NO LONGER THERE

CLUSTER TWO

LILLIAN MY FOOT!

"Black motherfucker, wanted all the attention. Wanted to be the only nigga in the show."

Lillian and I heard Clarence's voice down the hall. I told you, Bryce Allen Phillips did not follow my advice.  When we walked into Clarence's room, he was sitting up in bed with his tan cowboy hat on his head, his rodeo vest over his hospital gown, an IV in his arm and his rope and bell in his hand.

"James, put down the bell," Lillian said.

"Lilly, you missed one hell of a party, didn't she son?" He beamed across the room at an embarrassed Bryce Allen Phillips.

Hershey Kiss sat in the corner on Nana's lap.mRoxy was next to them and Gigi had a chair pulled up next to Clarence's bed. Hershey ran to Lillian.

"Hershey Kiss, tell your momma how much of a good time you had."

Hershey buried her face in Lillian's scrubs and whimpered. Daddy look confused.

Gigi chimed in, "Hey dair Lillian, good to see you. My baby boy showed out tonight."

Lillian managed a half smile. "Hi, Charlotte, good to see you too."

Nana called Hershey back to the corner. They whispered, then left the room. I bet Nana promised Hershey a soda, so she could go sneak a puff of her green cigarette. Roxy followed them. From the look on her face, I could also wager she was going to take a puff of Nana's green cigarette.

Gigi stood, then kissed Clarence on the cheek. "Look here, baby, I love you. I'm going home to check on my house before them greedy neighbors of mine take all the food. Imma call ya wife later to see how you doing okay? Happy Birthday."

Bryce walked Gigi outside to wait for Uncle Jessie. My fine ass man was such a gentleman. Lillian sat in Gigi's chair and I sat on the bed, next to Daddy's legs.

"James, it's time."

Daddy smiled at me and Lillian.

"Time for what Lilly?" he asked.

"Time to sit the family down and have the talk about what's going on with you."

Clarence looked at Lillian as though she violated his honor.

"I'm not having a talk. There's nothing going on with me," he replied.

"James, we discussed this last year. We knew it would be hard, but you told me when it was time to let you know. I'm here." She gripped his hand. "And I'm letting you know, it's time."

Clarence reared back in the bed and laughed as he rung his bell.

I yelled, "Daddy, stop."

"I'm not listening to your mother right now, babygirl. my bell sounds better." He looked at Lillian. "See, there's nothing going on with me."

I blurted out. "You called me and Hershey Kiss bitches, Daddy." 

Clarence dropped the bell. I may as well have stabbed him in the heart. That's the amount of anguish that appeared on his face. Lillian's mouth dropped as his pain spread to her. I flopped to my knees at my daddy's bedside and cried because that anguish had reached me too.

Bryce Allen Phillips walked in, right on time and does what he always seemed to do. He pulled me from my knees, removed me from my daddy's hospital room, the unfortunate source of my pain, and embraced me in his loving arms before I jumped off a cliff. I was so glad he was there.

I didn't know, by that point, if he was still happy to be there. Either way, I was exhausted and ready to get into my Restoration Hardware showroom display bed. Lillian would be at the hospital for the remainder of the night. I was ready for Bryce Allen Phillips to climb into my Restoration Hardware showroom display bed with me, and hold me until I fell into a deep sleep and out of the nightmare I was currently in.