UNFINISHED BUSINESS...

As we begin to drive, Veronica grimaces in pain and begins to speak, “I just want you to promise me that you won't get too upset or judge me...” I nod my head but she quickly says, “NO, I want to hear you say it.” In a very dry and irritated voice I tell her, “I promise I won't get mad...or judge you.” She looks at me and tightly squeezes her lips together and doesn't say anything. I look over at her and in a puzzled voice ask, “What?” I can see tears begin to roll down her cheek as she continues to look at me as if to prematurely say I’m sorry. She looks down, reaches in her pocket and takes out a set of car keys she looks up and barely above a whisper says, “Stop the car...and take my keys and open the trunk, once you see what's in there what I have to tell you will make more sense.” Once again I feel like I'm being spun like a top, but I stop the SUV anyway. I snatch the keys from her, open the door and head to the car. At this point I just want to see what's in this trunk, get back in the SUV, get back on the road and hear what Veronica has to say. I slowly make my way to the trunk open it and count 7 bags similar to the one April brought to the SUV. I open one of the bags and find it packed with banded $1OO bills, I slowly open the 6 remaining bags and each one is filled the same way. At this point I'm lost to why there are 7 bags in this trunk filled with money, and I'm even more lost to why we were about to leave without them. I close the trunk grab the keys and start my way back to the SUV to suggest we take this money with us - when I get there Veronica is on an iPHONE. I reach in the left, then right coat pocket and find the iPHONE that was “given” to me is not there. I open the door and get in and find the conversation has gotten noticeably quieter. If I didn’t see the phone on her ear or her mouth moving I would think she wasn’t on the phone. I'm straining to hear her conversation, but can only make out, “OK, I will...I'm the one that called you...look, just be there...yes, yes...bye.” She hangs up looks at me hands me the phone and says, “Sorry, I believe this is yours, I was on an important call when my phone died, so I had to borrow yours...I hope you don't mind.” I nod my head to acknowledge that it was cool, but as I sit there, I wonder how she made a call on a locked phone...

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT...

I grab the handcuffs and seductively begin to twirl them around my index finger. Man after all we have been through, there was a period when I thought this would never happen. Honestly, the closer we got to this day everything felt surreal and the more nervous I became. As I look around, I notice my bride is still in the bathroom - it's obvious I'm not the only one feeling butterflies because she has been in there for over 30 minutes now...I'm a little worried so I knock on the door and playfully ask, “Honey, what are you dooooooooo-ing?” She waits a minute laughs and replies, “I'll be out in a minute Boo-Boo.” I jokingly ask, “ummmmm, is that what your doing?” about a minutes passes when she finally gets it and yells, “SHUT UP!” While I wait I sit on the edge of the bed and begin to fidget some more with the cuffs, I get up, go to my tux and grab my phone. I turn it on for the first time since I walked in the church, and after it loads about 60 text and voice-mail notifications pop up. The first text I see is from (my fraternity brother) Moe, “Congratulations on the wedding, I hope your wife know she got a player for life, and that’s no...LOL, I'm joking, I'm joking, but seriously you did it. Man, who would ever thought you'd be the first to get married, I'm proud of you dog, but hit me up when you get some time, I know your on your honeymoon and all.” I sit there for a moment and had to read the text again, “Congratulations on the wedding, I hope your wife know she got a player for life, and that's no...LOL, I'm joking, I'm joking..” I stop reading when it finally clicks that he has quoting Tupac. It's funny, but I got to thinking about the text and can't help but feel there was some truth in his message. It was that lifestyle that nearly cost me my destiny, I look to the ceiling and begin to shake my head, when the bathroom door opens and out comes THE most beautiful woman my eyes have ever seen, wearing Victoria's greatest secret. She grabs the handcuffs off the bed and starts to walk over to where I am – I stand there looking and try to flex my abdominal muscles in an attempt to look sexy. I can feel my heart racing as she puts her hand on my chest and whispers in my ear, “Baby, can you please sing our song...pleeeeease?” I bite my bottom lips and smile – only because I knew that she knew that I knew the request was coming and without any hesitation I put my hand under her chin, look into her eyes and begin to sing, “I can't imagine life without you by my side, this is love baby that I’m feeling and I’m hoping that you're feeling the same way. Things tend to slip my mind, like how you like to wine and dine baby with romantic lights. You mean a lot to me in so many ways...Lately, have I told you I love you, lately, have I told you, you still mean the world to me, lately, have I told you I love you? I'll be your...” Before I can finish the chorus she leans forward and presses her soft lips against mine. We continue to kiss until I feel the handcuffs being snatched from my hand and a concerned voice says, “We need to get something to eat, you're trippin' AGAIN and I'm feeling pretty weak.” She slowly puts the cuffs on April and asks me, "Can you atleast put her in the back seat...dayreamer"? I give her a half smirk, pick up April and put her in the back, slam the door and hop into the front seat. We both shut our doors simultaneously and as I start the SUV I look over at her, and as I begin to pull off I matter-of-factly say, “I'm listening...”

