Between the Dollar and the Truth

Chapter 8

Back at the mansion, most of the lights were off, except in the

room where Genesis lounged on her chair in the bedroom. She

had on a flowing black nightgown. She wondered what kind of

emergency Shice was facing or if he was making excuses to leave

the house. The worry on her face was clear from the deep frown

lines on her forehead. A Psychic Friends commercial was playing

on the huge floor model television, promising to answer all questions

asked. Genesis paced back and forth in her room, her mind spinning

with frustration. She grabbed the phone, fingers hovering over the

buttons, but then she flung it across the bed. "Where are you, Shice?"

She thought to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Baby,

it's an emergency," still thinking to herself, "But the real emergency

is that I'm here, alone, again!" She clenched her fists, wondering

what kind of trouble he was getting into and was the trouble

concerning another woman.

With a surge of emotion, she clenched the expensive necklace

around her neck, her hand shaking with frustration. She had a

urge to throw it away, to rid herself of the reminder of being at

home alone with another expensive gift to keep her pacifier. A

sudden sound interrupted her inner battle - the chime of the doorbell,

breaking the tension like a ray of hope.

She spun around, clutching the necklace tightly, saving

it from destruction. The doorbell rang out again. Genesis

hurried to the door, knocking the clock onto the floor.

The door rang a third time. She picked up the clock

from the floor and slowed her pace down on the

way to open the front door. It was her best friend,

Rhonda. Genesis was disappointed but not upset. "Oh

Rhonda, hey girl come on in." She oozed out. Rhonda could

hear the disappointment in her voice and felt that her friend

was in some type of agony. Her friend Rhonda, was never

one for subtleties. "Genesis, you don't sound so good...

I came over to check up on my friend. Oh, and this is my aunt

I am taking care of for a while. Right on que Aunt Dulley,

shouted out loud like she was crazy but really, she suffered

from Alzheimer's disease, Aunt Dulley said: "Watching...

who's watching me; I thought we lost that fool on the highway.

The only thing I want from him is my lock and grip denture cream."

Then she started mumbling underneath her breath.