Nobody's Son (10 page)

“Be careful, she's pregnant,” Reggie said. For a moment, Jenise began to believe that he really did care about her and the baby.

To this day, Jenise had never told her family the real truth even though the fall resulted in the miscarriage of her unborn child. Instead, she had accepted Reggie's apology and allowed everyone to believe that it was just an awful accident. She'd also lost two other pregnancies as a result of savage beatings from him. Not even Reggie had been aware of her condition, and she vowed never to breathe a word of it. When she became pregnant with Aaliyah, she knew that she had to do everything in her power to protect her baby. Reggie still hit her at least once a month, but she made sure to always protect her stomach and take the blows to her face. Unfortunately, the consequences of that strategy meant that first Ellen, and then her parents, soon discovered the abuse as she could not hide the black eyes, busted lips, or swollen cheeks. They begged and pleaded with her to leave, but Jenise refused.

That same year, Reggie's father had passed away from colon cancer and another minister had taken over at his church. Not only did Reggie lose his job as musical director, but Jenise had also lost the one person who actually seemed to be able to reason with her husband. Reggie refused to take what he deemed to be a lowly regular job, and instead, concentrated solely on his music, while Jenise struggled to make ends meet. As a result, they'd had to move out of the apartment his father had leased for them and move to the projects at Sand Poole Manor.

As Jenise held her sister in her arms that afternoon while she sobbed in the middle of the caterer's dining room, she reasoned that no relationship was perfect. Everyone had their problems and with God's love and a lot of prayer, she believed that she could work through the problems in her marriage.

Reggie continued to rant and rave, and she retreated to her secret place as she recited Psalm 91:1–2 from the New Living Translation over and over in her head trying to drown him out. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”

 

Reggie quickly grew tired of ranting and was even more enraged by Jenise obviously ignoring him. He slapped her violently across her face with his open palm several times.

Jenise heard a bloodcurdling scream as she crumpled onto the floor, but she knew it had not come from her.

“Mommy, Mommy are you all right?” Aaliyah cried.

All of Hollywood, the city of Atlanta, and even the entire country had been enthralled by the story of the sudden and unlikely disappearance of Wayne James. He was one of the most beloved and respected men in the entertainment industry. He'd won three Emmy awards for best actor and another two Emmys for best writer for his television show. During his summer hiatus from his show, he'd appeared on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for best actor. He'd also produced, directed, and starred in three movies. He was an author, entertainer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. In his small hometown of Lawrenceville, N.C., there was an elementary and high school as well as a bridge and a highway that bore the name of their most successful resident. Prior to becoming an actor, he'd attended college and received his bachelor's degree and while filming his successful sitcom, he'd earned a master's and a doctorate degree from UCLA that wasn't honorary. Even with his busy career, he'd taken the classes, written the papers, and actually earned his degree in psychology. He was father to five boys that he'd adopted and raised as his own. Unlike those celebrities who adopted children from foreign nations, Wayne got each of his sons from adoption agencies within the United States as he felt it was his duty to take care of those at home first. He was well respected and loved by his peers and especially his fans. For that reason, no one could understand or fathom the reason that he'd been abducted.

Immediately following his abduction, the police waited with bated breath to receive a letter or phone call from the kidnappers with ransom demands, but none came. He'd been missing for over a week, and the police had only one clue. A fourteen-year-old boy who'd been walking his dog through the condo complex on the evening Wayne went missing had noticed a strange white utility van in the area. It caught his attention because he'd never seen it in the area before or since. He'd first noticed it when he came outside with his dog, and it almost ran over him as it sped out of the parking lot a few moments later.

The police had not been able to locate the van or its driver and without the motive of ransom, many were beginning to lose hope that Wayne would be found alive.

The gossip magazines, tabloid newspapers, and scandalous Web sites were going hog wild with any and every fake story they could find. The
National Enquirer
had bought a photograph that they claimed was taken the night of the abduction that showed Wayne being taken away by a group of terrorists. A fake terrorist group had even taken credit for the abduction. Police analysis soon proved that it had been photo shopped by someone seeking to exploit the crime for profit.

The Web site GMZ ran a story told to them by a person who professed to be an unknown insider that had proof that Wayne had been abducted by aliens from outer space. The insider claimed that Wayne's success was due to a vow he'd made with the aliens to extract mind control over human beings and thus guarantee his spot as a rich and powerful celebrity. However, Wayne had double-crossed the aliens, and they'd come back and snatched him to repay the debt.

One of the rumors running through the projects of Sand Poole Manor and heavily circulated by Gwen was that Wayne had gone into hiding because of personal reasons. Although she had not spoken with him since their lunch at Justin's restaurant, she believed that he had been deeply affected by bringing up the memories of his past. Therefore, she reasoned that he needed some time away from the spotlight, and he'd simply flown to an island somewhere to relax. She was not the least bit consumed with the other rumors and truly believed that he'd be back soon.

