Love To Luv (19 page)

TEDDY

No. I am lost.

MONIQUE

Maybe it was just some
hoodrats
trying to have fun.

JACOB

Maybe so but this is costing me.

TEDDY

Pop I will pay for it.

JACOB

No. The insurance should cover it. Whatever they don’t I will. You two have to save for your baby. Look, take my truck to work. I will drive your car and get some estimates to replace the windows. Then I will take it home and park it.

TEDDY

Ok. Thanks.

Monique and Teddy both drove off to work. As I was getting in Teddy’s car my cell phone rang.

JACOB

Hello.

VOICE OF THE PHONE

Replace the windows. We have something else planned.

Then there was silence. This puzzled me. I looked at my call log to identify the number but it said “unknown”. Now I was really starting to get pissed. Who would be behind this and why?

             
I called Dennis at his office to inform him of what had happened. He asked if we called the police. I told him yes. I explain to him that I was going to get estimates for the insurance company and afterward I was going home. He told me that he would bring over some food this evening so that no one would have to cook.

             
Dennis was very kind hearted. Always putting others first. That was a quality that I loved about him.

_____________

             
Later the evening Dennis arrived with some Japanese cuisines. He went directly in the kitchen and got plates out of the cabinets and started preparing them for us.

             
As we sat down, we gave thanks to God for the blessing that he had giving us. Thanking Him for not letting things
be
worse than what they were.

             
We talked about the estimates from the three different companies. Dennis raced to his briefcase that was in the corner and pulled out a copy of the police report. I was glad that he had time to pick it up because I completely forgot.

             
As I listen to Dennis talk and ask Teddy different questions I could not help but stare at him. Dennis was a very attractive man. I love how he used his hands to talk. His demeanor was very bold, so assure of himself. I was lost in my thoughts that I stuck myself in the jaw with the folk. I could not help but to let out a loud yelp. Monique started to laugh because she saw the whole thing.

             
After dinner we all retired to the living room. Dennis suggested that we play the
Wii
Tennis game. It was going to be Teddy and Monique verses Dennis and me. I loved playing this game along with the bowling. Dennis and I actually played tennis from time to time so I knew that we could beat my daughter and son-in-law.

             
Aretha went back to New Orleans alone. She didn’t tell anyone that she was going. She wanted to spend some time in condo to meditate. She entered the condo with grace. When she turned the lights on she noticed that some things had been rearranged. She knew no one could have gotten in because she changed the locks.

             
She pulled her gun out of her purse and walked into the condo as if she was an agent from CSI. In the kitchen there was no sign of any disturbance. She checked the hall bathroom – nothing.
The bedrooms – nothing.
When she entered the master bedroom there was a mess. The mattress was flipped off of the bed. The drawers were open. It was a complete mess. Why would someone just destroy that room and leave the rest of the house alone.

             
Aretha wondered if they were looking for the pictures that she found. If so, then she had an idea of who it might have been. She pulled the pictures out of her purse to look at them again. She wanted to get angry but she couldn’t. That was not the motive of this trip. Aretha took the time to get the room back in order.

             
Once she was finished she took a hot steamy shower. She washed her hair while in there. When she got out of the shower she pulled a L.K. Bennett dress out of her garment bag. She reached and got a pair of
midheel
pumps. Aretha wanted to make sure she looked like the millions that she just inherited.

             
Aretha first stop was the House of Blues to see Tank, Eric Benet,
Rahsaan
Patterson, and
Montell
Jordan. When she walked in she caught the attention of several men. Aretha sat down at her table and order a Sour Apple Martini.

             
It was ten minutes before the show was to start a gentleman walked over to her.

GENTLEMAN

Excuse me, are you here alone?

ARETHA

No I am not. I am here with some friends.

GENTLEMAN (as he reached out to shake her hand)

I’m Tony.

ARETHA

Nice to meet you Tony.

TONY

And your name?

ARETHA

I just met you.

TONY

Oh well you are right.

ARETHA

But it is Aretha.

TONY

That is beautiful. Do you have a voice like “The Queen of Soul”?

ARETHA

No not even close.

TONY

Wow…I thought I was going to get a chance to hear you sing.

ARETHA (blushing)

Are you here alone or with someone?

TONY

Alone.
I came to enjoy this show.

ARETHA

So did
I
. Have a seat.

TONY

Thank you. What about your friends
that are
with you?

ARETHA

They are sitting in the corner with some of their friends.

