The Hands Of Time

Chapter 4: November 14, 2011

1:29pm

Newark, NJ

Things for Jace were now as sweet as honey-coated sugar. With the Powerball ticket having been paid out the previous day, he and JP had the glorious pleasure of splitting $657 million dollars down the middle 50/50, and as he cruised up Clinton Avenue to a doctor's appointment in his brand new 2012 Cadillac Escalade he was intensely focused on the Newark Police Commissioner as he discussed the old serial killer Casper on an A.M. talk radio station.

"We have not, and I repeat HAVE NOT stopped looking for the individual who was responsible for the deaths of over fifty people in a five year period. Those cases remain active even though it seems that this person hasn't killed anyone since the unfortunate death of Candy Evans in her apartment over a year ago."

At a red light on the corner of Clinton Avenue and South 18th Street, Jace noticed the frustrated tone of the man who was interviewing the police director.

"So you mean to tell me Commissioner that even though there haven't been any new leads in any of the cases of Casper's victims in over a year, they all remain under an active investigation status?! Even with all of the other crimes and issues that plague this city?! Is that what I'm hearing from you sir?!"

Before the director could respond, Jace switched the station since the discussion about Casper brought to mind bad memories. As funny as it might seem, he thought. None of this would've been possible if Candy hadn't been killed. The very thought of it made him shake his head in disbelief.

It took the love of his life dying for him to accomplish what was arguably the greatest achievement of his life. As he made the left turn onto Howard Street to reach Nye Avenue, the irony of this wasn't lost on Jace.

Even though he was close to fulfilling his wish of going back and preventing Candy's death, the fact that her dying had brought his greatest fantasy to life made everything that was happening bittersweet to say the least, and as he made the turn into the parking lot behind his cardiologist's office at 50 Union Avenue, Jace shook all of the long-suffering thoughts from his mental.

He was going to be able to have his cake and eat it too, and that in his opinion was nothing to belittle, especially by dwelling on thoughts and emotions from the past.

4:43pm

Newark, NJ

"No Jason! I refuse to accept it and there ain't a mu'fuckin' thing you or anybody else can do to make me accept it!"

Jace stood in his mother's living room withstanding her verbal barrage after having just showed her the paperwork for the new house he had purchased for her on Goodhart Drive in Livingston, which was a very affluent community approximately ten minutes driving distance from Livingston Mall.

"What are you talking about Ma?! This is what you've always wanted isn't it?! To get out of Newark and away from 'the violence and the disparity that's ruining this once great city'....those were your words Ma, I just want to make that happen for you."

Ms. Harris sat on her worn yet comfortable fifteen-year-old sofa and tried to prevent the buildup of moisture in her eyes from cascading down her face to no avail. Here was her only son, using his blessings to make one of her lifelong dreams come true and she just didn't know how to gratefully accept it.

She was an independent woman who had worked all of her life and had never asked anyone for anything for herself or for her son. Like many single mothers in the hood, Ms. Harris was the unfortunate victim of being too proud and too strong which sometimes blocked the blessings that people tried to bestow upon her.