The Family Reunion Part 2

Blind Sided

Worry and extreme caution were my only friends as I walked into the airport and purchased a plane ticket. The clerk looked at me as if she knew I was in danger and gave me a ticket free of charge.

"Hey, you get yourself out of here understand?" she whispered through her large glasses and hot pink lipstick. "If anyone comes looking for you, I've never seen you before."

I nodded and thanked her before taking the ticket and heading to the bathroom to freshen up. All I could think about was Mark and my poor baby who were lost without me. I wondered if my own mother even thought about me or if she knew of my whereabouts. I was completely relaxed once I boarded the plane. I got a seat next to the window by this guy who was big enough to squish me. I didn't let it bother me though. Hos large frame reminded me of Mark's safe embrace.

I put my hood over my head, leaned my head to the side and fell asleep. It would take me 8 hours to get back Texas so I was going to need the rest.

While I was sleeping on the plane, I had a dream that it had to make an emergency landing due to a passenger who was caught sneaking around 1st class. Come to find out this person wasn't even supposed to be on the plane. When the security guards walked him through our area, I was frightened to see my uncle's face. When he spotted me he fought off the security guards and came straight at me. I braced myself for impact, but instead I woke up from the dream. The man next to me was snoring so loud that everyone in the plane was looking in our direction. I sighed and turned away from everyone, going back to sleep.

Around 5 that next morning, our plane began to descend on Texas ground. I opened my eyes as the pilot spoke over the intercom, warning everyone to remain seated until the plane came to a complete stop. I sat up and straightened out my back, carefully glancing around at everyone on the plane. I was about to get up so I could follow the rest of the passengers out, but I spotted a man who looked a lot like Rocky sitting in the back row. My heart started pounding as he got up and slid into the middle aisle to walk past me. I didn't look directly at him, I just bent down as if I was picking something up. Once he was past me, I stood up and followed the big guy off of the plane. From the top of the stairs I watched him get in a limo, a limo I recognized all too well.

Once it drove off, I felt safe again. I walked as fast as I could to get in the building and call a cab since I couldn't remember anyone's number by heart. I waited only 15 minutes for the cab to come pick me up, and another 10 just to get back to Mark's house. I was a little hesitant to get out of the cab at first, but hearing my baby crying inside was enough to make me nearly jump out of the cab. My heart was racing as I ran up on the porch and started knocking as hard as I could.

I was really excited when those familiar footsteps sounded in the hall and the lock was clicked open. When the door opened, I came face to face with the man I fell in love with. He looked into my eyes at first with excitement…but then his face became cold and bitter.

"Oh look who it is Aaliyah….the woman who ran off to find a better life and left us all alone." He said.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion, "Huh?"

"Oh don't play dumb Carmen. I found your letter and to be honest it doesn't surprise me at all that you pulled a stunt like this." He snapped. "Why are you even here?"

"I'm here because I'm running from the man who kidnapped me a few weeks ago!" I said.
"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Funny, your uncle said you would probably say something like that once you came back." He said. "Tell me, did you find what you were looking for because I sure would love to have that ring back please."

I gasped in disbelief. This man was supposed to love me and yet he was ready to believe the lies of my family members over me. "So…you never really trusted me this entire time."

"How could I?" he snapped. "You always run away from a situation you can't handle so it made sense that you took off when I told you to go speak to your mom."

I started to cry, "I did speak to her."

"Not according to my source." He said. "Look take your kid and get off my property. I don't want to talk to you."

"Are you serious?" I cried. "I just escaped from my uncle and you have the nerve to accuse me of running off! All I could think about was you and my daughter!"

He folded his arms and stepped out of my way, "I said get your kid and go."

I shook my head and walked into the house. I heard Aaliyah crying in the living room so I headed there, only to find her sitting in the playpen. When she saw me, her face lit up with excitement. She crawled to the wall of the playpen and stood up so I could pick her up. It felt good to have her in my arms again. At least she still loved me. Mark didn't say a word as I carried her upstairs and packed her stuff so she could go with me. I wasn't sure where we would go, but I had the money to get a hotel room. On my way out the door I stopped and handed him the engagement ring.

"If and when you find out how wrong you are….don't come looking for my forgiveness." I said.

He stared at the ring for a moment and then said, "You keep it….I don't want to look at it knowing that you were in someone else's bed with it on."

My eyes watered more before I placed the ring in my pocket and left the house with my baby. I didn't know what my uncle told the rest of my family, but I was sure that seeing them was out of the question.