Chapter 13
Alayah
“Baby, you have to press the gas,” Londyn said, laughing.
“I am pressing the gas.”
“You’re going five miles an hour, Alayah. Put some power in it.”
“I don’t wanna crash.”
“You’re barely moving, and we’re in an empty parking lot. You’re fine.”
I sighed as I pressed the gas a little harder.
True to her word, Londyn was teaching me to drive.
She wasn’t a bad teacher, but I wasn’t trying to wreck her car.
Uncle Clive taught me a little back in the day since Kennedy refused to.
She didn’t want me getting any ideas about driving her car.
If she ever sent me to run errands, I always had to take the bus.
Even then, I had to take my sisters with me.
It was her way of ensuring that I wasn’t off doing anything I wasn’t supposed to do.
“That’s it. You’re doing great,” Londyn encouraged. “In a few months, you’ll be driving like me.”
“No offense, Londyn, but your driving scares me a little.”
She scoffed. “I’m not even that bad.”
“It’s the road rage.”
She laughed. “Listen, these people will have you seeing red. Everybody shouldn’t own a car.”
I shook my head. We’d been out here for an hour.
I appreciated her teaching me, but I was okay with my bus pass for now.
Even if I learned to drive, I didn’t have a reason to have a car anyway.
I rode with my uncle to work, and if I left the house without him or my aunt, it was on the bus. I was cool with that.
My lesson went on for another hour before we decided to go get something to eat.
It was Saturday, and unlike many mechanic shops, Uncle Clive didn’t work weekends.
He said he wasn’t going to slave six days a week, and he wouldn’t make his staff do it either.
This was the first Saturday since I’d been home that I’d actually left the house.
After the fiasco at lunch the other week, I was a little nervous to go out with Londyn again for fear of further embarrassment.
However, she’d come over to the house when I tried to get out of it and talked me into coming with her.
I found she could be a little pushy, but I got the feeling that was just her personality.
It wasn’t a bad type of pushy, more like an I’m-not-gonna-let-you-wallow-in-your-feelings kind of pushy.
We walked into Burger Bliss, a new-to-me fast food place in River Point.
It was already busy, but Londyn insisted we stay because the food was good.
We waited in line for at least ten minutes before we got to the front.
When my eyes landed on the cashier, my heart skipped a beat.
Adrienne looked at me with a blank expression.
There was a momentary stare off before she finally spoke.
“Welcome to Burger Bliss. What can I get started for you today?”
“I’ll take a number three with extra pickles, a sweet tea, and a side of ranch,” Londyn answered.
“Is that for here or to go?”
“Here. You can put hers on my order, too,” she added, motioning to me.
Adrienne looked to me. “What can I get you?”
I was hurt that she was acting like she didn’t know who I was. I understood she could hold up the line being friendly, but she was looking right through me.
“I’ll have the same,” I whispered.
“That will be seventeen forty-three.”
Londyn swiped her card. Adrienne handed her the cups and her receipt.
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” I said to her.
“Okay. I’ve got your drink.”
“Thanks.”
I headed around the corner to the bathroom.
Once inside, I locked myself in a stall.
I practiced deep breathing, attempting to calm my nerves.
As together as I tried to keep it, my sisters were the one thing that could always trigger me.
A week had passed since I’d shown up at the house.
I hadn’t had the nerve to text Amiyah because I didn’t know if Kennedy was checking their phones after seeing me.
The last thing I wanted was to get either of them in trouble with her.
I hadn’t even put her number in my phone to avoid temptation.
It was safely tucked beneath my mattress.
Maybe one of these days I would get up the nerve to use it.
I hated to feel like I’d searched them out for nothing.
Given the look Adrienne had given me, it was possible she was already feeling that way.
I stayed in the bathroom for a good five minutes, trying to pull it together. I could hear people coming in and out. When it was quiet, I opened the stall door and walked out the same time as the bathroom door opened. Adrienne walked in and stood in front of me with her arms crossed.
“How did you know I worked here?” she spat.
I shook my head. “I didn’t—”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not, Adrienne. My friend picked this place. I’ve never even been here. It’s just a coincidence.”
“You mean like you showing up to the house, right? You know Mama threw a fit when she got home? She saw you leaving. Me and Miyah had to deal with the backlash of that. She cursed us both out and threatened to beat the black off us if we ever spoke to you again. She told us to call the police if you came anywhere near us. If you want to stay out of jail, you need to leave us alone, Alayah.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. I love you. I need you both, Adrienne.”
“Is that worth doing time over?”
