Nympho (20 page)

 

I
stared through a heavy veil of pouring rain at the large concrete building and the stainless steel wire that encased the structure. I'd finally worked up my nerve to visit Trey in jail. Although I was well aware that he had been wrongfully labeled as a high flight risk with no ties to the community and charged with manslaughter, Leslie nor Innocence chose to rush to deliver an apology. His bail had been set at one million dollars, and that was that. Unbeknownst to Trey, I finally understood why all of the pieces to the puzzle of his case didn't fit. Sometimes it takes me a minute, but. I never forget a man I “experienced.” The person who patted me on the ass was one of Rico's associates who was in the group of men who ran the train on me. It's no wonder the dirty cop instantly took Rico's side, not charging him with anything. Plus, Rico is probably connected with dirty judges, too. Trey had a good chance of literally rotting in jail.

Even so, I wasn't interested in running back to his arms. Under my assessment of the situation, if any real comparison could be drawn, Trey was as wrong as I. We were both culpable by violating a divine bond. The only difference is that he had a legal reminder, and I didn't. I wouldn't even admit that though—not to one soul in the world. Everything was all Trey's fault. It was his fault for kicking up the drama a notch, marrying my former best friend, and for hurting me beyond words. In the future, I'd aim higher than a fool, and by my definition of a fool, dear Trey passed, fitting the description with flying colors. Obviously, jealousy and bitterness set in and wouldn't allow me to fully regret that his right to freedom had been revoked.

I was frisked for contraband and drugs by a prison guard. When I was asked to open my purse, it finally hit me that I was preparing to sink knee deep in the game by facing Trey. There were some things I needed to say so I could sleep and think a hell of a lot better—to feel as sense of closure. My motive for showing up was a selfish one, and I didn't give one iota. My main sacrifice to visit him was giving up the sixty-dollar designer bra that I bought with money Rico left for our “honeymoon gift,” and a silver toe ring I picked up from a shop when Innocence was on the loose. I guess it wasn't meant to have the bra because it was destroyed due to the presence of wire in it. Cutting through it was a small price to pay, considering Rico could've framed me, instead of the intended groom.

After I showed my ID and signed in, I saw Mabel come in, sit down, and begin reading her Bible. She looked tired, appearing as if she'd been praying and speaking in tongues from morning 'til night. When a man appeared before her, she greeted him by shaking his hand. I assumed that it was Trey's attorney. Without realizing it, I found myself attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation. Their whispers were low and barely audible, but I managed to decipher a few phrases that were linked to Mabel telling Trey's lawyer that she recently had to contact the D.C. Energy Assistance hotline, and that she would finally agree to put her house up to raise money to continue her son's defense. When the lawyer left to talk to someone in the prison, Mabel spotted me in the visiting area. She hopped up from her chair and ran over to shake her ugly, stubby finger in my face.

“I knew I saw your name on the book. The Lord is going to deal with you. I knew you were trouble, you nasty little whore! You're not on the visitor's list. How'd you get in here?”

“I live more than fifty miles away, that's how. You want a piece of me, huh? If you want some, and you can move those fat feet that look like a pack of hot dogs stuffed down in those tight shoes, let's take this outside. I'm waiting. And actually, I'm a
big
whore. Get it right if you're going to start calling me names, trick,” I taunted.

“Vengeance is God's, and when His wrath comes down on you, you're gonna wish you were someone else,” Mabel snapped.

“I know you're angry, and I know you must be sad too. I may even feel your pain a little bit, but yelling at me is not going to help rebuild your son's life. God is the only judge, so there's your update,” I told her.

“I tried to talk some sense into my boy but he just wouldn't listen.”

“He wasn't perfect,” I told her, defending myself.

“He's a good man, and I will not stand for you trying to destroy his good name. Tanya was his type, not you. This is what happens when men bring trash home.”

“I'm not trash. I'm the prize, Ms. Fit and Fabulous!”

“I call it like I see it!”

“You helped to ruin our relationship. Shut up, bitch. Just shut up. I've been waiting to tell you that.”

