Roman finds the road to recovery in rehab isn't the cake walk he expected, there's only so much bs one can spread before therapy smacks right into that brick wall Roman has put up... a unexpected romance has blossomed between Roman and another patient which might lead Roman down a path he'd better think twice before heading... while Mora begins her own journey into sobriety, not her choice, and reaches out to Roman for salvation.
Roman finds the road to recovery in rehab isn't the cake walk he expected, there's only so much bs one can spread before therapy smacks right into that brick wall Roman has put up... a unexpected romance has blossomed between Roman and another patient which might lead Roman down a path he'd better think twice before heading... while Mora begins her own journey into sobriety, not her choice, and reaches out to Roman for salvation.
Angie was furious with her father. As she sat in the back seat of the black Lincoln continental sedan sandwiched in between her father and his goon, Bert Goodwin, an ex-cop who after fifteen years with the Indianapolis police department took an early retirement rather than face the scrutiny of another suspicious shooting of an unarmed black man.
Bert now worked for Hank Babbins, Angie’s father, and if fetching his daughter from yet another rehab was what he was told to do, well, he was being generously compensated to do so.
“You can finish your rehab at home…” Angie’s father said.
I’ve lined up several therapist eagerly waiting to see you.”
Are you serious? Angie yelled.
In what world do you think that I would talk about my personal problems with one of your stooges?
Hank replied, “They’re not stooges, they’re professionals… and besides… angie interrupted his train of thought.
I’m not seeing anyone… take me back!
I’m afraid that’s out of the question, … you need to prepare yourself for boarding school, your mother and I have already paid your tuition… you’re going whether you like it or not. you’ll be starting in three weeks.
For days Angie stayed sequestered away in her bedroom. She could barely think of anything else besides getting a fix… and Roman… and getting a fix.
She couldn’t imagine what he might be thinking… they had grown very close over the last couple of months… she thought of their kisses in the apple orchard, holding hands during their walks, snuggled up together while watching tv in the activity room and her sudden departure no doubt would have him questioning her feelings for him.
But right this moment, this very second… what she needed more than Roman’s arms around her was a goddamn fix… just a teeny little bump to get her over this… major fuckup. Then she’d figure out a way to get a message to Roman, to apologize for her fathers very imperfect timing.
She couldn’t take it any longer. She telephoned her dealer and begged him to make a delivery…
Are you outta your mind?!
My black ass ain’t welcome around your neighborhood little miss sunshine… the police would pull me over for I got to your street… then prolyl beat my ass, if fo no other eason than for being black… then haul me off to jail! Fuck that… you on her own sunshine.
Please…. I’m begging you! I’ll give you triple what the going rate is… Angie pleaded and begged.
Look… I ain’t making no promises, but maybe I can have one of my boys meet you somewhere close by. Your Daddy still got that ex-cop working for him? The one that shot that black kid in the back?
Yeah… Angie replied
Damn girl. You ain’t making this easy are you.
It wasn’t as if this was her first time sneaking out of the house to score… God no. Too many times to even count. But her father’s goon, Bert was keeping an extra close eye on her lately… which just meant she’d have to be abit more creative in her escape.
Leaving in her car was out of the question. It was locked up and the keys had been removed from her possession quite some time back… she dailed one of her last remaining friends she still had… when you ride the white horse everybody else gets the short end of the stick and by now Angie didn’t have that many friends that she hadn’t screwed over… but Tina and Toni, twin sisters from her old school still picked up when she called.
While Toni stayed behind in Angie’s bedroom pretending to be her… Angie and Tina quietly and unnoticed crept out the back through the woods and hopped in Tina’s mint green Mercedes coupe.
Roman, there’s a call for you… you can take it in the office. The night attendant said.
Roman’s heart leapt from his chest. It had to be Angie… he knew she’d reach out to him.
“Hello… Ang…” roman whispered into the phone.
“Roman, my baby, please help me, you gotta help me… I can’t be here!” Mora’s voice crackled over the line.
