These Streets Don't Love You Like I Do

by Charmanie Saquea

  “It’s just like you said, we’re niggas. We’re going to fuck up because that’s what we do. It doesn’t mean that we don’t love Ahni or Chas, it just means we need to tighten up and get our shit together before we lose them,” Faizon explained.

  “Yea, that's true. So how long is it going to take you to get these results back?” Fab asked.

  “Hopefully not long.”

  “Let me ask you something else,” Fab said as he put the test back in the bag. “Do you really believe this could be your son? If so, how are you going to handle the situation?”

  Faizon shook his head because he really didn't know. “It's a possibility that he could be mines so I'm not going to full out deny him because me and Nia did fuck and even though we used a condom, it broke. As far as how I'm going to handle it, I don't know because I know if it in fact does come back that I'm his father, it's going to crush Chas. I've never been the type to abandon my responsibilities so I'm going to take care of him.”

  The two pulled up to Nia’s house and jumped out. Faizon was anxious to get this done so he could get back to his girl and his daughter. He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. Nia opened the door and neither one of the brothers bothered speaking to her as they walked in.

  “He's sleep,” she said.

  “I didn't ask, but thanks anyways,” Faizon said as he walked down the hallway to the nursery.

  Wondering what the hell he and his brother came to do, Nia followed behind them. Fabion allowed his brother to enter the room and closed the door behind him as he stood guard on the outside.

  “Back the hell up,” he told Nia when she got too close.

  “What the hell? How are you going to tell me what to do in my house?” Nia yelled.

  Fab rubbed his hand down his face. “Nia, you better back the fuck up. I don't put my hands on women, but I'll slap the shit out of a bitch,” he told her.

  Knowing that Fab was the crazier one out of the twin brothers, she did an about-face and walked back to the living room. Fab stepped aside when he heard the door open. Faizon came out with a satisfied look on his face. Since he had never seen the baby before, Fab went in and peeped at him. He shook his head at the sight before him. Chas is going to kill this nigga.

  8

  “Zon is going to kill me, messing around with you,” Ahnesty sighed as they pulled up to the house they grew up in.

  Chasity and Saria were released from the hospital today and since she had told Faizon not to bring his black ass up there no more, he had no idea. Chas wasn't ready to go back home to him so she was going back home, home to her Nana.

  “Hurry up and bring that baby in here, chile,” their Nana fussed from the front door.

  Since Chasity was still sore from the C-section, Ahnesty got Saria’s car seat out of the car since it required bending. The two cousins walked up the stairs of their childhood home with smiles on their faces.

  “Hey, Nana!” they said in unison.

  “Hey to y'all, too. I'm surprised you two knew I was still alive. As much as y'all avoid this house, you would think I was dead,” she fussed.

  “Oh, Nana, cut it out,” Chasity laughed.

  “Come say hello to your great gran, Nana,” Ahnesty said as she took Saria out of her car seat.

  Essie Mae, or Nana, as the girls called her, smiled brightly when Ahnesty put her great granddaughter in her arms.

  “She's so beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Chasity beamed.

  “Chasy, you know you can't hide out here forever. Now I know you need some time, but this baby is going to need her father so don't completely remove him from your life if you choose to go that route,” Essie Mae told her granddaughter.

  “You're right, Nana.” Chas nodded her head.

  “I saw your mother the other day,” Essie Mae said, referring to her youngest daughter.

  That was news to Chasity. She hadn't seen or heard from her mother since the day CPS removed her and Emani from their home. That was seventeen years ago, so to hear her Nana say she saw her was a shock.

  “What corner was she standing on?” Chasity asked.

  “She wasn't on one, she was at the gas station pumping gas. She asked about you and for your number.”

  “Nana, please tell me you didn't,” Chas groaned.

  “Relax, chile. I didn't give it to her. I told her I hadn't spoken to you in a while, which I wasn't lying because you did go a whole week without talking to me.” Their Nana cut her eyes at Chas.

