by Ivory B.
“Ohh look at my baby!” Lucky squealed palming Keema’s growing belly gently. Nikki cleared her throat loudly drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Lucky looked over at Nikki and gave a forced smile. Now she knew who the Acura belonged to Real’s lil Bustdown. “Mika I left the money right there wit a lil something extra too. Oh and Lucky it’s good to see you home,” Nikki said with a fake smile. “Thanks,” Lucky said returning the pleasantry. Nikki started to make her way to the exit when Lucky mouthed to Mika “Tell her don’t say nothing.” “Alright Nikki, and oh one more thing girl keep seeing Lucky on the low-low. I mean don’t tell nobody not even Real,” Mika said. It went without saying if Real knew he wouldn’t hesitate to call Los and tell him Lucky was back. Nikki knew she had better keep seeing Lucky a secret, if she didn’t they would know exactly who told and she couldn’t ruin her chances of being down with the get money niggaz wifey clique, is what she called them. “Oh girl of course I won’t say nothin,” Nikki responded. Nikki waved goodbye then disappeared out the door. Keema looked over at Lucky with a smirk. “Bitch I saw that look you gave her. What’s wrong mama you gettin jealous? You thought she was tryna take your spot?” “Please Keem, I know ain’t nobody taking my place, It’s just something about that chick I don’t like or trust. But I see Real finally sent her over to get that Raggedy Ann and Andy bright red ass weave done properly.” The room burst into laughter because it was the truth, Nikki’s hair was Kool-Aid bright red and seemed even brighter against her high yellow complexion. “Luck no ya lil ass ain’t come up in here throwing shade the size of palm trees, girl stop,” Mika said through laughter.
“Anyways, you know I’m mad with you right?” Keema hissed while staring at Lucky with her face screwed up. “What? What you talking about?” Lucky asked confused. Lucky looked around the room to see that the love fest had indeed ended because Ty and Mika were both mean mugging her as well. “What I’m talkin about is how you shitted on ya whole team over Los ass. I understand you being mad with him but how you gon shut us all out? You had us worried thinkin something happened to you; you didn’t even care about me. I could’ve gone into labor and you wouldn’t have known,” Keema said getting all emotional. “Keema I would’ve known because Matoo would have told me. And I wouldn’t have missed my lil Munchkin being born for anything in the world,” Lucky said attempting to rub Keema’s belly. Keema pulled away from Lucky’s touch she was still mad and needed a better explanation than that. “Keem c’mon don’t be like that. I didn’t tell y’all where I was cause I knew Los would’ve found out. I know y’all would never intentionally hurt me but that’s exactly what y’all would’ve done by letting Los know where I was.” “Now hold a damn minute Lucky I wouldn’t have said nothing,” Keema said vehemently. “Oh please. Keem like you went and told Jah how Nice made me top him off for over an hour as punishment,” Ty blurted out accusingly. Keema’s eyes bulged. “Oh Ty it ain’t even that serious, it just slipped that’s all.” “Slipped my ass everyone knows you can’t hold water when it comes to Jah,” Ty shot back. Everyone agreed by shaking their heads in agreement including Lucky. “Oh bitch please! Ty like you don’t run ya mouth to Nice. You went and told Nice how Jah drank my breast milk while we was fuckin. Do you know Nice and all them fools went in on my husband clowning him for like a week straight.” A caught out look spread across Ty’s face. “I didn’t mean it like that Keem it slipped in conversation. I’m sorry, damn I already said I was sorry like twenty times,” Ty pleaded. Lucky cracked up laughing “T.M.I, T.M.I,” Lucky sang referring to both Ty and Keema. “My point exactly, I know you guys wouldn’t have meant to tell but you would have. Mika if you knew you would’ve put Ty and Keema on to my whereabouts, you can deny it all you want but I know you. And y’all know as well as I do Carlos crazy ass would’ve came and dragged me back home kicking and screaming. When I left after everything went down I knew at that point in time I didn’t wanna deal with Los anymore and I needed to get far away from him to be able to move on.” “What about now?” Keema asked. “Honestly, I miss that man like crazy. I just wanna go back home and work things out.” Keema smiled at Lucky’s response. “Well you can’t go back home lookin like something the cat dragged in if you tryna get back in good with that man. Come sit ya ass down and get your hair done cause you lookin crazy,” Mika demanded. The room fell into laughter.
