A Monster Amongst Us

"Wow...It's a good thing Rollie Rollerson is picking up the tab for this...because at $125.00 a plate, I don't think I'd be sitting here." I whispered to my wife Sepia. She giggled...She was sitting next to the person that was being honored... Westley East... One of the city's biggest African-American movers and shakers..He was a millionaire, who gave money to hospitals, charities and what not and somewhat of an activist for women's rights......Very highly respected..

Robert Foxworth and his wife Bonita sat on the other side of me and Conrad Nelson and his wife, Jill sat next to them....Cock Robbins and his wife Vanessa sat  across from us... Hot steamy platters were delivered to us..I must admit ...The food was good...but not worth $125.00 a plate...

My friend, Sean Jackson and his wife Sheila were also there , at another table....For some reason Sheila had refused to sit at the same table with Westley East....I wondered what was up with that... While we ate, I noticed that my wife Sepia appeared to jump or twitch as if someone had pinched her..at least twice.. and then I saw her get an angry and flustered look on her face and move her left arm as if she was moving something..

Rollie Rollerson took a small spoon and clanged on his wine glass.....

"Ladies and gentlemen...Ladies and gentlemen...I hope you all are enjoying your food......." he laughed...

'It cost enough." came a voice from the crowd.   That remark was met with laughter....

"I uh hope you all are enjoying this meal....It is my great pleasure to introduce a man who should need no introduction to you....He's given generously to several charities and been a crusader for women's rights....Tonight we are honoring him with the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP's IMAGE AWARD FOR
2011..EVERYONE , GIVE A HAND FOR MR. WESTLY EAST..." said Rollie Rollerson..

There was thunderous applause..He stood up.....

'Heh ..Heh..Heh...You all are too kind...you're too kind....All I can say is thank you for this prestigious award...Thank you...I am humbled..." he laughed....

Sepia looked very irritated at him and got up from the table and headed towards  the open bar...

I followed her to the bar and gently touched her arm.....

'What's eating you?"  I asked.

"When we go back to sit down, can we trade seats?" she asked.

"Trade seats? What for?" I asked.

"I can't sit next to that man another minute Kevin...I'm just two seconds from decking him." she said, now visibly angry.

'What's going on?" I asked.

"He's a pig..He's been running his hand up my leg and up under my skirt all night..pinching me and copping a feel like some damn school boy....I wasn't going to tell you because I know Rollie Rollerson is on the board of directors at your job and I didn't want you making a scene." she said.

"I won't make a scene..but I damn well will go say something to that jerk." I said...Now angry myself.

"No Kevin...No....Just switch seats...Forget about it." she said.

"You sure?" I asked..

"Yeah..I'm sure." she said.

II-

I didn't make a scene...I simply switched seats with Sepia....I noticed that Conrad Nelson had switched seats with his wife, Jill also on the other side of us...A light skinned woman, she looked as red as a beet...Conrad looked as if he could rip Westly East's head off.. It wasn't the least bit funny, but I found myself chuckling  a bit.

Later on, I excused myself and went to the men's room....Like Mulberry Street...The Men's room was at the end of a long dark, dimly lit  corridor....As I was coming up...I saw in the shadows...a man who had a woman pinned up against the wall...

'Please Mr. East..Please....let me gooo." said the woman...

"Not until you give me some sugar.."came a male voice..

There was the sound of a kiss.....

"Okay..I gave you a kiss..now let me go...." she said...

"Aww come on...I've been fighting and giving money to women's rights organizations...I should at least get a reward huh? Heh..Heh..Heh..." came the male voice...

"Please...I gave you a kiss..now let me go..."

"Aww come on...don't leave me like this...I'm as hard as hell..." came the male voice...

'Mr.East..If you don't let me go..I'm going to scream." she said..

''Come on...Just one more kiss,,,,a long one...come on...."he begged...

She must have stomped on his foot and kneed him, because I heard a loud yell....

