Bailed **** Chapter Seventy-Three

My foot trembled on the gas pedal as I exited the Interstate, I had suddenly become shaken. I'd done as Troy had requested, put the key inside of the mailbox and somewhat found it flattering that he'd trusted me enough to leave me in the home. I pulled into a gas station parking lot and was startled by a nigga trying to sell me his CD. I took it, handed him 5 dollars and proceeded to pay for my gas.

I was so hungry still and afraid to even call Trenton but I decided eventually to do so, I had to. I wanted out of the marriage and knew it would not be easy. I began to consider everything Troy had told me and wondered if he had motive to kill me, why hadn't he? I mean, no one killed random people for other people free of charge unless it was personal of course but we had had no connection, and had he originally been following Christy? It was strange she had died how Trenton said he would kill her.

I could tell Troy had plenty money and I hadn't wanted to think it all had come from knocking muthafuckas off. It was sad to say I almost trusted him more than my own husband at that point, but Von, there was something trifling about him, I had known and tried to recollect anything Christy had said about him besides he wasn't shit. I paid for and pumped my gas before heading back toward I20, but dialed Trenton's number. I expected him to answer angrily but instead I didn't receive an answer. It was strange, he always answered, I disregarded the fact that he hadn't and waited for him to return the call. After an hour I was a bit uneasy so I called back. This time it was immediately going to his voicemail. I pressed the pedal and began to drive more than ten miles over the speed limit, and eventually faster because I had drifted off into a daze about Troy, I snapped out of it in time to see a State Trooper on the side of the road ahead. I slowed down as a text had come through the Text app.

" I didn't even expect u to leave."

What the fuck had he meant, that man was crazy! I had not left home to get my ass whooped! My body was so sore, I ached all over, and I do mean all over. That was a problem. I knew Terrica was somewhere contemplating suicide, he was the worst kind, brutally honest. I liked him better when I thought he was a liar. I closed my eyes for a moment and focused on the road ahead that led to my family and home, I had a cake to bake for Trenton and had not needed Troy to interfere. I felt fine, I was calm but the anger that welled inside my gut was eating me alive. The fact that I hadn't felt like Troy had a reason to lie to me because he would not gain anything had disturbed me, my husband wanted me dead. I feared what he was capable of, he was too calculating and I knew if I wanted to live I had to play my cards right.

"Come back," Troy texted, I sped up. He was skating on thin ice too. I rubbed my face, he had literally branded me, my neck was equally sore from his teeth. How could I explain that to my husband! The bruise from the fall, my hair! I hadn't even showered after---that bastard had made me lay there! I hated him! He knew what my husband would do to me! He had my children, I had lost my daughter, I didn't even ASK FOR HEEERRRR! I began to beat the steering wheel and decided to pullover, I needed to scream, I just couldn't handle it! I knew I would have a black out, I didn't want to cause an accident and kill someone else, I wasn't even concerned about my life at that point! I had no one except my babies, I knew I could call my Mama but she didn't even have a mature mind! How could I trust someone that will feed human ashes to another human being! Ryella hated me! She didn't understand why I didn't want her at the Orchard, and she'd even turned Twalla against me! I screamed and screamed! No one cared! I was so alone and I knew if I returned to Metairie I would die or go to prison for the rest of my life, that was the only way and he could not have my babies!

I had known that girl was alive when she was put in that vault! The thought had surfaced and I could not unsee it, she was alive! Why had Grandad put her there to begin with dead or alive? I saw no evidence of blood! What kind of lunatic was he?!

I regained my composure as the texts began to pour in, Troy seemed upset because I wasn't responding, then he called. I ignored him.

I needed to talk to Trenton, he needed to tell me something! I could not remain in the dark. I contemplated calling the police and leading them to the body they had been looking for for all those years, he would fry! I would not go down alone!

As the calls continued to repetitively come in from Troy I pulled off still in a bit of rage and continued toward home. The phone rang, I declined the call and called Trenton again. He answered, "Oh, she breathes, where are u? How was your visit with Kerri?"

WHAT? HOW THE FUCK DID HE KNOW THAT?

"Good," I said with a shaky voice, "Where are the kids," I asked after taking a deep breath.

"The kids? Oh, they're fine, I mean they're with Nakia and Mya in the backyard trying to catch fireflies."

"Mya?"

"Oh, yea I forgot to tell u Lawrence and Nakia were coming down this weekend and Mya was coming along."

