Chapter Nine
Zenobia spent another 24 hours in the hospital. My supervisor was very understanding. Instead of taking the one day off like I had originally planned, they let me take a few more days given the situation. I asked her what happened to Percy after he was kicked out of the waiting room. She told me they didn’t turn him over to the police. They let him go with a warning once he was able to calm down. Aside from being placed on the watch list with the security team, nothing else happened. That’s not the result we were looking for, but it is what it is.
Before we finalized our plans on what we would do with Percy, Zee and I had to first decide how she was going to handle going back home. It was going to be dangerous. He was already upset. We had to figure out a way to keep her safe while we put our plan into effect. Having that extra day would give me the chance to be close at hand just in case Zenobia needed me.
“I don’t know if I can do it, Gina.” The concern in her voice was palpable.
“I know it’s going to be hard, Zee, but what else are we going to do? You’ve got to go back. If you don’t we might as well be talking bullshit. It won’t work any other way.”
“I know…I know…but it’s gonna’ be hard faking like everything is okay; like the shit he did to me don’t matter!”
“But you can’t give him a reason, Zenobia. You can’t let him know you mad. That would be all the reason he needs to start up again. We have to play this just right or it’s not going to work.”
“Uggghhhhh! I just want to put a bullet in his damn head and take him out of his fuckin’ misery!”
Zee had never been much of a cusser. It sounded so funny coming out of her mouth, but at least she didn’t apologize this time. We both had to laugh. Maybe I was rubbing off on her.
“No better yet, right between his motherfuckin’ eyes! I want him to know it’s me. I don’t ever want him to wonder who took his sorry ass out…Ssss…owww…”
Her smile faded and the laughter ceased; the wounds of her past resurfacing with new found strength.
We would have to bide our time and play our cards just right. I hated having to ask Zenobia to deal with Percy any longer than absolutely necessary, but there was no way around it. He had to be convinced that she had forgiven him and was willing to work it out with him. If not, our plan was doomed before it ever got started.
Nobody else could know what we were up to. Every time a nurse or Doctor Randolph walked in the room to check on Zenobia we had to change the subject. That was easy compared to what Zee would have to deal with. I wish I could say I was confident she could pull it off; that she wouldn’t lose her cool and attack his ass. Hell, I didn’t know if I could do it. She would have to act her ass off. This was going to be some academy award winning shit! But if she could pull it off, the reward would be worth it all.
She became more and more anxious the closer it got for her to leave the hospital. We both did. I asked her if she wanted me to go back to the apartment and get the car to drive her home, but she said no. We discussed it. Zenobia was right. We didn’t want Percy to be too suspicious of our new-found friendship. He had already accused me of having something to do with it when he bombarded the waiting room, so we definitely didn’t want to arouse any more suspicion.
We had to make everything as close to the way things originally were. That way folks would be none the wiser. Since Percy’s face was more than likely plastered all over security’s alert wall, he wouldn’t be able to come back and pick Zenobia up from the hospital. That wouldn’t have been a good option anyway. Picking her up from anywhere would have been outside his character. What he would expect is that Zenobia would find her own way home.
We made the decision to leave separately. I would leave a little while before her and see what - if anything - was going on. My co-worker, Yvette, was a godsend. I called her and asked if she could come back to the hospital on her day off and pick me up. I didn’t have my purse or anything. I left in such a hurry when Zenobia was in crisis. She was kind enough to front the money for Zee to catch a cab. I know it sounds backwards, but if some stranger brought her home she would have to try and explain to Percy the who, what, when, where and why. If she caught a cab, he might question where she got the money, but that would be much easier to explain. She would merely have to lie and say the hospital paid for it. What’s the harm in a little white lie?
I wanted so badly to tell Yvette what was going on, but she was enough of a friend to not pry. As a matter of fact, she didn’t ask me anything about my request – not even when she would get her money back. True friends like Yvette are hard to come by. I thanked her for everything when she dropped me off at the apartment building. Zenobia would be home in a few hours, and I have to admit, I was a little nervous about what would happen next.
