by T. N. Baker
From the sound of it, Shana assumed Ness was the one responsible for Epiphany’s brush with death. That dude Ness rubbed me the wrong way just by looking at him. Damn, he probably did Mali too. And what the fuck is up with Smitty wanting to get with Epiphany? That ain’t happening. He’s not even in her league. When I met him the first time, he claimed he already fucked her and couldn’t stand her, so what’s really good? Today is definitely just one of those days.
Shana directed her attention back to her stash in the closet. Pulling down the Timberland shoebox, she notice it felt extremely light. Shana opened the box and instantly she noticed the dent in her savings. What used to be 42 G’s was now only two thousand dollars.
Shana threw the shoebox on the floor, dug in the back of the closet, pulled out one of those metal baseball bats, and stormed out into the living room.
“Where that fuck is my money at, huh?” she screamed.
“Whoa, whoa! Yo, nigga, I’ma hit you back.” K.C. quickly hung up the phone “Yo, Sha, chill the fuck out!” he yelled, making a move to grab the bat. Shana stepped back and swung with all her strength, hitting his arm.
“Don’t fuck with me, K.C. Where the fuck is my money, you dirty-dick nigga?”
“Yo, what the hell is wrong with you, Sha?”
Shana positioned herself to slug his ass again.
“Yo, chill! Don’t hit me no more!” he ordered as if he was in any position to make demands.
“K.C., I swear on everything I love, if you don’t give me my money right now, I’m gonna take this fucking bat and try to kill you with it.”
“Sha, listen. I just need a couple of weeks. Let me make this move with Smitty and I promise you, I’ll give you back double. Come on, ma. Put the bat down. Just grind with me, please, so I can get this paper, a’ight? Come on, Sha, you know I got you. Clyde can’t shine without Bonnie.”
Shana did the math. Double meant eighty grand. She weighed out her options.
Raina’s bail or a forty-thousand dollar profit. Fuck Raina, she thought, lowering the bat.
“See, that’s why I love you, girl.” K.C. let out a hard sigh of relief.
Shana turned up her lips and gave him a “Whatever, nigga” look.
“Well, if you love me like that then go get your dirty dick cured and stop fucking them nasty-ass hoes.” She walked back in the bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind her. Shana lay on the bed, trying hard to understand how and why she loved K.C.’s grimey ass so much.
Chapter 84
Epiphany’s mother was glad that she was home and still in one piece, considering that she hadn’t heard from her in days. Really, she wanted to talk to Epiphany about Keisha’s recent behavior, thinking maybe she could talk some sense into her friend. Lord knows she had tried. Keisha was like a daughter to her, and she couldn’t sit back and watch her live recklessly.
“Epee, I need to talk to you.” Mrs. Wright was obviously worried.
“Ma, before you start, I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I was fine,” Epiphany answered defensively.
“I can see that now, but you know what? I’m not gonna go there with you. I wanna talk about Keisha.”
“What about Keisha? Is she here?”
“Shhh. She’s downstairs.”
“Okay, well, what happened?”
“Epee, I’m worried about her. She been running out of here with a different guy every night for the past four days, and you know that ain’t like her.”
“Ma, she’s just trying to get her mind off of Tucker, that’s all. It’s not that big of a deal.” Epiphany tried to justify Keisha’s behavior.
“Well, I tried talking to her, and I’m telling you, she’s not herself. She hasn’t even mentioned her son.”
“Ma, I’m sure she’s fine, but if you want, I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry about Li’l Tucker. He’s with her mom in Atlanta. I’m going downstairs now,” Epiphany whined.
“I’ll tell you this: You girls need to accept Christ in your life and stop running around here taking things for granted. Your father’s trying to.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where’s Daddy at anyway?” Epiphany asked, heading down the basement steps.
“He went to see his brother. Your Uncle Ramel got arrested. Mm-hmm, the feds finally caught up with him.”
“Wow, that’s too bad,” Epiphany said sarcastically.
