Chapter 22: Catch 22.
"How in the world did you afford the rent in a place like this?" My aunt asks as we place grocery bags on the kitchen island.
"It was a gift from a friend." I tell her.
"Does this friend have a name?" She asks and I scrunch my nose up.
"Let's leave him anonymous for now. But he really likes me." I tell her as she starts putting the groceries away.
"Are we ever going to meet this man?" She asks and I shake my head.
"I don't think so. Not now at least." I tell her.
"How's getting Mom's papers going?" I ask her, changing the subject.
"Child, it is taking so much time. My connect down at the immigration office is out sick. He has colon cancer and he hasn't been able to come to work since I paid him the money." She says and I immediately get worked up.
"Auntie, are you sure that dude works at the immigration office?" I ask her.
"Yes, I'm sure." She says and I nod.
"Where did you even meet him?" I ask her, she hesitates before she gives me an answer.
"Craigslist." She says and I touch my head.
Oh, hell no.
"Craigslist? What the fuck, Auntie. That man could be a scammer for all we know. I thought you did a background check on him." I say, folding my arms as I stare at her.
"I thought he was the real deal. My friend at work recommended him to me." She says and I place my hands on my forehead.
"There is no way, this is happening right now." I say, starting to panic.
"Did you really give ten thousand dollars to a strange man?" I ask her and she avoids my eyes.
"I don't know. Look, I'll ask my friend about him. Hopefully, he works at the immigration office." She says and I nod.
"He better." I quip.
"Let's just make dinner and keep this away from your mother." She says, placing the tomatoes in a bowl as I help her unpack the grocery bags.
After dinner, I'm just chilling and I get a text from an unknown number.
Unknown number: Is this Jasmine Prentice?
Me: Who's asking?
Unknown Number: My name is Darrell.
Me: What makes you think I care about what your name is? How did you get my number?
Unknown Number: I'd really like to meet with you.
Me: Who the fuck are you, bro?
The number doesn't text me again and I just sit in bed, wondering what the fuck that was about.
Minutes later, my I get another message from the number. It's a picture of me when I was little. I'm playing with a toy car and my Dad is in the background.
How did this person get this picture?
What kind of creep is this?
I text the number back.
Me: Where did you get this?
Unknown Number: I've had this picture for years, Jasmine.
Me: I don't even know you and you have a picture of me from when I was little. You don't find that creepy.
Unknown Number: Why would I? You're my little girl after all.
Me: Look, whoever you are just leave me alone. And burn that picture.
The number FaceTime's me and I answer. I'm about to tell this creep off. The person doesn't show their face, only the ceiling.
"Look, you better show your damn face. You don't scare anybody." I say, holding my phone up.
The person on the other side shows their face, it's a middle-aged white man. He smiles at me and I scowl at him.
Who the fuck is he smiling at?
What a weirdo.
"Hey." He says and I stare at him.
"Who are you and how did you get my number?" I ask him and he just keeps that stupid smile on his face.
"You're so big now. The last time I saw you, you were just a babe." He says and I stare at him in confusion.
"Do I know you?" I ask him. "Because you're acting like you know me."
"I don't expect you to remember me." He tells me.
"Look, I have homework to get to, so you need to tell me why you're bothering me." I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"I'm your dad, Jasmine." He tells me and I stare at the screen.
"Hold on." I say, placing my phone on the bed.
I rush to my dresser, searching through the clutter. I find my old picture book and I flip through it. I land on a picture of my father holding me at the hospital. I walk back to my bed and I grab my phone.
"So, you're saying this is you?" I ask him, showing him the picture in my hand.
"Yep." He says.
"Bullshit." I say in disbelief.
He shuffles around for something and he shows me the exact same picture, holding it in his white hands.
Dad.
"This isn't real." I say, shaking my head.
"I would really like to meet up with you, Jasmine." He says and I laugh.
"Yeah, and I would have loved to have a father for the past eighteen years, but we can't always get what we want." I tell him.
"I'm sorry I-" I don't let him finish his sentence. I hang up the phone. I can't believe that I just had a conversation with my actual Dad.
Growing up, my mother told me that my father left her because he wasn't ready for fatherhood and he felt like he was being forced into it. He didn't want anything to do with me all these years, now he thinks he can just show up out of thin air like a magician. I'm never talking to him again. I'll just pretend like that entire conversation never happened.
My life is eventful enough, I won't let anything disrupt the normalcy I have created for myself and my family. Not even my estranged father.
***
"Girl, tonight was a movie." Barbie tells me as she counts her money.
