Firestone (15 page)

“
And I did recognize some
of them,” Charlie nodded. “I saw them in the line ups. I pointed
out the guy who egged everyone on, gave them the drugs and
stuff.
I
picked
him out of the lineup. Me. And only
then
did Raz find him on the videos.
If I hadn’t seen him first, they wouldn’t have known to get him.
How many states did he do this in? A lot.”

“
How did you know him,
Charlie?” an African-American man asked from the juror’s
box.

“
I saw him a bunch,”
Charlie said. “I’d get the girl and try to get out of there. That
guy was always hanging around. I mean, Raz found him on some
surveillance video from some bank. Just standing there watching. I
guess when the girl was out of it, he’d have his fill.”

Charlie looked disgusted.

“
Sorry,” Charlie said. “He
always makes me want to throw up.”

“
And the boys on your
basketball team?” another juror asked.

“
What about them?” Charlie
asked.

“
Why didn’t you recognize
them?” the juror asked.

“
I don’t know.” Charlie
scratched his head. “I guess I was too busy trying to fit in and
play basketball and . . .
well . . .”

Sadness welled inside Charlie. He sniffed
back a tear.

“
I
just . . . I mean, that other
life . . .” Charlie cleared his throat. “My dad was
alive until I was seven or eight or something. I lived with him and
my mom in our house with a white picket fence and a big yard, and I
had my own room and lots of toys. And we saw Uncle Seth almost
every day and . . . Our life was really good. And
for a while after he . . . uh . . .
left . . . um, things were pretty good. And then
things fell apart, and I lived another kind of life out on the
streets where . . .”

Charlie’s voice cracked. Aden stood up in
the gallery.

“
I don’t want to do this
anymore,” Charlie said. “Can I go?”

“
You’re saying that the
life you had on the streets was different, separate from the life
you live now,” the prosecutor said.

“
I’m different.” A tear
ran down Charlie’s face. “I’m not on drugs and I can read really
good now and I’m doing good in school and . . . I
feel hope, like I can do anything I want to do. I feel hope.
I . . . I’m not that guy.”

Charlie dropped his head into his arm and
cried. He wasn’t sure what happened next. There was some yelling,
and the next thing he knew Aden was at his side. Aden helped him up
and practically carried him out of the room. Aden made a beeline
into the men’s bathroom.

“
Can’t we go home?”
Charlie said through his tears.

“
Tink’s coming down the
hallway,” Aden said. “I figured you’d want to clean up
and . . .”

Charlie threw his arms around Aden’s neck
and cried. Aden held him tight.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday morning — 8:25 a.m.

“
So you’re not going to
put pants on,” Yvonne said.

“
No!” Jabari
said.

The child crossed his arms and stuck out his
chin. He wore a thin T-shirt and his underwear. Yvonne had been
trying to get him to put on his new clothing, but he only wanted to
wear the ratty old clothing he’d brought to Denver. His pants had
been so soiled that Dionne had thrown them away. The only pants he
had were his new pants, and he’d made it perfectly clear that he
was not going to wear them.

“
Suit yourself,” Yvonne
said. “It’s cold outside, and we have to walk this dog.”

Yvonne gestured to the large black dog with
the improbable name of Mr. Chesterfield.

“
This dog has been waiting
to take a walk with you,” Yvonne said.

Jabari put his arms around Mr.
Chesterfield’s neck and hugged him.

“
Come on, then,” Yvonne
said.

Because Jabari’s mother had been
incapacitated during the custody hearing, the judge had been unable
to finish the proceedings. He’d ordered Jabari to stay with Yvonne
and Rodney because they were not directly involved in the custody
fight.

And Jabari liked Yvonne.

He’d spent the night in their guest bedroom.
He was supposed to sleep in the big queen-size bed, but Yvonne
found him curled up in a ball in the closet. He wouldn’t wear the
clothing they’d bought. He wouldn’t sleep in the bed. Yvonne helped
the little boy out of the closet, and he hugged her legs. They came
out of the guest bedroom and followed Mr. Chesterfield down the
stairs.

