Orielle smiled, loving how Zoey always weaved her words together to make her think beyond what she wanted to. It was never in a condescending manner from either of her friends. They made one another better. If she didn’t have folks in her life to give it to her straight with a dose of love, then who would?
“Whew. Preach, preacher,” Cheyla rejoiced. “That was a word if I ever heard one.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Zoey laughed. “Let me get off of here, though. My phone is about to die, and I need to use my Apple Pay.”
“Okay. Call us later,” Orielle said.
Zoey told them she would, and her square disappeared. Finishing off her Cajun turkey sandwich, Orielle tossed her paper plate in the trash and washed her hands.
“Now, back to you,” Cheyla started.
“Nope. I’m about to get dressed so I can leave. You said enough for today, ma’am.” Orielle laughed, drying her hands.
Cheyla yawned and smiled. “Whatever. Zoey is right, though. Even that man who be faking like he can’t see could see the chemistry between y’all.”
Orielle’s brows creased. “I know you aren’t talking about Stevie Wonder?” Cheyla nodded.
“Yeah. You don’t think he can kinda see?”
“No!” Orielle laughed. “That man is blind for real. Stop playing.”
Cheyla shrugged. “Yeah, yeah. My advice still stands. Shoot your shot. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Orielle wasn’t sure, but something deep down in her wanted to find out.
It was usually never hard to tell when a business venture would go in his favor. Today, Najee wasn’t so sure.
“You just got out not too long ago, right?” Luke, one of the CEOs of Peace Haven, asked.
“Yeah. About two months ago,” Najee answered.
Luke nodded. “I hope you don’t plan on going back in, man.”
That was the plan. It had been that way before he received his second strike.
“Getting locked up was never the plan, but I’m out now. I’m hoping this partnership is something you and your wife are still interested in.”
Before he got locked up, Najee had pitched Echelon Express to Luke and his wife. Owning a domestic violence shelter was no easy task, and having multiple resources available for their clients was a priority. That’s where Najee stepped in. He wanted his car service to be the go-to when women in the shelter needed rides. Though most of them could catch the bus, a ride, use another car service, or had their own vehicle, Najee wanted Echelon to be the first and only option.
“I’m interested in hearing what you have to offer again. My wife is in a meeting, but I’ll catch her up to speed,” Luke said, giving him the floor.
“In most cases, with domestic violence victims, not having reliable transportation is one of the main reasons most women stay. They can’t get to their job on time because he took the keys, so they lose it. The court hearing she had was missed because the family member who was supposed to take her overslept, and now she can’t get custody of her kids. The baby needed more formula at midnight, but the bus stopped running at ten.”
Luke nodded. “Yeah, I see where you’re going with it.”
“It’s the little things that can flip a person’s life upside down before they even know what’s going on,” Najee explained. “I know there are other car services, but they cost money and aren’t cheap. How are they supposed to save for their new place when they’re spending hundreds of dollars a week just on rides?”
“We’ve seen it happen more times than you know,” Luke said.
There was funding in place for the women to receive rides; however, with the cost of the rides and the number of women who entered the shelter, the budget was halfway depleted before the first half of the year.
“And I’ve witnessed women in these situations with no solution. That’s what Echelon has to offer. Take the stress off their backs while providing a safe, reliable ride. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
As he spoke, Luke grew to love the idea more. Escaping a domestic violence situation was one thing. Figuring it all out afterwards was completely different. It was a stressor, more than relief, once life still went on. Though the women and children, if they had any, were safe, it was a struggle to find their footing again. Uprooting their life and starting over was similar to rehabilitation when someone was fresh out of jail.
It wasn’t easy. They both shared a complicated pain that most people wouldn’t understand unless they lived it. Najee had. In both situations, you’re not just escaping a place, but leavingbehind a version of yourself that learned to survive in chaos. Whether it was the woman who slept with one eye open, or the man who turned cold to make it through his sentence, they both carried scars the world couldn’t see.
“Yeah, it is,” Luke agreed. “You sound passionate about this. Why come?”
