Goodbyes
Setting: The Johnson Estate; Nine years ago today, late evening. Triggers: Mentions of police brutality Cut for Length: 1140 Note: Mentions of @isaamghazani; A para taking place nine years ago today after Darius and Sam got arrested. If you didn’t read the para, Darius and Sam were accused of hurting a fellow student named Benjamin when it was in fact the fault of someone else in their biker gang. Sam and Darius were arrested, bail was posted by Sam’s mother and eventually their records were sealed as plea bargains in exchange for community service. They never got to clear their names.
He had spent the night at Riker’s along with Sam. The bail was posted late and Darius was cold. He imagined this moment plenty of times before in his head. The last 48 hours had felt longer in his mind and all he wanted was a warm bed. Sam got his, even asked Darius to come with him but he knew he had his own demons to face. The key turned in the door of the large home in Westbury and Darius was met at the door with one of the nannies. “Sima, thank you.” He whispered, removing his cap and handing her his sweater along with it.
“Your mothers did not meet you at the train station?” Why would she ask that? Of course they didn’t. Why would they.
“No. It’s okay. How’s Evie?” He looked up the winding stairs.
“Ms. Evelyn is fast asleep. She made you a ‘welcome home’ sign and I hung it up in your bedroom.”
“And where is mother?”
“Ms. Cynthia is stuck in the hospital.”
“And Sheri?”
“Your mother is in the den.”
Darius kissed Sima’s temple before making his way inside his home. He reeked of prison. Hated it. Hated the way he was handled by those cops and the fact that he couldn’t do anything but watch them do the same to Sam. He hated knowing Benjamin was in the hospital. Hated that Sam’s mom had to bail him out.
He stood in the doorway of Sheri’s den and knocked on the side.
“Come in.” She didn’t even bother to look up from her computer. “nice of you to show up.”
“Oh see…I would have been on time for dinner last night had someone posted bail.” He countered with a slight sneer his mom would make him pay for later.
“Darius, what in the hell were you thinking?”
“Sheri, do not start!” He held up his finger. “You left me there to rot and if Ami hadn’t posted bail, Sam and I would have been there longer.”
“It’s about time you and Sam and your delinquent friends got some sort of punishment.” She removed her glasses and looks up at her son. “How does it feel?”
“You’re paying Sam’s mom back. And you’ll pay for his bail too. We can afford it.”
“We? Oh no. No, no. there is no ‘we’ here. Cynthia and I can afford it. You can barely afford a bag of chips.” Sheri took a deep breath. If Cynthia were here, she’d finish this differently.
“Do you know they took my Ipod? My coat? I had to trek it to Westbury wearing nothing but the clothes I had on the day of the arrest.”
“Who told you to get arrested, Darius?” She asked her son genuinely. “You have everything you want here and you throw it away. You haven’t been home in weeks! But your mother is good to bail you out?!”
“Yes! Yes mother! That’s what mothers do! Along with other things that you seem to forget.”
“Oh Darius, you misguided child.”
“Don’t patronize me, mother!” Darius plopped down on the couch, his back now turned to Sheri. “You think I’m guilty.”
A pause. And to Darius it felt eternal.
“You do the crime, you do the time. We come from a long lineage of doctors and lawyers, Darius. We can’t have this kind of reputation just spewed around the office! I’m going to be chief for God sakes! Your mother wants to be associate Professor! You can go to Columbia for free! Does any of that mean anything to you or are you that selfish?”
He stared at the floor, his chest rising with every breath he took and as much as he tried to stop it, his tears fell and his eyes burned from the lack of sleep. “Do you know that if we go to trial and they don’t seal our records, we can go to prison for a long time?” He wiped his eyes. “Did you? Did you also know that those cops slammed my head against the hood of their car!? Huh!?” His voice escalated. “Did you know that I didn’t do anything to Benjamin!? Sam and I tried to stop it! You didn’t know because you were too busy being all high and mighty and throwing your own GODDAMN SON under a bus!”
“DARIUS!”
“NO!” He stood up and faced his mother. “I will NOT Stick around for this. You will drive me into the ground if you could. Don’t come to my trial. Don’t come to my aid. I don’t want your money. I don’t want anything from you.”
And with that he made his way out and towards the stairs, running up them and stopping when he saw Evelyn. “Hey! D! I made you a banner!”
“Oh…Evie…” He hadn’t seen her in weeks. Before the arrest, Darius was living with Sam after all. He crouched down, tears still in his eyes. “I’m gonna be away a bit longer now.”
“But Sima said…”
“I know…” He whispered. “I have to go. I have to take care of a lot of things. But look. I’m still going to take care of you, okay? I’m still going to be there for you. Call me. Everyday. Every single day, Evie. Okay? And we’ll talk about everything. I promise.”
“How will you do that if I disconnect your phone?” Sheri called from the bottom of the steps.
“I’ll get a job.” He answered before entering his room to grab more of his things. He noticed the banner and the sharp pain he felt in his chest was enough to make him cry even more. After gathering more clothes, he shouldered the strap of his gym bag and exited his room, Evie stood there sobbing.
“You can’t go, D! Mama and mother don’t help me like you do.”
“Evelyn…please go back to your room.” Sheri pleaded with her child but the eight year old wouldn’t budge, wrapping herself around her brother, hanging on as tight as she could.
“Take me with you, Darius. Please! I can work too. I can sell my drawings.”
Darius shook his head and looked down at Evelyn. “Evie…I promise I’ll come back. I promise. I have to go now.”
His little sister let go reluctantly and Darius made his way down the stairs, Sheri glaring at her son. “You walk out that door, Darius Rufus and you can forget about coming back.”
He stared at his mother for a good while almost as if he wanted to remember this moment and then walked past her, slamming the front door as he left his parent’s home. He’d figure out. He always did. And with that, he walked for miles to the nearest payphone and called the only person that could help him.
“Hey Sam…can I talk to your mom please?”