"Oh, I see."

"How close are u?"

I lied and said I had just left, there was a moment of silence during a brief pause, and then he said. "Oh?"

"Yea, Ill be home in about 5 hours."

Another pause. Silence. I heard a females voice awfully close to him, as if she was trying to discreetly speak. I sped up.

"Well, Ill talk to u later," I said, "I saw where u had called and texted numerous times."

"Oh, yea---well I was worried and u hadn't called."

"I love u," I said testing him.

"Love u too, see u soon," he said before a long silence. He finally ended the call.

I was confused, and tired of being that way. Two more messages came in from Troy while I was on the phone with Trenton. I had changed my mind about trusting him again, and he demanded I come back. When he called again I answered.

"Where the fuck are u? U can't see my messages?" He sounded mad but I really couldn't tell, he was calm even when he was.

"What do u want?!"

"U know what I want, don't go back."

"I HAVE TO GO BACK! IM MARRIED ARE U CRAZY?"

I was about to hang up in his face when I saw the flashing lights pull out from being hid under the overpass and knew I was speeding, I was going 85 arguing with this clown ass nigga! "FUCK!" I said.

"I'm being pulled over!"

"WHAT? Where u at?" Troy asked.

It was now dark and the flashbacks of Twan's murder kept replaying in my mind. I had also taken weed from Troy's tray to smoke just in case I needed to stay awake. It was in my bra and the whole car was lit.

He was steady asking where I was and I was frozen with fear as the cop sped up, I was still going. I finally snapped out of it and pulled over. When I looked up and saw Virgil Tibbs walking toward me I panicked, he was with a white officer and I knew he was looking to make an example out of someone.

I saw the flashlights, they came on when they had stepped out, Virgil came to the driver's side, Parker to the passenger and shined their lights inside.

"Where ya going so fast ma'am?" He asked, "And how come ya act like ya wadn't gonna stop?!"

"Im sorry, I was just daydreaming I guess, I'm trying to get home in Metairie." I just had known I was about 2 hours away from Baton Rouge, I couldn't even see a sign but had just passed through Alexandria.

"License and Proof of Insurance," He requested. "Well where ya comin from so fast?"

"Shreveport visiting my sister."

"Shore looks like she whooped your ass," Parker said.

I retrieved the insurance card and gave him my ID.

"Where's your Driver's license ma'am?"

"Well see, I kinda couldn't pass the test." I lied, I hadn't even considered taking it. As I tried to entertain him he asked, "Mind if we search the car?"

I could hear Troy calling my name through the phone asking if I was on 49. "Sure," I said.

I knew the two men could not physically search me so I gladly gave them access to the car.

"Smell a little marijuana," the redneck said. "Requesting female officer to Eola exit, I repeat need female officer---"

MUTHAFUCK! That shit Troy smoked was potent! The whole car was lit and I wasn't even smoking.

" I can't believe I'm in Eola going to jail," I said before I got out.

"Any drugs, weapons, or any other illegal items we need to know about?" The black cop asked before putting on some blue latex gloves. I was so ashamed as the cars flew past us, all four doors and the trunk were now open.

"No sir," I said. Another unit came, the officer opened the back door and commanded a K-9 to get out. I was bewildered! I was only speeding! I saw my screen go dark and knew I was fucked, Troy looked like the type that didn't get involved with the police, or did he?

I couldn't call Trenton, I knew he would talk shit, I refused. I could bond myself out but I was sure the car would be towed and it was in Trenton's name. FUCK!

"This your purse?" Parker asked before spitting out a glob of brown juice, Nasty bastard!

"Yes, sir."

"Shore do got a lot of money, who did u rob?"

WHAT? I did alot of shit, but robbing wasn't one of them.

"I received it from a settlement."

"FOR WHAAAT, HEY ART, U HEAR THIS, SHE RECEIVED ALL THIS FROM A SETTLEMENT! LOOK AT HER!"

What did that mean?

"We just gonna have to look into this. Where's the drugs? I smell em!"

"I don't have any drugs!"

"When we find em, u getting a charge for lyin to a law official! Now u better tell us now!"

I argued with that muthafucka until the female officer pulled up and found the 0.7 grams of kush in my bra, and nothing else.

"U under arrest for possession of schedule one!"

FOR SOME WEED DUMMY?! He made it seem like I had some highly illegal shit!

