“All right man, just get with me this week.”
“I will, yo’, have you heard from Kenyon? I’ve been calling him and I ain’t get no answer.”
“No, I haven’t. I was just about to call him too,” I lied.
“Last time I spoke to him he was on his way to see you.”
“Damn, well, I ain’t never see him. Did you stop by his crib?”
“Yup, his car ain’t even there.”
“Well, I’ll ask around too, if you hear anything let me know,” I said, acting as if I was concerned. I knew exactly where he was, in the damn river where he belonged. That nigga should have been more loyal and the way Tommy was acting he’d probably end up right there with his ass.
“Cool,” he replied before ending the call.
I had one more stop to make before going home. I looked in my rearview mirror and noticed a black Lincoln behind me. It was almost eight o’clock so it was dark outside. I could see that there was just one person in the car, the driver. I felt like I was being followed because each time I switched lanes or made a turn they did the same thing. When I’d speed up they would be right on my bumper. I was getting angry. I got on the highway to head to South Philly rather than taking the streets. It was Saturday so the roads wouldn’t be so empty. If someone was in fact following me I didn’t think they’d be bold enough to do something in front of all of those cars.
I got on and merged into traffic. The black car followed right behind me. I knew for a fact they were following me at that point. I drove at a steady speed until I reached my exit and as I was going off I was hit in the back. I almost lost control but I got it together quickly. Glancing in my mirror I now saw two people when there had only been one the last time I looked back. I sped off, even going through red lights and all. I was nearing one of my stores when the passenger leaned out of the window and began firing shots. One pierced the back window then a few more hit the body.
“Fuck,” I yelled. I grabbed my cell phone off the seat while trying to speed through traffic. I dialed JB. I was close by the block that he ran so I knew he’d be around. He picked up on the second ring.
“Hello.”
“These niggas is shooting at me. I’m coming around the block now.” I dropped the phone. I knocked my driver-side mirror off. I was making it through small streets while they were still following behind me. Where the fuck were the cops when you needed them? As I neared the block I looked behind me and noticed the car was gone. I didn’t even notice that they had turned off. My heart was racing. Just when I thought this shit was dying down it comes right back. JB and a few niggas were standing on the corner when I pulled up. You could smell burning rubber from the tires. I jumped out of the car as they all ran over to examine it.
“What the fuck happened? Who was following you?”
“Hell if I know. When I first noticed the car it was one nigga. I get hit in the back, lose control for a second and look back it’s two niggas in there.” I was pacing and yelling. I was so mad. I could’ve been shot that time. It could’ve been all over for me. I wasn’t even about to tell Diamond what happened so she could get all upset.
“Damn man, you gotta start riding with someone until this shit gets straight. Did you see what kind of car it was?” JB asked, now angry himself.
“It was a black Caddy. I’m so fucking mad right now. I’m going to need to use someone’s car. I can’t drive this shit home like that. D will have a fit.”
“Take mine. I’ll get that shit fixed for you in the A.M.”
“All right, I’ll get up with you in a few hours. I have to take care of something real quick.”
“All right,” he responded before shaking my hand.
I jumped in his car and quickly sped off. I was pissed. What the hell were they going to do next? How many times would I be able to escape death? I’d been lucky so far but maybe JB was right, I needed to have someone riding with me at all times. I felt like a sucker needing a bodyguard but I wasn’t ready to die. I wasn’t going down that easily. I couldn’t even think straight; I completely forgot about the stop, but fuck it, I’d just get to it later. I had to go regroup. I was paranoid, looking in the rearview mirror every few seconds. I pulled up in front of the house and sat there for a minute or two to get myself together. I didn’t want Diamond to know something was wrong. I had always been pretty good at hiding things from women but lately it hadn’t been working out that way. Before I could get out the car and up to the door she was standing there with the door wide open, tapping her feet on the ground.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you sitting out here like that?”
“Nothing is wrong, I was coming in.”
“You never sit out here like that unless something is wrong. What’s going on, Black?”
“I said nothing, D, chill out.”
“I’m not going to chill out until you tell me what’s going on. Did Kemp try to get at you again?”
“What? What the hell would make you say that?” I tried to fake it, hoping that sooner or later she’d give up or believe me. At least that was what I was hoping for.
“First of all, you’re in JB’s car and you were sitting out here with your head down like something heavy was weighing on your mind. I’m not a fool, Black.”
“I got a flat so JB let me hold his car until the morning, okay? Stop reading so much into everything. I said that there wasn’t anything wrong.” By this time I had brushed past her and made it into the house. She was still standing there with the door open. “Could you get in here and close the door, please?”
She closed the door but still kept a frown on her face. I walked over to the sofa and sat down. I wasn’t going to give in and tell her what had gone down. I’d have to hear her mouth all night if I did.
“I’m not slow, Black, I know you too well,” she said before coming over to the sofa and sitting beside me. I was sitting there with my head back and my eyes closed. I loved Diamond but I hated the fact that she could never leave well enough alone.
“Diamond, please, I have a headache and you’re not making it any better.”