I stare at my money bag, it's not even half full. Being in section nine has really slowed things down for me. People aren't willing to walk that far to see the new girl. God, I miss when I was front and center.
"We can always talk to Chris to give you your section back." Barbie says.
"Huh?" I say. "Sorry, I zoned out." I tell her.
I was actually staring at her money. I am so jealous right now. Thank God for Richard, if not, I would be dead broke right now.
And before you think I spent all the money he gave me, no, I didn't. I put them in my savings account for college. I figured since I have the money, why not plan and go to college?
"I was saying that-" She is cut off by screams coming from the club.
"What the fuck?" I say, staring at the door.
We hear gunshots and Barbie stares at me.
"Lock the door." I tell her.
"No, I wanna go see what's happening." She counters.
"No. If it's a fight you don't wanna be caught in the crossfire." I tell her.
We hear more gunshots and screams. Someone bangs on the door and opens it. My breath catches in my throat as we wait for the person to come in.
This is how I die.
A blonde girl rushes in and locks the door behind her. She doesn't work her, she's probably a clubber.
"Some guys are here." She says, breathing heavily.
"Calm down, I can't hear you." Barbie tells her.
"Breathe." I say, staring at her.
The girl breathes in and out and then starts speaking again.
"I was dancing and everything was going fine when these men in white, busted into the club guns blazing." She says and I gasp.
"Did they shoot anyone?" I ask her and she nods.
"They shot some bouncers and the guy at the bar." She tells me and I cover my mouth with my hands.
"Gustavo?" I mumble.
"It's really bad out there. I ran in here before they could get to me. They are robbing people out there." She says, looking terrified.
"I'll call the police." Barbie says, dialing the number on her phone.
We hear somebody trying to open the door and the three of us gasp, I keep moving backwards and until my back hits the steel lockers. Barbie shoves her money in her bag and holds it around her arm.
"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR OR WE'LL SHOOT IT DOWN!!!" I hear a man say from the other side of the door. The blonde girl starts crying and I don't blame her. This is a nightmare.
"Oh My God." I say, feeling my hands shaking.
Someone shoots at the door and I head for the showers. I feel Barbie and the blonde girl trailing behind me. I get into a shower booth and the two girls squeeze in with me. We hear the door bust open and the blonde girl's cries intensify.
"Shh." I say, covering her mouth.
"Yo, check this out. A rolex." We hear a guy say.
"We gotta be quick, take what you can. The getaway car is leaving any minute now." Another man says. We hear them talking and Barbie's phone rings in her hand.
Yup, we're dying today.
I hear footsteps approaching us and the shower door opens.
"THREE OF YOU OUT!!!." A guy in a blue ski mask shouts. He has a gun in his hands. "NOW!!!" He orders.
Barbie and the blonde girl leave the shower and I'm about to when he stops me.
"No, you stay here." He tells me before he leaves me.
I hear Barbie scream as the guy tells at her.
God, this is bad.
Really bad.
The guy comes back after a while and he starts feeling up on me.
"Stop." I say, pushing him away.
He hits my head with the back of his gun. That hurts like hell.
"Don't resist and this will be over soon." He says, pulling down his sweatpants. At least that's what I think he's doing, my vision's all hazy.
I feel him shift my bodysuit to the side before he shoves himself into me. I let out a painful cry as he pushes my head to the wall. He picks up the pace and I start crying.
"Please..stop." I beg, but he keeps going.
He moans in my ear and my tears intensify. I feel so fucking dirty right now.
"You like that don't you? Little slut." He whispers in my ear as I keep crying.
"Yo, what the fuck dude?" I hear someone say, but I can't see 'cause this fucker has my head pinned to the tiled wall.
"Get outta here men." I hear him say.
The other guy shoves him and he gets off me.
"You wanna fucking go." The guy in the blue ski mask asks him.
"That wasn't part of the plan." The guy in the purple ski mask tells me.
"Fuck the plan bro, get out of my way." The guy in the blue ski mask says before he leaves the shower.
I'm currently crouched down in a corner sobbing.
"I'm sorry." The guy in the purple ski mask says before he rushes off.
I get up and slowly walk out of the shower room. I'm so sore right now. I see Barbie sitting on one of the benches. She looks up at me as I walk closer to her.
"I heard everything." She says as I sit beside her.
I start crying again and she holds me in her arms.
"I'm sorry, Jaz." She says, patting my head as she hugs me. I hear her sniffling as she comforts me. Is she crying too?
"You didn't deserve that." She tells me and I nod.
This is by far the worst week of my life.