"And we gone have a look at this money, make shore ain't no banks been robbed, how about that? Could just say we found it, hunh Art?" I looked at Art and had him scared to say yea. I would hunt his ass down, badge or not, him and Althea.

I couldn't believe that shit and when it really hit me I wanted to pass the fuck out, I started breathing shallow and had to pee! Did that muthafucka just say---? Lord Sweet Baby Jesus!

I COULDN'T BREATHE! SON OF A BITCH, HOW THE FUCK WOULD I GET OUT! I Passed out, woke up and passed out again!

The female officer picked me up, escorted me to the patrol car, slung me on the hard back seat and took my nigga ass to the coldest jail in Louisiana. They handed me a gray blanket filled with holes, a beige plastic tea cup, an orange spoon immediately and threw me into a holding cell.

"We'll book u in when someone comes."

WHEN SOMEONE COMES? OH MY GOD!

I laid on a cold green mattress and stared at the wall wondering about my belongings, everytime someone passed I asked about a bond and a phone call, "Can't get a bond until they book ya in, gotta make sure we don't let u out with a warrant pending!"

I started throwing up. I couldn't call anyone besides Trenton, I knew noone elses phone number.

I laid and cried, the spot I had fallen asleep in was wet, icicles had damn near formed. I was finally processed into their database and was told I would get a bond in 48 hours when the judge set one, "In our parish we don't have pre-set bonds on drugs, teach ya not to come through here!" I had so many dreams, pleasant ones, sad ones, ones about being dead and ones about killing. I even dreamed about Daddy, I'd known talking about him with Kerri had brought them on. She mentioned something I had forgotten when I mentioned apples, we would go a lake with Momma and Daddy when were young and could smell apples from an orchard.

He would baptize his members in the water. Kerri and I would sneak off and look for the apples but never found any. Daddy soon began to drive to that lake with other agendas. I'd dreamed of a baptismal and awakened frightened. I remembered having a seizure at a church picnic, Daddy was baptizing and Kerri had interrupted the service. Mama was upset because he was holding Sister Lois too close and even madder because I peed during the seizure. I had completely forgotten about the baptismals.

A week passed, a female guard came to the tray hatch and said I finally had a $15,000 bond. That was cruel and unusual punishment.

FOR SOME WEED?

That was the most expensive kush I had heard of and since I wasn't from there she said a bondsman would not touch me. I tried to be strong but it was hard.

They had given me a toothbrush and a small bar of soap, I had no money to buy anything from commissary and the food was horrible! I was in hell! I could hear Troy's voice telling me to just come back to him. I had wanted my husband though.

I would sleep and cry, I had been there 17 days, and still didn't know when I would go for arraignment. I rubbed that nigga's teeth marks and wondered what kind of cannibal he was to even want bite a bitch that hard? IN MY FUCKING FACE?

I was getting sick and having bad chills, also I had a fucked up stomach virus from not eating but continuing to drink the water.

I was beginning to hear the voices and they had become so real this time and were as dominant as before, I was in solitary confinement again. It was as if other females knew not to come through that town.

I began to see Twan's face, I loved him so much. He still had my heart, he was so gentle. He had become distant but constantly expressed his unconditional love for me. What we had had ended, just like that. When I married Trenton I had not closed that chapter and I had to look at his children who were his spitting images. Somehow thoughts of him consoled me.

One morning I woke up and sat on the metal stool contemplating drinking the water, I was so thirsty. I heard keys nearing the cell they then clanked against the metal door. A young black male officer unlocked it, leaned inside and called my name. "Are u decent?" he asked, I told him yes, I only had one damn jumpsuit and nothing else, sarcastically. It was freezing!

The girl in the cell with me thought if I kept drinking the water I could get sick and go to the infirmary, I would have a chance to escape. I was so weak and hadn't eaten since Monday, it was Friday. My stomach angrily growled and I regretted not getting up for biscuits that morning, I had accepted the fact I had to eat that shit!

I wondered where I was being shipped to when I saw him, he reminded me of Terrell. I dismissed a thought and decided anywhere was better than where I was, the waterbugs were humongous. He verified my armband and told me to bring my blanket and mattress, I weakly obeyed. He walked me to a holding tank and handed me the clothes I wore when I was arrested, in suspense I still wondered where I was going after he slammed the cell door, the girl had insisted she come along so I brought her too. We sat and waited nervously, I was near a heart attack, too weak and dizzy to be that scared.

