Unedited!
"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team."
- Scottie Pippen
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Chapter Seventeen:
"I'm home!" Parker yelled as he entered the dimly lit apartment. Two grocery bags swayed from his right arm as silence filled the air. His eyes scanned the living room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Nola. The corner of his lips twitched down when he noticed that Nola was not in the living room.
Parker set down the bags by the front door and glanced down the hallway, wondering where Nola was.
With curious steps, Parker went into the bedroom to see if she was there. "Nola?" He questioned as he opened the bedroom door. Upon looking around the room he noted that she was not in the bedroom either. The bathroom door was open and the light was out, so Parker knew that she was not in there.
"Nola, are you here?!" He called out.
Worry set in him as he went into the kitchen and found she was not there too. Parker glanced around for a note. He hoped that she had listened to him and wrote that she was going out but he couldn't find one. Running his hands through his dirty blond hair, Parker started to feel concern boil up.
Anger coursed through him.
She left.
Not thinking straight, Parker punched the fridge in rage - denting a small portion.
She was gone ... She could be back with Mitch.
With large inhales and exhales, Parker tried to push down the hurt he felt at the fact that she had left. He wanted her to stay, that way he would know she was safe. Now ... well, now she could be in trouble and he wouldn't be able to help her. The thought of her needing him and he not being around made Parker feel worry and anger. He attempted to convince himself that she was safe, wherever she was. He controlled his rage by repeating that she would be back soon.
"At least she remembered to take her key," Parker noted as he tried to look on the positive side of things. "She's safe and on her way back right now..."
Slowly, Parker walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. He looked at the door waiting and hoping that Nola would stroll in, unharmed.
Knock.
The sound was unexpected and immediately Parker was alert. His eyes glanced at the door, wondering if that was the source of the knock. It had to be ... Where else would a knock come from? Parker stood up and went to the door. A quick rush of hope flooded him as he thought that it might be Nola at the door.
However when he opened the door, he saw that no one was there. He stuck his head out the door and looked right before looking left. There was not a single soul out and about. Retreating inside, Parker closed the door and sighed. He was imagining it - at least, that was what he was trying to convince himself.
"You're once more going crazy, Parker. No wonder the girl left, you're half crazier than a pineapple!"
Knock.
Turning on his heel, he immediately opened the door and looked around to see who had knocked. Yet, once again, there was no one outside. Parker closed the door once more and this time, he placed his eye on the peephole of the door, to see if he could catch whoever was play ding dong ditch.
Knock.
The sound startled Parker, not because he wasn't expecting it but more so because it was not coming from the door, like he so thought. He stepped away from the door and began to listen to the origin of the sound.
Knock. Knock.
Parker pinpointed the sound and knew it was coming from another room. After hearing the sound one more time he could tell that it was coming from his bedroom.
"Nola? Is that you?" Asked Parker as he entered the room.
Knock.
Turning to his right he laid eyes on the bedroom closet. The knock was coming from in there.
Reaching the walk-in closet, Parker gradually opened the door. Relief washed over him as he laid eyes on Nola. Her tiny figure was curled up in the back of the closet. Parker smiled, "BumbleBee, what are you doing in the closet?"
Nola's figure began to shake as her eyes slowly turned to look at Parker. The second she laid sights on him, her red shot eyes started to pool. Tears ran down her cheeks as a small sob escaped her lips.
Worry, that had just left, bubbled back up inside Parker. "Nola, what's wrong?" Crouching down he stared at her. "Why are you crying?"
There was a warm sensation on Nola's shoulder. She looked over to see that Parker had touched her shoulder. Nola's body jerked away and she felt herself becoming panicked. "Please," she muttered in a low, pleading, tone. "Don't."
"Sorry," Parker mumbled. He knew when she noticed his hand that she'd flinch away. However, it took her a second to realize that his hand had made contact with her shoulder. In that second, Parker was filled with happiness because he imagined, in the distant future, he will be able to touch her shoulder and she wouldn't react. He longed for the moment when he could give her hugs, freely, or touch her shoulder to comfort her. It would take time for her to be comfortable with him and Parker was completely okay with that.
Parker ended up getting in the closet and sitting opposite to Nola. He watched as she gradually began to relax in his presence and calm down.
Every once in awhile, he would catch her, glancing at him. He would smile and wait, patiently, for her to speak.
It had been hours, or at least, it felt that way to Parker before Nola spoke up.
"He was here."
Parker's heart picked up a beat. Nola did not need to have to say his name for Parker to know who she was talking about. "What? How? Why did you let him in? Did he hurt you? What happened?" He wanted to crawl over to her and rattle the answers out of her, but he remained in his corner of the closet.