In the kitchen, Yvonne tried once again to
get Jabari to eat. The boy stuck his chin out and crossed his arms.
An expert in the stubborn male, Yvonne just smiled and said, “Suit
yourself.”

“
Shoes?” Yvonne asked.
“I’m going to wear my cozy snow boots.”

“
No!” Jabari yelled at the
top of his lungs. “I won’t do it!”

“
I guess I won’t wear them
then.”

Yvonne smiled and Jabari scowled. Mr.
Chesterfield gave the boy a rather bored look. Akeem, the young man
who lived in their garage, ran into the house wearing his pajamas
bottoms and no shirt.

“
Everything okay?” The
young man looked panicked.

“
Everything is just fine,”
Yvonne said. “Mr. Wilson here was expressing his opinion about
wearing his snow boots.”

Akeem put his hands on his hips and looked
at the boy.

“
And his pants?” Akeen
asked.

“
Those too,” Yvonne said.
“We’re going to take Mr. Chesterfield for a walk.”

“
You’re going to freeze
your nuts off,” Akeem said to Jabari.

The boy stuck his chin out, and Akeem
laughed.

“
Stubborn?” Akeem
asked.

“
That’s all right,” Yvonne
said. “We all have our ways.”

Yvonne gave Akeem a nod, and the young man
laughed. Yvonne held her hand out to Jabari and he took it. She
went to the basket to get Mr. Chesterfield’s leash and some bags.
Jabari may not have liked pants or snow boots or his new warm
jacket, but he loved Mr. Chesterfield. She gave Akeem a nod, and
they went out the back door.

Mr. Chesterfield didn’t really need a walk
because he’d already been on a run with Rodney. The dog humored
Yvonne and Jabari but stayed close. They made it to the corner
before Jabari was shivering.

“
What do you think about
pants now?” Yvonne asked. “How about that jacket?”

“
No!” Jabari
said.

“
What is your problem with
pants?” Yvonne asked.

Jabari scowled at her. She shrugged, and
they kept walking. They made it to the end of the block before
Yvonne picked the boy up. Jabari screamed his lungs out. She tucked
the kicking and screaming boy under her arm and carried him back to
the house. Inside, Mr. Chesterfield went to his dog bed in the
kitchen, and Yvonne put Jabari on the counter. She hugged him
close.

“
You can’t make me,”
Jabari screamed. “You can’t make me! You can’t make me!”

Yvonne saw Akeem’s head peer in the back
door again. She waved him away and held onto Jabari. As the boy’s
anger eased his tears started. Pretty soon the little boy was
crying his eyes out.

“
You know what I think?”
Yvonne asked. She leaned down so her face was right in front of the
boy’s. “I think you don’t want these new things because you might
use them up.”

Jabari scowled at her.

“
I think you’re used to
people who don’t have a lot to give,” Yvonne said. “So you’re
afraid of using up the clothes, the bed, the
love . . . food . . .”

“
They’ll send me back,”
Jabari said.

“
Right,” Yvonne said. “If
you use too much, they’ll send you back. Boy, I know how that
feels.”

Yvonne nodded.

“
You think that because
someone told you it was true,” Yvonne said. She knew her words were
too mature for Jabari to understand, but she said them anyway. “But
I’ll tell you this — if you lose that pair of shoes, I’ll buy you a
dozen more. If you wet the bed, I’ll clean it up and not say
another word. If you eat every bit of our food, I will go to the
store and buy more.”

“
But you’ll run out of
money!” Jabari said.

“
If I run out of money,
I’ll call my friend Dionne, and she’ll give me some,” Yvonne said.
“Or I’ll call my daughter Tannie and she’ll bring me some. Or I’ll
go next door or to the house down the street. I can do that because
I’m not alone in this world. And they know that they can come here
if they run out, too.”

“
But it’s
your
money!” Jabari
said.

“
How much money do you
think I need?” Yvonne laughed.

“
A lot.” Jabari
nodded.

