Saturday July 4th 2009
…..In so much pain….She could barley move. Her legs felt like it was broken. She could only see out of one eye. She really could not believe any of this was happening to her. She thought maybe if she could get to her car, but she had no clue where her keys were. She was in so much agonizing pain. She was struck in her head at least four or five times even though she blocked most of the bats force with her arms. She started to think if she called _______________________ would they even bother to come help her after the way she had treated them. Heaven just laid there bleeding and wondering how she got herself in this predicament.
Just then she blacks out.
At the hospital
“She’s coming to. Nurse call up to ____ we need to do a _____.
“Yes doctor Chen.”
“She has a broken clavicle and it appears…one two…five broken ribs. She needs x-rays and we need a CT ASAP. Yes doctor.”
Still groggy and confused.
“Where, where am I?
“What the hell happened to me?” She started to yell.
“I can’t feel my legs.
“Calm down please … my name is Dr Chen Can you tell me your name?”
“I can’t feel my legs….MY LEGGGS!!!!!”” NOOOOOO””
The staff held her down as the doctor sedated her and her head tilted sideways looking out the window in room 308 and watching the rain come down just as all the tears in her eyes started to fall to the floor.
Some people get second chance. Some people understand that tomorrow is NOT promised to you and to not take each and everything that you have in your life for granted. Some people understand that life is short and to enjoy every minute that you have living life to the fullest. Some people. Some people regret the decisons that that make knowing that they had the opportunity to choose their own path and that they had chosen the wrong path.
Some people.
Her name is Heaven. She is what some would say a woman of the new decade. Heaven’s life as it stands was inspired by Michelle Obama when Barack became president. She saw how a woman can maintain power and respect in the business world and use her ability to control her own life and stay empowered through God and through self preservation.
“I rise because I can. I rise because I was meant to be someone special. And I am….I am Heaven”
She says to herself every single day.
Monday May 11th 2009
"I can't believe how crazy and confusing my life has become." Talking to herself while grabbing her purse and Gucci leather attaché, Heaven rushes out of her 2010 Jaguar and towards the front door of the six-story building. Like a caged prisoner with heavy metal walls and thick glass with no open windows. She felt like a prisoner and it seemed like she spent more time at work than she did at home.
"I've got to change my life around." Heaven thought, pulling one of the metal glass doors open.
"Life is going to pass me by and I won't have a damn thing to show for it but the ability to buy a house with my black credit card."
”Damnnnn girl!" Said the receptionist, Natasha Williams. When she saw Heaven coming in the door. Natasha had been Jamison Investment Group's receptionist since the firm first began about ten years ago, rarely missing a day of work. Natasha was Heaven’s quote home girl from around the way end quote. She looked forward to seeing her in the mornings.
"Uh did that dress fit on a doll at home or are you trying to land another client? She said with a big laugh.
"You think it’s too short?" Heaven replied.
"I knew it was too short when I bought it but BeBe had a sale and..!"
“Say no more.” she said
The cream suit, one of two dozen she had owned, made her look like Beyonce, no more like _______________________________.
“I'll have to admit that even though the skirt is shorter than what I am used to wearing girl I looked good.” Heaven told her
"I don’t think so!" Natasha responded. "Not with those scrawny legs, girl!" Laughing
"Seriously though if I had legs like yours I'd be showing them off every chance I got." She added.
"I bet your husband had a fit knowing you were coming to work showing them legs this morning."
"Please, he didn't even notice me." Heaven said.
"He was too busy polishing his damn bowling ball. He's has another tournament with his quote boys this weekend."
"Maybe you ought to take up bowling in that skirt?" Natasha said giggling.
"I bet he'd notice you then."
"Just between you and me, I don't really care if he notices me or not." Heaven had confessed to her, trying her best not to display her as of late sad interior. See Natasha was the only other black woman at the firm and Heaven did not feel like she could discuss anything with any of the other women there with their fancy fur coats and snobby attitudes. Heaven was from Edmonson Village in Baltimore Maryland. The women here at this firm had nothing in common except a paycheck.
"The more we're apart, the better we get along."
Her husband, Maurice slept in a separate bedroom, which was not Heaven’s idea. He did not think that she realized he didn’t want the separation but he worked late hours and was often tired and didn’t want to come home to a woman wanting sex all the time. Maurice was a part time college football coach assistant but his main career was an addict counselor. Maurice also wanted to start a family and was very unaware that Heaven was on birth control.
Sex was something they engaged in every few months or so, usually after Heaven would initiate it during the middle of the night while he was sleep and he almost had no choice in the matter. At one point in time she actually thought her husband was gay but she knew he was not.
"Well, there's more to life than just working all the time." Natasha stated.
"I know you've been working weekends and staying late all the time. But your husband is a good man and that is so hard to find. You always working and you have to start having time for you. Shoot I’m not even here that much."