“Who you calling a bitch? You have no respect for your elders.”

“You're not my elder. You're Trey's elder. You're the precious baby's momma. The idea of respecting you will never be on my mind, so just accept that I don't like you as much as you don't like me. Move your three chins out of your way and just eat me!”

By the time the guard showed, I was swinging widely and hurling expletives at Mabel. I spat on her and lost sight of the fact that she indeed was an elder.

“If you don't settle down and stop fighting, I will have you arrested,” the guard warned, pulling me off of Mabel. Although he was chiding me for my behavior, he was copping feels of my legs and ass . . .
accidentally
.

“Everyone is equal in my world, regardless of age or the need for Fixodent or Depends. She started it. Lock her up so she can join her son. I was just defending myself,” I said. As I huffed and puffed, then fixed my clothes, stuffing my breasts back in my shirt after I flashed the guard, he began to play favorites. I was off to see Trey. Even if Mabel couldn't stand me and didn't want me around, my turn came first Oh well, Miss Mabel. Oh well. Before or after fighting, I look good and you just don't.

 

My throat felt closed when my eyes met Trey's through the glass wall that divided us. I picked up the phone to talk to him and tried to play off my discomfort as I studied his worn, somber looking face. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit and the guard was watching every prisoner's move while they verbally visited with guests.

“How are you?” I asked Trey, speaking into the phone.

“It took you three months to care enough to find out.”

“I've been busy,” I lied. “I've been wrapped up with my students since school just started and everything.”

“So you say. I guess that's why you can't look at me in the eye.” He paused. “You know I tried to call you but you didn't accept the collect charges when I did,” he said.

I ignored his comment although it was true. “Like I asked the first time, how are you doing?”

“The gun didn't belong to me. I didn't even fire it, and I end up with a million dollar bail. Rico wasn't charged with anything—I just don't get it. I could easily lose my mind, under the circumstances, but I know this is all a test. I know justice will prevail, although I've met many inmates who tell me their horror stories as they comb law books for a loophole or a way out of something they say they didn't do. It's rough in here. I don't even want to discuss the things I've seen. I haven't lost hope that things will turn around for me. The light of God restores and renews me each day. He's helping to maintain.”

“Well, at least you're keeping your spirits up.”

“Every trial, every burden, every fear, I would have been there, even after twenty-five years of marriage. Why the best man, Leslie? I've always been strong and you did everything you could to take my manhood by making me look like a fool. Was Rico really worth all of this? What is it about you that made you afraid to give your heart to me completely?”

“If I couldn't be with the one I loved, I was going to pretend to love the one I was with—until I realized his ass was crazy. I tried to cut him off but he just wouldn't let things go. I didn't know if your heart still had space for me. I wanted a better life, so I created a fantasy one.”

Trey just shook his head as if to pity my tilted rationale. “I can't believe you put our future and health in jeopardy over a lack of communication. Did you use condoms every single time, Leslie? You were out in the street playing Russian roulette with your life and mine. Do yourself a favor and get tested,” Trey told me. His eyes were glossy.

“I tried to communicate with you, but you wouldn't listen! And for your information, Rico was the only one. The
only
one, Trey. That's how it was. Rico was just trying to make me look bad. I don't know what he doctored on some tape, but your boy was the only one who touched me.”

“
Right
. Men and women out here in these streets aren't all HIV free, Leslie. Some people will lay down with you not knowing what they could have. Fidelity is a beautiful thing because when you have it you understand that fucking around just isn't worth it. There are some out here who want to behave as though they can't catch AIDS, but anyone can get it. Leslie, I know some things beyond what was revealed at the church. You said it all when you were obviously high, but I know the whole story.”

“You're bluffing. You don't know shit, Trey, except what Tanya told you to stab me in the back. Was Rico worth it, you ask? Was Tanya worth it? You preferred to take her down to City Hall and supposedly do all of this to teach me a lesson. Don't preach to me about shit until you acknowledge that you were also creeping behind my back. I know all about HIV, so cool it!”

