“That’s not how it is, David.”
“Please don’t tell anyone.”
“They won’t hear it from me. We’re partners. You have to be able to trust your partner. Right?”
“Right.”
Nathan glanced out the window a moment, then met David’s eyes. “For what it’s worth, even though I don’t have a father on earth, the Bible says I do have a Father in heaven. God created us. He searches for us when we’re lost, and He forgives us. And it says the way to know the Father is through His Son Jesus.”
David listened.
“I want to tell you just two verses I’ve memorized, okay? First, Psalm 68:5. It says God is ‘a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.’ Your mother and mine weren’t widows in the way we normally think because our dads didn’t die. But they’re like widows because they were abandoned and husbandless, just like we’re fatherless. Does that make sense?”
David nodded.
“The other verse is Psalm 27:10. It says, ‘Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.’ When I came to faith in Christ, God became my Father.”
David looked doubtful.
“This isn’t pretend, David. It really happened and it changed my life. When William Barrett showed me what a dad could be like, it made me open my heart to God as a Father. The search for a father is a search for the Father. God is all-powerful and proved His love by going to the cross for me. In my life, that has made all the difference.”
Nathan stood, smiled, and put his hand on his young partner’s shoulder. “Next time we get the cheappuccino. And it’s on you.”
TJ and his Gangster Nation gathered in a vacant building to jump in their new recruit, who would join the family with his blood.
Several young boys gathered outside to watch the initiation through a window. Someday, they hoped, they would join the gang too. The women’s world of home and church wasn’t for them. What they couldn’t find there, they would find someday in a street family where the leaders were men, untamed and unfeminized.
TJ circled the boy, watching to measure his fear. “You ready to become a man, baby G?”
Derrick Freeman, dressed in his school clothes, swallowed hard, then nodded. TJ slapped him to the ground. Ten other gang members hit and kicked him. After thirty seconds, blood flowed. TJ yelled, “Fight back, tiny!”
Derrick fought, swinging his long arms. He got in a few good hits. Some hit him harder while others gave him a wider berth.
“That’s it,” TJ yelled after two minutes that felt like two hours to Derrick. “I said, that’s it!”
Everyone backed off.
Though bleeding badly, Derrick had drawn blood on a couple of them too.
Derrick held his stomach and breathed hard. His golf shirt was dirty and ripped, his face bruised and scratched.
TJ sat in front of Derrick on a makeshift throne. His head was wrapped in a black bandanna. His gold chain with the crown pendant stood out against a black tank top.
“You done good, little G,” TJ said. “Tore up your preppy outfit, didn’t they? Don’t go high sidin’ us, honor student, thinkin’ you’re better than us. Got that?”
Derrick nodded, wondering what he dared not say aloud—If this is family, why’d you have me beat up so bad?
TJ leaned forward and stared Derrick down. He spoke not only to him but to every member of the gang. “You said you wanted in. This is how we do this thing. And the pain you feelin’ now ain’t nothin’ compared to what we’ll do if you ever try to leave or turn on one of us.”
“So I’m in?” Derrick said.
“Yeah, you in. You ain’t just a hood rat now. You family. Once you in, we take care of our own, dawg. You belong to us now. Get him up, ’Toine.”
The big man pulled Derrick to his feet. A voice deep inside Derrick, which he feared was his grandmother’s, said, “Why would you want to be in? What you need is to be out.” But that voice was overpowered by another that said, “You’re legit now. You belong. You got a real family of men, not just a gramma.”
TJ stood up and stepped toward Derrick. “Now that I ain’t got Clyde and Jamar no more, thanks to them county brownies, I’m gonna need someone makin’ those runs for me.”
Derrick wasn’t excited about selling drugs, but cash was king.
TJ beckoned to Antoine. “Get me a deuce-deuce.”
Antoine tossed the little gun to TJ, who handed it to Derrick. “This your first piece?”
Derrick nodded, taking the .22.
