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Kami woke Friday morning in her home-away-from-home bedroom at Grandma BB’s house. She glanced at the other twin bed. Victoria was in a deep sleep, judging from a faint snore, but she was safe and that’s all that mattered. Throwing the covers back, Kami stood, stretched and as quietly as she could, crossed the room to gather her things for a shower.
“I’m not asleep,” Victoria said.
Startling Kami, she whirled around, patting her chest. “You scared me.” She rested her hand on her hip. “Well, you sounded like you were asleep to me.”
“My body needed the rest—” she sat up and stretched—“but my mind is always on guard. It has to be.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to you, but you’re safe now.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be safe again,” Victoria said sadly. “We’ll see.”
What could Kami say to give her some hope? When God didn’t answer, she kept quiet. She peeped out the second-floor window. It was still raining, but not as heavy as the previous night. They scrambled to shower and eat. Since her parents had dropped off her car that morning, Kami drove to school.
“Thanks for last night,” Victoria said during the ride, “but this don’t make us cool.”
“You sure about that?” Kami grinned. “The first thing we need to do is press charges against your foster dad.”
Victoria gave her an incredulous look. “First, there is no we and second, I already did that, which is why I’m on the run, not only from him, but from being dumped into another foster home.”
Having once been in a foster care situation, Kami couldn’t comprehend why Victoria was having so much drama. They arrived in no time. Before getting out, Kami turned to her classmate. “We don’t need to be cool. Like last night, me and my family wanted you safe. Plus, it would be kinda neat to find out if we’re related too.”
Victoria didn’t seem to share the same sentiment, because she got out of the car without saying a word.
“You can’t get rid of me,” Kami yelled after her.
Stopping in her steps, Victoria glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe, I won’t try.” She smiled for the first time since Kami had met her. Yep, Jesus and me are going to tear down your walls.
Surprisingly, the school day went smoothly. She didn’t have any up close and personals with Tango or Tammie. Since it was Friday, Kami stayed over Grandma BB’s again. They ordered pizza. While Kami watched television with Grandma BB, Victoria preferred to stay in the bedroom and read. A couple of times, Kami went upstairs to check on her.
“I’m not going to climb out the window and run away.” Victoria gave her a pointed look.
“Stranger things have happened.” Kami closed the door, but without catching a glimpse of a slight smile on the houseguest’s face.
Victoria didn’t seem as guarded when they woke Saturday morning to sunshine. After preparing a big breakfast, Kami was able to coax Victoria to join her and Grandma BB in the sunroom. Silent Killer had taken a liking to Victoria and posted at her side so she could pat him.
“That mutt is a traitor,” Grandma BB fussed at the dog.
He whined and put his head down.
“I needed a dog like this.” Victoria scratched behind the dog’s ears. “Maybe he could have protected me.”
“Let me get a hold of those suckers.” Grandma BB cracked her knuckles then cringed. “I saw on the news where a man was arrested for sexual assault on a minor who was in his foster home. You didn’t name names, but I figured that was him or another jerk who needs to be neutered like the animals they are.”
Her family was ready to defend Victoria, and the Jamiesons planned to pack the courtroom whenever the foster dad went before the judge.
“Every time I tell, the next foster home cycle begins. I’m so sick of being bounced around. Sick of it,” she repeated and shook her head, not looking at them. “In four years, I’ll age out of the system, and no one will have to worry about me.”
“You don’t need to be in a system, if you have family,” Kami spoke up.
Victoria gave her a side-eye. “You know how I feel about family.”
Determined to get her way, Kami gave her a counteroffer. “What if it’s my family? Let’s take the DNA test to see if we’re related.”
“And if I’m not,” she challenged, “then where does that leave me?”
“With a permanent place to stay—I guess,” Grandma BB feigned an attitude, but everyone knew the woman enjoyed entertaining company.
“Or with the Jamiesons,” Cheney added, announcing her presence as she opened the back door. “You’re kind of stuck with us.”
“Hey, Mom.” Kami stood and hugged her. Cheney rewarded her with a kiss, before offering one to Grandma BB, then Victoria, even though she stiffened from the gesture, seemingly uncomfortable from the affection.
“Okay, I’ll take the deoxyribonucleic acid test,” Victoria said.
“Saying DNA would have been sufficient. Showoff.” Grandma BB winked. “You’re fourteen-years-old and a junior. Why are you even in high school?”
“It’s a place of escape,” she answered. “The foster family has to send me to school if they want to keep me. It’s all about getting the monthly checks for babysitting me.”
“You’re too smart for that environment,” Grandma BB fussed. “Get your GED and get a jump on college courses.”
“For what? To do what? I’ve got a past that won’t let me move to the future.”
