Chapter 22
Life sure did have a way with working itself out. Miki was happy, finally for the first time. At twenty-seven weeks pregnant, Miki had a glow that brightened any room she walked into. She was in love and ready to make things official with her true love, Blyss “Bebe” Blakemore. They recently discovered that they were having a baby boy. The first time she went for an ultrasound the baby was stubborn and didn’t want to reveal his sex. Shortly after, Miki was diagnosed with gestational diabetes; therefore, routine ultrasounds were necessary. It was on one of her ultrasound visits that they learned they were having a boy.
It was May, the Saturday before Memorial Day. Bebe’s house was noisy with laughter and chatter as the women busied themselves preparing for this wedding.
Ava was already in tears. “You look so pretty Miki.”
“Mama, will you get away from me,” Miki said playfully swatting at Ava. She was getting her hair and makeup done by Kat.
Kat said, “She’s gon be the most beautiful pregnant bride you’ve ever seen.”
“Really Kat? You had to slide the pregnant part in there,” Miki asked wryly.
“Well you are,” Kat said. Although she was now living in Atlanta, Kat couldn’t miss this special occasion for nothing. She was honored to be a part of the bridal party and the head hairdresser.
“Where are my shoes!” Kizzie hollered.
“All of the shoes are over there by the fireplace. Your name should be on them,” Maddie answered.
Joyce stood there watching Kat work her magic on Miki. “She is pretty. Just a’glowing.”
Miki smiled. Kennedi came into the living room where the women had transformed it into a beauty salon/dressing room. Kennedi’s Shirley Temple curls bounced as she walked. She wore a frown.
Deja asked, “What’s wrong with you Kennedi?”
“Where’s Téa? Téa not coming?” Kennedi asked.
“She’s on her way,” Miki said. “Her other granny got her. Somebody give me my phone because she should have been here.”
As Deja passed Miki her phone, it rung. Miki looked down at it and smiled. She answered, “What worrisome ass boy?”
“I know you ain’t calling me worrisome and I ain’t no boy,” Bebe said.
“You done called me like fifty times.”
“No, I haven’t. Maybe forty-nine, but not fifty.”
Miki laughed. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to hear your voice and talk to Mikina Monroe for the last time,” he said softly.
“Ahh! You do?”
“I love you, Miki.”
“I love you too.”
“You know I’m not even nervous. Are you?” he asked.
“I got jitters from excitement,” she said.
“You’re nervous,” Bebe said.
Miki could hear the rowdiness of the men in the background. “What y’all doing over there? Y’all sound like y’all still at the club.”
“You know how these niggas are,” he said. He asked, “So are you good?”
“I’m fine.”
“How’s my son?”
“He’s fine. He ain’t moving now but I bet during the ceremony he’s gonna be all over the place. You know how he is.”
“He gets active at the wrong damn times. Is Téa there yet?”
“Not yet. I was just about to call Mona when you called.”
“Why they tripping? Do I need to drive over there and get her?”
“No Bebe. You’re the last person that need to go over there. I got it. She’ll be here,” Miki said.
“Well go ahead and take care of that.”
“Okay Elmo,” Miki teased.
Bebe laughed, “Don’t be calling me that shit.”
“Tickle me Elmo.”
“Bye man. I love you.”
“Bye. Love you too,” Miki laughed as she ended the call. She immediately dialed Mona’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey Mona. I was just calling—”
Mona cut her off. “She’s on her way.”
“Okay,” Miki said a bit insulted by Mona’s rudeness. The call was ended.
“What?” Ava asked.
“She talking snappy,” Miki said.
“She still bitter?” Maddie asked.
“She’s always been bitter, but I thought she put it aside for the sake of Téa,” Miki said. “She’s the only reason I even let Téa go over there. Everybody else can kiss my ass.”
Miki’s phone rang again. This time it was from an unknown number. Miki answered cautiously, “Hello?”
“Don’t hang up,” Redd said. “I just wanna talk to you.”
Miki didn’t say anything because she didn’t want to alarm everybody around her. Redd wasn’t supposed to be nowhere around her or even calling her. For three months he had been obeying the rules of the order of protection. Miki hadn’t heard a peep out of him. They were still in the process of going to court for his charges, but he hired a good lawyer and had been pushing the court dates off prolonging Redd’s freedom.
Redd said, “I know what today is and I just wanted to congratulate you. I ain’t tryna come at you in the wrong way or nothing. I’ve been away from you like I’m supposed to be. I got Téa and I’m bringing her to you. When I pull up can you come out and get her. I don’t want your family tripping and shit tryna call the police.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll call you when I’m there,” he said.
“Okay,” was all she could say. The call ended.
“Who was that?” Maddie asked.
“Mona calling me back,” Miki lied.
Minutes later Redd texted her: I’m outside.
Miki got up and said, “I’m getting Téa.” The ladies continued to get dressed and made up.
Miki went outside, and spotted Redd’s SUV pulled up along the yard of the neighbor’s house. She went to the passenger side door. She heard the door unlock. He let the window down a little to say, “Get in real quick.”