“What?” was all he could think to say.
It was Mora… not Angie. That enormous shift in his mind almost made him dizzy… Roman sat down and cradled the phone to his ear.
What are you talking about he said.
It had been quite some time since Mora had a relapse… breakdown… episode… whatever they were calling it these days. Ever since John had entered her life she had seemed better, more stable.
The woman on the other end of this line was not that… this was the Mora of old.
She was talking hysterically; the words were falling out of her mouth with such force and abundance Roman couldn’t make out what she was going on about.
Mom… Mom… Mom… was all he could say trying to get her to take a breath.
After several minutes of Mora spouting off about everything from being kidnapped to being held prisoner Roman finally got to the gist of the call.
John had thought this might be the perfect time for Mora to try a little rehab while Roman was doing it as well… sort of a mother son bonding experience.
Mora was not amused.
After 48 hours of non-alcohol observation she had unravelled… and wanted out.
She pleaded with the staff and John… but he just told her give it some time… the DT’s he said that’s all it was. A couple more days alcohol free and she’d feel like a different person.
Oh she was a different person alright.
Mom… Mom… Mommm… there’s nothing I can do… I’m locked up in here remember? Roman tried to get through to her but wasn’t sure if she was hearing him.
Mora continued to wail and rant over and over… her voice ratcheted up a notch… getting angrier.
“Fuck you too, Mora screamed into the phone… Roman recoiled almost able to feel her spittle.
As Mora screamed at him he slowly placed the phone down on the receiver until it clicked off ending the call.
Wow. He thought. She’s taking it hard… he’d seen some of the patients that just got admitted go through similar episodes, but it was difficult to swallow it when it’s your own mother roman was speechless… angry… embarrassed.
The night attendant popped his head into the room and asked if everything was alright.
Uh, yeah… I mean no… I don’t know. My Mom’s… having a hard time… Roman wasn’t sure how to verbalize everything in his head at the moment… no doubt if Stone were here he’d encourage Roman to share his feelings about it. To open up and share with the group… how does it make you feel knowing your mother is having a schizophrenic episode as she’s drying out in a rehab clutched in the frenzy of DT’s reaching out to you to save her… hmmnnn?
Fuck this, Roman thought and headed straight to one of the older residents to score some weed.
What? Oh you thought that since they were all in a locked down drug and alcohol rehab facility that there wasn’t any drugs or alcohol? Please.
Roman could score pot, pills and vodka just about every night if he wanted. It was a joke.
And right now all he wanted was to get stoned and forget about Mora’s call… he just kept telling himself it wasn’t her… she’s sick remember… she didn’t mean all the fucked up shit she had said over the phone… forget it man… you better start worrying about how you’re going to get free of here and find Angie.
He didn’t have to wait long as it turned out…
The Y.E.S. house counselors dropped a surprise field trip on the residents… a fun family type outing to the local bowling lanes.
Generate some bonding between patients and therapists… blow off a little steam careening bowling balls down the lane or whatever. For Roman, this was the moment he’d been looking for.
Feigning a stomach bug the day of the outing, Roman had decided to hang back at the facility and deal with just one guard as opposed to trying to make a run for it while out on the field trip.
It was easier than he could have imagined.
Ross, the security guard, always ate his lunch in the kitchen with the staff while watching his daytime soaps on the small tv that was up on the shelf. He had checked in on Roman before he headed to the kitchen and even asked if he wanted to have lunch together… Ross was about seventy and the kind of old man everyone wanted as their grandpa… at least Roman did.
He felt slightly bad that his escaping would tarnish the old fellas record but well… alls fair in love and war, right?
Roman stood by the door of the kitchen to listen to Ross chomp away at his meal and grunt at the tv… then he just walked out the front door to the gate house and find the keys to unlock the gate manually from the automatic locking system so it wouldn’t make any sounds or kick off any alarms Roman was unaware of. He quietly closed the gate behind him and walked off campus as if it was an everyday occurrence. Nothing to see here folks, just a kid out for a walk… and won’t ever be back.
