Two Sides to a Love Story: Rico & Raja's Story

by Natavia

  Raja is throwing up. This shit been going on for a month now. She isn’t eating and she is always sleeping. She goes to work and comes straight home to get Zy ready for bed, then she goes to bed. I've been working for two weeks now and it feels good. I just be tired as fuck. I go to school then go to work. Once I get home it’s late. Everyone is in bed when I get home and they are still sleeping when I leave in the mornings.

  Samari is still with us and I’m even happier about that. My aunt hasn’t called for her or reported it. She is still going to go to the same school she was before. The way Janice fucked our life up that’s the least she can do is let Samari stay here. I don’t hate my aunt though because she did save my sister. She didn’t have to do what she did because technically we are not related to her.

  “Raja, what the fuck is wrong with you?” I ask as she comes out the bathroom.

  “Nothing, Rico! I’m tired, leave me the fuck alone,” she says.

  She gets in bed then gets under the covers.

  “Why haven’t you been getting your periods?” I ask her and she pops straight up grilling me.

  “What the hell you tracking my periods for?” she asks me.

  “I’m not but WHEN you were on birth control you would get them on the fifteen of every month! But you haven’t gotten it this month and you haven’t been taking your pills! You don’t even call me to tell me grab you some tampons!” I tell her.

  “You one nosey ass nigga, you know that?” she asks.

  “Are you pregnant Raja?” I asked her.

  “Yes boy, damn! Now let’s go to bed! I’m tired Rico and this little fucker is kicking my ass already,” she says.

  “How far are you?” I ask her.

  “Six weeks!” she snaps at me and I laugh, getting under the covers.

  “Tomorrow is your birthday and you’ll be 20! Your ass getting old on me! You know I’m a cougar,” she says to me. Raja turned twenty-one a few weeks ago and she swears by God she has some years on me. Our birthdays are fourteen days apart from another.

  “I keep telling you shorty, that I’m grown over here! I might be a young nigga but I grew-up before you! It’s not the age that matters it’s the knowledge that you have,” I tell her.

  “Please don’t start preaching Rico! Then next thing I know you’ll be on some Martin Luther King stuff talking about you had a damn dream. I’m tired and I want to go to bed,” she says and I smack her on the ass.

  “Nigga, are you crazy? Don’t do that,” she says smiling.

  “Real talk Raja, you one of the best things that happened to me,” I tell her as she pokes her full lips out. I peck it then she smiles.

  “Now, kiss my stomach Rico! We have a little pea in there,” she says lifting up her shirt. I kiss her stomach. “Yo, you so damn corny!” I say to her then something clicks in my head.

  “Little pea? You know something that I don’t? What the doctor say? Why you calling it little? Raja, please don’t tell me my seed going to look like your family,” I say getting stressed. I would love him or her regardless but nobody wants a handicapped baby.

  “No, idiot! But if we do have a midget baby it’s not going to change things!” she says.

  “You right, my bad,” I say laying back down pulling her close to me.

  Three weeks later…

  “Nigga, what the fuck you nervous for?” Royal asks Corey.

  “I’m about to get married nigga!” Corey replies sweating.

  “Nigga, get your bitch ass together! That shit only takes fifteen minutes!” Royal tells him and Killa agrees.

  “Y’all right! Damn, a nigga about to be a husband at twenty-one!” he says walking back and forth.

  “Let me text Tee-Tee now to tell her you changing your mind!” I say and he grills me.

  “Yo, she would come in here shooting all our asses!” he says sweating.

  “I’m about to get sick!” he says sitting down in the dress room.

  “Nigga, we have a half-hour before your wedding! You better get over this shit before I fuck you up!” Killa says to him.

  “Fuck you nigga! Don’t fuck with me when I’m like this! I’m liable to stab a motherfucker,” Corey says.

  “So you don’t want to get married?” I ask him. This nigga looks like he is ready to pass out.

  “Yeah I want to marry her! I’m just saying I can’t believe this shit happened like this. She found out two days ago that we’re having another baby,” he says smiling.

  “WHAT!” Killa says.

  “Fuck you tripping for?” Corey asks him.

  “Nigga, you know how bad your kids are and y’all having another one? Fuck is wrong with y’all?” Killa asks.

  “We be fucking! What the fuck? Yo, sit your swollen head ass down! Asking me what’s wrong with me like I can’t knock my shorty up,” Corey says.

  “Well, stop being nervous then! I’m ready to text her and tell her you changed your mind! Get your bitch ass together nigga!” Killa says.

  “Alright! I’m good now!” he says.

  There was a knock on the door and it was Corey’s step pops.

  “What’s going on?” he asks Corey in his Cuban accent. I still can’t believe their mama married the man who was Royal’s connect. They got married months back on a private island with a private wedding. These are some secretive folks.

  “Corey’s bitch ass bitching up when he knows she is pregnant with his third child!” Royal says.

