by Keeshia K
This was worse than I thought and I was terrified. “But I’m not like her, Siena.” I pleaded. “She was your girlfriend but you and I are different.”
“It’s the same thing! She tried to play me too. Would call me and run to me when she had problems at home and after I put her back together she would abandon me again. Just like what Bronco does to you. Don’t you see?” She asked before she climbed on my lap straddling me again. “We’re the same, baby. It’s just too bad you don’t love me either.” She kissed me on my lips that were soaked with my own blood. “Goodbye, Taevonne.”
She lifted the knife to stab me but I had gotten my hands free and jumped to my feet with my hands clasped around her throat. I tried with all the strength I could find to choke the life out of her but while she struggled to get out of my grip she was able to still poke at my body with the knife.
I didn’t let that stop me because I knew if I let go of my hold on her throat I would be dead. I continued to grip her neck tighter and tighter until I saw that her eyes went from dark and crazed to blank and motionless.
Suddenly I felt lightheaded. I rolled off Siena and heard a loud crash before I blacked out.
****
BRONCO
“Tae!!!” I yelled when I saw my bloodied and beaten wife passed out on the floor. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.” I shouted as I rushed up to her. “Hold on, Tae. I’m getting you some help. Stay with me.”
I scooped her fragile body up off the floor and dipped out the apartment. Based on how it looked inside, Siena had Tae tied up but she must’ve gotten free and tried to kill her.
I don’t know if Siena was dead or not and I don’t give a fuck. My only focus was to get Tae to the emergency room.
I placed her inside the back seat of my truck and jumped behind the wheel. “Tae, baby, I’m gonna get you to the hospital. Just keep fighting! Keep fighting.” I yelled as I silently prayed that I wasn’t too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BRONCO
You know, I never was the praying type of nigga but after I saw my wife lying in her own blood struggling to stay in this world, I had to start. I begged whatever God was supposed to watch over us to please not take her from me and it worked. Tae was in the hospital and she was still breathing.
I sat in her hospital room where I had been for the last two days. I ain’t wanna leave her side.
Tae got stabbed in her chest and shoulder four times and although she lost a lot of blood, she took it like a G. I can’t say the same for ole girl though. Tae choked her to death. The police came through here and tried to press us about what went down. I told ‘em what I could but Tae hasn’t been coherent enough to talk to ‘em yet. And I’m glad too. She shouldn’t have to do their jobs.
“Bronco,” Tae opened her eyes and called my name. I jumped up out the chair and rushed to her side.
“I’m here, baby. How you feel?” I asked relieved she was finally awake. I stood over her and reached out to grab her hand.
She closed her eyes and tried to adjust her position in the bed. She took a deep breath and winced. “It hurts to breathe.”
“I bet, let me get the nurse.” I told her. I pushed the button attached to her bed with the nurse’s picture on it.
A minute later the nurse came in. “Well now, look who’s awake.” She said as she walked into the room and checked Tae’s vitals.
“My mouth is dry. And it hurts when I breathe in.” Tae told her. She looked like she was hurting bad. “I…I never been in so much pain in all of my life.”
“You are very lucky to be here Mrs. Lawson. You sustained several life threatening stab wounds but you were lucky enough to get to the ER on time too.” The nurse continued. “We’ll get you some more pain meds and some ice water. You can eat the ice chips and sip the water slow.”
Tae nodded and looked up at me after the nurse left out the room. “Bronco, what happened? I don’t remember how I got here.” She asked me.
I pulled my chair up close to her bedside and sat down. I reached over and grabbed her hand carefully. “Baby, you were at Siena’s spot and it looked like she was holding you hostage cuz you had rope on your wrist.” I explained. “I found out where she lived and came to get you. I knocked and when I heard what sounded like somebody rumbling in the apartment I broke down the door.”
Her eyes bugged open as I ran down what happened. “The last thing I remember was sitting in her living room tied to a chair. She had a gun on me.” Tears began to flow from her eyes. “I was so scared.”
“Yeah, the cops said she had a gun in her waist when they found her too.” I told her. “That bitch was psycho.”
“Found her?” She said. “Bronco, is Siena…is she…”
“Yeah, baby. She gone.” I had to tell her. She closed her eyes and more tears streamed down the sides of her cheeks.
The nurse came in again with a Styrofoam cup of ice water. She handed it to me and walked back out of the room. I sat the cup down on the tray.
