Authors: Linda Wright
Takia was not done yet. She said, “I tried to be nice about this, I really did. I was going to let you at least stick around, but I see you’re not going to let that happen. You want to know what I told them? I told them whatever I could think of to smear their perfect image of you. And Natasha and Sicily were more than happy to hear it. They knew what it was like to have to compete with the perfect KeKe. As soon as I started talking, they were all ears, more than willing to believe whatever I told them. About the sleeping around in college, the abortions, and the drinking. About how badly you talked about them behind their backs and your plans to push them aside and take over. You’d think how nice you’ve always been would count for you, but actually it went against you. It seems fake and people have always been waiting for you to mess up. I gave it to them. That’s your flaw. You are too perfect. You make the people around you feel bad about themselves. You’re not right. You’re not right for Jason. You neglect him. I’ll be so much better for everybody. When I’m you, I’ll be much more relatable.”
“When you’re me?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m taking over. What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time? Getting in good with the family, the company, and your fiancée. I’m going to be better than just like you. I’m going to be you. After everything I told them and how you acted tonight, no one’s going to miss you. I’ll make sure of it.”
The hairs on the back of Keisha’s neck stood on end. She should have realized that the only reason Takia would have told her all of that was that she was planning to get rid of her. She had been so stunned by everything that she had not had time to think of that. She was officially more afraid than she was angry. Takia was not that far away. Keisha did not think that she could run out the door or into any room and lock the door behind her. She felt trapped. She could feel Takia watching her waiting to pounce. She felt like this was a moment of fight or flight. Since flight was not an option, it seemed she would have to fight.
Keisha did not want to be a sitting duck, so she decided to make the first move. She began walking towards Takia. Takia prepared to pounce. Keisha circled around the room trying to find an angle. When she got to the space closest to Takia, Takia sprang at her. She was a lot stronger than Keisha was expecting. For such a slim woman, she packed a lot of punch. She was able to wrestle Keisha down to the ground. She used her knees to force Keisha’s legs closed and put her hands around her neck. Keisha tried to fight her off, but she couldn’t breathe.
She was able to get her elbow lodged up into Takia’s ribs, knocking the wind out of her. When she loosened her grip, Keisha flipped her off of her and began to grab at her. Keisha had never been much of a fighter; she had never had to be. But now she was fighting for her life and she found strength she didn’t know she had. She pulled Takia back towards her end table. With her knees pushing down on her back, she reached for her lamp and brought it down on her head. Takia fell over with a thud and did not move. Keisha felt horrible watching the blood ooze from the wound on her head, but she had no choice. It was either her or Takia. It was not going to be Takia. She realized that at some point she had lost her phone. She began to look around for it so that she could call an ambulance. They had begun their struggle by the couches so she got down on her belly to look underneath. She spotted the phone on the far side by the wall.
As she began to reach for it, she heard movement behind her. Just as she was about to come back out she felt something wrapping around her neck. It felt like Takia was using a belt to choke her. She struck out, grabbing at it and trying to get it loose. She could hear her phone going off beneath the couch. Her mind began to focus on her lack of air. The strap was pulled so tightly that her eyes began to blur. She could feel herself starting to lose consciousness. She heard Takia sneer, “That’s right. This is perfect. It’ll make your suicide by hanging that much easier to sell.” Keisha tried to buck back into her, but she was locked up tight. It felt like her world was coming to an end.
Just as she thought she could take no more, she heard a commotion from somewhere in the room. The belt loosened a bit around her neck as Takia jolted up in surprise. In the next moments she could feel Takia getting off of her and the belt sprang loose. She fell forward on her stomach, coughing and gasping for air. She vomited on the floor in front of her. She could still hear struggling behind her. Takia was screaming at the top of her lungs. She turned around to see what was going on and she saw Jason holding Takia down trying to get control of her. She wanted to help, but she could barely move, still trying to refill her lungs with air. Just as she thought she was regaining herself she began to fade.
The next thing she knew she was being shaken. She blinked her eyes open and looked up to see Jason over her. It took a few moments for her to understand what he was saying. As the buzzing went out of her ears she could hear him saying her name. She tried to answer him, but the words wouldn’t come. It took her a few tries, but finally she felt his name leaving her lips. He pulled her into his chest and rocked her. Her body ached all over. Even his embrace hurt. She kept blinking and trying to figure out what was going on. The lights were on all over her house and there were other people moving around the room. She tried to see who it was, but Jason was still holding on to her.
Then she saw a hand pulling him back and reaching for her. It was her mother. Her face was streaming with tears as she pulled Keisha out of Jason’s arms and into her own. Keisha muttered a weak, “Mama?”
“Yes baby. I’m here. I’m so sorry, baby. I am so sorry. Your father is on his way.”
Keisha sat up a bit to see who else was in the room. She realized that there were a few police officers and most of her family. They all began to gather around the couch where she had been laid. Her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents all loomed around her, offering soothing touches. She could see towards the back, the devastated faces of Natasha and Sicily. They were both sobbing and didn’t seem to want to come any closer. Keisha drew a few deep breaths and said, “TaTa and CiCi, come here.”
They looked at each other and slowly moved forward until they were standing at the front of the group. Keisha reached a hand out for her sister. Still shaking with tears, she stepped forward and took it. She leaned in and said, “KeKe, I’m so sorry. I should have never believed her. I feel like this is all my fault. I love you so much.”
“It’s okay. I understand. I love you too. And you CiCi.”
Cici fell forward and put her head against Keisha’s. Keisha turned her head and planted a kiss on her forehead. Then she turned to Jason and said, “Where is she?” No one had to ask who she was referring to. Jason took her hand and said, “The police took her. Don’t worry, you won’t be seeing her again. There are outstanding warrants on her.”
Keisha shook her hand in understanding. She still couldn’t believe it. Someone who she had held as a dear friend, almost family, had tried to kill her and take over her life. She would later learn about Takia’s history of psychological problems and the slew of crimes she had left behind her. The real reason she could not go back to her home town was that she had been tied to three assaults and at least two murders, the murders of her grandmother and her older sister. Keisha felt blessed just to have made it out alive.
Jason moved up the wedding to the first available date. He said he had almost lost her and he was going to keep her close to make sure that it didn’t happen again. She moved into his house. She had always loved it anyway, but it was decidedly better than her condo now with everything that had happened there. In most ways things went back to normal.
The one thing that did change was that Keisha decided not to be so naïve. She realized that everyone trying to be in your life is not your friend. Some people are not there to add to your life, but to take away from it. She would try not to be bitter or paranoid, but she would be cautious. From now on she would be careful with anyone coming around trying to flatter her by saying they wanted to be just like her. They may just mean it…
*****
THE END
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