Unfaithful Ties (21 page)

chapter 9

Brandi...San Antonio Texas

The room was pitch black. Quiet.  It was four A.M. and Brandi was lying in her cold bed butt naked staring at the ceiling. She’d lain down for bed just before eight o’clock and she still hadn’t fallen asleep.  Sleeping when her heart was broken was not easy.  She felt a bit despondent. She couldn’t believe that Trae actually did it. He actually left his family for another woman. And he wasn’t coming back.

Her eyes moved from the ceiling fan to the lamp on the nightstand. She eased up the headboard. Switched on the lamp. Then grabbed the picture of her and
Trae and just gazed at it. Out of the blue she found herself mumbling something.

“All the years I wasted on your motherfucking ass”

She snatched the covers off of her, tossed them to the side, marched into the master bathroom, snatched the picture out of the frame, crumbled it into pieces and watched them circle down the toilet drain. When the toilet bowl cleared she walked over to the sink and stared at the reflection staring back at her through the oversized mirror.  She herself even thought that she looked like
who shot John.
  Her hair wasn’t combed, her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she hadn’t washed her face since Trae’d left.  She looked a hot mess. And her body? She thought she looked like a nude professor Clump. She looked down but couldn’t see pass her stomach. It was always in the way. She turned around and looked at her backside.  She counted four rolls and turned back around. She hated to look at herself. In fact she hated the way she looked. That’s why she hadn’t looked at herself naked in years. She didn’t even know why she was doing it now. It was only going to make her feel worse than she’d already felt. Uncontrollable tears slid down her cheeks. She caught them before they slid to her neck. “That’s enough” She said out loud. “That’s enough. No more fucking crying. It’s time I take control of my life. I’m not going to keep crying over your trifling ass. I’m not going to keep crying over this weight. I’m going to do something about it.”

She walked from the bathroom back into the bedroom. Nothing in her life was going right.
  Trae left her for the woman next door.  What terrible thing was going to happen next?

She fell backwards onto the bed and closed her eyes. Her past flooded her memory-The horrible way that
Trae had treated their children, the mental and physical neglect, the name calling, the late nights, and the overall total disrespect. She was an emotional disaster.

All those hurtful images flashing through her mind brought anger. Suddenly her eyes popped open like a jack in the box.
 A sense of rage rushed through every part of her body. She needed to hurt Trae. She wanted him to share the same humiliation. The same pain. She walked over to the window that overlooked their front yard, and stared at Trae’s Jaguar. It was parked in the driveway. It’d been parked there since he and Cassy had left for their trip a few days ago.

“You dirty son of a bitch” She yelled, anger filling her eyes. “You walk out on your family. You leave me after all of these years. And after everything that I’ve put up with from your scandalous ass
! You think that you can just humiliate me like this? Leave me for the bitch next door?” I’ll show your motherfucking ass” She said walking away from the window.

The spare key had to be somewhere.  She rushed to the chest drawer and yanked open each dresser drawer, fumbling through T-shirts, socks, and trousers hoping to skim her fingers across a piece of metal. Still, she didn’t find the key.

She was sure that it had to be somewhere.

Quickly she rushed into the walk-in closet, ran her hands across the shelves. No key. She crawled around on her knees, checking the insole of every pair of
Trae’s designer shoes. No key. She searched the pocket of each designer jacket, coat, and slacks.  No key.

After pulling herself up from the floor, she walked back over to the bed and sat down. Then something told her to look up under the mattress. There it was, right there on her side of the bed,
Trae’s spare key.

Tears blurred her sight as she dressed. Her conscience warred with the anger stemming inside of her. She knew that two wrongs didn’t equal a right but she didn’t care. Her good conscience lost the battling war that twirled inside her mind. Anger urged her to jog down the steps. She was tired before she made it to the bottom. But not tired enough to change her mind, and before she knew it she was sitting behind the wheel of
Trae’s pride and joy.