  “Thank God,” Chasity sighed.

  “But you do need to sit down and talk to her. And soon.”

  Even though she didn't care too much for that to happen, Chasity just nodded her head. She knew better than to go against what her Nana said or to challenge her. Chasity didn't even know what she would say to her mother if she saw her. The last time she saw her, she was six years old; now she was twenty-three.

  She understood that she was distraught over losing her only sister, but she just gave up. Never mind the fact that she had two young daughters who needed her. Chasity and Emani never knew who their father was or if they even had the same father for that matter, so their mother was all they had.

  Chasity had to give her Nana her props, though. She raised two daughters of her own then turned around and raised their daughters when tragedy struck. She basically started all over again when she, Emani and Ahnesty moved in.

  “Nana, you want me to take her?” Chasity asked as Saria began to whine.

  “No, Nana got her. You just pull that pump out and get to pumping my baby some milk.”

  “Yes ma'am,” Chasity said as she did what her Nana told her.

  ___

  “That girl is going to make me choke the hell out of her,” Faizon fumed as he walked in one of Fab’s trap houses. He had called Fab to meet up with him after he left the hospital and found out that Chasity and his daughter were discharged.

  “Come on, man. Let’s take a walk,” Fab told his brother. Once they were out of the house and out of earshot, Fabion asked him what was up.

  “She left the hospital and didn’t even tell me. I know she pissed and all, but she taking this shit too far,” Faizon spat.

  “Zon, nigga chill out. You know Chas is not going anywhere with a three-day-old baby. She’s either at Ahni’s house or at their grandma house. Why you tripping? You knew shit between y’all wasn’t going to be all good after she found out,” Fab explained to his brother.

  “Man, if that’s not enough, I did a damn rush job on the results and look,” Faizon said as he handed his brother the paper.

  Fabion read of the paper and shook his head at the fact that his brother was indeed the father of Nia’s baby. Chasity is going to kill this nigga.

  “Call her up and tell her. That’s all you can do,” Fab told his brother.

  “It’s already taken care of. She’s meeting me at the crib in ten minutes,” Zon sighed.

  “Then get from over here and handle your business, nigga.”

  Faizon nodded his head as he walked to his truck. He didn’t know where he and Chasity were going to go from here but he knew he had to man up and take care of his responsibilities, which included telling her that he had a son by somebody else.

  When he pulled up to his house, Chasity was coming out of the house with bags in her hand while talking on the phone. What the hell is she doing? he thought as he parked his truck and jumped out.

  “What’s all this?” he asked.

  “Imma call you back,” she said into the phone before turning her attention to him. “Just grabbing some stuff for me and my baby. What’s up? What you need to talk to me about?” she asked.

  “Can we at least go inside? You could have brought my daughter to see me,” he fussed.

  “I don’t have time. I have to get back to the house and pump so my baby can have some milk. Whatever you need to say, just say it.”

  Not knowing how to come right out and tell her that he fathered a son, he reach
ed in his pocket and handed her the results. Chasity put the bags in the backseat of her car before reading the paper. Even though she was torn up and heartbroken, she kept a straight face.

  “I’ll be back to get the rest of our stuff. We’ll work out a schedule or something where you can get Saria, but us?” she said as she pointed between the two of them. “We’re done.”

  “Are you serious right now?” he asked in disbelief.

  “Do I look like I’m playing?” she threw back at him.

  “So that’s it? A nigga fucks up and you turn your back on him?”

  “Faizon, fucking up is you just fucking the bitch. That’s a fuck up. I would have been able to handle that. I would have left for a few days, got my mind right, came back home, threatened your black ass and we would have moved on. But now we’re talking about a whole baby here. My daughter is only three days old, Faizon. You have a five-month-old son, so that means you was fucking me and this bitch at the same time. You two created a life together. That bitch had your seed before me and we’ve been together for forever!”

  “You don’t think I’m fucked up over this shit too, Chas? We’ve been through everything together and the fact that you would leave me now is just crazy,” he expressed.

