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Jamika dropped the lamp and ran to her. They hugged and cried together.
    The police arrived, one hour and twenty-four minutes later. Felise had managed to make it to the next-door neighbors to call the police department and Marjorie. Marjorie had reached there in what seemed to be minutes. Yet, the policemen took their time as usual, when being called into the low-income neighborhoods.
    “Damn, somebody could be dead by now,” Marjorie yelled out to the approaching officers. The irony was that she was referring to Sly, who was just coming around. She had told herself that she was going to take him out if he had come to and tried to hurt Felise or Jamika further. She had come prepared in her sneakers and shorts. Her shoulder hurt against the weight of the .38 Special concealed in her purse.
    Marjorie followed the ambulance that carried Felise and Jamika. Sly was taken in a separate ambulance. Felise had given a full statement about the events that occurred that night. Sly would be going from the hospital to a jail cell on a domestic violence charge as soon as he recovered. Jamika was going for x-rays and a CAT scan, because she complained that her head still hurt. Felise would be in the hospital a little longer to treat her wounds. Not only was she still healing from having the baby, she needed her earlobe stitched, and her face had begun to swell so badly, she could barely be recognized.
    Marjorie and Jamika sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting for the paperwork to be notarized so that Marjorie could take little Rasheeda home until Felise recovered. Jamika looked up to see Millie entering the emergency room doors. Jamika closed her eyes and leaned against Marjorie, like she hadn’t noticed her enter.
    Millie rushed over and said, “Oh my goodness, I heard about what happened. I don’t know what the hell got into that boy of mine. Is Felise all right? How’s the baby? Are you all right Lil’ Sly?”
    “My name is Jamika!” Jamika snapped back. She knew Marjorie wouldn’t let anybody harm her. Any other time, she knew Millie would have slapped her silly. Marjorie looked at Jamika and said, “Mika, you apologize to Ms. Millie, there’s no reason to be rude.”
    “Sorry,” Jamika said in a fragment of a whisper.
    Marjorie started, “Felise is hurt pretty bad. Sly did quite a number on her. You know, I’ve never had anything against your son, Millie. But, I will kill him if he ever tries some shit like this again. You better talk to him or something.” Her tone of voice sounded like she wanted to kill him right then.
    Marjorie did not play around. Everyone knew that she carried, and also that she wasn’t bashful in using it. She’d popped a few that needed to find out the hard way and even hit a dude with her car one time when her gun jammed.
    “Girl, I don’t blame you for sayin’ that. Just ‘cause he my son, don’t make it right. Just don’t kill him, Marjorie, send him home crippled, but please don’t kill my boy.” Marjorie didn’t respond which silently confirmed that she was not agreeing to that.
    “Well, I guess I’ll go in to see him. How’s Jamika and the baby?”
    “Jamika is fine, just a mild concussion. I’m waiting for them to release the baby to me now,” Marjorie replied.
    “Well, don’t leave. I am going to look in on Sly and then I wanna see my new grandbaby.”
    “Okay,” Marjorie answered, slightly annoyed.
    A light-skinned, plump, smiling nurse finally brought out the baby. Millie had long seen Sly and had decided to wait around to see the baby. “She’s a beautiful baby, just sign right here ma’am and she’s all yours,” said the nurse. Marjorie signed the document and they all stood there looking at the beautiful child born in the midst of all the confusion.
    Finally Millie spoke, “Listen Marjorie, why don’t you let Jamika stay over wit’ the girls until tomorrow? They haven’t seen her in a while and everybody is worried sick ‘bout her. It would give