Where you coming from?” She went to the sink and rinsed out the dish rag.
“Target. Picking up some last minute stuff.”
“I wish you would’ve told me. I love those oatmeal cookies they got.”
“Already a step ahead of you.” I put the cookies on the counter. “Also got you some paper towels. They had a sale.”
“Thank you baby.” She took them from me and put them on top of the refrigerator.
I sat down on a stool, put my purse on the counter and watched her sweep.
“You brought the keys?”
“Yeah, their right here.” I took them out of my purse and sat them on the counter.
“And if I have problems, I’ll just call you.” She got the dustpan and swept the garbage into it.
“About that. I have a different number.”
“What you talking about?” She turned looking at me puzzled. “You got a new phone?”
“No, I had to buy a magic jack.”
“Ain’t those, the things you use out of the country?” She emptie the trash into the garbage can.
“Yeah.”
“Well what you need one for, if you just going to Chicago.” She washed her hands in the sink.
I had to tell my mother the truth. No sense in lying.
“I’m not going to Chicago. I’m going to Paris.” I looked down not wanting to see her face.
“Paris? Why you tell me Chicago then?” She placed both her hands on the counter looking straight across from me.
“I didn’t want to hear your mouth. I’m going with August.”
“Oh my God. You just don’t listen do you.” She shook her head and placed some containers with food into the fridge.
“Mama, if it’s a mistake, which I know its not, let me make that mistake.”
She closed the fridge looking at me, “Who paid his half, cause I know he ain’t got it unless he slanging dope.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Amber you paid for him a fucking trip to go to Paris?” She pointed at me with her index finger.
“That’s my business mama.”
“Is his dick that good?” She put her hands on her hips.
“Mama!”
“It must be. You trickin on him like that.”
“Tricking? Nobodies trickin. He didn’t even want to go. I had to force him.”
“That’s the game Amber. They act modest.”
“Are you going to go check on my house or not?”
“No. Cause that means I agree with this mess and I don’t. He gon get you in Paris, kill you and take all your money.”
“Okay, I’m done.” I got up.
“You know that boys a murderer.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“What are you talking about?”
“I does my research. And he’s a little hoodlum. Going around killing people and slanging dope.”
August had told me that he had sold drugs before while he was younger. That was before he came to Atlanta after his brother’s death that forced him to change his life, but the murder accusation was just outrageous.
“Mama, I’m not entertaining your theories.” I started for the door.
“Have you ever checked his record?”
“No, I trust him.”
“You have access to everyone’s criminal record, and you wouldn’t even check to see about the man you’re dating? You need to be smarter Amber.”
“You pulled his arrest record?” I was hurt that she would even do that.
“I had Mr. Willy at the church do it. You know he used to work down there in New Orleans at the Prosecutors Office.”
“The same Mr. Willy you’re dating. Mama, he’ll tell you anything to get in your drawls.”
“Wait here.” She left out the kitchen.
I sat there trusting that August wouldn’t have anything to hide, but still nervous about what my mother might have found. I mean Aug did have a temper, but I couldn’t imagine him killing somebody.
My mother returned. She handed me an arrest record for August. Sure enough it was his mug-shot, with a couple petty charges. Weed. Driving with tinted windows. But she had one charge circled in red.
“Murder.” She emphasized.
I swallowed hard. Shocked, but still giving him the benefit of the doubt.
“Mama, he obviously didn’t get convicted so it means he wasn’t guilty.”
“That’s because his cousin took the fall for him.”
“How do you know that? Mr. Willy said that?” I asked skeptically.
“He knows the lawyer that worked on the case, and that’s what he told him.”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you that. That’s against ethics.”
“Baby, I have my ways of getting information.” She gyrated her hips a little bit.
“I don’t believe it. And you and Mr. Willy stay your asses outta my fucking business.” I balled the paper up, got my purse and walked out slamming the door.
I sat in my car debating whether to go to my job and look it up myself.
“No Amber. Trust August. If there is something, I’m sure he’ll be real with you.” I told myself.
I decided against going to the office and headed home. God, why is there always something.
Chapter 25
Start from the beginning
