“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.
OVER AN HOUR PASSED SINCE RAPHAEL HAD CALLED. MIMI 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.”
49
Raphael 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