* * *
“What’s up, E? It’s about time you came home, girl.” Keisha excitedly sat up on her futon bed, anticipating the 411 on Epiphany’s new friend.
“Hey, I know. Believe me, it wasn’t by choice, and it ain’t for long. Wild’s gonna take me up out of the hood,” Epiphany said with a smile.
“Are you serious? So what happened? He must have a lot of money, ’cause I ain’t seen you smile like that since your father bought you that Beamer.”
“Keish, he has everything I want in a man: a lot of money, a huge house, good dick, no kids, and he’s not cheap at all. So, girl, you know I made it my business to put it on his ass, right? ’Cause shit, a bitch is trying to get a one way ticket out of Southside, okaaay!”
“That’s good. I’m so happy for you.” Keisha was a little envious. She once had everything she wanted in a man, too, and she missed the feeling.
“Anyway, enough about me. How was your date with that guy?” Epiphany asked.
“Which one?” Keisha answered.
“Well, damn, Keish, go on and brush your shoulders off. I’m scared of you.” Epiphany laughed.
“Don’t be, because my pimp game sucks.” Keisha sighed.
“Well, what happened to the computer fix-it guy?”
“Oh my gosh, E, his apartment was a dump, his ding-a-ling was the size of my son’s, and now he has the audacity to avoid my calls.”
“The dick was trash and you’re still calling him? Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, did he at least take you out and spend some money?”
“Out? Out for him was a movie in his junky-ass one-room apartment.”
“Keish, I know you been out of the loop for a minute, but did you not learn anything from me? If you’re gonna give it up, get something out of it, okay?”
“I know. I had sex with three guys in the last four days, and none of them made me cum. It’s like I’m going from bad to worse,” Keisha confessed.
“Three guys? From where, Keisha?”
“Blackplanet.com.”
“Are you crazy, Keisha?”
“No, I’m just lonely.”
“So why don’t you call to see how T’s doing?”
“For what? He hates me.”
“Keish, I’m talking about your son. When was the last time you called to check on him, and when is he coming home?” Not waiting for Keisha’s response, Epiphany handed her the phone.
“I don’t know, E. Maybe in a couple of days or so. I just haven’t been feeling like a mom ever since Tucker left me. It’s almost like I had a baby for him, and now that he’s gone, I don’t want my son anymore. I guess I should at least call.” Keisha hesitantly dialed her mom’s number.
Epiphany knew Keisha was hurting inside, but she couldn’t believe what was coming out of her mouth, and she chose not to comment.
“Hello?” answered one of Keisha’s sisters.
“Hi, this is Keisha. Who’s this?”
“Hey, girl, this Kelly.”
“What up, Kells? How’s my son doing?”
“He ain’t here.”
“What? Then where is he?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t you send Tucker here to get him?”
“No, I didn’t. Where is Loretta at?”
“She ain’t here. Tucker took the baby two days ago. He said you told him to come pick him up,” said Kelly.
“Well, I didn’t. I have to go. Bye!” Keisha hung up and immediately started dialing Tucker’s cell phone, then the house phone, but got no answer.
“What happened, Keish? Is Li’l T okay?” Epiphany
asked.
“I don’t know. He’s not there. He’s with Tucker,” she answered.
“Tucker went to ATL and got him and you didn’t know anything about it?”
“No, I didn’t, and I can’t understand why Loretta would let Tucker just take him like that without consulting with me first. Now Tucker’s not answering his phone.” Keisha took a moment to think. “Epiphany, do you think he’s trying to take my son from me?”
“I don’t know, but maybe you need to just go over there and see what’s up. You could take my car, unless you want me to go with you.”
“No, you don’t have to, but thanks,” Keisha said as she took Epiphany’s car keys.
* * *
When she arrived at what used to be her home, Tucker’s car, along with a light blue Honda Accord, was parked in the driveway. Keisha got out of the car and walked up the steps. She could see the that lights were on through the front window, and she proceeded to repeatedly press the bell, causing it to sing an annoying tune. Her heart pounded as she impatiently waited all of two minutes.
