Nobody's Son (14 page)

“Having my father in my life is very important to me. I may be a grown man, but I still need to have him acknowledge me. My life just won't be complete without it.”

“That's exactly what I mean. You spend so much time focusing on the things that you think you don't have that you completely forget about all the things that you do.”

A stagehand knocking at the door interrupted their conversation. He poked his head into the room. “Mr. Matthews, you're on next. I need you to follow me so that we can put your mike on.”

Obediently, Semaj stopped pacing and followed him out of the room and down the hallway to the studio where the show was being taped before a live audience. The stagehand put the mike on Semaj and told him where to stand and wait to be introduced.

As he stood in the wings waiting, he heard Kandyss speaking. “Last year, the city of Atlanta was heartbroken as we learned that four-year-old Pierré Estefan Jenkins was missing from his mother's backyard. Three days later, he was found and returned to his mother's grateful arms by my next guest. He's the anchor for the seven o'clock news, but that's not his calling. Semaj Matthews has a God-given gift. Single-handedly, he's reunited dozens of families with their loves ones. I've invited him on the show tonight to give us his thoughts and insights on how to find our beloved Wayne James. Ladies and gentlemen, Semaj Matthews.”

As he stepped onto the stage, Kandyss offered Semaj a seat directly beside Wayne's sons. Right next to him was Wayne's oldest son Stacy. The other four boys were seated next to Stacy in order of age. Jaden, Kelsey, Trenton, and the baby boy, Leo, were all there.

Semaj noticed that they all looked upset, sad, and lost. Trying to ignore their obvious pain, Semaj sat down and turned to focus on Kandyss.

After they exchanged polite pleasantries Kandyss began to ask questions. “So, Semaj, you've seen the police reports. Do you have any thoughts on this case so far?”

“Um, not really, Kandyss. From what I've read, the police do not have many clues so it's definitely going to be an uphill battle.”

Kandyss nodded. “You're the best at what you do. I'm sure it will be easy for you.”

“The police told us that if a person isn't found in the first twenty-four hours, the chances of finding them alive drops drastically. Is that true?” Stacy asked.

His question startled Semaj. He thought that he wanted to speak with Wayne's family, but now that he was there, it terrified him. Rather than look him in the eye, Semaj addressed the answer to Kandyss.

“In many cases that is the truth. However, I try not to be deterred by statistics. A few years ago, I found a woman who'd been missing for over ten years. She'd been taken as a small child and didn't realize the people who'd abducted her were not her parents,” Semaj answered.

As the interview continued, Semaj loosened his necktie and tried his best to remain calm. At the insistence of Kandyss, each of Wayne's sons shared their favorite memory of time spent with their father. Semaj knew that she was trying to gain sympathy which could translate into high ratings for the show, but it was tearing him apart inside. He started to sweat under the hot lights, and all he could think of was getting as far away from the stage as possible. His head was swimming, and he felt that he might faint at any moment. He stared at the floor wishing it would open and suddenly suck him right in.

Kandyss turned to Wayne's oldest son Stacy to ask how he felt about his dad and what his most memorable moment was.

“Well, it's really not a memory at all as I was too young to actually remember it, but the best thing about him is that he took me and my brothers into his home and gave us a father. I ended up in the foster care system when I was six months old because both of my biological parents were arrested for running a meth lab out of our apartment. Wayne took me in as his foster son, and then my biological parents relinquished their parental rights and I became his forever. I can't remember it, but that was the best day of my life.”

Unlike his brothers, Stacy knew who his biological parents were and had contact with them. They knew he'd been adopted, and both were still spending their time in and out of jail for various crimes.

“Have you been in contact with your biological parents during this ordeal?” Kandyss asked.

“No, I don't see a reason to. Yes, they gave me life, but Wayne James is my father. It takes a lot more than biologically creating a child in order to earn that title.”

His words permeated Semaj's heart and were swirling around deep inside his soul. He looked into the young boy's eyes realizing he had tons of wisdom packed into his seventeen-year-old body.

Kandyss scooted closer to the edge of her chair and poked her microphone into Stacy's face. “Tell us, Stacy,” she said. “This audience and my viewing audience at home are anxious to hear what you feel makes a man a father.”

