Family Values Page 11
Robin rubbed her hand across her nose. After looking at her hand she ran into the bathroom.
MADISON
Are you alright?
Suddenly there was a thump that came from the bathroom. Madison ran to the door but could not open it. She took her phone and called E-911.
38
Robin lay on her side in a hospital room. She played with the I.V. hose that was inserted into her wrist. The room door crept open. Slow and steady footsteps approached her bed. Robin felt a hand rub her shoulder.
ROBIN
Why are you here?
NOAH
I was making my rounds and I had to check on you. I must say – this little stunt in the hospital is pretty good. I wished that I had thought of it.
ROBIN
This is not a stunt. (Robin rolled over and sat up in her bed.) I am pregnant.
Noah looked at Robin with confusion on his face. He sucked his teeth and frowned.
NOAH
Are you sure?
ROBIN
Why would I lie about something like this?
NOAH
How far along are you?
ROBIN
Three months.
NOAH
Great! Just great.
Noah began to pace the room. He shook his head in disbelief. He stopped at the foot of her bed.
NOAH
You are just lucky that I was smart before you went and had sex with him. You are about to blow everything up. First Apollo gets killed for breaking into the office and now you can’t keep your damn legs closed. The only thing that you were supposed to do was marry Dwight. Sometimes I think that mom should have just had me. I am the only one with the damn brain in this family.
ROBIN
I worked my ass sitting with that old man. Cooking, cleaning his ass, and putting up with that hellish biddy.
NOAH
That was the only thing that you needed to do.
ROBIN
Noah why don’t you go to the Westside of hell – where it’s the hottest.
NOAH
I have been there already.
ROBIN
What if all of this blows up in our face?
NOAH
It won’t.
ROBIN
But what if it does?
NOAH
Now that you are pregnant it might. You love dick don’t you?
ROBIN
Just as much as you like it going in your ass and wherever else you put it.
Noah went and sat on the couch. He crossed his legs at the knee.
ROBIN
Do you think that Dwight will hate me once he finds out that I am pregnant?
NOAH
Exactly the opposite. At least I have an inside source that I know I can get some money from for the time being.
ROBIN
How?
NOAH
I am fucking Trenity. I have him about where I want him.
ROBIN
Trenity? Isn’t that Madison’s husband?
NOAH
Exactly.
Noah stood and walked over to Robin’s bed. He placed the palm of his hand on Robin’s stomach. She looked down at his hand and back into his eyes. She could see the evil that was in his eyes.
NOAH
I put a year into this. I plan on coming out a millionaire. (He begin to squeeze her stomach) So you better pull yourself together and start helping me get this money.
ROBIN
You are hurting my stomach.
Noah looked dead into her eyes. He gave her a devilish smile and took his hand off her stomach. Before Robin could say anything Noah punched her in the stomach – hard. Robin let out a loud scream and grabbed her stomach.
NOAH
That baby would mess everything up and I am not the one to share.
Noah raced to the door but heard footsteps coming. He turned and hid in the closet. Nurses rushed into the room to check on Robin. Tears ran down her face. One nurse pulled the Covers back and saw a puddle of blood. They immediately wheeled the bed out of the room to the operating room.
Once Noah didn’t hear anything in the room he came out of the closet.
NOAH
She better not forget that we are in this together. For the long haul.
39
Madison and her grandmother sat on the back porch. Grandmother Ella rocked in her chair sipping on a mimosa. The sun set in high noon. Madison looked over the yard.
MADISON
Gran, what do you think about Dwight selling all of this?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
He will have to do it over my cold dead body. That Will that he has has got to be a fake. There is no way that Jefferson Davis would make him executor.
MADISON
I thought so also.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Have you talked to Trenity?
MADISON
A few days ago.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
And?
MADISON
There is no “and”. He wants a divorce. I told him that I was not going to give him a divorce.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Great.
MADISON
He is blackmailing me.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Return the favor. I thought that I reared you to be a strong woman. I don’t need a weak bitch on my side.
MADISON (shocked)
Grandmother!?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I am serious. Turn all of this around on him. I have already had the bank to foreclose on his pharmacy.
MADISON
You did what?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I knew that you could not do it. I made a few calls and made things happens. So now that he doesn’t have any money coming in he will have to come to you. That is when you will decide what you are going to do.
MADISON
He has already come to me.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
And what did you do?
MADISON
I gave him the money.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Just damn stupid.