Anger filled Nola because Parker actually thought that she willingly let Mitch in. She wouldn't let Mitch in, mainly because she knew she would be paralyzed in fear if she ever did see him again.
"On week-k-ends that he is not working at the ... the Factory, he works with his unc-c-cle. They're locksmiths ... he can get in pretty much any d-d-oor, if he wants to without being-ing detected. Normally ... he is fine with b-breaking down doors, though."
Parker sighed, he would have to find some new way to monitor the house and keep Nola safe. "Maybe we can get some of those fingerprint doors," he started to think. "There has to be a way to keep him out. Until we have a solution, someone needs to stay with you 24/7."
"He ... He has the extra key you left out."
"I'll call someone about getting a lock that he can't get pass, tomorrow. Now, just for tonight, we should get some new locks. I know he can pick any lock, but it would make me a tad happier when I'm kicking his ass to know that he had to work to get in, again. As opposed to him just using a key. So, would you like to go with me to get a new lock or would you rather we give my parents the job of going to Home Depot to pick up the locks?
"If we stay here," Parker added, "and get my parents to go to Home Depot, we can make a cake ... On the way home from work, I stopped by the store and picked up some cake mix. I hope you like strawberry cake ... it's my weakness..."
"I'd rather not get out of the house," Nola blurted out.
Parker knew that Nola really meant closet, not the house. "Okay, I'll call my parents. How about that cake? It'll do us some good to get out and bake. Have you ever baked before? Great way to clear your mind."
Nola wondered how it was possible for a man to talk so much, as she listened to Parker yak on and on about baking a cake. She knew that all he was trying to do was convince her to get out of the closet and bake a cake.
A small grin found her face when she thought that he didn't even have to convince her, she was ready to get out. "We ... we can ... go make the cake."
Parker smiled and stood up.
When Nola got up, Parker heard a clunk - like something hitting the floor. He looked down on the ground to see what Nola dropped.
"I'm ... gonna use the restroom b-before we start." Nola spoke the second Parker's eyes locked with the object she had dropped.
He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the object, not believing what he saw. Bending down, he picked up the silver metal piece from the floor. After examining it, he noticed that it was, in fact, what he thought it was: his spare key - the one he left for Nola on the counter.
"Hey, Nola. Isn't this-?" Parker turned around to question why she thought Mitch had the key when she dropped it getting up. However, Nola was gone and he quickly remembered that she had informed him that she was going to the restroom. Shoving the key into the front pocket of his slacks he reminded himself to ask Nola about it later.
***
Parker started humming when he handed her the ingredients. The song he was humming sounded familiar. She couldn't put a finger on where she heard it before though.
"That is all the instruction say you need. Now, do you want to measure everything and I mix it all up? Or do you want me to measure everything and you mix it all up?" Parker inquired as he stopped humming.
Nola shrugged her shoulders, "I don't mind doing either. I can even do it all ... if you want."
"I'll measure everything, you mix."
Nola studied Parker as he walked around, collecting different kinds of measuring equipment. Nola noticed that Parker was taking his time measuring and he made sure he got everything just right. He was not in a rush and seemed to be in his own little zone.
When he was done, he got out the mixer and showed Nola how to use it. When he knew that she had a handle on it, he backed away and let her do her own thing.
The room was filled with the humming of the handheld mixer. As if finding the sound bland, Parker began to hum the tune once more. The humming gradually turned into words.
"A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man, oh"
Nola stared at Parker as he began to dance in the middle of the kitchen. He looked so happy and Nola couldn't help but smile. The expression on Parker's face mirrored a gleeful child, so innocent to the troubles of the world.
Parker stopped dancing when the sound of his ringtone blasted through the air. Pulling his phone of out his back pocket, Parker wondered who would be calling him. Looking at the screen he saw it was not a familiar number. "Hello?"
"Hey, Parker, this is Douglas Harper. I interrogated you the other day about Ms. Nola B."
"Yes, I remember you."
"Well, I have looked into everything and wanted to let you know that last night we arrested Mitch Fraizer for domestic violence and assault. We will need Nola B. to come down to the station this week to identify him and give another statement. Once she does that, we will have everything we need to put him away for a long time."
Relief consumed Parker, "Yes! I'll drive her down there today."
"Great. I have a meeting at three so if you could come by..." The words Douglas was speaking flowed in one ear and out the other as Parker began to piece together what Douglas said a second before.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Doug, but when did you get him?"
"Mitch?"
"Yeah, that prick."
