Deja Vu

“I like the way you’re thinking.”

“I’m going to turn my life completely around. You’ll see. I need to go to Atlanta and see Mom and Dad, and I want you to go with me. While we’re there, maybe we can catch up with your brother, the good pastor.”

“He’d love to see you.”

“Let’s do it. So, what’s the real reason you don’t want to go to church today?”

Margo’s eyes widened. “What do you mean, the real reason? Do I have to play back all we’ve been through the past couple of days or the last twenty-four hours, to be more specific?”

“Okay, sweetie. I wasn’t trying to excite you. The thought had occurred to me that you might be trying to avoid Malik. I haven’t forgotten the little scene you both caused last night. Forget I said anything; I’m going to turn on the television.”

Margo lay back down and turned away from Jefferson. He watched her, sure she was keeping something from him. In due season, it would manifest itself. In fact, it was time to have a word with Malik because he was back, and whatever was going on between Malik and Margo was about to be loosed. As Malik’s last words were coming to him, the weekend anchor team of Good Morning America was running their story.

We have a breaking story coming to you straight from the pages of Hollywood. Yesterday, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the FBI brought down one of the most dangerous and sought after criminals in their files. Robert Santiago, a mob boss, was killed, as were a couple of his associates, as he attempted to have an old girlfriend assassinated at the funeral repast of her ex-husband, former police officer Hamilton Barnes. Hamilton Barnes, a former member of Santiago’s operation, was serving a life sentence in Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, for murder in the deaths of Blake Montgomery and Marsha Wilson.

This story began five years ago in Fayetteville, North Carolina, when Operation Stingray, headed up by Robert Santiago, blew apart at the seams. Operation Stingray was a cover for a large theft ring that purchased stolen weapons from Fort Bragg and sold them to a rebel group in Honduras-the birthplace of Mr. Santiago.

Mr. Jefferson Myles, a Fayetteville businessman who was also a part of Operation Stingray, was convicted of embezzling funds from his corporation, Myles and Associates, and using the money to purchase the weapons. All went haywire when Jefferson Myles and Hamilton Barnes were gunned down by Robert Santiago because of internal problems. Both Myles and Barnes survived their ordeals, however, and stood trial for each of their separate indictments, eventually going to prison. Robert Santiago was not caught and eluded police for five years.

We have learned that Santiago is also responsible for Hamilton Barnes’ death a week ago while Barnes was a prisoner in Central Prison. He is also responsible for the death of a prominent photographer here in New York, Donna Barnes Reardon, the cousin of Hamilton Barnes. It has been a month since Ms. Barnes Reardon’s death, with no arrests made. Such a bizarre turn of events, and it is still not known what the motive was for the murders. One can make a number of speculations.

And, to add a twist to the bizarre tale, the ex-wife of Hamilton Barnes, Angelica Barnes, had moved to New York before Ms. Barnes Reardon was killed. Ms. Angelica Barnes had recently been released from prison for her part in Operation Stingray. We have also been told that Robert Santiago may have been tipped off by Barnes Reardon that Angelica was coming to New York, and eventually she, Angelica, became a guest in Mr. Santiago’s home.

We will keep you updated as this story unfolds. Again, Mr. Robert Santiago of Operation Stingray has been killed.

Jefferson sat with a blank stare on his face. The nightmare had not ended. His past kept coming up like yesterday’s vomit-a bad taste in his mouth. When would he get rid of it so he could resume the rest of his life?

“You decided to be a bedside Baptist today, too?” Margo asked as she turned over to look at Jefferson.

“No, I’m going to get up. I’ve got a lot of issues to sort through. Damn, I can’t believe that, even in death, Santiago continues to drag me down to the gutter with him. I paid the price for my bad deeds, and now the good old media wants to have a field day at my expense. Margo, I can’t take much more.”

“What about your sermon this morning about being grateful to the Lord? You were passionate-had me believing that this was truly over and that we could now lead a normal life.”

“Tell me about you and Malik.”

A long silence ensued, except for the morning newsanchors, who were relating another heart-breaking story about a woman who was moving from one military town to another military town, marrying innocent soldiers without divorcing the previous ones and then having their babies.

“Tell me about you and Malik,” Jefferson said again. “I want to know where I really stand in your life.”

Margo finally sat up and leaned back on the headboard. She looked thoughtfully at Jefferson and parted her lips, although nothing came out. She wrapped her arms around her waist and breathed deeply, and when she could no longer hold it, the air flew out of her mouth. “I had sex with him, Jefferson.”

The Good Morning America team faded to black as Jefferson pointed the remote and clicked the television off. He stood up from the bed, put on his robe, and paced the tiny space in the room without looking at Margo. He stopped in front of the lamp, jerked it from its socket and threw it across the room.

“Say something, Jefferson. Be mad at me if you want. You forced me to tell you. Now say something.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Hell, I don’t know! But it wasn’t like you think.”

“Wasn’t like I think? What kind of bull is that? You told me you had sex with Malik, and it’s not what I think? Hell, I’m not trying to visualize it, but the very thought of Malik touching you anywhere repulses me.” Jefferson rammed his hand into the wall. “I could kill him right now.”

Margo threw her hand over her mouth. “Stop it, Jefferson. Haven’t we had enough killing for one week?”

“Then tell me why, Margo, why? Do you love him? And don’t lie to me.”

“You got some nerve, Jefferson Myles. I waited for you for five long years. I was a faithful wife every minute of those five years, even though you didn’t deserve my love and trust. I loved you in spite of your infidelity and the way you treated me, and I was the dutiful wife waiting for you when you returned.”

“So, what happened when I returned? You were the one who told me that you were going to stand by me. And I wanted you to because I never stopped loving you. But from the moment I returned home, things were different…Malik was being different. His not showing up to the homecoming party should have been a sign. I remember the day at the restaurant; he acted so strange. We haven’t had a real decent conversation. It was during that time, though, that I felt something was wrong. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but now I know. That’s why you couldn’t make love to me.”

“But you’re wrong, Jefferson. Yes, Malik was falling in love with me, but I never committed to anything. In fact, I asked him to stop coming around. It wasn’t until I saw you with Angelica going into the hotel that I did run to him, and…it happened.”

“And then you came home and made love to me or was it just sex. Are you telling me that you never thought about being with Malik? Do you know how it felt when you wouldn’t touch me, wouldn’t sleep with me?”

“Listen to me. Don’t make me out to be the bad person. I know very well how all of that feels…not to be touched, not being wanted because your flavor for the month was not chocolate.”

“Okay, I asked for it. Let’s not bring that up.”

“Why not, since we’re talking about indiscretions? Have I thought about being with Malik? The answer is yes. When I tried to get close to you, it was Malik I’d see. He was there for me during those five years you were gone. I depended on him for a lot of things, except sex. Foremost, he was a friend that I could count on. And when Antoinette died, he was a wreck, and I was there to nurse him back to health. I know you can’t understand how we could have such a friendship without it being sexual, but we managed.”

“Humph, managed? Do you love him? You never answered the question.”

“If I loved Malik, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you. That’s why we were arguing last night. I know what I did was wrong, but in my moment of weakness, I gave myself to him, and yes, I led him to believe that I wanted him the way he wanted me. I told him tonight that I loved you, and that you were the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with.”

Jefferson continued to pace with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was on his twenty-fifth revolution when Margo couldn’t take anymore.

“Would you sit down or say something? You are getting on my nerves. If you want me to leave, I’ll go.”