Get Somebody New

by Lewis, Michael

  “I don’t feel the least bit sad. What if I’d died Zeke? Or what if I’d been burned and disfigured in that fire? That’s all I keep thinking about. I was so scared in that truck Zeke. I just kept thinking about my poor baby. I’m all she’s got.”

  “I was scared too. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you Alton. I tell you I love you all the time Alton, but I mean it, I love you so much. I’ve never been without you. I told you I felt an eerie feeling about you getting in that truck.”

  “We are cousins, but as far as I’m concerned we are brothers. I love you too Zeke. You don’t ever have to worry about me not listening to you again. Where is Jazz?”

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say where he was going.”

  “Things are okay with you two, huh?”

  “He has been touchy since he got arrested.”

  “Arrested?”

  “When he chased Ingrid and Nadiah he got pulled over. Luckily it was after he got the license number. That’s not the bad part though.”

  “What happened?”

  “Jamal pulled him over. He only did it because he is mad and wants me back.”

  “That’s a bitch move. He needs to let it go.”

  “He charged him with assaulting an officer, speeding, resisting arrest, which are all bogus charges.”

  “What is wrong with him? He could lose his job.”

  “He needs to if that’s the kind of officer he is going to be.”

  “Have you talked to Rachel?”

  “Yes, she is on her way over here. She had to go move her things out of the house.”

  “Elias isn’t there is he?”

  “The police went with her.”

  “Okay.”

  About an hour later, Rachel came over to Zeke’s.

  “Rachel I’ve been thinking about something and trying to figure out how to ask you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Are you sure you’re done with Elias?”

  “I am certain after what he did to me. Things were heading downhill anyway. I filed for my divorce last week. I don’t even want anything. Our money is separate, plus I have some bonds and CD’s in a secret account. If he wants to pay me out of the house fine, if not he can have it, I really don’t care. I just want to end that marriage quickly so I can move on with my life.”

  “I’ve filed for my divorce as well. After catching her and Ingrid together in my own bed, that image comes to mind every time I see her.”

  “You caught them?”

  “Yes, the night Elias attacked you. When I went home, I went in the room and they didn’t even see me. I put them out buck naked at gunpoint and gave them five minutes to get out. Nadiah thought she was gonna drive off in the $100,000 custom XLR I bought. She hopped in and I took a sledgehammer to all of the windows and shot the tires out. When they were still there after 25 minutes, I took the sledgehammer to Ingrid’s car. She tried to back out with me standing on the hood I guess my anger gave me superhero power because at the last second I jumped up and caught on to a ceiling beam.”

  “Oh my God. It sounds like pure chaos went down.”

  “So it’s just me and Paige in that big house all alone. Rachel, I really want to be with you if you still want me. I love you Rachel. You are my blessing, I know because you make my spirit happy. These things happened for a reason.”

  “Alton I haven’t been able to think about anything but you. I love you too. I accept the offer.”

  When Rachel moved in I felt like a kid on Christmas. After all those years of being in a loveless marriage working and praying in vain to have my love reciprocated, I was finally with someone who I knew genuinely cared about me and appreciated me. When we look at each other our smiles show a happiness that is boundless. God was listening all along.

  Ezekiel

  After finding out what Jamal had done, I intended for him to set things straight and fast, so I called him.

  “Jamal we need to talk.”

  “Okay, I’ll come thru when I get off work.”

  The more I thought about what he’d done to Jazz, the more upset I got. When he arrived I felt like punching him in the face.

  “What’s up?”

  “You know damn well what this is about. What you did to Jazz was wrong. Furthermore, he was trying to catch someone who tried to kill my cousin. Luckily he got the license number before you pulled your little bitch fit.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Someone threw a Molotov cocktail into Alton’s truck and Jazz went after them. That’s what he was doing when you stopped him.”

  “I’m sorry, just doing my job.”

  Your job is to harass people and make up bogus charges?”

  “Okay, I’ll admit I can’t stand the thought of you being with someone else. You called me by his name Zeke!”

  “You have no right to be salty. I never pressured you to say you loved me. You told that lie on your own. Betraying me with my friend I can’t forgive. I deserved better than that and damn it I’m mad about it. All that time with you was wasted!”

  “Zeke I told you I was sorry and I was drunk. What else do you want me to do? I did love you Zeke and I still do. I messed up, but…”

  “Jamal you just don’t get it. Not once have you said ‘Zeke, I’m sorry I hurt you.’ You always apologize and then say ‘but’. There is no ‘but’ after an apology. When you say ‘but’ it makes the apology conditional. It means you are only sorry if I accept your justification. When you say ‘but’ it’s an excuse. Obviously you and I wanted different things and I am fine with that.”

  “Like I said I was doing my job. If you want me to get the charges against your little thug boyfriend dropped you’re gonna do something for me.”

  “Something like what?”

  “Let me hit that one more time for old time sake and I’ll fix your little boyfriend’s problem. It’s real simple.”

  “Go straight to hell Jamal. Get your trifling ass out of my house.”

  “Not so quick, I didn’t come over here to say ‘hi’ and leave.”

  “You will Ne-ver touch me again.”