“You show what you can do with it; then Daddy get you somethin’ bigger than this peashooter.”
TJ put his arms around Derrick, hugging him.
It felt like the hug of a father. At least Derrick imagined it did.
Since he had never experienced a father’s hug, how was he to know the difference?
Chapter Twelve
Adam tried to wait it out, but Javy never stopped. Finally Adam said, “I’m meeting some buddies for lunch. Take a break!”
Javier waved and went right on working. Day before yesterday Adam had been worried the guy wouldn’t be a hard worker; now he was bugged that Javy worked harder than he did. He could barely keep up.
Adam turned down Westover toward Old Dawson, then to Meredyth Drive, his mouth watering for the beef brisket at Austin’s Barbeque & Oyster Bar. As he pulled into the parking lot, he deliberated about which two of the six sauces to combine on his brisket. Manual labor gave him a king-size appetite.
He entered wearing a sweaty gray T-shirt, jeans, a navy-blue DCSD ball cap, and work boots. Nathan, David, and Shane were wearing their uniforms and were halfway through their meal. As he approached the table, Adam noticed the remains of fried dill pickle chips and cheese grits.
“Okay, guys, I’m seriously hungry. While you drive around town on your backsides, I’ve been doing honest work.” Adam gripped the menu tighter as if trying to wrest from it something it was holding back. “Well, brisket sounds good. Or a side of oysters. Maybe pork chops. Or some wings. Fried shrimp might hit the spot. What’s the Wednesday special?”
A tall, cute brunette approached the table. “My name’s Julianna, and I’ll take your order. Have you decided?”
Shane said to her, “This will go faster if he just tells you what he doesn’t want.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll have the brisket. And . . . a half side of ribs. And mashed potatoes. And mac ’n’ cheese. And green beans to make it healthy.”
The server stared at Adam. “Are you expecting someone else, sir?”
“No. If anything’s left, I’ll take it home in a doggie bag.”
“How big is your dog?” Julianna asked. The other guys grinned.
“For the sauce I want . . . chipotle and . . . honey spiced. Or . . . the pepper and mustard’s good, isn’t it? Remind me of the others; does one of them have bacon?”
After the usual ribbing, Nathan turned to Adam. “Hope you’re enjoying your vacation ’cause you missed a nasty fight on Ninth Avenue this morning.”
“Vacation? I’ve spent the last three days building a shed, and it’s kickin’ my tail.”
Shane winced. “Hey, I really am sorry about Javier not showing up. I meant to tell you that he called me Sunday night from the hospital. He has some serious kidney stones.”
“What are you talking about? He’s been helping me with my shed for the last three days.”
“No, I’m talking about my friend Javier.”
“That’s who I’m talking about. He showed up Monday morning, and he’s been working like a machine.”
“Impossible. The guy’s in the hospital.”
Adam put down the menu. “Shane, he’s at my house right now.”
“You’re outta your mind.”
“What does Javier look like?” Adam asked.
“He’s six-two, thin as a rail. Has a goatee.”
“I’d say no taller than five-nine, probably 240 pounds. Clean shaven.”
Nathan said,
“I’m no genius, but you guys aren’t talkin’ about the same dude.”
Shane smiled broadly and laughed. “I don’t know who’s at your house, Adam, but it ain’t Javier!”
Adam jumped to his feet. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”
There was a stranger on his property. Brisket would have to wait.
Adam exceeded the speed limit and pulled into his driveway four minutes later. He was relieved to see Javier exactly where he’d left him, nailing boards into the shed frame—as opposed to chasing Victoria with a nail gun. Adam jumped out with a cold-cop expression.
“Hey!”
“Back from lunch already?”
“Javier, what’s your name?”
Javier eyed Adam. “Javier?”
“No, what’s your full name?”
“Javier Eduardo Martinez. What’s your full name?”
“Adam Thomas Mitchell.” What’s that got to do with . . . ? “You know Shane Fuller?”
