by T. Styles
“He told you that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know about all that but I do know this,” she said. “One day you’re going to realize you made a mistake about fucking with Everest over me and when that happens don’t say shit to me because I won’t be here for you.”
“Aye, Mad,” Spirit screamed in the hallway.
I pushed past Gage to meet him outside of my cubby. “What’s wrong?” I asked feeling like something was way off. “Pickles okay?”
Spirit leaned on his knees. He was out of breath. “Some…somebody was just here asking for you by name at the entrance. So don’t leave The Catacombs.”
“What they say?”
“They wouldn’t give me any information. It was two white men.”
“Were they cops?”
“I’m not sure,” he said standing up. “But they looked pretty official to me.”
“I got to get out of here, man,” I said walking back into my cubby. “It’s just a matter of time before they come down here.”
“Mad, you can’t leave The Catacombs,” Spirit said following me inside. Gage was right behind him. “Them mothafuckas ain’t trying to come in here, trust me. If you go outside you going to be out in the open and they are liable to find you. Just chill here more and if we have to we will be on lookout twenty four seven.”
As much as I hated to depend on other people I didn’t have a choice at the moment. For the first time in a long time, my life depended on someone else and I hoped it wouldn’t be a mistake.
****
I was in The Pit eating some hot dogs that we copped and put over the grill. Pickles was beside me and Everest was across from me. She been acting funny all night. Really she hadn’t been right since I said I didn’t want the relationship. I wanted to talk to her but every time I asked what was wrong she said nothing.
WB was fucking Fortune in The Dump and from where we stood we could hear their moans. I guess they’re an item now.
I blocked their sounds out of my mind and was just about to ask Everest if she was cool again when Wicked and Pop Kill walked outside. Pickles walked closer to me and grabbed my hand. I guess he was scared.
East Wingers didn’t fuck with Wicked anymore and didn’t pay him any attention.
WB and Fortune finished their thing in The Dump and walked over to the crowd.
“What’s up,” Wicked said eying the hot dogs. Nobody said anything. “Wow, even after Fierce died we still can’t get along. Ya’ll still choosing that bitch over me.”
“Just chill out,” Gage said. “Why you always saying something stupid out your face? If we don’t want to talk to you, go find somebody who does.”
“Yeah, you need to relax, Wicked,” Everest added. “Because I’m tired of hearing your fucking mouth too. Since I’ve been back all you do is be negative.”
He walked up to her and I immediately blocked him. Pickles ran over to Fortune who picked him up.
“You drunk and you’re tripping right now,” I told him. “You need to chill the fuck out, Wicked. I’m done with how you been carrying people around here. The shit ends today. And by the way, if you planning to do anything to me you better suit up because I’m ready.”
“Are you,” he smirked. I could tell he was surprised that I found out about his plans for me.
“I am. You better back the fuck off.”
“And if I don’t stop what are you going to do? Huh?” He gritted his teeth.
“You have no idea do you? You really don’t know the kind of person I can be because I bite my tongue so much. Don’t you know that the quietest ones are the most deadly?”
He laughed and walked back over to Pop Kill who was smirking at me. “All I know is you killed Rose and because you refuse to leave, you got the cops coming down here fucking with us,” he laughed. “You don’t even take care of your own son. You trying to replace him with Pickles. You are disloyal to your own blood but you want to be loyal to us?”
I was so angry I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. “First off I never claimed loyalty to you. Second of all you don’t know what the fuck you talking about when it comes to my life. Or my kid.”
“Of course I do,” he winked. “Do you or do you not have a child that you have abandoned?”
“Mad, you don’t have to answer—”
“Shut the fuck up,” I said cutting Everest off. I focused back on him. “My past is my business and if I do decide to reveal my business. It won’t be when you in the room.”
“It’s just like I thought,” he laughed. “You’re a deadbeat mother.”
CHAPTER 25
MAD
Earlier today I got word that Wicked was making it his personal business to find out exactly what the cops wanted with me. The fake ass reason he gave everybody in The Catacombs was that he wanted to protect them since it’s obvious they couldn’t protect themselves. So by talking to the cops he would find out what they wanted.
I wanted to kill this dude so badly I couldn’t see straight. I started to do it too, until Spirit and WB pulled me backwards when we were in The Pit. Calling me a deadbeat rubbed me the wrong way. It made me feel like my mother.
I needed somebody to talk to so I decided to go see Old Man Young again.
“What can I help you with this time, Mad?” he asked as I walked into his room, holding a can of warm beer.
“I have to ask you something.”
“Go ahead.” He took the beer from me.
“I need to know…if I should…I mean go and see my—”
“Yes,” he said popping the beer open.
I frowned. “Yes what?”
“Yes you should go and see about your son. It’s time Mad, because until you can fully deal with your past you won’t be able to move on in life.”
“But what about my sister? She’s taking care of him and she doesn’t want me around. How can I convince her to change her mind?”
