Chapter Twenty-nine
“Where on earth did you hear about this hole-in-the-wall?” Eleanor asked Lorain as they walked inside the little soul food joint.
“Unique and I ate here once. This is where she brought me for Mother's Day last year.”
Eleanor looked around the shack with her nose turned up in the air. “If this is where your child brought you for Mother's Day, then she's exactly where she needs to be; locked up!”
“Mother! Don't you think you've cut the fool enough today?” Lorain shook her head. “Guess I got it honest.”
“Y'all can sit anywhere,” a young girl yelled out after noticing the two women with the baby stroller standing by the door. “Someone will be over to serve you.”
“Thank you,” Lorain replied, then pushed the stroller over to a booth. She sat down and got nice and comfy in the booth. She was going to get the twins' high chairs, but then decided she'd just let them stay in their stroller since they were half-asleep. She'd feed them in their stroller if need be. A few seconds passed by when she looked up and saw that Eleanor was still standing. “What's wrong, Ma? Sit down.”
“Not until you run over to that dollar store next door and grab me some Fabuloso and some Clorox wipes. I ain't about to sit down in this place. No telling what I'm liable to take back home with me. You know bed bugs are hard to get rid of.”
“You are not going to get bed bugs on this wooden bench. Sit down, Mama.”
Eleanor gave the bench a once-over. “Termites, then. They just as hard to get rid of too!”
Restraining herself from saying another word, Lorain simply shot Eleanor the look of death, and within seconds, Eleanor was easing down in the seat. A few seconds after that, the women were flipping through the menu of soul food combo meals. Next, they were giving the waitress their orders of barbeque ribs, macaroni and cheese, greens, corn muffins, potato salad, fried okra, fried catfish, cabbage, and baked beans. And when their food arrived at the table, Eleanor forgot all about how awful and unsanitary the place looked as she dove in headfirst to what tasted like a five-star meal.
“You talk about some good cooking.” Eleanor sat back and exhaled heartily. She'd practically eaten every morsel on her plate.
Lorain looked up at her mother and immediately started to giggle.
“What? What's so funny?” Eleanor began to wipe her face. That's when she realized she had barbeque sauce all over her face. It was stuck down in her fingernails and everything.
“You thought this place was nasty?” Lorain spat. “
That's
nasty.” She was referring to Eleanor's sauce-covered appearance.
“I guess I ate my words about this place, huh?”
“Literally,” Lorain remarked.
“Let me go get cleaned up.” Eleanor scooted up out of the booth. “Do you know where the restroom is around here?”
“Over there,” Lorain nodded toward the entrance.
“Lord Jesus, if I'm not back in five minutes, call those people who come clean up them people's houses on that show
Hoarders
.”
“Get, Ma!” Lorain playfully shooed Eleanor along. She then looked down at the babies. Victoria was sound asleep while Heaven was bright eyed after sleeping through the entire meal. “That Grandma of yours is crazy, yes, she is. That Grandma is something else.”
“Yeah, your grandma is something else.”
Lorain clinched her teeth, and then looked up only to see the woman who owned the voice that was mockingly cooing behind her.
“Oh yeah, that's right. She's not your grandma, now, is she? No, she's playing the role of mommy,” Korica taunted.
“As a matter of fact, I was referring to my mother, the baby's grandmother.”
“Correction, the baby's
great
-grandmother.” Korica rolled her eyes up in her head. “Oh, forget it. I can't keep up with the game of charades you're playing with my daughter and
her
babies.”
“Excuse me, but I'm not playing any games with Unique. And unless you've forgotten, she's my daughter too.”
“Really now? So when's the last time you've been to visit your daughter?”
“You know as well as I know that Unique has been in solitary.”
“Then you too must know she's been out since yesterday.”
“Of course, she called me.”
“So, you've talked to her?”
“Well, uh, no, I didn't actually get to talk to her. Portions of those recordings were on my voice mail. I knew it was her trying to call me collect. She just couldn't get through.”
“Oh, so you haven't talked to her?”
Korica was trying her best to make Lorain feel like an inadequate mother, and it was working. “Actually, I plan on going to see her tomorrow.”
“What a coincidence. So do I. And thank goodness I went up there to see her today, or otherwise, I wouldn't have even known about the emergency hearing tomorrow.”
“What? Huh? What emergency hearing?”
Korica stood there, running her tongue across her teeth as if contemplating whether to share the information she knew with Lorain.
“Look, Korica, if something is going on with my daughter, then I deserve to know.”
“Well, I beg to differ. But it's not about me. Surely, and only the Lord knows why, Unique would want you there tomorrow.” Still, Korica paused.
“So will you please tell me, then, what's going on?”
“That attorney chick of Unique's done dug up some dirt that she feels 100 percent is going to get Unique freed.”
