"Zoe I have to tell you about your father's" famous last words by mother before she slipped into the grips of the coma, her cancer had progressed into its final stage, the medication was no longer working, there was nothing the doctors could but get comfortable and wait for the inevitable end , my mother was going to die and there was nothing I could for her but somehow through all that pain she struggled to mention my elusive father's who I abandoned her who abandoned me.
I felt so angry with her for thinking about a selfish man who obviously didn't care about her, i felt angry with myself for being born, I couldn't these feelings to her though given the circumstances,the visiting hours were almost done and she couldnt hear me, Despite all my anger I was devastated and scared, if mother were to die there was no one else I could turn too, my mother's family disowne when she had me they severed all ties with her, basically I were alone,I was alone.
"
morning Visiting hours are done Zoe, you can come back in the afternoon though " spoke nurse Jensen she was my mom's only friend and a shoulder to cry on for me during this whole ordeal she been keeping an eye on me I my mother stead, she was a kind older woman with sad eyes like me. " Hailee will bring you something to eat later and some work from school,I keep you posted if the the condition changes". I nodded silently making my way downstairs to the parking lot, I held back the tears till I was in the car , taking the opportune moment of privacy to cry, venting all my anger and frustration on the steering wheel The view of my reflection in the mirror is what snapped me back to reality, my sad bloodshot eyes laden with sadness really put things into perspective, I had to stay strong, it was the only thing I could do. The parking lot seemed quiet aside for one car with it's its headlight deemed low, an old convertible with it's roof pulled on, it was the 4th time I have seen that car in a week alwats lurking near the hospital and the apartment or school , the plates seemed different but I was sure it was the car was the same.
Thinking nothing of it I drove out of the hospital parking to my poor excuse for a job as a waitress at a cafe . Ever since mom got sick I started helping out around the house, skipping school to do part time jobs to cover the essentials as most of mom's saving were used to pay for her medical bills, child welfare be damned I had to take care of my mom I worked hard at school so that the social workers wouldn't catch wind of my predicament, I couldn't bare the though of being in the system living in a group home away from her I just couldn't. The streets were wholly empty as the norm on a Saturday looking in the review, I caught a glimpse of the daminable convertible again, it trailed me from the hospital lurking two two cars behind , it looked out of place in all that traffic a relic from a the distant, it's body glinted in sun almost mint condition despite it's age I slowly turned into the one-way street which passed behind the cafe lot where I usually parked the car.
The Convertible continued on the main way its windows were tinted but I swear I could feel the drivers eyes pass over me, something about the car felt familiar though like I had seen before but where.
Making my way to the employee entrance I ran into into my boss Mitch, He was a plump little Ossinian man who always smelled like cigars and whiskey, he really had a thing for mom though she didn't reciprocate the feeling even when she worked here, Mitch never gave up always trying to be nice to her in a bid to win her heart it the reason he even considered taking me on despite my age, though he was a love sick puppy I respected him for his integrity and respect.
"You are late again Zizi " he spoke taking whiff his cigarette " keep it up and you ain't going to get that increment" .
Traffic was a nightmare from the hospital !!
'' oh ..I see, how is the Esme doing ??any change from last time"
NOO... The doctors said that she has a week or so...I don't know what to do .. if she ... " Hey chin up, don't talk like that aye uncle Mitchell is here for you, you don't have to worry about that Zizi, Rosa and i will take care of you like she asked us too, everything will be alright come on bring it in.
After a tearful hug I left Mitch entering the changing room, the old white black uniform, My expression was always solemn when ever i looked into the mirror, I wish I could smile like I used to be before mom got sick, the old days when I would swing by she would make me an Aeygpthian caramel latte and I would pretend to hate it but slurp it down just as quick, those days are gone now.
The cafe had a nice vibe to it the soothing music and sweet aroma of milk and honey always managed to calm me down somehow and with the afternoon shift we had customers from uptown having lunch with their clients whilst on occasions, there were hot high school guys coming around for the internet, most if not all the time well they were accompanied by their slutty girlfriends, I couldn't get guys interested in me no matter how hard I tired, maybe it was the hair or the color of my skin but I always seemed invisible or non existent in front of them , well except for one guy though, Derek Lamech he works the counter a solid 7 in my book if he didn't fool around so much, downside is that he is in the early 20s so age is already an issue there but a girl can dream.
Derek likes serving drinks to anything in a skirt including the Bertha twins college girls, cafe casuals, I hate that they were always so casual around Derek throwing themselves at him every chance they got, they didn't deserve his attention.
The cafe was pretty popular with down town crowds, but recently there has been this new regular who always over tips when I served him, he was a tall looking gentle man of Nubian descent with sad eyes, he was probably one of the 4 black customers we got but he didn't seem like he belonged to this part of town with his attire and demeanor, he always ordered the same thing " black Aeygpthian and some pastries " he always smiled when I walked past his seat it wasn't like a weird smile at all but a warm fatherly one if I know what that felt like.