  “The last time you were with me you called out his name. I’m gonna make you call my name this time. You’re gonna scream it! What? You gonna call the police? I am the fucking police. You know you still want me so stop playing.”

  “Stop! Get your grimy ass hands offa me!”

  “I ain’t leaving until I get what I came for.”

  “You are such a joke! Man if you don’t get your corny ass out of here. You don’t have to do shit for Jazz. We’ll take care of it. You can go.”

  Jamal wouldn’t take no for an answer. He kept trying to kiss me. He tried to undo my pants and I slapped his hands away. Finally he just laid on top of me and wouldn’t let me up. He tried again to kiss me and I bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He wrapped his hands around my neck to keep me still but it didn’t work. He tried to kiss me again and Jazz walked in the door just as I slapped the shit out of Jamal.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Oh what’s up Thuglife?” Jamal said in a mocking tone to Jazz.

  Jazz was already mad over the bogus arrest and false charges and he snapped. He picked Jamal up over his head and sent him crashing to the floor and through my tempered glass coffee table. Jazz is 6’4” and slim weighing about 195 lbs. Jamal is about the same height but thicker at about 225 lbs. Jazz picked Jamal up as if he weighed 5 pounds. Jamal, momentarily dazed from the fall, bounced up to fight but pulled his gun instead. Jazz reached out and snatched it from him. Luckily, Jazz didn’t shoot him with it.

  “Man, I’m gonna spare your life. If we were in the street, I’d kill your bogus ass for pulling a gun on me. I understand you have a problem seeing Zeke with someone else. Get over it and stop acting like a little bitch. Get outta here before I change my mind.” Jazz said handing Jamal his gun back minus the bullets.

  Jamal scrambled out the door without
looking back. Jazz turned to me and just glared at me. After seeing what he did to Jamal I was not quick to say anything smart.

  “Why was he here?”

  “I called him and told him I needed to talk to him. I told him what he did to you was wrong. He admitted that he lied but then he said the only way he would fix it was if I had sex with him. I told him to get out. Then he tried to force the issue.”

  “He did what? What exactly do you mean by force the issue? Cause if he did what I think then I’m gonna find that motherfucker and kill him.”

  “He just laid on me and kept trying to kiss me. I hit him a couple of times and then you came in.”

  “I told you I didn’t want you begging that nigga for shit. He lied on me plain and simple so I am not worried about that bull shit.”

  “I wasn’t begging him for anything.”

  "Let me make it plain to you. I don’t like that nigga at all. I don’t want you talking to him again. Don’t call him, don’t invite him over, and don’t contact him. If you see his ass on the street and he speaks, ignore him and go the other way. You understand me?”

  “You don’t order me to do anything, you ask me.”

  “What? After what he did to you? Cheated with your best friend and then tried to make you fuck him by to drop false charges on me? I meant what I said. I ain’t asking I’m telling you.”

  “Okay, whatever Jazz.”

  I got up to go to my bedroom and Jazz caught me by the arm. “Hold up don’t ‘whatever’ me and walk away. Don’t ever dismiss me like that. Is anything I’m telling you wrong? Don’t you understand why I feel like this? It’s almost like you’re trying to defend that fool.”

  “It’s not what you’re telling me, it’s how you are telling me.”

  “Zeke what damn difference does it make?”

  “Don’t yell at me. Why are you walking up to me like that? My only point was you could have said it differently. I’ve been with a control freak before and I am not trying to do that again. So excuse me if I get defensive about being ordered to do something.”

  “Zeke come here. Baby, I would never, ever hit you and please don’t ever think that. You remember when we were lying in bed talking after we made love the first time?”

  “Yes.”

  “You remember what I asked you?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did I ask?”

  “If I would trust you to protect me.”

  “What did you tell me?”

  “I said I would.”

  “Okay then. I am not saying you can’t take care of yourself. You promised to let me do it, so let me. I meant what I said. I don’t want him around you cause you’re mine now and he needs to understand that. I love you Zeke. Can’t you understand where I’m coming from?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright then who’s your man?”

  “You are.”

  “Who’s my baby?”

  “I am.”

  Jazz placed my hand on the rapidly growing hardness that lay between his legs.

  “Every time you think about or see Jamal, I want you to think about this. Remember how much I love you and that I’m willing to protect our relationship at all costs.”

  I placed my hands under his shirt and rubbed his muscular chest and back as I kissed him. Jazz moved his pelvis in a slow, sensual clockwise circle, his way of letting me know he wanted to get busy. Each time he rolled his hips forward I saw the print of his long, hard dick through the nylon basketball shorts. Just as I reached in and grabbed it, my doorbell rang.

  “Damn who is that?” I said annoyed.

  “Well baby you can either answer it, or we can ignore it and get busy. Which one will it be?”

  “I’m thinking, I’m thinking.”

  “Boy, go answer that door.” Jazz said as he laughed.

  I have a bad habit of opening my door before I ask who it is. I really wished I’d asked once I opened the door. I stood there for a few seconds because I didn’t know quite what to say.

  “Baby, who is it?” Jazz asked as he approached the door to see who it was.

  “Who is this?” Jazz asked as he looked from the man to me.

