Free Still thicker than water by Allen Takerra Page B

Illusions
     
     
    “ Oh my god, this shit is so fly!” Sasha screamed, running from the last bedroom.
    “ No, ya’ll gotta see the sauna, that bitch is niceeee,” Jayde contested flopping down onto the white sectional couch.
    Tatum went to the large glass windows and pulled back the heavy drapes, letting the sun in and admiring the perfect view of the ocean.
    “ This whole damn suite is banging, I can fit my whole apartment in here,” Tatum added, lost in her thoughts. Those thoughts were telling her that this, beautiful place, beautiful island, could have been her home. And she blew it.
    “ What you thinking about over there Pocahontas?”
    Jayde had given her the nickname on the plane ride over, telling Tatum that she had figured she was Indian instead of Trinidadian.
    Tatum turned from the window with a smirk and shrugged, and Sasha put her hands on her hips.
    “ You thinking about how we gonna find Ree on this big ol’ island…don’t worry Tay, we’ll find him. If it’s fate, destiny, everything that’s meant to be-”
    “ Aaah, aah, aaaahhh, shut it up with all that fate and destiny bull!” Tatum joked, laughing at Sasha while Jayde giggled as well. “I’m thinking about how I need to change out of this hot ass sweat suit, pronto.” Sasha waved her hand like whatever, and Tatum unzipped her jacket and made her way to the first bedroom, where she had placed her belongings.
    But seriously, would she find him on this island? Was it meant to be? Was it fate? Is it my destiny?
     
    “ Where you going, boss?” The Jamaican hotel bellhop asked Ree, holding the elevator door opened for him.
    “ Ah, Trinity and Elsa got swamped at the desk wit’ a fuckin’ mob of people…so I gotta do the honors of dropping these packages off to some customers… Penthouse suite, please.”
    “ Right away, boss.”
    The bellhop allowed the elevator to close and pressed the top button labeled ‘P’.
    “ So they got you doing the common folk duty I see…getting your hands dirty?”
    The bellhop laughed at his own joke and Ree chuckled, as the elevator continued to ascend. He had no idea just how dirty Ree’s hands had gotten over the years. Many people of Jamaica, like Rodney, knew and loved Respect's family dearly for the money, jobs, and opportunities that they had provided to the most poverty stricken sections of Jamaica. But with those opportunities came the means to the ends, the violence, the drugs, the murder. From hit man to drug lord, Ree had done so much dirt, that it was impossible for him to ever be completely clean, not in this lifetime anyway.
    “ Yeah, something like that…how’s it going with you, Rodney? How’s the wife, kids?”
    Ree had hired Rodney as a bellhop when he was fresh released from a Jamaican prison. Rodney had spent over a year in the prison for a crime he did not commit, all because of some dirty officer who was after Rodney’s wife. To make matters worse, Rodney was accused of assaulting the officer, and therefore beaten and starved for weeks at a time. His wife was raped in front of his children, and Rodney was forced to hear the horror stories of the event from the officer’s very mouth. It wasn’t until Ree’s father heard of the news and decided to intervene. With Ree’s father being an incredibly powerful man in Jamaica, the problems for Rodney, let’s just say, disappeared. Rodney was released from prison, he was pardoned, the officer was never heard from again, and Rodney was given the job at the hotel. He was forever grateful to Ree and his father for it.
    “ Things are good, I cannot complain at all. The wife, kids, all well.”
    Ree stood with his hands behind his back, slightly behind Rodney, and watched the numbers climb. He looked at Rodney out of the corner of his eye.
    “ How’s money?”
    Rodney paused and then spoke.
    “ Money is fine Mr. Knights, I am much honored to work for you.”
    Ree nodded but knew that Rodney was too hard a worker and too modest