Upon entering the apartment building I wanted to tiptoe up to Percy’s door to see if I could tell if he was home or not, but I resisted that temptation. All I needed was him to open the door while I had my ear pressed to it. How would I ever be able to explain that?
I didn’t stop to check the mail. All I wanted was to get to my apartment and lock the door behind me. Thank goodness nobody was in the hallway and I was able to do just that. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I finally found myself in familiar surroundings. There’s nothing like being at home.
I had just about shaken out all the kinks from sleeping in the hospital chair the night before. I thought I would get some rest once I got home, but rest eluded me. All I could seem to do was think about the plan Zenobia and I had concocted in the hospital.
Would it really work? Could we really get away with it? Following through would mean risking a lot. I could lose my job and even my freedom. That reality seemed to pale in comparison to everything Zenobia had lost already and what she stood to lose if we failed. Losing could literally cost her life. I went over the plan in my head. I wish I could say it was foolproof, but that would be thinking too optimistically. We had factored in several contingencies, but there were always those unexpected things that come up that you just can’t plan for no matter how hard you try.
Considering the circumstances, I didn’t think it was a good idea to pray about it. The Bible clearly says “…vengeance is mine…thus sayeth the Lord.” So the fact that Zenobia and I decided to take matters into our own hands probably wasn’t sitting too well with the Man upstairs. I thought about asking for forgiveness in advance for the sins I knew I was getting ready to commit, but that would be like asking to be smote. I wasn’t really willing to risk that one either.
My mind was racing. I couldn’t keep still nor could I quiet the pervasive thoughts in my head. I took a hot steaming shower and let the water massage the aches and pains that were still lingering in my joints. I used some of my favorite aloe vera and lavender body wash and my natural loofah to scrub away the cares and stress of the past 24 hours. I stood there for the longest time trying to let the cares of the world wash away. I thought a hot shower and putting on some clean comfortable clothes would help quiet my thoughts, but I was wrong. I needed to get some fresh air and try to clear my head. Yeah, taking a ride just might help. Zenobia… damn! I didn’t want to leave not knowing what was going on with her, but the once comfortable walls were starting to close in on me.
Before leaving out I called the hospital to see what her status was. Not too many people had the number to her room so hopefully she would answer.
After a few rings Zenobia picked up the phone. She didn’t immediately say anything. I knew it was her way of trying to see who it was so I spoke up right away.
“Zee, it’s me.”
“Whew okay…hey girl!” The relief in her voice was evident. “You know I started not to answer the phone.”
“Yeah, I thought about that when I called, but I’m glad you did. Have they said how much longer you’ll be there before they discharge you?”
?
??They said it won’t be too much longer. They are waiting on Dr. Randolph to give the final okay. They asked me how was I getting home and whether somebody was picking me up. At first they was talking about keeping me until I could work out other arrangements. They didn’t really like the idea of me riding by myself in a cab, but I told them you live in my building and would be looking out for me. I hope that’s cool?”
“No problem! That’s cool. I know they can be a little funny acting about stuff like that, but given the situation they should understand. If push comes to shove and they won’t discharge you, then we’ll just have to work something else out. If I have to come get you I will. If Percy trips, then we’ll have to deal with him sooner than planned.”
“Hopefully it won’t be a big deal. I kind of talked to Dr. Randolph about the situation with me and Percy - not that he couldn’t see what was up - so hopefully knowing you will be in the building will make him feel better about the whole thing. If not, Plan B…”
“Yep, Plan B...Listen, I was calling to tell you I’m going to take a drive and try to clear my head. I shouldn’t be gone long, but do me a favor if you can. Call me on my cell and let me know when they discharge you. I want to make sure I’m home when you get here.”
“I will.”
I knew exactly where I wanted to go. Grabbing my keys and purse and putting on a pair of sneakers kept near the front door, I locked up and made my way down the stairs resisting the temptation to check and see if Percy was home. I exited through the backdoor where my car was parked. I still drove the car I bought not long after leaving Mac. Berta (that’s what I called her) was my baby. She was a champagne colored Malibu LX. We had been through a lot together. With over 120,000 miles on her, she still purred for me - just like a satisfied kitty cat.