'UMMMMMMMMMMMMph...owwwwwwwwwwwwww..ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." came the male voice ,who by now was apparently Westly East....who fell down...as the young woman took her cue and ran off.!!!

I now made my presence known and helped him up....

"You okay Mr. East?" I asked...faking my concern...and trying to hide my desire to laugh in his face...

"Yes....ummmmph, yes....I uh, uh...I tripped....It's very dark down this hall...I'm going to speak with management about that...Thank you young man." he said...as he stumbled back to the ballroom...

I pulled Sean Jackson to the side and told him about what Sepia said East had done to her and what I had witnessed him doing to another lady....What he told me next surprised me.

''Hey Kev..That's why Sheila didn't want to sit at the table with him...She told me that years ago before she and I met...She went to him for a job...and he put his hands under her dress and tried to force her to give him oral sex in his car..She fought him and leaped out of his moving vehicle and ran like hell...She didn't even want to come to this...but Rollerson paid for our tickets and all...The man is as slick as canned grease Kev..He's a real pig."

''Yeah..I see... I think he put the moves on Jill Nelson too...She and Conrad switched seats ....You think he was drinking?" I asked.

"Drinking? He's a pig 24/7 ..He don't need alcohol for that." said Sean....

"Well ,I don't know about you buddy, but I'm out of here....Because if I see him near my wife..I might have to hurt him." I said.

"Man Kev...Sepia is so mad , she might cut that dude." he laughed...."Me and Sheila are right behind you." he said.

Just then Robert Foxworth walked past me...He appeared to be angry..

''Counselor...What's up?" I asked.

"Man..If that dude wasn't who he is..I'd deck him...He palmed my wife's behind just now....I grabbed him and asked him what his problem was and he just laughed, like it wasn't nothin....I'm out of here." he said as he stormed toward the coat room..

"Come on Sean..Let's grab our wives and go." I said.


III-

It wasn't a week later that the newspaper ran a front page story about Westly East......"BLACK MILLIONAIRE- PHILANTHROPIST ACCUSED IN SEXUAL HARRASSMENT PROBE!"

I wasn't surprised...Given the way he'd acted at that dinner the week before...I read the story with amusement about how three young women were saying that he had made improper advances towards them.....He of course was denying everything....I had to laugh...What a crock...He was blaming it on ,who else-"The Media" that was slanted against him......

His foundation was now losing donations and a huge hue and cry was going out....I read day after day as two more women came forth with accusations and he of course had more denials...This scandal was becoming the talk of the city....

Then one day...I got a visitor in my office.. It was a young man named Bruce Harvey....I didn't know him, but I certainly recognized his name...He was an investigative reporter at the Inquirer...He had written the story.

"Mr. Harvey...Mr. Harvey...What can I do for you?" I asked.

''Well  Mr. Morris... I know that in addition to being an Editor of this magazine and a brilliant writer and blogger...I've been a fan of your writing for years....that you are also a private investigator...I need you to do some investigative work for me." he said.

''Who me?. For you?/" I asked.

"Yes...The subject matter is Westly East." he said.

"From what I've been reading in the papers..You've done a  good job yourself.." I said...

"Yes....I found three to five women who told me about him and his activities....Only thing is...They insisted on being anonymous and just a few days ago...Three of them retracted their stories and refused to talk anymore..." he said.

"You think they were bought off?" I asked.

''Somebody got to them...That's what I want you to find out." he said.

''What about the other two?" I asked.

"They're scared...This may be deeper than just a pay off..." that's what I want you to look into." he said.

"Well....for a chance to work with you...It's worth the risk...even though he is a friend of a guy who is on this magazine's board of directors." I said.

"I'll pay you handsomely for your help." he said.

''Deal" I said.

I couldn't know it then....but this would be the first and the last time...I would ever see Mr. Bruce  Harvey.

(To Be Continued...)