“I can’t tell you how to do it but it’s time for you to address the relationship you don’t have with your family and move on. If you don’t things will get worse here before they get better. I also know that you can’t make up for not being a mother to your child by taking care of Pickles. You aren’t supposed to be down here. You never were. You’re a natural born leader, and its time you realize it.”
“You don’t understand, everybody here depends on me. I’m not only responsible for Pickles but what about Spirit, Gage and WB? They haven’t been the same since Fierce died and if I leave right now that will fuck them up.”
“Now are you talking about your friends and Pickles or Everest?”
“She’s not the only person I’m thinking about but yeah, she needs me too.”
I knew he couldn’t understand and something told me that I was wasting my breath talking to him, but what I was saying was true. Jayden had Cassius, and Cassius had her but nobody needed me but my friends, Everest and Pickles.
“Mad, you have to live your life for you. Like I said you don’t belong here.”
“You know what, I shouldn’tve come here,” I turned to walk out. “I’m gone.”
I left his cubby but was still thinking about what he said to me. I wasn’t making excuses. I just needed time before I made a move like reaching out to my sister, and I didn’t care what he thought. This was my life and he had no clue about the things I’ve been through.
When I walked into my cubby, Pickles was sitting on the edge of the bed crying while clutching a piece of paper. I ran over to him, wondering what he was doing in here by himself. The last person watching him was Everest so where was she now?
“What’s going on, Lil man?” I sat next to him. “Why you crying?”
He couldn’t catch his breath so I took the piece of paper out of his hand. The moment I opened it my heart sank. Although I couldn’t read every word on the page I understood three of them. Sorry…leaving…bye.
I can’t believe it. She made me fall for her and then she left me.
>
Again.
****
I stayed in my room the entire day after Everest left. When I found the letter that Pickles was holding, I had Spirit read it by telling him that my eyes were bad. I didn’t want him knowing I couldn’t read.
“Aight, man, here goes,” he said standing in front of me.
Dear Mad,
I battled with whether or not to write you this letter because I knew there was nothing anybody could say to stop me from leaving. But I love you and at the very least you deserve an explanation. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here anymore. It was so difficult trying to prevent myself from leaving early on. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s hard walking away from you and I miss you already.
I hope you understand my need to be alive and to experience life outside of The Catacombs. Give Pickles a hug and kiss for me. I love you and it’s still okay for you not to say it because I know you don’t love me back. Before I left I gave you an opportunity to tell me my observations were different and you didn’t.
Goodbye.
Love Everest.
When Spirit was done he stood in front of me. “Damn, man, I’m sorry.”
“Just leave,” I whispered
“Mad, you shouldn’t be—”
“Get the fuck out,” I yelled.
When he left my first instinct was to rip my cubby up and destroy everything. But after awhile I realized that Everest did me a favor by bailing on me. Without her around I didn’t have to worry about making sure she ate, or making sure she was comfortable in my spot. All I cared about was me and Pickles.
I was in my room trying to drink my troubles away, while Pickles read a story to me when I heard a bunch of moaning outside. I jumped up and moved toward the sound.
“Come with me, Pickles,” I said. “I don’t want you leaving my sight.”
He walked behind me and I grabbed his hand. When I made it closer to the sound I noticed an East Winger named CEO Charles was pushing a huge electric stove down the aisle. Some bullshit was always happening down here. It was sitting on a wheeled wooden platform. The wheels rolling over the rocks sent screeching noises throughout the tunnel. Fuzzy Bear was behind him helping him push the stove.
“What ya’ll doing with the stove?” Spirit asked stepping out of his hole.
“What it look like?” CEO Charles responded. “I’m taking the stove to my cubby so I can make some real food around here. Don’t worry; it’s electric and not gas. Nobody gonna die in they sleep.”
“I don’t care what it is,” Spirit continued. “Where do you think you putting it? You know we don’t have the electrical power to handle a stove. You gotta take it out of here.”
“Oh yeah, well how come we got enough power to handle your fridge and hot plate but not my stove?” He asked Spirit.
“Because my shit is small and doesn’t have that much wattage. That thing is huge.” Spirit shot back.
“It’ll be fine,” CEO Charles responded. “If I gotta use it as a dresser instead, then so be it. Just relax.”
“I don’t want you bringing it in here,” Spirit continued with an attitude. “If it’s here I know you gonna use it so you gotta take it back.”
“Look, it’s my stove and I’m going to keep it,” CEO Charles yelled. “But if you man enough to make me change my mind, step to me.” When Spirit didn’t respond he said, “That’s what I thought.”
Me and Spirit watched them push the stove into the cubby. Fifteen minutes later I could smell the meaty scent of bacon rushing through the tunnel. I started to think that the stove wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe I could make a complete hot meal on the stove too. But before I could take in another breath of the bacon fragrance the power went out.
“I knew that shit,” Spirit said to me. I handed him my flashlight and he turned it on. “I fucking knew this would happen!” He pointed the light toward the entrance. “You see what the fuck I’m saying, CEO? I hope the shit was worth it!”
