Thugs Ain't For Me: Chapter II

40: The Chief

*Sunday*

The Chief

"Excuse me Mr. Hartford? The members are here to see you now." I was just finishing up some paperwork for the city's fire department.

"What room?" I ask.

"Room 302. Third floor." He quickly exits my office, leaving me to gather my things. I shuffle through papers looking for my phone. "Found you." I snatch it up. On my way out, Beatrice meets me at the door. I sigh.

"I don't have time for your non sense right now Beatrice." I inform her. My heart rate gradually increases as I check my watch. "I have a very important meeting--"

"Like always Manuel you're just to busy for your family." She huffs and shakes her head. I close the door behind her so our business stays discreet.

I clench my jaw, "You're not my family and I have to go." I straighten my tie and proceed past her.

"I was family." She grabs my arm before I could open the door. "Until you decided that sleeping around was more important than being married to me."

"This sounds like something we should of discussed in counseling...three years ago." I fire at her.

"You were never there!" She fires back. "I remember the first time you ever cheated on me." She smirks. "1989....Six years after we got married. It was with that Hispanic intern of yours when you worked in that corporate office--when you wasn't no damn body but you felt like just because you got that promotion the name Manny Hartford meant something. But it didn't Manny, and I was there when you couldn't pay a damn bill. Do you remember any of this? Or are you to important now?"

I avoid eye contact and just stand in front of my office door, taking it all in. "You always told me you didn't want to become like your screwed up father--and look at you...just like hi--" I jerk out of her grip.

"Don't you dare compare me to him!" I grab her throat. "I am nothing like him." I lower my tone.

"...You fail to see it Manny....you are every bit of him. But the sad part is...you put your two daughters through all of it. Have you ever considered that our baby girl is laying up in a mental facility because of her absent father?" I examine her eyes and release her neck.

I try to relax. "You need to leave Beatrice. Now." With one thrust I swung the door open and headed to the elevator. I am now six minutes late. I glare across my shoulder at Beatrice who knew better and decided to take the stairs out. In the elevator is where Beatrice's words really slammed into me. 'My baby girl in the hospital because of me' I couldn't believe that no matter what she said. I already lived with guilt.

November 19, 1997 10:40pm

I ran into the hospital. Fastest I've ever ran in my life. I made a sharp turn into labor and Delivery. She wasn't in the room. I stood and thought. I raced to the nursery. Her loving expression turned into a glare when she noticed me standing a few feet from her, watching her hold our little girl.

"I'm extremely sorry Trice." I move next to her but she moved away. I got a glimpse at her and she was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. "Trice don't be like that.." I try again but she just continued to dodge me. "Can I see her?" I finally give up. She directed her attention to the wall clock next to her.

"She was born at 5 this evening." Her voice was hoarse. I could imagine it's from all the screaming during labor. "It's almost 11pm." My emotions shifted and now I felt this guilt boiling in the pit of my stomach. "Your daughter has been alive for five hours and you missed her being born. You didn't witness the cries when she took in her first breath. Your child Manuel." Tears dripped from her eyes as she leaned over to plant kisses on her delicate face.