Family Values (19 page)

MADISON
I want you to leave.

NOAH

And then you go and talk to Josh Wiley. Don’t you know that my father has him in his back pocket? Every time he hauls oil from this company my father gets a portion of that.

MADISON
My brother is selling it.

NOAH
I know. Now you or my sister will help me get more money.

MADISON
You will not get a dime from me.

NOAH

Too late. When you wrote Trenity that check…trust me – he made those big faces rain on me.

             
Madison started to grow old of Noah. She gulped down the last of her wine. She pulled out a drawer at the bar. This made Noah nervous. She placed a checkbook on the counter top and began to write.

MADISON
How much would it take to get you out of my life?

NOAH
You don’t have enough…yet.

MADISON
Why are you here?

NOAH
I told you…my birthrights.

MADISON

You will never see it.

NOAH
Fine. I will make sure that you don’t either.

             
I waited at the airport in Jackson, Mississippi for Brian’s plane to land. I found the gate and stared out of the window. Within five minutes I saw a white and silver 777 plane pulling into the terminal. My heart started to beat faster and faster. I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t see Brian in a year.

             
The passengers started to emerge through the door. I looked at each one of them as they entered. After what seem like ten minutes there was no Brian. The attendant started to close the door. I raced up to her and asked if there were any more passengers on the plane. She informed me that the plane was completely empty. My heart dropped. I was stood up. How could he do this to me? How could I do it to myself?

             
Never should I have allowed myself to get excited about seeing Brian.

             
I tucked my feelings back into my heart and started to leave the airport. I knew that thoughts of Brian would cross my mind on this drive back to Waynesboro.

BRIAN
You can’t wait?

             
I was shocked when he was standing in front of me. I didn’t know whether to run and jump on him, slap him, or faint.

DWIGHT

Wait a minute. I was at your gate waiting on you.

BRIAN
I took an earlier flight. I could not wait to see you. I don’t get a hug or something.

             
I walked closer to him and gave the “brotherly hug with the pats on the back.” I didn’t want to release him. From the embrace I felt that he felt the same. We finally let go of each other.

DWIGHT
Do you need to go to baggage claim?

BRIAN
No. I have the two bags I need right here.

             
I noticed that the black bag in the far back was the bag that my grandfather gave me. I wanted to ask him for it but I decided that I would give him time to give it to me.

             
As we were leaving the airport and got to the round-a-bout I felt Brian place his hand on my lap. I looked over at him and he gave me a smile.

DWIGHT
You know tomorrow is my wedding?

BRIAN
So you are going through with it?

DWIGHT
I grew to love her.

BRIAN
I do understand. I just want you to know that I am here for you. I will even be your children’s godfather in the near future.

             
I didn’t quite know what to make of his last comment. On the drive to Waynesboro I explained everything to Brian. Not once did he pull his hand from my lap.

             
We stopped in Laurel for something to eat. I pulled into a restaurant called
Pete’s Place
. I hadn’t eaten there in a long time.
Pete’s Place
was a great soul food restaurant. I knew that I had to have his Bar-B-Que short ribs, potato salad, and baked beans with a slice of homemade lemon pound cake.

             
As we exited the car I noticed that Brian grabbed the black bag from the back seat. I was more curious as to what was really in this bag.

DWIGHT
Why are you taking this bag in?

BRIAN
Just because.

DWIGHT
Okay…make sure that you save that “just because”.

             
The waitress came and took our orders. I dipped my buttery sweet rolls into a homemade sauce that no one but Pete knew the recipe to. The rolls melted on the tongue once it touched.

BRIAN
Now this is the type of cooking that I have longed for.

DWIGHT
I cooked like this all the time in Seattle.

BRIAN
When?

DWIGHT
On Sundays.

BRIAN

Right…Right…just when the game was about to come on and your boys were at the house.

DWIGHT
Don’t be like that. You had me every day of the week.

BRIAN
I wanted it to just be us sometimes watching the game. I don’t need Julius, T.J., William, Kelvin, Horace, Terrance, Jarvis, Larry, Malcolm, Darryl, Norman, Rymone, Jonathan and Dwan around every Sunday.

DWIGHT
Didn’t need or didn’t want?

BRIAN
It doesn’t matter.

DWIGHT
If you say so.

BRIAN
Dwight I want you to know that I love and live you. I hadn’t been with anyone since I left you. I tried but it wasn’t the same. Now that I know that you are going to marry Robin I will step back. I just want to give you this bag and fly back to Seattle.

DWIGHT
Man I can’t believe you. I hope that you don’t expect me to drive back to Jackson this afternoon for you to go back to Seattle.

BRIAN
Actually no. I told you that I wanted to be with you when you open this bag. I don’t know how you are going to feel about the contents of it.

