“I hear you, but I don't accept it.” Mariah's eyes fell to the floor. “Something just isn't right. Who in their right mind would want to live in a housing project if they could do better?”
“Maybe an older person?” Sonyell shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know what to tell you, but, Granny has never lied to you. I can't think of any reason for her to start now. I think she's happy with her life and doesn't want to change it.”
“Maybe,” Mariah said stubbornly. “I just feel hurt and I can't imagine not living in the same house with her.”
“Okay, so you don't want to cut the apron strings yet.” Sonyell rubbed her chin.
“That's not it,” Mariah protested. She shook her head from side to side.
Sonyell held out her hand. “Just listen to yourself. You have this great life in front of you, you're planning to make a difference in the world, and just because one part of it isn't going the way you planned, you're complaining. I'm with Granny; you have too much time on your hands. You need a man, girl, and then you won't be so concerned about what you grandmother is doing. You need to get a life.”
“You're a fine one to talk,” Mariah responded crossly, and folded her arms across her chest defensively. “I haven't seen you in any relationships since Michael. And he's been in jail more than he's been out.”
“Now, that wasn't fair.” Sonyell shook her head. “That was just hitting below the belt. Mike and I have a child together and that makes a big difference. He's doing him, paying the consequences, and I'm doing me. You know I love him. Mike will be out of prison by the end of the year. If things don't work out between us, or he finds himself locked up again, then it's a wrap.”
“Wow, you've never once implied that you planned to let Mike go if things don't work out. I'm surprised.” Mariah's eyes widened.
“With Sasha getting older, I have to think about her and who I am exposing her to, even if he is her father. Maybe it's time for a change for me too. I am firm though this time. If things don't work out this time, I am done with him.”
“Well, good for you then.” Mariah bobbed her head approvingly. “It would be nice to see you in a relationship with a man who is actually in the same city with you.”
“It's time,” Sonyell admitted. “Now, back to your problem. Where your grandmother lives is really her choice. Maybe she's not ready to leave Altgeld now.”
“Maybe,” Mariah conceded. “I'm just so frustrated.” Mariah smacked one of her hands inside the other.
“That's why you need a man,” Sonyell announced triumphantly. “You have too much energy and need to burn off some of it,” Sonyell teased her friend.
“I don't know about all of that.” Mariah waved her hand in the air. “You know I decided to be celibate after my last disastrous relationship with Jameer. I swore off men for a while.”
“That was two years ago. It's time for you to open yourself up to new possibilities. And, as for Granny, she may realize after you leave the nest how much she misses you. Maybe she'll end up moving to Indiana.”
“As long as Cassie stays in her drug-infested world, that's not happening,” Mariah predicted glumly.
“Cassie is her child. I'm sure she's as hurt as you are by the situation.”
“I know that, and you raise good points,” Mariah conceded. She rose from the sofa. “I know you need to finish dinner. I'm sorry I took up your time with Sasha with my problem.”
Sonyell stood up too. “Now, you know talking to you is no problem. That's what friends are for. I think you need to cool off and try to look at the situation from Granny's viewpoint and give it time. You are more than welcome to join me and Sasha for dinner. I made more than enough.”
“No, you go ahead and enjoy your mother-daughter time. I know you've been putting in a lot of overtime at work. I'll call you later. I'm going to tell Sasha good-bye, and then head out.”
Sonyell rubbed Mariah's arm. “Give thought to what I said. And don't forget, I'm here if you need me.”
“Thanks, Sonni.” Mariah walked to Sasha's room and told her goddaughter good-bye. She left minutes later and entered her car.
Mariah started the car, and sat indecisively inside it for a few minutes. She didn't feel like going home just yet. Her feelings were too raw, and she didn't feel like facing Rosemary just yet. She put the car in reverse and backed up. She drove to Interstate 94. Maybe she would stay in Hammond overnight or for a few days, and let Rosemary see what life felt like without her company for a day or two.
Chapter Seven
By the time Mariah had exited I-94 Expressway at Calumet Avenue, she was already regretting her decision to stay overnight in Hammond. As she stopped at a red light on 165th Street, Mariah looked around to get her bearings. The streets were deserted and the streetlights glowed dimly under the dark, cloudy sky. She immediately surmised there was a big difference between traveling at night and in daylight.
Mariah was heading north on Hohman Avenue when her car experienced a mechanical problem. The car made a loud sound. She glanced in her rearview mirror. Mariah sighed with relief when she saw there weren't any cars behind her that might have hit her car. She had just about made it to the curb when car died. Mariah stomped on the brake, and quickly put on her blinkers. She struggled to shift the car into the parking gear. Mariah pulled the knob to open the hood. She hopped from the car and peered inside. She glanced at the battery, but not being mechanically inclined, Mariah had no idea what the problem could be. She returned to the inside of the car.
Mariah sat indecisively for a few minutes. She regretted not renewing her AAA membership. Then Rosemary invaded her thoughts; her grandmother had often stressed the importance of Mariah subscribing to a towing service since the young woman often traveled alone. Mariah chewed her lower lip as she twisted a strand of hair, trying to contemplate her next move.
