On the Other Side(72)

Damita walked toward Lester and the woman.

“Halle, this is Constance. Constance, this is Halle.”

Damita looked at Constance meekly. “My name isn’t really Halle,” she admitted.

“Well, surprise, surprise,” Lester offered.

Constance rapped Lester on the top of his head. “Shut up, Lester. You’re going to scare the poor woman off. We’re waiting for a table, Halle. As soon as they seat us we can talk about your little problem.”

Despite the emptiness of the restaurant it seemed to take forever to get seated. Finally, they had a table and could sit down and discuss things. Damita only ordered coffee.

Constance frowned. “Won’t that keep you awake?” Constance asked.

Damita shook her head. “No, when I’m sleepy I’ll go to sleep. Coffee doesn’t keep me up.”

“So, my brother here was telling me about your problem and it’s an experience I’m well acquainted with. We’d like to help. I know you’re afraid. I was when I had to relocate, but believe me, it can work. I’m living proof.”





CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE


“I got married when I was very young. I was only nineteen years old. The man I married was significantly older than me and he wanted a daughter more than he wanted a wife. By the time I figured out I had made a mistake it was almost too late. He was possessive, jealous and violent and he basically wanted to keep me a prisoner in my own home, which was easy because I had no tangible skills and no education beyond high school. When I told him I wanted to go to college, he became even angrier. After about three years of my life being threatened, both physically and verbally, I decided the only thing I could do was run. He made sure I was completely isolated from whatever family or friends I had and when I needed someone, I felt all alone.”

Lester looked at his sister with sympathy in his eyes. “You weren’t alone. I don’t know why you didn’t reach out to me, no matter what was going on. I would have been there. Every time I think about that fool putting his hands on you, I want to wring his neck.”

“It’s over now, Lester. Breathe.”

Constance looked over at Damita. “My brother is a bit dramatic at times. Ignore him.”

“I knew you guys were related. You look so much alike.”

“That’s because we’re twins.”

Damita smiled. “Wow, I’m an only child and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a twin; to have a constant companion.”

“It’s a little different when you’re of different genders. When I was being abused by my husband, Jack, I used to wonder if my twin had been a sister instead of a brother, would I have felt, or even been so alone. Men and women have different roles in families. Women usually stick together, whether it’s mothers and daughters or sisters; they usually continue to spend a good deal of time with each other even after everyone is all grown up. It’s different with men. When men grow up they start chasing women and eventually catch one or two, or in the case of my brother, three or four or five. They don’t stay, like women do. Men move on.”

“When I was going through my stuff with my ex, I used to think things might be different if I had any sibling at all, which was strange because I had, I mean I have, a best friend who is like a sister to me. When things are bad you search for all sorts of reasons why it’s so bad,” Damita said.

Constance and Lester looked at one another. They both were fully aware of the fact that Halle was hiding something. She hadn’t shared what all of that was yet.

“I feel like we’re living parallel lives,” Damita said.

“Was he physically abusive?” Constance asked.

“My marriage was exactly like yours. The only difference is I already had an established career when I met him. When we were dating I thought it was one of the things that attracted him to me, but as soon as we got married, he wanted me to quit my job and have babies. I was a VP, doing a job I loved and he wanted me to give it all up, just like that.”

“I assume things didn’t end well?” Lester asked.

Damita frowned. “Not well at all. Come to think of it, they didn’t begin all that well either. We were supposed to be on a flight to Jamaica the morning after our wedding. Instead of honeymooning in Jamaica, I spent my wedding night hiding in my walk-in closet with the door locked. He hit me the moment we left our wedding reception and were back at home.”

“Sounds like Jack.”

“It’s funny how things happen. When I left New York, I made out a list of things I needed to do. One of the things at the top of the list was basically, not to talk to strangers. Yet, here I am, talking to strangers.”