If I have to start breaking windows around this muthafucka, I’ll do it. My presence is gonna be felt, she thought. She prepared herself to take it there if she had to.
Just as Keisha stepped down off the steps in search of a nice size rock with some weight to it, Tucker answered the door in a sweat, looking like he was getting his workout on. He was wearing a pair of Calvin Klein drawstring pajama pants, with no shirt and scratches on his chest.
“What do you want?” An annoyed Tucker watched her search the grass.
Keisha looked up and saw him at the door. “I came to get my son!”
“Keisha, I’ma take care of him from now on. You shipped him off and forgot about him, remember that? It took you two fucking days to find out I had him? Just continue to do you. My little man is straight right here with me.”
“I don’t care if took me five days. I came to get my son and I’m not leaving without him.”
“Keisha, just go, a’ight!”
“No, I’m not gonna just go. What the fuck were you doing anyway, and whose car is that? I know your not stupid enough to have some bitch around my son.”
“Whatever, Keish. Good-bye.” Tucker went back inside the house and slammed the door.
“Tucker, you better give me my fucking son, or I swear you’ll be sorry!” Keisha screamed, but Tucker didn’t come back to the door. “Oh, so you want me to take it there, huh?”
Keisha walked across the front lawn, once again searching for a rock. She couldn’t find a rock but spotted some bricks that were stacked next to the fence in the front lawn. Loosening three bricks from the soil, she slammed one into the windshield of the Honda, then the passenger’s side window of Tucker’s 745. The third brick she threw crashed right through the center of the front window of the house, setting off both car alarms and the ADT system.
Keisha was turning into some crazed madwoman, screaming vulgar obscenities and throwing a raging tantrum in the front of the house. She wanted her son, but what really set her off was the assumption that Tucker had a girl inside the house with him.
Tucker was furious. His tolerance had just exceeded its limit. Baby momma or no baby momma, he was gonna beat that ass.
Running out of the house, Tucker charged right at Keisha and tackled her. Releasing all the anger and pain he was holding in, he literally tried to strangle the life out of Keisha.
The upper class neighborhood they lived in wasn’t used to such disturbances, so instantly many of their neighbors peeked from their windows to see what the commotion was about. Some even called police, but not one of them came over and tried to get Tucker off of her.
Leanne ran out of the house and tried to pull him off of Keisha, but he was so worked up that he shoved her so hard she went flying across the grass. It was the sound of his son’s cry that caused him to free Keisha from his choke hold. Breathing heavily, Tucker got off of her and rushed over to the door to calm and console his son.
Keisha’s eyes were bloodshot and watery as she coughed and wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Once she gained control of her breathing, she heard a recognizable female’s voice.
“Baby, are you okay?” Lea’s face fit the voice, and seeing her set Keisha off again. She jumped up from the ground and attacked her from behind. Grabbing Lea by her long, frizzy, half-black/half-white mixed hair, she tossed her to the ground and ferociously punched her face.
It happened so fast that Tucker couldn’t come to her rescue right away. He was holding his son. Running in the house, Tucker secured Li’l T safely in his stroller and came back out to her rescue, but by the time he made it back out front, the police had arrived and already controlled the situation.
After the police questioned the three of them, all fingers pointed to Keisha as the villain. Tucker decided not to press charges, but Lea did, so Keisha was hauled off to jail and charged with aggravated assault, disruptive behavior, and disturbing the peace.
Chapter 85
Shana stared at the ceiling half of the night, tossing and turning. Raina’s threats, her STD results, K.C.’s infidelity, and her money investment with him, were all way too much to grasp. Through it all, one thing troubled her the most—K.C.’s phone conversation earlier. Despite felling that Epiphany was a complete bitch who worked every nerve in her body—plus, she had enough problems of her own not to get involved in someone else’s—she knew her conscience would only eat away at her if she kept quiet about it. Not only did she feel Epiphany had every right to know what really went down, she also felt, without a doubt, that Ness should pay for his actions.