“That's simple,” he said matter-of-factly. “The only way to be a true father is to imitate our original Father, God. In the Holy Bible, we find that there are almost forty verses in the scripture about God's heart for the fatherless. He protects them, He provides for them, and He defends them. We are called to be imitators of Him. That's not what my biological parents have done, but it's what Wayne James has done for me and my brothers. It's what I will do for my own sons.”

The audience began to applaud wildly, and Kandyss waited for the fervor to die down before she spoke again.

“So, I take it that you plan to have lots of children of your own someday with your wife,” she asked.

“That would be ideal for me, but if I don't have biological sons, then I know that I can still be a father. Dad has taken us throughout the community and taught us about mentoring other young men. I have a twelve-year-old mentee whom I currently consider to be my son. Most people don't realize this, Kandyss, but being a father isn't biological; it's spiritual. Wayne James was spiritually appointed by God to be our father.”

The roar of applause from the audience filled the entire studio. Semaj felt like a fool. He was ashamed of his actions, and he felt deeply humbled. Feeling unworthy to look Stacy in his face, Semaj went back to staring at the floor.

“Mr. Matthews, can you please help us find our daddy? We just want him to come home again.”

Suddenly looking up, Semaj realized that the question had been asked by Trenton, Wayne's nine-year-old son.

Unable to control himself Semaj burst into tears. “I promise. I promise I won't sleep until your daddy is home.” He ran from the stage and snatched off his microphone. Still crying, he rushed into the dressing room and collapsed onto the couch beside Rip. “What have we done, man? Those kids are missing their father just like I did when I was their ages, but the difference is I caused their pain. I caused all of their pain.”

Rip shook his head. He'd believed from the very beginning that Semaj was too soft and would eventually crack under the pressure. It was typical behavior. Semaj never hurt another person in his life, and no matter how he felt about Wayne James, he didn't want to hurt him or his children either. He knew this day was coming. He'd seen the signs a mile away. Sitting beside his cousin as he cried his eyes out, he couldn't help but be thankful that the Semaj he knew seemed to finally be on his way back.

After his meltdown at the television studio Semaj went home that night intent on putting the pieces of his broken life back together. He could not believe how obsessed he'd allowed himself to become regarding having a father in his life, when the thing he'd been searching for was right there all along.

The morning following the show, he called Ellen. He knew that he had to apologize and fix their relationship. She didn't answer the phone, so he left a detailed message.

“Honey, it's me, Semaj. First, let me just say that I am sorry. I have been acting like an idiot for weeks. I've been mean to you, and you didn't deserve it. Please, please, forgive me. You are the best thing in my life, and you make me a better man. I'm on my way to Andrus for the day, but I'll be back later tonight. Please call me as soon as you get this message. I love you.”

He hung up the phone and called Rip.

“Hey, man, how soon can we put an end to this ridiculousness?” he asked.

Rip sat down on his sofa and cradled the phone on his left shoulder. “You've got to give yourself at least forty-eight hours. If you rush in and supposedly find him today, it will look suspicious. I mean, especially after the way you broke down on television last night.”

Semaj smiled. “That wasn't a breakdown, brother. It was a breakthrough. Finally, I am seeing everything clearly.”

“I'm glad to have the cousin I know and love back. Are you going to talk to Ellen today?”

“I wanted to, and I called her, but she didn't answer. So I'm going to Andrus. I need to visit Pop Al's grave.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Rip's ears perked up. “What's that all about? I mean, didn't you stop by the cemetery when we were there a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah, but this is different. I need to,” Semaj paused. “I need to apologize to him.”

“Apologize? What do you need to apologize for?”

Searching inside of himself, Semaj tried to find the words to explain to Rip how he was feeling about his late grandfather. As he was growing up, he had a great relationship with his grandmother Nettie. She was in many ways his best friend, his confidante, and for all intents and purposes, his mother. Because he'd always known that Allison was dead, he didn't long for her, and therefore, he was easily able to accept the maternal love of Grandma Nettie. His grandfather was a different story. He loved him, he respected him, he confided in him, but he never ever accepted him as his father. He was Grandpa, Pop Pop, Poppa, and Pop Al, but Semaj never allowed him to be his father. The fact that Pop Al did everything a father would do had been completely lost on him until he sat onstage listening to words of wisdom from the seventeen-year-old son of the man he'd kidnapped. He tried his best to articulate those feelings to Rip.