“Shane Fuller? No. What’s his full name?”
“It’s Shane . . . no, no. Who told you I was building a shed?”
“You did.”
“Who told you I’d pay you $150 a day?”
“You did.”
“What? You’re not the guy I thought I was hiring!”
“Then how did you know to call me Javier?”
“I thought your name was Javier.”
“It is.”
Adam scanned his brain cells. They were already in jeopardy from not having had one bite of brisket or mashed potatoes.
“Why were you standing in my alley Monday morning?”
“I needed a job. Why did you ask me to help you?”
“Because I thought you were a guy named Javier.”
“I am.”
“No, I mean . . . you don’t have kidney problems, do you?”
“No.” Javier paused. “Do you?”
“No.” Adam stood still, hoping for a burst of clarity that didn’t arrive.
“I can tell you this,” Javier said. “By you giving me this job, it has been an answer to my family’s prayers.”
“Well, you’re doing good work. Uh . . . you sure I can’t get you anything to eat?”
“No thanks. My wife’s lunch was big enough.”
Adam walked away, wondering whether he should go check the fridge, hurry back to Austin’s Barbeque, or just find an animal on the street, shoot it, and throw it on the grill.
He said to Javier, “I’m going to go get some lunch.”
“You are hungry again? Already?”
That evening the Hayes family was preparing for dinner when a tricked-out Dodge rolled down their street and stopped in front of their house. The driver stepped out with a newfound swagger and rang the doorbell.
When Jade opened the door, her eyes opened wide. She smiled, stepped outside, and closed the door behind her.
“Hey, how are you doing?” she asked.
Derrick wore a yellow- and white-striped golf shirt, untucked, with baggy jeans and new Nike Air Force 1s. He had a Band-Aid on his face and an obvious bruise on his jaw.
“Whassup?”
“What happened to your face?”
“Nothin’. Was just playin’ around with some friends. Check out my ride.” Derrick pointed to the freshly waxed inferno-red Magnum with nineteen-inch custom chrome wheels.
“Is that your car?”
“Nah, it’s a friend’s, but I can drive it whenever. I really came to see if you want to get something to eat with me.”
“Ummm . . .” Jade searched for words. “I’d have to ask my dad. . . .”
The door opened, and Nathan stood there a moment wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. He saw Derrick, then the car, and stepped out on the porch. Jade winced.
“Jade, dinner’s almost ready.”
Nathan turned and looked Derrick straight in the eyes. He wished he were still in uniform, carrying his sidearm, so Derrick could make a permanent association between him and lethal force.
A boy coming to see his daughter. Strike one. Nevertheless, Nathan determined to be friendly and reasonable.
“Hello, how are you?” He extended his hand. Derrick gave him a weak handshake. Strike two.
“I’m good. You must be Jade’s dad?”
“I am. And you are?”
Jade nervously spoke up. “Daddy, this is my friend Derrick.”
“Nice to meet you, Derrick. You just in the neighborhood?”
“I came to see if Jade wanted to get something to eat with me. I’ll bring her back later.”
Strike three.
“Jade, why don’t you go inside?” Nathan said. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Jade glanced helplessly at Derrick as she closed the door.
“Derrick, I appreciate your interest in my daughter. But until she’s older, we won’t allow her to date.”
“This ain’t really a date. We just tryin’ to hang out.”
“Well, it’s important to us that she be older. And for us to know who she’s with.”
“What? You got a problem with me?” Derrick felt certain he could take down this old guy easy. But it wouldn’t score points with Jade.
Her father had more to say. “We just don’t know you, that’s all. Even when she’s older, any young man who wants to spend time with her will have to explain the purpose of the relationship.”
“The purpose?” Derrick said the word as if he had never heard it before, which struck Nathan as strange coming from an honor student. “It ain’t like I’m gonna take advantage of a fifteen-year-old girl.”
