Feels So Right, It Must Be Wrong

by Charmanie Saquea

  "So what’s a pretty thing like you doing out in these streets?" he asked.

  "I didn't pick this shit, it picked me," she said without looking at him.

  "You should be at home cooking a damn meal and making sure it's hot for ya man when he get home. Not out putting in work like you are the nigga."

  Asia rolled her eyes at Knowledge, she wasn't about to have this talk with him right now. Without saying another word, she reached over and turned her music back up. Knowledge chuckled because he could tell that he had struck a nerve. Asia couldn't even get back into her music good before her phone started ringing. She looked down to see Crystal's name flashing. "What's up, Ma?"

  "Mommy!" Symare's voice blared through the speakers. Asia's heart instantly melted at the sound of her baby's voice.

  "Hey lil man, what you doing?"

  "Miss you mommy!" Symare said, making a kissing noise.

  "I miss you too, baby. Mommy will be there later to get you."

  Knowledge noticed how Asia's attitude did a complete 360. Since he had been in her presence that was the first time he had seen her smile. Cordae had told him that she was a real hard ass and that she was stuck up, but he just had to see it for himself. When she hung up he decided to ask her a few more questions.

  "How old is your son?"

  "Two."

  "How old are you?" questioned Knowledge.

  "I'll be twenty in two weeks, why?" she retorted.

  Knowledge threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Just trying to get to know you since we're going to be doing business together."

  "Ain't nothing about me to know," Asia said with an attitude. She didn't really like sharing her business with people, especially a nigga she just met minutes ago.

  "Cordae told me yo lil ass was stuck up." Knowledge shook his head.

  "I don't care what Cordae bitch ass told you, there was no reason for y'all to be discussing me in the first place... Look, just chill out on talking to me for the duration of the ride," Asia snapped before turning her music back up. She was going to have a talk with her brother about sending her out with this nigga and let him know she wasn't feeling him; at all.

  ~ ~ ~

  Back at the house, Symir was making sure that Cordae had everything in order for Asia's birthday party. She was turning twenty and he wanted to make it a birthday she would never forget. Asia really wasn't the type to hit up the club so she told Symir she just wanted a pool party. That’s what she wanted so that's what she was going to get.

  "Her present should be here in a couple of days. Imma hide it out at the other house until the day of the party," Symir said as he looked over the paperwork.

  "Yo, I can't believe you spent all that money on her lil spoiled ass. That's what's wrong with her now. She's too damn spoiled." Cordae shook his head.

  "Shut up, Dae. I don't have a problem doing shit for my sister. I'm obligated to take care of the three women in my life. As long as Crystal, Sasha and Asia straight, ain't shit for me to worry about," Symir said as he looked at the paper in his hands. It was a bank statement from an account that their dad had opened for Asia when she was born. According to the statement, the account had $3 million in it but Asia wasn't allowed to touch it or even know about it until she was twenty one.

  Syrus had left both his two children well off. Symir found out about his account that held the same amount on his twenty third birthday. He used that money to build his father’s empire back up and everything had been going good since. He knew that Syrus would be proud of him and the way he was running things.

  3

  Asia woke up to little hands rubbing her on her face. She opened her eyes and was looking right at her handsome son. "What's up, Mare?"

  "Phone?" he said, handing her the house phone. She smiled at him trying to speak. For two years old, he had a good vocabulary. Some words were harder for him to say, but he was getting there.

  "Hello?" she said into the phone.

  "Happy birthday. baby girl," Khyree said.

  "Awww, thank you, Khy. You remembered." Asia blushed.

  "You damn right I did. I know you didn't think I would forget," he laughed.

  "No, I didn't think you would forget."

  "Good. Yo, I didn't know Symare was talking that good! That lil nigga was trying to have a full blown conversation with me." Khyree smiled.

  "Yea, Symir been working with him and reading with him and stuff. He getting so big and looking just like you. We'll be coming to see you later this week," Asia said as she stretched.