Against her better judgment she did. She thought, what could it hurt. Redd seemed to have gotten the picture and had moved on.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey Mommy,” Téa said from the backseat.
“Hey. You need to get in the house and get prettied up.”
“Wait,” Redd said. He looked intensely into Miki’s eyes. “I just want to apologize to you for everything I done in the past.”
Miki gave him a nod of acknowledgment. She was hearing his words.
“You know I sit and I think about how things coulda been different.”
Miki said, “I used to tell you that all the time Redd.”
“Miki, you knew I had issues. All I wanted was for you to be there for me and love me. Instead you was busy loving and fucking on another nigga.”
“I was there for you. I took your abuse for years. Way before I met Bebe.”
“You wasn’t thinking about leaving me until that nigga came into the picture.”
“Redd, you were mistreating me. I shoulda left sooner than what I did. I need to go because we shouldn’t even be talking to one another.”
Redd locked the doors. Miki began to panic. Was this nigga going to kidnap her on her wedding day? “What are you doing?”
Redd’s expression changed to one mixed with despair, anger and hurt. “I can’t let you marry him.”
“Stop Redd!” Miki hollered and unlocked the door. He locked it back before she could reach for the handle.
He said, “Téa is still in the car. You get out, I pull off with her.”
“I’ll call the police,” Miki threatened. “I tried to trust you, Redd. I coulda called the police when you first called. But I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“You were always stupid and fell for my shit,” he sneered.
Miki grew angry; more so with herself than with him. “Redd don’t do this. Please.”
“That nigga ain’t’ getting you or my daughter. Fuck that. And how you know that’s not my baby you’re carrying?”
“Cause it’s not,” she snapped. “C’mon Téa.”
Next thing Miki knew there was a gun in Redd’s hand and he was waving it as he spoke, “You know…I figure by the time this court shit over with I’ma be doing a lot of time. I ain’t tryna go back to prison, Miki. And I’ve told your bitch ass that over and mothafuckin over. I wasn’t going back. And I meant it. And I meant what I said by I ain’t letting him have you and Téa. I’ll kill us all before I do that.”
Miki was frozen with fear. Why did she come out to the car? Why had she been so foolish?
“Where your man at now?” Redd asked pointing the gun in her face and pulling the hammer back.
“Redd,” she said nervously. She began to shake as she prayed to herself hoping someone would notice she had been gone too long.
“Don’t call my name now. You did this. You!”
“I didn’t do nothing!”
“Who the fuck you yelling at?”
She leaned against the door to be as far away from him as possible. She looked back at Téa who was trying not to make a noise but was crying. “You scaring Téa.”
Redd started speaking real low, whispering under his breath. Miki couldn’t’ make out what he was saying.
“Redd?”
If Miki could tell anyone, what Redd did next was the most horrific thing she could ever witness. She felt helpless and in that moment, she wanted to die when he turned the gun on Téa and shot her. Miki witnessed the life leave her daughter’s body instantly.
Redd turned to a screaming Miki and shot her twice; one in the chest and one in the stomach. He then took his own life.
“What’s that?” Maddie asked fearfully. “That was close. Where’s Miki?”
They all looked at one another then bolted for the front door. When they got in the yard they didn’t see any signs of Miki. Kizzie said, “Ain’t that Redd’s truck?”
“Oh my God!” Ava screamed. “Go see if Miki is in there.”
Maddie and Kizzie both ran over to the SUV and started beating on the tinted windows and tried to open the door. “Miki!”
Maddie went around to the driver’s side to try the doors. Kizzie and Kat both let out a blood-curdling scream as the passenger door opened and Miki fell out with two open wounds spurting out blood. Before she hit the ground, Kat caught her. Miki was trying to say something, but her lungs were filling quickly with her own blood. Nothing but gurgles came out. She managed to say in her last breath, “Bebe…”
_________
Kat couldn’t believe this day had come. It was like a bad dream had become reality. Just when the clouds had rolled back, and the sun was smiling down on her best friend, the storm returned. In the worst way.
If Kat had known that Miki was going to meet Redd, her daughter’s father that afternoon, Kat would have accompanied Miki. But Miki didn’t alert anybody that she felt worried. Knowing Miki, she wanted to keep the peace. She wouldn’t want the day disrupted by Redd’s antics. She especially didn’t want to upset her husband to be, Blyss “Bebe” Blakemore.
It was stupid Miki, Kat thought as she blinked out tears. They blurred her vision but the two coffins, the larger one holding Miki while the smaller one contained her five-year-old daughter Téa, stuck out boldly forever embedding an image in Kat’s mind: they were gone. Greater Victory Baptist Church was filled with family and friends mourning the loss of two beautiful beings. Their deaths came as a shock to many. Miki had moved on. She no longer lived under Redd’s hold, a hold that had choked the life out of Miki for years. Miki suffered physical, mental, verbal, and emotional abuse from Redd ever since she was eighteen. She had finally met a man that gave her enough courage to walk away from Redd.