Midmorning sun was just peeping through the clouds when she crank up the car and drove through the front yard grass, past the driveway, the azalea bushes on the side of the house, into the backyard, pass the garden, the fire pit, and the pool. When the car stopped Brandi was parked right in front of the private late. She left the engine on, put the car in neutral, quickly hopped out of the car and watched it coast into the lake. As she walked back towards the house, she felt a grin tug at her lips. “Let’s see just how hurt you’ll be when you come back into town and realize that your little baby has been in the lake since you left” She mumbled.

When she made it back into the house she was tired. All that walking had worn her out.  She didn’t feel guilty about what she’d just done the least bit. In fact she felt good about it. 

Chapter 10

Jason & Vanessa...NYC, New York

Jason was standing directly under the shower spray, where he’d been standing for over an hour. The water had gotten cold and his skin had shriveled like a dried prune. Still he hadn’t even lathered the washcloth. 
He didn’t want to move, couldn’t think straight, and grievance and hurt had stayed with him since the day his wife became a victim of a near fatal vehicle accident. It seemed the only thing that he could do was weep. The woman that had been the glue that held him together since he was a freshman in high school was in a coma. There was no certainty that she was going to wake up today, tomorrow, or that she’d ever wake up again. And if she were to wake up, there was no certainty that she’d remember him.

The reality of it all was hard for Jason to accept and it almost didn’t feel real.

Countless times he’d caught himself dialing her number. And sleeping? Sleeping was the hardest thing to do because he could smell her in his dreams. He’d hear her voice when the house was quiet. Life was now, like an inferno. Miserable.  Like waking up in hell.

Today was their thirteenth year anniversary. Memories of he and Vanessa saying their vows while they showered together had revisited him since he’d awakened that morning. 

Still in the same spot, shower spray drizzling through his dreadlocks, the palm of his hands pressed flat against the shower wall, and his limbs shivering and trembling, he hollered out his vows.

“
Vanessa”

He spoke as if she was showering with him. A long deep yowl
followed. “I promise.” He sobbed.

“To continue to be your wedded husband.”

He wept.

“To have and to hold”

A spine-tingling weep crept through his throat

“From this day forward”

“For better”

“For worse”

“For richer”

“For poorer”

Flashbacks of countless love making sessions raced through his memory like a flat horse race and he hollered with heartache uncontrollably. “In sickness or in health”

“To love and to cherish”

“'Till death do us part.”

He cried hard.

“Lord please don’t take her. Don’t take her Lord. I beg you” He cried, pounding his hands against the shower wall. “Don’t take her from me Lord”

When Jason’s feet hit the floor as he stepped out of the shower, he collapsed on the tile. Vanessa’s hair accessories, and make-up, and perfume that were aligned across the vanity on her side of the sink were difficult to look at. He pulled himself up and within seconds he’d drooped over the sink.
             

He stood at his side of the sink for the longest time twirling his wedding ring around his finger and staring at the running water because he’d forgotten why he’d turned it on in the first place. Eventually he remembered that he’d turned on the water so that he could brush his teeth.

Simple daily task were hard to remember nowadays. And living was even harder! Vanessa’s spirit was everywhere in their home but yet her body lay in a hospital bed. For Jason that was a lot to get use to.

****

The house felt empty.

Jazz wasn’t blaring from the speakers, rose pedals weren’t trailing from the garage, and the scent of burning candles didn’t linger in the air, no sound of laughter, no gifts being exchanged and no lovemaking. This was torture.  No way to spend an anniversary. 

Jason sat in the quiet living room his eyes fixed on a photo of he and Vanessa on their wedding day, covered in a chocolate brown frame on the end table right beside the sofa where he was sitting. He missed her so much. Needed to touch her. Wanted to hear her footsteps walk through the front door. He wanted to hear her laughing and get lost in her smile.

“You’re going to be a fantastic mom
” Echoed repeatedly in his mind. That was what he’d told Vanessa when he found out that they were going to become parents. And now when she awakes, if she awakes, he’s going to have to tell her that their baby didn’t survive. Acknowledging how mentally damaging that’s going to be for her, nearly tore him apart.

