Black First Lady: Devine' Sparks

Copyright © 2010 by George W. Barclay Jr.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4502-6691-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6692-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 10/14/2010

Contents

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

FORWARD

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 46

CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER 48

CHAPTER 49

CHAPTER 50

CHAPTER 51

CHAPTER 52

CHAPTER 53

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

FORWARD

Would you like to drive with me up to Dallas tomorrow morning and watch A&M play the Razor Backs in the Cotton Bowl? My wife’s not back, and it’s an annual thing. After the game, my graduating class has its reunion at the Anatolia out on Stemmons where we have reservations, asked Bill Riley DA.

Sure! I’ll go, replied Devine’ without thinking. What should I wear beside a big hat to keep off the sun? We blacks get burned too, you know.

It’s a dress up affair. Wear a flashy dress to the game with a wide brimmed hat and high heels. I’ll buy you a big MOM corsage at the gate, and we’ll be guests in Will Clayton’s box for Republicans.

What about the class reunion?

That white outfit you wore to the Balinese Room Saturday night will be fine. Why don’t you wear jeans driving up and back, and we’ll change at the Anatolia so our dress up clothes won’t get wrinkled. May we use your sports car? I don’t want cops checking my license plates. I may run for governor or something.

****

Dallas was quaint. The Cotton Bowl was old and obsolete, and the Arkansas Razorbacks beat the Texas Aggies 36 to 17. For A&M it was a tight game. Only a small part of the entertainment was on the football field. For the women, the excitement was in the stands, especially just before and after scores.

Devine’ sitting up in the special boxes for the proud and successful alumni didn’t actually witness public copulation, but it was very suggestive. There were a lot of stroking, rubbing, and squeezing going on.

Devine’ didn’t see any frumpy, plump, and middle-age women among the alumni. Most of the old guys brought their daughters, nieces, and secretaries.

The Arkansas Neandertals wearing red in the stands got drunk, stood up and yelled Sooooo----ey during the game. After the game, they ran out on the field, whooped it up and tried to tear down the steel and concrete goal posts.

The Aggies, however, an all male college for a hundred years, had honed almost sex to perfection. As best Devine’ could tell, Texas A&M was an all heterosexual school, whereas at Harvard where she attended there were a lot of queers rubbing it up at ballgames.

The Aggies had a lot of unique traditions that were passed down from generation to generation, father to son and more recently mother and grandmother to daughter. The freshmen, naturally, were clumsy but had the most fun, while the senior boys were breaking in high school girls who made the trip willingly expecting to get laid and intoxicated as a right of passage.

The Alumni were up in their box and reliving their youth expecting to get intoxicated and laid also before the night got old.

****

By accident, Devine’ and Bill met several couples from Houston that knew or knew of Bill. The males were the same from year to year, but nieces had a big turnover. After a couple of cocktails, who cared?

About half of the Class of '66 went to Vietnam. Bill went to South Texas Law School and married Bette who gave birth to their first prematurely. Although in the Cadet Corps, Bill turned down a commission and never got called. Most Cadets, like General Patton, hated war. Wearing senior boots and laying a date on the Admission Hall steps were about the highest honors a Cadet could look back on in middle age. Some never grew up and were still in the military. Two years out of A&M everybody was boss, and there were two billionaires and five hundred millionaires in the Class of '66 alone. Texas A&M had the largest Alumni Association in the world and had Alumni Association Clubs in all major cities, globally, and in 250 countries.

****

Devine’ wore a chastity belt under her best shimmering gown and outfit. She decided to gamble her happiness on one roll of dice. She was going for the gold. Bill would make a wonderful president, and she would be the first black first lady. WOW! Fortune smiled. His wife, Bette, was in the Holy Land. She only had one week, two Saturday nights at best. She didn’t know how to do it or what to say. The one thing they had in common was the courthouse and law.

****

What has Bill Riley got that makes you want to break up his marriage, get him excommunicated from the church, thrown out of the Republican Party, shot by the Mafia, and lose his next election? Bill would never marry you!