I climbed in, buckled my seat belt and turned the radio to 102.5 - my favorite gospel station. I backed out of the tight and tricky space making sure I didn’t level the trashcans of the neighbors who lived in the building behind me. Navigating the alley was a little fussy, but I made it out successfully. Moving out onto Maple Drive, I was careful with the oncoming traffic; merging to the furthest left-hand lane possible. The major roadway is not what I needed to get my mind right. I needed something a bit more secluded.
In just a few turns I was in a much more country setting. That’s what I loved about living in Georgia. True enough, there were plenty of city and city-style things to do, but in a matter of minutes you could be on isolated roads surrounded by tall trees, open pastures and horses and cows thrown in for balance. I breathed easier as I took in a few of the winding roads and enjoyed the beautiful landscape.
I saw the place I knew would serve our purpose well. Making a left hand turn onto Waverly Road I knew it would be perfect. At the entrance to the road was a small sky blue shotgun house that faced the street, but there were no other houses within a mile that actually faced Waverly Road. Moving from paved road to dirt road was a bit hairy so I slowed Berta down to almost a crawl; taking in as much of the environment as I could. We needed the perfect spot and Waverly was a good option. It wasn’t too far from where we lived so we wouldn’t lose a lot of time getting here and getting back.
Waverly was hilly and had several winding roads. It was barely wide enough for one car. If a car was coming in the opposite direction, one of the drivers would have to yield and sometimes stop as close to the edge of the road as possible to let the other car pass. A few feet from the road itself there were drop-offs nestled between the trees. This time of year, the ground was pretty much covered with lush plants and grasses that seemed to grow best in shadowy environments. Although the sun was still high in the sky, the road was noticeably darker. By dusk, any driver trying to get down this road would need to have their headlights on. The trees provided that much shade. I was so focused on trying to find just the right spot – looking from right to left and back again - I nearly hit a deer that decided this was the perfect time to cross the highway. Damn, Bambi came out of nowhere! After the bounding creature got to the other side, I waited a few seconds to see if there were more. Deer are plentiful in the area and on more than one occasion I’ve been nearly accosted by a few of them that decided to seek greener pastures at my expense.
Assured the road was clear, I got Berta moving again. Turning in a bend in the road, I saw what I thought would be the right spot. I pulled my car over as far as I could just in case another car would need access. I put the car in park so I could get a closer look. The terrain of the road was a little rough - large rocks, dips and ditches all in one little area. Moving to the side of the road the terrain transitioned from rocky to thick ivy interspersed with dense evergreens. The ground was barely visible, but I needed to see what the drop-off was like. That was critical. I moved slowly, not sure of what was in the dense forestation. I certainly didn’t want to advance too quickly and find the drop off with my feet. The shadows from the overhead trees made it hard to see, but just four to five feet from the road the lush plant life began to slope. I peered a little further and felt the tilt in the ground – evidence that it was no longer flat. Yep, this was the perfect spot. The biggest challenge would be finding it in the dark.
Getting back into the car I tried to remember everything that was around this spot. I hadn’t paid too much attention to the odometer to judge the distance, but I figured I could calculate that another time. Today I just needed to get a feel for the road and the location. The remainder of the road was equally bumpy and hilly. About 300 feet from the spot there was a clearing. Gone were the lush trees and overcast shadows. Up ahead was barbed wire fencing – a tell-tale sign of a farm of some sort. Sure enough, the closer I got I could see a few spotted cows and a large open field. There was a change in the fencing from wooden and barb wired to wrought iron and fancy as I passed the gate leading back to the farmhouse at the end of a paved road. The house was set well back with a few buildings surrounding it. Whoever lived there definitely enjoyed seclusion. I didn’t view their presence as a risk to the plan.
I made my way down the remainder of the road and within a mile I was back to pavement; this time on the back end of Mitchell Boulevard. I was only seven miles from my apartment. This was the perfect spot.