“Jonathan admitted to Candis that he slept with Diane four times,” Margarita says.
“What? This guy Jonathan slept with your granddaughter Diane D? Diane D had an extra-marital affair?”
“I’m afraid she did doctor. So of course Candis broke off her engagement to Jonathan because of this affair.”
“She broke off her engagement? My goodness. Does Diane D‘s husband know about this affair between her and this guy Jonathan?”
“Yes he knows now. We had to tell him what we learned.”
“You told him?”
“Yeah we didn’t want to keep it from him. We thought that it was only right and fair that he knows about it.”
“Well how is he taking this whole thing, how is he handling it?”
“He‘s very depressed and embarrassed by this whole thing,” Barry says. “He‘s so depressed that he‘s been keeping a low profile lately.”
“He has?”
“Yes. He hasn‘t been coming to the organization lately.”
“He hasn’t?”
“No.”
“I don’t blame him.”
“So in other words, he and Diane D are sort of on a trial separation because she’s released into our custody and because of the affair. We think he needs some counseling too.”
“Yeah we think he, Diane, Candis and Jonathan all need counseling,” Margarita says. “When I spoke to Candis’ mother on the telephone and told her I was willing to pay for Candis’ and Jonathan’s counseling, she was too upset to accept any help with counseling.”
“She was?” Dr. Steward says. “Well hopefully she and her daughter will come around and accept the offer.”
“We hope so too.”
“Well I have an opening this coming Thursday morning, but I will have to counsel one of them at a time at first. Maybe I can counsel Diane D alone the first two times and after that, I can counsel her husband alone, then afterwards, I will counsel both of them together.”
“Okay.” Margarita turns to Mary and Barry and says, “Well what do y’all say? Should we bring Diane in first? Should we bring her in this Thursday morning?”
“Yes,” Barry says. “Of course. Let’s bring her in.”
“Okay.” Margarita turns back to Dr. Steward and says, “Okay doctor, we can bring Diane in this coming Thursday morning.”
“Okay good,” Dr. Steward says. “How about eight o’clock in the morning?”
“Eight o’clock is perfect.”
“Okay. I’ll see Diane D then.”
“Okay thank you doctor.”
“No problem. Take care.”
“You too.” Margarita, Mary and Barry get up from the chairs and get ready to leave the office.
It is Thursday 7 o‘clock in the morning. Inside Margarita and Tomas' mini-mansion, Margarita is waiting at the bottom of the stairwell looking up at Mary as Mary comes down the staircase. “Es Diane listo?” she asks Mary.
“Ella deberia estar listo,” Mary says. Mary reaches the bottom of the steps. She turns around as she and Margarita look up the staircase and shouts, “Vamos Diane! El doctor esta esperando!” Mary and Margarita stare up at the stairwell.
A sleepy dreary looking Diane D suddenly appears at the top of the stairs wearing light gray dungarees, a light gray dungaree jacket and a light gray shirt. She slowly comes down the stairs with her eyes half-closed as she looks at Mary and Margarita.
Diane D reaches the bottom of the steps and sort of stops as she looks at Mary and Margarita, then she rudely goes right past them and goes to the front door. Mary and Margarita turn around and look at Diane D. Diane D opens the front door and bangs it wide open with an attitude, then walks right out the doorway as the door slams behind her. Margarita then shouts, “No slam mis puertas young lady!” Margarita becomes frustrated as she and Mary go to the front door. Margarita opens the door, then she and Mary go through the doorway.
As Margarita and Mary come out of the doorway, Michael sadly appears to them from inside the house. Mary and Margarita turn around to Michael. “Hey Michael,” Mary says.
“Listen Michael,” Margarita says. “We’re so sorry for everything that happened between Diane and Jonathan.” Michael sadly and tearfully looks at Margarita. Margarita then says, “We will try our best to fix everything for you guys, okay?” Michael continues to sadly look at Margarita. He then looks towards the street at the car Diane D is waiting in. Michael puzzled looks at Diane D. Margarita and Mary puzzled look at Michael. They turn their heads around and look at Diane D. They turn their heads back to Michael.
“Michael is something wrong?” Mary asks.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Michael says. “I was just wondering, is Diane asleep or awake. I can’t tell from here.” Michael continues to puzzled stare at Diane D.