“Well, let me go get you some aspirin,” she said getting up.
“Thank you,” I replied.
She returned to the room a few seconds later. I soon felt cold water and a bottle of aspirin hitting my face.
“I’m not an asshole, and just ’cause you get in some fight with your little bitch out there you don’t have to act all funny with me.”
“What the hell is wrong with you, Diamond?” I yelled, sitting up and wiping the water off of my face. Where the hell did she get that? “This doesn’t have anything to do with anyone, Diamond, my fucking head is hurting and I thought I could lay my head down for a little while. Obviously I was wrong when a nigga can’t rest in his own fucking house,” I yelled. “And thanks for the aspirin,” I said before throwing them back at her and heading toward the steps. I turned back to look at her before I walked upstairs. She was standing there still angry. I sighed and shook my head as I took the steps. I felt bad for snapping but not bad enough to apologize. She had to stop being so damn persistent before she got an answer that she didn’t want to hear. I went up to the bedroom, shut the door, and lay down. I was trying to clear all of the drama out of my mind at least for an hour or two. Surprisingly, Diamond allowed me to rest without bothering me. When I woke up to head back out to the house she was asleep on the living room sofa. I left her untouched and snuck out the door. It was time to get back to work and it was also time to finish this war that had begun. I wasn’t going to hide and I damn sure wasn’t going to run. I’d get at him and whoever was down for him. Just like Kenyon, Kemp and his help were going down.
Chapter 13
Diamond
Emotional
My moods were so up and down. One minute I was laughing and shedding tears the next. It was like something out of a horror film. I felt like one of those psychiatric patients that you see on TV. I was sitting in the tub relaxing
. Black was out working as usual and lately we’d argued more than usual. I wasn’t sure if it was the stress or if it was someone else. I mean, I knew he fucked around but it seemed like this situation was weighing him down. I had to do something to get his mind back on me, which is where it belonged. Then I thought about it, I hadn’t gotten my period yet. I hurried and washed up and got dressed quickly so I could drive to the CVS and grab a pregnancy test. With all of the arguing I had completely forgotten that I was trying to get pregnant. Plus, I’d been unsuccessful for so long that I thought it wouldn’t work anyway. I had a big smile on my face as I went to the counter to pay for it. The chick at the register gave me a funny look. Instead of snapping like I normally would I kill her with kindness.
I couldn’t get home fast enough I was so excited. I dropped my purse downstairs and hurried up to the bathroom. I paced for the few minutes it took to show the answer that I was hoping for: pregnant. Though I had been waiting for this moment for the last few months I never knew how I’d feel once I found out. I hadn’t prepared that part of the plan. How could you really prepare yourself mentally for something like this? Within five minutes I’d went from anxious to happy to nervous. What the hell was going on with me? I thought. I had to pull myself together. I was always a fighter. I always stuck to my plans no matter how crazy they might have seemed.
I had to let it sink in for a few more days before telling Black. I decided to run by Kiki’s to let her in on the news. As I was leaving out of the house, my cell phone rang. It almost startled me. It was a number that I didn’t recognize. I almost didn’t answer it but I said what the hell and picked up.
“Hello.”
“Can I speak with Diamond?”
“Speaking, who’s this?”
“This is Trice,” she said loudly. How the hell did she get my number? I thought. I damn sure wasn’t in the mood to be fighting with this chick.
“How can I help you?”
“Look, I know that we haven’t gotten along in the past but I wanted to know if we could meet somewhere and sit down and talk.”
“Talk? About what? Any other time you’re jumping down my throat or screaming obscenities.”
“And I’m trying to move past that.”
I didn’t trust her one bit but with all of the other shit going on in my life I could stand to lose one enemy. I wondered if this reconciliation was an act or was it truly genuine.
“Well, I’m pretty busy this week but maybe one day next week.”
“Are you sure that you can’t squeeze it in this week?”
What the fuck was the rush? I felt like she was up to something. I didn’t know Trice too well but she seemed desperate and I wasn’t in the mood for any tricks.
“No, I can’t,” I replied sternly. Shit, if she wanted to meet it would be on my time.
“All right then, I’ll give you a call back next week. Oh, and could we keep this between us? Black will swear I’m up to something.” She gave a girlish giggle.
Was she serious? Don’t tell Black? She was definitely up to something now. She’d just confirmed it for sure. “Okay, no problem,” I lied. I was damn sure going to tell him. I wasn’t a fool. I hung up and shook my head. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around what had just happened. Now she’s trying to be all friendly. A week ago we would have been in a full-blown argument before I got a chance to say hello. Thinking back, her hatred never had anything to do with me. I definitely believed that Black was dipping and dabbing though he’d swear to God he wasn’t. I mean, unless you were a total nutcase you wouldn’t bring so much drama for nothing.
When Black and me first got together I made sure that everything was on the table. If there was one thing I hated, it was surprises. He told me that he didn’t have a woman but his son’s mom was one of those die-hard women that wouldn’t let go. Of course I was cocky and I felt that even if he was going back and forth what I had would keep him with me. Besides, when they were together she went and had a baby by another dude. I thought for sure he’d never want her. The more she called and tried to cause drama between us the more I saw how much she cared about him. It didn’t matter how many times he’d cuss her out or throw me in her face, she’d keep coming back for more.