I stood up. “Look, Tae, you can’t feel bad about that. Siena was troubled, baby. She had a mental health history. She was unstable and if you didn’t get yourself free and fight her she would have killed you.” I explained.
She sniffled and slowly lifted her hand to wipe her tears away. “How did you know where she lived?” She asked me.
“Baby, that’s a long story, and I’ll tell you all of it later. I just want you to rest up and get better. I lost my mind when I came in there and found you. I thought I lost you, Tae. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.” I confessed.
A small smile appeared on her face. “I’m sorry, Bronco. I should have never left. I…” She began to cough. “I…”
I reached over and grabbed the water cup and placed it near her mouth and positioned the straw by her lips. She took a sip. “That better?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Baby, don’t talk. Just hear me out, please?”
She nodded again. “Okay.”
“I was bugging asking you to do that bamma shit,” I said to her. “If I ain’t come at you like that you wouldn’t have gotten hurt or even be in this position. I know all this shit my fault and I wanna make it right baby.” I told her.
“Make it right?” She questioned in a low whisper.
“Yeah, I feel like our whole marriage was set up for failure because of how it started out and we never gonna be right unless something changes. So I wanna do it over. I want you to marry me again, but this time no ultimatum and no clauses.” I told her.
I held her hand and waited for her response. It seemed like an eternity passed by while I waited.
She closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly. That’s all the answer I needed.
“Bae, I promise,” I said confidently. “I will love you and protect you with all that I am. No more cheating…no other women. Just you and me as it should be. I love you, Tae.” I told her. A tear snuck out my eye.
“I love you too, Bronco.” She whispered. “Thank you for saving my life. I will forever be grateful to you for that.”
I bent down and kissed her lips softly. “You can thank me by getting some rest and getting better. I need you at full strength for our wedding reception’s dance break. We gotta hit the Kid N Play.”
She laughed and then screwed up her face. “Don’t make me laugh.” She said.
I smiled. Seeing her laugh warmed my heart. But seeing her alive made me want to fight for our marriage. I’m grateful I got a second chance and I promised on my eyes, I wouldn’t fuck it up again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BRONCO
It felt good to get back to normal. It seemed like everything that could go wrong over the last few weeks did go wrong. Tae was still recovering and I was back at work. I had been out ever since my mom died. Although being at work felt like my life was getting back on track, everything had changed.
“Bronco, I need to speak with you in my office.” Alicia stood in the doorway of the gar
age and looked at me closely. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.
“I’ll be right there.” I told her. I put my wrench down and grabbed the rag off the toolbox. After I wiped my hands I removed the purple latex gloves I always wore and tossed them on the car.
I’m not sure what Alicia wanted but it probably had something to do with the loss of my mama. They normally gave some type of cards or flower arrangements at work when somebody had a death in the family. Although it would be nice for real I could do without all the mushy shit. I preferred to deal with my stuff on my own.
I approached Alicia’s office and knocked lightly on the door. “Come in, Bronco and please close the door behind you.”
“What’s up, Alicia?” I asked as I pulled out the chair in front of her desk to take a seat. “Everything okay?” I didn’t see a card, flowers or anything else.
“Please, keep standing, this won’t take long.” She told me.
I pushed the seat back to its original position and looked at my boss.
“We were all very sorry to hear about your mother, Bronco.” She paused.” Did you receive the flowers we sent?”
“Uh, yeah, I got ‘em. Thank you.” I told her just remembering that I did get a delivery at my apartment of flowers but when Tae got attacked it slipped my mind. “Me and my family appreciated—”
“Good.” She cut me off. “Well, as you know when an employee has a death in the family they receive time off with pay for three days. Since you reported your mother’s death and up until today when you officially returned to work, it has been seven days that you have been off.” She said.
“I know I only got three days but I was the one who actually found my mother and it kinda fucked…I mean messed me up so, uh, I was just trying to pull myself together before I came back to work.” I explained.
“Bronco, although I understand your situation and sympathize with you, the company does not allow for no calls and no shows. So unfortunately I have to let you go. I’m sorry.”
“What? Let me go?” I asked thrown completely the fuck off. “You mean to tell me that my mother died and because I needed a few more days to deal I get fired?” I frowned. “How that sound?”
“Bronco, you can’t take off for days on end without contacting your job. We have a business to run and had to compensate by having other mechanics work overtime. Your antics caused us more in payroll.” Alicia said.
