Authors: Jamela
I finally sit up in bed. I throw the covers back, walk over and open the bedroom door and pad down the hall to the guest bedroom. I knock on the door. “Come in.” Says Ed. He looks at me and smiles. I walk over to him and he throws the covers back on the other side of the bed. I climb in and realize he knew I’d be coming. I’m glad he knows me so well. I curl up next to him and he wraps his big strong arms around me. I finally feel safe and my mind is clear. I don’t remember Ed turning out the light. The next thing I know, it’s morning and the alarm is waking me. I must have slept like a log. I actually feel good.
I get up, go to our bedroom and shut of the alarm clock. I walk to the boy’s bedrooms to make sure each of them is awake. Once I’m done, I come back and sit on the bed beside Ed. “Honey, I have a favor to ask. I hope you won’t mind doing it. But it will be a big help.”
“I’m sure it will. You want me to stay and work at home next week don’t you?” He quietly says.
I look at him nodding my head astounded at how well he can read my mind. He hugs me and says it won’t be a problem. I kiss him and before I realize it, the kiss turns into more than a thank-you peck. It’s like I haven’t tasted him in decades and I’m starving. I can’t get enough of the taste of his mouth, morning breath and everything. At some point I open my eyes and I see reflected in his eyes that he is surprised. He is unsure of what is happening. I slowly pull away. He sits quietly. I look down and see the familiar bulge of his pajama pants. I’m a little ashamed of myself. I wasn’t thinking of having sex. I just wanted to give him a peck on the lips. I honestly don’t know what happened.
“Mommy, X pushed me!” Screams Eric. The spell between Ed and I is broken. I lightly pat his chest as I rise to find out what is going on with the boys. I check things out and play referee for a minute or two. Finally they are ready for school and Ed has breakfast ready and waiting for them in the kitchen. We get them off and I begin to clean the kitchen. Once I’m done, I decide I want some new curtains in the living room. I walk down to the basement, where my sewing room is located and pull out some fabric for drapes. After deciding on a piece of fabric, I choose a pattern. I have the door closed and I’m listening to music. Ed comes down the stairs and says, “Tasha, you have a phone call.” He looks so serious. I wanna ask what’s wrong, but decide not to. I walk up the stairs and pick up the receiver.
“Hello. This is Tasha. Oh yes Officer Woodson. That is wonderful news. Do we have to come down to the station to hear the results? Oh. Yes. I don’t understand. How could that be? No! Are there any other suspects? No. I can’t think of anything else. Yes. Thank you. I will call if I remember anything.” I say unsteadily. I plop down onto the nearest chair and begin to cry. Ed quietly comes over and puts his arms around me.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I thought we had him. But we’ll get him. I know we will.” He says rubbing my back to calm me down.
Suddenly I have an idea. “Ed, maybe if I go to the shop, I’ll remember something else. I mean maybe being in the surroundings will trigger something in my memory. Will you go with me?” I excitedly ask.
“Of course I’ll go with you. Besides, I don’t want you anywhere near that shop without me. The person could be watching to see if and when you return for all we know. And I don’t wanna give them another chance to hurt you. You just let me know when you are ready to go. I’ll be right there by your side.”
I pull away and go to our bedroom. I shower and dress in a pair of sweatpants and a big sweatshirt. I pull my hair into a ponytail. I don’t bother to put on any makeup. I walk back to Ed’s office where he is working. I announce that I am ready to go and we leave immediately. On the way over, there is no conversation in the car. I look at my hands over and over again and I can see them shaking. Ed notices too and grasps them in his to calm me. Once we get there, I mention to Ed that I don’t want to go through the back door. In fact, Ed, decides to park across the street and we enter the front door.
As we walk through the door, Sonny walks out of his office. Once he sees who it is, a big smile spreads across his face. For a minute, which seems like eternity, he doesn’t say anything. He just looks at me. Then he asks, “How are you doing? I’ve been worried about you.”
He keeps his distance from me. “I’m managing. I just wanted to come pick up my stuff before you gi….” I say.
Curtis walks out of Sonny’s office. He looks at me smiling. “Well, look who decided to visit.” He says walking out.
I look up at Ed. He looks down at me. “Ed, you already know Sonny. This is his old friend Curtis. Curtis, this is my husband, Ed.”
Curtis walks over to shake Ed’s hand. Ed brushes past him and guides me to a chair. “Honey, if you’ll tell me what you want to take with you, I can get it for you. Unless Sonny already has it packed up.” He says frowning.
“No. I don’t have anything packed up. In fact, I’m lost around here without Tasha. She was so organized that I can’t find anything. You go ahead and pack up the stuff. If you don’t mind, I’m gonna pick your wife’s brain so I’ll be able to run my own business.” Sonny says turning to me.
Ed looks at me for confirmation. I give it with a slight nod and give him a few instructions on what to get. Meanwhile Sonny asks me things about the filing system, what the last orders were that I placed and questions about the last pickups. I explain everything to him and even give him a few notes. During all of this Curtis is watching TV. Cops is on and apparently this is one of his favorites shows. He’s even talking to the television. I sort of tune him out. It doesn’t take Ed long to get the stuff I wanted. He never leaves me completely alone. He is right in Sonny’s office with the blinds opened and the door opened. He can hear everything being said. But I realize that I don’t feel comfortable. Ed walks over to me carrying a small box. I grab a hold of his arm and say a general goodbye. We leave, cross the street to the car and drive straight home. Again there is no conversation in the car. Not because I’m nervous. I am unnerved. On edge and nauseous.