  "That's what's up. I miss y'all," Khyree said with sincerity in his voice.

  "We miss you too dude. Cheer up."

  Symir walked in the room with a tray full of food with his two little shadows behind him. He placed the tray on the dresser and mouthed the words 'I'll be back' to her, taking the kids with him.

  "What you got planned for today?" Khyree asked.

  "Mir and the crew are throwing a pool party since I don't do the club thing. You know the whole crew will be here and whoever else he thought of to invite. You know how he do," Asia said as she reached in her plate and popped a strawberry in her mouth.

  "Cool, so who you ending yo night with?"

  Asia knew that question had to be coming sooner or later. He was always questioning her about a nonexistent nigga in her life. Even though the two technically were not together when he got locked up, Khyree still felt like Asia was his because they had a son together.

  "The same person I always spend my night with. Plus I be too busy to even think about lying down with another nigga." She rolled her eyes.

  "I hear you talking, but don't let me find out differently," Khyree said sternly. "Anyways, Imma go ahead and let you get yo day started. Your card should be in the mail today, but kiss my lil dude for me. I love y'all."

  "We love you too, Khy," Asia said before hanging up. She threw the phone down on the bed, grabbed her plate and dug in. If there was one thing she loved, it was her brother’s cooking. Crystal had taught both of them how to throw down in the kitchen so they never had any complaints in that department.

  After she was done eating, she put her plate back on the dresser just as the trio walked back in her room. Sasha and Symare ran over to her California King and used the little stair steppers she bought for them to climb in her bed.

  "TT, read my card!" Sasha said as she handed her a homemade birthday card.

  "To the world’s bestest TT," Asia read out loud. "Dear TT, you are the bestest auntie in the whole world. I love you very much and I hope you love me 2. From your favorite niece." Asia smiled and chuckled a little at her misspelled words. She thought it was cute and it was the thought that counted.

  "Thank you baby girl, I love it and you!" Asia said as she hugged and kissed Sasha all over her face. Symare tried to pull Sasha out of his mom’s arms. When she let Sasha go, he handed her his card for her to read also.

  She opened it and it had a bunch of scribbles in it that she knew were supposed to be words. She smiled brightly knowing he tried her best. These were the best cards she had ever gotten. "Birtay mommy!" he said before he kissed her.

  Asia never showed any emotions, but she was very emotional right now. She had everything she wanted; well, almost. She knew what was missing but there was no sense in dwelling over it because there was no coming back.

  Symir could tell by the look in his sister’s eyes that she was thinking about their dad and Sasha. This was her twelfth birthday without them and he knew it wasn't getting any better. He walked over to the bed with his hands behind his back. "Am I going to be able to show the birthday girl some love or are you two going to hog her?" He smiled.

  The two little jumped out of the way and moved down to the foot of the bed. Symir handed her a small box. She opened it and found a keychain in it. She was a little confused on why he would get her a keychain, but she knew her brother had something up his sleeve, he always did.

  "Alright little ones, let's go so the birthday girl
can get ready," Symir said as he picked his daughter and nephew up, one in each arm. "The grill is already started and the DJ is on his way. Party will be starting in an hour," he said to his sister.

  "Really, Symir?" Asia asked, holding up the keychain.

  "Happy birthday, Asia Latrice. I love you," he said without looking back. He knew she was wondering why the hell he would give her that for a gift. If only she knew that it led to her actual present.

  ~ ~ ~

  The party was just starting to kick off when Knowledge and Cordae walked in. Cordae would have been there sooner but he knew his cousin wouldn't have known how to get to Symir's vacation house. Knowledge felt a little bad about how he came off to Asia. Since that day she took him around, she had been short with him, had an attitude with him and wouldn't even look his way. Cordae said that was just her attitude and she acted like that towards everybody but Knowledge still wanted to apologize. He didn't want any tension going on between them.

  "Bout time y'all niggas got here!" Symir said when they walked over to him. "Go ahead and fix y'all a plate."