I left out of the house and got in the car. On my way over Kiki’s I was blasting my new Beyoncé CD. I was singing alone like I was in a full concert. I stopped at a light on Broad Street and for a second I thought I was seeing things. I saw a female that looked just like Mica. I swear she could have been her twin. The car sped by me; it was a blue Camry. I was still trying to look back at the car when the car in back of me began to beep because the light had turned green. I was losing my mind. I laughed out loud as I pulled off. I made it to Kiki’s in record time and of course I damn near knocked the door down banging. I was always impatient when I had something to tell her.
“I knew it had to be you. No one else has the balls to knock on my door so damn hard.” She laughed.
“I have something to tell you—well, actually I have a few things to tell you. Girl, you know I saw some chick that looked just like Mica when I was on my way over here?” I was babbling on as I made my way into her apartment and closed the door behind me. She’d walked into her living room before me and sat down on the sofa.
“Mica? Girl, I know you’re tripping. That girl is cremated and poured out in the ocean. I know that ain’t what you came all the way over here to tell me,” she said, lighting up a cigarette.
“Girl, you need to stop smoking. You saw that damn commercial with all the people falling out in the street and shit. That’s gonna be your ass if you don’t quit. You’re gonna be just like that man playing the guitar with the electronic voice.” I burst into laughter. I was laughing so hard tears came to my eyes.
“That’s not funny,” she replied.
“Well, how about Black’s baby mom called my damn cell phone talking about she wants to meet up so we can talk. I don’t know what the hell she has up her sleeve but she don’t know me. She’s gonna fuck around and get herself hurt. Shit, I’m the queen at this conniving shit—she betta ask somebody,” I said, slapping Kiki a high five.
“I can’t believe that she called you. She’s up to something, you better tell Black to get her ass in check.”
“I know right. I’m so sick of that girl I don’t know what to do.”
“I mean, when is she going to get the point?”
“Oh, she gets the point now, that’s why she’s trying to be my friend.”
Kiki and I both laughed. “So when the hell is he going to get you a ring? Shit, he’s already claiming you as his fiancée.”
“Well, that leads to what else I came to tell you. It worked girl, I’m pregnant!” I yelled. She sat there for a second before responding.
“Wow, I can’t believe it. You really did it, you are nuts, girl!” She put her cigarette into the ashtray and blew out some smoke before reaching her arms out. “Well, looks like I’m going to be an auntie. I’m so excited!” She yelled as she hugged me.
“I thought I’d be jumping for joy when I found out but it was weird. I couldn’t get my emotions together. I’m actually afraid to tell Black.”
“Why, he’ll be happy. He loves you, girl.”
“I know but I’m not sure if now is the right time. Maybe I was being selfish, you know. I felt him slipping away. I can’t lose him to her.”
“Her who? His BM? Girl, if he wanted to be with her he would be.”
“I know—well, at least I hope,” I said as I put my head down.
“Girl, don’t sit around here and get sad after that good news. That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” She laughed and slapped me on the leg. She was right, it wasn’t a reason to be moping around.
“I just have to figure out how I’m going to tell him.”
“Shit, just tell him. Catch him off guard with it.”
“Oh, it’s going to be off guard. Shit, I never even mentioned wanting kids before.”
/> “So are you sure you really want this baby or is it primarily to keep him?”
I sat quiet. Really, I didn’t know the answer to that question. In a way I wanted to do nothing more than have a baby with the man that I love but I did want to keep Black. So was I wrong for deciding to do things this way? I was the type that would do whatever I have to do to get what it was that I wanted.
“I would say that it was a combination of the two.”
“Well, you know that I’m always here for advice and hopefully it leans more toward the side that you’re doing it because you want to.”
“It is,” I lied. That wasn’t really the case but I felt like saying that it was would end the conversation. I wanted her to be happy for me just as much as I wanted to be happy myself. Was I really happy? I don’t know, but that was something that I would have to explore. I couldn’t change my mind now since it was already done. I wasn’t going to get an abortion after all of the trouble that I went through to get pregnant in the first place. That would most likely bring back some old memories that I’d worked hard to suppress anyway. I stayed and chatted with Kiki for about another half hour before I hugged her good-bye and left. I decided that I would just get it over with and tell Black. I couldn’t wait to hear what he’d have to say. I dialed his number before I pulled out of the parking spot.
“What’s up?” he said into the phone. He sounded like he wasn’t in such a good mood, which might have been even better. I should be able to brighten up his day with this news.
“You don’t sound too happy to hear from me, what’s up?”
“I just got a lot of shit on my mind that’s all. What’s up?”
“Well, I have some good news.”
“What’s that?” he said blandly. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. Whatever was on his mind must have been really bothering him.
“We’re having a baby,” I said, excited. He didn’t respond. That definitely wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. “Did you hear me, I said we’re having a baby.”
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