I see Bill Riley as the next President of the United States boarding Air Force I, waving to the crowd and holding hands with me. I am the right person at the right time. I can breathe life into Bill, and he will achieve greatness with me beside him. His success will be my success. American needs a black First Lady. Cleopatra was black, and she gave birth to two children by Julius Caesar and five by Mark Anthony.

CHAPTER 1

Life is not all fun and games, and some days you have to go to work, mundane as it is. Monday, November 13, 1993 was such a day. Devine, Sandra’s list in hand, showed up at Bill Riley’s morning conference early and bright and sat in the first chair on right of Bill Riley DA’s.

Cealis Parks, hostess and Legal Secretary of Inspector Rene’ Descarte, had coffee and Dunkin Doughnuts ready. Deviné, ever conscious of her figure, beauty, and teeth, declined a doughnut and requested Sweet and Low in her coffee.

Cealis set a Styrofoam cup of black coffee, a napkin, and two packets of Sweet and Low in front of Deviné. Have you heard the good news? she asked.

Devine gave her a one fingered salute and replied, Jesus has risen from the grave.

No! The sinkhole at the Astrodome is spouting gas, oil, and water, and HFD has roped off the ASTROWORLD and think it will sink too. They’ve put detours up, and you can’t go near the place. They’re afraid it will catch on fire and Houston will blow up. I heard the oil companies say a salt dome is sinking, and it’s the biggest oilfield since Spindletop, replied Cealis, like ho hum.

Do tell! You’re bullshitting me, replied Deviné. What’s good about that?

We’ll all be rich if we don’t sink with it. Exxon and Dutch Royal were cleaning it up, and they’re capping it and cementing it to stop the leak before it blows out. I saw it on CNN this morning. Governor Richards is coming in a helicopter, and Christian Amanpour was at the sinkhole reporting to Wolf Brister in New York or Atlanta, wherever.

****

This was Deviné’s first VIP meeting. Everyone else straggled in late and talked about the sinkhole which apparently broke into a melting salt dome surrounded by gas and oil in the middle of the richest part of downtown Houston. Everybody was claiming mineral rights including King Carlos of Spain and the Matigwa Nation.

Exxon and Royal Dutch were on site when it occurred, and Ann Richards called out the state guard. Texas had special laws and rights that the US government and none of the other 49 states could touch. We joined the union voluntarily as an independent Republic, and the oil was ours out to the continental shelf and the Republic’s territorial waters. Texans get mineral rights. Eisenhower settled that forty years ago. Texas gets to keep its own oil money."

****

When everybody showed up and settled down, Bill announced, The Aggies own all he mineral rights under Houston. It’s on file at the Brenham Courthouse in Navasota County. Bryan Austin willed his entire estate to the A&M Endowment fund to get a railroad station built at College Station. The Texas Railroad Commission keeps up with all that.

Do tell! replied Judge Lois Morrison, a University of Texas graduate and personal friend of Governor Ann Richards. It’ll be a cold day in hell before the Aggies get that money. They’re tax exempt.

So are the Longhorns, replied Bill. "She can tax the oil companies and property owners. Let’s get down to business. Devine’ has Sandra’s practice, and we’ll cover her’s first, so she can leave.

My wife, Bette, went on that Holy Land trip. She and Maria are picking up the tab, and Bette wants to detour around to Sicily to see my in-laws who retired to Agrigento near Mount Etna, no less. We have to get out of here by 9 AM, so let’s don’t get off on tangents. Devine’, whatcha got? By-the-way, you’re due in Day Court at nine. They have a couple of off duty deputies down there that Neva Braun booked on sex and drug charges last night.

***

Judge Amos Nandy, semi retired, was presiding, and a new ADA, Kenneth Clark Kent

(Clark), was holding two charts off the top of thirty on the table. Bill Riley DA slipped in and sat at the prosecution’s table. It was Clark’s first day, and all he had to do was read the charges, question the arresting officer (Neva Braun), and argue bail. If they weren’t guilty, they wouldn’t be there. The initial hearing was to welcome the citizen to Criminal Justice, read him his Miranda rights, and determine disposition, either bail or jail. They were all legally innocent until proven guilty.