Shana glanced at the clock on the nightstand, which read 12:45 a.m. She got out of the bed, still fully dressed from earlier. Without turning on the lights, she felt around the bed for her car keys, which were still at the foot of the bed where she had left them.
She unlocked and slowly opened the bedroom door,. Peeking out, she saw K.C. asleep on the couch, with the TV watching him.
Thank God, she thought. The last thing she wanted to hear was his mouth.
Shana left the house, went for a drive, and ended up in front of Epiphany’s house. She called her on her cell.
“Hello?” Epiphany answered, half asleep.
“What’s up, E? I need to holla at you about something.”
“Who’s this?”
“It’s Shana. Come outside.”
“Shana, I’m sleeping.”
“E, C-God ain’t do it.”
“What?” Epiphany’s voice got louder.
“C-God ain’t the one that shot you, but since you sleeping, fuck it.”
“No, wait. I’m coming.” Epiphany was awake now. She hung up, hopped out of bed, threw on some sweats and slippers, and headed out the side door.
Opening Shana’s passenger-side door, she got in, eagerly anticipating what she had to say.
“What’s going on, Shana?”
“Listen, I know who shot you. I don’t know him like that, but he be with K.C. and this guy name Smitty.”
“Well, who is he, and how is he linked to me?”
“His name is Ness. He used to run with C-God.”
“So, how do you know he’s the one that shot me?” asked Epiphany.
“Look, that’s not important. I just know, okay?”
“What about Malikai? Is he the one that killed him too?”
“More than likely, but listen, his boy Smitty is feeling you hard, so I was thinking maybe you should fuck with the nigga just to manipulate the situation, try to turn him against Ness. That way he could take care of him for you,” Shana suggested.
“I don’t know. I think I should just put all this behind me. I mean, what’s done is done. Besides, I’m trying to get up out of here anyway.”
“What! Come on. I know you ain’t trying to let that nigga get away with this bullshit, Epiphany. The muthafucka left you for dead, and you wanna put that behind you?”
“Shana, I almost died,
and that shit scares me. I ain’t trying get caught up in some bullshit with the same muthafucka that tried to kill me. And anyway, what’s it to you? You act like you’re the one with the vendetta.”
“What? I’m trying to look out for you, but if you don’t feel like your life is worth getting payback, fuck it then! Have a good night.” Shana turned the tables on Epiphany. Of course she had her motives, but she couldn’t disclose that.
“Yeah, whatever.” Epiphany slammed the car door behind her and headed back to the house. Inside, she glanced over at Keisha’s empty bed and briefly wondered where she could be at that time of night. Sitting up on her bed, she thought about what Shana said and the dream she’d had at Keisha’s house. There were two male voices present the night she was shot.
Epiphany sat in the dark, deep in her thoughts, for more than twenty minutes, when suddenly the sounds of Prince’s “Do Me Baby,” Mali and her laughing, and the moment she froze from shock when she saw the bullet pierce through his skull flashed in her mind. She could remember the splattered blood mixed with pieces of Mali’s brain sprinkling all over her, and the way her body trembled as she stood still in fear, watching his body slump over to the side.
C-God ordered the trigger man he called Ness to search her crib. She could feel the enormous amount of pain she had experienced that night all over again as her tears began to fall. Epiphany rehashed everything that had taken place that night, from the verbal to the physical abuse she was subjected to, and the reason it all took place. She remembered all the horrific details that led her to squeeze the trigger of her nine with the intent to kill C-God. It was Ness who entered the room and blasted off his .38 in C’s defense, hitting her in the chest and sending her into a state of unconsciousness.
Chapter 86
Keisha cried the whole ride over to central booking. She couldn’t believe Lea had actually played her like that.
How long has she known him? Keisha wondered. Putting two and two together, she realized how well Lea smoothly played everything off. She made it seem like she only liked Spanish guys, and she always claimed to have a man. She’d say anything to cover up the fact that she was a jealous, man-stealing, backstabbing bitch.
