specific questions about that crime. “In dangerous situations, I want your
first
instincts to be the right ones. For instance, if someone tells you, ’Don’t scream, or I’ll kill you,’ I want you to immediately start making as much noise and attention-getting ruckus as you can. The guy has just told you what will foil his plan—use it.”
Ellis had always wondered why Laura hadn’t called for help. Ellis had been right there, sleeping in the bunk above her cousin. Laura had only to yell. What threat had Alexander made that had prevented it? He’d gotten in by cutting the window screen. But there hadn’t been any sign of a struggle . . . .
Ellis realized the girls were all sitting there with expectant looks on their faces. She brought her mind back on task. “I want you to be able to protect yourselves. In addition to making sure y’all make smart choices, we’re going to learn a few defensive martial arts moves. A friend of mine taught me my first moves when I was just a little older than you.”
Right on cue, Rory’s nephew, Daniel, sprinted from behind a thick tree.
He grabbed Ellis from behind, and in two swift moves, she had him lying on the ground struggling for breath.
She’d enlisted Daniel because he was a defensive lineman at UNC, a good eight inches taller than her, with a neck the size of her thigh. She hadn’t given him a heads-up on her skills. He was simply to try and take her down, or drag her off to his waiting car.
Gasps and murmurs came from the girls, who hadn’t been expecting the demonstration.
“See,” Ellis said, barely breathing hard herself, “it’s not going to matter if someone is bigger than you, stronger. With what I’m going to teach you, it won’t matter.” She reached down and offered Daniel a hand up.
He hesitated taking it, his eyes wide. “Damn . . . I mean, dang, Ms. Greene.” His breath was short and his words choppy. “You coulda warned me.”
She laughed. “Wouldn’t have mattered, Daniel. You never stood a chance.”
The girls sent up a cheer, clapping and shouting:
“Way to go, Ms. Greene!”
“I wanna do that!”
“Show us!”
“Oh, I will. You’re all going to be kick-butt women. And at the end of the program, I’m going to give you some real live football players of your own to take down to prove it.”
Ellis saw the light in their eyes. She was giving them what they wanted most in this world—power. Nate had given it to her; now it was her turn to pass it on.
At the end of the class, Ellis waited until all the girls were safely on their way home before she picked up her backpack and walked the forty yards to her car. It felt good, doing something positive instead of dwelling on things she couldn’t change. After this class, even though Hollis Alexander was back among the general population, she felt just a little more in control.
That had been Nate’s gift to her, the sense that she could defend herself, that she was more than a helpless victim. And that most precious gift resonated in her soul every day.
When she reached her car, there was a single long-stemmed red rose tucked under the windshield wiper.
She looked around.
The park was empty except for a minivan and a mother with two young children heading toward the playground.
The rose had a black satin ribbon tied around the stem with a note:
Some things are worth waiting for.
Although it was unsigned, it had to have been Rory. Why couldn’t he just leave things alone?
Shame quickly swept over her. He knew this was a rough time for her. He was trying to be supportive.
It would be rude not to respond.
But she had to stay firm.
Rory’s summer job was house painting. He was currently working on a Victorian over on Pinckney Avenue. She drove there and parked on the street. Rory was high on a ladder, painting the fishscale shingles in the front gable. He looked down at the sound of her car door closing.
By the time she’d reached the ladder, he was on the
first
instincts to be the right ones. For instance, if someone tells you, ’Don’t scream, or I’ll kill you,’ I want you to immediately start making as much noise and attention-getting ruckus as you can. The guy has just told you what will foil his plan—use it.”
Ellis had always wondered why Laura hadn’t called for help. Ellis had been right there, sleeping in the bunk above her cousin. Laura had only to yell. What threat had Alexander made that had prevented it? He’d gotten in by cutting the window screen. But there hadn’t been any sign of a struggle . . . .
Ellis realized the girls were all sitting there with expectant looks on their faces. She brought her mind back on task. “I want you to be able to protect yourselves. In addition to making sure y’all make smart choices, we’re going to learn a few defensive martial arts moves. A friend of mine taught me my first moves when I was just a little older than you.”
Right on cue, Rory’s nephew, Daniel, sprinted from behind a thick tree.
He grabbed Ellis from behind, and in two swift moves, she had him lying on the ground struggling for breath.
She’d enlisted Daniel because he was a defensive lineman at UNC, a good eight inches taller than her, with a neck the size of her thigh. She hadn’t given him a heads-up on her skills. He was simply to try and take her down, or drag her off to his waiting car.
Gasps and murmurs came from the girls, who hadn’t been expecting the demonstration.
“See,” Ellis said, barely breathing hard herself, “it’s not going to matter if someone is bigger than you, stronger. With what I’m going to teach you, it won’t matter.” She reached down and offered Daniel a hand up.
He hesitated taking it, his eyes wide. “Damn . . . I mean, dang, Ms. Greene.” His breath was short and his words choppy. “You coulda warned me.”
She laughed. “Wouldn’t have mattered, Daniel. You never stood a chance.”
The girls sent up a cheer, clapping and shouting:
“Way to go, Ms. Greene!”
“I wanna do that!”
“Show us!”
“Oh, I will. You’re all going to be kick-butt women. And at the end of the program, I’m going to give you some real live football players of your own to take down to prove it.”
Ellis saw the light in their eyes. She was giving them what they wanted most in this world—power. Nate had given it to her; now it was her turn to pass it on.
At the end of the class, Ellis waited until all the girls were safely on their way home before she picked up her backpack and walked the forty yards to her car. It felt good, doing something positive instead of dwelling on things she couldn’t change. After this class, even though Hollis Alexander was back among the general population, she felt just a little more in control.
That had been Nate’s gift to her, the sense that she could defend herself, that she was more than a helpless victim. And that most precious gift resonated in her soul every day.
When she reached her car, there was a single long-stemmed red rose tucked under the windshield wiper.
She looked around.
The park was empty except for a minivan and a mother with two young children heading toward the playground.
The rose had a black satin ribbon tied around the stem with a note:
Some things are worth waiting for.
Although it was unsigned, it had to have been Rory. Why couldn’t he just leave things alone?
Shame quickly swept over her. He knew this was a rough time for her. He was trying to be supportive.
It would be rude not to respond.
But she had to stay firm.
Rory’s summer job was house painting. He was currently working on a Victorian over on Pinckney Avenue. She drove there and parked on the street. Rory was high on a ladder, painting the fishscale shingles in the front gable. He looked down at the sound of her car door closing.
By the time she’d reached the ladder, he was on the
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