The Future of My Past Page 3

  Esther Gibson, who sat next to Tyrone, stated that she hoped to get some peace in her life by attending these meetings. But when someone asked what happened to her that made her look for peace in her life, she got defensive and responded by saying, “I’m not ready to talk about that now.”

  Then there was Anthony Mack. Gemini knew him from school, and if people thought she was trouble, they needed to get to know Anthony Mack. The Mack family were notorious for committing various crimes in the city of Gary as well as Indianapolis. One of Anthony’s brothers was arrested at the funeral of their grandmother, which resulted in a shoot-out with police and other members of the Mack gang.

  Anthony used his infamous name to push people around; if you got him by himself, he was a punk. He liked to pick on people younger than himself and had recently gotten into trouble for beating up a ten-year-old in front of his house. The boy’s mother pressed charges against Anthony, and Gemini suspected that Anthony was here as a result of some court order.

  Denise Cannon sat next to Anthony; she would only state her name. Dr. Earls did not pressure her to do anything else. However, that angered Anthony, and he was determined to make her answer the question.

  “Didn’t nobody ask you what you did to get here. We only want to know what you hope to get out of this.”

  “Denise does not have to answer the question if she doesn’t want to,” Dr. Earls responded.

  “I don’t see what the big deal is about answering the question,” Anthony said.

  “But she does, so leave her alone,” Gemini said. “She’ll tell us when she’s ready to tell us.”

  “What do you hope to get out of this meeting, Gemini?” Anthony asked. “To find out where your baby is?”

  Anthony laughed at his own remark and he was in no position to respond when Gemini jumped out her seat walked over to him and grabbed him by his shirt. The action happened so fast that it took Dr. Earls a moment to respond. He jumped between the two teens, but not before Gemini delivered two smacks to Anthony’s face and pushed him back into his seat.

  “That’s enough, you two. That kind of behavior will not be tolerated here. Anthony, you owe Gemini an apology.”

  Gemini had expected to be the one who had to apologize and was surprised that she was to be the recipient of the gesture.

  “I owe her an apology?” Anthony shouted. “She’s the one who jumped up and hit me!”

  Gemini noticed that Anthony looked scared out of his wits by her actions and that only reinforced what she believed about him—that he was a scared little boy who hid behind his family’s infamous name.

  “You are the one who violated her, Anthony,” Dr. Earls responded. “You know better than to discuss personal matters concerning the other members without their permission. Now, apologize to Gemini.”

  Anthony mumbled something under his breath which resembled an apology. He would not look at Gemini; instead he bowed his head and rubbed his face which was still red from Gemini’s attack.

  “Gemini, I will not tolerate that kind of behavior. You are going to control your temper here,” Dr. Earls said. “Now have a seat and we can continue with the meeting. Since you have introduced yourself to the group in a manner of speaking, you might as well go next.”

  “My name is Gemini Jones, and what I hope to get out of this program is the answer to Dr. Earls’ question.”

  “He asked you that question about the future of your past?”

  That statement came from the girl sitting between Denise and Gemini. Her name was Peggy Williams and she hoped that she would be able to talk about issues that were bothering her at home. She felt she could not go to her mother about what was troubling her but hoped that she would be able to talk with someone about it.

  I bet someone is molesting her and she is afraid to tell it, Gemini thought. That had happened to Ruthann, which is why she had come to Mamie Wells’ home.

  “I hope you will be able to get things off your chest also, Peggy.”

  That statement came from the person sitting next to Gemini. Her name was Tracey Marshall and she was the seventh and final member of the group.

  Tracey looked older than the rest of the participants. It turned out that Tracey was a college student who was doing some observation hours for a class that she was taking and was there to assist Dr. Earls.

  “It will be for your benefit if you attend these meetings faithfully,” Dr. Earls said after all the introductions were done. “For those of you who have been court ordered to attend, I will have to report any absences, and that will not go in your favor. For those of you who have decided to join us on a voluntary basis, I hope that you will try to come regularly. I think this program will help you. But it is up to you to make it work for you.”

  The meeting ended shortly after that, and after the adjournment, Gemini noticed that Anthony Mack was the first to leave the building. As she was leaving the meeting room, she saw Antoinette taking the Isley Brothers album she was playing off the record player and switch it off. She had been playing some great music and Gemini wanted to compliment her for her musical taste.

  “You have good taste in music, little girl. You must hang out with grown folks.”

  “My grandmother plays a lot of music around the house, so I know a lot about music. My daddy has a huge collection of stuff—blues, R&B, even rock. I could be a DJ if I wanted to.”

  “I believe you could be. You certainly know what to play,” Gemini responded. “Can I bring some albums with me when I come to the next meeting?”

  “Yea, you can, but that don’t mean I’m gonna play it. It depends on what you bring. What you got?”

  “Some Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, some Elton John. I got all kinds of artists in my collection.”

  “Well, if you have Elton John, bring him along. I like him, but I don’t have any of his music. I like his Yellow Brick Road album!”

  “I do too,” Gemini said and started singing “Bennie and the Jets.”