It was about closing time when Mitch always makes his disappearance to one of his gambling rings in the neighborhood the same time the Bertha twins always leave and right on que Derek walks past seeing them out, Barbra one of the sisters shot me one of those looks as if to say "you can't compete with us little girl".
I swear my blood boils every time I see them with Derek. Like clockwork the last person left in in the cafe was the mysterious stranger, he was finishing his last cup of coffee as Derek walked back in to put the chairs on the table to clean up for tomorrow.
Derek; "He is always the last one out"
Yeah it's your turn today
"Oh come on Zoe I did you that favor yesterday "
Please...
"No, your googly eye tricks won't work on me this time I got to close the counter or Mitch will yell at me again".
Fine
I walked reluctantly to the back packing the menu as i did, working up the courage to ask him to leave.
Sir its closing time.
The stranger just looked up at me and smiles
"Oh my..., I hadn't noticed"
his voice was familiar somehow every time he spoke it was like I knew him from somewhere. he stood up got his jacket and placed a tip on the table and walked out"How much did he leave for you today??? " asked Derek
''400'' hundred."Get out of here for real he must be loaded'' ''this is too much I have to give it back'' Derek went on his guilt-tripping rant again about how humble I am and that I should just keep the money for myself. Our usual winding down routine was interrupted as 3 gentlemen walked in they wore matching coats and Fedoras like they walked off a noire detective movie set or something,one of them wore dark shades to hide a rather hideous scar which ran down his cheek from his brow he appeared holding a device which resembled a cellphone which made a low beeping noise.
'' we are closed,you guys can come back tomorrow ''
The man took off his shades revealing his scarred eye non blinking stirring right at me in a most peculiar fashion " uhmm you are the one, I can tell you have his eyes"
Fellas you going to have to come back to tomorrow we have a special ...
Bang !!!!
Derek didn't even register it the bullet had gone right between his eyes he crumpled to the ground in a heap, the man turned the gun on me, smiling whimsically " die ". Before he could fire though the mysterious stranger walked back in the trio seemed to recognize him, scarface guy made a judgement call putting the gun to my head in bid to deter stranger " you were too late old man, she is ours, try to move and i will blow her brain all over the counter"
" funny I was going to say the same thing " the stranger drew his gun so fast shooting scars face guys gun right out of his hands, he was so quick on the draw that the trio were down when rreloaded letting the spent casings drop as he approached me " are you okay Zoe ?? ".
No sure what to say, I just rambled looking down a Derek who lay in pool of his blood unmoving " your friend is gone, there nothing we can do for him now, come on.
I mulled over the bodies seeing scarface gasping on the floor, he pulled out a syringe of sorts injecting a clear liquid which stopped the bleeding.
"Argh...you can't save them all old man is only matter of time, we will have our prize"
The mysterious man responded by shooting scarface guy once more shutting him up.
What is he talking about ??
"we need to move!!!"
Am not going anywhere with until some explains to me what exactly is going on this is alot.
The mysterious man didnt waste any time pulling me by the wrist, literally dragging me out of the cafe, I tried to resist but his hand felt like a vice grip on me and he was stronger than he looked, I couldn't wrestle free .
let me go !!!, you are hurting me !!!..... let me go !!! I screamed punching the man right in face repeatedly, he didn't even flinch holding me still .
"Zoe there are more people coming to kill you , I need to get you to a safe place ".
Am not going anywhere with you, I don't even know you I yelled struggling to get my his hands free, A white van turned into the street we were on, its head b burned bright as it sped towards us, the door slid open, the gun men opening fir, the stranger lifted me up by the hips as if I weighed nothing, runninng across the road at a rapid pace, the white van stopped to evacuate, he turned a corner where where a convertible was parked.
" it's been you all this time, you been following me, why !!!"
There will be time for questions later right just get in and strap on your seatbelt.
the convertible started with a hick it's tires screeching as we pulled away, this man who ever he was he could drive weaving in and out of traffic,
, muzzle flashes issued forth behind us bullets penetrating the convertible's side door " get down !!!"
He fired back hitting something vital seein the van slow to crawl smoke issuing forth from the bonnet " are you hit ???"
I shook my head suddenly feeling rather lightheaded, a numbing sensation spread through me, I could feel warm spreading through my blouse, it was blood my blood.
Zoe hold on !!!
The mysterious man lifted up the blouse placing his hand at the wound in I don't if it was the blood loss or just my imagination his hands glowed searing the wound " it's going to be okay kid, Daddy's got you " spoke the man his voice fading in and out as, in the moment I thought of my mother again hearing her voice lulling me to sleep with familiar reggae song.
" don't worry, everything thing is going to be alright "
I passed out.