Douglas chuckled, "Indeed he is," pause, "we got him last night."
Parker furrowed his eyebrows.
He was here.
"I have to go," Parker hung up on the cop, as his concerns shifted. Looking over at Nola he saw that she was staring at him with curiosity in her eyes.
When Nola noticed he was watching her intently, she looked away and blushed.
"Nola B. ... When was Mitch here? Today?"
Nola froze at the topic.
"Bumblebee?"
"Yes," She whispered.
"Yes?"
"Yes, today. He was here today."
Parker leaned against the counter. "Today ... Finish mixing, I have to make a call." Walking out of the kitchen Parker tried to process everything. Douglas said that Mitch had been caught last night, but Nola thinks he was here today.
Taking out his phone when he reached his room, Parker closed the door, locked it and called his mom.
"Yellow?" Mrs. Sim's answered.
"Hey, Ma. I need to talk to you."
"I need this, I need this, I want this, I want this. You are such a bratty child, always wanting something."
Parker rolled his eyes, "What crawled up your ass?"
A sigh sounded from the other line, "your father has decided that coffee is unhealthy and banned it from the house. I have been living without coffee all day. I have tried sneaking away to Starbucks but your father figured out my plan and took my keys."
"Sounds like dad," Parker paused, preparing for the shift in conversation. "For real, though, Ma ... I think Nola is beyond my help."
"... What do you mean?"
Parker explained the whole situation with Mitch being arrested last night and Nola believing that he was here today.
"Parker, I think you need to get Nola checked out by a therapist."
"Why did she lie that he was here? If he was arrested last night there was no way that he could be here today. Why would she fabricate him breaking in here and stealing the spare key?" Parker was baffled at what could compel Nola to do so.
"I'm not a professional, Parker, but I think it's psychological. She has been living in fear of her abuser for years. It's been engraved in her mind ... Nola has found a safe place at your home but I think she can't accept that so easily in her mind. So, her imagination has made up a situation where Mitch pops in, at any moment, as a way to 'prepare' herself for when he really does come back. It's a defense mechanism, in my theory. And if that is the case, whether he was actually there or not, it's probably very real for her."
"Elaborate."
"What I mean is that if she's making this up as a mental defense technique, she'll wholeheartedly believe he's actually there - no matter what evidence you can produce to prove her wrong. There will be no changing her mind ... However, you should take her to a doctor, Parks."
Parker exhaled, "I don't want her to think she's crazy. They will make her feel that way ... I'll make her feel that way. She ... she's not crazy ... she ..."
"She's been hurt too many times, Parks. You're not a magical being that can heal her, alone. She needs to get professional help, even if she wasn't imagining Mitch. She's been through a lot more than she'll ever tell you. I think it's wise to seek some more qualified help..."
"Will she ever be the same?"
"The same?"
"Yeah ... Nola use to be this kickass girl who would speak her mind and give zero shits about what anyone thought. She was so full of life and could make friends with just about anyone." Parker debated on continuing but if he did they'd be on the phone for way too long. "I want her back to the old Nola."
Sighing, Mrs. Sims waited a minute before speaking the truth that Parker knew was headed his way. "No, Parker, she'll never be the same. When people go through things, like Nola has, they evolve. She might not ever be the same girl you knew growing up. Yet, that's okay because the Nola that you're awakening will be stronger than ever. She'll have more knowledge on things-"
"Like what? How to make a homemade arm sling for when someone's arm gets broken? You know when they questioned me at the police station, thinking I caused harm to her, they said her right arm has been broken over ten times. Ten, Mom! Ten!"
"Parker, I can tell that you're getting angry-"
"Angry?!" Parker interrupted, "it's been pass that for a while - I'm outraged. I should have-"
"Now you stop talking. I see where you're going with this and you need to stop. You reported her abuse to the school, they did nothing. You reported it to the police, they did nothing. You aren't superman, Parker. The thing that matters now is that you are helping her. You've given her a safe haven, which means more than you can imagine to her. You've provided food, clothes, and entertainment, I'm sure." A chuckle sounded from both ends of the line, "You need to stop feeling guilty, Parks."
"I just wish I could've done something sooner."
"And I wish you wouldn't feel guilty but I know my boy. You'll feel this way for the rest of your life; that's a ball and chain that you need to get rid of, Son."
"Okay ... I left Nola in the kitchen. I should get back to her..."
"Oates-K ... do you still need your dad to pick up the new locks?"
"Yes, that would be great because I think I'll play along with Nola's charade."
"What about when you take her to the police station? What are you going to tell her?"
Parker exhaled, "I honestly have no idea..."