“What? Are you serious?” Lorain was elated. “What is it? What is it she dug up?”
“Some videos and pictures and stuff. I could hardly understand what Unique was saying between all that crying and praising she was doing while trying to explain it to me. I figure I'll just hear it in plain English tomorrow. The hearing is at nine in the morning. If all goes well, she'll be out tomorrow. That's why I'm here; to get her favorite meal.” Korica smiled. “She said, âMommy, I don't care what time it is when I get out of this place. I want some Captain Souls.' Since this place don't open for business until four in the afternoon, I figure I better come in here while they're open just in case she gets home before they open up again for business.”
“This is, this is wonderful news,” Lorain rejoiced. “Thank you so much for sharing it with me, Korica.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said nonchalantly, then turned her attention toward the twins. “Oooh, child, you look just like your mommy,” she said to Heaven, since she was wide awake while Victoria slept. She cut her eyes at Lorain, and then clarified, “Your
real
mommy, that is.”
“Okay, look, Korica, thanks for coming over and letting me know what was going on with Unique. I appreciate it. Have a good one.”
Korica twisted her lips. “My, my, my. I guess I know when I'm not wanted.” Shooting Lorain an evil glare she added, “I can name someone else who probably knows what it feels like not to be wanted too.”
That was a low blow to Lorain that she managed to let go.
“But I guess the irony of it all is that somebody wants you.” Once again, Korica was addressing Heaven. “So I'm just going to leave you here with your ... your ... mommy.” Korica acted as if she wanted to choke on the word “mommy.” “Yep, I'll leave you with Mommy Lorain. . . for now anyway.” That last comment was laced with a threatening tone.
“And just what is
that
supposed to mean?
For now?
” Lorain was quick to ask.
“Just what it sounded like,” Korica answered through clinched teeth. “You think you had a bulletproof plan? To come back into Unique's life, the child you left for dead, and take the only kids she's got now? Well, the game has changed, baby. Things are different. With the boys gone, it might look as though Unique's got an empty nest, but I guarantee you that if I have anything to do with itâif it's the last thing I ever doâit won't be like that for long.”
Lorain gasped at what Korica might be insinuating. Instinctively, she reached down and grabbed Heaven's hand as if it would be the last time she ever touched her. If Unique did get out of jail tomorrow, and Korica had her way, it just might be.
Chapter Thirty
“Let me get this right.” Judge Peaks stared down at the paperwork Unique's attorney had presented to the court. “This woman has been locked up for months under the pretence that she was a drug dealer operating at said property in which was raided by the Columbus City Police Department?”
Jawan nodded to confirm the judge's statement. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“All the while the police department has been in possession of months' worth of investigation materials such as ...” The judge paused to flip through the contents of the folder before her. “Pictures, records of drug transactions, the persons conducting the transactions, aliases, street names, recordings of telephone conversations, cell phone records, and so on?”
Once again, Jawan nodded. “That is correct, Your Honor.”
The judge shook her head. “And even right here in the courtroom, only the defense is acknowledging the existence of this evidence.” She gave the prosecution a stern glare. “You are even too ashamed to confirm it, aren't you?”
The prosecuting attorney, who'd had his head down the entire time, finally spoke up. “Well, Your Honor, I apologize for thinking you were presenting a rhetorical question. I didn't realize the need to make verbal confirmation.”
Judge Peaks removed her reading glasses she'd slipped on in order to read the file. “Don't you dare get fresh with me, young man. You didn't confirm it because you, just like I am right now, are ashamed to know that you were sitting on information that could have had this woman out of jail a long time ago. You were sitting on information that could have possibly allowed her to attend the funeral of her children.”
“Speaking of which, Your Honor,” the female prosecutor who was assisting the gentleman being chastised by the judge interrupted, raising her hand. She stood. “The State wishes to drop the charges against Ms. Gray in reference to the death of her children as well.”
There was a sigh of relief coming from every corner of the room. Unique gasped, holding in the shout she really wanted to release.
“You wish to drop the charges?” the judge repeated. “This is kind of like the employee who knows he's about to get a pink slip. He quits before he can be fired.”
Both prosecutors looked at each other, and then looked down again.
“Well, Frick and Frack,” Judge Peaks continued over the light chuckles in the courtroom, “let me just entertain your request by asking why you want to drop the charges. Would it happen to have anything to do with that video clip on YouTube titled ...” Once again the judge looked through her files, “Baby Daddy Betta Have My Money”?
Again, there were light chuckles throughout the courtroom.
“Order in my courtroom,” the judge declared, banging her gavel twice. She then glared at the prosecution. “Well, don't just stand there, answer me. Or wait a minuteâlet me guess. You thought that too was a rhetorical question.”
