Always Gonna Be My Baby: A Hood Love Story

by Charmanie Saquea

He was so close to Treasure that she could smell the liquor on his breath. She should've known to turn and walk away when she saw that bottle in his lap. Lorenzo was known to turn into a completely different person when he was drunk. There had been plenty of times when she had to stay in the house for weeks at a time to hide a busted lip or black eye from him coming home drunk. The thing that was so bad about it was Lorenzo never remembered anything he did while he was drunk.

  “Okay, I'm done. Make sure he gets home safe, please,” Treasure told his friend in the driver’s seat.

  Treasure tried to walk away but was pulled back by her hair.

  “Don't fucking walk away from me while I'm talking to you!” Lorenzo yelled.

  “Yo, Renzo! You tripping, nigga!” his friend yelled as he jumped out his truck.

  Down the street, Benji, Ceon, Choppa, and March were all watching the scene unfold. Ceon damn near lost his mind when he saw Lorenzo pull his sister back by her hair. He took off down the street so fast niggas would've thought he was the star of the track team. Right behind him were Benji and his boys.

  “Bitch, you got me fucked up!” Ceon yelled as he punched Lorenzo in his jaw.

  Lorenzo stumbled but he didn't fall. When he let go of Treasure’s hair, that's when she realized what was going on. Ceon went to swing on Lorenzo again and that's when she lost it.

  “Ceeee! Noooo, stop it! I'm fine!” she yelled.

  Lorenzo reached behind him for his gun but Benji already had his out and pointed at him. Lorenzo’s friend had his pointed at Benji and Choppa had his pointed at him. March had both his guns pointed at Lorenzo and his friend.

  “Are y'all fucking serious right now?” Treasure yelled with tears in her eyes.

  “Treasure, go home,” Ceon said.

  “No,” Treasure said as she stepped in front of Lorenzo, looking Benji straight in his eyes. “At the end of the day, he is still Eternity’s father. Fuck me and fuck him, think about what killing her daddy would do to her.”

  Benji had an eternal battle for a minute. He knew he could kill Lorenzo right now and have Eternity hate him for the rest of her life for killing her daddy. Or he could let his bitch ass go and have him come back after him later on down the line.

  “Yo, Treasure, I love you and all but I was told never to pull it if I wasn't going to use it, so one of these nigga gotta get shot. Unless you wanna take a bullet for they ass,” Choppa said.

  She didn't want to but Treasure laughed. Only Choppa would find a way to joke in a fucked up situation. Benji put his gun down and walked away without saying anything. Choppa watched him with a raised eyebrow before following suit.

  Everyone else put their guns away and Treasure let go of the breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She turned to Lorenzo and slapped the shit out of him before walking away. She was really done with him now. She couldn't believe that he had put them in that predicament where they both could've lost their lives. Treasure looked up to see Benji’s car speeding down the street. It was evident that he was just as equally pissed off as she was.

  Thirteen

  Choppa sat in his car outside his parents’ house with his mind all jumbled and confused. Usually when he came to their house, it was to find peace of mind and relax but that wasn't the case this time. His presence had been being requested for almost a month but he had been blowing it off because this wasn't something he was ready to deal with. He looked around and noted that Benji’s car wasn't there, which meant that he had to deal with this himself.

  After sitting in the car for over an hour, he finally decided to get out. He slowly got out and walked up to the front door, letting himself in. Solo was walking down the stairs and met him halfway.

  “I thought I was going to have to come out there and get you. I was giving you a moment to get yourself together and everything but damn,” he said.

  “Nah, I'm good, Pop. I'm ready,” Choppa told him.

  Solo looked his youngest son in his eyes and nodded his head. He patted him on the back before they made their way back up the stairs. Solo led him to the master bedroom, where Choppa hesitated. He just stood there looking at the closed door.

  “You need another minute?” Solo asked him.

  Choppa shook his head as he put his hand on the doorknob. He opened the door and walked in. This was the first time that Choppa had been anywhere other than the basement of his parents’ house in over two months. As he was walking in the room, he felt like weights were weighing his legs down. The small, frail body in the California king bed looked up at him in smiled as she reached her arms out to him.