A loud rat-a-tat at the window startled Mariah out of her musing and she jumped. She looked outside to see a man holding his hands up. Mariah lowered the window a few inches.
“Do you need help?” the man asked carefully. He looked to be around thirty years old. He was dressed casually in neatly pressed dark denim jeans with a lightweight white pullover sweater. He also wore a black leather jacket, and had a baseball cap pulled over sandy-colored locked hair. He had parked his white Ford pickup truck in front of Mariah's car.
Warning bells chimed in Mariah's brain. She exhaled loudly, then said, “Yes, I do need help. My car stopped and I don't have a clue as to what could be wrong.”
“My name is Carson Palmer,” he introduced himself. “You looked like you're stranded and could some help. The hood of your car being up is a dead giveaway. I just want to help. I don't mean you any harm.”
Mariah looked out the car window at him doubtfully.
He held his palms out. “Is it okay if I take a look under the hood of your car?”
“Sure. My name is Mariah Green,” she introduced herself. She watched Carson walk to the front of the car, and fiddle under the hood. Mariah pulled her cell phone out of her purse and called Sonyell. She quickly filled her friend in on what was going on. “I need you to stay on the phone with me at least until I can find out if he can fix it.”
“Be careful,” Sonyell warned her friend. “You don't know him from Jack. See, if you had gone back home instead of being hardheaded, your car wouldn't have broke down so far from home.”
“You're right, but it's too late now. I just want to get going. Now is not the time to fuss at me.” Mariah tried to defend her decision.
“You know that there are crazies out there. I'm still helping Sasha with her homework. I'm going to put you on speaker and set the phone down. Make sure your doors are locked.”
“Okay.” Mariah put the phone on the passenger seat, and looked in the back seat for a jacket. The temperature had fallen and there was a distinct chill in the air. She shivered then put the jacket on.
A few minutes later, although it seemed like an eternity to Mariah, Carson walked to Mariah's car door. She pressed a button and the window slithered down a few inches. “What's the verdict?” she asked apprehensively.
“I'm not a mechanic by trade, but I think your engine has locked up,” Carson said ominously.
“So, what does that mean? What can I do to fix it? Do I need oil? I kept putting off getting my oil changed and other things came up. Do you think that has anything to do with my problem?” Mariah babbled.
“That could definitely be the cause of the problem.” Carson nodded. “Especially if you haven't had an oil change for a while. Unfortunately, your car isn't drivable. You need to call a tow truck and have it towed to your mechanic or home.”
Just then the siren from a police car screamed in the air. A black-and-white vehicle with flashing lights pulled behind Mariah. The officer exited his vehicle and walked to Mariah's car.
“Miss, do you know you're parked in a no parking zone? What's the problem?”
Carson quickly explained Mariah's dilemma.
“Okay, it would be better if you could move it down the street. If the vehicle isn't drivable, try to have it towed as soon as possible.”
“I could push her farther up the street,” Carson volunteered.
The officer dipped his head and returned to his car and departed. Mariah and Carson watched him pull away from the curb and merge into traffic.
“So do you have a towing service?” Carson asked Mariah.
“I don't. I think my best bet would be to call a tow truck. I know it's going to cost me an arm and leg this time of the night.”
“I have a buddy who has a tow truck company. I could have him meet us here. I'm sure he will allow you to keep your arms and legs. I can wait with you until he gets here.” Carson pointed to a pickup truck.
“If you could that would be wonderful,” Mariah said feeling relieved. She wasn't quite out the woods yet. She sensed Carson was on the up and up and didn't feel threatened by him. “I hope I'm not keeping you from any plans you may have made.”
“No problem, I'm good. After I push your car up the street, I'm going to go to my truck and call Alex. When I'm done talking to him, I'll come back and give you his ETA.”
“Thank you, Carson, I don't know what I would have done had you not come along.”
“I'm going to push you up the block and then I'll call Alex.” He nodded and went to his truck. Ten minutes later Carson had pushed Mariah away from the no parking zone and returned to his truck.
Mariah picked up her cell phone and said, “Sonni, are you still there?”
Sonyell replied, “Of course I am. I felt relieved when the police came. I was going to ask you for his license plate number. If something had happened to you, I would have a point of reference. So you're waiting on his friend to come. Are you going to stay in Hammond tonight?”
“I feel safe with him. I think he's my Good Samaritan. Yes, I'm going to stay in Hammond tonight. I'll have his friend tow my car to my dad's house. Luckily my dad had a SUV, so I'll drive that tomorrow.”
“I don't understand why you aren't driving it anyway. You know your car is on its last leg. Carson sounds sexy. Is he fine?”
“Like I was looking at him. Girl, I was concerned about my car,” Mariah replied nonchalantly.
“Please
,
there isn't anything wrong with your eyes. So again I'm going to ask you to give me the 411, is he fine? Tell me how he looks.”
