10. Rainah
CHAPTER 10
RAINAH
“Look at my baby girl,” I heard an unmistakable voice behind me. A voice that sent chills down my spine. I was hesitant to turn around. Every time I saw my mother, and she looked worse than the time before, it shattered my already broken heart even more.
I had ten years’ worth of memories of what my mother was like before she let crack take over her life. My mother was beautiful. She was attentive and nurturing. The woman that disappeared for months on end, neglected her personal hygiene, and dedicated her life to drugs was foreign to me. I was an adult with children of my own, and it still bothered me a great deal to see my mother. I didn’t have to turn around. She ran around me and stood directly in front of me grinning like a proud parent.
“You look good, Rainah. Pretty black ass,” she chuckled. “How you been, baby?”
My mother’s brown pecan skin was riddled with dark spots and pimples. Her dry, Her brittle hair was slicked back into a ponytail, and she was wearing white shorts that were so filthy Clorox probably couldn’t clean them. I’d seen her in the same state countless times, and it still hurt.
“Hey ma,” I blinked back tears. “How are you doing?”
“I can’t complain too much. I’m going by to see mama soon. How is she doing?”
The drugs usually made my mother animated and upbeat. I hadn’t seen her down too many times since she’d been addicted to crack and sadly, I knew that was the reason she indulged. It took the pain away. I couldn’t judge her for that. I missed my mother, but I could only imagine the trauma and PTSD that she was forced to live with. It was obviously something that a sober mind couldn’t withstand. The pain her eyes held when she asked about her mother reminded of how painful life must be for her. It dawned on me that maybe I should pray more that my mother found peace and healing versus praying for her to return to my life.
“Grandma is doing really good. She had surgery a few months back, and she healed nicely.”
Before my mother could respond, a police car pulled into the parking lot of the convenience store we were at and even before I saw who was driving, a chill ran down my spine. My mother and I both stared at the car probably for different reasons. PJ emerged from the vehicle with an arrogant smirk on his face that made my skin crawl.
“Alisa. I’ve been looking for your ass.” PJ spoke to my mother, but he kept his cold gaze trained on me.
“Looking for me for what?” there was shock on my mother’s face.
“I need to question you about a break-in over on Collins last night. Right across the street from the house you frequent.” PJ began walking towards my mother, and I stepped forward instinctively. My mother frowned.
“Break-in? I don’t break-in houses. All the traffic and people that are on Collins on a daily basis, and you want to question me?”
“Yes, I do because you fit the description of one of the suspects. You can get in my car voluntarily, or I can call for backup.”
I knew PJ was full of shit, but he wasn’t dumb. There was no doubt that I was going to act as my mother’s attorney. The line he gave about her matching the description of one of the suspects and giving her a choice to come with him instead of automatically arresting her made it so that I couldn’t say what he was doing was illegal. The supposed description and her admitting to being in the area often was probable enough cause for questioning.
“You really are a fucking jerk,” I cut my eyes into slits and glared at him with nothing but contempt.
“I didn’t do anything.” My mother appeared to be afraid, and that made my blood boil even more.
“Just go with him. I’ll be right behind you. His crooked ass won’t be able to hold you.”
“Don’t be so sure,” he smirked and forced my mother’s arms behind her back.
I watched helplessly as he cuffed her. I had actually been thinking he was a good guy because of the profession he chose, and he was viler than a lot of criminals I’d run into.
“Rainah?” A familiar voice called out. Turning my head I saw Ms. Mitchell watching the ordeal with furrowed brows. “What’s going on?” she walked closer as PJ put my mother in the back of his police car.
“PJ is upset with me and taking my mother down to the station on some bullshit.” I wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t solve anything.
Ms. Mitchell sucked her teeth. “I always knew there was something untrustworthy about his ass. You’re a lawyer. Go on down to the station and take care of your mother. I’ll call Jeovanni.”
“Ms. Mitchell, I know what happened with your bar. You and Jeovanni have enough going on. You don’t have to bother him. I’ll take care of it.”
“Don’t think that Jeovanni hasn’t put the word out that messing with you is the same as messing with him. If he finds out that I know and didn’t tell him, I’ll have to kick his ass. Go.”
“Thank you,” I gave her a small smile.
After keeping the twins from Jeovanni and his family for so long, I’d been afraid to face Ms. Mitchell. The fact that she still treated me like family made me feel good. I had only been in my car for five minutes when Jeovanni called my phone.
“Hey,” I answered in a small voice.
“I’m not saying shit over the phone. What’s good?” I could hear the anger in his tone and knew that PJ better be counting his days.
Maybe he thought being a police officer made him invincible, but even I knew that anyone could be touched. I gave Jeovanni a brief rundown of what had transpired, and when I was done talking, it was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke.