  “Yea, well, there’s some things I’m just not going to accept and you having a baby on me is one of them,” she said as she got in her car.

  “Dead ass? You won’t accept my son? That shit ain’t real. I thought you were a real bitch, Chasity,” he said.

  “Well, I’m obviously not as real as we both thought.” She shrugged.

  With that, she threw her car in reverse and backed out of his driveway and his life. She didn’t know how long it would last or if she was even done with him like she claimed. She did know that it was going to take a lot of talking to God to help her with her decision.

  9

  Four months later

  After staying at her Nana’s house for a month, Chasity purchased her own home in Royal Oaks. It wasn’t as upscale as Bloomfield Hills, but it was hers and she loved it. For the first time in six years she was on her own and doing things without Faizon. Her name was on the deed to this house, she was paying all the bills and everything, unlike the house she was previously living in where everything was in Faizon’s name.

  It took her a while, but she adjusted to it and she was loving the new independent Chasity who didn’t need help from anyone. She even got her own job which was new for her also. She never realized how dependent she was on Faizon until she left him. It kind of bothered her because she always said she never wanted to be the type of female who had to depend on a nigga.

  She heard her doorbell ring and jumped it to see who it was. Hearing her baby crying, she swung her door open.

  “What’s wrong, mommy baby?” she asked as she took Saria from her uncle.

  “That little girl is spoiled as hell.” Fab shook his head.

  “She is not,” Chasity laughed as she put a pacifier in her mouth and Saria stopped crying immediately. “See?”

  “Yea, alright. The only time she doesn’t cry is when you or Ahnesty holding her,” Fab sighed.

  “Where is your trifling ass brother? He does know that the weekend is Friday through Sunday right?” She rolled her eyes.

  It was Faizon’s weekend to get Saria, but she was back home after only being gone for four hours.

  “Twin had something come up and he asked me to drop her off.” Fab shrugged.

  “He couldn’t do it himself? Never mind, let me not even go there.” Chasity threw her arms up in surrender as she put Saria in her swing.

  “Man, Chas, you know Zon been on some other shit since you left him. That nigga got issues.”

  “Don’t I know it? His baby mama better get his stupid ass some help since she wanna be wifey so bad,” Chasity spat.

  “I’m not even going to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole,” Fab said.

  For the past two months, Nia and Faizon Junior had been living with Faizon. Fabion didn’t approve of that shit but his brother is a grown ass man so there really wasn’t much he could say. He was crazy if he thought that was going to help him get his real family back.

  “I’m not either because that would make me sound like a bitter bitch. But anyways, thank you, Uncle Fab. Tell that cousin of mines that when she’s done with exams, it’s time to turn the hell up. I’m not pregnant no more and I’ve been waiting for a reason to get buck wild,” Chas laughed even though she was serious.

  “Yea, alright, buck wild. Don’t get y’all asses beat,” Fab warned her as he kissed her cheek and prepared to leave.

  After locking the door behind Fab, Chasity stood there for a minute staring at her daughter. She couldn’t believe that she had made something so beautiful. She never really knew what love was until she held Saria in her arms in the first time.

  “Well, little mama, I guess it’s just you and me,” she said as she took Saria out of her swing and headed for the stairs.

  ___

  “Come on, Ahnesty, get the fuck out of the car!” Fabion yelled in frustration.

  “Fuck you and fuck Faizon! I told you not to bring my ass over here in the first place!” Ahnesty yelled back in defiance.

  To say that she had an attitude would be an understatement. She was hot and ready to slap the shit out of somebody and if Fabion didn’t take her home, he would be the one getting slapped. This nigga had some nerve if he thought he was about to be all up in Faizon’s and his bitch’s faces.

  This nigga had the nerve to send his daughter home just so he could host a damn card party. The fuck type of shit is that? she thought as Fabion marched over to the passenger’s side of his truck and snatched the door open. Ahnesty tried to hit the lock but she was too slow.