As he had earlier planned, Jeff was there… down the block in his car to pick Roman up. Having been released a couple of weeks earlier after his graduation… or successful completion… he had kept his word and A) found out where Angie was… and B) picked Roman up.
Hey brother, how’s it hanging? Jeff grinned as he sat behind the wheel of one of the most shotout, beat up wrecks of an automobile Roman had ever climbed in. Beggers can’t be choosers…
Thanks for the ride… you have no idea what this means to me. Roman said
No worries mi amigo… wanna get high? Jeff offered roman a joint.
Nah… I’m good.
Jeff raised his eyebrows and stared at roman. Good? What’s that about?
I just wanna find Angie is all… that shit can wait till later.
Jeff smiled and said, I knew you was faking it in there… you’re no more addicted to drugs or alcohol than the man on the moon.
Maybe addicted to Angie… Jeff remarked as he pulled away from the curb… and that might be worse.
Well chill out and relax cuz we got over an hours ride to where she lives…
Roman and Jeff filled the time talking about their impression of the treatment facility and all the crazy shit they heard from other residents… but most of the stories were of lonely sad kids dealing with depression and some form of mental illness the only way they knew how… numb the pain with drugs and drown the voices with drink. Roman knew all too well the tools of the trade.
It was getting dark by the time Jeff pulled his car into a wooded lane and stopped.
Walk up in there about 100 yards or so… you’ll see a stone wall on the left with a little hobbit-like gate in it. That’s the back of her house.
How to you know? Roman inquired.
Because I double checked the address from her intake file you dope… 3661 Dover… that’s it.
Unless you want me to drop you off out front? I mean theres a big ass iron gate and a long freakin driveway but whatever, I’ll do it.
No… roman said not quite sure what to do now that he was there.
Look I’ll wait right here for you, alright? Jeff said with a look of shit or get off the pot.
Ok, I’ll come back and let you know what the deal is… Roman told him as he got out and closed the door with a loud creak.
As Romans eyes became accustomed to the darkness he found the little doorway and pushed it open.
On the other side was a sweeping lawn the size of a football field and a softly lit pool in the middle. The house was enormous… it made his old commune home look like a shack… holy fuck Roman gawked.
The exterior of the mansion was well lit and roman could see several of the rooms inside where light glowed from the windows… now the only question was… where in the huge house was Angie?
Tina scowled at the black man leaning in the passenger side window… as Angie and her dealer negotiated prices like a commodities broker would over soybeans and pork bellies.
Why does she do it… Tina asked herself for the hundredth time. I mean what’s the deal? Why does Angie need that poison to get through a day in her life anyways? It didn’t look so bad to where she was sitting. Angie was a pretty girl, lived in one of the bigger mansions in Willow Creek, the most exclusive neighborhood in all Indianapolis and her family seemed to let her do whatever she wanted…. So why? Tina was dumbfounded by her friend, but they’d known each other since kindergarten and at one point her Toni and Angie were like the three musketeers… inseparable.
She chalked it up to just another crazy fade, no different than ones they’d all been into at one time or another… punk rockers… pink hair… gothic black eyeliner… alcohol binge-fests… even sexual explorations with a couple of other girls from their private school class. At sixteen, the trio had pretty much done it all.
Well, except for this. Toni and Tina did not partake. But theirs’s was a judgement free zone relationship… and if Ang wanted to experiment with a bit of heroin who was she to say no.
Alright Ronnie! Angie exclaimed and handed over a fistful of money in exchange for a baggie of white powder. “That’s what I’m talkin bout!”
“Don’t forget what I said now alright… and if you get caught with that… you don’t know me understand? Understood, Sunshine?” Ronnie the dealer stared hard into Angies eyes until she nodded and said… Ok, understood.
Have a nice flight, Ronnie said. Now I’mma gonna get my black ass up outta this lily white neighborhood before I get shot in the back by one of you’s Daddy’s friends. Like that other nigga.
