Chapter Four

Tuesday, July 26, 2020 at 2pm

Truth was, Destiny had somewhere she needed to be - the H.O.P.E. Foundation was an organization that used its proceeds to provide for homeless individuals and help families get back on their feet. Ms. Harriet Thompson was the co-founder and president of HOPE. Everyone just called her Mama. She started HOPE shortly after new legislation was implemented including stricter rules that targeted the homeless community. There was a ban on solicitation, panhandling, and loitering - they were all considered misdemeanors punishable by a large fine and jail time.

“Hey, Z.” Ms. Thompson said. Ms. Thompson was a short but sturdy woman. She was also Destiny’s landlord and a close friend. When Destiny was living on the streets, Ms. Thompson found her sleeping in the back alley behind her apartment complex and offered her a room for rent in exchange for a dollar security deposit. Ms. Thompson had offered to pay Destiny’s first few months of rent, if she promised to stay off the streets and go to college.

Ms. Thompson was an amazing woman who worked tirelessly to do all she could for the homeless community, particularly homeless women and girls. She had been through hell and back. When she was barely nineteen years old, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She spent years in and out of hospitals, going to chemotherapy but hated the way it was making her body feel. So one day she stopped going to chemo and started going to church. She started looking at homeopathic methods and remedies to heal your body. She changed her diet and started eating healthy. After that, her condition rapidly improved.

When Ms. Thompson learned that Destiny had been dealing drugs, Destiny expected her to throw her out on the streets. Instead Ms. Thompson offered to let her stay free of charge as long she regularly supplied her with marijuana for medicinal purposes to help with the pain of her cancer. Ms. Thompson came into remission. After 20 years of battling the illness, there was no visible sign of the cancer cells that the doctors could find. Medical professionals were astounded. Ms. Thompson just said it was her faith in God that healed her.

“Hey, Mama.” Ms. Thompson gave her a big bear hug like she did every time she saw her. Destiny enjoyed volunteering with HOPE because it gave her an opportunity to help others the way the foundation and Ms. Thompson had helped her. It was through the foundation that she had first met Martha.

“How’s my girl doing?” Ms. Thompson had always been like the mother she never had.

“I’m good. I’m good.”

“You look a little different today.” As she always did, Ms. Thompson spun Destiny around examining her like a piece of fruit checking to make sure it was ripe.

“Do I?” Destiny said.

“Yes. Girl, you are glowing! What’s his name and when can I meet him?” Ms. Thompson always had a knack for reading Destiny’s mind.

“Mama...I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Destiny lied.

“Yes you do. Look at you turning red as beet. Tell me all about him.” Ms. Thompson’s face was lit up with excitement at the prospect of Destiny having a special someone. Destiny decided to leave her wondering.

“No one special, Mama. So what do you need help with today?”

“Oh no you don’t. You not getting away that easily. What’s my future son-in-law’s name?” Destiny rolled her eyes.

“He is hardly your future son-in-law. He is just some guy I met last week. We went for coffee. That’s it.”

“Aw...I knew it! What does he look like?

“He’s not bad looking.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s a professor. But I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere.”

“Ooh...I like that! An educated man. Are you going to see him again?”

“I’m not sure.” Ms. Thompson nearly jumped for joy.

“It is about time you got out there and started acting your age. My goodness girl, you don’t date, you don’t go out, you don’t have friends. You are too young to be so old.”

“I have you.”

“Yeah, yeah well ya mama don’t count.”

“Besides. I made you a promise I would go to school so I’m doing everything I can to live up to that.”

“That’s fine. But you still need to have some fun. Enjoy your youth before it passes you by. Next thing you know you’ll be old and gray like me.”

“If I’m half as beautiful and interesting as you, I will be a lucky woman.”

“You’re so full of it.” Ms. Thompson gave Destiny a big kiss on the cheek. “I missed you, baby girl.”

“Missed you too, Mama.”

“Now, take your butt over there and help Tiff and Barb prepare lunch.”

“You got it, Mama.” Destiny said. Ms. Thompson winked at her.

---

After preparing the food, Destiny was in the cafeteria serving it to the community. On the menu today was beef stew with a side of cornbread. There were hundreds of women and children from all creeds and colors coming to HOPE Shelter for a free lunch. After each person finished their lunch, each family unit received a bag of goodies complete with toiletries and necessities for hygiene.

“Here you go, Donna.” She gave an older woman a spoonful of beef stew and put a cornbread muffin on her tray.

“God bless you, Z.”

“Take care, ma’am.”

She repeated the motion for every woman and child in line. Next in line was Martha and Sammy.

“Here you go, Sammy.” She said. Sammy gave her the usual big cheeseburger smile as she did every time she saw her. “And you too, Martha.” She added.

“Thanks, Z.”

“Hey Martha. I saw you on TV this morning. So you and Sammy were the ones who found that woman inside the tree?” Destiny asked.

“Oh, yeah? I was looking pretty good, wouldn’t you say? It’s a real shame about that poor girl. She looked so peaceful in that tree. Such a beautiful, young girl. Actually, come to think of it...she looked just like, like you, Z!”

“What do you mean?”

“Honestly, she could have been your identical twin. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes! The police said her body was all banged up. She had a huge gash in her head, poor thing. I mean, who is the world would do something like to someone?”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty unbelieveable story...” Destiny leaned in a bit over the counter before saying, “especially the part about Sammy telling you about it.”

Martha looked like she had her hand caught in the cookie jar.

“What are you saying, Z?”

“Why did you lie to the news people?”

“Look, Z. I love you and all. But you have no business sticking your nose in my affairs. It made the story sound better when I told them Sammy saw the girl first. And besides it kept the police from questioning her.”

“It just seems like an odd thing to make up…”

“Mind your business, Z. I’ll see you around.” With that Martha and Sammy walked over to a table and sat down to eat their lunch. Destiny wasn’t buying it. Something was going on with Martha and she was going to find out.

---

When Destiny was on the bus, the man sitting next to her was watching a news recap on his phone. It was another news update on the “Weeping Willow”.

“The Jane Doe found by homeless woman Martha Gomez and her daughter early this morning is still in a coma at Brookside Community Hospital recovering from what the doctors describe as fatal wounds. The young woman is in critical condition. Police say the woman doesn’t appear to match any of the descriptions of persons reported missing within the last two years. Doctors say they are hoping to get in touch with someone who can make a positive identification of this woman.” News woman said.

“We are doing everything we can but it has been touch and go since yesterday. Her brain is barely showing any signs of neurological activity. We hope a family member will come forward and give us instructions on their end of life directive.” Doctor says.