“Are you out of your mind?” Rip asked Semaj.

The two of them were standing in the living room of Semaj's apartment, and he'd just informed him that he was scheduled to be a featured guest on Kandyss Kline's talk show. Distraught over her missing friend, Wayne James, Kandyss had decided to dedicate an entire hour of her show to the story. She'd invited several celebrity guests to appear and sing tribute songs. She'd also invited the special police investigator who was in charge of the search to be a guest in the hopes that a viewer would be able to assist in the investigation. Wayne's sons were also scheduled to appear to make an impassioned plea for their father's safe return. Lastly, she'd invited Semaj Matthews, the man whom the city of Atlanta depended on to help find missing persons. He'd been instrumental in reuniting dozens of families with their missing loved ones, and Kandyss felt he was the perfect person to find Wayne.

“No, I'm not out of my mind,” he responded. “I couldn't say no to her. I've never turned down anyone who asked me to find their loved one. How could I refuse?”

“You open your mouth, and you say no. This is the definition of conflict of interests. Tell her that you are too busy because you're in the middle of planning your wedding, and you just can't do it.”

Semaj sighed and stared at the floor. “Ellen called the wedding off,” he whispered.

“What? When did this happen?”

“She told me a few days ago that she was having doubts and that she just couldn't go through with it. I don't know for sure, but I think she was hoping I'd reassure her, but I just couldn't do it. My mind is in a whole other place right now.”

Rip swung his fist at the air in frustration. “This is all my fault, man. That girl is your queen. She's your soul mate. I can't believe I messed it up by kidnapping that jerk.”

“Don't blame yourself. You may have put the train in motion, but I've been the engineer for the past week. Ellen didn't believe in me anymore since I've messed up my life so terribly.”

“What are you talking about? Your life was fine until I screwed up and got you involved in my crime. That's the last straw. I'm going to leave the door unlocked and make sure Wayne can find his way out of the warehouse tonight.”

Semaj grabbed Rip by his arm as he turned to walk away. “No, you are not going to do any such thing. I suffered through the loneliness that man caused me for thirty-six years. It certainly won't kill him if he has to feel that way for a few days.”

Remorse consumed Rip as he stared at his cousin, not recognizing the man that he'd become. As long as he could remember, he and Semaj had been like peanut butter and jelly. Rip considered himself to be peanut butter. He was dark. Depending on his mood he could be smooth or crunchy, and he always seemed to find himself in a sticky situation. Semaj was just like jelly. No matter the flavor, the day, or the time, he was always delicious and sweet.

Throughout their lives if there was a choice to be made, Rip always chose to do the wrong thing, while Semaj never hesitated to do the right thing. In school, Semaj made As and Bs while Rip struggled to keep a C average. At the home he shared with his aunt, Rip's bedroom was a pullout couch in the living room with flat pillows. Since he had little privacy he rarely bothered to tidy it up. In contrast, Semaj had a large bedroom with bunk beds that his grandparents had put in so that he could invite Rip over to stay whenever he wanted. On lazy Saturday mornings when Rip wanted to head down to the creek and go fishing or fly kites in the field behind their house, Semaj, who was the responsible one, wouldn't leave until he'd cleaned his room and completed all of the chores that his grandmother assigned him. After that, he'd put in at least an hour helping his grandfather out at the barbershop and only then would he agree to goof off and be a regular kid with Rip. His goody-two-shoes behavior did not bother Rip at all. In fact, he greatly admired it. He'd often wished that he could be more like Semaj, but also felt that the cards had been dealt differently for him.

The two of them shared a bond in that neither grew up with a father in their home. Rip always envied Semaj, however, because while Rip was raised by his aunt with no male role models to look up to, Semaj had the benefit of his grandfather who was a wonderful man and a pillar of the community.

Alvin Matthews was known as Pop Al to everyone in Andrus. He was the owner and proprietor of the local barbershop after having earned his barber's license while in the army. His barbershop had four chairs, and all of the other barbers paid rent directly to him. Beginning when he was ten years old up until he was seventeen, Pop Al gave Semaj a job at the barbershop sweeping up hair after school and on Saturdays. While he cut hair and Semaj swept, he gave his grandson the benefit of his years of wisdom. Pop Al taught Semaj the value of hard work, the importance of an education, and how to treat girls and women with respect. Most importantly, he taught him to always read his Bible, trust in God, and to pray.

The first week that he was in the juvenile detention home after stealing from the store, Rip received a visit from Semaj and Pop Al. Even though they all knew Rip's actions were wrong, Pop Al taught Semaj not to turn his back on his friends, and more significantly, his family. He received regular visits from the two of them up until Pop Al passed away.

