Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
KENDRIX
“Agent Thompson, we had a case appear in the database; it reeks of fraudulent records, money embezzlement, and kidnapping of minors. It seems that Mr. Leonard Treegoob is currently under investigation, and he is a judge. He’s been one for the last 30 years and has mainly worked cases for minorities. He has a history of being racist, but not many people can prove it.” Marc, my boss, said from across the room.
We were working on this case because of the kidnapping charges. Working in the FBI's sex crimes division had been extremely difficult, but someone had to do it. Marc Reynolds is the deputy director, but he has been getting beside himself lately and challenging Levi, the director .
“How exactly has he been getting away with kidnapping minors, though?” Agent Jonathan Carter asked.
“What he tended to do was send children off to a behavioral therapy facility but is engaging in sexual abuse instead. The facility is Better Cares, located in Maryland, and most of the children’s parents are shipped off to prison. They come from homes where no one else is deemed responsible enough to care for the children. Because of that, no one can verify that the children are there. This operation has been up and running for over 25 years. We only found out because of the latest case: a 13-year-old was caught stealing food from a grocery store. The owner called the police, fast forward to Judge Treegoob getting the case.
“He doesn’t give the kid any jail time. He sends him off to the fake facility. The kid ends up escaping whatever hellhole he ended up in and is on the next train to Slatesville. He told the police that he would only talk to the FBI. To only be thirteen, he was pretty smart; the commissioner called me yesterday and gave me the rundown.” Levi Hillman said, walking into our meeting.
“Where have you been, Levi? This meeting started five minutes ago.” Marc questioned him.
Levi had always been cool as a cucumber. He isn’t hot-headed like Brian or quick to shoot like me. He stops and thinks about his actions, assesses the situation, and reads the person’s actions. My best friend had come a long way, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Reynolds, I’m not sure what gave you the impression that you could question me. But moving forward so there is no confusion, you work for me. You don’t need to know my whereabouts; I wasn’t even supposed to attend this meeting, and you would have known that if you paid attention to your responsibilities. If you need a refresher on your job requirements, I can make that happen for you. Don’t be afraid to ask.” Damn, even I felt all the shots thrown from his jabs.
“That won’t be necessary, boss; it won’t happen again,” Marc said, bowing out gracefully this time.
Levi turned to look at me, and I raised an eyebrow with a head tilt in his direction. He smirked in response.
Checkmate bitch.
After our meeting, Levi called me to the office. The picture on his desk made me sad for him. It was one of him and Asha, his ex-fiancée, during Makayla’s art exhibit show a few years back. They have broken up since we graduated from high school, but clearly, the two were still in love. I’m surprised he got her to take any pictures with him. She had been very antisocial over the years. She isn’t on any social media apps; she stayed off the grid .
“You two still look good together; how is Asha doing?” I sat down and stole a piece of candy from the jar he left on the desk.
“I’m not sure I haven’t talked to her in a minute—not since we all stayed at Grandma Lucy’s before Genesis was born. She’s been avoiding my calls again, so when I want information, I have to go through Lucy.”
“Yeah, we both know shit is complicated with her, plus you never did tell her the real reason you broke things off. I won’t bring it up because I know it’s a sensitive topic. I understand keeping secrets to keep the woman you love safe.” Levi’s haircut was as sharp as the look he gave me.
I knew he was about to start, “Yeah, I’m sure you do when you tell Phoenix and the rest of us the real reason why you broke things off with her. I’ll do the same, deal?”
“Deal. Now, why did you call me into the principal’s office? Am I in trouble?” I laughed, throwing the trash from my candy at his forehead.
“Stop clowning around so we can get out of here. Judge Treegoob handled your mom’s case; he found her guilty mainly because she confessed to killing your father. We will pull all of his cases and go through them again. If she is found innocent, there’s a possibility that she could be released from her sentence.” My mom had been in prison for over 15 years for the murder of my father.
“Wow, that sounds unbelievable, man; you know she stopped letting me visit her once I went to college. We’ve done video calls, but I haven’t seen her in so long. Reviewing her case won’t be necessary; she will be released this year anyway and will be out a few weeks before my birthday. She has been on her best behavior and got awarded early parole; I don’t want to rehash any old feelings and take her through all of that trouble all over again. Is it possible for us to let her case be left alone?”