Mariah twisted a strand of hair nervously. “Well, not that I was looking that hard. But, yeah, he is fine. He's tall, I'd say about six feet five, kind of thin but muscular, like he plays basketball, and, Sonni, he has the prettiest green eyes. He has thick eyebrows, he's butter colored, and he looks more European rather than African. And, girl, he has a Kirk Douglas cleft in his chin. But, he's definitely not my physical type.” Mariah pooh-poohed the thought. Truthfully he took her breath away.
“For someone who wasn't looking that hard, you seem to have taken more than one look. I knew it, with that baritone voice and all,” Sonyell told her friend.
Just then Carson returned to Mariah's car. “I spoke to Alex, he will be here as soon as he can. He lives in Griffith, which isn't that far from here. So, I'll wait with you for him and, hopefully, we'll have you at your destination in no time.”
“Again, thank you, Carson, you've been a big help,” Mariah thanked him graciously.
“Glad to have been of service. I have sisters and I'd like to think if one of them got stranded, someone would help them. Say, how far are you from your destination?” Carson looked at Mariah curiously.
“Not too far, I'd say about five miles,” Mariah calculated the distance.
“Good. Your limbs are safe then. I'll be in my truck; holler if you need anything.”
“I will,” Mariah replied. She watched Carson return to his vehicle.
“Hmmm, I can hardly wait to meet him. If you're not interested, I bet Rocki would be. You know she's on the prowl.”
“Yes, twenty-four seven, 365 days a year.”
The friends laughed.
“Are you going to call Granny? I know you didn't tell her where you were going. You know she's probably going crazy about now.”
“I'll think about when I get my dad's. Right now, I just want to get out of this car and inside the house, so I can stretch my legs. I'm starving, I didn't have dinner, and you know I don't know where the restaurants are located in this city.”
“Look, it's time you stop calling the house your dad's. Say âmy house.' Anyway, maybe Mr. Carson can suggest a few eating places,” Sonyell said slyly.
“Look, I don't have the time or energy to devote to a man right now. I have too many things on my plate.”
“Ain't nothing wrong with a little loving,” Sonyell advised. “You're so uptight anyway. A man would help you to relax.”
“Well, we know that's not going to happen, since I'm practicing celibacy,” Mariah retorted haughtily.
Sonyell shook her head. “It's easy to practice that when there isn't a man in the picture. We'll see how your self-control is with a man around.”
Mariah and Sonni talked for a while.
A vehicle turned the corner with flashing red lights. “Sonni, I've got to go. I'll call you again when I arrive home.”
“Okay.”
The women disconnected the call and Mariah watched as Carson exited his vehicle, and walked to the tow truck that was parking in front of her car. She hoped he would take a credit card, because she didn't have any cash on her.
A few minutes later, Carson and Alex walked to the car. Mariah let her window down.
“Mariah, this is my friend Alex Morales. He will tow your car; he just needs the address of where you need the car towed to.”
Alex appeared to be of African American and Hispanic descent. He was portly with a mop of dark ringlets on his head. “Hello, Ms. Mariah.” He stuck out his hand. “Yeah, I just need to know where you're going and I'll have you there in no time. Carson says you aren't going very far.”
“Hello, Mr. Morales,” Mariah replied as she placed her hand inside Alex's. “How much will the tow cost? Also, I don't have cash. Do you accept credit cards?”
“What is the address that the car will be towed to?” Alex inquired. He began filling out a service request form.
Mariah told him her address.
“That will be fifty-five dollars. And, no, I don't accept credit cards, cash only,” Alex informed Mariah.
“In that case I'll need to stop at an ATM,” Mariah said.
“That's not a problem. Would you like to ride in the truck with me?” Alex asked.
“No, she'll ride with me,” Carson interjected. He looked at Mariah. “I mean if that's all right with you.”
“I'll ride with Carson,” Mariah decided. She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. “Sorry, it's been a long day.”
“I'll get the car loaded on the flatbed and then we can be on our way.” Alex headed to his tow truck.
Mariah put on her jacket and grabbed her purse. She prayed that Carson and Alex weren't running a game. She put her hand inside her purse and pressed the speed dial for Sonyell's number. She didn't intend on talking to herâdidn't want to insult the men. She just wanted Sonyell to at least have the capability to be listening in if something went down.
She walked with Carson to his pickup truck. He opened the door like a gentleman and closed it after she got in. He got inside.
“What's the name of your bank? Perhaps there's an ATM nearby.”
“I bank at Chase,” Mariah replied after she put on her seat belt.
“There's an ATM about a block away at a 7-Eleven store. We can go there and then to your place.”
“I am truly indebted to you tonight.” Mariah thanked him as Carson started the truck. Five minutes later he pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot.
“I'll be right back,” Mariah said as she placed her hands on the side of the truck to open the door.
Carson jumped out of the truck. “Let me,” he said. Carson walked to the passenger side and opened the door for Mariah. Then he waited outside the store for her to return.