Chapter 5
3 o'clock the next afternoon at "the corner"---
"So Destiny, what's da deal?" Jack walked right up to Destiny, without a hello.
Destiny shrugged. "Uh, what do you mean?" She twirled her hair around her finger a little bit. "Oh!" she began, "you mean why am I here? Well, I was supposed to go with Margaret to get my hair done, like I said last night, but I…"
"Nah." Jack shook his head. "I mean, what's da 'plan'?"
"Um… plan? Our plan? To get Pulitzer out here?"
"Nah nah. Da plan you are in on." Jack's voice was full of anger. He and Racetrack had discussed, for quite some time last night, whether Destiny was in on anything. Jack explained that Pulitzer was pretty sure of himself.
Destiny shrugged. "I… I… I just… I don't know… uh… I…" she stuttered.
"You made it clear dat you can't lie. So tell me." Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Pulitza' said ta not hang around you so I'd like ta know why 'fore I start runnin'."
Destiny chuckled. "Well, I guess you have the right to know…" She trailed off and thought for a minute. She wondered whether she should lie, or just come out with it. She decided to tell him the truth, and hope he wouldn't hate her for it. "I'm in a group Jack. Everyone in it is against Pulitzer, including me. His harsh ways have tainted everyone. William Hearst organized a group, the group I'm in. He used me so that it wouldn't seem so obvious; the poor, blind girl. Ya know? We're trying to get him outside of his house, but all has failed. So I…"
"You tried gettin' me in der ta get him out?" Jack stepped back from Destiny. "You used me?"
"Oh no," Destiny whispered, "Everything that has happened has just happened. I didn't order any such arrest of you…"
"But you told me dat if I saw him dat you wanted me ta get him out. Are you all plannin' ta kill him?" he asked her, his voice rising.
"Jack, tone your voice done a bit. If anyone were to know…"
Jack queried, "So your pal Margaret, is she in on it too?"
Destiny nodded. "Sort of."
"So are you plannin' on killin' him?" Jack murmured, taking a step closer again.
"Not me," she replied, lifting her head up slowly. She put her hands on Jack's chest and slowly made her fingers up to his face. She felt his mouth and cheeks, and then gently touched his eyes. "You're still mad," she stated, seeing his expression without eyes.
"Well yeah," Jack told her, trying to soften his expression up. He felt himself churning inside from Destiny's cold, smooth fingers. "You can't jus' kill somebody cause you don't like da way dey tink," Jack stated, pulling himself away from Destiny's trance.
"I agree. But I have to do it. Mr. Hearst is a very powerful man and…" her voice trailed off. She couldn't tell him more.
Jack urged her, "And what?"
She shook her head. "Nothing, he just…" She stood up stiffly and dropped her head down, shifting from one leg to the other.
Jack rubbed his temples briskly. He was feeling nauseated. "Will you jus' tell me why you'd wanna do sumpin' like dis?" he asked her. He took her hand, feeling the cool sensation go through his body again. He shuddered and begged, "Please?"
"He's my Father," Destiny quickly got out, yanking her hand from Jacks loving grip. "My Mother met him once, he left, out popped me. My Mother died, telling me to go live with him. I went, and soon after, I met Margaret. The two fell in love. He didn't want anyone to know that he was in love with a black woman, so we'd both go there and he'd tell people that I was his girl. He told me he'd accept me if I did what he said. Margaret came along just to make sure I got what he wanted done." She sniffled out the last words, "That's the short summary of it Jack."
Jack was speechless. "I… I…" he stumbled, trying to find the right words. He found himself, seeing Destiny twitch slightly as a tear came down her cheek. "You don't need ta be accepted by him, or nobody, just by yaself," he stated.
She let out a little laugh and shook her head. "It's what my Mother wanted. It's what Margaret wants, so she came be with him more."
"But it ain't what you want. You ain't no killa'!" Jack knew. He wrapped his arms around Destiny and she pulled away.
"I have to think," she whispered, "If you see Margaret, tell her I went home." With that said, Destiny headed down the sidewalk and out of sight, leaving a flabbergasted Jack behind.