Once in the house, I thank Ed and go back to the basement to finish my drapes. As I’m stitching them together, my mind begins to work. I have never felt that way around Sonny before. It must be because of the attack. No, that’s not all of it. It’s something else, but I can’t put my finger on it. Think Tasha. “What was it that made you nauseous?” I continue to sew and it hits me like a ton of bricks. I was fine until Curtis came out. He makes me nervous. Why would I feel that way about him? I must be imagining things. The doctor said I would look at everyday situations differently. This must be one of those things. I never felt that way before the attack and Curtis had been there several times.
I finished up my drapes after a couple of hours. I was so engrossed in what I was doing, I had worked right through lunch. When I finally looked at the clock, it was 1:30. I shut the sewing machine down, turned off my stereo and headed upstairs. Ed was still in his office working. I went in and apologized for forgetting lunch. I found out what he wanted and went into the kitchen to get things started. After a few minutes, Ed came in to watch. He often sat at the table watching me move about the kitchen. Suddenly he asked, “What put you on edge at Sonny’s?”
“I’m not sure. I was trying to figure that out when I was downstairs, but I couldn’t. I think it must be because of the attack. So, you noticed, huh?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t help but notice. Your whole facial expression changed and you grabbed my arm. Your body stiffened. That’s why I guided you to a chair. I was waiting on you to say let’s go, but you never did. So, I didn’t wanna say anything else, especially since it was your idea to go there in the first place. But, I will tell you this. I’m glad you aren’t working there anymore. Sonny is all right, but I don’t like the folks he has hanging around. Who is Curtis, a new partner?” Ed questions sarcastically.
“Nah. He is a friend of Sonny’s from high School. He is relocating to this area and he came in to buy some tires and stuff. I sold them to him. I guess he and Sonny are getting reacquainted after all these years. He brought me breakfast the last morning I was there. I don’t really have much to say to him. I get the feeling he looks at women as objects.” I reply.
“Well I just met him and I don’t like him. He strikes me as the type who doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Anyway, I’m glad we’re through with the shop.
**********
“Sonny, man, she doesn’t look too bad. I see she still knows her job. You should see if later on she’ll be willing to come back to work for you. She might change her mind.” Suggests Curtis.
“I don’t think so. She’s scared to be here. I wish this had never happened, especially here.” Sonny says dropping his head.
“Well there is nothing you can do about it. Some people are just bad. They do what they want when they want. Besides, with a talented lady like Tasha working here, some crazy person was bound to notice her. Working with the public opens you up to things like that. No matter what kind of business it is. She could have been working at a jewelry store and the same crazy person notice and try the same thing. So don’t knock yourself around about it too much. The only thing you can blame on yourself, is leaving her here alone for so long. You can’t read people’s minds and you don’t know what kinds of things people have planned. Don’t worry about it. Besides, she seems to be doing fine to me. She and her husband are probably already having sex just like they normally would.” Curtis says with a grin.
“I hear what you’re saying, but it doesn’t ease my conscience any. I never should have left her alone. How could I let something like this happen to her? What was I thinking? I know. I was thinking about making money and I put her in danger because of it. Ed is the better man. He never would have let something like this happen to her.”
“Man, you need to stop. He did let it happen to her. He let her work here didn’t he? So, in a sense, he’s just as guilty as the person who attacked her. But, like I said. You can’t control people. No matter how well you think you know someone. Besides, she didn’t have to be alone. I came by that morning and brought her breakfast. I told her I had plans to spend the whole morning with her. But she turned me down. I have never been rejected so nicely. But she made it clear she wasn’t interested in me, so I left.”
“See. I told you not to try.” Sonny says with a smirk. “Anyway, I’ve got to find a way to make this up to her. I can’t stand feeling this way.”
Just then the door opens and the mailman comes in. “High Jarvis. How’s it going?”
“Okay, I guess. Is Tasha ever coming back to work here?” He hurriedly asks.
“No. Why?”
“Because I want her to know that I did not attack her. The police have put me in a lineup and everything. They have been investigating me. They even had me say some of the same lines as her attacker during the lineup. If you talk to her, please tell her I’m sorry, but I didn’t do it.”
“Whoa! Aiight man. Will do. As a matter of fact, she was here a ‘lil while ago. I just hope they hurry up and catch this bastard. What did they have you say?”
“Something about a talented lady and Sonny knowing better. I don’t remember. But, I know for sure I didn’t do it. Anyway, do you have anything going out?”
“Nah. See ya.”
Jarvis leaves and Sonny is quiet for a long time. After a while he tells Curtis he has to run an errand. Curtis agrees to watch the shop until Sonny returns. Sonny leaves and drives straight to the police station. The officer he wants to see isn’t there so he leaves a written message. He stops and gets a six-pack of beer and goes back to the shop. Curtis is changing the channel when he walks in. “You didn’t have any customers. I guess I don’t pull ‘em in like Tasha, huh?” He says grinning.
Sonny tells Curtis about the six-pack in the fridge and goes back to filing the receipts. He was doing that when Tasha and Ed came in. He makes small talk and realizes that Curtis hasn’t told him what he’s really been doing since high school. So he starts shooting questions at Curtis. Curtis, who loves talking about himself, answers them all as he’s drinking the six-pack. Before too long, the whole six-pack is gone and Sonny hasn’t had one beer. Then Sonny recalls that Curtis never could hold his liquor.
Sonny gets up to get the next stack of receipts and Officer Woodson comes through the door with her partner. Sonny walks over and whispers something. The officers follow him to his office where Curtis is sitting. Curtis looks up and comments, “You people protect and serve. What happened to you when Tasha was being attacked?”
“Well, huh, what’s your name?”