Angie blew him a kiss and the electric window rolled up separating her from the ugly truths on the other side. Bye-bye she waved and the Mercedes coupe took off down the road headed back to the quiet subdued plushness of Willow Creek.
Roman was genuinely surprised how easy it was to get inside Angie’s house, at the very least he thought he’d have to scale the back of it search for an open bathroom window or something but no, not at all. He simply used the tall hedgerow along the side of the backyard as cover and went up to the six car garage where the door was unlocked and stepped inside.
The garage was larger than most of the houses he had lived in… neon lights flickered over classic automobiles Angies father owned… besides the black Lincoln, Roman identified a supped up chevy camaro, a Mercedes and a corvette… pretty sweet indeed Roman thought.
Roman skirted the cars and headed for the door he assumed led to the kitchen like so many homes do… also unlocked. Roman shook his head in amazement, poor folks lock their shit up more.
He slipped through the kitchen, made a preliminary reconnaissance of the lower floor rooms where he spied a woman and man lounging in front of a fireplace that you could have driven a car thru while a tv played a football game… Mom and Dad Roman guessed, then vaulted up the staircase to the second floor hoping to locate Angie in her bedroom.
Roman stood in the hallway where one wing went off to the right and another to the left… he scanned for anything that might indicate which was hers.
He quietly tip-toed down the hallway on the left stopping by each door to listen for any sounds. Only the sound of a huge standup clock tick tock… tick tock… could be heard. On the third door of the other wing Roman stopped and pressed his ear up to the solid mahogany door and listened.
… Ooh my little pretty one, pretty one… when you gonna give me some time time Sharona? Ooh you make my motor run…” unmistakable… the knacks and my sharona. Bingo.
Roman lightly tapped on the door and whispered Angie’s name.
After several attempts he tried the door. Of course this door was locked. Roman knocked louder and louder afraid the banging might bring the parents up, but finally he heard her, a small voice on the other side said to go away and leave her alone. Standard response in Roman’s experience on just about every door knocking encounter between teen and la familia.
It’s me Ang! It’s Roman! Please open the door… I need to talk to you! Roman pleaded.
He heard the click of the lock and a tiny crack opened up.
It’s me Angie… Roman… I’ve come to… roman was in the middle of his speech to woo his girl back into his arms when he was abruptly cut off and gestured inside by a petite blond who held the door open.
Hurry get in before her father hears you! The girl whispered.
So you’re Roman, she says… Ang mentioned she’d met a boy in rehab… I’m Toni and stuck her hand out.
Nice to meet you, she said as Roman nodded searching the room for Angie.
She’s not here, Toni replied with a smile.
Where? Roman asked
She’ll be back soon… wanted me to hang out and cover for her till she gets back… you know… house arrest and lockdown… her folks want to ship her off to boarding school… clean her up and all that.
You’re kinda cute… she didn’t mention that. Toni remarked and pulled Roman over to the bed.
As Toni tried to entice Roman to loosen up and relax while she cuddled up next to him and pulled out a joint… Roman was in the process of disentangling himself from her hands as the sound of a knock interrupted them.
It’s Ang… we’re back.”
Toni hurried over to unlock it and Tina and Angie walked in…
Roman! Angie yelled. And flew into his arms.
Hey you… Roman replied. You didn’t think that I was just gonna let you leave without saying goodbye did you? He looked into her big brown eyes and kissed her.
Afterwards, Angie turned around to Toni, “hey slut you didn’t try and fuck him did you?... I know how you are. She said with a smile
He wouldn’t give me a chance… too wrapped up by your little finger… Toni remarked with a laugh.
Roman blushed and that made the girls laugh even more.
I’ll be right back Roman blurted out, remembering Jeff waiting out back.
What? Where do you think you’re going? Angie said.
My ride… you remember Jeff? From YES house? He’s out back waiting for me… Roman explained.
“Oh ok, sure I remember him… but you’re not leaving my side mister… Angie held Romans hand with a death grip.