“Absolutely, man. I will review the evidence and make sure everything checks out. If something doesn’t, I’ll bring it to your attention first. On a lighter note, I am so happy to hear that. You should have mentioned it earlier. Keep me updated, and let me know if you need me to pull any strings.” It pays to have a brother, a black brother at that, in high places.
“Thank you, Levi. I’ll see you at the game night on Saturday, right?” Brian wanted to host a game night since they wanted to hang out with all of us but didn’t want to leave Genesis with a babysitter.
Levi nodded in agreement. I sat in my car for a few minutes, thinking of all those bad memories I kept hidden in my mind's Pandora’s box.
Many feelings rushed through me at the thought of bringing up the past again, the good and the bad. All of that mess was buried deep in the garden in the backyard of that childhood yellow house. The one with the walls that saw too much of the abuse my mother and I endured for years. The once gray carpet with pothole-sized pools of deep red turned brown liquid over time, from the constant beating of flesh against flesh. The flesh of a woman too scared to fight back, and a young boy not big enough to make a difference. Everything on Marshall Road in the third house from the left didn’t need a resurrection. No savior wanted to go back and die for all the sins committed. Yeah, that house, which was never a home for me, had only one eternal residence in mind; the fiery licks of flames in hell were better suited to take care of the bodies resting in the tombs of yellow-stained bricks with the white roof. I would make it my personal duty to let it stay there.
Forever.
“Are you sure you are ready to go back home?” I tried to avoid sounding paranoid.
Phoenix had been with me for three days; this was the first time I had a woman in my home. Her presence and scent lingered in each room, and it was nice. I didn’t want her to leave.
“Yes, Kendrix, this was only temporary, and I have been talking to my Auntie D. She said I can help take my power back by not allowing fear to rule my decisions. I only agreed to stay here until Cameron was put away, and thanks to Levi, he’s been expedited to prison. I haven’t been to work in days, and my staff needs me. Thank you for letting me stay here, but my time is over.” She’s right, though I wished I could keep her locked away here forever.
“You are right, Jewel, but tell me, did you think any more about our conversation from the other night?” She paused, packing up the few things Makayla dropped off for her to have during her stay.
“I did, I know we have had our issues. This sexual arrangement with us would be better for both of us; we can get it out of our systems and then move on. You might figure out that you have been chasing me but never truly having me because we are only good together one way. Let’s do this thing, and then we can be free to move on forever. I want to get married and have a family of my own one day. I won’t keep playing this waiting game with you so you can have me for the next 57 days, and then I’m done. Deal?” Phoenix wore her hair in mini twists, making her look like a teenager again. The version of her that first caught my attention and my heart.
“But who are these people, and why did I have to come to the other side of the world? When can I see my mom again?” Mrs. Green, the social worker my mom called before she called the police when the blood poured out of my father’s chest.
Mom insisted that I take the emergency bag she told me to pack a few days before that dreadful morning. She wanted me to go to the park and hide under the slide until a woman came to get me. She showed me a picture of Mrs. Green, and since we didn’t have many white people in our lives or neighborhood, I knew she was the same person.
“Kendrix, I am so sorry, buddy, but your mother wanted me to take you here. She is a good friend of the kindest family who agreed to take you in. The only thing is, they live in Jamaica, so that’s where we are. From what I heard, there are other children here close to your age, and you should get along with them after a while. I know you are probably in shock, but again, if anyone asks the reason why you are here, what do you say?” Her blue eyes seemed nice enough; I’ve been around evil people for so long I can smell it coming out of their pores.
“My mom told me my grandmother is here, so here I am.” Mrs. Green insisted that I wasn’t in the house when it happened; I was at the park playing with a few neighborhood kids. They did not want the police to question me, so it was better to act as if I didn’t hear him gasping for his last breath. My ears were tuned into my mother’s wails and praying for forgiveness from God. I had to force the smile off my face for us finally being free of him.
