The Last Safe Place

*AYANA*

After a long day of taking X-rays, smelling breath, and passing out spit cups, I was ready to go home and sit my ass in some water with a nice glass of wine while I debate on what to do about my personal life.

The last patient for the day just left, leaving me and Trish to lock up. After cleaning the office and the bathrooms, we set out unopened instruments for the next day.

Trish was cool, but it was always this unchecked, uneasy energy about her. It was the kind that made you look back during a trust fall. Honestly I wouldn’t trust her ass to get me a cup of water.

One time I was helping out at the front desk and this eerie feeling of someone watching me kept coming back out of nowhere. When scanning the room, she just stood there staring. Her gaze was unyielding and unsettling. She wanted me to see her, see me. I can’t get with that.

Another time she had switched lunch times with me and when the boss came yelling at me, she just sat there and told this man that she tried to tell me it was her turn, but I left anyway. Ever since then I’ve kept my eye on her.

So having to be alone with her was no different.

“You got any plans tonight?”

“It’s Wednesday.”

“So? Since when does it matter when you shake some ass?”

My face twisted while contemplating on whether I should say something or not. It already took a lot for me not to slap her.

I made my way closer to the door.

“I’m just saying,” she said while reaching for my hair, “loosen up sometimes. It’ll be nice to hang out.”

“No thanks.” I said as I walked out.

While making sure the door was locked I just so happened to glance in her direction. The grin on her face sent chills down my spine.

Something was definitely off about that bitch. On my way to the car, my steps slowed, trailing three feet behind her in case she tried anything.

Once in the car, I immediately locked my doors and turned my music up.

The drive to the store was supposed to be relaxing. Images of Mira crept back in my mind. The way she hunched over for every breath and the glass on the floor. Chris is the only person that makes her that uncomfortable. I hated that for her.

The last time she’d reacted like that, he had put his hands on her. He was definitely missing hella screws. When she said he called her I wasn’t surprised. He already asked me for her whereabouts and told her that whatever they had wasn’t over.

If that wasn’t disturbing enough, I don’t know what is.

At that point, the only thing to do was to text and see how she was doing.

Hey Mira.

Hey.

Just checking on you. You good?

Yeah I’m just worried about Chris.

Girl fuck him.

Not like that. I just don’t want things to get worse.

TELL YOUR MAN!

Suddenly my phone went silent. It remained that way for several minutes.

I went in the store in search of my favorite red wine. It didn’t take longer than fifteen minutes to get back to the car and drive home.

As soon as I parked the car, my phone buzzed. Jamira finally responded.

In due time friend. Just let me do it.

I rolled my eyes at that the screen. Had she done that, maybe he’d be able to help stop it. Not my monkey. Not my circus.

My mom greeted me with a warm welcome when I entered the house.

“Hey troublemaker.”

“Hey mom.” I said hugging her.

“Dinner’s on the stove.”

I went upstairs and ran a bathtub full of scorching hot water. I threw some epsom salts in, lit some candles and poured some wine. The next two hours belonged to me and me only.

The pressures from the day melted in that bath along with my muscles. My world was still for once while I sipped.

After exiting the tub and slipping into something more comfortable, I went downstate to have dinner and watch TV with my mom. She was wrapped up in her fluffy oversized blanket I tried to steal and hide from her on multiple occasions.

“Mmm, mom this is so good.”

“Glad you like it. I won’t be making it again.”

“You’re so mean.”

She just chuckled and turned her attention back to the movie we were watching.

About an hour in there was a knock on the door.

We ignored it.

Then there was another knock. This one louder than the last.

“Are you expecting company?” I asked.

My mom was so into the movie that she just waved her hand at me.

My nerves were starting to get the best of me.

Then there was knocking on the window. This time I saw the hand that had been causing a disturbance this whole time.

I raced to the door, wanting it to all be a fragment of my imagination.

The figure in front on me sent shivers through my body that settled in my bones. It was because of that feeling I had second thoughts about going on the porch with that man.

This fool Chris showed up at my house unannounced and devoid of any sense.

It was like he was operating solely on something else entirely. His eyes were deranged and his face was so full of anger.

We went back and forth as usual, but things went left real quick when he put his hand around my neck.

Being unsure of whether I’d make it or not was an understatement. Although his grip wasn’t as tight as he had on Jamira’s neck, air still had a hard time entering my body.

Thinking on my toes, an idea crossed my head. It was the one and only shot I had to try to help myself.

Within a split second I tossed my phone at the window, knowing, but really just hoping my mom would hear it and know to come outside.

Relief washed over me when she appeared in the doorway with a shotgun I never knew she had.

The air around us stilled so much that even the grasshoppers got the memo.

My mom threatened him to leave and watched as he drove away. When she was sure he was gone, she turned to me with a face so cold that ice didn’t hold a candle to her.

“Get your ass in the house.”

Her jaw was tight and her eyes were narrow.

She examined me before she unleashed a fury like none other.

“Who was that?!”

Trying to hold my composure, my voice cracked as I tried to answer her questions.

“H…he…that’s Chris.”

“Who the hell is Chris? Are you seeing him?”

My eyes dipped to look down at my feet as I shook my head.

“Explain. And for your sake this better be good.”

A knot formed in my throat.

“That’s Jamira’s ex boyfriend. He’s been looking for her and he’s the one who put those bruises on her last time she was here.”

Her eyes grew two sizes bigger. Horror stretched across her face. She started to shake.

“Why was his hand around your throat?”

I stammered, “I…I…I don’t know.”

She turned away and leaned against the table before she spoke again. This time, her voice was low and calm.

That made things worse somehow.

“You know I don’t like company. This is exactly why I don’t allow people at my house.”

“Mama I didn’t know—“

“This is drama. I don’t do drama Ayana. You know that. I almost had to kill a man tonight.”

Tears tugged at the inside of my eyes. I stood there afraid of what was to follow.

“You have to go.”

“Huh?”

I found myself praying that this was all a sick and twisted dream.

“He could have hurt us both had it not been for your grandfather’s old shotgun. Thank God I keep it in the coat closet for times just like this.”

“Mama, no.”

She dropped her head and walked out of the living room.

I stood there for nearly an hour replaying the entire night in my head. Nothing made sense anymore.

My legs felt as though they were filled with cement while I walked upstairs to pack my bag.

Every minute dragged during the process.

After I was done, I slowly walked down the stairs tightening my grip around the strap of my duffel bag as if it would somehow disappear if I loosened it.

When I got in my car, I pulled out the driveway and sped off. Destination: unknown.