             
Brian passed the bag across the table to me. Before I could open it Pete approached our table.

PETE
Dwight, how have you been?

DWIGHT (standing up to hug him)

Doing good and you?

PETE

Living. I hope that you both find everything to your liking.

DWIGHT
You know I will. Oh, Pete this is my friend Brian from Seattle.

             
They exchanged friendly handshakes.

PETE

Are you still in Waynesboro?

DWIGHT (looking at Brian)

For now.

PETE

Okay…okay. Well look I just came over to speak. If you need anything let me know.

DWIGHT
Thanks Pete.

             
Pete made his rounds to other tables and I proceeded to open the bag. I rummaged around in it. I found documents, jump drives, a web tablet, and money.

DWIGHT
What is all of this?

BRIAN
I guess it is what your grandfather left you.

DWIGHT
It is a few bundles of money in here.

BRIAN
Trust me that is what he left. I didn’t add not subtract anything from the bag.

             
I pulled out the web tablet and stuck the jump drive into it. When I found the files a video began to play. I could not believe what I was looking at. The humiliation, the familiar faces, the voices, the conversations. I looked over at Brian and noticed the tears forming in his eyes.

              I didn’t know what made this day any different from any other day. Maybe because I was getting married. When I woke up, I noticed roses and bottles on my dresser. I leaped to see if there was a card. When I pulled it out it read,

“Congratulations on this most memorable time in your life! I wish you only the very best on this new journey together. May God’s blessings be upon you on this new journey together.”

There was no name as to who it came from.

___________________________________

Robin was in her room touching up her makeup before the team got there. There was a knock at her door and she rose to answer it. Soon as she opened it she was met with a
backhand slap to the face. This caused her to walk backward.

NOAH

I was fine. The little cons that I was pulling and making a living for myself until you came and told me who my birth mother was. You wiggled your ass and you knew she was loaded with money. You knew that I would do anything to get a piece of it. (Grabbing Robin by the back of her hair). I did everything that you asked me to do.

ROBIN
Please don’t. I will find a way to get you some more money. I swear.

             
Noah pushed her into the wall. They begin to struggle when she fell to the floor. Robin tried her best to get him off of her. She grabbed a vase from the side and hit Noah on the side of the head. He rolled off of her.

             
Robin tried to run but she grabbed her by the leg causing her to fall. He crawled on top of her and started to tear her clothes off. Blood dripped onto her face from his head wound. Robin kneed him in the groin. Noah grabbed himself and continued to fight with her. She got away long enough to grab her purse. She emptied everything from it until a gun fell out. She quickly picked it up and pointed it at him.

ROBIN

Please leave…you have to go.

             
Noah was man enough to walk up to her and grab the gun. They began to tussle again. Noah head-butted Robin. The sound of the gun went off.

             
Robin looked at Noah’s lifeless body laying on the floor. She began to panic. She dropped the gun on the floor and picked up her cell phone. She dialed a number on the phone.

ROBIN

I’m in trouble.

             
Within minutes two men were in her room cleaning. They wrapped Noah’s body in plastic and put it in a disposal. They continued to clean the blood from the floor. Robin pulled the blood stained shirt off and put it with the body. 

             
After a few more minutes the men left.

             
There was another knock on Robin’s door. She screamed when she heard it. She slowly walked to the door and opened it. I stood on the opposite side. She flung the door open and quickly embraced me.

DWIGHT
Are you okay? You are shaking.

ROBIN
I am fine. (Trying to compose herself) Why are you here? You know that you are not supposed to see me before the wedding.

DWIGHT
I needed to see you beforehand. I wanted to make sure that you are okay.

ROBIN
I am okay.

DWIGHT
Great. You will meet me at the altar right?

             
Robin gave me a shy smile.

ROBIN
Of course I will.

             
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room. Going back to my suite I bumped into three guys. I stopped to see if they would say anything. No words were exchanged. I continued on to my suite.

_________________________________

             
The wedding processional began to play. I stood there waiting for my bride to come down the aisle. Brian stood there beside me as my best man. Mutters begin after the doors open and there was no bride. I turned and looked at Brian. He shrugged his shoulders. I looked over at the minister. He beckoned for the musician to stop.

             
I took off running to Robin’s suite. I used my cardkey to open her door. I scurried around the room and did not see Robin anywhere. There were no traces of her. I stopped and rubbed my forehead. I turned around the room. I noticed Brian and my grandmother standing there.

DWIGHT
Where is she?

GRANDMOTHER ELLA

Check the bathroom.

             
When I opened the door there she sat on the toilet fully dressed. She looked at me with swollen eyes.

ROBIN
I can’t marry you.

DWIGHT

No – I can’t marry you. I know everything about you now. You know maybe it’s best that you didn’t come to that alter because I was going to humiliate you to the fullest.