“Right, so you should be fine; you can talk to Ms. Lucille; she is a lovely woman, but you will see that for yourself. Wait, look, there she is.” We were standing outside the airport, and my day-old sweatpants and school t-shirt didn’t do anything but make me wish I had on a pair of basketball shorts. Ms. Green pointed out a woman who was shorter than the both of us.
Her skin was the color of fresh soil my mama used to plant a few veggies in before my dad destroyed them. The hair on her head was piled up in a bun; it looked very silky, the opposite of my mama’s hair. I often found clumps of her hair in the bathroom trash; when I looked it up on the school computer, it said hair loss was due to stress. Ms. Lucille walked straight over to me, accompanied by a man who was tall and a few shades lighter than her. Her eyes were so strange; I never knew black people could have two different eye colors.
“Hi Kendrix, my name is Ms. Lucille, but I want you to call me Grandma Lucy, and this is my husband Brian Jaxon, but you can call him Pops. We know that you have been through some really tough times, and as a woman who used to be abused by a man who should have protected her and her children, I understand.”
Immediately, I puffed up my chest and stared straight at Brian. Why would she still be with him if he was like my dad?
“Young man, I would never put my hands on a woman or a child. The person she is talking about is no longer on this earth. I don’t ever want you to worry about that. You will be safe here, and I know you don’t trust us or know us yet. But we are so happy to have you here as part of our family.” He squatted down so that we were at eye level.
“Okay, it is nice to meet you both. Thank you for having me.” The manners my mom always taught me to have with adults came right out.
Ms. Luc— wait, Grandma Lucy held my hand and sat with me in the back of the car while Mr. Brian and Ms. Green whispered in the front seat. Grandma Lucy wanted me to tell her about my life and favorite things to do. It took a while for me to think about it because life was never about me. I should have been able to tell her more than I was counting down the hours in school so that I could get back home with my mama. She kept a smile and insisted that we now have all the time in the world to discover new things about ourselves.
The car stopped in front of this enormous mansion… it was ten times bigger than my old house.
“Welcome to your new home, this is our estate. We have our house here and I will give you a tour of the other homes and buildings. I know this can be overwhelming so we will take it one thing at a time. Let’s get you in so you can meet the kids.” She held my hand still and it felt comforting so I didn’t let go.
We walked inside and the house was like one I would see on tv. The walls were painted white with all black and white artwork of famous people we started learning about in history class.
“Aye kids, get cha butts down here. I know I done told you about our guest.” Multiple footsteps could be heard coming down at a time. Three kids who seemed to be around my age or older were staring at me like I was looking at them.
“Line up and introduce ya self.” The tallest one with light skin came over first. He was rocking a curly afro.
“Wassup man, my name is Levi but you can call me Lee. I’m 15 years old and it’s nice to meet you.” He dapped me up and walked to the steps.
“Hey man, my name is Brian. These are my grandparents, and I’m their favorite grandchild, so don’t let them tell you otherwise. Welcome to the family, man. I’m 12 years old, but I’ve got a birthday coming up.” Brian looked like a younger version of Pops.
When she introduced herself, her small, delicate hand made my skin warm, and I became hyper-focused on every word that fell from her pink lips.
“Hi, I’m Phoenix, and Brian lied to you just now. I am the favorite grandbaby. He wishes he was better than me. I kind of wish you were a girl so I won’t feel so outnumbered by all of these boys in here. But whatever. Nice to meet you Kenny.” I wanted to correct her and tell her that my name is Kendrix but this was my first time having a nickname so she could call me Kenny. Only her though.
My tongue got all twisted up and my mouth refused to open to say anything back to her so I stood there staring at those eyes. She has the strange eyes too, one hazel and one brown. The orange romper she wore made her eyes twinkle, she had twists that reached her shoulders. She is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life. My heart started acting funny going all crazy. I didn’t realize I was still holding her hand.
“Uh I need my hand back, I gotta go finish these chores.” She said looking over her shoulder.
My face got hot, “I’m sorry I got lost in my thoughts for a second.” She walked away and Grandma Lucy showed me where I would be staying.
