Faces of the Game, page 15
Sunday Dinner
“Hey Granny”, Chelle said squeezing her Grandmother tight. “Hey baby girl.” She said embracing Chelle just as tight. “Chelle!” Her older cousin came out of the living room to welcome her in the house. The two of them walked into the living room with their Grandmother, “what’s going on with you girl?” Chelle’s Cousin asked her as they both sat on the couch. “Nothing much, just taking it one day at a time, what about you?” Chelle asked. “Girl nothing, just relaxing and enjoying life, traveling and hanging out.” “Supper is ready, come in the kitchen you two” their Grandmother said as she leaned forward to get out of the rocking chair. The rest of the family was in the kitchen already fixing their Sunday dinner. Chelle spoke to everyone, washed her hands. I wonder what in the world he is doing right now, Lord please keep that man safe. “Chelle… Chelle…” Her Mother was calling her name; she had drifted off into a worrisome thought for a moment. “Yes” she responded snapping out of it. “Fix your plate, you almost washed the skin off of your hands.” They looked at each other and giggled. Everyone stood around the table and bowed their heads. Once the food was blessed, everyone began to eat; the grandchildren ate in the dining room and the adults ate in the kitchen. Chelle sat at the head of the table and looked at all of her little cousins, she felt blessed to have such a family. The beautiful faces of the happy children made her heart flutter, she remembered being so young without a care in the world. From time to time she would give almost anything to relive the younger years that she would never get back. She always made sure to be cool and easy to talk to; her younger cousins always knew they could go to her whenever they needed someone not too old, yet not too young to confide in. “Chelle are you ready to graduate?” Lil Lew asked her, he was one of her favorite cousins; he was so smart and cool. “Yes, I can’t wait. Are you ready to go to high-school?” She asked. “Yeah, I’m sort of scared to go.” He responded slightly laughing. “Yeah right, you can’t wait I can see it in your eyes.” She said sarcastically. Her phone rang; she reached in her back pocket and cleared the call. It was her best friend Ash; she would call her back after dinner.
“So, what’s up?” Chelle’s Momma asked as they walked up the street to the big house her Great Grandmother used to live in. It was vacant, but her cousin was moving from up North to occupy the house. “Nothing much, Chip has been acting really strange. I think he’s in trouble or is about to be anyway.” Chelle looked down at the ground in shame, she told her Mother practically everything but she didn’t feel comfortable always telling her the truth when it came to certain things. “Well, don’t talk to anyone about the trouble he might be in you just focus on your studies and keep praying for him. What has he done to be in trouble?” “Well, he’s associated with a lot of criminals and they are getting locked up and talking. I don’t really know what to say, but I know it’s not good.” They stepped on the porch, Chelle’s Mother hugged her tight and kissed her forehead, she knew the pain her Daughter was experiencing and she could feel her cry for help. All she could do is tell her to stay strong. “Come on, let’s go inside the house.” They walked in and looked around, there were picture frames from as early as 1903 hanging on the walls. The house smelled abandoned and dust layered the coffee table that sat in the den. “Where do we start?” Chelle asked as they walked into the kitchen. Everything was in place, there was no trash, no dishes, and the refrigerator had a pitcher of water and a carton of eggs. They decided to throw them out. Chelle just remembered to call Ash back. “Hey girl, what’s up?” She said as Ash answered the phone. “Hey girlie, what you doing?” Chelle walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. “Helping get the Big House together, what about you?” “Nothing, dreading this homework.” Chelle instantly remembered that she had a paper due on Tuesday, and she hadn’t started working on it. “Oh Lord, I almost forgot I have a paper due in my History class.” Ash started laughing, “the class you can’t understand what your teacher is saying?” “Heck yeah, my East Asia and American Studies class. I hate that class.” Chelle said laughing too. “Girl you better get to it, you only have a day and you know how slow you are.” Ash said laughing harder. “Whatever, what are you doing homework for?” “Girl nothing major, I have to do a spread sheet for my Business Analysis class.” Ash said rolling her eyes and cracking open her book. “Girl you know I’m slow, I can’t even figure out how to successfully complete a spread sheet. To hell with excel!” Chelle said giggling. “What did you just say?” Chelle’s Mother walked in the living room with her hand on her hip. “Nothing little lady.” Chelle said laughing even more. “Well, I’ll call you later let me get back to what I was doing.” “Okay, tell your Mom I said hey girl.” Chelle told her Mom that Ash said hey, and they hung up the phone. “Tell her I said hey, you about ready to go back to Granny’s house?” “Yeah I’m ready, are you?” “Yeah, let’s go.” Chelle and her Mother locked the front door, and headed back down the street. Talking to her Mother always helped Chelle stay strong, she appreciated her more than her Mother would ever know. At the end of the day, I come from a family of strong people… I have a lot to be thankful for.