Finally the guard who had fingerprinted me with ink and cards came and said I was being released. Had I got credit for time served? I didn't give a fuck, I was so happy, Deidre was happy for me too. We left out to see an attorney who stood at the booking window with a court date, I was being released without bonding. I knew my husband loved me.

"Mrs. Myers? Im Mr. Burnham," the young black man said. "The exit door is this way."

He was so handsome and I was ashamed to be so musty! He held the door and the early morning sunlight blinded me. When I removed my arm from blocking the rays I saw Troy's gold teeth. WHAT?

I hadn't expected him and I wondered if he could help me, I wanted my money so bad and knew they just couldn't keep it. "Get your silly ass in the car. U hungry, the food in there aint bout shit," he said.

What took this nigga so long?!

He looked happy to see me, but said Trenton was looking for me and he was very angry. He asked if I was hungry but I wanted to shower more than anything. I couldn't read Troy but had a good feeling he wasn't taking me to Metairie or didn't have an idea where my car was.

I now had no changing clothes or money and my hair smelled like throw up. Troy was high as usual but seemed like he had been stressing, "U hardheaded as fuck!!" he said lighting his blunt. I knew why he had said it but he had to understand I was a married woman with children regardless to whether Trenton wanted me dead or not and he was just a fling. I knew I could never have nothing solid with that thug ass nigga because he had a girl and I wasn't in the side bitch business. He leaned toward the driver's door, I knew why.

The smell of the weed was making me so hungry, I could hear my stomach rumbling over the music. I was dying of starvation.

He tried to pass me his blunt, I declined and asked where we were going. "Home, so u can change," he said. I had no clothes, I knew he meant wash my ass but I was hungry now.

I rode silently knowing I would have to fight this nigga for real to leave because now...I owed him. When he cracked the window I said, "Ok! I know Im funky!" He laughed.

We arrived at his home but he didn't pull inside of the garage instead he pulled on the grass, we entered in through the front door and embarrassingly I walked past Von wearing the same shit I had on when he saw me last. Troy's teeth marks were now pink.

I went inside of the bedroom, he closed the door saying he would be back. I sat in the recliner wondering what was taking him so long, I didn't just want to go in his bathroom and turn on his shower. I was so glad to be free but my state of mind was fucked up, the voices were so abundant, they were like reminders. How could I have forgotten Daddy baptizing in the lake? I was so young, we soon moved to Greenwood and I met Angela. He had only continued his crusade.

I had almost fallen asleep when Troy returned with the bag I had packed before I left home, "U can go shower, what u waiting on?" He asked.

He had got my car? How!?? It was in Trenton's name! Everything was just too strange and my reaction wasn't as he expected it to be. I hadn't shown the excitement he thought I should have but he should have understood why. He threw the bag in my lap and said be ready in 45 minutes he would be back. "U gotta check in huh?" I asked as he walked away before slamming the door. I was happy to have my car but why had it taken him so long to come and get me?!

I showered and dressed. I put my hair in a bun and was waiting on him to return. As I sat in the chair putting on eyeliner he returned but instantly walked toward me and slapped it from my hand. WHAT THE FUCK WAS WRONG WITH THAT DUMB ASS NIGGA!

"Don't put that shit on," he casually said. I jumped up and asked him had he lost his mind and said I was a grown ass woman and could do I wanted. He only suggested I do something if I hadn't liked it. Also if I was going to jail for a small amount of weed I should have just taken it all. I hated that arrogant bastard. "Let's go," he said putting on a rope chain and watch after spraying on Polo Red.

We got inside of the Charger, and I knew my car had to be inside of the garage so I asked. "That's my car now," he said. "Ill think about letting drive it."

"U can't stop me from driving my car! U don't own me."

"But u want me to."

As we entered the freeway I told him to let me out, I would walk, he stopped and I got out.

He pulled off about a hundred feet, stopped the car got out and began to quickly walk toward me, I didn't know whether to stand still or run, that nigga looked serious. He was coming looking screwface. I froze, "Dang, I was just playin...u aint gotta look so mean," I said.

"I'm not about to play with yo silly ass girl, get in the fucking car!"

He had one more time to call me silly. "U don't own me!" I reminded him again!

I turned around to walk the other way, he picked me up and carried me to the car as I screamed and talked shit.

I was scared he would bite me, his mouth was too close to my face so I shut the fuck up. He then opened the back door when he made it and threw me inside of the car, "WHAT THE FUCK DO U WANNA EAT!!!" He yelled and pressed the child lock.