Aretha turned to look for anyone that she could wave at that she thought may wave back. She spotted a table with two women and two men that look like gym rats. Aretha took this opportunity to wave praying that they would go with her plan. As if on point they waved back.
“Thank you Jesus”
she thought.

             
Aretha continued her conversation with Tony. It wasn’t long that the lights went low. First on stage was
Montell
Jordan, followed by Tank,
Rahsaan
Patterson and Eric Benet closed the show.

             
Tony asked Aretha what were her plans. She told him she wanted to go dancing. He knew of a place that she would enjoy. Aretha suggested that she would follow him to this venue.

             
Aretha checked her makeup before exiting her car. She gave her hair a flip and herself a wink. She stepped out of the car to join Tony at the door. Tony took her by the hand and escorted her in. It was a very upscale club that played a mixture of R&B, Blues, and Pop.

__________________

             
3:00 in the morning Aretha told Tony that she was about to head home. He walked her out to her car and asked her if she wanted him to follow her to make sure that she arrived safely. She told him that she would be fine.

TONY

I have enjoyed this evening Ms. Aretha. I didn’t expect for my night to go this great.

ARETHA
I would have to agree.

TONY

Do you mind if we exchange contact information?

ARETHA (a little hesitant)

I want to hold off on giving you my number but I will give you my email address.

TONY

That’s cool.

They each wrote down their information and passed it to the other. Tony gave her a small kiss on the cheek. He opened the door of her car as she got in. Aretha gave him a wave and closed her door.

             
She was happy about the night as she drove home. She wondered if this could possibly be the beginning of something new. As Aretha was turning into the parking area her phone rang. She quickly answered it with a smile.

ARETHA

Hello.

VOICE OF THE PHONE

You may have heard some good singing and danced the night away but the fun is just beginning.

Then there was silence on the phone. Aretha was shocked by what she just heard. “
What in the hell is this?”
she thought.

             
I decided that I would drive Monique and Teddy to her doctor’s appointment. Monique was fond of the idea because she wanted me to see the baby.

We opted to have a
4D ultrasound
so that we could take
images from a few different angles, which reveal m
ore detailed images of the baby
, such as
facial
features. It can also capture movements made by the baby during the procedure.

The doctor told Monique that everything was looking great. She was at twenty-five weeks and the baby was approximately twelve inches long weighing about two pounds.

She was holding Teddy’s hand. I could see the look in their eyes that they were proud. I was excited about seeing my first grandbaby. The doctor asked them if they wanted to know what the gender of the baby
was,
they declined at the same time. Personally I wanted to know but it wasn’t my choice.

The doctor explained to them about the delivery options. Monique said that she wanted to have natural child birth. Teddy and I looked at her with confusion on our face.

MONIQUE

I read that with n
atural birth a woman is more intimate with her body and soul and feeling the birth of her baby will forever change her sense of self and importance in her life. Being medicated I would not be able to feel the contraction and might have difficulty pushing and be forced into a cesarean. I want my baby born free of drugs, more awake and have better muscle tone in the hours following its birth. It will also suckle at the breast quicker because it will be alert and not groggy and confused from the medication.
DOCTOR

Someone has been reading.

MONIQUE

Yes ma’am. So that is why I want natural childbirth.

DOCTOR

Ok. Do you have any more questions for me?

MONIQUE

No, I don’t. What about you Teddy?

TEDDY

I am good.

DOCTOR

Ok, well you are good to go. You can get dressed and the nurse will bring you your papers.

MONIQUE & TEDDY

Thank you.

The doctor gave them a handshake and a smile as she left the room. I told Monique and Teddy that I was going out also so that she could get dressed. It was amazing seeing the baby on the ultrasound. The movements, the heartbeats, the face, it was impressive.

             
I was pacing the hallway when my phone buzzed. I saw that it was Aunt Aretha calling.

JACOB

Hello.

ARETHA

Hey what are you up to?

JACOB

At the doctor with Monique and Teddy.
She had an appointment today.

ARETHA

Everything ok?

JACOB

Yes ma’am. Everything is on schedule. What are you doing?

ARETHA

I came down to New Orleans to finish packing Edgar’s things. I don’t think that I am going to have that sell. I think that I am just going to give them to the Salvation Army.

JACOB

That sounds like a good idea. What made you change your mind?

ARETHA

I don’t feel like being bothered with a garage sale.
Negotiating prices with people, packing this shit up and unpacking.
No I will just give it away.

JACOB

Ok.

ARETHA

Papadopoulos, I got a strange call this morning. It was a deep unknown voice that told me that the fun was about to begin.

JACOB

What?