Read on babe!
3 o'clock the next afternoon at "the corner"---
"So Destiny, what's da deal?" Jack walked right up to Destiny, without a hello.
Destiny shrugged. "Uh, what do you mean?" She twirled her hair around her finger a little bit. "Oh!" she began, "you mean why am I here? Well, I was supposed to go with Margaret to get my hair done, like I said last night, but I…"
"Nah." Jack shook his head. "I mean, what's da 'plan'?"
"Um… plan? Our plan? To get Pulitzer out here?"
"Nah nah. Da plan you are in on." Jack's voice was full of anger. He and Racetrack had discussed, for quite some time last night, whether Destiny was in on anything. Jack explained that Pulitzer was pretty sure of himself.
Destiny shrugged. "I… I… I just… I don't know… uh… I…" she stuttered.
"You made it clear dat you can't lie. So tell me." Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Pulitza' said ta not hang around you so I'd like ta know why 'fore I start runnin'."
Destiny chuckled. "Well, I guess you have the right to know…" She trailed off and thought for a minute. She wondered whether she should lie, or just come out with it. She decided to tell him the truth, and hope he wouldn't hate her for it. "I'm in a group Jack. Everyone in it is against Pulitzer, including me. His harsh ways have tainted everyone. William Hearst organized a group, the group I'm in. He used me so that it wouldn't seem so obvious; the poor, blind girl. Ya know? We're trying to get him outside of his house, but all has failed. So I…"
"You tried gettin' me in der ta get him out?" Jack stepped back from Destiny. "You used me?"
"Oh no," Destiny whispered, "Everything that has happened has just happened. I didn't order any such arrest of you…"
"But you told me dat if I saw him dat you wanted me ta get him out. Are you all plannin' ta kill him?" he asked her, his voice rising.
"Jack, tone your voice done a bit. If anyone were to know…"
Jack queried, "So your pal Margaret, is she in on it too?"
Destiny nodded. "Sort of."
"So are you plannin' on killin' him?" Jack murmured, taking a step closer again.
"Not me," she replied, lifting her head up slowly. She put her hands on Jack's chest and slowly made her fingers up to his face. She felt his mouth and cheeks, and then gently touched his eyes. "You're still mad," she stated, seeing his expression without eyes.
"Well yeah," Jack told her, trying to soften his expression up. He felt himself churning inside from Destiny's cold, smooth fingers. "You can't jus' kill somebody cause you don't like da way dey tink," Jack stated, pulling himself away from Destiny's trance.
"I agree. But I have to do it. Mr. Hearst is a very powerful man and…" her voice trailed off. She couldn't tell him more.
Jack urged her, "And what?"
She shook her head. "Nothing, he just…" She stood up stiffly and dropped her head down, shifting from one leg to the other.
Jack rubbed his temples briskly. He was feeling nauseated. "Will you jus' tell me why you'd wanna do sumpin' like dis?" he asked her. He took her hand, feeling the cool sensation go through his body again. He shuddered and begged, "Please?"
"He's my Father," Destiny quickly got out, yanking her hand from Jacks loving grip. "My Mother met him once, he left, out popped me. My Mother died, telling me to go live with him. I went, and soon after, I met Margaret. The two fell in love. He didn't want anyone to know that he was in love with a black woman, so we'd both go there and he'd tell people that I was his girl. He told me he'd accept me if I did what he said. Margaret came along just to make sure I got what he wanted done." She sniffled out the last words, "That's the short summary of it Jack."
Jack was speechless. "I… I…" he stumbled, trying to find the right words. He found himself, seeing Destiny twitch slightly as a tear came down her cheek. "You don't need ta be accepted by him, or nobody, just by yaself," he stated.
She let out a little laugh and shook her head. "It's what my Mother wanted. It's what Margaret wants, so she came be with him more."
"But it ain't what you want. You ain't no killa'!" Jack knew. He wrapped his arms around Destiny and she pulled away.
"I have to think," she whispered, "If you see Margaret, tell her I went home." With that said, Destiny headed down the sidewalk and out of sight, leaving a flabbergasted Jack behind.
Read on babe!