  “Y’all, excuse us for a minute. I will talk to him,” he says in his deep accent. We walk out the room shutting the door. After a few seconds we fall out. “Y’all pay up now!” I say to Royal and Killa, holding my hand out. They slap three one- hundred dollar bills in my hands a piece.

  “I told y’all the nigga was going to be nervous,” I tell them as we walks off.

  “As much as the nigga be cutting people you wouldn’t think he would be scared of some shit like that!” Killa says.

  Corey ends up marrying Tee-Tee. I don’t know what Leodonis said to him but he stood up there like G! Now we are at the wedding reception clowning on each other.

  Raja is on the dance floor as always popping her butt with her bridesmaid dress on. I shake my head because my baby mama is ghetto as hell.

  Mashawn burps. “Damn, nigga! What the fuck you eat? Kenyatta?” Tarae asks him waving his hands.

  “Naw nigga! I ate Lace’s big juicy ass buns!” Mashawn replies making Tarae mad.

  “Yo, why you keep talking about her ass? Stop looking at my fucking shorty’s ass! Keep on you Big Pun looking ass nigga!” Tarae says making Mashawn laugh even harder.

  “He’s just joking!” I say.

  “Yo, I don’t play that shit! This nigga keep saying shit about her ass! When we be in the locker room he be telling those niggas how big her ass is! So when she comes to watch me practice all those niggas be looking at her! That’s why I made them lose the game the other day! I dropped that ball on purpose! Fuck all those niggas!” Tarae says.

  “Nigga, you made us lose because of that shit?” Mashawn asks pissed off.

  “You damn right! I would do that shit again if y’all keep looking at her ass! Next, time I’m just going to give the other team the ball! I’m going to throw it right to them!” he says and I shake my head at how Tarae just doesn’t give a fuck.

  Raja

  “Weren’t both of y’all pregnant together when I got married?” Cam asks.

  “Yup!” Tee-Tee and I says.

  “Everyone is pregnant now!” Cam says.

  “Who else is pregnant?” I ask.

  “I am!” Tataliscious says and I roll my eyes.

  “Well, our daughter will be arriving next week!” he says happily.

  “What’s her name?” I ask him.

  “I’m naming her Vogue!” he says and I shake my head.

  “Tata, you cannot name your baby that,” Cam says sipping her wine.

  “Hunnttyyyy! I make my own rules!” he says.

  “What�
��s going on over there, Lace?” Tee-Tee asks.

  “Oh nothing,” she says then smiles. We looks at what she is smiling at and Tarae blows her a kiss.

  “Damn he’s fine!” Tee-Tee says peeking over her shoulder.

  “Just making sure my crazy ass husband doesn’t pop up on me,” she says.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Rico?” Jamie asks me, putting a piece of cake in her mouth.

  “Probably the same shit with his no good ass,” Tataliscious says.

  “I wish you shut the fuck up! Who asked your ass? Last time I checked my name is Raja bitch!” I say to him.

  “Ohhhhhh noooo you don’t, hunnntyyyy sweet potato pie! Glitter and gold didn’t just come for me! We all know that Rico dogged you out!” he says.

  “How did he dog me out?” I ask him.

  “He was staying over that bitch Wardrobe’s house and wasn’t coming home!” he says.

  “Her name was FASHION! You are right, he was doing that but I was pushing him away! I had my problems going on and was punishing him for it. I was part of the reason Fashion was even in the picture! Don’t fucking sit over there and blame him because you only know the shit I told you! You don’t know shit about what was going on with me to make him act that way. Its two sides to a story, mine and his and you only know his because I never told you mine!” I tell him.

  “Amen! People fail to realize that most of the time someone’s actions are the cause of the other person’s actions when they are in a relationship,” Lace says. I still haven’t told anyone that she was my aunt. That doesn’t matter anyway because I’m just thankful she is in my life.

  Corey gets on the stage and grabs the mic. “I will like to dedicate this song to my wife! I love her sexy- ass,” he says. His mama shouts from her table, “Watch your damn mouth! We have family here!” she yells at him.

  “Sorry, Ma!” he says then Ginuwine’s song “Differences” starts playing. Tee-Tee gets up joining him on the dance floor. The ballroom gets dark then a light shines on them. They make a beautiful couple. He is wearing an all-black tux with his dreads styled going to the back. Tee-Tee has on a long-sleeved, long black vintage lace gown with a deep neckline. The train on the dress drags the floor and fans out like a Chinese fan. Her hair is done up in a Chinese bun with black chop like sticks sticking out of it with diamonds on them. She looks gorgeous. She and Corey dances and he pulls her closer. The crowd says, "Awwww.”

  “My whole life has changed

  Since you came in, I knew back then

  You were that special one

  I'm so in love, so deep in love

  You make my life complete

  You are so sweet, no one competes

  Glad you came into my life

  You blind me with your love, with you I have no sight

  Girl, you open me, I'm wide open

  And I'm doing things I never do

  But I feel so good, I feel so good

  Why it takes so long for me finding you

  This is my story and I'm telling you

  It's not fiction, it's surely a fact

  Without you right here having my back

  I really don't know just where I'd be at

  My whole life has changed (My whole life has changed)

  Since you came in, I knew back then (Ooh...oh...)

