Part 53 (2/2)
”You'll have to get an army to keep me away.”
They laughed together.
”There's something I need to tell you,” she said, sounding serious.
”Yeah?”
”It's something bad. Real bad.”
He looked at her curiously.
Her tone turned to a faint whisper. ”If you're my lawyer, I can tell you anything, right?”
”You could tell me anything even if I wasn't your lawyer.”
”I know, but this is real bad.”
”Doesn't matter how bad it is.”
She pulled him closer. ”You hear 'bout Big Bob?”
”I read about it in the papers. He was killed.”
”He sure was.”
”You know something about that?”
She looked him in the eye. ”I was the one.”
”The what?”
”I was the one who killed him.”
Joshua swallowed hard. ”Why?”
”He found me and beat me bad. Sent me back into the streets, his streets, demanding all kinds of money. Made a habit of beating me when I came up short. One night, he met me in an alley. I was real sick then, and he still wants his money and all. I didn't have anything. He came at me like he was going to kill me, only he didn't know I had a knife. I Finished it there and then.”
Joshua stared at her.
She waited for a response, tears fell from her eyes.
”It's okay,” he said. He wiped her tears again.
”It's not okay,” she replied, ”but it is over.”
”Yes, that it is. Over and done. So leave it be; you've got more important things to worry about. You have to get healthy.”
”Yes, I do, and I will.”
”I know.”
They talked a little more, and he promised to return the next day. She would be out of the hospital in another week, and would be staying with Jerome. Joshua a.s.sured her he would come by often, spend as much time as possible with her, as much time as she had.
”That could be a while,” she said. ”I plan on sticking around for a long time.”
”I plan on it too,” he said as he kissed her good-by. ”See you tomorrow.”
”Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
He came out of the hospital to a bright, crispy afternoon. He breathed deeply; the air was as fresh as it ever got in Brooklyn. He started toward the street, when he saw Jerome Williams walking in his direction. Jerome spotted him.
”So you came to see her,” Jerome said.
”You knew I would.”
”Yes, I did.”
”Thanks for telling me where she was,” Joshua said.
”She asked for you.”
Joshua smiled at his old friend. ”She seems like she's going to be okay.”
”The doc says she has some time if she lives right.”
”She's in good hands with you.”
”I'll do what I can.”
”I'd like to come around,” Joshua said.
”Hope you do.”
The two men looked at one another, each feeling the things that would forever remain unspoken between them. ”I'm sorry about Rachel Weissman,” Jerome said.
Joshua appreciated that Jerome knew her name. ”Thanks,” he said.
”Well, don't want to keep Celeste waiting,” Jerome said.
”Right.”
”See you around.”
”You will.”
They shook hands, and started to part when Joshua said, ”Jerome.”
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