by Coco Shawndé
“I don’t mean to scare you.” I explained, seeing the look in her eye. “C’murr, ma.” Pulling her into my chest, I held her until she was more relaxed. Leaving from my man cave, we went upstairs. Miani was ready for anything now, and she didn’t know the relief I had knowing she and Easton would be taken care of. It was fucked up that Dice and Hosea was probably having the same talk right now.
With the months to come, it was like Hosea and I was waiting to be picked up by the police. Our inside man and our lawyer tried to give us hope, but we knew shit could turn sour in a matter of seconds. It seemed the judge was taking his time as he gathered information and processed everything. Me and my brother laid low, not making much movement.
When Dice´s grand opening came, it was probably the most social event that we showed our faces at. I was just glad Dice and Hosea stayed on task with getting it done. The stress on everyone got lighter after it became a successful opening.
What completed the night was when Hosea´s lawyer called saying all the defendants had pleaded guilty to their charges. That was setting me and my boy free, so you know we had to pop major bottles for the celebration.
“You ain’t got to stress about a nigga leaving.” I told Miani, letting her cry into my chest. Kissing on my baby, she was the happiest I had seen her in a long while.
“I can’t believe it.” she gushed. After she let me go, she went and embraced Dice.
“Mane, we skated!” Hosea said, dapping me up, and bringing me in for a brotherly hug.
I didn’t even have no words. Hosea called his people with the good news, and I did the same. My mother was crying hard over the phone and I knew I had given her back her peace just that quick.
Wasn’t no better ending to Dice´s accomplishments than this right here!
13
Hosea
“Baby, are you nervousss?” Dice squealed, sitting up in her chair, and coming to grab my face when I didn’t answer quick enough. We were on my private jet, and it was surreal right now that we were touching down in the DR. I had Obasi with me, and of course Miani and Easton was on board for the trip.
Vernell wasn’t having much luck and with my previous issues with the law, I knew it would be attention on me for a while just to see me fuck up in some area. Coming to the DR was best if I was ever going to meet my father and his side of the family. Bringing my crew was a must, and the nervous feelings had been set in. Me and Vernell talked damn near every day and even Hilary. I was being welcomed into a whole new family, and even had more siblings than I could try to remember. All together with me and Duchess, Vernell had eight kids. We were all about to meet for the first time, and I didn’t know what to expect. From having to build walls with family, I was trying to give everyone a fair shot with this shit.
“I’m gon’ be cool.” I finally answered, taking a look outside. Seeing the island coming into view, I sat back.
Dice came in between my legs, kissing my lips. Since she was farther along in the pregnancy, I wasn’t okay with her staying home without me there. She was doing good enough that the doctor saw no issue with her flying to the DR. Ever since my name came off that case, she had been stress free. Her south side location was doing everything it was supposed to, so she had no stress there. She was just relaxing as our baby took her time growing.
“Seat belt momma!” C.J said, sticking his arm through the seats to get Dice´s attention.
“Okay son.” she smiled, and took her seat. She got buckled back in, then the pilot let us know we were going to be landing in less than thirty minutes. I was rubbing my hands together with a smile on my face.
“What got you smiling.” I said watching Dice across from me.
“You!” she cheesed. “You make me happy when I see you happy.”
“Same.” I chuckled, knowing that shit was beyond true with us. Nothing had been impossible with us. Bouncing back from everything that was meant to divide us, I loved this woman to a degree that couldn’t be counted.
When we touched down, the kids were too turnt that we were in the DR. We were going to be here for ten days to give us enough time to really enjoy the trip. I knew the ten days wasn’t going to even seem long once we were flying back home, so I was taking everything in.
With bullet proof trucks awaiting us, I did no half stepping with the security of my family. Driving through the DR, Dice was able to explain the place better than me. Miani said she had been here before, but this was Obasi´s first time.
Driving for about an hour, we arrived in Santo Domingo where Vernell lived. His home was a mega mansion that set on plenty acres. It had a large paved wrap around driveway with three huge palm trees that set in the center. The place was dope as hell, and I knew he had gone all out for this place since he was most likely going to die here since he wasn’t welcomed in no other country, but the one he ran.
Stepping out of the car, I held the door open for the kids. Basi got the ladies out, and I was having to stop Yoshon´s bad ass from running on the grass. “Can I take you anywhere?” I said, shaking my head at him ready to take off.
“Aye! Grandson!” Vernell yelled, when the front door swung open. The kids ran up to him, knowing already who he was. When I say a good eighty people came out of that house like we were Mexican, I didn’t even know who the fuck I was hugging. It was everybody trying to tell me their name and how we were related. Dice had gotten pulled away with Hilary, and we weren't even together no more. It took us an hour to even get in the house because that was how much we were chopping it up outside.
“Mane, I’m glad you came.” Vernell said, hugging me again. My mother was standing near, and I gave her another hug.
“You made it.” she said, rocking me back and forth. “You really need to get to meet your siblings.” she said, wanting to tell me who everyone was herself. “You have three brothers and three sister´s here. I’m going to go in order from oldest to youngest!” she started. “You the oldest, which you know. So, Hosea, Isai, Maikel, Junior, Tamara, Ketia, and Renette. So, the boys all together, then the girls were the last of the bunch.” she explained to us all. It was crazy how I came from thinking I was an only child and then later got Duchess. Now, I had six more to add on.