“So that's why I want to go to the cemetery and let him know that I was wrong. It's just like you said years ago. I had the best dad in the world, and I didn't even realize it. Not only that, he knew that one day he'd be gone and I'd still need a father, so he gave me the gift of the Heavenly Father. He taught me to know and believe in God, the Father to the fatherless.”

Rip waited to respond as he realized that Semaj was crying on the other end of the line. Silently he allowed him to release his emotions.

“Trust me, Semaj. You don't need to apologize. I mean, if you feel it's something that you need to do for yourself, I fully support you. But I gotta tell ya, I don't think it's necessary. He was not only a good man, but he was very insightful. He understood.”

Wiping his tears on the back on his hand, Semaj nodded. “You're probably right, man. Hold on a sec, I got a call coming in on the other line.” Semaj quickly clicked over. “Hello?”

“Semaj, it's Ellen.”

His feelings of joy that she'd called him back quickly dissipated after he noticed the panic and fear in her voice. Sobbing between words she told him that Reggie had taken Aaliyah from their parents' home the night before.

“Calm down, baby, you're going to start hyperventilating. Take a deep breath and just slow down.”

Ellen inhaled and exhaled rapidly. “I know things have not been right with us, but we need you. You are the best at finding missing persons. Please, Semaj, will you help us?” she pleaded.

Her words let him know that she had not listened to his apology message, but Semaj didn't care. He decided that he would explain everything in person.

“I'll be right there,” he said.

He arrived at Ellen's parents' house a short time later after instructing Rip to go to the warehouse and check on their “guest.” He climbed the porch steps two at a time and rang the front doorbell.

Jenise rushed to the door and let him in. “Semaj, I'm so glad that you are here. I've never been as worried in my life as I am right now.”

Semaj greeted Ellen's parents first, then walked over to give Ellen a hug and kiss. He was taken aback by her cool attitude toward him. Then he remembered that he had not yet apologized to her face to face. As much as he wanted to, he realized that the time was not right. Jenise commanded his complete attention. She stuck a photograph in his face.

“This is the most recent picture of Aaliyah that I have,” she said.

Tentatively, he took the picture from her. “I don't think I really need a picture. I know my soon-to-be niece when I see her.” He glanced over at Ellen, who was sitting on the sofa by her parents, to check her reaction to his statement.

“That's right. I'm sorry. I'm just a bundle of nerves right now. I guess I wasn't thinking,” Jenise answered. She took the picture back. “Just tell me what you need from me.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and slowly led her over to a chair to sit down. Then he sat down next to her, took out a pad and pencil to begin taking notes, and started to speak. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to look at everyone.

“Mr. and Mrs. Winston, Ellen, Jenise,” he said, “I know that one of the main reasons that you called me was because I'm considered the authority in Atlanta on finding missing persons. I assure you that I'm going to do everything in my power to find Aaliyah, but if you'll just bear with me a moment, there's something I have to say before we get down to business.”

They all looked at him expectantly waiting for him to speak. The words came out quickly as Semaj bared his soul. He began by explaining to them all how he'd always felt inadequate for not having a father growing up. Next, he explained that a few weeks prior he'd found out the identity of his biological father with the help of Gwen. He apologized to Ellen and assured her that there was nothing going on between them. He admitted that he'd been acting like a different person and not focusing on his work or the things that were most important in his life.

Malcolm spoke up and asked him if he would tell them who his father was. Without hesitation he told them that it was Wayne James. He suddenly stopped explaining when he realized that he would implicate his cousin Rip if he also told them that they were responsible for Wayne's disappearance. He reasoned that his involvement was a secret he'd have to hold on to for just a little while longer.

“Regardless of all that, I want everyone here to know that my focus right now is on finding Aaliyah and bringing her safely home.” He turned to look at Ellen. “We are getting married in a few months, and there's no way we can do that without our flower girl, right, honey?” Nervously he waited for Ellen to respond.

Without giving him an answer, Ellen ran over and jumped into his arms covering him with kisses.

“I'll take that as a yes,” Semaj smiled.

Ellen returned to her seat, and Semaj turned to Jenise to get down to the business he knew best.