“You made it clear that you were
settling
for me and that hurt. I wanted all of you or none of you at all. How could I marry a woman who was whoring around? No man wants to take a ho as his bride. We like to look at women like that on tapes, and maybe even hit on them in clubs, but when it's all said and done, no man can truly feel content with a loose booty bitch who opens her legs anytime men want to hit it. You used to remind me of that yourself, remember? According to you it was why your conservative good girl ass was marriage material. Humph, little did I know . . .”

“Thanks for explaining the double standard to me, Trey. I did say something to that effect, but you've taken my fine words out of context. Women just play a game that men created. If you all would pick one woman and stick to her, there would be a hell of a lot less to worry about. And as I keep telling you, Rico was the only one I was creeping with. You just chose to take Tanya's word and run with it as opposed to believing me. She was just frustrated because she couldn't find her own man to get with.”

“Leslie, I didn't just take Tanya's word for it. I also hired my own P.I. When we were in the same hotel the night before the wedding, it was me who kept ringing the white guy's phone. I wanted final confirmation about what you were doing behind my back, so I was asking him questions about you. After he left to see his “girlfriend,” he came into my room and played back a recording of everything you said. He was wired. After that, I happily made love to Tanya, my wife. Everything she'd been saying about you was correct. I couldn't believe my ears. It's like you have split personalities or something. It was a one in a million chance that you would go to the bar, but that's the number one pickup spot for cheaters so we put the bait there in case you decided to take it. I also had other information about you prostituting yourself. What's wrong with you? Why are you so loose, Leslie?”

“
Me
take the bait? You fucked and married my best friend when you should've had your loving arms around me. It's funny you could do that since you acted like you were a wet mop when it came to making love with me, or paying me any attention. How cynical—you were spying on me, too?”

“Let's just say it was a revised version of the lie detector test my grandmother wanted me to have you take. So I wear the wrong sized condoms, huh?”

“How could you not only fuck my girl, but marry her too?”

“In spite of my best efforts to stay close to you, Tanya was there, I was there . . . you weren't. One thing led to another, and I ended up hiding the marriage certificate in my sock drawer when I told you it was for us. I knew you wouldn't straighten up and fly right. I just knew it. I didn't love Tanya, but it just seemed like a good idea at the time. Don't pin this on me, though. That part never would've happened if you were keeping your legs crossed in the first place.” Trey began raising his voice. “Thanks to you, she's dead, and those children have no mother to raise them. I understand perfectly. You had no conscience when you were turning my life into a living hell!” he screamed.

“Who cares about that trifling Mommy Dearest. I'll go spit on her grave.” Trey started crying. “You're not over that bitch yet? Apparently, you cared way more about her than you did me, and you deserve to be behind bars. Mr. Morality . . . you're the hypocrite. I can't believe you call yourself a man or a Christian!”

“No matter what you say or think, justice will prevail. My faith in God will see to it that it does,” Trey told me.

“You knew what you were doing. I hope you rot in hell for what you did to me. I hate you, Trey. You are the one who caused all of this . . . now deal with the consequences and man up!”

“How could you speak about her that way? She was a good friend to you. There's nothing you could say or do to explain your poor behavior. Cheating with your best friend's boyfriend, and the best man, was just inexcusable. More was at stake than breaking out of a sexual rut. Sex isn't just about what the flesh needs, but also what the soul craves. I tried to ensure our relationship was headed for light, depth, humor, and lifetime love. All of those things could've turned you on before we hit the sheets again had you been paying attention to my intentions. Of course you would miss the intimacy that's attached to the act of making love, as opposed to getting off. You allowed Rico to punk you. Maybe you are a nympho because I don't know anyone, male or female, who wouldn't have been able to see you were nothing more than something forbidden for Rico to conquer—just because you were supposed to be off limits to him and I had you. If this is the last time I see you in life, I'd consider myself lucky, Leslie. I have nothing more to say to you so please leave and don't plan on coming back. I should've known better than to believe I could have a conversation with the sane you!” he screamed again.