Drama Queen (23 page)

“Dawg, you gonna be all right. Hold on.” Kayla could hear Terrell in the distance. He seemed so far away. Kayla could not breathe. She tried and tried, but she could not get any air into her body.

“Her lung has collapsed,” she heard someone saying. “Get her to the hospital, now!”

Kayla decided not to struggle to breathe any more.
God, I am trusting You. I need You to breathe for me because I can't.
She closed her eyes and suddenly she could breathe. She thought about her beautiful daughter and her parents, she thought about her friends and co-workers. She thought about Craig and Avis and Geno. All the things in life she had accomplished and the goals she still had. She reflected on her drama-filled life and the lives of those around her. She was grateful. Grateful for the strength and tenacity to stand when others couldn't, and to try again when she failed. Come what may, Kayla loved her life and wasn't ready to give it up.
Okay God, I think I'm ready to breathe now.
She opened her eyes and focused on where she was. She knew she was in the hospital, that was a given. She looked over and saw her mother sleeping in the chair.

“Ma . . .” She tried to speak but there was a tube down her throat. She hit the side of the bed rail to wake her mother.

“Oh my God, Kayla. Wait a minute, I'll get the nurse.” Her mother rushed out of the room and returned with the nurse. The nurse took her vitals and then told her to blow so the tube could come out. Kayla obeyed and blew as the nurse pulled the long, plastic tubing out of her mouth. She went into a coughing frenzy and they gave her some water.

“Are you okay?” the nurse asked after Kayla was calm.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “What happened?”

“You were attacked, baby. But you're gonna be okay,” her mother said with tears in her eyes.

“Day?”

“Day is fine. She's with your father. I need to call him.”

“Tired.” Kayla shook her head and closed her eyes again. This time when she woke up, Terrell was sitting where her mother last was.

“Yo, you finally up?” He smiled. She nodded at him. Her memory was much clearer now. She remembered hearing his voice in her kitchen and him picking her up off the floor. She could hear him calling 911 and giving her address.

“Thank you. How did you find me?”

“I rode by your house after I finished handling my business. I saw your car was all messed up and your door was open. Your neighbors were standing outside like they were scared to come in, so I did. I found you and old girl on the floor.” He gave her the details from his viewpoint. “You got her pretty good, yo. I'm proud of you.”

“Where is she?”

“Still in ICU. They're gonna transport her to county jail soon as she's well enough.”

“I still don't understand why she did it.” Kayla told him.

“Well, from what I understand, your boy told her he didn't love her and broke off the engagement. He admitted he was still in love and wanted to be with you and Day. She flipped.”

Kayla tried to figure out what Terrell was telling her. “Janice? Janice did this?”

“Yep. But get this. Remember your prank calls?”

“Her?”

“Yep.” He nodded.

“But how did she get my number or even my address?”

“Anjelica. She gave up everything to her. She set you up,” he said. As much as Kayla disliked her sister, she was still hurt by Anjelica's vindictiveness. “I'm sorry, dawg.”

“Not your fault,” Kayla said with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. Have you seen Day?”

“Yeah, she's out there with her father. Let me get her.” He winked at Kayla and left before she could stop him. She still had not told him about what she overheard on the phone and she didn't want to see Craig.

“Hey, Beautiful,” the deep voice said, and Kayla closed her eyes. As she opened them, she smiled. She saw Geno standing next to her bed, holding her beautiful daughter. “You ready to come home?” “Geno. Terrell told me Craig was out there.”

“Would you rather see him than me? 'Cause me and Day can leave.” He smiled as he walked over to her bed. Kayla pushed the button and the bed raised to a sitting position.

“Quit playing. Bring my baby here. Hi, sweetheart.” Kayla took Day into her arms and lay her across her chest, disregarding the pain she felt from her stitches. She kissed and nuzzled the infant against her cheeks.

“She missed you, Kay. How're you feeling?”

“All right. I still can't believe what happened. I hate Anjelica. I don't care if she is my sister. The sad part is that as much as I hate her, I would never do to her what she has done to me.” Kayla felt the tears as they ran down her cheek.

