Violets Are Blue

chapter 16: Violet

I was up and ready for school. Once there I talked to my friends. I was social. I was happy. I was smiling, I was cheerful, I was….. back to normal. For the first time in a long time, I was happy and normal. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my mother was bettering herself. Of course it was.
“You’re pretty happy today.” A friend said.
“Yeah I know, I’m just happy to be happy.” I replied.
“Well I’m glad you’re happy again.”
I smiled, “Thank you.”
The rest of the day went by fast, and as always I excelled in my classes. I even raised my hand to every question, instead of my usual quiet demeanor. I talked to all my friends and teachers. Throughout the entire time, I never stopped smiling. There was nothing that can bring me down today. Nothing.
After school I went straight to the rehab clinic to see my mother, stopping at a local retail store to buy her a little clothes, I noticed she didn’t bring any with her. I walked in and asked the receptionist if I can give my mother these clothes.
“Oh I’m sorry, Rose left to go pick up a few things from her home this morning. She hasn’t been back since, but you can leave the clothes here.”
My heart sank. “Thank you.” I said. I was on my way to her shelter. I left the clothes with the receptionist, I told her to give them to my mother when she returns.
I wondered if she truly went back to get her things, or for something else. I hurried, taking the fastest buses. Once there I asked the nearest lady on the porch.
“Excuse me um-”
“Natasha,” the lady said, while looking down. This was a common trait drug addicts around here shared.
“Have you seen Rose?”
Natasha looked up toward me, she was mexican. She wore a red shirt, black pants, and no shoes. Her hair was messy and her face was greasy and wrinkled. Despite this I knew she was no more than near my mother’s age.
“Yeah, she came by to pick up some clothes, but when she tried to leave, cops came and took her. They said she was a suspect for a robbery of a house near the upper-side of town.”
That had to be my house. I hoped the cops were wrong. They are wrong, my mother would never rob me. Would she? I remembered Lily’s story. What if she did? What if she robbed her own daughter? I quickly stopped thinking about it, I know she wouldn’t do something like this. Rob someone? Yes, but I would never think she would rob me.
“Thank you.” I said, as I was walking away.
“Hey!” Natasha yelled. I turned back around, and she said, “Can you give me some money?”
“I’m sorry I can’t.”
The lady smirked, “But you be givin’ yo’ momma money for her drugs, why not me? What a damn shame.”
“Mind your mouth, my mother is getting better.”
The lady laughed and said, “Her pimp will only let her be gone for so long. A lady like her gone always be back, she gon’ find a way to be back. It’s who she is, and who she will always be…… Baby-girl.”
I ignored her mocking comment, I bottled up whatever thought and emotion that would have came out and was on my way. I went straight home. I had a feeling that Abigail had something to do with this. Of course she did. I know Abigail knew that Rose knew where we stayed. She knows I love my mother enough to bring her to the house, bring her in. I don’t care if she knew or not,  I know my mother didn’t do it, and that’s all that matters.
Once there, close to nine O’clock, I opened the door, and to my luck Abigail was there about to leave.
“Where you going?” I said, with anger in my voice.
Abigail sighed and said, “I’m going to the police station.”
“I knew it!” I said, stepping back so she can step outside, “You fat hag, why did you tell the cops that my, damn, mother did this!”
“I didn’t!” Abigail slightly yelled, “They found hair while you were away, the hair belonged to your mother.”
“That’s because I brung her here!” I screamed.
“You brought her here?” Abigail said. She rubbed her eyes and began taking deep breaths.
“I did. But I know she wouldn't steal from us, her own damn flesh and blood!”
Abigail kept on breathing in and out.
“Why did you even bring her here?” Abigail asked.
“Because this was supposed to be her damn house!”
There was silence. I continued, “This was supposed to be her house, her car, her marriage, her life!” I felt tears streaming down my eyes. “You took that all away from us. You! You!”
I began to cry. “My father was suppose to still be here with my mother. Being my father. Being my best friend. Being here to walk me down the aisle. Maybe if you never split up my parents he would still be here and my mother wouldn’t be a drug addict!”
“Violet.” Abigail said. She tried to grab my hand but I pushed it away. I calmed myself down. I snapped on her again. The pit in my stomach was forming again, but this one nearly consumed my body. I was becoming weak in the knees.
“Let's go to the police station.” Abigail said.
I nodded in agreement, not looking her in the face at all. I couldn’t look at her in the face, or I might say more things. Things that would break her down into the shattered glass that she has already become.
Once there we were greeted by the same officer who came to our house when Abigail called.
“Where’s my mother!?” I said.
“She’s in the interrogation room.”
“Why do you have her?” I asked.
“She’s the prime suspect, we found her hair in the house.” the cop said.
“That was because I brought her there about two weeks ago, maybe a piece of loose hair fell out on that day.”
The cop sighed and said, “Follow me.”
The cop led us to a room next to the interrogation room, and had a two way mirror that allowed us to see my mother.
I saw my mother. She was sitting down with her head down on the table. She wore a black shirt, with blue jeans, and red sandals. Her hair was still the same color. I walked up to the glass and knocked on it.
“Momma!” I yelled.
My mother looked up. She couldn’t see me but she knew I was there.