“Jenise, I need to get as much information from you as possible about Reggie. I need a list of his friends, his family, the places he likes to hang out. Anything that you can tell me will help in getting Aaliyah back quickly.”

“Reggie is secretive. I don't know the names of any of his friends. His mother lives near Dunwoody. That's where he works on his music. He has a studio in her basement. The police have already been there, and his brother said that they haven't seen him for several days.”

Semaj scribbled notes onto his paper. “Give me the address. His family might not be telling the truth.”

“They are lying through their capped teeth,” Malcolm said. “He was driving his brother Jermaine's car when he left here with Aaliyah.”

“What kind of car is it?” Semaj asked.

“It's a 2004 Toyota Camry,” Jenise answered.

Semaj wrote down the make and model of the car. “Does it have any distinguishing marks or dents on it?”

Jenise thought for a few seconds. “The last time I saw it there was a dent on the back bumper. I doubt that Jermaine ever got it fixed because he already spent the money he got from the insurance company.”

“We've given all of this information to the police, and they still have not found her,” Deloris said suddenly. “I know you are good at what you do, Semaj, but this whole situation is tearing me apart. She could be screaming for help right now,” she cried.

“Reggie's a wife-beating jerk, but he's still Aaliyah's father. I don't think he'd hurt her,” Semaj told her.

Ellen looked over at Jenise, and she nodded her head giving her permission to tell Semaj everything. “The night that Jenise moved out, Reggie came home in a rage. He hit Jenise, and when Aaliyah tried to call for help, he attacked her too.”

That piece of information shocked Semaj. Ellen had confided in him early in their relationship about how abusive Reggie had been to her sister. The entire family had tried to convince her to leave, but she would never listen. However, the one bright spot that any of them saw in her marriage was her daughter Aaliyah. As far as any of them knew, Reggie was a good father, and his little girl adored him. He could not imagine what type of fear and rage had filled him to make him strike her. More than ever, the situation took on an overwhelming urgency for him.

“Don't worry. We are going to find Aaliyah and get her back home. I promise.”

Semaj was doing his best to reassure them, but he feared that his words were falling on deaf ears. They knew how dangerous Reggie could be, and they all were worried sick.

When he was done collecting information, Ellen walked him to the front door. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

“Is there anything that we can do to help?” she asked.

“Pray,” Semaj said before turning to walk away.

During the next couple of days he used all of his resources to search for Reggie and Aaliyah. He went to pay a visit to Reggie's mother, but she was not at home. Instead, his brother answered the door. The same as he'd lied to the police when they visited earlier that week he lied to Semaj. He assured him that neither his brother nor his niece was there.

“Eyewitnesses say that he was seen driving your car on the night he abducted Aaliyah. What do you know about that?”

Jermaine thought quickly and came up with a lie. “I told you I haven't seen him in over a week. The last time I saw him, I let him take the car. He hasn't been back here since.”

He felt confident in his lie because he'd parked the car out of sight.

Semaj fired off several more questions at Jermaine. When he left he was convinced that he was lying, but there was little that he could do about it. Although the Atlanta police had issued the Amber Alert, Semaj knew from experience that they were not making finding Aaliyah a priority. Parental abductions amounted to a large number of missing children, and unfortunately, they received less attention.

On a hunch, Semaj decided to knock on the door of the home next door and ask questions. The woman at the house didn't have much information to give him, but Semaj gave her his business card and asked her to give him a call if she came up with anything.

That hunch was beginning to pay off two days later when Semaj received a phone call from the neighbor, Shelly.

“Hey, Mr. Matthews, I have some information that might help you find that little girl you're looking for.”

Semaj was at his computer going through the comments section on one of Reggie's online videos looking for clues as to where he might have gone.

“I'm glad you called,” he said. “What can you tell me?”

“Well, I didn't see the little girl, myself, but my daughter did. When I got home from work today, she told me that she saw Aaliyah playing in the backyard this afternoon. She said that she walked over there and asked if they could play together, and then Aaliyah's dad came out and got her and took her back inside.”

Filled with excitement Semaj could hardly contain himself. “Are you sure it was Aaliyah?” he asked.

“Yep, my daughter is sure. They played together almost every day last summer.”

Semaj thanked Shelly, then hung up the phone.