  “That's My Suga.”

  “No, that's My Suga.” Choppa smiled as they did their greeting they had been doing since he was a little boy. “Hey, ma.”

  “Come here, I knew my baby would come. I knew you would.”

  Choppa bent down and wrapped his arms around his mother, careful not to hug her too tightly. For the past two months, Violet King had been suffering from kidney failure and had been on dialysis. It literally killed Choppa to see the strongest woman he knew go through that and there was nothing he could do about it, so he stopped coming around.

  Whenever he did come around, he only went straight to the basement and that was it. He avoided anything that had to do with his mother at all costs, fearing that he would break down. Since he wasn't the type that did well with emotions, he didn't need that.

  “How you feeling, beautiful?” Choppa asked.

  “I'm good now, baby. You done came to see me. I really can't complain,” Violet said as she rubbed Choppa’s face.

  Choppa turned his face and kissed the inside of his mama’s hand. There wasn't anything in this world that he wouldn't do for her and if he could trade places with her and be in her shoes so she didn't have to go through this, he would. “I'm sorry, mama. I didn't mean to make you feel like you weren't important. I just…”

  Violet shook her head for him to stop. “It's okay, Brandon. It really is. You needed time to come to grips with it and I understand that. Everybody deals with things differently. Just because Benji could handle it didn't mean you could at the time but you’re here now and that's all that matters to me. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” he said as he kissed her cheek.

  “Sooo,” Violet said as she looked at him with a wide smile. “What's this I hear about you being in love, My Suga? When Imma get to meet her?” she asked.

  “Wait, hold up! I'm in what?” Choppa asked as if his ears were deceiving him.

  “Benji said—”

  “Ma,” Choppa cut her off, “never listen to anything Benji’s ass…I mean behind says. That boy should be a politician, the way he lie so much. He a professional liar. I am not nor have I ever been in…that word.”

  Violet laughed at Choppa while hitting him in his arm. All his life, Choppa had been something else. He reminded her so much of her husband when they were younger that it was scary to her. “So how did he get the assumption that you were in love then, Brandon? He didn't pull that out of thin air,” she asked, giving him a knowing look.

  Choppa rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to look away from his mom. It had been a little over a month since he had seen or spoken to Aries. He wasn't the type of nigga that was going to beg or chase a female. She wanted to be with her nigga so bad, so he fell back and let her do her. “I made a mistake and tried to get involved with this little chick that was already in a situation. Nothing serious though, mama.” He shrugged.

  “You really liked her,” Violet said.

  “I thought I did but I look at that as a good sign. If she couldn't be loyal to the nigga she was about to marry, then I know she wouldn't have been loyal to me.”

  Violet knew her son was pulling words to say right out of thin air. He was saying one thing but he was secretly feeling another thing on the inside but she wasn't going to call her baby out on it. Violet wasn't sure how much longer she had to live with her kidney failure but she wanted her sons to be happ
y and loved by good women at least before she left.

  She wasn't too much worried about Benji, it was her baby Brandon that she was worried about. Brandon to her, Choppa to the streets, he acted as if he couldn't show any emotions towards anything unless that emotion was anger. He masked all his other emotions by lashing out and that worried her. She was always able to calm him down but she was worried he wouldn't have a woman that was able to speak to the beast inside him to calm him after she was gone.

  ___

  Aries sat with Morgan, Kevin, and Amanda, their event planner, going over some things regarding their wedding. Aries was happy that Kevin decided to hire Amanda because she had been a lot of help and lifted a big load off of her shoulders.

  “Okay, so we have the venue secured, invitations are picked out and getting prepared to be sent, the florist and caterers are taken care of. I also have two photographers for you two to choose between but you can look at their catalog and see which one you would rather go with,” Amanda said.

  Aries sat there stuck. “Girl, how did you do this in such a short amount of time when I was struggling?”