Margarita and Mary turn their heads back around to look at Diane D. Margarita and Mary turn their heads back to Michael as Mary says, “Michael Diane is most likely asleep. Mom and I did wake her right out of the bed very early this morning. Of course she’s still going to be sleepy.”
“I see.” Michael puzzled stares at Diane D again.
Diane D sits quietly in the front passenger seat with her head leaned back and her body completely still with her eyes are half-closed and her eyeballs sort of fixed towards Michael.
Michael continues to stare at Diane D. Margarita and Mary puzzled look at Michael. They turn their heads back around and look at Diane D. They turn back to Michael. Margarita then asks, “Michael what‘s the matter?”
“Are y’all sure Diane is awake or asleep?” Michael says.
“She‘s asleep Michael,” Mary says. “Does it really matter?”
“No. Not really.” Michael continues to puzzled stare at Diane D. Margarita and Mary turn their heads and look back at Diane D.
Diane D quietly remains still in the front passenger seat with her head leaned back, eyes half-closed and her eye balls still fixed on Michael.
Margarita and Mary turn their heads back to Michael. Margarita then asks, “Michael are you going to be okay?”
“I’ll try to be okay,” Michael says. “I’ll try very hard.”
“Hang in there Michael. Your turn to go to counseling will be later. Right now Diane is going to go.”
“We’ll be back,” Mary says.
“Okay,” Michael says.
“Make sure you and the rest of the guys in here don’t let Mike and Mitch go outside,” Margarita says. “They’re still on a punishment.”
“Okay Grandma,” Michael says.
“See you later.” Margarita and Mary turn and walk away from the doorway as Michael looks on.
Diane D continues to sit in the front passenger seat then rolls her eyes and turns her head away. She secretly has a small photo of Jonathan in her hand and looks at it. She then hides and tucks the photo in her pocket.
The next day, Margarita is sitting behind the desk at the organization office. She looks at a number on a card. She picks up the telephone receiver and dials the number. Margarita waits as she hears the ring on the other end of the phone. She hears someone pick up the receiver from the other end.
Brenda on the other end of the phone and says, “Hello?”
“Hello Brenda?” Margarita says.
“Yes speaking.”
“Hi Brenda, this is Margarita from the Diaz-Davidson Organization.”
“Margarita from the Diaz-Davidson Organization? You mean Diane D’s grandmother?”
“Yes, how are you doing?”
“I’m okay. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
“Well the staff members left me your number and all the other women’s numbers who called to complain about Diane.”
“They did?”
“Yes. Brenda, I just called to tell you and all the other women who called to complain about Diane, that I’m very sorry for any misunderstanding that happened between you all, your husbands or boyfriends and Diane. I just want to let you all know that if any damage happened in any of your relationships because of Diane, I’m willing to pay for counseling for all of you.”
“You are?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you so much Miss Margarita, but I’m gonna drop the complaint I have against Diane D.”
“You’re gonna drop the complaint you have against Diane? Why?”
“Miss Margarita, a lot of people are talking about what happened between Diane D and one of the other women who called your organization to complain about her.”
“What? What are you talking about? What do you mean a lot of people are talking about what happened between Diane and one of the other women who called this organization?”
“Miss Margarita, word spread around in all the neighborhoods and the communities, that Diane D tried to go after a women name Candis who called your organization to complain about her the same time I was there.”
“Word spread around all the neighborhoods and the communities?”
“Yes. I heard people talking about it on the bus and train today.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Miss Margarita, everybody in the neighborhoods and the communities heard about this woman Candis who called your organization to complain about Diane D trying to meet up with her boyfriend Jonathan at Newark Airport. Everybody heard that Diane D got so angry at that woman Candis and threatened Candis right over the telephone telling Candis she was gonna come after her and beat her up in the parking lot behind her apartment building then got off the phone with Candis and actually drove and sped all the way from your organization all the way to where Candis live to meet Candis in the parking lot and beat her up right there!”
“How did everybody hear about it?”
“People read it in the paper.”
“They did?”
“Yeah.”
“But Diane never beat up Candis, Brenda. Didn‘t the people read about that part in the paper too?”
“Yeah. They said the only reason why Diane D never succeeded in beating up Candis is because the police was right there waiting for her and blocked her car when she showed up! People read that the police took Diane D out of the car and arrested her right there on the spot for attempted assault and battery charge! People also read that the police found a baseball bat in the back seat of Diane D’s car! Now the rest of us women have to worry about Diane D getting into a rage then getting out of control and coming after us too if any of us call your organization to complain about her again! We got to watch our backs for her now! We don’t need this problem on our heads!”