Sitting with them, it was like this wasn’t even our first time. Drinking, eating, and catching up is what we did all night. I had more nieces and nephews than I could keep up with at the moment. I was glad Yosohn and Duchess was having the time of their life outside. Didn’t nobody´s smile beat Vernell’s and Hilary´s.
“Aye, son. Come out back with me.” he said, and I got up right away. Joining him, the night breeze was good on my skin.
“This what I been waiting on. You came, and that’s all I needed. No matter what went on between you and your mother, right now is what counts.” he said, and I nodded my head. “The lifestyle got me where I’m at. I don’t want it to get you. It pulled me from your mother with random woman, creating lives I would have to be fully responsible for. I knew Hilary was who I was meant for, but I ran from it. I didn’t own up to it because Moss was filling the shoes.” he vented. “I see your family. It’s a beautiful one! You take care of that. Cherish it with everything you can.” he encouraged.
“I will, pops.” I answered, knowing he didn’t want me making the same mistakes as him.
“I know I never told you why I have been limited to the DR...but I wanted to have that conversation face to face.” he let me know. Looking at Vernell, we were pretty much mirror twins, but he had Bob Marley dreads with a more tanned skin tone. “As you can see, I’m living well besides the limitations on me right now. Back when I was still reckless and had no thought to think of my actions, I took down a lot of bodies that were involved in taking down the bloodline your great grandfather created. I did my duty to the family, and it got me with capital murder. Doing a bit of time, I was finally able to come here, nowhere else. The legal issues are never ending, and if the United States had it their way, I’d be dead. So, that’s why I could
never come see you. Even when you were younger, and I felt this strong feeling you were mine. It was hard getting passed the border and your mother at that time. I don’t know which one was more difficult.” he informed.
“Shid, they both probably had you at a stand-still.” seeing how Vernell didn’t have much of an option. Not that him and Hilary were on better terms and together, they were better off. They got further than ever by coming together.
“You see them fields in the distance?” He asked, pointing off in the distance.
“Ye-yeah.” I said squinting my eyes in the view.
“It all belongs to the family. I’ll show you the business, and you can sit back while the money come to you. Every one of your siblings has a piece, and it’s nothing you have to touch or come in contact with. I want all my kids to eat, and this ground we stand on comes from our blood.” he lectured. Knowing Vernell was connected, I had just realized how much power my pops had. He was the PLUG and made what I did look like shit. His ranking ranked all, and I never could have pointed it out. He was just so laid back and so was my mother.
“Right now, I’m going to have to pass on the offer.” I said honestly. I knew Dice would ride with whatever, but I just felt it was time to give her more peace than a headache. Plus, I was thinking maybe having another son or daughter would really complete our family. She didn’t know, but that was what I was on. Vernell respected my wishes, and then my mother came out onto the balcony.
“You men good?” She asked.
“Fa sho.” I smiled.
“You hear your father’s offer?” she asked.
“He declined. But I was about to tell him he was no less of my son for it. He’s the wiser me for sure.” Vernell said, patting me on my back. “Let’s go have dinner.”
Letting them lead, the villa style house we were in was dope as fuck. There was a pool in the middle of the house with pillars standing in the water. Versace carpet, and the finest Italian furniture you could fine. It was all laid out, and Vernell didn’t cut no corners with his high-end chefs that prepared our meals. With Vernell blessing the food, the extra-long dining room table had not one empty chair. It looked like the adult and the kid´s table were double sized cafeteria tables or some shit. It was conversations going in every direction. I could see my mother checking on the kids, and then holding conversations with my aunts. I had never had real genuine family in this great of a number, so I soaked it all in.
“Baby, your family is big.” Dice said, looking at all the food being brought out.
“Hell yeah.” I nodded.
“They all live hurr?” Obasi said in my ear.
“Mane, nah.” I laughed, trying not to listen to his ass.
“Shid, some of yo cousins blacker than me. How the fuck that happen?” his ignorant ass continued.
“We ain’t white. We can look black my nigga.” I said laughing at this fool.
“That’s tight as hell.” he said looking around at the different shades of everyone.
We went all night drinking, and I found out quick that I couldn't hang with their ass. The alcohol seems stronger, and I knew I wasn’t tripping.
“Bae! You wanted to keep up with your brothers and look at you!” Dice said, popping me in the head.
“We got em.” I could hear my brothers, but my vision was blurry as hell! All I knew was that I was placed in the bed and Dice was somewhere close because she was cursing my ass out.
14
Dice
The DR became the perfect trip for all of us. Miani and Obasi was right here with us, and I was glad they joined us. Hosea got more of a welcome than what he thought just from the first night. Every day we met new family of his.
Not knowing where the time went, the ten days were over, and we were preparing to go home. Vernell had requested that we take some family photos in all white before we flew back to the states. Everyone was down, so now we were dressed, but packing our bags.