Keema watched Lucky as she made her way across the room to sit in Mika’s chair. Keema said what everyone else was thinking. “Why the hell you come back home lookin all dried the fuck up and crackish? You lookin like lil Lucky; The Lucky before Big Los started beatin it up and got you thick up.” The room erupted in laughter. “Keema shut up! I see you ain’t been missing no meals,” Lucky shot back with a smile. “I sure ain’t,” Keema retorted as she watched Mika run her fingers through Lucky’s hair assessing the job ahead of her.
Lucky decided to ask the inevitable. “A’ight ladies keep that shit ahunnit how bad did I screw up? Is Carlos really, really mad?” All three women looked at each other giving the impressions that they didn’t even want to touch the subject. “Let’s just put it this way he probably won’t be waiting at the front door with open arms,” Ty admitted. “Yeah, I figured as much,” was Lucky’s only response. Mika nudged Lucky to go over to the shampoo bowl to get her hair washed and conditioned. Mika’s hands were almost therapeutic; a chick could really forget all her worries while she was getting her hair washed like this. However, Lucky knew from the looks on her girls faces when she asked about Los that her worries were far from over.
Lucky flinched as Mika pressed the comb against her lower back to cut her split ends. “Luck you gotta scoot up baby girl so I can make sure I’m clipping ya ends even.” Lucky scooted up but flinched once again. Mika hurried and snipped Lucky’s ends then ran the comb and scissors through her hair with lightening speed to freshen her layers up. “Girl what’s wrong with you? You wouldn’t even lye all the way back when I was washing your hair,” Mika complained. Lucky noticed all eyes were on her waiting on an answer so she decided to come clean; they would find out anyways. “I did something.” “Something?” Ty said with a raised eyebrow. Mika hearing the seriousness in Lucky’s voice stopped rolling her hair. Lucky stood up and slowly unbuttoned her jeans pulling them slightly down then turned around pulling her shirt up. She heard a gasp, “Oh my god! Lucky you did not tramp stamp that nigga’s name on ya back! Why would you do that?” Ty screamed. Mika rushed around to see it for herself and yes there it was in all its glory, ‘Carlos’ on Lucky’s lower back. The tat was official though, whoever did the cursive font did a damn good job. Lucky pulled her shirt down and spun around to face her cousin. “Ty I did it because I love him and I wanted to. What’s the big deal? You love being so damn hypocritical, you got tats too.” “Yeah I do but I ain’t got a nigga name tatted on me either. I hope you know he packed your shit up and throwing you out.” Both Keema and Mika glared at Ty for going there. “He what?” Lucky asked stunned. The devastation was written all over her face and in her voice. “Luck calm down you know he probably just talkin,” Keema said trying her best hand at damage control. Lucky sat back down almost in a daze. She couldn’t believe Los was doing it like this after begging her to come home less than a week ago. She knew shit wasn’t sweet between them but she believed their love was strong enough to weather any storm, obviously she was wrong. “I agree with Keem, I think it has a lot to do with all the drama that popped off while you was gone. He probably just frustrated and acting out,” Mika said. Ty felt like utter shit once she saw how bad her words had stung her cousin. “Luck I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come off like that. I just don’t wanna see you get hurt.” A tear escaped Lucky’s eye as she sat there feeling like a fool with a freshly inked tat of a niggaz name on her back who didn’t want anything to do with her.
“Luck things got crazy when you was gone. I think between everything that happened and no one knowing where you was Los on some other shit right now but yo
u back so everything will be fine,” Keema said. Lucky sat silent as Mika finished with the last roller and began to blow dry each roller straight. “I’ma co-sign that, like that shit that happened to Buj, that was fucked up and you know that’s his manz so I can only imagine how Los feels,” Mika’s comment snapped Lucky out of her private pity party.