Madison could not believe what her grandmother was saying to her. She rose from her seat to walk into the house.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Where are you going?
MADISON
For a drive.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Make it a long one. Apparently you can’t think on short ones.
MADISON
Tell me gran – how much are you paying Robin to marry Dwight?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Enough.
MADISON
Really, why do you want him here. All of this time you have hated him and now you have him running the company.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Come here and let me explain something to you.
Madison walked over to her.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I know how the people of Waynesboro talk. I sit with them at the country club and listen to the things they say about other families. I don’t want any homosexuals in my family. I don’t want any divorces in my family. I didn’t want any suicides in my family. I will not allow anything to diminish the Cove family name.
MADISON
SO this is all about you?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
No it’s not. I know what it feels like to have scandals in your family and everything is taking away from you. I know what it is like to have your father leave one day going for groceries and never coming back and then have your mother leave you in a park alone for days. I know what it’s like to be dirt poor and wonder where your next meal is going to come from.
MADISON
I didn’t know.
Ella rose from her chair and walked up to Madison.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Get yourself together and get Trenity back into your house.
MADISON
I am not sure that I want him back. I caught him fucking someone else. That someon
e else was a man.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I could give a damn if he had his dick in a man and two dicks in his mouth. YOU MAKE IT WORK!
I walked onto the porch slowly and staggered. I pulled the cork out of the wine bottle and turned it up to my mouth.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Have you lost your mind drinking my wine like that?
I flopped down into a chair and turned the bottle up again and took a long drink.
MADISON
I don’t think that I have ever seen you drink like this before. What’s wrong?
I looked up at Madison. I placed the bottle between my thighs.
DWIGHT
Robin…Robin was pregnant.
MADISON
What do you mean…was pregnant?
DWIGHT
I just left the hospital. She was three months pregnant. She lost them.
MADISON
She was having twins?
DWIGHT
Yeap.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Were they yours?
Madison and I turned and looked at her. Madison kneeled down beside my chair and placed her hand on my knee.
MADISON
Dwight I am so sorry. I really am. I need to confess something to you.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Madison I thought that you were going for a long drive.
MADISON
Grandmother is …
Before she could finish her statement Grandmother Ella took a stick and wrapped Madison across her back. Madison quickly fell to the floor in pain. Dwight rushed down to help her. Madison rolled on the floor holding her back with her left hand. Grandmother Ella just stood there.
DWIGHT
What the hell is wrong with you?
Grandmother Ella dropped the stick on the porch and walked into the house.
DWIGHT
Do you want to go to the emergency room?
Madison could not speak for the pain. As tears flowed from the corners of her eyes Dwight wiped them away.
SIX MONTHS LATER
40
Madison walked into her ex husband, Josh Wiley, office. Madison was married to him, privately while in college. She had the marriage annulled after a year. His secretary announced Madison’s arrival. Madison walked into his office with her purse on her arm.
MADISON
Thank you for seeing me Josh.
JOSH
I want you to come over here and give me a hug.
MADISON
I don’t think that is necessary.
JOSH (grabbing his manhood)
I definitely think that it is.
Madison placed her bag on the couch and began to walk over to him.
JOSH (placing his hand up to stop her)
You know – I expected you to sit up on your high horse a few more minutes before you caved. Especially since I remember…I make your skin crawl. But you know that you were always easy.
MADISON
I didn’t come here to fight with you.
JOSH
That’s pretty obvious. Either you came here for one of two reasons. Either you want to know how our son is doing or you came for a favor. Which one is it? Oh wait let me tell you…you came for a favor. Being that you never ask about our son.
MADISON
How he is?
JOSH (taking a seat behind his desk)
He is doing great. You know that he graduates from high school in two years.
Madison let out a sigh. She began to bite her bottom lip as she stood in Red Bottom shoes.
MADISON
That’s wonderful.
JOSH
Now what favor do you want?
MADISON
You have a contract with my brother, Dwight, to transport three thousand barrels a day from his well. I want you to cancel the contract.
JOSH
I am the only company with trucks to move that kind of oil in Waynesboro. If Dwight can’t move his oil he’s going to stop drilling. Is that the kind of game you and your grandmother are playing now?
MADISON
What are you talking about?
JOSH
Everyone knows that Dwight took over your grandfather’s company and someone delivered the updated and correct copy of the “will” to him. You and your grandmother have been messy every since I have known you.