I let go of her hand but never forgot the feeling it gave me.
Warmth.
Comfort.
Belonging.
“Deal, you got a deal mama.”
Phoenix
“Kendrix, you didn’t have to walk me inside. I’m sure that everything was how I left it.” He was carrying my mini suitcase, and the weather didn’t know if it wanted to merge into fall or stay in summer. The long-sleeved T-shirt was clinging to his chest; the heat his body carried could be felt over here.
“I will feel better if I check, are you sure you will be okay by yourself?” He walked in first after I unlocked the front door.
“Yes I will be fine Kendrix you know who raised me, I am stronger than I look. You can leave the bag there; I’ll take it up later.”
His long powerful strides took him right up my stairs and into my room. This is my private sanctuary so it felt intimate to have him here.
The eggshell white walls were covered in gold frames of artwork that spoke to me, I had a few of Makayla’s originals hanging up. My gold canopy bed with sheer white curtains on either side gave it a nice touch. The different shades of pink clearly assumed me to be like every other pink-obsessed woman. Pink girlies do it the best though, I wonder what secrets of mine the room told him that he didn’t already know.
My phone pinged with the third message from my mother that I wanted to ignore, but I knew it would only encourage her to show up here. Destiny McClain and I were like rain and mud; we only made a huge catastrophic mess. Spending most of my childhood with Gran only made the distance between us grow wider, and now, at 28 years old, I didn’t really want to be available for the time she had now. When I needed her, she was never there; her level of parenting was only there to tell me all of the things I didn’t do right. Her main concern lately was the man standing over by my dresser staring at the picture frames.
She barely came to visit me at Gran’s after convincing my father that it was better for me to be away from our home in Slatesville to stay with my grandparents. Lucky for her, I adored Gran and Pops, so it was a win-win situation, but once I got older, I realized that they didn’t want to be parents. It broke my heart and confused me because what did I do to deserve parents who chose to actively not be in my life?
She came to visit when Pops died, and she took one look at Kendrix and swore that he was bad news. At that point, we were only friends; I mean, I did have a crush on him, but I never acted on it. I have been with my grandparents since I was six years old, so to lose the only father figure I have ever had was unbearable. She showed up and started drama, so much so that Gran told her not to come back until she got it together. Destiny was barely a mother before Pops died, but once we lowered him into the ground, the little love she had for me was gone, and my father went along with everything that she said. He was a man of few words, and the ones he uttered were only in agreement with her.
“Why are you making that face?” Kendrix said closer than I remembered. He took my phone out of my hand when I didn’t take my eyes off the message.
My Mother
Why did I have to find out from my mother that my daughter was hurt by a no-good man?” – Destin y
I honestly didn’t think she cared…
“Maybe you should call her; she is your mom,” Kendrix said, surprising me because the feelings were mutual between him and my mother.
Kendrix didn’t like the way she treated Gran; he was very protective of her, even when that meant protecting her from her own daughter.
“Last time I checked, you weren’t her biggest fan, so why are you telling me to call her?” He put the phone in my hand.
“She’ll be my mother-in-love one day, so I respect her enough off the strength of you, and you don’t really want her showing up, so assure her that you are fine. I am going to do a walk-through real quick, and then I’m out of here. Something came up at work; I’ll call you tonight.” He tilted my chin up and gave me a quick kiss. One that was nice but left me wanting more, needy to feel his tongue devour me.
That would be outside of our strictly sexual relationship; needing those kinds of kisses from him left my heart open. I am currently in the process of trying to put the spackle up on the walls to repair the Kendrix-sized hole that’s been there for years.
“Call me for what exactly?” He was about to walk out the door but turned around and gave me a panty-wetting smile.
“I can’t sleep without hearing your voice, Jewel. You’ve spoiled me these past few days of having you in my home, especially in my bed.” He left on that note.
The only reason I was in his room was so he could see with his own two eyes that I was okay. Not back in that bathroom stall waiting for the evil plans Cameron had mapped out in his head. It made me sleep a bit easier to know that nothing could get to me without having to go through Kendrix first.
Kendrix would never let anything get to me.