let's face it; you need my help. I only called you out here, because I know you're about to do something that you shouldn't.”
I was getting annoyed and ready to go, but it felt as if she had a hold on me that made me unable to move.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
She sighed deeply then stepped a little closer to me, “You too stupid and afraid to open your eyes. If you start taking that medication, you're going to lose yourself! Don't let them people convince you that you need that shit!”
“It seems like you're afraid of going away.” I smiled.
“That's the last thing I'm afraid of. Listen to me and listen to me good. This right here is your reality, not what your aunt and father are trying to push on you. If you take that shit, it will be the worst mistake of your life,” she said, turning her back on me, beginning to walk away.
“I have to do what I have to do for my family!” I yelled.
“That decision is going to cost you, but don't worry, I'll be waiting for you. Remember, you'll need me before I need you.”
Akira winked at me before disappearing in the moonlight as I stood there wondering what she meant.
Chapter Nine
COURTNEY
“You're doing what?” I asked, scratching the side of my face. “But y'all can't… Not right now, but… You're my lawyer; you have to do something! Ughh!” I yelled, slamming down the phone.
“Who the hell was that?” Tony asked, grabbing a triangle-cut piece of grilled cheese sandwich.
“The lawyer,” I said, walking toward the stove. “They said the judge is moving the date up and they can't stall it.”
“What is that, tomato soup?” my brother asked, looking into the pot I began to stir.
I sucked my teeth and then elbowed him to the left a little. “Damn Tony, can you please focus on one thing right now? This is serious, what are we going to do? Neither one of us is prepared; I bet Krystle isn’t either.”
“Shit, she just gon’ have to plead insanity. The way I see it, if she did that; then it won't be so hard on her. I know I sound harsh, but I have come to grips with it; hell, she doesn't even remember what she did!”
“You're right, she doesn't remember. Don't you think it's time that we come together, step up, and help her to pull those memories out?” I asked, walking to the cabinet, pulling out a bowl.
“No, if they put her on that stand and she remembers whatever it is you want her to remember, they will not give her anything less than the death penalty. Besides that, she hasn't even spoken about any of that… Has she?”
I smiled as I scooped some soup into the bowl and placed it on the counter. “No, but I think she's going to start remembering real soon,” I said, dropping two pills into the soup, stirring it.
“Why don't you just give them to her instead of sneaking it in her food as you've been doing the last few weeks?” he asked, shaking her head.
“You know she won't ever agree to take them, Tony.”
I took a breath before asking him the next question, hoping he would think before answering me. “I was thinking, you are so hard up when it comes to Krystle, and I know it's because of Momma.”
“What are you getting at Courtney?”
I added some more soup into the spiked bowl and stirred. “Well, while we're helping out Krystle, maybe we can help you out too. Like this Sunday you can go with me to sit with our mother.”
“No Courtney.”
“You know, you should really—”
“No Courtney!” he interrupted.
“Stop being so stubborn!”
“I don't have anything to say to her! She probably cursed Krystle to be this way. The same way she is! I don't need her tainting my child any more than she has already done. I'll handle Krystle the best way I can!”
“Not saying your way is bad, but it could be better if you listened to somebody other than yourself, sometimes.”
“Like who? Like you? I admit, since my wife left us you stepped in and helped out, but let me remind you in case you
I was getting annoyed and ready to go, but it felt as if she had a hold on me that made me unable to move.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
She sighed deeply then stepped a little closer to me, “You too stupid and afraid to open your eyes. If you start taking that medication, you're going to lose yourself! Don't let them people convince you that you need that shit!”
“It seems like you're afraid of going away.” I smiled.
“That's the last thing I'm afraid of. Listen to me and listen to me good. This right here is your reality, not what your aunt and father are trying to push on you. If you take that shit, it will be the worst mistake of your life,” she said, turning her back on me, beginning to walk away.
“I have to do what I have to do for my family!” I yelled.
“That decision is going to cost you, but don't worry, I'll be waiting for you. Remember, you'll need me before I need you.”
Akira winked at me before disappearing in the moonlight as I stood there wondering what she meant.
Chapter Nine
COURTNEY
“You're doing what?” I asked, scratching the side of my face. “But y'all can't… Not right now, but… You're my lawyer; you have to do something! Ughh!” I yelled, slamming down the phone.
“Who the hell was that?” Tony asked, grabbing a triangle-cut piece of grilled cheese sandwich.
“The lawyer,” I said, walking toward the stove. “They said the judge is moving the date up and they can't stall it.”
“What is that, tomato soup?” my brother asked, looking into the pot I began to stir.
I sucked my teeth and then elbowed him to the left a little. “Damn Tony, can you please focus on one thing right now? This is serious, what are we going to do? Neither one of us is prepared; I bet Krystle isn’t either.”
“Shit, she just gon’ have to plead insanity. The way I see it, if she did that; then it won't be so hard on her. I know I sound harsh, but I have come to grips with it; hell, she doesn't even remember what she did!”
“You're right, she doesn't remember. Don't you think it's time that we come together, step up, and help her to pull those memories out?” I asked, walking to the cabinet, pulling out a bowl.
“No, if they put her on that stand and she remembers whatever it is you want her to remember, they will not give her anything less than the death penalty. Besides that, she hasn't even spoken about any of that… Has she?”
I smiled as I scooped some soup into the bowl and placed it on the counter. “No, but I think she's going to start remembering real soon,” I said, dropping two pills into the soup, stirring it.
“Why don't you just give them to her instead of sneaking it in her food as you've been doing the last few weeks?” he asked, shaking her head.
“You know she won't ever agree to take them, Tony.”
I took a breath before asking him the next question, hoping he would think before answering me. “I was thinking, you are so hard up when it comes to Krystle, and I know it's because of Momma.”
“What are you getting at Courtney?”
I added some more soup into the spiked bowl and stirred. “Well, while we're helping out Krystle, maybe we can help you out too. Like this Sunday you can go with me to sit with our mother.”
“No Courtney.”
“You know, you should really—”
“No Courtney!” he interrupted.
“Stop being so stubborn!”
“I don't have anything to say to her! She probably cursed Krystle to be this way. The same way she is! I don't need her tainting my child any more than she has already done. I'll handle Krystle the best way I can!”
“Not saying your way is bad, but it could be better if you listened to somebody other than yourself, sometimes.”
“Like who? Like you? I admit, since my wife left us you stepped in and helped out, but let me remind you in case you
Similar Books