“My antics!” I yelled heated. “You act like I went to the Bahamas or some shit! My mother died.” I explained.
“I know, and again we are very sorry for your loss but we cannot keep you on as an employee here. Now please, clear out your locker and leave the premises. Your last paycheck will be direct deposited into your account on Friday.”
I was in shock. Part of me wanted to jump across her desk and choke the shit out of her. But I knew I wasn’t trying to add a record and jail time on top of being fired. I took a deep breath and tried a different approach.
“Alicia, I really need my job.” I paused. “Ever since I got married I have been going about my life in a selfish manner. Now I have the opportunity to turn that around and fix what I messed up. But that can’t happen without working. Please, can you give me another chance?” I begged.
“Mr. Lawson, I have already told you to leave. If you are not gone within the next three minutes I will call security to escort you out.”
****
I drove down the street on my way home fucked up. I felt like something was off. I mean I know what Alicia said about why I was fired but that didn’t add up. I needed answers so I decided to call Quentin. I knew he would know what it was really hittin’ for and give it to me straight.
I grabbed my cell phone out of my duffle bag and connected it to my truck. Once it was hooked up I tapped the phone icon next to Quentin’s name to call him.
“Hello,” Quentin said after two rings.
“Quentin, what’s up, slim? Why the fuck did Alicia just fire me?” I asked. I wanted to get right down to it. “She tripping like shit.”
“Look, Bronco, man, I don’t know no more than you do.” He paused. “What did she tell you was the reason?” He asked.
“Nigga, stop bullshitting with me.” I turned onto the highway. “I know you know what’s up.” I was angry because he was faking dumb. Him and the boss were cool and everybody knew it.
He took a deep breath. “Aight, she heard what went down with Tae and knew what happened to her was because of you.” He sighed. “So, she used the extra days you were gone as an excuse to axe you.” He explained.
I frowned. “Hold up…How the fuck she know ‘bout all that in the first place?” I asked.
“I told her.”
“What?” I yelled. I had to pull over because I felt like I was about to crash. “Fuck you mean you told her?” I was completely confused.
“Look, man…She pulled me in the office and asked where you were and why hadn’t you come back to work or called.” He paused. “So I told her what happened to Tae.”
“Why the fuck would you tell her that shit, Quentin? You know that bitch already don’t fuck with me. That was all the excuse she needed!” I yelled.
“Look, nigga, I thought I was helping you. But truth be told had you been more of a man your wife wouldn’t have gotten hurt and you would still have your job.” He yelled back before ending the call.
I needed to think of something quick. If Tae finds this shit out not only will she not wanna re-marry me she might not wanna have nothing to do with me since I won’t be able to take care of her while she recovered. Fuck!
****
I knocked on my father’s door. I hadn’t been anywhere near his house since the day they carried my mama’s body out of it but it was time. I needed help and I felt like this nigga owed me.
The door opened slowly and my father appeared in the doorway. He looked bad. Worse than I had ever seen him. His cheeks were sunken in like he hadn’t eaten in a week and his beard was scraggly. He had a Capone dangling from his lip and a glass of something dark in his hand.
“What you doing here, Bronco? I thought I was dead to you.” He said as he blocked my entrance.
“I need to talk to you.” I told him looking down before I looked into his eyes again. He opened the door wider and let me inside.
“So, talk.” He said as he closed the door behind me while he stood next to it. He placed the glass on the table by the door.
“Tae got hurt a little while ago and I got fired today because I was off work too long tending to her.” He didn’t even look at me while I talked. “So, I need to borrow some money to cover this wedding and take care of her until I get another job.” I asked. “I figure it’s the least you can do seeing as how you killed my mother and all.”
He chuckled lightly and dropped the ashes from the Capone into his hand. “I never used to smoke in the house. Your mother would get upset if I did, said the smoke got into the drapes and made the house stink. She didn’t want it smelly when company came over.” He rambled. “What I wouldn’t give for her to get after me for smoking in here now.”
I clenched my jaw and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. “So what’s up, pop, you gonna loan me the money or not?” I asked angry that he made me feel sorry for him missing my mother.
He looked up at me and I saw a tear roll down his cheek. “I’m sorry for how I treated your mother. She didn’t deserve it.” He said before he turned around and grabbed his checkbook off the table and started writing in it.
