Chapter 51


    Port Cypress Airport


    As if she were ailing, Lyte hurled into the toilet for the third time during her stay at the airport.


    When she had vomited enough she lifted her head up out of the bowl and rested her back against the


    closed door of the stall she was locked inside of.


    The young woman sat for the longest time staring back at the toilet she had been praising for the past


    hour with sullen, red eyes. Lying on the floor beside her was her purse. She reached inside and rooted


    about before pulling out a bottle of pills. In a mad rush she opened the childproof cap before emptying


    out several pills into her shaking, waiting right hand.


    Just before she could even raise her hand to her mouth she immediately stopped and stared hard at


    the pink tablets. Her sweaty palms could hardly maintain a grip on the pills that were slowly sliding off


    her hand. Before they could even fall to the floor she stretched out her arm and dropped them into the


    toilet, along with the rest of the bottle''s contents.


    Lyte then got to her knees and grudgingly flushed the toilet before standing up and letting herself


    out of the stall.


    "Wake up, girl." She groaned under her breath. "Wake up, already."


    She was all alone inside the bathroom as the speaker above her head yed ''Moon River.'' With her


    purse in hand she stumbled straight ahead to the first sink that she saw and stood there staring at her


    own overwrought reflection in the mirror.


    She appeared as if she hadn''t slept in days. Her eyes were insipid while her hands trembled on the


    porcin. The longer she studied herself the more she just wanted to turn away.


    Lyte then twisted on the cold water faucet and dipped her hands in before washing her entire face.


    When she was through she gave her reflection another gander, except by then her look was phony-


    determined. She epted it nheless. She cut off the faucet before turning and scanning the entire


    bathroom once more.


    She tucked her blue blouse into her bell-bottomed jeans, wrapped a blue scarf around her forehead


    and put on her pair of cat''s eye sunsses before strolling out of the bathroom and into the busy


    terminal where others were either rushing to their various nes or simply waiting by the windows that


    overlooked the parked aircrafts.


    Making sure to keep her head pointed to the floor, Lyte side-stepped one person after another on


    her way to a vacant seat near the window. The very second she sat down she exhaled as deep as she


    could before ncing out the window at one ne race down the runway and take off into the sky.


    Suddenly, the nauseous sensation that she had carried with her to the airport resurfaced, and the


    bathroom was too far away for her to race to.


    "You look like you''ve never flown before, honey."


    Lyte looked up and over to see an elderly ck woman seated right next to her. The woman was


    wearing a ck flower hat with stic daisies sticking out in the front. Lyte immediately pulled


    herself together right then.


    "No, no, I''ve flown before." She caught her breath. "I''m just really...nervous. That''s why I was in the


    bathroom for so long."


    Chuckling, thedy remarked, "Thest time I was stuck in the bathroom like that was on my wedding


    day way back in 1938."


    Lyte only giggled and said, "I could only wish it was a wedding."


    "I''m going to see my grandson way out in Colorado."


    Lyte turned her body towards thedy at that moment. Never before had sheid eyes on the


    woman, and yet, inside an airport, she remembered her mother sitting in her rocking chair and talking


    to her while shey in bed. It would be just one more fond memory that would apany her.


    "Where in Colorado does your grandson live?"


    "A ce called Boulder." She said. "My son is paying for my ticket, so that makes it a lot easier on me, I


    guess."


    Lyte smiled at thedy before saying, "I sure hope my son treats me that well when he grows up."


    "You have a son, too?"


    "Yes, ma''am," Lyte proudly chimed in. "He''ll be three next month."


    "Little boys sure are beautiful when they''re that age. It''s only when they get to be teenagers that they


    turn into fools." Thedyughed out loud.


    Lyteughed, but only for a glimpse of a moment before frowning and bashfully looking away.


    "I often wonder what kind of man he''ll grow up to be."


