No Love in Hartsville
Premise: This piece is my unreliable narrator story. I just wanted to add that the main character is not African American, and the character is from down south, Tennessee.
Goddam handcuffs, is this what my life has come to now? Why didn’t he listen to his mother? Mother always knows best they say but yet my son I reckon doesn’t know that.
The door to the police room swung open but I couldn’t make out the face yet, there weren’t any lights over on that side of the room but only just were I was sitting but above me in one spot. The heat from the lights made me sweat from my forehead and nose.
“Hello miss, my name is sergeant Sellers I am in charge of the homicide task force here in Hartsville can you state your first and last name for the record” he said as he sat down in the metal chair in front of me.
My name is Cara Summers that’s C A R-AH A, Summers commonly spelled.
“Ms. Summers you came into the station stating you wanted to make a statement about the murder of your son’s girlfriend that happened this past summer” he said.
Mr. Sellers do you have any kids, I reckon you’d have some, you’re a handsome man.
“I do! actually I have one son” he commented
“Den I'm sho you’d do anything for’em. Now you don’t have to ansa that all parents know the ansa. (she breathes in and out heavily) I couldn’t stand that gal of his..”
“Wait are you referring to your son’s girlfriend?” he affirmed
“I wish you’d let me say what I have to say, now I said I never like that gal, her and her high cotton attitude. She was no good for my son I knew it the day I laid eyes on her. Alyssa.. sounds like mista don’t cha think, her name could’ve been mista the way that gal looked in the face. I reckon she fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. I DID IT!” she proclaimed
“Are you saying that you killed twenty-six-year-old Alyssa Lockwood” he asked in disbelief
leaning over the table to look at Sergeant sellers in the eyes, so I could get a good look “Im assuming in your profession Mr. Sellers that you know what I DID IT means I stabbed that good for nothing woman in the heart for breaking my sons heart and threw her body on in the river behind my house.”
“Give me a minute to talk to my colleagues, I’ll be back” he said while closing his folder and walking out of the door.
When the door closed behind the officer it made me think about how I would be hearing that sound for the rest of my life. I’m old and they gone give me life I just know it. The things a mother does for her kids, wow I didn’t get what my mama meant when she said that, now I know.
The door opened to the room again. In walked Mr. Sellers with his folder in hand.
“Ms. Summers do you have anything else you would like to add?” the officer asked
“what’s your son’s name mista Sellers?”
“His name is Isiah why ma’am?
“Isiah! what a handsome name. Can you tell my son that he needs to read his bible and pray for his mama?”
“Yes ma’am. Alright now Ms, Summers you have the right to remain silent….”
Cara politely turned around, placed her hands behind her back, and put her head down; smirking at the performance she had done.
There was a note in the bible Cara had left for her son and it read
My only son who I love so much. I didn’t see you spending the rest of your life in a jail cell when I had you and I don’t see that now. Don’t ask me why I did what I did, you had every right to be upset with that gal for messing around with that colored boy behind your back. I knew she wasn’t no good when I meet her. Isaiah is that colored boy's name that showed up to the house that day I reckon you know what you gone do to him when you catch him. There's some money I took out the bank, so you can make sure yo mama is taken care of while I spend the rest of my days in the cage.
Mama loves you Paul.