  Amanda laughed. “I guess I'm just so used to it. Plus, Morgan filled me in on what you were thinking, looking for and going for already so I went from there. A few people out there owe me some favors so all I had to do was make a few phone calls.”

  “Aries, don't let her fool you. She is connected. She's the plug,” Morgan said.

  “Morgan, what you know about somebody being the plug?” Aries asked, giving her a playful side eye.

  Amanda and Morgan shared a laugh like they knew something Aries didn't.

  “Back to business, though. You two have to go do some cake tasting and Aries, you have to do some dress fittings, like ASAP. I mean like starting tomorrow ASAP,” Amanda said.

  Aries sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. She refused to go dress shopping without her mother and sister there, period. Since Treasure was acting like the spoiled brat that she was and she had been so busy getting ready for this wedding that was coming up in two months, the two hadn't had a chance to sit down, kiss and get over it.

  “I need my sister to be there,” Aries said.

  “Does she really have to be there?” Kevin, who had been quiet up until now, asked. “We really need to get this done, babe, and we don't need anything or anyone holding us up.”

  “Kevin, don't start, okay? You had your brother with you when you went tuxedo shopping. Am I right or am I wrong? So what makes you think I'm not going to have my sister there with me to share my experience? Besides, she has to get a bridesmaids dress anyways.” Aries rolled her eyes.

  “Yes, David was there because he’s willing to be a part of my wedding so he got a tux. I'm not spending my money to get your wishy washy ass sister a dress just for her to decide the day of that she doesn't want to show up. She doesn't want to be a part of it, so why force her?” Kevin spat.

  “Okay, you two, don't start, please?” Morgan begged.

  “Kevin, you don't have to buy shit!” Aries snapped. “Regardless, my sister is going to be there and she's going to be my maid of honor. You're forcing your uppity ass mama to come so what's the difference?”

  “I told you about bringing up my mother, Aries!” Kevin said through gritted teeth as he stood up.

  “And? I told you about bringing up my fucking sister! Keep Treasure off your tongue and I won't speak on Carol,” Aries said as she stood up as well, getting in his face.

  “Alright, that's enough! Kevin, go for a drive or something. We’re done with you here anyways,” Morgan said as she stood between the two of them.

  Kevin glared at Aries as Morgan pushed him back. Aries didn't back down, though. She glared back at him as he snatched his keys off the table and left. He made sure he slammed the door on his way out but Aries didn't give a damn. Morgan let out a sigh as she plopped down on the couch.

  “What the hell is wrong with y'all?” she asked.

  “Your brother is a asshole, he gets on my fucking nerves with that bullshit,” Aries huffed.

  “Girl, I thought I was going to have to reach in my purse and tase his ass with my Taser when he jumped up,” Amanda said.

  “Kevin can act crazy but he ain't that damn crazy,” Aries told her.

  “Y'all got me all frazzled and shit. Mandy, reach in my purse and hand me my goodie bag,” Morgan said. “I don't see how or why you put up with his shit because I would have been went postal on his ass,” she told Aries.

  Aries was about to say something but when she saw what was in the sandwich bag Amanda had just given Morgan, she damn near flipped out. She looked at Morgan like she was crazy. “Morgan, what the hell are you doing with that?” Aries asked, trying not to laugh.

  “I always keep me one rolled, girl,” Morgan said as she took the blunt out of the bag and wasted no time putting the lighter to it.

  “Since when do you smoke weed?” Aries asked, confused.

  Morgan and Amanda shared that same look and laughed like they did earlier. Morgan just shook her head.

  “I've been smoking since I was like sixteen, Aries. With a family like mine, thank God weed is the only drug I do. I thought about doing coke once but didn't want to get addicted to that shit. That's why I don't understand why in the hell you want to be in this family. You see how Carol is, Tobias is a pushover and she runs him, David he had his demons, too, that I can't wait to come to the light, and Kevin. That damn Kevin is the king of mama boys. He's mama’s pride and joy and can do no wrong in her eyes…except marry you. Then there's me, the one who just doesn't give a fuck.” Morgan shrugged.