“
No.” Yvonne smiled. “I
need a lot of love. I need a lot of kindness. I need some money
because I don’t do well when I’m uncomfortable. But I don’t need a
lot.”

“
Oh,” Jabari said. “What
if you get broke because a me?”

“
Then I get broke,” Yvonne
said. “It won’t be the first time.”

“
You’ve been broke
before?” Jabari looked astounded.

“
Of course,” Yvonne
said.

“
Was it horrible?” Jabari
said.

“
It wasn’t fun,” Yvonne
said. “But I’ll tell you . . . I always had what I
really needed — a lot of love. That’s what you need
too.”

“
I need some pancakes
too,” Jabari said.

“
And pants?” Yvonne
asked.

“
You’re not wearing
pants,” Jabari said. The child shook his head at the idea of
pants.

Yvonne looked down at the jean skirt over
her thick winter tights.

“
You have a point,” Yvonne
said. “How ’bout that cute hoodie my Tannie got you?”

She went over to the wooden pegs and took
down a grey hooded sweatshirt with “Med Student” on the back and
the CU Anschutz logo on the front. Jabari nodded, and Yvonne pulled
it over his head. He flipped up the hood.

“
How ’bout boots?” Yvonne
asked.

“
If you wear yours,”
Jabari said.

“
You’re so right.” Yvonne
slipped off her walking shoes. “I do need my snow boots. Thank you
for thinking of me.”

Jabari was so excited that he bounced in
place. Yvonne took him off the counter, and he jumped around. Mr.
Chesterfield looked up to see what was going on. Yvonne put her
boots on. She helped Jabari put on his boots.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at
the door. Yvonne held out her hand to Jabari and he took her hand.
They went to the door to let Jeraine in.

“
We were just about to
have some pancakes, Mr. Wilson,” Yvonne said.

“
Hey! That’s my name!”
Jabari said.

“
Mine too!” Jeraine
said.

“
Do you have snow boots?”
Jabari asked.

“
In the car.” Jeraine
looked at Jabari’s boots. Yvonne held out her feet so he’d see
hers.

“
Why don’t you get them
while I make some pancakes?” Yvonne asked.

“
You don’t have to wear
pants either,” Jabari said.

Jeraine looked at Yvonne, and she shrugged.
Laughing, Jeraine went to his car. When he returned, he was wearing
his snow boots and no pants. Jabari squealed with delight, and
Yvonne laughed.

“
Can I have underwears
like those?” Jabari pointed to Jeraine’s boxer briefs.

“
I don’t know why not,”
Yvonne said.

Jabari was so happy he danced around.

“
Now you boys play out
here,” Yvonne said. “I’m going to make some pancakes.”

Yvonne gave Jeraine a nod and went into the
kitchen. When she peeked out, Jabari was cuddled up to his father.
The child was sucking his thumb while his father read him a story
from one of Yvonne’s fairy picture books. Yvonne smiled and went
back into the kitchen.

Tuesday afternoon — 2:35 p.m.

“
This is my good friend
Delphie’s house,” Yvonne said to Jabari. “She has been my friend
through some terribly difficult times, so I expect you will be nice
and respectful.”

“
Yes, ma’am,” Jabari
said.

Yvonne was so surprised by his response that
she looked in the rearview mirror at him. Sitting in his new car
seat, he was staring out the window. She smiled and kept driving.
She pulled onto Race Street.

“
Uh oh,” Jabari pointed to
the few diehard paparazzi hanging around the Castle. “Is Delphie on
TV too?”

The boys voice rose with anxiety.

“
Do I have to be on TV?”
Jabari screeched.

“
No, you do not,” Yvonne
said.

“
You sure?” Jabari
asked.

“
They can’t see you
through these dark windows,” Yvonne said. “I’m going to pull way
into the back of this driveway. They can’t see back
there.”

“
How ’come they’re here?”
Jabari asked.

“
Do you remember meeting
Valerie Lipson?” Yvonne asked. “White girl, black hair, big
eyes . . .”

“
Pretty,” Jabari
said.