“I’ve done ten years,” I yelled. “Ten years to protect you and Amiyah so you wouldn’t have to go through the same thing I did.
You were too young to understand what was going on back then, but you get it now.
That man raped me, Adrienne. He came into my room damn near every week for three years.
He raped me, he kept raping me, and he threatened to have his friends do the same to you and Amiyah if I didn’t comply. ”
Hey eyes widened as tears slipped from them. “Wh–What?”
Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I reached out and cupped her face.
“I couldn’t let anything happen to either of you.
You were more than my little sisters. You were my babies.
I loved you like you were my own. I would have done anything to protect you and Miyah.
That’s the truth. I’m sorry I left you with Kennedy, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t. I just…I snapped.”
She broke into tears, and all I could do was pull her into my arms and hold her as I cried with her. If I could have picked her up the way I did when she was younger, I would have. Gently, I stroked her back in a soothing manner as I kissed her temple.
“I love you,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
For the longest time, we held each other. I think she needed that just as much as I did. Once she finally stopped crying, she pulled away. I grabbed a paper towel and dabbed her eyes.
“You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman,” I said, offering a warm smile.
“Thank you.” She reached out to touch my face. “At least prison didn’t make you ugly.”
I giggled. “At least there’s that.”
“You said that girl was your friend?”
“Yes. Her name is Londyn. She works at Uncle Clive’s shop.”
“Is she a friend or a friend?”
I laughed. “You think I went to prison and got turned out?”
She raised her hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying. You were with a bunch of women for a long time. Things happen. I wouldn’t judge or blame you for that. She’s pretty.”
“Not in this case. She’s just a friend. She was giving me an unsolicited driving lesson today.”
“How did it go?”
“I should probably keep my bus pass.”
We shared a light laugh. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them.
“I’m sorry for how I acted. I really am glad you’re home. I’m gonna get Miyah, and we’re gonna come see you.”
“I don’t want you getting in trouble, Adrienne.”
“The worst she’ll do is slap us around.”
“That’s not okay.”
She shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time I fought her off. We’re old enough to make the decision to see you. She had no right to keep us away. She was just doing it to be spiteful. I don’t care anymore. I’m seventeen. She can’t keep telling me what to do.”
I sighed. There was the defiant nature my aunt told me about. If she and Amiyah snuck off to see me, there would be hell to pay. As I opened my mouth to say something, the door opened, and a uniformed worker stuck her head in.
“Adrienne, what’s taking you so long?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carrie. I was just talking to my sister. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
“Well, I’m sorry to break up this little family reunion, but we have customers, and you’re needed.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She turned to me and came into my arms for a hug. “Please come back to see me.”
“I will.” I kissed her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We parted ways, and she left the bathroom. I washed and dried my hands before leaving as well. When I joined Londyn at the table, she looked relieved.
“What happened to you? I thought I was gonna have to come get you.”
I sighed as I sat down. “The girl that took our order, she’s my oldest little sister.”
Londyn gasped. She looked around me and back at the counter. “Now that I look at her again, she does look just like you. Damn, the resemblance is uncanny. Y’all got the same daddy?”
“No. I’ve never met my father. I don’t know anything about that man.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, boo.”
I waved her off. “No need to be sorry.”
“So did you two talk? I take it that’s why you took so long. Sis acted like she didn’t know you at first.”
“We talked. It got a little heated there for a moment, but I think we’re okay now. She made me promise to come back here and see her.”
“Wait. Why here? They can’t come to Mr. Clive’s?”
“My…mother, she won’t let me see them. She’s banned them from the house as long as I’m there and threatened me if I come around them.”
“Pardon my language, but why is she being such a bitch about it? They are your sisters.”
I swallowed hard. In telling her that I killed Rodney, I didn’t tell her that my sisters saw the aftermath.
“My sisters…they were in the house when it happened.”
“Oh my God!”
“Yeah.”
“But you would never hurt them. I know I don’t know you that well, but I can’t see you intentionally hurting anybody. You did what you did to protect the three of you. It’s not like she did anything to protect you. Ugh! Now I want to fight her for you.”
“No need for that. I’m a firm believer in karma coming back for you. She may not feel it now, but she will reap the seed she’s sown.”
“Amen to that. My daddy always said that unjust doesn’t profit. You can fool man, but you can’t fool God.”
I nodded. One day, Kennedy was going to pay for the part she played in my childhood.
I would never believe that she didn’t know.
I just didn’t want to believe that she knew and chose to let it keep happening.
The truth would come to light, and I had a feeling that when it did, I’d be heartbroken all over again.