    "Well, it all depends on what his childhood is like." Thedy replied. "Some boys have a hard childhood


    and end up bing good men, while some have an easy one and grow up to be hard-headed


    heathens. Only the good Lord knows for sure."


    Lyte turned back to face thedy. She wanted to blurt out the very first thing that came into her


    head at that instant, but she restrained herself while another ne left the ground and kissed the sky.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "The parents y such an important role in their lives as well." Thedy said. "If we parents can do our


    best to not only teach our youngens well, but protect them from this wicked world, then we''ve done a


    good job."


    Lyte stared on at thedy before taking off her sses and exposing her teary eyes. "Me and my


    son''s father haven''t been very good parents to our son." Her voice faltered. "I me myself too,


    because...because I felt like I could''ve done more."


    Thedy only red back at Lyte with the kindest look in her brown eyes. cing a hand on her


    knee, she said, "You still have time to set things straight. You see, my ten year old grandson was killed


    by a drunk driver three years ago. Ever since then, my son flies me out for a few days so he and I can


    visit his grave."


    Lyte could actually feel her heart inside her throat at that slow instant in time. She ced her


    shaking hand on thedy''s and stuttered, "It was such a long winter."


    Thedy continued to smile while saying, "Yes...Lord knows it sure was."


    Wiping her eyes, Lyte stood up and said, "Speaking of the Lord, I have a call to make."


    Walking over to a series of payphones that were located next to the bathrooms, Lyte took out a


    quarter from her purse and inserted it into the slot before dialing only three numbers.


    "Cypress Police Department. How may I direct your call?"


    "Yes, this is Lynn...Grier. I''m a reporter with the Cypress Guardian. I was calling to inquire why there


    was never a backup unit called for the police officers that came to the Hollis Estates four days ago."


    There was a long pause over the phone at that moment which caused Lyte to believe that she had


    been hung up on.


    "Uh, Miss Grier, we never sent a unit to the Hollis Estates four days ago. I''m afraid you people have


    your facts mixed up there again at your paper."


    At that, the person on the other end hung up. Lyte responded in kind, only rather than be


    upset she simply smirked and nced upwards really quick.


    "Flight 701 to Miami now boarding," the announcer proimed. "Flight 701 to Miami now boarding!"


    Once the announcer was through, The Crusaders'', ''It Happens Everyday'' started ying over the


    speaker.


    Lyte limped her way back over to thedy where she hugged her and kissed her on the cheek


    before joining in along the throngs of people boarding Flight 701.


    She eventually melted away, and out of sight...


    In the Beginning...


    In the beginning...no, no, let me start over. This is how it goes.


    I once knew a young man. Besides Jermaine Jackson, that young man was my very first crush. I loved


    that young man. I cherished that young man. I adored that young man. But something went very, very


    wrong. Something happened. My eyes saw something very ugly, and if I dwell on it for too long, then


    my decisions will forever be altered.


    I am not a brilliant woman, but how do I forgive the one person who has brought so much pain to me


    and our child''s lives? I guess I should ask, could he ever forgive me? After all, I too have...have


    skeletons. And yet, God still stands beside me.


    I''m not a religious person. Hell, with the exception of February, I can''t recall thest time I went to


    church, but God saved our lives time and time again. With me and God there is a stalemate. I can''t see


    you, God. I can''t hear you or even touch you, but I know for a fact what I saw, and it wasn''t a stupid


    dream.


    Detective Bruin saw it as well. I always heard that people whomit suicide end up going to Hell in


    the end. If I am allowed to ask, please, Jesus, please...show that man the same mercy you''ve shown


    me. For you know exactly what we''ve seen. You know exactly what we''ve been through. Need I exin


    anymore?


    I honestly don''t know if this is the beginning or the end. All I know is that I don''t have much time left,


    and neither does my child.


    I have nothing more to say to anyone at this point.As for you, God, I''d rather you not follow me...for at


    last, I''m going to Hell.


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