Back to School
“Good morning everyone, I have a special guest that I want you all to welcome to our classroom” Ms. Brozwich said as she welcomed the CEO of a large PR firm based in Manhattan, New York. As bad as Chelle wanted to stay focused, she kept drifting off into deep thought she was so concerned about Chip’s situation she couldn’t think straight. “Chelle, what is wrong with you?” Her friend Christi asked; Chelle shook her head straightened up and redirected her focus. “Creating a campaign to enhance visibility in the Media when the client has nothing going on is rather pointless, but it is doable. This is why you keep the client busy.” Chelle heard the guest speaker saying. Chelle began jotting notes to keep her focused. As the class came to a close, and the students began asking questions Chelle listened very carefully, her classmates always had the best questions when she didn’t have anything to say.
Walking into her next class, Chelle dreaded having to listen to her Professor for 50 minutes. She placed her paper on his desk as she walked in to the classroom; “Is everyone ready for the quiz we are taking today?” He asked in such a deep Asian accent that no one understood what he said. Everyone sat and looked confused as usual. The Professor took a stack of quizzes and passed them to each person at the end of the rows. Chelle rolled her eyes and slouched down in her chair, she hadn’t studied since the week before, and she was hoping to remember once she looked at the quiz.
***
“Only make moves if your hearts in it, and live the phrase sky’s the limit” Chelle listened to Big on the way home, she was doing everything in her power to stay motivated and keep her head up. She made mental notes of what she needed to do once she got home; she was definitely planning on making a study guide and sipping on a bottle of wine. Chelle walked into her apartment in total amazement, “where are you?” She said aloud, she could feel someone’s presence. She walked into her bedroom to see her cousin lounging in her chair that was placed in the corner diagonal from her bed. “Hey to you too bitch, what are you doing here?” Chelle said with a sigh of relief and a slight bit of confusion. Tera pulled the blunt really hard, “I had a really bad day man.” Chelle hated smoke in her room.
Weekend Get-A-Way
Ironically, Chelle loved traveling but being consumed with school work and relationship hassles she couldn’t figure out if she was coming or going most of the time. Charlotte it is for the weekend. Chelle sighed as she threw a few pairs of shoes and a couple of outfits in the green and white Lacoste duffle bag that was sloppily thrown on her bed. If Christi and Nefi knew she spent this much time in their city they would let her have it, a cursing out that is. She knew she had to keep a low profile, not because she didn’t trust them but because she didn’t say much on the phones and she didn’t make time to visit them as much as she once had. Things were spiraling out of control slowly but surely and as far as Chelle was concerned, she had two main things on her mind; graduating and keeping her boyfriend as low-key as possible.