  "Thanks bruh. Where the birthday girl at?" Knowledge asked.

  Symir looked around until he located his sister. She was sitting on the edge of the pool putting on Symare's floaties. "Right there." He pointed in her direction.

  "Symare, I want you to stay on the shallow end. Stay here with Sasha and don't go any further okay?" she asked.

  Symare nodded his head as he tried to get away from Asia and get in the water. "TT, he is going to be fine. I promise I won't let anything happen to him," Sasha’s grown butt said.

  "Alright girl, take a care of your baby then." Asia laughed as she put Symare in the water. Asia got up and came face to face with Knowledge. She tried to walk around him but he blocked her way.

  "Let me holla at you real quick," he said as he looked her up and down. She had on an all-white two piece bikini with blue jean shorts over her bottoms. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head and she had big Dior sunglasses covering her eyes. Her almond color skin was glowing with tiny droplets of sweat.

  "Follow me," she said as she led the way into the house. She went into the freezer and grabbed herself a cherry Popsicle and juice for Sasha and Symare. "What's up?" she asked before licking her Popsicle.

  "I know you have an attitude with me for whatever reason, but I wanted to come and apologize for whatever I did," he said as he reached in his shorts and came out with a long box. "I got you a peace offering slash birthday present." He handed the box to her.

  Asia was at a loss for words. The only person besides her daddy and brother that had ever bought her something was Khyree. She opened the box and gasped. In her hands she was holding a beautiful diamond necklace that damn near blinded her. "Oh my God," she gasped. "Knowledge, I can't accept this. You could have gotten me a card or something and I would have been happy. But this, this is too much. How much did you pay for this?" Asia asked.

  "C'mon, Mami, don't be checking my pockets. Just know I'm not hurting behind it and I couldn't get you a cheap ass card."

  Asia chuckled a little. Everyone thought that because Symir spoiled her and always paid top dollar for whatever he got her that she was materialistic,but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. She didn’t care how cheap or expensive something was; she would appreciate it either way. She hugged Knowledge. “Thank you.”

  “No sweat, and happy birthday once again,” he said before walking back into the backyard.

  Asia ran upstairs to put the necklace in her bag before returning to the party.“Okay y’all. My boy Symir wants everyone to head to the front of the house. He has something he wants to show everybody,” the DJ said into the mic. Asia was wondering what Symir was about to do. He always went above and beyond when he did things.

  When everyone got to the front, Cordae led Asia to the end of the driveway.“What’s going on?” she asked as she looked around for her brother.

  “Wait right here. You’reabout to find out.” Cordae smirked. He went to stand in the street with the rest of the crowd.

  Next thing Asia knew, the garage was lifting up. There, in an all-white drop top Maybach,was Symir. He pulled the car up to Asia, hopped out and handed her the keys.“Happy birthday,big head.” He smiled brightly.

  Asia was stuck. She was waiting for somebody to pinch her so she could wake up from this dream. Her mouth had hit the ground whenshe put two and two together and figured out that’s why he had given her the keychain earlier.“AHHHHHHHH!” she screamed as she jumped in Symir’s arms.

  Symir laughed and hugged his sister tightly. He had no limits to what he would do to see his sister smile. Whatever she wanted she would get with no questions asked. Since their dad was gone, he had to step up to the plate and take care of her.

  4

  Chelsea sat on the couch rubbing her six-month pregnant belly. She had been waiting for Knowledge to come home so she could ask him about the receipt for a necklace she had found. She knew he didn’t buy it for her because he would have given it to her. She had never been the jealous or insecure type when it came to other females because she knew she was a dime.

  She stood 5’6 with mocha colored skin, light brown eyes, slim waist, thick in all the right places and even though her derriere wasn’t the fattest, it was enough for her frame. She had long, naturally straight hair that flowed down her back. With all that in her favor, she was not easily intimidated. She loved Knowledge without a doubt and she thought she had proven that when she up and followed him from North Carolina all the way to Florida.

