Betrayed by Suzetta Perkins Read Free Book Online

Durham, and she’s going to try and contact you.”
    â€œWhat? How?”
    â€œAfrika was at the house with Asia on Friday night. The conversation led from one thing to another. And here I am. Let me take this moment to warn you again about getting out of town. Brenda wants to see you, but that can’t happen.”
    â€œI have no plans to see Brenda and tell her what kind of person you really are. You have my word on it.”
    â€œThat’s all well and good, Mimi, but I still want you out of town.”
    â€œI can’t jump up and take Afrika out of school. She’s happy here, and the semester just started.”
    â€œIf you don’t do something, I will. Remember, I work in the Admissions Office.”
    â€œAnd…”
    â€œAnd? You don’t want to find out. Well, my lunch hour is over.”
    Mimi watched as Victor walked out and closed the door behind him, got in his car, and left. She paced around her living room, trying to find a solution for the dilemma she now faced. Standing still, Mimi put her hands on her hips. “This jackass isn’t going to run me out of town. No way, Jose.”
    Without another second thought, Mimi went to the kitchen and retrieved her BlackBerry and prepared a text.
Afrika, Mommy needs to talk to you!
    Mimi pressed the SEND button. Before she was able to lay the phone down, it rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but without realizing it, she hit the TALK button. The voice at the other end made her stop in her tracks.

8
    â€œMimi?” the voice asked.
    â€œYes, this is Mimi. Who’s this?”
    â€œMimi, is it really you? This is Brenda, your best friend that you did the disappearing act on, just when I needed a hand to hold. Pregnant and all, Victor and I got married. Asia got your number from your daughter; I hope you don’t mind that I called.”
    â€œBrenda, I…I’m sorry about all those years ago. I didn’t mean to leave you by yourself. I had issues of my own that I was going through. Uhh, how are you?”
    â€œI’m fine. Well, to be honest, I was utterly shocked to find out that you had a daughter and that you lived right here in Durham. Why didn’t you contact me? Did I do something wrong?”
    â€œNo, Brenda, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve only been in Durham a month. I’m married also, and my husband, Raphael, is a Colonel in the Army. He just left for Germany, and I moved to Durham to support Afrika while she’s in college.”
    â€œYou can’t imagine my surprise when she said her name. Do you remember when we were in high school in Germany and I said if I had a girl I would name her Asia and if you had a girl you would name her Afrika?”
    â€œI remember it as if it were yesterday.”
    â€œMimi, my heart went through my chest when Afrika said who she was. Nineteen years have passed since I’ve seen you. I didn’tknow where you were, never heard from you, and I didn’t know if you were even alive. Why did you leave so abruptly? Things worked out for me and Victor, but I didn’t have my best friend to share it with.”
    â€œLike I said Brenda, I had a lot of issues going on that I couldn’t talk about. With all you had going on in your life, I didn’t think it was fair to burden you with my stuff.”
    â€œBut that’s what best friends are for…at least I believe that to be so. I even tried contacting your mother and father, and they never returned my calls. My mother told me that your parents moved to Missouri…something about taking care of a sick relative.”
    â€œYes, my grandmother, my mother’s mother, took ill, and my parents went back to St. Louis to be with her. I don’t know if you remember, but St. Louis was my mother’s home. Dad is from South Carolina.”
    â€œWhy don’t we get together for lunch? I can’t wait to see you and play catch up.”
    Mimi