Jason and Vanessa had always dreamt of being parents. How could his wife learn of her pregnancy and on that exact same day lose their child? How unfair is that? What had they done so terribly wrong to deserve that kind of pain? Why would God do this?

When he went into the kitchen the machine light was blinking. It wasn’t until now that he realized he needed to inform he and Vanessa’s friends about her accident. He pressed play.

“This message is for Mr. Duncan. Mr. Duncan this is Terri with Passionate Memorable Events. I was wondering if you wanted to reschedule since you missed your appointment and we don’t offer refunds. So just give us me a call back when you can. Thanks!”

“Jason, it’s Malik. What’s up man…been calling your cell but you haven’t called me back. So I thought I’d give your landline a shot. I’m gon’ start getting worried if you don’t hurry up and call me back You was right about Jennifer man. The damn woman took all the goddamn furniture out of the goddamn house. Didn’t even leave me a roll of tissue to wipe my ass with. And guess what else? We’ve been divorced for months now and I didn’t even know it. Took my baby girl and moved to Chicago. Claims she’s got a damn fiancé. Anyway just called to tell you and Vanessa Happy Anniversary. Catch up with you later”

“
Vannessa girl it’s Stacy….and Lena. Happy Anniversary.” They sang. “Girl you need to answer your damn phone” Lena hissed.

“Jason and
Vanessaaaa it’s Kenneth….Happy anniversary. Wooowww…were getting old.” He joked. “Talk to you good folks later. Peaacccceee.”

“Jason it’s Cliff just wanted you to check and see if you got the card I sent to the hospital and to let you know that Vanessa’s in my prayers. Everyone at work is praying for her recovery. I think it’ll be good if you get away from the hospital for a while. Maybe I’ll stop by and we could go grab a bite to eat. Well anyway call me back and let me know.”

When he’d listened to all of the messages he pulled the bag out of the wastebasket, tied it tight, and took it out back. For a brief moment he stood there glancing around the grand space imagining how much fun their unborn child could’ve had running around back there. That was the reason he and Vanessa had chosen their home in the first place. They thought it would be a great home to raise a family. Now, he wondered if they’d ever be able to start a family.

The phone was ringing when he walked back in, and for the first time since Vanessa’s accident he answered. He should’ve looked at the caller Id because it was a telemarketer. Quickly he hung up then dialed Malik.

“Jason, what’s up man? I thought you and Vanessa would be on your way to an island are a secluded getaway by now” Malik said, sounding like he’d just finished running because just seconds ago he was....well, let’s just say that he was being a bachelor.

“Vanessa… she’s...
ahh” Jason stuttered, sadness in his voice. “She’s been in an accident and she’s in the hospital.” Effortlessly he burst into a hard cry.

“What happened?”

“Asshole in a truck ran the light” He sniffed. “I’m so damn mad I could kill him.”

“Jason, I’m so sorry. How is she?”

“She’s been in a coma for nearly a month.”

“A month. Damn Jason I’m sorry. Why didn’t you call me sooner? I’m sure you could use a friends right now.”

“I’ve just been so busy. Back and forth visiting her. Trying to check on the house. I’m lost man. And I…I just don’t know what to do. What am I going to do without her? These past weeks have been like living in hell. I don’t know whether I’m coming are going.”

“Vanessa has always been strong. She’s going to pull through it. I’m sure she will. She’ll be coming home soon”

“She was pregnant. She found out the day of the accident.”

Malik could hear Jason grieving on the other end of the phone loud and clear. “Jason, I’m so sorry”

“It’s hard man waking up every morning knowing that the woman that I love with all my heart is lying up in a hospital bed fighting for her life.” He explained. “But what’s even harder is accepting the fact that if she wakes up she might not even know who I am. What if she doesn’t remember falling in love with me?”

“Then you’ll just have to make her fall in love with you again. You’ll just have to make new memories.

“This is the hardest thing that I’ve had to do”

Malik didn’t know what to say. Clearly Jason was experiencing something that he couldn’t relate to. So, he did what any good friend would do, he just listened.