“But at least Diane didn’t succeed in assaulting Candis Brenda.”
“Yeah because she opened her mouth and threatened Candis right over the telephone telling Candis exactly what she’s gonna do, then wind up having the police right there waiting for her, but what about the next time Miss Margarita? The next time Diane D gets into a rage and decides to come after any of us women again, she’s not gonna open her mouth and threaten anybody! She’s gonna keep it strictly to herself so no cops will be around waiting for her! Miss Margarita, I don’t want Diane D accusing me of calling your organization complaining about her, then she gets into another rage and wind up coming after me too! I don’t want her driving and speeding all the way to where I live coming after me like she did to that woman Candis.”
“But Brenda, we‘ve sent Diane for some counseling. Hopefully she will never do anything like that again.”
“Miss Margarita, Diane D has a reputation for getting out of control whenever she gets angry. She is known for having a vicious temper. She is known for having a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. A lot of people saw and remember her rage the day she attacked and beat up those security guards and those police officers and they had to be hospitalized for it! I don’t want the same thing happening to me. I don’t want to take any chances Miss Margarita, it‘s not worth it, so I’m ready drop my complaint I have against Diane D.”
“I’m sorry you feel this way Brenda. I really am. I’m sorry for any trouble that Diane might have caused in your relationship with your husband. I just want to let you know if you need anything from me in the future, you can call me, I’m right here, okay?”
“Thanks Miss Margarita. I’ll consider that.”
“Good. You take care of yourself.”
“You too. Bye.”
“Bye.” Margarita sadly hangs up the telephone. She sadly looks around the room. Tomas walks into the office. He puzzled looks at Margarita. He then says, “Lo que esta mal Margarita?”
Margarita looks at Tomas and says, “Voy a decirles lo que esta mal Tomas. Esa mujer Brenda que vinieron aqui la semana pasada para quejarse de Diane dice que ella va a caer su queja contra Diane.”
“Ella tambien?”
“Que quiere decir ‘ella tambien‘?”
“Eso es lo que yo habia venido a decirles Margarita. Tres de las otras mujeres que querian hacer las denuncias contra Diane antes estan disminuyendo sus quejas?”
“De verdad?”
“Si, llamaron la otra oficina.”
“Dijeron por que quieren dejar caer sus quejas contra Diane?”
“Dijeron que oyo hablar de Diane ir tras aquella mujer Candis y temen Diane puede venga despues ellas tambien.”
“Que es exactamente la misma razon por la cual Brenda quiere dejar caer su queja contra Diane. Yo no se Tomas, palabra que corrio como la polvora por lo que ocurrio entre Diane y Candis. Me alegra que las mujeres que quieren abandonar la quejas en nuestro favor, pero estabamos dispuestos a ayudarlos con sus relaciones.”
“Lo se, pero que mas podemos hacer?” Tomas and Margarita sadly look at each other.
That same evening, Michael and the band members are at a recording studio playing the instruments to a song. Michael then sings into the microphone saying, “She’s with that Jonathan guy! Oooh that Jonathan guy! Hey Mister Jonathan guy! Whyyy’d you sleep with my wife? Don’t trust that Jonathan guy! Daamn that Jonathan guy! She’s with that Jonathan guy! Oooh he took my wife! Don’t let that Jonathan guy! Get near your wife! Please Mister Jonathan Guy.” Michael and the band continue to play the instruments then close the song, Michael turns to the band members and shouts, “Okay fellows that’s a wrap!”
“Hey Michael,” Billy says. “We’re not gonna really put this song out there are we? I don’t think Diane’s family is gonna like that.”
“Of course I’m not going to put this song out there Billy. Why would I want to put this song out there anyway? Diane has already embarrassed me enough, I’m not going to add to it by embarrassing myself. After we finish making the CD to the song, I’m going to give the CD to Diane and let hear the song personally! This song is going to be for her own personal use not for the world‘s use! I want Diane to know how she broke my heart by having her listening to this song. That’ll teach her. Let’s put the blank CD in now.” Michael takes a blank CD out of a package and loads it into the studio CD burner.
The following week, a car pulls up to the curb outside Margarita and Tomas' mini-mansion. Mickey comes out of the mini-mansion and heads to the gate. He opens the gate then closes it and heads to the car. He goes to the front passenger door, opens the door and gets inside the car.
