Betrayed (30 page)

“So…it's true. Afrika is our sister,” Trevor said half-heartedly.

“One at a time,” Brenda said, holding up her right hand. “Yes to both.”

R
APHAEL WALKED BRISKLY TO THE CAR, ANXIOUS TO GET AS FAR
away as possible from his embarrassment. He clicked the remote, hopped in, and started the ignition. Before pulling away from the curb, Raphael pulled out his cell to call Mimi.

“Drive and don't turn around,” said the voice in the darkness.

Raphael's body stiffened as the cold piece of metal touched the back of his neck. Out of the corner of his eyes, Raphael searched for Mimi's gun that he had sat on the floor, but he couldn't see the wooden box in his peripheral vision.

“If you're looking for your gun, it's stroking the back of your neck. You are some stupid nigger not to lock your car door and leave a gun almost within plain sight. You don't think rich people steal?”

Raphael remained quiet and let the person sitting in his back seat talk.

“So blood, what were you doing in my house talking to my wife?”

Fear tangled in Raphael's throat. He had come looking for Victor, but Victor had found him and had his weapon pointed at the back of his head. Then he reached for his head as the butt of the gun hit the nape of his neck. “What did you do that for?” Raphael asked.

Victor grabbed Raphael by the neck. “So you do talk. Now I'm going to ask you one more time. What were you doing in my house?”

“Looking for you!”

“Looking for me? Who in the hell are you, that you'd be looking for me?”

“I'm Mimi's husband.”

Victor let go of Raphael's neck. There was an icy chill in the car. A minute passed without a word being said. Without warning, Victor's voice pierced the silence, erupting in a guttural laugh.

Raphael felt the gun again but this time next to his ear.

“Drive.”

M
imi was angrier now than she'd been when Victor first set foot at her front door. She couldn't believe Raphael had walked off, took her car, and left her to deal with the aftermath of Brenda's announcement earlier that afternoon. She felt bad for Afrika…that she had to hear the raw truth of her birth while lying in a hospital bed because of a bullet wound to the back inflicted by the biological father she'd just learned about. It was a shame in more ways than one, but Mimi never expected Brenda to blurt out the reality of that truth in front of everyone it was going to hurt.

Maybe she deserved Raphael's wrath. In her heart, Mimi knew he was hurting because she hadn't been truthful about her pregnancy…that she was already pregnant when she met him. A terrifying thought came to Mimi.
What if Raf thought she'd married him because her baby needed a father and that it would make her respectable? Well, was that the truth?
Mimi looked back at Afrika, who lay staring at the ceiling. No, she loved him. God sent her an angel, and his name was Raphael Bailey.

“Mommy,” Afrika said, softly causing Mimi to catch her throat with her hand, bracing for Afrika's question. “Mommy, let's talk about it.”

“Is that what you really want to do, baby? All I want is for you to get well.”

“I have two wounds now, Mommy. I can't get well unless you help me to mend my broken heart. It's strange how a bullet darn near got me in the heart, but then it's true when they say words can cut you with a knife.”

Mimi watched Afrika, as she lay on her side, so vulnerable and so wise. “Mommy had a terrible secret that she felt needed to be buried alive, never to surface. I was ashamed of what happened because the implications would hurt so many people.”

“But, Mommy, you were raped by that vile man. You should've reported him; he should've been in jail.”

“Baby, if I was as confident about myself then as I am now, I might've done that. But I was afraid…afraid that Brenda wouldn't understand and that she'd say it was my fault. After all, she was my best friend.”

“Well, she wouldn't be my best friend if she knew me as well as you two say you knew each other and then wouldn't believe you. That's crazy.”

“It's easy to say, Afrika, but you weren't in my shoes.”

“I know that Grandma and Granddad supported you. They've been so supportive of me all my life.”

Mimi closed her eyes. “That they were. I…I had even thought of aborting the baby.” Everything was still. Mimi opened her eyes and saw tears streaming down Afrika's cheek. Mimi brushed Afrika's face. “But I didn't, baby, thanks to your grandparents. And I'm so glad I listened to them. You wouldn't have been in my life. So I went to school in Hampton because I didn't want the pregnancy to hamper me from getting my education. Hmph, and to think my first day there, I met your father.”

