Her fingers tightened around her pen.
She looked down like she was pickin’ her words.
“I need you to tell me why you changed his diagnosis,” I said. “Don’t dance around it. Don’t try to soften it. That medicine worked. He was good. Then suddenly you say he not schizophrenic no more. That never felt right to me and now he in a cell fightin’ for his life.”
Her whole expression changed, just enough to let me know she was holdin’ somethin’ she ain’t wanna say.
“Toni…”
“Hell nah,” I cut in, leanin’ forward. “Don’t do that with me. Kay’Lo’s life depends on whatever you know. If you lied or if somebody made you change somethin’, then say that. I’m beggin’ you! Just tell me the truth because I can’t lose him! I can’t sit there and watch them execute my husband when there’s somethin’ out there that could save him!”
She closed her eyes like she was wrestlin’ with her own conscience.
“Please,” I whispered. “Whatever happened, just tell me.”
Her shoulders dropped. She swallowed slow, then opened her eyes again.
“This is… complicated.”
“No it’s not,” I said. “Either you tell me or you don’t, but if you don’t, whatever happens to Kay’Lo gon’ sit on your conscience for the rest of your life. Not mine.”
She looked at the door like she expected somebody to bust in. Then she looked at me.
And somethin’ broke inside her…
Her voice came out low, almost scared.
“Okay... I’ll tell you.”
And right there, my whole world felt like it shifted ‘cause I knew whatever she was about to say…
Was about to change everything.
I was speedin’ through Trill-Land like a bitch out of hell tryin’ to get to Kay’Lo’s mama and daddy’s house ‘cause my mind would not let me sit still after what Dr. Ellington told me. My hands wouldn’t stop shakin’ on the wheel and my chest felt like somebody was sittin’ on it. I kept hearin’ her voice over and over tellin’ me how Kwame walked in her office, closed the door, and forced her to take that diagnosis off the record like Kay’Lo’s life wasn’t even real to him. She said he threatened to ruin her whole career if she didn’t make it disappear, and I swear the room felt like it started closin’ in on me ‘cause I could not believe this man did that to his own child.
My husband’s daddy…
A man who preach about legacy, who bragged about the Mensah name and a man who walked around like God gave him permission to move different than everybody else. He would rather protect his image than let his own son get help. He would rather Kay’Lo walk around unmedicated and unravelin’ than admit that maybe somethin’ was wrong. He would rather let Kay’Lo die on death row than let the world know his son hada mental illness. As far as I’m concerned, he the whole damn reason why Kay’Lo locked up in the first place.
By the time I turned toward the mansion, my whole body felt like it was buzzin’. I could barely breathe ‘cause I wanted answers and I wanted them right now. The gates opened as soon as the system recognized my car, and I kept drivin’ even though my stomach was turnin’ like I was on a rollercoaster.
I parked crooked ‘cause I ain’t care about nothin’ but gettin’ in that damn house, and I practically ran up the steps. My hand shook when I pressed the doorbell.
Treasure opened the door slow, like she was scared of who would be standin’ here, but soon as her eyes landed on me she rushed forward and pulled me in a hug. She smelled like lavender oil and stress, and her arms wrapped around me tight like she been cryin’ every night just like I have.
“Baby, come in,” she whispered, her voice tired.
I nodded and followed her into the house even though my legs felt weak. The walk down that long hallway felt like I was walkin’ through some heavy shit. I ain’t wanna disrespect Kay’Lo’s mama, but I also wasn’t gon’ sit across from her and pretend like everything was fine.
We sat down opposite each other on the couches, and I saw how red her eyes was. Treasure was hurt, she was scared and she was tryna hold herself together ‘cause she didn’t know what to do with her son behind bars facin’ the death penalty. And for a moment I almost softened ‘cause she looked like she was breakin’ inside.
But I didn’t come here for comfort.
I came for the truth.
I took a deep breath that didn’t even reach my lungs and asked, “So… did you know Kay’Lo was schizophrenic?”
Her eyebrows pinched together, and that confusion on her face was real. “Schizophrenic? No, baby, Kay’Lo isn’t… schizophrenic.”
