Moriah had at their home the first summer Carlisha spent with them after she moved to Maryland from Florida.
Because she had few friends, there were only about forty people in attendance for the memorial service. Co-workers, schoolmates, a couple neighbors, and, trying to be disguised, Roger sat at the very back with shades on and his hoodie pulled over his head.
He was stunned to hear about Carlisha’s death from complications from childbirth. He thought his cousin, Marcus, was pulling his leg when he casually told him while Roger was doing some mechanic work under a car hood. He looked ahead, trying to get a glimpse of the baby that Rachel was holding on her shoulder obviously trying to get him to burp. In the same row she sat in were Pete, Debra, Leah and Noah. Roger wanted to see the baby’s face. He wanted to see if there was any clue from the baby’s features that would link him to the child. He had seriously doubted that Carlisha was pregnant when she first told him. He thought she was just trying to pin him down, which unbeknownst to her at the time, he already was – to his wife and kids at home. But that night he had sex with Carlisha for the last time, he realized that she was telling the truth – even though he didn’t let the image of her protruding belly stop him from enjoying the moment. He cared for Carlisha and he enjoyed their moments together – but he was married. When his wife found out about their date at the movies she went ballistic. But somehow he was able to convince her that nothing serious was going on between him and Carlisha – which to his relief she begrudgingly believed.
“Hey Roger – I thought that was you,” Damian said, walking up alongside Roger as he tried to leave the chapel undetected.
“Hey man, what up?” Roger halted before swearing under his breath.
“Came to pay your last respects, it’s really sad that she died, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it blew my mind when I found out,” Roger said still trying to make dodge.
“It’s good you came, she told me that you guys broke up a while ago.”
“Yeah we did. Anyway I’ve got to head back to work, I just wanted to stop by real quick and pay my respects – ya know.”
“Yeah cool!” Damian patted him on the back. “Take care.”
Roger quickly retreated from the chapel. Damian watched as he made his haste. He wondered if the woman who attacked Carlisha was Roger’s wife. From what James had told everyone about the attack, a woman and her group of friends accused Carlisha with sleeping with the woman’s husband. Damian then began to wonder if Carlisha’s son was Roger’s, especially since the authorities had been asking everyone at the office if they had ever seen the woman or her friends before.
Chapter 23
With assistance from Debra and Leah, Pete got Carl’s birth certificate and social security number and all the other newborn paperwork squared away. He even got Carl to his first checkup at the pediatrician that Carlisha had already selected before she died. And he was now officially the guardian of Carlisha’s son.
Hesitation still haunted him though – this was a huge undertaking and he still didn’t see how it was going to work. People swear they will step up and help – but sometimes the momentum only lasted for a short period. How long would it be before he was abandoned and left to take on the task of raising Carl on his own? How was he supposed to take care of an infant – then ultimately a black young man? How could a white man like him supposed to raise a black baby for God’s sake? What could he teach him? Would Pete’s hatred for blacks manifest itself when he looked at Carl as a young man? All these thoughts loomed through his mind as he attempted for the third time to properly put on Carl’s diaper. The little dark mocha skinned baby squirmed on the changing table, looking up at Pete as he tried to fasten his diaper. Pete was left to fend for himself since Debra left an hour
Because she had few friends, there were only about forty people in attendance for the memorial service. Co-workers, schoolmates, a couple neighbors, and, trying to be disguised, Roger sat at the very back with shades on and his hoodie pulled over his head.
He was stunned to hear about Carlisha’s death from complications from childbirth. He thought his cousin, Marcus, was pulling his leg when he casually told him while Roger was doing some mechanic work under a car hood. He looked ahead, trying to get a glimpse of the baby that Rachel was holding on her shoulder obviously trying to get him to burp. In the same row she sat in were Pete, Debra, Leah and Noah. Roger wanted to see the baby’s face. He wanted to see if there was any clue from the baby’s features that would link him to the child. He had seriously doubted that Carlisha was pregnant when she first told him. He thought she was just trying to pin him down, which unbeknownst to her at the time, he already was – to his wife and kids at home. But that night he had sex with Carlisha for the last time, he realized that she was telling the truth – even though he didn’t let the image of her protruding belly stop him from enjoying the moment. He cared for Carlisha and he enjoyed their moments together – but he was married. When his wife found out about their date at the movies she went ballistic. But somehow he was able to convince her that nothing serious was going on between him and Carlisha – which to his relief she begrudgingly believed.
“Hey Roger – I thought that was you,” Damian said, walking up alongside Roger as he tried to leave the chapel undetected.
“Hey man, what up?” Roger halted before swearing under his breath.
“Came to pay your last respects, it’s really sad that she died, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it blew my mind when I found out,” Roger said still trying to make dodge.
“It’s good you came, she told me that you guys broke up a while ago.”
“Yeah we did. Anyway I’ve got to head back to work, I just wanted to stop by real quick and pay my respects – ya know.”
“Yeah cool!” Damian patted him on the back. “Take care.”
Roger quickly retreated from the chapel. Damian watched as he made his haste. He wondered if the woman who attacked Carlisha was Roger’s wife. From what James had told everyone about the attack, a woman and her group of friends accused Carlisha with sleeping with the woman’s husband. Damian then began to wonder if Carlisha’s son was Roger’s, especially since the authorities had been asking everyone at the office if they had ever seen the woman or her friends before.
Chapter 23
With assistance from Debra and Leah, Pete got Carl’s birth certificate and social security number and all the other newborn paperwork squared away. He even got Carl to his first checkup at the pediatrician that Carlisha had already selected before she died. And he was now officially the guardian of Carlisha’s son.
Hesitation still haunted him though – this was a huge undertaking and he still didn’t see how it was going to work. People swear they will step up and help – but sometimes the momentum only lasted for a short period. How long would it be before he was abandoned and left to take on the task of raising Carl on his own? How was he supposed to take care of an infant – then ultimately a black young man? How could a white man like him supposed to raise a black baby for God’s sake? What could he teach him? Would Pete’s hatred for blacks manifest itself when he looked at Carl as a young man? All these thoughts loomed through his mind as he attempted for the third time to properly put on Carl’s diaper. The little dark mocha skinned baby squirmed on the changing table, looking up at Pete as he tried to fasten his diaper. Pete was left to fend for himself since Debra left an hour
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