  You were that special one (You were that)

  I'm so in love, so deep in love

  You make my life complete (You make, make my love

  complete)

  You are so sweet (Oh, oh), no one competes

  Glad you came into my life (Ooh...)

  You blind me with your love, with you I have no sight

  I analyzed myself, I was buck wild

  Never thought about settling down

  But all the time I knew I was ready

  But not with all my friends around

  But girl, I put you first now (I put you first now)

  You made me, helped mold me (Helped mold me, baby)

  Turned me into a man, I'm so responsible

  And I owe it all to you

  My whole life has changed (My whole life has changed)

  Since you came in, I knew back then (Oh, oh)

  You were that special one (You were that special one)

  I'm so in love, so deep in love (Oh, oh, oh....)

  You make my life complete (You make my life complete)

  You are so sweet, no one competes

  Glad you came into my life (So glad you came in)

  You blind me with your love (Blind me, baby), with you

  I have no sight

  {God has blessed me} God has blessed me, baby

  Girl, He was good to me when He sent you

  {I'm so happy, baby}

  I'm so happy, I'm so happy, baby, oh, yes, baby

  {Share my world} Come and share my world, baby,

  oh...whoa...yeah. yeah

  {I'm so in love} I'm so in love

  I'm addicted to your love, baby, yeah...

  My whole life has changed (Oh, yes, I am)

  Since you came in, I knew back then (Ooh)

  You were that special one (You were that very, very

  special one)

  I'm so in love (You were that very, very special one),

  so deep in love

  You make my life complete (You make my life complete)

  You are so sweet (Yes, you did, baby), no one competes

  (No one competes, oh)

  Glad you came into my life

  You blind me with your love (Come on), with you I have

  no sight

  My whole life has changed (My whole life has changed)

  Since you came in, I knew back then (You made a

  difference in my life)

  You were that special one (I knew you were that

  special one)

  I'm so in love, so deep in love (When I first laid

  eyes on you, babe)

  You make my life complete (You make my life complete,

  darlin')

  You are so sweet, no one competes (No one competes,

  baby)

  Glad you came into my life (No one, no one)

  You blind me with your love (No one), with you I have

  no sight (Come on)

  My whole life has changed (Oh...whoa...whoa...whoa...)

  Since you came in, I knew back then

  After the song goes off Corey wipes her eyes then she wipe his tear away.

  Cam wipes her eyes. “That was so beautiful. They’ve been through so much and they are finally happy,” she says.

  “Yes, they are,” Jamie says blowing her nose. Tataliscious broke out crying, falling all over Cam.

  “Would you stop?” Cam asks him.

  “Yes, mama,” he says.

  “I just love you girls so much! I clown with y’all and joke but I really do love all of you ugly bitches,” he says blowing his nose and we laugh at him.

  “Fetty Wap Trap Queen” song comes on and I get up to go to the dance floor.

  I start popping my ass twerking my butt as they cheered me on.

  “Go, Raja! Go, Raja! Go, Raja!” they say, as I stood up bouncing my ass cheeks.

  I was getting tired so I stopped. This baby wore me out quick.

  I look over at Lace and she is backing it up on Tarae as he grinds into her, holding her hips.

  “Damn, that nigga got hip movement! You see how he is grinding into Lace? Lawd, Tarae is FIONE! You know I like my men chocolate!” Tataliscious says.

  “Stop lusting over your stepson! That’s just fucking nasty! You always want someone else’s man!” I say to him.

  “You know I like dread heads!” he says. I shake my head.

  “You are already on Tarae’s shit list! You better stop before his crazy ass shoots you!” I tell Tata.

  I look at Rico. He smiles at me and I smile back. My smile quickly faded when I noticed a group of bitches by him staring at him and whispering.


  “Oh hell nawl! Not today!” I say.

  “You lead and I follow!” Tata says as I switched over to Rico. These bitches stay wanting my man!

  Epilogue

  Raja and Rico

  “Push Raja!” Rico says as I scream out in labor. We are having another boy! I think that’s all Rico makes is boys.

  “It hurts, Rico!” I say.

  “I know but you have to push just one more time!” he says. I pushed really hard. I had an epidural and still felt a lot of pressure.

  “He’s out,” the doctor says pulling him the rest of the way. They clean him off and you can hear his small cries throughout the room. They hand him to me and he is beautiful, regardless of his condition. He is going to be a midget like my father. We found out when I was eight months when I got a sonogram done. His length wasn’t normal and his head appeared to be bigger, but we still love him. Deep down I knew one of my kids in the future was going to have that condition.

  “My son is handsome! Look at him! He looks just like his daddy,” Rico says. We named him Kwame and he does looks just like Rico.

  “I got some strong soldiers! All my sons came out looking like me,” he brags and I shake my head.