“It's okay, Kayla. Please don't cry, baby. This is as much my fault as it is hers. I should have been up front with Janice from the jump. I knew I was still in love with you and couldn't marry her.”

Kayla was still stunned by the fact that Janice tried to kill her.

“Then why did you buy her a ring, Geno?” Kayla looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

“I didn't buy her a ring, Kayla. She started talking about getting married after Thanksgiving and then began wearing her grandmother's wedding ring. I never even asked her to marry me. But I never told her I wasn't gonna marry her, either. I just let her think I would because I didn't want the confrontation.”

“You never proposed?” Kayla was secretly pleased.

She wanted to be the only one Geno ever asked to marry.

“I've only proposed to one woman, Kayla. The one I'm in love with.” He touched her forehead and she closed her eyes. She could smell his cologne and wanted to be in his arms again, but she knew this wasn't the time.

“Am I interrupting?”

Kayla opened her eyes and looked over in the doorway. Craig was sitting in a wheelchair.

“What do you want?” she asked him. After all she had been through, she still remembered overhearing his telephone conversation with Avis. He was the last person she wanted to see. Geno stood protectively by her side.

“They told me you were conscious. I had to make sure you were okay.” He proceeded to roll into her room.

“I'm fine. Geno, can you excuse us for a moment?”

“Sure thing, Kay. You want me to take Day?” he asked her, rubbing the baby's back. Craig did not look thrilled.

“No, she's fine. This'll only take a few moments.” Her eyes never left Craig. She was ready to set his lying ass straight. She was never one to be made a fool of.

“I'll be right outside.” He nodded.

“Kayla, I'm so glad you're okay, baby. I can't believe that nigga. His girl stabbed you and he got the nerve to be up in here, wit' my baby? He better be glad I'm in this wheelchair.” Craig rolled over to her bed and grabbed her hand. Kayla snatched it away quickly.

“Don't touch me!”

“What the hell is wrong wit' you, Kayla? Shit was all good between us, and now you trying to act brand new. What's wit' this change of attitude?” He frowned at her. This was not the way he thought this was gonna work out and she knew it.

“Where's your wife?”

“What? You know me and her ain't . . .”

“Don't lie to me. I am so sick and tired of your lying that I don't know what the hell to do. I heard you talking to her on the phone, Craig. I heard everything. Everything!” Kayla felt her voice getting louder as she talked. “You no good, dope dealing, cheating mothafucka. Well, you know what? You can go to hell and take your fat ass wife wit' you. I don't need you and neither does my daughter.”

“Hold up, Kayla. I was trying to keep her calm. I would say anything so she would leave us alone. Don't you see that? It wasn't you I was lying to, it was her.”

“I don't give a damn. Get the hell out! The next time I see you will be before a judge,” Kayla told him. He had a look of defeat on his face. The door was pushed open and Geno stuck his head in.

“Everything okay, Kayla?”

“I'm leaving, man. Just know that this ain't the last of this bullshit, Kayla. All I wanted was for us to be a family and to do right. But you so stuck under this mothafucka that you can't see that. It's all good, though. You do what you gotta do and I'ma do the same. Believe that.”

“You threatening me, Craig?” Kayla's nostrils flared in anger. Craig didn't answer her. He just touched Day's arm and wheeled himself out of the room. Kayla knew there was something to what he said, but she was determined to not let it bother her. Craig was so full of it, she didn't know when to take him seriously. She could only hope that this was one of those times he was just talking.

“So, now what?” Geno looked at her. Kayla really didn't have an answer for him. She knew she loved him, but could she really trust him? She looked down at her sleeping daughter and was grateful for her. She recalled what the spirit had told her the night she was stabbed.
Trust me
.

“Now we move forward,” she told him.

“Together?” he asked her, hopefully. To make sure she knew what he meant, he got on one knee next to her bedside. “I love you, Kayla. I love Day. I want us to be together.

“You begging?”

“Kayla,” he said threateningly.

“I'm just asking. Day and I want to know. Are you begging?”