  She was deep in thought when she heard the front door close. She got happy because her man was finally home. When Knowledge walked into the room, her heart fluttered. Her man was sexy as hell, all 6’2 of him. He had caramel colored skin that was tatted up from his chest to his arms and even his back. Almond-shaped brown eyes, low cut with 360 waves, perfect smile and abs out of this world. He was the shit, to sum it all up.

  “What’s up,baby?” he said as he bent down to kiss Chelsea. Then his kissed her stomach.“Hey, mami,” he cooed.

  Chelsea laughed as she felt her daughter moving around.“I don’t know why you do that,knowing she likes to get wild as hell.”

  “That’s because she love her daddy.” Knowledge laughed.

  “So how was your day?”

  “Cool, all work and no play. You know how that goes,” Knowledge said as he kicked his shoes off.

  “Knowledge, let me ask you a question,” Chelsea said as she watched his every move.

  “Shoot,” he said as he emptied his pockets.

  “Did you buy a very expensive necklace and if so,who was it for?”

  “Yup and Asia,” he answered honestly. Knowledge wasn’t the type of nigga to beat around the bush or lie. If you wanted to know something, he would tell you straight up, no chaser.

  “Who is Asia?” Chelsea asked with her hood side trying to peek out a little.

  “Dude I work for sister. You know the one who birthday party I went to?” he said as he took his shirt off and threw it in the closet.“Any more questions?”

  Before Chelsea could even respond, Knowledge’s phone was ringing. He reached in his pocket and saw Asia’s name pop up.“Yo,” he answered.

  “You busy?” she asked.

  “Nah, why,wassup?”

  “I was calling you because Symir wants me to ride out of town tomorrow and pick something up for him and I was wondering if you could ride with me since he doesn’t think I’m capable of handling it by myself,” Asia explained.

  Knowledge chuckled a little because he knew Asia was a little salty about her brother sending somebody with her but little did she know, Symir had already asked him to do it.“Yup, I’m about to pack now,” he said as he walked into the closet.“We’ll be gone three days,right?”

  “Yea,we’re going… Wait a minute. He already asked you,didn’t he?” Asia asked.

  “Yea, earlier today,” Knowledge admitted.

&
nbsp; “OH MY GOSH! IMMA KILL HIM!” she yelled.

  Knowledge couldn’t help but to laugh.“Chill, he’s just being a big brother and looking out for his sister. I don’t really blame him.”

  “No, he’s acting like I can’t take care of myself. You just finish packing while I call and cuss him out,” Asia said in a serious tone.

  “Alright, make sure you get some beauty sleep because you’re doing all the driving.” Knowledge laughed before he hung up. He grabbed three simple outfits and his suitcase and walked out of the closet. He threw everything on the bed and looked up and Chelsea. She was giving him a look that he knew all too well.

  “What,man?” he asked.

  “So you’re going out of town with her?” Chelsea asked.

  “You questioning me on some insecure shit?” he asked.“Because that ain’t even you.”

  “I’m saying though,” she shrugged.

  “Chels, you know if I want to fuck her,it will happen. You also know I ain’t like that so I wanna know why you even feel the need to trip right now?”

  “I…never mind, Knowledge. There is no point in arguing about it,” Chelsea said as she climbed out of the bed and left the room.

  Knowledge just left her alone to do her own thing. Ever since she got pregnant she had been acting weird,but he wasn’t tripping because he knew it wasn’t nothing but the hormones making her act like that. He couldn’t wait for these next three months to pass so she would go back to being normal.

  ~ ~ ~

  Asia was doing a last minute check to make sure she had everything while her brother followed her all around the house asking her the same question over and over again.

  “You sure you gon be straight?” Symir asked.

  “Symir, ask me that question one more damn time. I dare you,” Asia said with her hands on her hips.

  “I’m just trynna make sure you straight.” Symir laughed.