“If your feet hurt, just lay it down.” Hosea told me. I was glad he spoke up, and I politely laid it on down. Hosea packed us up and talked my ear off on how he wanted to buy a house here, so it would make traveling back and forth easier. I knew we would be coming here several times out of the year, so I entertained it. He knew I wasn’t ready to leave my business behind, so we weren't going to be moving from St. Louis anytime soon.
The trip had really gave Hosea this whole new look and vibe to him. I felt this was what he was missing, I was glad he had it and nothing could take it away. Once everyone’s bags were packed, they got loaded onto the truck. Hilary was most definitely not ready for us to leave, and her teary eyes told it as we got in front of Vernell’s home to take the pictures.
“I’m going to miss my son and my baby girl so much.” Hilary sobbed, hugging us, then trying to get it together. I knew Hosea wasn’t going too long without being here with his folks, so it made getting ready to leave better for everyone.
“A’ight, everybody look up at the camera!” Vernell said, as the flashes started.
Taking pictures in different poses, I was tired and needed to sit down. Soon as I went to squat down, I felt a painful contraction rip through my side and back. Screaming at the top of my lungs, Hosea and Obasi got to me before anyone else.
“Dice! Fuck is wrong?” Hosea panicked.
“Ewww, momma why you just pee like that?” C.J said, with his face frowned up.
“BOY!!” I snapped, wanting to snatch him up for his smart mouth, but I was in too much pain to do so. “My water just broke!”
“Err’body let’s go.” Obasi said, helping me to the truck with Hosea. My eyes were basically shut the entire time and Hosea was talking a mile a minute, making me nervous. I didn’t think my water would break this soon. I was in my last trimester, but I hadn’t even lost my mucus plug and my due date was weeks away. Getting to the hospital, I kept Hosea and Miani with me. I was freaking the hell out thinking something was going to happen to my baby.
“Calm down, Dice.” Miani said, holding my head. I was trying to, but I didn’t know why my daughter didn’t understand I needed her to wait. When the doctor came to check me, he let me know that I had to push. He assured that baby girl had more than a fighting chance, but I needed to get to pushing right away due to her heart rate dropping. With Hosea’s parents in the room, I had my parents on facetime while I pushed out my little five-pound baby girl!
“Why isn’t she crying?” I asked Hosea and then the doctor. Hosea got her first, and he walked over to me with tears coming down his eyes. Not knowing if something was wrong, I was just wanting to lay eyes on my baby. When I saw her, she was just sucking on her fingers with her eyes wide open. Her and her daddy had the same pretty eyes and I was in love with her the second I saw her.
“She’s okay.” I cried, not believing she came early but was fully alert,
“She was ready and said it was time.” Hilary said, looking at her from the side of the bed.
“Another baby girl for the family.” Vernell added. Everyone was drooling over Miss Hope. I felt her name was perfect because she gave me and her daddy plenty HOPE!
Three days in the hospital from my natural birth, Hosea was ready to go!
“Why they want us hurr so long? They making me feel like they trying to plot to steal my baby or something. Them nurses ain’t slick.” Hosea complained, just being extra.
“We still can’t go home home.” I said, not trying to be like him right now. I was just gazing at my baby, not believing I was a new mommy again. As soon as Hosea had gotten quiet about leaving, the doctor came in with the discharge papers. This man was signing both our names on them papers, so we could leave. I had to tell him that he had to put the baby in the car seat, or we wouldn’t be going nowhere. I tried to let him do him, but this man was too excited about Hope going home. Her being small, it didn’t phase him at all. He was hands on, and I didn’t do anything by myself. Hell, he did skin to skin. If he had milk in his breast, he would breastfeed instead of usin
g the bottle he was limited to.
As soon as we settled back at Vernell’s house, I had Duchess, Yosohn, and C.J meeting Hope. “Be gentle.” Hosea said, not wanting them to hold her since she was only five pounds. Once she got around eight or nine, they were good to hold her with supervision.
“Y’all like her?” I asked, watching them just stare, Duchess was excited while the boys were just looking strange.
“She wrinkled momma.” C.J said, causing me and Hosea to laugh.
“She’s going to gain weight soon and they’ll go away. You had wrinkles too when you were her age.” I smiled, kissing his forehead. It was important that the kids bonded with her, so they helped by watching her with me and making sure she stayed comfortable. It didn’t take long for the boys to start competing on who was better with her. Hosea got on them quick that they didn’t go against each other and worked together. Wasn’t no brother better than the other.
“She’s going to love y’all both the same.” I told them. I was enjoying seeing them interact with Hope and knowing when we got home it would be even better.
It took another two weeks for us to be able to go home, and I couldn’t wait! I was loving the DR, but my ass wanted to have my daughter at home. She was exactly two weeks old and hadn’t been in her nursery yet. Hilary, Vernell, and the rest of the DR family didn’t want to see us go. I was glad Hope got to meet them and have her first two weeks of life there.
When we got home, it was the greatest relief to be home. It wasn’t too late in the day, and Hosea had Aja and my mother to help unpack everything. I was needing sleep, so I got some good sleep knowing my baby was in good hands.