Afrika wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at Mimi thoughtfully. “Mommy, did you love Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetie. I know it seems suspect, considering I met your
Daddy with you in my stomach and he was none the wiser…at least I believe so, but I fell hard for that man, and not out of obligation either. I loved Raphael Bailey almost from the moment I met him, and he still has my heart. Afrika, he's been so good to me, and I thank the Lord every day for placing him in my life.”

Mimi wiped away her own tears. She couldn't help but notice how Afrika's countenance changed…that warmth had replaced the pain.

“Mommy, I'm so glad. Daddy will be glad to hear that, too. And so that you know, I love him with all of my heart. I may have Victor Christianson's DNA, but he's no part of me.”

“It's going to be okay, baby. Why don't you try and get some rest and let this other stuff go for a while. It's still you, me, and Daddy.”

“Mommy, I'm going to transfer to Hampton. I'm sorry for not listening to you.”

“It's all right, baby. I believe God was telling me that it was time to come clean, to purge my soul, repent, and get it straight…not just with you and your dad…” Mimi pointed her finger upward, “…but Him, too. I've betrayed a lot of people, but God knows my heart.”

“Okay, Mommy.” Mimi smiled for the first time today.

O
VER AN HOUR PASSED SINCE
R
APHAEL HAD CALLED
. M
IMI LOOKED
at her watch and then at Afrika, who was now fast asleep. Where could he be? She had made up in her mind to spend the night in Afrika's room, but she needed a friendly voice to talk to, she needed her husband, she need to make things right with him.

Mimi picked up her cell and dialed his cell phone. It rang and rang without an answer. Puzzled, she tried the number again
without any results. Mimi sighed. She didn't like the fact that he was at Brenda's house. Why would he go there? Surely not to get back at her.

Mimi dialed Brenda's number.

“Hi, Mimi,” Brenda answered. “Raphael get back okay?”

“He's not there?”

“No, he left right after he spoke to you. That was about an hour and a half ago.”

“I've tried calling him, but he hasn't answered his phone. He was angry when he left the hospital, but this is out of character for Raf. This worries me.”

“The last words he uttered before leaving here was that he had to go and that you were angry with him. But, Mimi, that man loves you with all of his heart and soul. He told me as much. Yes, my announcement wasn't the best way to handle things, but Raphael was looking forward to getting back to his wife.”

“Question?”

“What is it, Mimi?”

“Why did Raphael come to your house?”

“Girl, I know you're not jealous of the man who only has eyes for you. He was hoping to find Victor. Give Victor a piece of his mind. He was mad enough to kill Victor if he'd actually run into him.”

The ladies laughed. “Raphael would put a hurting on Victor if he did. Well, I'll wait a few minutes longer. It just worries me that he hasn't called to say he was held up or whatever.”

“I'm sure that man of yours is fine. How's Afrika?”

“She's sleep. How are Asia and Trevor?”

“They're in denial. They're hurting deep to their core. I tried to keep it inside, Mimi, but I couldn't. Maybe it was selfish; I've hurt our children and Raphael, but I couldn't stand to let Victor off the hook.”

“I wished I'd been as brave as you nineteen years ago.”

“You did what you thought was best at the time, Mimi. Don't beat yourself up about it.”

“You're talking like a psychologist, Brenda.”

“That's what I get paid to do. Love you.”

“Love you back.”

R
aphael drove where instructed with the barrel of the gun still aimed at his head. Nothing more was said between the two men; only the occasional giving of directions by Victor. The night hid the beauty of day, but Raphael knew there was no beauty, day or night, in and on the streets they now travelled as evidenced by all the brothers hanging out on the street corners, their cigarette clad fingers raised high in the air, giving their take on the hood's daily news.

“Make a right here,” Victor barked.

It was a small incline, and Raphael pushed down on the accelerator so he could beat the train he could see barreling down in the distance, although the crossing gate had yet to come down. Sailing over the tracks, the car bounced a couple of times, jerking Victor in the back seat.