  “Well, Ms. I Don't Give A Fuck, puff, puff, pass,” Amanda said.

  “Oh,” Morgan chuckled as she tried to pass the blunt to Aries.

  “I don't smoke.” Aries shook her head.

  Morgan looked at her as if she had said the wrong thing. “That's why you be so stressed out all the damn time, Aries. Here, let loose for once in your life. You're always uptight.”

  Aries looked at the blunt and thought to hell with it before she took it. As hectic as things had been for her lately, she needed something to relieve her. She figured as long as she wasn't doing a hard drug that would have her somewhere strung out, she would be fine. She took a toke and exhaled all her problems.

  “Since you getting all relaxed and everything, let me ask you something,” Morgan said.

  “Sure, go ahead,” Aries said as she took one more toke and passed it to Amanda.

  “Why y'all rushing the wedding all of a sudden?”

  “Kevin wanted to, he wanted to move the date up because he didn't want to wait anymore.” Aries said.

  “What about what Aries wants?” Amanda asked.

  “I swear you be reading my thoughts, Mandy,” Morgan told Amanda. “I was just about to ask her that.”

  “I mean…I wanted to wait until next year so I could be done with school and stuff but Kevin said—”

  “You're settling,” Amanda said. “A marriage is supposed to be full of compromises. Kevin should be willing to wait until you're done with school, so it won’t be so hard or stressful for you.”

  “Do you love Kevin? Don't get me wrong, Aries. By no means am I questioning your love for my brother because I know that you love him but I just don't sense that you're in love with him,” Morgan said.

  Aries opened up her mouth to respond but she couldn't. Instead, she burst into tears. Morgan’s mouth fell open as she looked to Amanda for help as they both rushed to her side to console her.

  “Oh shit, what the fuck did I just do?” Morgan asked herself out loud. “Aries, I'm soooo sorry, sweetie. Don't listen to me, I'm ignorant. Go ahead and marry him. I should've minded my own business.”

  “No, it's…it’s true! I'm not in love with Kevin and I just try and force myself to be because I just feel like I'm supposed to be. My sister tried to tell me and we got into a fight over it and she won't talk to me. I don't want to marry him right now,
Morgan. I can't…I just can't and I don't know what to do,” Aries cried.

  “Oh, baby, it's not the end of the world. Just tell him, that's the only thing you can do. There's no sense in making yourself miserable with going through with a marriage that you don't want to be in right now,” Morgan said as she wiped Aries tears.

  “She right, Aries, you have to tell him. It's best for the both of you. It's not like you're telling him that you don't want to be with him. There's nothing wrong with holding off on getting married,” Amanda chimed in.

  “Most importantly, though, you need to go and talk to your sister. Ain't no man on this earth worth getting to it with your sister over. Brother or not. Your sister is going to be there when that man is not. So go talk to her,” Morgan told her.

  Aries knew that they were right. She couldn't fight it anymore. She had done it long enough. She did love Kevin but she just wasn't in love with him. She thought she could force herself to do it but she was wearing herself out by doing so. She owed her sister a big apology because she was right all along. Treasure had been telling her since day one what she was feeling now and she got mad at her everything time because she knew it was nothing but the truth.

  Fourteen

  Treasure opened up her front door and grabbed her chest in fear. She wasn't expecting to find Benji standing on the other side. She hadn't heard from him since her brother’s block party that turned out to be a big fiasco that she wished she wouldn't have gone to. She had tried calling and texting him but for two days after the fact but everything went unanswered so she left him alone. Now here he was on her doorstep as if he belonged there.

  “My bad, didn't mean to scare you. Where you headed?” he asked.

  “Why?” she threw at him as she walked out so she could lock her door.

  “Because I asked,” Benji told her.

  Treasure ignored him as she walked off her porch to go to her car. She wasn't in the mood for Benji or his games. He wanted to ignore her a little while ago so she wanted him to continue to ignore her. Benji followed her to her car and when she hit her locks, he gradually opened the door and got in.