"I know, I know but working as much as I do is almost like a relief. I go home to an empty house because he is coaching or seeing a client at his office downtown. That’s why I'm giving serious consideration to doing something different. A hobby or just experiencing something.”
“Not some one Heaven.” Natasha stated very quickly.
No just some thing for me. I always wanted to buy a motorcycle."
"You, on a motorcycle!" Natasha said. "Now that's funny. I've got to see this, humph miss biker chic huh!"
"Well, don't hold your breath." Heaven asserted. "I mean I’m still young and I’m just considering it. I haven't made up my mind just yet."
"So you going to get all tatted up and join a biker gang?" Natasha said looking at Heaven like she was crazy.
"Well. I never thought about all that." Heaven replied with a laugh. "I just might."
The phone kept ringing and interrupted their conversation. Heaven walked towards the elevator, heading to her office. Their morning conversations were sometimes what kept her grounded of who she is and where she came from. The rest of Heaven’s workday was usually spent in meetings, monitoring their investments or chatting with some of their most prestigious investors. It was all business, all the time, she needed a break!
Even though she had just turned thirty seven, Heaven often felt more like fifty-seven. At least she still had a good figure, not as great as when she attended college but not far from it. She stood five foot six and she had long black silky hair but she was considering cutting it short to make it easier to deal with when she found herself rushing in the mornings like today. Her once bright brown eyes seemed to have faded over the past year or so, along with her eye sight.
“I think I’m going blind.” She thought to herself and blamed that on way too many hours staring at the computer and staying up late at night reading investment reports.
Stepping off the elevator, Heaven ran into David Jamison, Jamison Investment Group's president and CEO. He smiled even though she could immediately tell he didn't quite approve of her business attire. He had grey-black hair that gave him a threatening but distinguished look.
"Excuse me do you have a minute?" He asked, putting his arm around her as to tell her you have no choice in the mater.
"There are a couple of things I need to go over with you before I leave for my trip this weekend."
"What is it now Daddy." Heaven answered with a sarcastic look.
"Shall we go to your office or mine?"
"Um let’s go to your office, I need you to be comfortable when I talk." He replied.
Heaven figured she needed a drink of coffee and she smoked cigarettes like they were going out of style. Heaven would use both of them as substitutes for sex, which she wasn't experiencing hardly any at the present nor in the near future.
After going into her beautiful office with specially ordered marble floors and real Italian artistic paintings, Heaven cut on her HP touch screen computers. Nothing but the best is what Heaven strived for and she even had the new Sony Hologram 3000 to do video and holographic conference calls.
"Don't you think that the way you are dressed young lady you are setting a bad example for other young black women in business your age?” Heaven’s father remarked, pulling at her hemline.
"Not to mention for someone in your position Heaven?"
"Well at least I've still got the legs for it." Heaven responded, trying to brush off the comment.
"Besides daddy, you never know when showing them off might influence one of our major investors."
"That’s the very nonsense thinking that will make me regret my decision of making you vice- president little girl. Here in this firm, my firm! We do not and will not conduct business that way. Is that understood?” Her father practically demanded.
"The Jamison Investment Group was founded on good, solid investment strategies with integrity, honest business practices and the utilizing the trust of our clients we demand and give respect. As the vice-president of this firm, you are expected, no will uphold those values. Now as President, founder and CEO of this firm. Do I make myself clear Ms Jamison?"
She interrupted him before he could say anything more "Cut the sermon preacher man!" "I was only kidding Jeez."
Looking at her with a hint of dissatisfaction he ignored her comment.
They spent the next hour or two going over some new investments they were considering and discussing financial reports for the next fiscal calendar. It was starting off like just another typical day for Heaven all work and no play.
Her father built the company and prides himself on all his accomplishments. Heaven is the only family he has since her mother died a few years ago and she is an only child like her father and mother so she did not have cousins or aunts and uncles. They grew up in Edmonson Village, Baltimore Maryland and Heaven never ever forgot where she came from.
Heaven attended Yale on a mathematical scholarship at age 17 graduating high school one year earlier than most. She also made time for her high school friends when they would visit from college and was on Showtime at the Apollo with those same high school friends singing Keshia Cole at age 17.
“Here I am again, I love my work but I have no outside life other than this. This bullshit.” Discouraged she pushes the paperwork on her desk to the side. When she was happily married to Maurice they use to do a lot of things but now it’s like nothing matters to him especially her. His career as a coach means more to him than anything and anyone. Now Heaven finds herself unable to finish the report her father gave her because she is distracted by one of her screensavers.
Heaven began thinking to her self.
“I really do want a motorcycle. My screensaver has several of that Suzuki-Motorcycle on it.”
Her imagination went so far as to allow her to picture herself riding with some of her friends on the beltway or going for a long ride into Virginia on a nice fast all black GSXR.
“Vroom Vroom.” She has her hands in front of her as if she is riding a motorcycle.