Deviné’s two clients, Deputies Horace Greely and Elvis Jones, were shackled and handcuffed together on the first row behind the defense table. They wore Air Jordan’s, jeans, and black T-shirts with KNOCKERS stenciled in white on back. Elvis had a white pearl attached to his left earlobe, and Horace wore a gold tongue ring. Devine’ wondered who they were kidding. The KNOCKERS were an all white criminal motorcycle gang from Houston Heights.

Deviné, taking Pro Bono call, introduced herself as their lawyer. She noticed a sense of disappointment. They wanted a white male to defend them not a black woman. They wanted mercy not justice. White males were easy on blacks. There but for the Grace of God go I. At his age, Judge Nandy was unpredictable to say the least.

They elected to plea not guilty and request immunity from publicity and incarceration because they were reserve officers working freelance undercover while on administrative leave from the Sheriff’s Department. Sergeant Braun had caught them with their shorts off at the Bamboo Curtain, and when they drove into the Exxon station yesterday with an underage oriental prostitute who couldn’t speak a word of English, Neva cuffed them, read them their rights, and booked them last night. The prostitute was in juvenile detention at city jail.

Amos banged the gavel, and the Day Clerk called out, "State of Texas versus Horace Greely and Elvis Jones. Charges: Possession of Crack Cocaine with intent to distribute. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Soliciting for prostitution and impersonating a police officer.

Devine’ and her two shackled prisoners, Horace and Elvis, stepped forward. Amos read them their rights. Clark put Neva on the stand. Devine’ pled not guilty and requested bail. Amos denied bail, bound them over to the Grand Jury, and ordered them back to jail. Devine’ made sure they understood she wanted $500 from each before arraignment or they could get a lawyer that would work free. She didn’t know any offhand.

Devine’ rushed to the elevator, got off on the fifth floor, and rushed to Judge Eva Petrarcelli’s court. Marci Galbreaux and Elizabeth Quinteras, her associates, were waiting with two defendants to be arraigned in succession, Percy Lovette and Muhammad Hussain. Both Percy and Muhammad were capital murders and would require jury trials.

Devine’, breathless, sat next to Percy, smiled, squeezed his arm, and whispered, Don’t worry, Percy. You’re going to walk. No jury in the state would convict you. It was an open and shut case of justifiable homicide.

56th Criminal District Court

Judge Eva Petrarcelli

10 A.M., Monday, November 13, 1993

Temp 80˚, Wind 10 mph

Sunny

Next case.

State of Texas vs. Percy Lovett

Charge: First Degree Murder

Percy in county jumpsuit, handcuffs, and shackles stood with Devine’ until Eva sat down. Even though he had twenty years experience at the bar, was Professor of Legal Ethics at the Law School, was on a first name relationship socially with Judge Petrarcelli, and was Judge Lois Morrison’s high school sweetheart, it made no difference. He shot a man in shackles out in the hall of this courtroom with everybody watching. It was premeditated, and dead was dead. His case would go to jury, and there was no bail. All Devine’ had to do was plead not guilty, and Eva set a tentative trial date of January 3, 1994 when Sandra got back.

Next case.

State of Texas versus Muhammad Abdullah Hussain.

Charges: First Degree Murder, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle without a license, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, destruction of private property, assault and battery of a hospital insurance clerk and ER nurse, and disturbing the peace.

State may discuss charges, ruled Eva.

Opal described Mr. Hussain’s deliberate vehicle murder of Principal Henry Greenberg in front of Garden Oaks Elementary School on September 18, 1993, the day his wife suicide bombed Ali’s Bar out by Hobby on IH-45 south killing fifty and stopping traffic on the freeway for two hours. Because of the obvious language barrier and difficulty getting interpreters, Opal recommended confined incarceration in a private cell, a special Halal diet, and daily visits by a mullah.

After Opal sat down and before Devine’ could speak, Muhammad picked up his prayer rug, hobbled around in chains, checked the little arrow on his digital watch, unrolled his prayer rug facing Mecca, got on his knees facing Mecca, bent over and kissed the floor, stuck his butt up in the air, then sat erect on his ankles and sang out as loud as he could in Arabic, AL-LAHU AKBAR, AL-LAHU AKAR. There is no AL-LAH but AL-LAH and Muhammad was his Prophet. AL-LAHU begat not, nor was AL-LAH begotten. AL-LAHU AKBAR, AL-LAHU AKBAR. There is no AL-LAH but AL-LAH and MUHAMMAD was his Prophet.