“Oh, I agree! You’ve got that right!” Nathan took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, Derrick, if you’d like to get to know us better, you’re welcome to join us for lunch on Sunday. We’d be happy to have you.”
Derrick acted like Nathan had invited him to dive off an oceanside cliff at low tide.
“How did you get that bruise on your face?” Nathan asked.
“That’s none of your business.”
“The moment you showed interest in my daughter, everything about you became my business.”
Derrick turned toward his car. He called over his shoulder, “You should let Jade make her own decisions!”
Nathan knew how to deal with difficult people in a calm and measured way. But this time, given what was at stake, he felt different. Part of him wanted to go after this smart-mouthed punk. He could take him down without breaking a sweat. But it wouldn’t score points with Jade.
And it wouldn’t be right.
Nathan watched Derrick drive away. Only after the car had turned off his street did he walk back in the house, telling himself to be calm, figuring someone in the family would need to be.
As Nathan closed the door, he saw Kayla still peeking through the blinds.
“I do not like that boy,” Kayla said. “He’s very disrespectful.”
Jade sat at the far end of the couch hugging a pillow, fighting tears. “How can he be respectful when Daddy runs him off like that?”
Nathan paused, preparing himself to speak more calmly than he felt. “Jade, if he shows no respect for us, then he won’t respect you either, sweetie.”
“Baby,” Kayla pleaded, “you’ve got to trust us. That boy has a lot of growing up to do.”
While a torrent of words ricocheted off the insides of all three heads, silence prevailed.
Kayla said, “We’d better go eat while it’s still hot.”
“Come on, Jade,” Nathan said.
“I’m not hungry!”
“I’d still like you to sit with us.”
Jade, feeling like a prisoner without options, said, “I need to use the bathroom.” She went in, locked the door, and texted Derrick: IMS my dad was so rude. TTYL.
Fifteen seconds later she was at the dinner table.
After five days of steady work, and nearly finished with the shed, Adam and Javy placed the last few roof panels. As they went, they double-checked the posit
ion of each board. Few things seemed as sweet to both men as finishing a job that qualified for a big “Well done.”
Adam said to Javy, “Let me be sure I got it. Carmen’s your wife, and your children are Isabel and Marcos?”
“Yes. Carmen teaches them at home.”
Adam thought he heard a faint sound and glanced around. He couldn’t pinpoint it.
Javy said, “And you have two kids?”
Adam nodded. “Emily, whom you met, is my sweet nine-year-old. Dylan’s my stubborn fifteen-year-old.”
Javier smiled.
“I think he’s just going through a stage. No track practice today, so you can meet him in a minute when he comes home. I think Emily’s at a birthday party.”
Twenty feet away, on the workbench, Adam’s cell phone vibrated.
Adam said, “You know that thread factory on Clark?”
“Yes, I’ve seen it.”
“I know the guys who run it. I could talk to them about a job.”
Javier froze. “You mean a full-time job?”
“Why not? I’d recommend you.”
Javier smiled. “I would be very grateful.”
Both men heard a siren and turned toward the street. A sheriff’s patrol car stopped in front of Adam’s driveway. Shane Fuller jumped out, panic on his face. “Adam, I need you to come with me right now.”
“What’s wrong?”
Shane struggled for breath. “Emily.”
“What?”
“She’s been in a wreck.”
Javier watched as Adam ran to the car with Shane and jumped in the passenger side. The car sped away, lights flashing, siren blaring. Javy could think of just one thing to pray. “Dios, vaya con ellos.”
As the cruiser rounded the corner onto Westover Boulevard, Adam caught enough breath to speak. “Talk to me, Shane!”
“The Martins picked Emily up after school.”
“Yeah, the party. What happened?”
“Their SUV was hit by a drunk driver at a four-way stop. On Emily’s side.”
Adam stared vacantly at Shane and removed his sweaty cap.
“Nathan went to get Victoria. It doesn’t look good, Adam.”