The male prosecutor swallowed. “No, ma'am. No, Your Honor. I believe that video clip that some youth recorded of the defendant arguing with her baby's father about child support pretty much confirms the defendant's story about exactly why she was at the house at the time of the raid.”
“And is it safe to say that at that time, and only that time, do you have proof of Ms. Gray ever being at that residence?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” the prosecutor answered. “It's, uh, very safe to say that.”
“And, Judge, if I might,” Jawan interrupted, pulling a piece of paper from her file. “We have a sworn affidavit from the defendant's deceased son's father regarding how it came about that Ms. Gray was even in possession of the drugs in the first place.”
“I have seen that statement, Mrs. Martinez,” the judge told her. “And I have been informed that the defendant signed such statement under his own free will. No plea bargains or deals are pending based upon his confession of the drugs being that of his own.”
“That is correct, Your Honor,” Jawan confirmed.
The judge looked back at the prosecution. “Looks like you no longer have a case against this woman on any of the charges.”
“Uh, yes, it does look that way,” the male prosecutor replied.
Leaning in and staring down at both prosecutors, the judge spoke firmly. “Look, I don't know if it's due to your lack of experience, laziness to fully research your case and all that is involved, sloppy work, or just being a good old-fashioned shyster, but as an officer of the court and a believer in our system and the Columbus Police Department, I'm going to pray it's not the latter. But anyway, an injustice has been done against the defendant.” The judge looked at Unique who wanted to explode with happiness. She had to settle for the tears of joy that were flowing down her face.
“And, Ms. Gray, on behalf of the court, the police department, and the state of Ohio, I apologize. Each and every case and each and every charge is hereto dismissed.”
Unique couldn't hold it in any longer. When the gavel hit the judge's desk, a yelp came out of her mouth as she nearly collapsed into Jawan's arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you and without God Almighty Himself. Thank you for taking my case, Mrs. Martinez. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“It's all right, honey. You're going home. You're going home.”
Unique pulled herself away from Jawan and gathered her composure.
“Congratulations,” Unique heard from several different voices.
Turning, Unique saw Korica, Lorain, her pastor, and a couple other members of New Day. Her sister Renee, who she hadn't spoken to since their falling out on the phone, was even there in the courtroom to support her. A couple of her other siblings were there as well.
“Thank you. Thank you all for coming,” Unique said, overjoyed, tears still flowing from her eyes. “Mommy, did you get that meal I wanted?” she asked Korica.
“It's at my house waiting for you in the fridge,” Korica replied, wiping her own tears of joy.
Lorain hoped to God no one noticed the jealous twitch her lips were giving off.
“Come on, Unique.” Jawan pulled Unique away from the crowd. “Unlike in movies, when charges get dismissed, you don't always just get to walk out of the courtroom, not when you've been in jail anyway. You have to get processed out.”
“How long is all that going to take?” Korica asked with an attitude. “We've got a celebration dinner to attend.”
“I'm not sure. I'll get your contact information from Unique and let you know. But I do know that none of you should wait around.”
“Well, I've waited on my baby to come home this long, what's a couple more hours?” Korica said. “Come on, y'all,” she said to her other adult children and exited the courtroom, but not without having a brief stare down with Lorain and brushing by her, slightly nudging Lorain's shoulder.
“I'll see everybody when I get out,” Unique said as Jawan pulled her along.
“See you, Unique,” Lorain waved. The expression on her face looked torn. It looked as though she was glad that Unique was being released, but at the same time, disappointed, scared, perhaps even fearful. All she could think about was Unique getting out, missing her boys, and wanting the girls as replacements to fill the nest.
Once Unique had been led out of the courtroom by both Jawan and a guard, she let out one big and worthy, “Hallelujah to the blood of the lamb!”
Jawan couldn't help but smile. “What did I tell you, girlfriend?”
“You told me not to give up,” Unique answered. “And I'm so glad I didn't. But what I'm even more glad of is that God didn't give up on me, and neither did His chosen vessel, you.”
“It was an honor. And once things get back to normal, I'd like to discuss you perhaps filing aâ”
“Unique Emerald Gray,” a police officer said as he walked up on Unique. “Are you Unique Emerald Gray?”
“This is my client, Unique Emerald Gray,” Jawan spoke for Unique. “What seems to be the problem?”
Ignoring Jawan's question, the police officer simply looked at Unique and said, “Unique Emerald Gray, you are under arrest for violation of the Ohio State Penal Code in which prohibits the possession of contraband in an Ohio prison. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will ...”
After that, Unique clocked out of what the officer was saying to her. She became as limp as a wet noodle as she cried out at the top of her lungs, “Whhhhhhyyyyy? Why, God, why?”
It was that same question she'd been asking God for the past few months. Still, there was no answer.