“I'm begging,” he answered and kissed her fully. She looked down at her squirming daughter and saw that she was smiling.

It was a week before the wedding and Kayla was too excited to breathe. She had checked and double-checked everything. Things were going perfect, too perfect. That was what worried her. She and her bridesmaids were meeting at the boutique for their final fitting. As she pulled into the parking lot, she had the feeling that she had forgotten something.

“My shoes,” she said out loud. She quickly made a U-turn and headed out of the parking lot, stopping when she spotted Roni and Tia pulling into the lot. She pulled beside them, rolled down her window and told them, “I forgot my shoes.”

“I'm not surprised,” Roni said.

“I'll be right back. They're right by the door at home,” she said. “Hurry up. I gotta meet Theo later,” Tia warned. “I will.” Kayla sped down the street and made it home in a record ten minutes. She quickly hopped out of the car and went inside. She could hear Geno talking to someone on the phone and walked into the bedroom where he was. His back was to the door and he hadn't heard her come in.

“No, I'll tell her. It's okay. I know. We'll be there as soon as we can. Okay, good-bye.”

“Who was that?” she asked as she walked behind him and put her arms around his waist. He jumped because she had startled him.

“Damn, Kay. You scared me.” He looked at her and took her into his arms. She could tell something was not right by the look on his face.

“What's wrong?”

“Sit down, Kayla. I gotta tell you something.” He motioned for her to sit on the side of the bed, his eyes never leaving hers.

“What's wrong, Geno? Did you forget to take the check to the limo company? I told you to drop it off last week or they wouldn't be able to hold the limo. You know . . .”

“Kayla, that was your Aunt Lorrene.”

“What did she want? I know she ain't tryin' to bring a whole bunch of people to the wedding.” Kayla smiled, but Geno didn't smile back. She knew this was more serious than the limo or the guest list. “What's wrong, Geno?”

“Kayla, she called for your parents. Anjelica . . .”

“I don't want to hear about it. I don't give a damn who calls, she is not to come to my wedding. I never want to see or talk to her again. That's final.” Kayla went to get up but Geno stopped her.

“Kayla, that's not what she was calling about. Baby, Anjelica's dead.” His head fell and he looked down as he said the words. They sounded so final.

“What?” Kayla was confused. She began to gasp in small breaths as she tried to think. Maybe she didn't understand what Geno was saying. “What did you say?”

“Baby, Anjelica's dead. They found her body a few hours ago in her apartment.” Geno looked at Kayla. She had the strangest look that he had ever seen.

“No, she's not. This is just another one of her stunts she's pulling to get some attention. This is her way of spoiling my wedding next weekend,” she assured him. She tried to breathe, but could only gasp.

“Baby, she committed suicide. We need to get to your parents' house as soon as possible.”

“She's really dead?” Kayla asked. Geno only nodded. She began to shake her head and he pulled her to him. She buried her face into his chest and cried, “No!”

On the day they were supposed to wed, Kayla buried her sister. The church was filled to capacity for what was scheduled to be a momentous occasion, but was now one of tragedy. As she sat on the front pew beside her parents and her fiancé, Kayla looked at the ivory casket that stood where she was supposed to be standing to say “I do.” Her mind was filled with memories of growing up with Anjelica. Kayla tried to remember only the good times, but they were few and far between. After the choir sang and the minister gave a moving eulogy, the casket was reopened for the family and friends to give their last good-byes. People hugged Kayla and her family after they had their last viewing. Anjelica looked beautiful in a gold, Oriental style dress, holding a red rose.

Finally, it was time for Kayla to say good-bye. Slowly, she walked to her sister's casket, escorted by Geno. She leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cold cheek, whispering “I love you” as the tears streamed down her cheeks. As she took her seat, Craig came down the aisle, holding another rose. He walked up to the casket and placed the flower next to Anjelica's sleep-like body. After he paid his respects to Kayla's parents, he walked up to Geno and whispered loud enough so that Kayla could hear what he had to say.

“You ain't the only one that had both of them, Player!”