“What’s going on bae?” Chip said into the receiver of the trac-phone. “Nothing, throwing these garments in this sack what’s going on with you?” Chelle replied. “Nothing much, aye I want to go to Rome you know what I mean?” By this time Chelle’s mental code detector was scrambled, she thought about it for a quick second and then replied “What sugar?” Referring to Sugarloaf Parkway in Georgia. “Nah bread, I’ll see you in a little while” he said sarcastically with a smile in his voice. Chelle was always on point, it wasn’t hard for either of them to keep up with one another, and their code talk was like second nature to both of them. Chelle rolled her eyes and plopped down on the big circular chair sitting adjacent to her dresser and diagonal from her bed. I hate that I love him she thought to herself as she pulled both of her legs towards her and propped her chin on her knees while hugging her legs.
Ring, Ring, Ring Chelle jumped up, it was the house phone. “Hello there little lady” she said into the phone, it was just Ash. “Hey girlie, what you up to?” Ash asked. “Oh nothing, I think I might ride up to Virginia this weekend what about you?” “Girl nothing, me and your crazy cousin will probably head in the opposite direction. I think we might go to Florida.” Chelle and Ash knew they needed to meet before Chelle left town for the weekend. “Something told me to call you, where are you eating lunch today?” Ash asked Chelle, she knew food was the common denominator in both of their lives, lol. “Girl I got a taste for some of that banging chicken salad!” Chelle said excited about her lunch outing with her one of her best friends in the world. “Meet me Downtown in about an hour, and please get there honey ain’t nobody got all day to be waiting on you.” Ash said with a bit of sarcastic authority in her voice. “Beat you there, meet upstairs at our normal table child,” Chelle was already dressed for the most part. She walked back into her room, zipped her duffle bag, grabbed her soft yellow cardigan, threw her hair into a wild but cute bun, grabbed her little trac-phone and slipped on her ugg boots. As she walked out of her apartment, she grabbed her brick brown leather handbag that was lying on her computer desk, threw both cellphones in it, made sure all of the televisions and lights were off and walked out of the door. I think that’s everything, lip gloss, cellphones, shea butter, I have toothbrushes down there, ummmm, books… Damn my books. Chelle opened the door back, grabbed her laptop bag and slid her computer in there along with three text books, a spiral notebook and her favorite pink ink pen. She threw that bag on the shoulder with her handbag and locked the door on her way out.
“I told you I was going to beat you here, lunch is on you I won!” Chelle said joking with Ash as she walked towards the table. They always met at a restaurant in Downtown Winston-Salem, NC. It was very nice, laid back and classy yet casual. They sat at a window table where they could view the skyline and look down at the cars driving by. They both looked cute, and they had a lot to discuss. The best thing about it, the restaurant didn’t typically open the top floor until later but they knew Chelle and Ash were good tipping regular customers, and they always made an exception for them. “First and foremost, let’s trade trac-phones. I’ll let him know if he calls, but you have to make your tracks make sense sis.” Ash said knowing the code and making sure not to say but so much she just nodded her head. “So you know where I’m going this weekend right?” Chelle asked. “Of course, and you know I’m going to VA with him this weekend right?” They both busted out into laughter as they had just told each other the complete opposite over the phone. “Girl we are going to the beach in VA, you know just to get away and whatever else he has to do.” Chelle just shook her head, “sis sometimes I question myself, like is all of this really worth it?” “I know girl, you just have to roll with the punches.” Ash responded.
“Here is your food ladies, one chicken salad croissant with no tomatoes and fruit salad on the side, one with chips.” The waitress politely interrupted their conversation. She filled the glasses of water and placed fresh lemon on a saucer beside the cold grey tin pitcher of water. “You can take that we probably won’t need any more water.” Ash said with a slight giggle to let the waitress know she wasn’t being rude. “Who wants a big pitcher of water on the table?” Ash said after the waitress left. Chelle shook her head and bowed her head to pray before eating her food. They both started eating and continued their conversation. The sun was shining, lunch on the skyline of Winston-Salem, NC was dope and low key. The two were semi-paranoid, they only talked about school and shopping over the phone so they made an appoint to have lunch often. “Oh here,” Chelle handed her trac-phone to Ash and vice versa, they swapped out phones for the weekend. “So, when do you think you’ll be back?” “Probably in like two days, you?” “Girl tomorrow morning” Ash said laughing. “In and out, in and out” Chelle said laughing too. They often made jokes about the lifestyles they found themselves living, but often times they were worried and hopeful. What’s understood doesn’t have to be discussed, the two saw eye-to-eye in a lot of situations often with little or no verbal communication.