“Go take care of your mom. I’ll stop by later.” His tone was cold as ice. People kept poking a sleeping bear, and when the beast in Jeovanni woke up, it wouldn’t be anything nice.
Despite me saying that I was my mother’s lawyer and her having the right to have legal representation, the officers at the precinct still played games with me. It took almost thirty minutes of me issuing threats for PJ to walk over to me with that same shit eating grin on his face.
“You can see your client , but I think you should know she already confessed to the crime. There isn’t much you can do besides try and get her a good deal.”
* * *
“I don’t understand,” I shook my head as Jeovanni sat on the couch beside me later that night. “When PJ first approached her, my mother was adamant that she didn’t do anything. How did he get a confession out of her that fast?”
“It was more than likely coerced.” Jeovanni’s hands were in a steeple. “He probably blackmailed her. Who knows? What did she say when you spoke to her?”
My response was a snort. PJ was really a grade A asshole. “She was high as a kite. That bastard really stopped somewhere and let my mother smoke crack. I’m assuming it made her agree to anything that he said. I had just been talking to her when he came up. My mother wasn’t high. I’ve seen her high enough times to know when she is or isn’t.”
Jeovanni nodded. “He definitely fed her drugs. I’m the kind of person that always covers my tracks. There’s more than one photograph and video in my possession of PJ taking payments from me. I’ve never been a snitch in my fuckin’ life, but once the precinct gets their hands on that, they’ll have to dismiss every arrest he’s recently made. Me nor my brother’s faces are in any of the videos, but we damn sure have incriminating evidence that can be used against PJ.”
I looked at Jeovanni in awe. “You’d do that for my mother?”
“Hell yeah. I don’t care about your mother being on drugs. I don’t know her as well as I know Ms. Nixon, but she’s family.”
I wrapped my arms around Jeovanni’s neck. “Thank you so much. I’ve been going crazy since everything happened. Actually, being in jail for a few days won’t hurt her. It’ll give her a chance to get that poison out of her system. Though when she gets out, I’m sure she’ll use again.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Jeovanni reached over and rubbed my back lovingly as I chewed on the inside of my cheek.
“I’ll never be able to put into words just how glad I am to have you in our lives. My kids adore you and Jovani’s crazy ass,” I smiled causing him to do the same.
“The feeling is mutual. I never felt like you overreacted or tripped when it came to the trauma you were holding onto. But even thinking that my boys could be touched had me looking at things totally different. I believe that you wholeheartedly wanted to protect them, and I could never be mad at that.”
I climbed onto his lap and placed my arms around his neck. “It would be really dope if you gave me twin girls,” I said before placing a soft kiss on his lips.
“Word? You ready for all that?”
“I will be in the next year or so. Being pregnant with twins is the epitome of torture, but I kind of like getting a two for one deal.”
Jeovanni chuckled. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. You know I love busting all in that pussy.” He gripped my ass cheeks as we stared into one another’s eyes.
I had just leaned in to kiss him, when we heard voices getting closer. I fell off Jeovanni’s lap and back onto the couch as the boys entered the living room. “Dad, you want to play the game with us?” Jordan asked.
Jeovanni eyed the Richard Millie on his wrist. “I have thirty minutes before I have to get going.”
It hadn’t been long at all since we made up but already, I was accustomed to Jeovanni’s demanding schedule. I admired how he always made time for the boys, however. A smile graced my face as I could hear the three of them in the bedroom being loud and yelling at the TV. For a brief moment, I forgot all about the drama that had occurred earlier in the day. I had already put on my lawyer hat and started working on my mother’s case but prayerfully, the evidence that Jeovanni had of PJ being a dirty cop would suffice.
It was my wish that my mother would go through withdrawals while in jail, come home, and never use again, but I doubted a few days behind bars would be enough to make her clean up her act for good. I eased off the couch and went to clean the kitchen while Jeovanni, Jason, and Jordan continued to play the game.
Since I didn’t work for Tony anymore, I spent my days cooking, cleaning, and visiting one of my favorite places in Ausnor Beach. Reader’s Paradise. I went to that bookstore so much that most of the employees knew me by name. Everyone that worked there was nice and down to earth, but one of the managers, Voyage, was probably my favorite. We’d never engaged in deep personal conversation, but she just had this air about her that made me feel for her. Even when she smiled, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that made me just want to give her a hug, but I didn’t want her to think I was crazy.
The bookstore had three levels, and the third level was my favorite. There was a rooftop bar that had some amazing drinks and delicious finger foods. When I took the boys, they liked to go to the second floor because it resembled the inside of a cave. I had spent plenty of days at Reader’s Paradise reading and brainstorming. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try and get on with another firm or start my own. I had a lot to think about, but I didn’t bust my ass obtaining a law degree not to put it to use.
Prayerfully, everything would work out the way that it was supposed to.