“What happened to Buj?” Lucky asked with a confused expression on her face. It was at that moment they realized Lucky didn’t know anything. That didn’t surprise Ty one bit; she figured her mother kept it away from Lucky to avoid stressing her out even more while she was gone. Ty, Mika and Keema shared quick uncomfortable glances, none of them really wanted to be the one to take on the responsibility of putting Lucky onto the tragic incident. Keema rubbed her belly and looked away waiting for either Mika or Ty to say something. “Girl some niggaz he knew did him dirty, broke into his mother’s restaurant, killed his little sister and a chick that worked there, pistol whipped his mother damn near to death. Shot and kidnapped him and tried to get a ransom out of Los for a milli,” Mika spat never missing a beat styling Lucky’s hair. Lucky gasped; Mika had said a mouthful and Lucky wasn’t expecting any of it. “Wait what? Get the fuck outta here Meek you lying, Wha…How?” Lucky was stumbling all over her words she was so shocked. By the time Mika finished bringing her up to speed with all that had taken place Lucky was shedding tears. “Oh my god he paralyzed? I can’t believe that happened to Buj and his peoples,” Lucky said wiping her eyes. “Yeah girl that shit was crazy but ya man put that girl away right. It was a beautiful service. From what the sister said while I was doin her hair they ain’t all that close to the family they got here and the rest of her fam was flying up from Jamaica right before the funeral. Buj and his mother was still in the hospital and his older sister…giiiirl she was a mess. I did her hair for the funeral and she sat here looking like a zombie the whole time. So Los made sure they put that girl away right.” Lucky suddenly felt sick. “I wasn’t here for Carlos when he really needed me,” Lucky said sounding hurt. “Luck you didn’t know,” Ty said trying to lessen Lucky’s guilt. Ty’s words didn’t make Lucky feel any better though. Now the anxiety she was feeling all made sense, Lucky was experiencing the feeling of dread like something bad was going to happen and all along it was Carlos going through something. “Did they find the dudes that did that?” Mika looked over at Ty and they locked eyes for the briefest moment. “Uh…yes and no, I think one of the dudes got killed and the other one turned himself in to the cops.” Mika said as she rubbed hair gloss through Lucky’s long tresses. Mika wasn’t going to elaborate and go into what the streets were really saying about Los sending some hittaz to shoot up them niggaz mama’s house and the dude who turned himself in getting killed on his way to prison. It didn’t make sense to anyways, you see Mika understood Lucky first hand, and she knew what it was like to love a man blindly. That love could make you blind to any evils or wrongdoings that man could do. “Lucky now lean back so I can get them eyebrows, they offending me they so damn furry,” Mika said. The entire room erupted in laughter, except Lucky she still had that look of burden all over her face.
Once Mika was done working her magic Lucky looked like her old self again. Her straight blow out had so much volume and bounce it was shameful. Lucky turned her head slightly from side to side watching her luscious dark brown hair flow with the slightest movements she made. She rarely wore her hair straight but she would have to admit the straight tresses looked good on her. “A’ight, fake ass Pocahontas lookin good, lookin good but we gon have to do something about them saggy ass jeans, you can’t go home like that especially when a nigga mad with you. You gotta go up in there and make him realize he would be a fool to put you out,” Keema said. “Preach!” Ty co-signed. “Church!” Mika chimed in. “This sounds like a trip to the mall I’m game. We have to leave now to catch it before it closes though, who driving?” Mika asked stripping off her smock. They all loved to shop so when the subject came up everyone was game except Lucky, she wasn’t feeling up to it but she dragged herself to the mall anyways.
Lucky stared in the dressing room mirror at her image second guessing the lingerie set she had on. Keema looked up at Lucky in awe; Lucky was definitely killin it in the lingerie set she was rockin. “That’s the one lil mama, I swear it is. The color green brings out your eyes even more and I love the big unwrap me bow in the back of the thong. Unh huh make a nigga unwrap that ass like a present before he hit it, whoop!” Lucky shook her head and chuckled lightly. Keema so damn nasty, no wonder she stay knocked up. Lucky gave herself a once over turning around and looking over her shoulder at her ass. She had to admit she was looking good even though she was working with a whole lot less these days. The green lace and silk lingerie set was sexy and the big bow right above the ass crack added a little cuteness and fun to it. She turned to the front and pushed up her firm and full breasts that were threatening to tip right out of the bra. This number was jaw dropping but she wasn’t feeling sexy. She had way too much on her mind, Carlos being first and foremost. Lucky sighed and flopped down on the bench in the fitting room beside Keema. “What’s wrong Lady Luck?” “I don’t know what to do. Do I just pop up home? Do I call him?” Lucky said with worry lacing her voice, the fear of possible rejection had her feeling sick to her stomach.” Keema pondered the situation for a second. “Well I wouldn’t just pop up home, nah that’s not a good move cause you know that nigga gon go ape when he see you right? Cathy!” Keema said snapping her fingers as if she had a light bulb moment. “You know how Cathy is about you and you know damn well Los ain’t gon get too outta order in front of his mother. Your best bet is to go to Cathy’s.” Lucky broke out into a bright smile. “Keema you da best,” Lucky said imitating Dj Khalid. “And you know this mannn,” Keema said doing her best Chris Tucker impersonation. “Now stop stressin, no matter how bad he flips at first and how hard he acts underneath all of that he'll be happy you home. Los is straight pussy whipped and everybody knows it. Now c’mon so we can meet these shoe whores. Shit I’m hungry. I wanna stop at the food court for some pretzels wit the cheese sauce before they close.” Lucky chuckled and shook her head as she watched Keema sway from side to side while rubbing her belly.