“Sorry, man,” he responded into the darkness.
I reached for Pickles who was shivering and said, “It’s cool, Lil man. We just gotta find E1 and E2 so they can turn the lights back on.”
The three of us went through the tunnel searching for the engineers with flashlights. It didn’t take us long to find E2, because he was dragging a metal ladder while holding a flashlight. The sound of the ladder scraping against the floor was deafening.
“Where’s your father?” Spirit asked him. “We need him to put us back onto the electric tap.”
“I’m not sure, but I can turn the power back on myself, trust me,” he said out of breath. The flashlight Spirit shined on him showcased his sweaty face. “Don’t worry.” We all knew E2 did crack but he tried to hide it.
“I don’t, E2,” Spirit said. “If something happens to you up there it’s going to be on my conscious. And I know your father would never forgive me.”
E2 frowned, and for a second he looked like he wanted to hurt him. “You aight, man?” I asked. “’Cause you look like you want to get something off your shoulders.”
E2 turned his attention from Spirit and onto me. “Naw, I’m good,” he said softening his expression. “But I can really help you guys if you let me. Besides my father is nowhere to be found and I know the wires. Let me put the city back on, Spirit. He taught me everything he knows.”
Spirit looked at him while he shined the light against his face. “Go ahead, man, and make it quick before these bugs and rats start taking over.”
E2 acted like he hit the lottery. He dragged his ladder to the lamppost in The Crossroads and set it up. Me, Pickles and Spirit followed him. I watched with the light shining on his back how he did what he did. I wanted to know how to turn the lights on if they ever went off again.
E2 was right about his expertise. Five minutes later the electricity was restored. And when I turned around I was looking in my father’s face.
CHAPTER 26
MAD
I was standing in The Pit with my jaw hanging. I couldn’t believe I was looking at my father. Although I knew he was not scared of no one. I was still amazed how he was standing in The Catacombs like it was nothing and I admired him all over again.
A few people walked out into The Pit and gave me looks but nobody said anything. He wasn’t supposed to be here, because he was an outsider and it was against our rules. But I think the fact that he walked into the tunnel to get me when other people would’ve turned and run away gave the residents respect for him. For the moment anyway.
As we stood over the fire I looked him over. Although his eyes looked tired he was still handsome and I was starting to see myself in him. I wondered would Cassius look the same way too. He was wearing a low haircut and a black leather strap crossed his chest, which held the hatchet he took everywhere on his back. On his face was a pair of black-rimmed glasses. I guess his vision was leaving because he didn’t wear them before.
“You know I’ve been worried sick about you right?” he asked me. “Madjesty, what you doing?”
I looked down at my shoes. In the beginning my father never expressed any type of emotion toward me. As a matter of fact he denied me to my mother and his friends. Our relationship was so crazy that the simplest way to explain it was this. My mother fucked my father and my sister’s father at the same time. And because she was ovulating, both of their sperm hit her egg and she had one baby by my father, and one baby by Jayden’s father. So that even though we twins, we have different fathers.
When I originally told my father that I was his daughter, he denied me. Soon afterwards we got into a few life and death scenarios together and I knew he loved me based on his actions. He wanted to protect me and at first it was hard to take. But even then he never really showed it until now.
“I’m not doing nothing, pops,” I said. “But where have you been?” I asked skipping the subject.
“Outside of worrying about where my son was, I been on the run again. I ganked these niggas who were running t
his drug house out DC. Some kind of way they found out I was involved and now they looking for me. Any other time you know I’d stay around and deal with it, but I haven’t had an army behind me for months. I’m solo in these streets right now, Madjesty. So I’m going to get away, get my money together and take care of them niggas later.”
I frowned. “If you can get away how come you just won’t stay gone? Especially if you say you got people looking for you. Why come back?”
“Cause that’s not me.”
I focused on my Hennessey bottle. “But what if you come back and they kill you? Will it be worth it then?”
“Why would you even say something like that? I’m Teflon, Madjesty. And ain’t nobody gonna take me out of this world unless I’m ready.” And then, as if he suddenly realized where we were he said, “But you never answered my question. What you doing here?”
“What you mean?”
“This place not for you,” he said looking around. “If I didn’t see your sneakers, I wouldn’t know you were my son.” He grabbed my curly ponytail. “Why you playing yourself like this, Mad? You better than this. You better than these people.”
“I didn’t know I was playing myself.”
“Well you are. You might not have had the best when you were growing up, but you got family now. You got me and you know that.” I looked away from him. “You do know that don’t you?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “I know.”
“I was getting ready to say,” he chuckled. “I’m in a tunnel talking to you over a trash can fire. Give me some credit when I say I’m in your corner.”
“I know you are,” I laughed.
“Good, so when you gonna get out of here and get your son back? I don’t know if you realize it or not, but that sister of yours is carrying on like Cassius is her kid. I need you to correct that.”