Madison grabbed her bag off of the couch in a haste.
MADISON
I am leaving. I don’t have time for this.
JOSH
Please don’t leave.
Madison stopped in her tracks.
JOSH
I will do it. I will pull my trucks…but it’s going to cost you a hug.
41
I stormed into Madison’s office with fire in my eyes. I rushed to her desk and snatched the papers out of her hands. Slamming them down, I stared into her face.
DWIGHT
Did you have anything to do with Josh Wiley stopping his trucks from servicing my rigs.
MADISON
I don’t know what you are talking about.
DWIGHT
Bitch don’t play with me.
MADISON
I think that maybe you need to talk to him.
I walked around Madison’s desk. She scurried back from me. I pulled my sister by her Venus neck blouse. Thoughts raced through my mind and my eyes switched from left to right. Finally I released her and she fell back into her chair.
DWIGHT
I know that you did.
MADISON
Look – I didn’t have anything to do with him stopping his trucks.
I walked over to the window and looked out.
DWIGHT
Does Trenity know that you were once married to Josh.
MADISON
Why would you ask me that?
DWIGHT
Just curious. I mean after eloping at the age of 17, getting a divorce…
MADISON
It was annulled.
DWIGHT
Right annulled. You know getting pregnant by another person, and Josh, your then husband, did not know of such pregnancy. True that is grounds for an annulment.
Madison grabbed the letter opener from her desk and threw it at me. Luckily it missed and became stuck in the wall. I pulled it out and licked the tip of it.
DWIGHT
You know behaviors like this can get you fired but since you are my sister I will let it slide this one time.
MADISON
Get out of my office.
DWIGHT
Call Josh and tell him to start those trucks back to running or it will be hell for you.
MADISON (screaming)
Get out!
When I exited her door she quickly picked up her phone to see if her caller was still there.
MADISON (sternly)
Robin are you there?
ROBIN
Yes.
MADISON
I need you to hurry and marry Dwight.
ROBIN
You know that you and your grandmother are some evil bitches. I am tired of being used.
MADISON
You will do as we have instructed you. Now collectively we are giving you $1.7 million. Once you have married him you will perform your duties as a wife but make sure that you do not sign a prenup.
ROBIN
You know that he is going to have me sign one.
MADISON
It is your job to persuade him that one is not needed.
ROBIN
He knows that I don’t love him. Dwight and I have had this conversation before. He knows that I know that he is gay. He will figure that I am marring him for his money.
MADISON
How much time have you two spent together?
ROBIN
I don’t know…almost a year.
MADISON
Don’t you think that after all that time feelings could develop?
Robin was growing old of the conversation. She d
ecided that she was about to end the call.
ROBIN
Madison I will get back in touch with you.
MADISON
Are you rushing me off the phone?
ROBIN
I am…now bye.
42
Trenity walked into the living room just as Grandmother Ella put down the phone. He received a phone call from her earlier asking him to come by. Trenity walked over and gave her a hug and a kiss on her brownish caramel cheeks.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
How are you son?
TRENITY
I am good. How are you?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I am as well as to be expected. I know that in a few days that your divorce to Madison will be finalized.
TRENITY
Yes ma’am.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Are you sure that you want to do this?
TRENITY
To be honest Mrs. Ella…
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Come on now…call me Gran.
TRENITY
Okay…Gran…I never wanted to divorce my wife. I love her to pieces.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Well call it off. You still have time.
TRENITY
No I don’t. Can I be honest with you?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Please.
TRENITY
I think that it is too late. Madison caught me having sex with someone else.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
That is something that she can get over.
TRENITY
It was with a man.
Grandmother placed both hands in her lap and took a deep breath. She looked directly into Trenity’s face.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
Trent let me explain something to you. You and Madison can work it out. It would be best that you work it out. This family has seen its share of ups and down. There were several times that I could have divorced Jefferson but I didn’t.
TRENITY
Gran, I don’t know. I love her. The person…well man…that she caught me with…I am still with.
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
I know. I have had your trailed several times.
TRENITY
Why?
GRANDMOTHER ELLA
In order for me to ask you not to divorce my granddaughter…I needed to know what you were doing.
Do you love this person?
Trenity lowered his head and shook it slowly. He thought about everything that he was going through with Noah. Trenity didn’t have the heart to tell Grandmother Ella that he lost his pharmacy. He felt tightness in his chest and a lump in his throat.
TRENITY
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!