  “Uh, this is umm, this is Elias.”

  “Rachel’s husband?”

  “Yes.”

  “This motherfucker got a lot of nerve coming over here. So you like to hit women huh? Punk let’s see if you can handle a man!”

  “No Jazz. Calm down!”

  “Nah Zeke, what he did to that poor girl was a damn shame. As nice and as pretty as she is and this punk jumped on her like that.”

  “God will handle him in due time.”

  “While we are waiting on God, I’ll start the job so there’s less work to do.”

  “Jazz stop that! Come on in Elias.”

  “I know what I did and I am ashamed. I really am sorry. Rachel left me and filed for divorce. She won’t talk to me and I can’t find her. I knew that you would probably know where she was.”

  “Elias, I am her friend and I love her. I also saw what you did to her. Do you really think I would tell you where she is? Come on now.”

  “If you know you’d better tell me.”

  “Uh, No! I’d BETTER not do a damn thing.”

  “I don’t even know why I came here.”

  “I agree with you there. I don’t know why either. Personally, I think she made the right decision. I wish she’d made it before now.”

  “What? You’ve probably been filling her head with a bunch of shit trying to persuade her to leave me.”

  “Even though I knew you were mistreating her and keeping her up at night ranting like a fucking maniac she made that choice on her own. Can you blame her?”

  “You better watch who you’re talking to.”

  “I’ll say what the hell I want to say in my damn house, hell I’m not scared of you. If I were a woman I would probably have cause to be a little afraid.”

  “You are a woman wannabe, you little faggot.”

  “I don’t think you wanna trade insults Elias, I may hurt your feelings. You can leave now.”

  “You know were Rachel is and you better tell me.”

  “I better tell you? Or what?”

  “Or I’m gonna kick your little faggot ass.”

  “Okay, I’m NOT telling you. Now start kicking.” I said amusingly with my arms folded.

  I did all I could not to laugh at Jazz as he walked up and down the hallway on patrol like a Nazi Gestapo Guard. Elias obviously didn’t like that I’d mocked him. I didn’t really believe he would try to do anything to me, but I was wrong. The black Hercules stood up over me and before I knew anything he’d grabbed me by my shirt, my three hundred fifty dollar imported Italian silk shirt.

  I saw Jazz out the corner of my eye heading toward us. Before Jazz got to us, I reached over on my end table and grabbed a lead crystal candy bowl and upside Elias’s head I proceeded to go. He got molly wopped upside and downside his head with that candy bowl a couple of good times. A stunned Elias reached up and saw that there was a little blood and he really got mad. He recomposed himself to really lay into me. Jazz stepped in between us and punched him in the face knocking him backwards.

  “Nah bruh, think again!”

  Jazz grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him outside.

  “I didn’t wanna get blood on the carpet Zeke. You know I’m about to beat his punk ass right?”

  “Mmm hmmm.”

  I called Rachel while I looked out the window and gave her play-by-play details.

  “I can’t believe he grabbed you Zeke.”

  “I was really smart with him and he didn’t like it. He got all huffy and started breathing like a freight train. His eyes got all red like a bull or something. He really got mad when I laughed at him. Have you ever thought that he may be on steroids?”

  “No why do you say that?”

  “I had an ex who started using steroids while we were dating and I watched his transformation. He used to
go off for no reason. He would fall to pieces over the smallest things. Once he was using a toothpick and it broke. Instead of just getting another one of the hundreds in the container, he got mad and threw the table. You hear me? Not a chair, he threw the whole damn table and kicked a hole in the wall.”

  “Yeah that sounds like Elias alright. What did you do?”

  “You remember when Mister was trying to light the stove and got the kerosene? Then you saw that empty rocking chair rocking cause Celie got the hell out of there. That’s what my chair looked like.”

  “Hahahahahahaha Oh lord. I can just picture you looking at him with that ‘Is this Negro serious?’ look then flying out of there.”

  “Shit I wasn’t gonna let him to do to me what he did to that table.”

  “Hahaha, oh Zeke I haven’t laughed like that in so long.”

  “Elias had to come here out of desperation if he thought I would give him any information.”

  “He didn’t think I’d leave but since being served the divorce papers he has been in damage control mode.”

  “Well I’m proud of you. I know it was a tough decision to make.”

  “You know, it really wasn’t all that hard. I had been thinking about it then after that fool attacked me in the dark it was a wrap. Then I saw that sermon on TV. It was just too many coincidences happening telling me to rid my life of the unhappiness that I was trying so hard to hold on to. Alton has really been so nice to me.”

  “My cousin is a great man. Now you can see how horrible it was for us to see him with Nadiah’s evil ass.”

  “I can’t believe they tried to kill him.”

  “I can. That bitch is caustic I’m telling you!”

  “What happened to her?

  “She and Ingrid are in jail.”

  “That’s good.”

  “So have y’all done the do yet?”

  “No. We are not gonna start anything romantic until our divorces are final. We want to do this the right way so our relationship will be blessed.”

  “How admirable. I know it’s hard though. Just wait till you find out what I already know. I’ll probably have to come pry you down off the ceiling.”