During his junior year in high school, when he was sixteen, Pop Al taught Semaj how to drive and helped him to obtain his driver's license. That summer, he presented Semaj with his first car. It was an old, used Chevy with no backseat, but it set Semaj apart from his peers as he was one of only a few teens in their small town that had their own car.

The only contact Rip had with his father was through letters he sent him weekly from the state prison. In Rip's opinion, he couldn't teach him how to be a man because he didn't know himself. He'd met Rip's mother while stationed in Japan as a member of the air force. They eloped three weeks after meeting and returned to the States. Rip was born at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida and before he was a year old his father had been transferred to Lakeland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He came home drunk one night and noticed Rip's mother on the phone speaking in Japanese. Believing she was doing so in order to hide a relationship with another man, he overreacted, took out his pistol, and shot her twice in the face. During his trial, he broke down and cried when it was revealed that the man on the other end of the phone was her grandfather who did not speak any English. He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

His weekly letters to Rip were filled with remorse and regret, and Rip truly appreciated the effort. Yet no matter what, he could not and would not ever forgive him for taking his mother's life. Rip was living in Sand Poole Manor at the height of his drug game when he received word that his father had been stabbed and killed in prison by another inmate. In order to prevent him from being buried in a field reserved for prisoners with no family, Rip paid for his body to be cremated and shipped to Atlanta. He didn't bother with a funeral or even a memorial service. Instead, Rip had him buried in a local cemetery and paid for a modest headstone. Every Father's Day, he stopped by and left a single red rose.

Once during a visit from Semaj and Pop Al to the detention facility, Rip wanted to show his appreciation for their regular visits. Although the guards sometimes ate the majority of the contents, he also appreciated the cookies that Semaj's grandmother Nettie sent him every month. While sitting in the visitors' lounge and munching on a chocolate chip, Rip remarked to Semaj that he thought Pop Al was the best father any boy could ever have.

“He's not my father. He's my
grand
father,” Semaj corrected him.

Pop Al's face washed over with a sudden sadness, and Rip could tell that he was hurt by the comment. He'd treated Semaj like his own son for his entire life, and Rip could not believe he wasn't eternally grateful. Rip was sitting in a detention home and had no mother, an incarcerated father, and only a poor aunt to call family. Semaj had his wonderful grandparents, a room of his own, a closet full of clothes that included the latest Jordan sneakers and jeans that were actually still in style. He had a car, he had money that his grandparents put into his pocket, and in Rip's opinion, he had a great life.

Still feeling Semaj's tight grip on his arm, Rip realized that he didn't understand it then, and he certainly didn't understand it now. Standing before him was a man with a truly successful life. He had a great career in journalism. He owned his condo as well as the property his grandparents had left him when they passed away. He had a beautiful, smart fiancée who loved him dearly. Even with all of that, Rip knew that Semaj was still missing something. It wasn't material, and it wasn't physical, but emotionally, he was missing something that only a father could provide.

“All right, I won't let him out, but we can't hold the man indefinitely,” he said. He pulled his arm from Semaj's grasp.

“I don't plan to. I should have the DNA results back by tomorrow.”

Earlier that week, Semaj had asked Rip to find a way to get a swab of Wayne James in order to do a DNA test. The task had been fairly easy. Since he'd been held captive Rip returned to the warehouse each night and gave Wayne food and water. In order to protect his identity, he always went under the cover of darkness, and he never let Wayne see his face. That particular evening he told Wayne to open his mouth. Wayne complied, believing that Rip was about to pour water into it as he'd done the previous nights. Instead, he stuck the swab in and collected a DNA sample. He took the sample to Semaj, and he'd mailed it off for the results. In order to rush things along, he'd paid for overnight shipping, but he'd received an e-mail advising him that there was a delay due to a backlog and the results were due to arrive the next day.

Although every fiber of his being told him that Wayne James was his father, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he was wrong. Doubt had crept in, and he began to wonder why Wayne had so adamantly denied it during their meeting. He also wondered why Wayne had told Gwen that his son died in that fire so he'd tried to find the newspaper article that she claimed to have seen. Because it had been so many years before he couldn't find anything listed on the Internet. He'd considered flying to Chicago to check the microfilm office of the newspaper, but he couldn't get away from work and he really wanted to be a part of the show being done by Kandyss Kline. The DNA results would be definitive proof, but Semaj also wanted a chance to obtain access to everything the police had regarding Wayne's disappearance. He wanted to meet Wayne's adopted sons and hear about the real father that they knew at home. Everything in him needed to hear them talk about the father they loved that he'd been denied.