There was no questioning that the love between Miki and Bebe was real. It had been a quick connect but Bebe didn’t want to waste any time. The two started a love affair that grew into an undeniable unbreakable love for one another. That was why after nine months of meeting the two were making it official. Bebe was making Miki, Mrs. Blyss Blakemore.
Redd was still harboring evilness, hatred, jealousy, hurt, and pain. He wasn’t allowing Miki to escape his grasp that easy. And he definitely wasn’t letting Bebe just walk away with his woman despite the fact Miki had walked away from him four months ago.
Everyone speculated that when Miki called Mona, Redd’s mother about getting Téa over to the house so she could get ready for the wedding that was taking place that day, that Redd had already devised his plan. Miki had been at her new home she shared with Bebe getting ready with the other ladies in the bridal party. Bebe had been at Maddie’s house with all of the men. Instead of Mona bringing Téa to Miki, Redd had been the one to bring Téa. He asked Miki if she could come out to the car to get Téa.
Miki was still dressed in a white t-shirt and cargo capris. The roller-set curls in her hair were still intact. She wore pink flip flops on her freshly manicured feet. She was glowing and genuinely happy. Redd’s presence didn’t even bother her like he had in the past. When Miki didn’t return right away, Kat thought it was odd but didn’t think to act on it. Minutes later the gunshots rang out: POW! POW! POW! ...POW!
The first shot ended Téa’s life instantly as it tore through her small torso. Miki’s scream had been horrific and bone-chilling. So shocked and confused, she wasn’t thinking about her life being in danger too. The second shot went straight into her stomach ending the life that was thriving there. Redd put the third round in her heart. Redd screamed something inaudible before taking his own life.
Kat along with everyone else was concerned about Bebe. The whole thing had hit him the hardest. Kat had never seen a grown man break down the way he did. Bebe, who was always so vocal and tough and quick-tempered had been reduced to helplessness and in a pitiful emotional state. He wasn’t talking, eating, or leaving out of his bedroom. He laid in bed every day all day not responding to anybody. He clutched a photo of Téa with Kennedi, his daughter and Téa’s best friend and he held onto a picture of Miki and him. In the photo Bebe hugged Miki from behind, his hands palming her protruding belly. Miki had been seven months pregnant with Bebe’s child when Redd killed her. Redd knew exactly what he was doing when he made sure her womb was penetrated with a bullet.
Everyone said Bebe would probably never be the same. It was the saddest thing. A man who was once full of life with enough fight in him to take on an army was stricken with grief and despair. He felt defeated. Lately living didn’t interest Bebe. Not even for his two kids, BJ and Kennedi.
Bebe hadn’t attended visitation and no one was sure if he would actually attend the memorial service and burial. He and both his children were absent the first hour of service. Pastor Marc Thomas was in the middle of a soul touching spirit moving sermon when Bebe finally showed up. He nor BJ and Kennedi were appropriately dressed for a funeral. All three were in very casual, very ruffled lounging attire like they had just got out of bed. Kennedi wore the saddest, longest face for her usually bright heart-shaped face. Her black hair was disheveled about her head in a messy ponytail. She held Téa’s favorite Dora doll and Téa’s favorite sequined Hello Kitty purse.
The church eased into a quietness as everyone watched the trio make their way towards the altar where the two caskets sat. Even Pastor Thomas let his voice trail off. The choir and organist filled the emptiness with very soft singing and a tune.
Bebe picked Kennedi up into his arms. They went to Téa first. Kennedi placed the doll and purse inside the coffin with the sleeping Téa. She cried to her daddy, “When her wake up her can have Dora since my can’t be there.”
Anybody that was close enough to hear was overwhelmed with emotions and unable to hold back. Kat cried even harder when Bebe went to Miki and placed the three-carat diamond bridal set his best man Dinky was holding for him just six days before on Miki’s chest. The ring that would have been placed on Miki’s left ring finger sealing the deal, making his and Miki’s love official.
It was clear Bebe had been crying already. His mother, Joyce was already on alert and was moving when Bebe noticed the small decorative ceramic box placed just so in the coffin with Miki. Bebe’s cousins, Abe and Dinky, were right there to assist Joyce when Bebe lost it. In the box were the cremated remains of his child that he would never get to meet or raise. There had been question about the paternity of the baby boy Miki was carrying. It wasn’t a one hundred percent firm belief that Bebe was indeed the father. There was a slight possibility that Redd could have been the father, but Bebe didn’t care one way or the other. Even if it had been Redd’s child, Bebe was going to give the child his name. But because the baby died, Bebe would never know for sure if the baby was his true offspring.
Bebe was so angry with Miki. He didn’t think if he could ever forgive her for doing something so stupid. Why? He asked over and over in his head. She was so gullible, so naïve and just wanted to believe the best in people.
This was the most hurt and grief Bebe had ever felt. He didn’t even feel this way when his father died. Miki had been the one. He had been in love and it felt good. He was hurt and heartbroken. He didn’t think it was even possible to love again. Just like that, she was gone. Her, Téa and his son.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows
--2 Corinthians 1:3-5