Mr. Hussain picked up his prayer rug and hobbled back to his seat at the table by Devine’.

Miss Sparks, announced Eva.

Devine’ stood. Your honor my client pleads guilty and demands a new judge and counsel. Since he is a guest in our country, he would prefer an Imam and abide by the rules of Islamic law. Under Shariah he is a martyr for killing a Jew, and after decapitation, would receive his own little oasis with seventy virgins.

Eva, held back a giggle and tried to look stern, I’m entering a plea of Not Guilty. We’ll begin trial on January 9, 1993. No bail and back to jail! It’s a capital case.

****

Devine’ was about to leave when she saw Bill Riley DA walk down to see Judge Petrarcelli.

Most of the cases in Judge Petrarcelli’s court were Sandra’s.

Dr. George Jekyl, Castroil Chemical physician accused of shooting and strangling nurse Janis Cotton is scheduled for a jury trial this court on November 27. May we delay that two months? His house washed away, and they moved to Clear Lake. He’s not a flight risk. The FBI is in on it and think the victim smuggled a secret reactor catalyst out in the trunk of her car, requested Bill.

I’ll have to get back to you. Next, replied Eva.

Mr. Hosea Gomer, captain of gate security at Dutch Royal refinery was accused of a nightstick murder of guard Angela DeShotel back in February. Her skeleton with a cracked skull and mummified hands and feet washed up on West Beach. Witness will say he saw Angela get in Gomer’s car the day she disappeared. Why don’t we leave that on November 28. I’m figuring about three days. It’s open and shut.

Okay, next! said Eva.

Drop charges on Dr. Raul Capistrano and Juanita Alvarez for murder of Theresa Capistrano and conspiracy to murder Dr. Alvarez. The Grand Jury no billed. They came up with witnesses that’ll swear both were working at the time of Theresa’s demise.

Okay, next! said Eva.

Please issue warrants for the arrests of Dr. Raul Capistrano, Shelby Fox, Brice Redmon, and Patrolman Everett Wilbur. Charges are drug trafficking, possession of bulk cocaine with intent to distribute, and on Dr. Capistrano, money laundering.

Eva giggled. We’re going to get Capistrano yet. Next!

Issue warrants for the arrests of Desi Cartenegro, Councilman Sam Pablo Huston, and Lieutenant Carl Briby for Dereliction of Public Trust, receiving bribes, fraud, and unlawful gambling. Please have the clerk look up the correct terminology.

Okay, next!

Issue warrant for the arrest of Tillie Lovett for the murder of her mother Priscilla Lovett. She’s at the Psychiatric Annex at Del Arroyo Hospital and will have to be declared able to stand trial by two psychiatrists, Drs. Juarez and Schmidt. That’s all. Thanks.

Bill turned to Deviné. "Would you like to go with me to Judge Morrison’s court? Those two county deputies you got this morning, Elvis and Horace, indentified mug shots of Jessie Dan White as the shooter of the three guards and Lupe Lopez on October 5, 1993. We think we have a good case.

"Jessie clammed up and asked for Sandra. He didn’t argue when I told him you were taking Sandra’s cases.

"I’m going to dismiss charges against Jotte Jalopena and put out a warrant for the arrest of your client Vaca for the murder of Cabez de Vaca. The maid saw Vaca shoot him.

A. Fuller Bottle Sr. has disappeared, and I plan to get out a warrant for his arrest for murdering Junior.

Eva, tired of listening, left. Bill started for the elevator. Devine’ followed, taking notes.

"Deviné, I find myself in a lonely situation. Bette has gone to the Holy Land for two weeks, Eloise sleeps at Del Arroyo Annex, and Howard Johnson has moved back in with Jeananne.

You have a desire for female companionship? asked Deviné, laughing.

You’re psychic, said Bill.