Toni, you go see Jeff and tell him Roman’s ok… that he’s going to be my guest for a few days, Angie said with a smile. You’ll like him… y’all got a lot in common… all you think about is sex.
Angie whispered in Romans ear, I think I’m gonna hide you away in my room for awhile if that’s alright with you…
Roman just nodded.
Toni and Tina finally left and it was just the two of them… Roman and Angie wasted no time removing each others clothes and fell into her bed exploring their bodies with a fervor only teenage lovers know. After three days of non stop sex and Roman playing the part of a stow away onboard a ship… hiding from Angie’s parents, the maid and sometimes Bert, the security goon… Angie said that her parents wanted her to meet one of her father’s friends son… they were going to have a dinner party and her presence would be mandatory.
When the time was right… Angie had procured the keys to her car, a Ford Mustang convertible that had been as earlier unavailable due to her rebellious nature, but now that she had agreed to attend the soiree and go to boarding school her teenage restrictions were lifted just as quickly as they had been enforced.
Though she had no intentions of doing either.
We’re leaving when the party gets going, Angie stated to Roman.
They’ll be tons of people around, cars coming and going, Mother and Father will be pre-occupied with all of their guest… and we’ll just slip out and be gone before they know it.
Sounds like a plan, Roman agreed.
It was exactly like Ang had said it would be, Roman thought as they made their way downstairs towards the back of the house and out through the garage… She was dolled up as pretty as a peach and Roman looked like he fit right in with a navy blue sport coat, tan khakis and his recent haircut givin to him by Angie herself… she said he looked like a young Steve McQueen… that was fine with Roman as he loved him in the movie Pappillon with Dustin Hoffman, the great escape too! Ironic wouldn’t you say, Roman said to Angie… just like the movies… we’re planning our own version of the Great Escape!
As the two laughed at their own joke as they stepped inside the garage their smiles still frozen on their faces as they stared into the face of Bert.
“where you two kiddos off to then, eh?” Bert said with a snicker.
Slack-jawed and stunned Angie and Roman stood stock still unbelieving.
“Out of our way… you work for us remember?” Angie tried to sound like her Mother giving commands to the grounds keepers. No… I work for your father… and this is what he wants. So turn your butt around little missy and back to the party. As for lover boy here… Bert turned to regard Roman… I think he’s outstayed his welcome… time for you to leave son. Bert said with a nod of his chin towards the open garage door.
Angie tried to push past Bert heading for her car, “Come on Roman, don’t listen to him… he’d just the help.”
Bert snatched a hold of Angie’s arm so fast she yelped like a puppy that just got its tail stepped on.
Roman lunged at Bert even though he was far larger, and undoubtably armed, to protect Angie from the man’s grasp… in the ensuing struggle Angie scratched Bert’s face and Roman pushed him back where Bert tripped over a bag of golf clubs and fell becoming entangled in a throng of tennis rackets, golf clubs and crocket mallets… ahhhh, the country club life has its advantages. The two young lovers fled in the mustang weaving in and out of the party guest as they were arriving and right out the main gate.
With Roman behind the wheel Angie made a mental calculation of her belongings…she had three-thousand dollars in cash, several grams of heroin, some cocaine and her kit… a small leather bound pouch where she kept syringes, needles and all of her fixings. What more could a girl ask for as she clutched Romans hand and smiled.
Where to? She asked.
How about Florida? Roman replied… I hear it’s warm and sunny! And the love struck snowbirds were headed south.
Completely unaware that Angie’s father had Bert hot on their trial determined to bring her back no matter what it took… an APB out for Roman who’s now a wanted fugitive, in violation of skipping out on his probation terms and grand theft auto now tacked on top of everything else after Angie’s father reported the mustang as stolen and his daughter missing or possibly kidnapped by an escaped drug addicted rehab patient to the local authorities and State Police.
Roman and Angie hadn’t a clue to the shitstorm they had caused and what trouble lie ahead for the modern day Bonnie and Clyde.