“What in the hell were you trying to do, fool?” Victor yelled. “Get us killed?”

“I'm driving like you told me to do,” Raphael retorted.

“Don't get smart or you'll never see Mimi again. I don't understand, but I guess I don't have to. You aren't even Mimi's type.”

“And what type is that?”

“Protecting your woman. Hmph. Maybe I had you pegged wrong.”

Raphael kept his eyes on the road, although secretly recording his location.

“Okay, pull over in front of that house,” Victor said, pointing the gun at a run-down wooden-frame house. “I can't let you drive off; you can pinpoint my location. I'm going to pick up someone and you're going to be our getaway driver.”

“I've got to get to the hospital. If I don't show up soon, Mimi is going to have the police looking for me.”

“Then maybe I'm going to have to eradicate you from the face of the earth.”

“The police will be looking for my car.”

“Oh, I've got another plan. Now get out of the car…slowly. Place both hands in front of you, and put the keys in your right hand and hold them out so I can get them.”

Raphael got out of the car as instructed and quickly surveyed his surroundings. The block ended several houses down. There was a Laundromat on the opposite corner and he couldn't see much else. He held the keys in his right hand and waited for Victor to take them from him.

With gun in his right hand, Victor walked up to where Raphael stood.

“Drop the keys in my hand,” Victor demanded.

Raphael hesitated but saw the gun pointing at him. He held on a second longer, but Victor moved closer and snatched them out of his hand.

Pow
. Raphael saw the moment to change the course of his fate. He knocked the gun out of Victor's hand, kicked him in the groin, and pushed him to the ground. Raphael took off running, but knew he had to get farther than the Laundromat. Too many people's lives would be at risk, so he kept running.

Raphael believed he heard footsteps following him and he ran faster still. There was a moment of silence, but still he ran on. He dodged between houses, trying to find a safe haven from the devil.
Catching his breath, he peeked from behind the safety of the house and crept to the front to see if the coast was clear.

“Whatcha doing sneaking behind my house?” said the husky voice that belonged to a dark-skinned, heavy set, middle-aged woman who held a piece of plywood in the air. Pink foam hair rollers covered her head, and she wore a pink and orange house-dress that came to her knees that was zipped down far enough to see her ample helping of breasts. And on her feet were a pair of white, off-brand tennis shoes, no socks, with the shoelaces untied. “I'll take this board and smash your face in.”

Eyes bulging, Raphael jumped and held his hands up. His voice was stuck somewhere in his throat. “Uhh, uhh, Miss…uhh…”

“I said whatcha doing here?”

“Miss…”

“Shirley, my name is Shirley.”

Raphael put his finger to his lips. “Shhhh.”

“Don't shush me. You're the one that don't belong here.”

“Shirley, I'm not here to do you any harm,” Raphael whispered. Then he pointed toward the house. “Can we go in there for a minute?”

“Fool, is you crazy? Don't you see this board I'm fixin' to drop across your head?”

“I'm in trouble…not with the law,” Raphael continued whispering. “Please, I need your help.”

Shirley sized him up. “It's going to cost you. And don't try nothing.”

Raphael fumbled in his pants for his wallet. He pulled out two twenties and gave them to Shirley.

“I guess so, but I'm going to keep this board aimed at your face.”

Raphael followed Shirley into her small kitchen. Fried chicken, rice and gravy were on the stove. Three small children, two girls
and one boy, whose ages ranged from three to ten sat at a small round table in the small kitchen. The children were dressed in dingy white underclothes with pigtails flying at half mast on the two girls, and the boy's hair was wild about his head as if Shirley had just taken his cornrows down. Rice and gravy were half in their plates and half on the table, as the children nibbled and played in their food.

“Want some dinner…I didn't get your name?”

“Raf. No.”

“Raf? What kind of name is that?” Shirley asked, putting down the plywood. “Look, mister, I don't care what your name is, but you need to do what you've got to do and be gone before my boyfriend gets home. He's at work now.”