How would you like to spend an evening with me Saturday? I’ll deduct it from my income tax since you are a lawyer. Bill laughed.

Don’t spoil it with jokes. Surely, I’ll go. Where, what time, and what should I wear? I’ve never been to the Mexicana Norte on a date. The last lawyer broke my arm. It’s still tender at the fracture site, said Devine’.

It’s a date, wear a white outfit and heels. I do a mean Rumba and Cha Cha Cha. Meet me in the lobby at eight and put a little pistol in your purse. I’ll wear my winter tux and lucky bowtie. I drive a county patrol car. It’s one of my perquisites for being District Attorney.

CHAPTER 2

The biggest problem at any college campus was student parking. The only free parking was twenty minutes in front of the Registrar’s office, in handicap spaces required by state law,

and some grassy space way outside the practice baseball field put there for salesmen, irate parents, late students, and lovers.

Sandra held a title of Professor of Law and paid $300 per year in advance for a decal that allowed her to park with the faculty. Opal’s yellow Ferrari was in Sandra’s space, and Dr. Winston Blood’s space was vacant next to Sandra’s. Devine’ pulled into Winston’s and watched a Parking Kop slip a citation for illegal parking under the driver’s windshield wiper on Opal’s car. The fine was $10 paid at the office of the Kampus Kops.

Devine’ joined Opal and together they climbed the stairs of the packed amphitheater and found spaces to lean against the back wall way back at the top.

Levitra erased the green board and Joy Burrell wrote: COGNITION, MEMORY, MIND’S EYE, QUALIA, ILLUSION, INTUITION, CONSCIOUSNESS, SLEEP, DREAMS, NIGHTMARES, AND TRUTH.

"Hi! I don’t have the pedigree of Levitra, but I’ve been married twice, accumulated wealth, and earned the title of Lady Burrell in English Society. Levitra and I were acquaintances in England, and we’ve become friends here.

"Cognitive Psychology is the latest hot topic in the world of Psychiatry, Philosophy, Psychology, Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience, Microsurgery, Radiology, Neuroradiology, Computerized Tomography, Educational Psychology, Pedagogy, Child Psychology, Sex Education, Sociology, and cocktail parties.

"Research combines many disciplines using high technology to determine the age old questions. What is the mind? Why do you see red? What is consciousness? How do you remember? Where is the mind’s eye? How do you predict the weather? Why practice makes perfect? What are illusions, epiphanies, hallucinations, and seizures? Why can you remove half a brain without the child losing functions? Why are teenagers always irrational? At what age do you have mature judgment? Was Freud extra smart because he sniffed coke, and how did he quit cold turkey?

"That’s enough questions for now. We have a lot more questions than we have reliable answers. Science is an ever changing field. You have to run on a treadmill just to keep up. What is general consensus today, may be totally wrong tomorrow, and ten years from now 50% will be obsolete, and so will I if I don’t keep running.

"We scientist try to learn truth with a little t. You can get TRUTH by Benny Hinn with a big T by clicking on www.Amazon.com and bill it to your credit card. I don’t get a gratuity for endorsing Benny. I think he’s the biggest fake on TV. He’s a natural born liar, and he believes his own lies. Psychiatrist call that delusion.

"Before I get into fundamentals and high tech stuff I’d like to explain Negritude since Maria is going to Brazil. I’ve been down there to observe Carnival and compared it with African folk religions. Brazilians are 95% Black and are into folk religion big time. It’s just Black Magic, Voodoo, and dancing around a campfire in West Africa. They ring a chicken’s neck, have an expert interpret his post mortem antics, and divine which women cheated or whatever.

"Carnival is supposed to be a Catholic holiday before Lent like the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In Brazil it’s a national obsession. There are fifteen dance studios in Rio, and they practice Samba all year. A costume cost you $300 and a round trip on Continental $500. You can sleep on the Copacabana beach free.

Negritude is unique African thought. Africans are more intuitive and participatory and never stop moving their feet and hands. In Brazil they are always beating on a tin bucket and dancing to rhythmic music. They won’t stop and give you time without boogieing" in time to some percussion beat, humming and nodding. They believe