Mickey sits in the passenger seat as Keyara sits in the driver‘s seat. Keyara turns to Mickey and says, “Hi Mickey.”
“Hey Keyara,” Mickey says. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out about you. I kept trying to call you last night. Is everything okay with you and your family? I heard your sister Diane had gotten into trouble for threatening some woman named Candis. I heard she had to move back home with your family for a while.”
“Yeah she did.”
“Wow Mickey. Your family seems to have their hands full. First Mike and Mitch get into trouble at the Basketball Tournament while still in your family’s custody and living with your family, then your sister Diane gets into trouble for threatening this woman Candis then driving and speeding all the way to where Candis live to assault her in the parking lot, then she gets arrested and put into your family’s custody herself then has to move back home with your family for a while too.”
“Wow you heard about everything didn’t you Keyara?”
“Mickey everybody is talking about it all over town. Your family’s organization is very well known you know, you’re in the public eye. Everybody knows your sister Diane known as Diane D. If you’re in the public eye, certain things you just can’t keep secret, especially having run ins with the law and the police. For an organization, y’all seem to have a lot of run-ins with the law and the police.”
“No Keyara, the run-ins with the law and the police has nothing to do with my family’s organization, so let’s not even go there, okay? It’s the few individuals in the organization that has the run ins with the law and the police and it’s usually the same three individuals who seem to usually have run-ins with the law and the police.”
“The same three individuals? Who?”
“You know who, Diane, Mike and Mitch. Those three are usually the ones who have the run-ins with the law and the police not the organization itself.”
“I see. I’m sorry Mickey, I didn‘t mean to put it that way.”
“It’s okay.” Mickey turns and looks out the windshield as Keyara nervously looks at him.
Keyara turns and looks out the windshield then back at Mickey and asks, “So where’s Diane at anyway? Is she home?”
“Yeah she’s in the house right now. She‘s upstairs laying on the bed resting.”
“She is?”
“Yeah. She and Michael had marriage counseling early this morning.”
“They did?”
“Yeah. They had marriage counseling all week. I think Diane is kind of tired from going to counseling this morning it gave her a slight headache.”
“She has a headache?”
“A headache and a slight fever.”
“She has a slight fever too?”
“Yeah. My mom and grandma said Diane felt warm. When Diane came home from counseling, she just went straight upstairs and laid right on the bed. She didn’t even take time to undress. I felt her forehead myself. It did feel warm. Later mom and grandma opened Diane’s shirt and put cold cloths on her forehead, neck, chest area and stomach area.”
“They did?”
“Yeah. My mom and grandma started giving her some aspirin, iced water and medicine.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. I hope she feels better soon. How is her and Michael’s marriage counseling coming along?”
“So far they’re still separated for now, but even though they’re separated, he still comes by a lot to visit her and my family.”
“He does?”
“Yeah. He gave her a CD with a song he’s personally written for her.”
“He wrote a song for Diane?”
“Yeah.”
“What song? What type of song is it? What’s it about?”
“It’s about her cheating on him with Jonathan.”
“What? The song is about her cheating on him with Jonathan? Did she hear the song?”
“Yeah she heard the song.”
“Oh yeah? How did she feel about it? What did she think about it?”
“She got upset about it. She took the CD out of the player and threw it right at Michael, telling him to shove it!”
“She did?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh I feel bad for Michael because he really seemed down in the dumps with this whole Diane and Jonathan thing.”
“Well Diane yelled at Michael and told him he’s no angel himself!”
“He’s no angel himself? What does she mean by that? Did he ever cheat on Diane?”
“I don’t know, I have no idea.”
“So what happened with all those women who called your family’s organization to make complaints against Diane? I heard they all dropped their complaints against her?”
“Strangely they all did drop their complaints against Diane. They all heard about Diane’s out of control rage when she drove and sped all the way to where Candis live to go after Candis, after Candis called the organization to complain about her. Word spread around fast among the communities what Diane did. Those women called the organization and claim they don’t want Diane getting into an out of control rage and try to come after them like she did to Candis. They said Candis might have been lucky that the police were there to stop Diane’s rage, but they’re worried about what if the cops aren’t there in time for them.”
“Wow. So they all dropped their complaints against your sister all because of that?”
“All because of that yep, each and every one of them.”
“Wow. How does your family feel about it?”