Chelle slid on her Gucci Sunglasses and turned the music up a few notches as she cruised Highway 85 South. She thought about stopping in Gaffney, SC she loved the outlet mall there but she decided to stay on the highway, she knew she was saving time and money. Her mind raced, final exams in school were coming up her boyfriend was all over the map running from the Fed’s and everyone seemed to have a situation that called for her attention. She decided to call Tera from the trac-phone; she blocked the number to minimize the questioning. “Hello?” Tera answered the phone defensive yet inquisitive. “What’s up cuz?” “Nothing, why you call me from a blocked number?” “Girl this little raggedy phone, what you doing?” Chelle asked not wanting to waste too much time talking about the damn telephone number and why it was blocked. “Girl why ole boy asked me if you got weight.” Chelle’s heart dropped and swam in her stomach; she got very quiet and listened to every word Tera uttered thereafter. “He said he heard you had it for the low, I think ummmm fat boy or somebody told him that shit man I don’t know.” “Word, so why did he ask you that? Do you think he said something to Chip?” “Girl I don’t know, he was interested like a mother fucker, what you want me to tell him?” “Shit, tell him what you want to tell him.” Chelle was so stressed out, she didn’t know how to answer that damn question, and at this point she didn’t know what to say and who to say it to. She didn’t know how to say things that she wanted to say without stumbling so she decided to be a bit more silent in every conversation. After all, silence is golden.
“Hey baby, how was the trip?” Chip asked as Chelle walked into the kitchen from the garage. She looked at everything around her and reminded herself that all good things come to an end. “It was painless babe, what are we doing tonight?” Chip leaned forward and gave her a huge hug, kissed her on the forehead and grabbed her keys. “Bag in the trunk?” He asked as he walked towards the door. “Yeah,” she walked into the living room and sat on the couch. As she kicked her shoes off she admired the living room, she wished that they lived comfortably she loved the luxurious townhome in Georgia. It was beautiful, ducked off and everything seemed so perfect. “Phipps is the move in the morning, I know you want to go shopping.” He placed her overnight bag on the floor beside the loveseat. “No, I just want to spend quality time with you babe.” Chelle smiled at him, but her smile hid hundreds of tears. She was happy to have someone so real by her side, but sad to have him living on the edge. “You hear that?” Chip asked in a paranoid tone as he took his thumb and index finger and peeped through the blinds in the living room. “What the helicopters? Boy, if you don’t sit down some damn where.” Chelle was not in the mood for Chip’s paranoia, she was already jittery enough. He scared of a damn helicopter, but he want to hang out tomorrow in broad daylight at the mall? This fool is crazy. She thought to herself. He decided to try to stay calm, he didn’t want to piss Chelle off and he realized that he needed to be as calm as possible and enjoy each day. He actually felt like he could make it 7 years without getting caught, and he was told that if he went that long without getting caught, there was nothing they could do to him. The warrant at that time would be invalid…
Holiday Season
Chelle booked it from Georgia to North Carolina checking her rear view mirror constantly, and observing the exit ramps. Cops usually hide on the side of the road, in the median of the highway, and on the ramps that exit or enter the highway. She was skilled to make the drive and knew where each hot spot was along the highway. She was so good, she could point out the make and model of damn near any car on the road. Undercover Cops drove Chevy Tahoe’s, Dodge Chargers, and on occasion they drove anything else that didn’t look suspicious. The difference was, they were allowed to have tint as dark as they wanted, sometimes there would be longer than normal antennas on the front or back left or right side of the car; and police lights were even detectible in the rear windows of cars sometimes. Roadrunner duties and wisdom taught her this technique.