GENESIS 4:1-8???...

Without thinking, I open the door, throw the bag between myself and April and quickly and cautiously step out of the SUV. I instinctively grab the gun from my jacket pocket, point it at her and tell her to get out of the car. I glance over at Veronica, who has her head down but slowly looks up and she gives me a confused, 'why are you doing this' look. I feel myself getting angry as April continues to ignore me, more sternly I tell her once again to get out of the car. I move back closer to the SUV when Veronica yells, “STOP IT, JUST STOP IT, Curtis...” I look back at her and calmly ask, “When...why, did you kill her, now we may never know the truth...LOOK, L-L-LOOK IN THE BAG!” She motions for me to come closer to where she is and I just shut-up and do as I'm told. She sucks her teeth and says, “Look at you, you still have no clue...sweetheart, I already know what they probably told you about me. I already know whats in the bag. I already know whats in the trunk. I already know everything you know. What you need to do is get behind this wheel and get to Chicago, I promise to tell you everything on the way. Look, I know this is a bit much, but I'm the only person you can trust, so stop acting so soft and mann up - we need to get going.” She hands me the cuffs I once wore and tells me, “Put these on April, she's not dead, she has a condition...I would never kill my sister...”

IN THE BEGINNING...

I close my eyes in anticipation of the gun going off and in my mind I am no longer in the SUV. I'm sitting on a bench by the river waiting on a certain young woman to arrive – but as usual she is late. I'm about as nervous as I've ever been in my life as I finally see her pull up and make her way over to where I'm sitting. As she gets closer I see she is wearing a gray jogging suit, pink shirt, matching gray and pink Air Max, and with her hair in a ponytail her beauty still takes my breath away. Once she sees me she picks up her pace and eventually jumps into my arms – like she hasn't seen me in years. We continue to hug and begin to kiss until she pulls away and says, “So, what was so urgent that you have me missing 'THE REAL WORLD: LAS VEGAS'?...you know that's my show, you...” I put my index finger on her lips and tell her, “be quiet babe...” My heart is now racing and oxygen seems to have stopped flowing through my lungs. I take a deep breath to regain my composure, but I guess it doesn't work because she asks, “Baby, are you OK, you don't look too good?!” I ignore her question and try to focus on the reason why I am here. I sit her down and tell her, “Babe, since the moment I met you, I knew you were the one. I mean I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life, it's because of you I strive to be a better Mann (she looks at the ground almost as if she is embarrassed). There is not one thing about you that I would change, and in the past I know I did - at times - and I’m sorry for that. Looking back, I know we haven't had the best relationship, BUT I can say it's far from the worst...baby I love you and I don't ever want you to doubt that (she quickly looks up as if she is about to cry – I pause) I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore...” Before I can finish, she cocks her head to the side as if to say 'oh you got me messed up' and lands a two-piece combo that nails me right below my right eye. She is crying uncontrollably now, but suddenly stops and manages to get up and in a voice similar to a child after they have gotten a whoopin' mumbles, “You (sniff) you (sniff) you brought me ow,ow,ow, out here to tell me that?” I look at her and can't help but to smile and laugh – I pull the ring from my pocket get down on one knee and say “No, but if you would have let me finish, I was gonna say that I didn't want you to be my girlfriend, I want you to be my WIFE...would you do me the honor of being MRS. CURTIS L. MANN III?” She takes the ring from my hand - and what she calls playful - punches me in the chest and says, “Yes, BABY, of course...” I laugh every time I recall that story, in my head it was supposed to go a lot smoother than what actually happened. It's funny no matter what I'm going through, thoughts of my wife still brings me joy. “CURTIS...CURTIS...CURTIS, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU...DID YOU HEAR ME, ARE YOU GONNA OPEN THE BAG OR DO I HAVE TO SHOOT YOU TOO?!” My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a yelling woman in the back of a SUV. I look back and still see Veronica holding the gun – She is talking, but to who I have no clue, I hear nothing, I just see her mouth moving. I look down at the bag that is sitting in my lap and begin to unzip it, once I get it open and see what's inside a numbness overcomes my body - my joy is gone...