“Baby-girl!” She exclaimed, “Hear me out baby, mama did nothing wrong, whatever they tryna keep me in here for!”
“I know mama, I know,” I said back. I walked toward the officer. “please let her go, she has done nothing wrong.”
“Violet we found her hair inside of your house, she is a prime suspect.” The cop replied.
“That’s not why,” I said, with desperation in my voice, “I already told you, I brought her to my house. Her hair could have fallen back there. My mom has been going to rehab to get clean, and even if she did she was hopped up on drugs at the time.”
I regretted saying that. I hated to admit that she could have done it, not to mention I told the cop. I was more concerned on why I said hopped up on drugs, as if her judgement on her own flesh and blood changed due to them. I didn’t want to say any of this, It just slipped out.
“Well it doesn’t matter what you said,” The cop said. I guess that he didn’t hear my final words, he knew I was speaking out of desperation. “Even if she has been in your house before, I can’t just ignore her background. She can be charged and as far as we are concerned she did have a hand in this robbery. The only person who can drop the charges is your step-mother.”
I turned toward Abigail. She was mentally not with us at the moment. She had a blank stare in her eyes. She was most likely hurt by what I said before we came here. I walked towards her anyway.
“Abigail.” I said.
She came back to. “Yes.” she said.
“Please free my mother, she has nothing to do with this.”
“Violet I don’t kno-”
“Please!” I said with desperation in my voice, “Please.”
She thought for a moment. Too long in fact.
“Do you love my father?” I said.
Abigail’s expression changed, This face showed sadness and nostalgia.
“Of course I love your father.” she said.
I grabbed her hand, “Then please let my mama go, you of all people know he wouldn’t let them take Rose, she wouldn’t take his ring, and you should know how much of a kind heart he had.”
Abigail looked towards the officer and said, “While it's clear she may have did it, I would like to drop all charges on Rose Jefferson. Only Rose Jefferson, because of the possibility her hair fell out of her head only when my step-daughter brought her to our home.”
The police officer nodded. He walked into the interrogation room and told Rose she was free to go. I walked into the hallway, as my mother did and I hugged her. She hugged me back.
“Thank you baby-girl.” She said.
I saw her looking passed me. I could tell she was staring at Abigail. She stopped hugging me and just stared at her. “What’s that white bitch doing here?”
“Mama!” I said, not allowing her flagrant words to continue. “She got you out, mama, please be nice.”
It was like she didn’t hear me.
“Can you at least tell us who the others were?” Abigail said.
I shot a look at her. I was angered she would ask that. I looked at my mother who still had an angry face. She refused to speak.
“It’s ok,” Abigail said, “All charges have been dropped, just please tell us who were the others,” She still didn’t answer. Abigail remained quiet.
“I’ll see you at home.” she finally said, and she was on her way. She knew my mother wouldn’t tell her even if she was involved or not.
I decided to walk with my mother back to the rehab clinic. It was nice to see her. I couldn’t stop looking at her. Sure she looked somewhat the same but at the same time different. It had to be the help from the rehab and from Lily. I would have to thank her the next time I see her.
“You know you have this glow about you.” I said.
she smiled and laughed and said, “Thank you baby-girl, I just can’t believe that white bitch still thinks I did it.”
“Don’t worry about her, once you’re clean maybe you can get me back.”
“Oh I know baby-girl.” she said with a loving voice.
“So how is rehab?” I asked. I just had to know. I wanted to know what she has been doing, what Lily has been telling her.
My mother didn’t speak for a second, “It's been good we did a little this and that. Lily’s been helping me with it all.”
“I’m glad I got to meet her, I’m glad she’s been helping you. Lily is such an amazing person I’m sure she has told you her stories.”
“Stories?” My mom said.
“She hasn’t told you them?”
My mother smiled, “I mean she has, I just wouldn’t consider them stories. They are lessons that we learn from.”
I hugged my mother as hard as I could as we walked. I was so happy that she was going through this. I know I said that today wouldn’t get me down, but it did. Today shocked me. I cried today, I screamed, I became desperate, and yet I’m still happy. I was smiling at the beginning and I was smiling at the end, that's all the mattered, anything in between the beginning and the end didn’t.
We finally made it to the clinic. It was late but the lights were still on, but there was no one at the front desk. My mother didn’t go inside she just stood near the doors.
“Aren’t you gonna go in?” I asked.
“No, no I’m gonna stand outside for minute. You head on home, go on get, baby-girl, you got school tomorrow.”
My mother was right. I headed on my way and took a late night bus home.
Once home I walked inside to see Abigail in the living room. Right before I walked in, I swore I saw her put something under the pillow, but I didn’t pay no mind to it. Her face looked a little swollen but I remembered she was gaining weight. I didn’t care, I had to say something to her.
“Abigail,” I said. She looked at me. “Don’t think anything has changed since you helped me. I meant what I said before we left to the police station, and I damn sure won’t forget that you confronted my mother. I just wanted to say... thank you. Thank you for getting my mother out of jail.”
It was the nicest thing I ever said to her. I really meant it too. I still hated her with all my heart, but that doesn’t mean I can't thank her for helping me. It lets me know that she has some kindness in her heart.
“You’re welcome.” she said with a smile. I called it a night and was a sleep once my body hit the mattress.