Shelly couldn’t believe it. “I thought she loved him. I still can’t believe this shit. I thought Kem was in love with Hawk.”
“Some love,” said Von, and they all agreed. And then they made their way into Hawk’s private hospital suite.
Family members immediately went to Shelly and hugged him. He fit right in. But when Janita entered that hospital room, and saw his entire family in that space, including his mother, it all felt so overwhelming. But when she saw Hawk, and how many machines he was hooked up to, it felt downright depressing. And so hopeless. He looked sosick!
Shelly, too, was blown away by how Hawk looked. And his face was so bloated. He could hardly bear it.
But when Reecie saw Janita, she got up, went to her, and began sobbing as she threw her arms around her. “You saved his life,” she was saying in tears. “I knew you were going to be good for him.”
Janita was too overcome by the sight of Hawk to understand what she meant, but Von understood it. Was that why she wanted Janita to go with her to L.A. that time? To playmatchmaker?
But Hawk and Janita were so different that, to the average person, such a union would make no sense whatsoever. But even Von knew that Resheda Webster was never average.
“Come sit with me,” Reecie said and Janita went and sat near the bedside with Hawk’s mother. They were in a luxury hospital room, one that was undoubtedly designed for VIPs, and an extra bed and many chairs were also in the room. Von stayed near the door as if he was on duty. He had to make himself useful some kind of way.
But all Janita could think about was Hawk. She sat there with tears in her eyes as she watched that big, strong man unable to breathe on his own. She couldn’t stop crying.
And every one of Hawk’s family members saw how devastated she was. Were she and Hawk much closer than they had assumed?
Apparently so. Why else would somebody travel all the way from Tennessee to California just to make sure an acquaintance was okay? He had to be more than an acquaintance to her.
But soon their attention turned back to Hawk too. They were devastated too. They had no idea if he was going to live, or die.
And it remained that way for several days. Everybody stayed in that hospital suite. Reecie had new clothes purchasedfor everybody, including Janita and Von, since nobody thought to bring anything from Tennessee but themselves.
But when the doctor said that Hawk could remain in that coma for days, weeks, months, or evenyears, they all knew they had to get back to some semblance of their own lives too.
Nightclub owner Nat, who knew how to manage people well since he had many employees whose schedules constantly changed, decided they should make up a schedule of who could come to stay with Hawk and on which days. Especially since the doctor ruled out transporting him to Tennessee for his recovery.
But when Nat got to Janita, it was a simple answer for her. “I’m staying,” she said.
“That’s not my question,” the always-impatient Nat said. “My question is on what days can you come and stay?”
“Every day,” she said.
They all looked at her. “What do you mean every day?” Minka asked her.
“I’m not leaving.”
“You aren’t leaving until?” asked Nat.
“I’m not leaving until Hawk walks out of this hospital on his own two legs,” she said.
Although the entire family was touched by her devotion to Hawk, William and Reecie were especially touched. “You mean you’re staying here day and night until he recovers?” William asked her.
Janita nodded. “Yes sir. If it’s alright with y’all.”
“It’s alright with me,” Minka said, and all of Hawk’s siblings agreed too. His parents were even more so in agreement.
“What about you, DeVontay?” Reecie asked him.
“If my sister is staying,” he said, “then I’m staying too.”
“Good. She’ll need company. Considering yourselves on the clock.”
They knew what Reecie meant. She was going to pay them as if they were still working for her. But because they were running out of money fast, with none coming in, neither one of them could object. But Reecie already knew that Janita would stay regardless.
And over the course of three weeks, the family left and came back and left again in various groups of two, three, or sometimes all of them all at once. But Janita never left Hawk’s side.