  Antoinette joined in, and soon the two started dancing and laughing. There was something about this seven—soon to be eight-year-old—that Gemini liked. She was young, but she was wise beyond her years. They were somehow going to become friends, and that wasn’t so bad, Gemini thought. Having Antoinette around would be like having a little sister.

  “See you next time, Gemini,” Antoinette said as Gemini exited the building. “And I ain’t no little girl, remember that!”

  Gemini laughed and said she wouldn’t forget and started down Broadway to the bus stop. At the corner, she saw Anthony Mack and Tyrone Evans, and she knew at once that they were waiting for her. She hoped that Anthony wasn’t going to start something. She did not feel like fighting today, but if she had to, oh well.

  A fight was exactly what Anthony was waiting for, and he had backup. At least he thought he did. Gemini didn’t know Tyrone Evans, but she had a feeling he was just as much a punk as Anthony was. She didn’t want to fight them, yet somehow, she knew she was going to.

  She was right; as she approached the two teens, she saw Anthony take a knife out of his pocket and flash it in her direction. She didn’t have a weapon on her, so she took off her sweater and wrapped it around her arm to block any attacks. She also started looking around for a weapon, as her Uncle Artis had taught her to do. Anything from a stick to a bottle—even sand—could be used to defend her. She spotted a beer bottle on the ground, picked it up, and smashed it in one swift action. The one thing she knew how to do was fight, and the other thing she knew was that she was not afraid of Anthony Mack.

  “What you think you gonna do with that bottle, Gemini? You think you gonna whup both of us?”

  “No, I’m going to cut you up really bad, and Tyrone is going to get scared and run. Let’s get this over with.”

  That remark startled Anthony. He was sure she would show signs of fear, but to his surprise, she w
anted to fight. He stood there frozen with fear, not sure of what to do next. Tyrone was no help as he was scared also; he’d heard about Gemini from the kids at his school. Everybody knew she was crazy. They say she beat up Harvey Willis’ father when she was nine years old. He was not about to get in this fight.

  “Come on, punk, show me what you made of, Anthony ‘punkass’ Mack. You ain’t nothing but a punk who hides behind his family’s name. But your family ain’t here now, so what cho’ gonna do?”

  That remark made Anthony mad and he made the mistake of stepping forward, taking a swing at Gemini with the knife. Gemini blocked the swing with her sweater-covered arm and the force of their contact knocked the knife out of Anthony’s hand. As he reached down to retrieve the knife, Gemini socked him in the face with her right hand, dropped the bottle she held in her left, and hit him with her left fist as well. He never got a chance to pick up the knife.

  In the meantime, Tyrone, who had witnessed everything, saw the police coming and yelled, “Let’s get out of here! The police are coming!”

  Both boys ran off, but Gemini stayed, and when the policeman got out of the car and approached her, she recognized him.

  It was Officer Maceo Weaver, and he was still a rookie. Gemini lived across the street from Maceo’s grandmother and she was very fond of Miss Weaver.

  “Gemini Jones, what are you doing out here on Broadway by yourself?” Officer Weaver asked. “And did I just see one of those Mack boys running from here?”

  “I just left a meeting; I’m in this program for crazy kids. Dr. Rodney Earls oversees the program.”

  “First of all, I know about the program and it is not for crazy kids. It’s for kids who have gone through a lot. Secondly, you are not crazy, just troubled. So, stop beating yourself up and talking down about yourself.”

  “Everybody else thinks I’m crazy,” Gemini said. “Maybe they are right.”

  “It doesn’t matter what they think, it’s what you think that counts. Do you think you’re crazy?”

  “No, I don’t think I’m crazy. I just went through a lot, that’s all. That’s why I decided to join this program. I want to know the future of my past.”

  “Well, I don’t think you are crazy, and that makes two of us,” Maceo said. “Now get your behind in this car. My partner and I will drive you home, and you better be careful about that Mack boy. Which one was it?”

  “Anthony Mack, but I’m not worried about him.”

  “You better be. The Macks tend to come out in droves to protect one of their family members. Call me if you have any problems with them.”

  Gemini promised that she would call Maceo if Anthony or any of his family bothered her. He dropped her off at home, then walked across the street to visit with his grandmother. Gemini walked into the house, greeted her mother, told her how the meeting went and proceeded to her room.

  It had been a good day minus her encounter with Anthony Mack, and she was looking forward to attending more meetings. Maybe she would finally get the closure she needed.

  chapter three

  Gemini Jones, is that you calling me? I haven’t heard from you in a month of Sundays. How are you, my child?”

  Dr. Rodney Earls’ voice was just as Gemini remembered. Deep and rich, and there was a slight raspiness to it. It was good hearing his voice as it brought back bittersweet memories.

  “It’s me in the flesh, so to speak. Dr. Rodney, it is so good hearing your voice. I should have called sooner, but I have been so busy with my practice.”

  “I have been reading the papers, and I know what happened in the Marquise Crawford case. Still the fireball you were when I met you! How did your firm feel about your role in the downfall of the prosecutor?”