  “Stop, Fabion!” she yelled as he unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her waist.

  “Nope, you wanna act childish so I’m going to treat your ass like a child,” he barked.

  “Fabion Demar Cook, you better put me down and I’m not playing with you!” she yelled as he threw her over his shoulder and walked towards Zon’s front door.

  Tone opened the door and shook his head at the sight before him. Ahnesty was kicking and screaming like a little kid and Fab looked like a frustrated parent.

  “I swear to God, I’m slapping the shit out of you as soon as you put me down!” she yelled as he carried her in the house.

  “Shut the fuck up!” he said as he pinched her thigh. “This shit is ridiculous.”

  Fabion put Ahnesty down and she pouted like a little kid as she combed her hair down with her fingers. She was so mad she could feel the smoke coming from her ears.

  “Where the hell is my cellphone? I’m calling my cousin so she can shut all this shit down! You ain’t shit, Faizon!” she yelled.

  “Sit the fuck down and shut up,” Fabion said as he pushed her down on the couch.

  “Ahnesty, you are a damn character.” Tone shook his head.

  “Don’t encourage her because she two seconds from me knocking her ass out,” Fab told Tone.

  “Had you let me stay home like I wanted to, we wouldn’t be going through this.” She rolled her eyes.

  At that moment, Faizon and Nia walked in the room. Fabion wrapped his arms around Ahnesty and squeezed her gently before whispering in her ear.

  “Be nice. Don’t say shit to her ass unless she says something to you,” he told her.

  “What’s all the yelling for? Is there a problem?” Nia asked, looking directly at Ahnesty.

  Ahnesty looked at Fabion while biting her lip, praying that he gave her the green light to let into this bitch. He slightly nodded his head and that was all she needed. She got off the couch and walked towards Nia.

  “I think I’ve told you too many times before, don’t waste your breath to speak to me. You know good and damn well what my problem is, and it’s you, bitch,” Ahnesty said as she pointed her finger in her chest.

  “First of all, you better bac
k the fuck up out of my face before—”

  “Before you do what?” Ahnesty said as she started taking her jacket off.

  “Alright, Ahni. That’s enough,” Fabion said as he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her to the kitchen.

  “Dead ass, Fab, you should have let me tag her ass,” Ahnesty said as she paced back and forth.

  Before he could respond, Faizon walked into the room. Ahnesty looked up at him and sucked her teeth.

  “Can you take me home, please?” she asked Fab.

  “Fab, let me talk to Ahni real quick,” Faizon said.

  Ahnesty leaned up against the counter with her arms folded.

  “What’s up, Ahni? You don’t got love for your big brother no more?” Faizon asked her.

  “Zon, no lie, I’m really not feeling your ass. This is some bullshit and you know it. You got this bitch living in the home you built with Chasity. Like, that is beyond disrespectful.”

  “I feel you, Ahnesty, but you have to remember your cousin left me. You don’t know how it feels to be so used to seeing and being with someone everyday then it just gets ripped away from you,” Faizon expressed.

  “But you have to remember why she left in the first place. The same bitch that not only did you cheat with but had a baby with is lying in the bed y’all used to share. Do you really think her leaving you was easy? She tries to act tough and keep it all in, but I know her. She’s tore up over this shit, Zon. Then she feels as if you don’t even care because you didn’t waste no time moving on,” Ahnesty told him.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Ahni. I haven’t fucked Nia since the time we conceived my son. She’s only staying here until her house is done being renovated. She stays in the guestroom. I may be a lot of things, but a cold-hearted nigga ain’t one of them. I would give everything to have my girls back but I can’t force her to be here if she doesn’t want to be.” He shrugged.

  “Have you even tried talking to her?”

  Zon shook his head. “We don’t stay around each other long enough for that to happen. She really don’t be trying to hear what I have to say and I really can’t blame her. I know I fucked up, but I’m man enough to admit it.”