“No,” Cheney insisted. “You have a strong future because of your dark past.”
Tell her the brightness of My light confuses and overpowers darkness, God whispered John 1:5.
“Victoria, God just spoke to me. He wants you to know He is the light, and He shines brighter than the sun, and the darkness of this world can’t overpower it,” Kami said, giving her best interpretation.
“God said that to you for me?” Victoria looked doubtful. “I wish He had been with Me and talked to me like that.”
“No matter what, sweetie, the timing of God’s blessings, healings, and rescues is perfect,” Cheney explained. “It’s because of the sinful nature of man these heinous acts are done to innocent people, but God’s Word is a promise. One thing’s for sure, revenge is the Lord’s and He will repay to all those that harmed you. It won’t be pretty.”
There was a knock on the back door to the sunroom, and a more polished version of Tammie stepped inside with her entourage from school. What was going on? Now, this girl had crossed the line. “You followed me here? What’s your problem?”
“Hush, chile. It’s payday.” Grandma BB wiggled her way out of her chair and shuffled out of the room, leaving all eyes on the new visitors.
What? Who’s getting paid and for what? Silent Killer didn’t make a move. Didn’t he sense a threat? The dog didn’t stir from Victoria’s side. “What’s going on here? Now you’re stalking my family?”
When Grandma BB reappeared, Tammie smarted off. “The name’s Sandi with an ‘i.’” Do you want to tell her?”
“Tell me what?” Kami demanded. She glanced at her mother who seemed just as confused before eyeing Sandi with an ‘i’ and her grandmother.
“Sandi and the crew are actors I hired to go undercover at your high school as bodyguards for your protection.”
“What?” Kami and Victoria said at the same time as her classmate stood.
“Since I didn’t know you were having problems with misfits at school—” Grandma BB squinted, “—you should have confided in me, but anyway—and because nobody took up my offer to send Chip and Dale as your bodyguards, I took matters in my own hands. I planted undercover security detail at your school for your protection,” she boasted and rested one leg over a knee and allowed an old pair of Stacy Adams shoes to dangle from her feet. “It was either that or me strapping.”
Kami closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.
“Grandma BB,” her mother spoke up, “even though your intentions were good, it would have been nice to let Parke and me in on your covert mission.”
“Covert?” Kami said and faced Grandma BB. “They were overkill and one step away from being bullies themselves.”
“Bullies?” Grandma BB squinted at Sandi. “My instructions were to assimilate not intimidate.”
Sandi shrugged. “You wanted us to make sure nobody bothered your granddaughter. Becoming crazy like the other troublemakers was the only way to keep a low profile while keeping Kami under surveillance.”
Kami fell back in her seat in disbelief. “Give her a bonus. She put on an award-winning performance.” To that Sandi beamed. “Then fire them for annoying me.”
Cheney and many of the other Jamiesons sat in the courtroom, praying that everything would work out for Victoria’s restoration. After three weeks of living under Grandma BB’s roof, she stood before Judge Selma Wright along with her social worker, concerning her request to live where she felt safe and out of danger.
Grandma BB’s charitable contributions to the community were well documented, so were her run-ins with the law, which included harassment and unlawfully discharging a firearm. Parke did his best to restrain her to keep Grandma BB from adding to the rap sheet. With each birthday, she became more of a daredevil, releasing her fury on anyone suspected of wrongdoing with no fear of jail time.
The judge scanned over the documents before her, then peered over her glasses at Victoria and Grandma BB. She sighed and removed them.
“Mrs. Beacon, why are you in my courtroom again?” She frowned. “After I ordered you thirty days shock time in jail for assault, I’d hope not to see you again, especially in the juvenile division where I am now assigned.”
Not good. Victoria faced Grandma BB with a dumbfounded expression.
Grandma BB jutted her chin. “I served my time and the terms of probation. I’m here today because this young girl needs a safe place to live, and despite my actions earlier, I’m an upstanding citizen of the community...”
Cheney elbowed her husband when he choked at Grandma BB’s monologue. Evidently, Judge Wright didn’t believe it either when she waved her hand to silence Grandma BB. Next she directed her attention to Victoria. “Surely, there are others you can stay with until you’re eighteen.”
“This is not about the broken system of foster care, but family. There is no age limit,” Grandma BB stated to the frown of the judge who didn’t like the comment about the broken system. “Let the state keep the money. I’m not in it for that.”
After going back and forth for thirty minutes, Victoria Fields was temporarily placed in Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon’s care. “I’m regretting this already, but Victoria is old enough to have a say in the matter, and she wants to live with you until we make other arrangements.” Judge Wright slammed the gavel down before calling the next case.