I Don’t Want to Lose Him
Lucky pressed the doorbell for a second time only then cursing herself for giving Ty the signal that it was okay for her to leave. Once Lucky saw Cathy’s Beamer in the driveway she assumed Cathy was home now she was thinking Cathy could’ve drove her SUV. Just when Lucky thought she would have to call Ty and have her turn around she heard the locks on the other side of the door opening. Before Lucky could even brace herself Cathy swung the door open and grabbed Lucky up into a tight and loving embrace. “Oh my god! Lucky I was so worried about you!” After nearly hugging the life out of Lucky Cathy stepped back and cupped Lucky’s face with both hands examining her like she was looking for injuries. “Get in here,” Cathy demanded all awhile smiling. Cathy rushed back into the kitchen where she was in the middle of baking one of her world famous red velvet cakes. Although the house smelled of sweet temptation Lucky didn’t have an appetite for a slice of the goodness Cathy was making.
“Now where have you been?” Cathy asked hands on her hips making her 5’3 stature look larger than life. “Away trying to get over your son.” Cathy raised an eyebrow “Ohh and how’d that work out for you?” She asked with a sarcastic smirk playing around her lips. “I’m here right,” Lucky said shaking her head in defeat before sitting down on a stool at the huge granite island in the kitchen. Cathy chuckled and shook her head. “You and that damn Carlos I swear,” she said more to herself. “Have you went and seen Tina yet?” “Yes, I just left there with Ty.”
“So what’s it gonna be Lucky? You know you guys can’t keep going through this back and forth mess, y’all either get it together or leave it alone.” Cathy said in a chastising tone. Lucky bit down on her bottom lip. “I know,” she admitted. “I love him and I…I don’t want to lose hi
m.” Cathy looked into Lucky’s eyes and could see how genuine her words truly were. Cathy thanked god silently that someone loved her son to the extent that Lucky did. “Well, if you don’t want to lose him you won’t,” Cathy said with confidence as if she knew for certain. Lucky shook her head in disagreement. “He’s kicking me out,” Lucky said finally losing her battle with the tears she’d been holding back since she heard that Los had actually packed her things up. “What? Who said that?” Cathy asked. This was Cathy’s first time hearing any of this. “Ty and Keema,” Lucky whimpered wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Cathy shook her head in disappointment at her son’s actions before moving around the island to hug Lucky. “Listen ain’t nothing in this world worth having if it ain’t worth fighting for,” Cathy gave Lucky a peck kiss on the cheek then let her go, leaving her to think about what she’d just said, but she wasn’t through with Lucky yet, there was a few things they needed to talk about.
“Are you hungry?” Cathy asked making her way to the fridge. Lucky shook her head no. Cathy gave Lucky a quick once over, Lucky looked good as usual in her fitted over sized cowl neck sweater and dark denim slim leg jeans but you could tell just by looking at her in the face she’d lost some weight. Against Lucky’s protest Cathy warmed Lucky up a healthy sized plate of her famous lasagna. “Eat up Baby cause you gon need to get your strength up to deal with my son and his foolishness today,” Cathy said laying the plate in front of Lucky. Lucky must’ve not known how hungry she truly was because she wolfed down not one but two helpings of the lasagna. After Lucky finished her food she sat staring off into space until Cathy stole her attention by removing the empty plate from in front of her to place it in the sink.