  “They were not pleased with having an enemy in the prosecutor’s office. But I am not sorry for what I did. Business in the firm doubled since then. However, it was agreed that I should take a leave of absence from work until this all dies down. I am feeling much better, and I am anxious to get back to work, but I know that I am not ready to return. The stress isn’t good for me right now.”

  “Something tells me there’s more than the stress of defending Dr. Crawford. Did you have an emotional meltdown?”

  Damn, he’s good, Gemini thought. I can’t get nothing past him.

  “Well, yes, a lot has been going on, and I did suffer a meltdown. But I am working things out, and I think going back to work will help, but not right now.”

  “Is there something you need to discuss with me?” the therapist asked.

  “No, I called because I just heard about your fight with Pastor Du’Marcus Day on the radio. Something about him trying to stop you from opening a halfway house for ex-offenders.”

  “Yes, that’s right, and I can use some help with that. There’s going to be a council meeting next week to discuss the issue. Supporters for both sides will attend and I know that it is going to be heated. I sure could use some help with this one, Gemini. Can I get some legal advice from you? I am not very trusting of lawyers, but my supporters insist that I retain counsel. I have been putting this off, but the time has come for me to seek advice. Can you help me with this? I know you are out on sick leave, and I guess I should ask if you are allowed to help me.”

  “It is not my area of expertise, but I can recommend someone, if you’d like. Besides, under the circumstances, I can’t represent you as I would be representing the firm, and I am on official leave. Have dinner with me tonight and tell me the story. We can meet at Slappy’s at six. They have a new seafood gumbo that Antoinette says will make you slap your momma and the mayor! You remember the little girl that hung around the office when I was in your program? Well, she works for me. In the meantime, I will place a few calls and see who I can get to help you.”

  “Sounds good, Gemini, and you can tell me about you and what you’ve been doing since we last saw each other. And please tell Antoinette that I said I’m looking forward to that home cooked meal she promised me. I knew that the two of you would be lifelong friends. You have been thick as thieves since you were in high school and she was seven. I was sorry to hear that you had been shot, and I hope you are recovering well.”

  Physically I am recovering very well, Gemini thought, but I am a long way from recovering emotionally. She would tell him about the man who had shot her, she would talk with him about her feelings for Bookie, but she could not tell him about meeting her son. She had made a promise to Enoch not to tell, but it was killing her inside. She wanted the world to know that she has reunited with her son, but that could mean certain death to him and possibly to her. She would wait until Enoch gave her the OK.

  They met at Slappy’s and the reunion was both a joyous and sad occasion for Gemini. She was glad to see her mentor, but he had aged and looked very frail. He appeared to be shorter than the five-foot ten man she remembered. His hair was completely white, as were his beard and mustache. But those eyes were still the same, except for the crow’s feet around them. His eyes were always filled with life. She remembered one of the teens in her group saying that he had “fire” in his eyes. It was apparent that he was not in the best of health, but you couldn’t judge that by his eyes.

  He explained that he was not at his best, and that the fight he was having with Du’Marcus and Tabitha Day was taking its toll.

  The fight stemmed from Dr. Earl’s desire to open a halfway house for men out on parole from prison. The city didn’t have a facility to house the men, and he felt that one was needed. The Days objected to the facility being built across the street from their church. They had other plans for the land, and they were spending big bucks to make their objections known.

  Dr. Earls explained how the fight had made the newspapers, and they were in turn feeding fuel to the fire. They republished interviews where Dr. Earls was quoted as saying that the black church was the black man’s corporate America, and that the
pastor and his wife were stealing from the mouths of their poor church members with their elaborate lifestyle. The papers also printed the fact that Tabitha Day and Dr. Earls had been college sweethearts. In fact, they were once engaged, but she called off the engagement and six months later became Mrs. Du’Marcus day.

  The Days wanted to build—of all things—a movie studio. It was their plan to produce religious films and TV programs for the Christian market. Their plan would create jobs for the area, as well as increase their income by millions. Some of the members of the city council were showing support for the Days, but Dr. Earls was highly respected in the community for his work, and there were some on the council who wanted to continue to support him.

  “I should have gotten legal advice sooner than this, but I didn’t know that it would go this far. I have received death threats, and I hear that the Days have received them also.”

  “Not that I am taking sides, but could you find another spot to build your facility, maybe on land that the city would donate to you? I hear the city has lots of property and I know they would be glad to help you find another spot.”

  “Gemini, the spot that I have selected is right across the street from the Days’ church. Men coming out of prison and looking for religious council would benefit from being across the street. The Days are trying to extend their outreach program, and together we could do a lot for the parolees and others. And yes, I suppose the city would give me another spot to build my facility, but this area is close to the village, there is a laundromat down the street, a drug store, and fast food places. It is the perfect spot for this facility.

  “Do you remember when the city turned that stretch of land into a public park? The Days objected to the park also, saying it was disturbing their members who were trying to worship. It was the first park that the city had built in a long time and became a place where parents could bring their children. The police made their presence known, the park was safe, and the people of the city enjoyed it. But the Days got their way and the park is no longer there. There wasn’t much to do to it; the Days stopped further development on the swings and other playground equipment for the children. Once again money and power over the needs of the people.”