“It’s going to kill me to tell her that the baby is gone.”

“So you haven’t talked to
Trae or Kenneth. Anybody?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry about it I’ll give them a call”

“Thanks man! I hate to even think about the accident let alone talk about it. I’ve been at the hospital every minute of every day. I’m exhausted. I only came home because I needed to shower, and check on the house…God I pray she pulls through this.”

“She will. Just keep praying”

“I’m guessing you took a leave of absence at work?”

“Yeah. I don’t know when I’ll be able to go back to work. Hold on for a second I’ve gotta’ another call coming through.” Jason said and clicked over. “Hello”

“Mr. Duncan”

“Yes, this is Mr. Duncan”

“This is Doctor Buchanan. I’ve got some wonderful news. Your wife is awake.”

“She is?” He asked, perking up.

“Yes we’ve been trying to reach you for about an hour now”

He was smiling, something he hadn’t done in what felt like centuries. “I’m on my way”

Without hesitation he clicked the phone line back over to Malik. “Malik, I’ve
gotta’ go. Vanessa’s awake”

“That’s good news. Call me the second you get some more information so I’ll know what to tell the guys”

“I will”

Jason was so pumped up as he dashed into living room. “Yes! She’s awake!” He screamed. “She’s awake” He snatched his keys off of the end table and did a happy dance all the way to the car.

****

Nearly two hours earlier Vanessa was mystified when she awoke from the unconsciousness. How long had she been asleep? It felt like centuries. And why was she lying in a hospital bed?

Eventually the nurse on duty entered the room and explained everything to her. It was then that she learned she’d been in a coma.

It took a little over an hour for her to try and move. Blinking her eyes she tried to clear out the blur. She wanted to sit up but the ache in her bones wouldn’t allow her to. Her entire body was abscessed and suffused with soreness. The nasal cannula brought extreme discomfort. Tubes that she desperately wanted to snatch off were pumping some type of clear liquid through her veins. She was attempting to rip them off when Jason walked through the door.

“No…no! Don’t take them off” Jason said  as he rushed into the room. “Oh Sweetness I’m so glad that you woke up” He bent down and kissed Vanessa’s forehead, then sat down on the bed. “Sweetness, you were in an accident. A very bad one that scared the shit out of me.”

“Your hair” She said with a strange look on her face. “When did you grow out your hair?”

“Sweetness” He chuckled. “What do you mean? I’ve had these for the last five years”

A knock sounded on the door, then it slowly opened. It was Doctor Buchanan walking in. “Hello Mr. Duncan” He said extending his hand as Jason stood. “How are you today?”

“Better since she’s awoke”

“And how are you feeling Mrs. Duncan?” Doctor Buchanan asked focusing his eyes on Vanessa.

“I’m a little sore”

“That’s expected. You’ve suffered a great deal of Trauma.” He informed her. “The good thing is we have plenty of sedatives for pain.”

“Doctor Buchanan how is she?”             

“Maybe we should talk outside”

They both walked out of the room and stood in the hallway. “She seems to be experiencing some memory loss but that’s typical with patients that has suffered a severe head injury.”

“What do you mean some memory loss?”

“Well, a plus is she remembers her name, her high school prom, her high school boyfriend, and friends, her high school graduation. The bad news is she doesn’t remember anything that happened after that. Everything that happened after high school seems to be a blur.”

“Will she get her memory back?”

“I’ve seen some victims of severe head trauma’s get one hundred percent of their memory back… but I have to warn you, there have been some cases where some victim’s never regain their memory”.

“What are you saying Doctor Buchanan?”

“I’m saying that it’s possible. But whether are not your wife regains her memory is totally up to her. Sometimes it depends on whether or not the victim wants to remember their past”

“When will I be able to bring her home?”

“We’ll monitor her for a few days, run a few test, makes sure everything is normal and if everything checks out she should be home in time for Thanksgiving.” He said while scribbling on his chart. “You’re going to have to play a major role in helping her regain her memory” He suggested.