Thug Matrimony

by Wahida Clark

  They stood hand in hand and were basking in the love they possessed for one another and of course from that overdue lovemaking session they had just indulged in.

  “Boy, I first want you to apologize for having us out here at three o’clock in the morning. Then you had the nerve to keep us standing out there on your front porch for damn near a half hour. None of this would be happening if you hadn’t acted the fool on your wedding day. Apologize to the good reverend first!” Mother Santos scolded.

  Reverend Run raised both hands and said, “There’s no need. It’s all good. We’re all here now and ready to proceed.”

  Kaylin knew that he needed to obey his mother. “Ma, Reverend Run, and family. I apologize for the inconvenience that my past actions have brought us to, but I truly thank each and every one of you for coming out when I really needed you the most. You all being here lets me know who really has my back. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies. Kendrick, can you start taping?” Kaylin asked his cousin, who was there with his twin sister, Kendra.

  “Man, we’ve been taping from the time we hit your doorstep. Everybody is gonna know how you called us at two in the morning, talking about getting married and needing witnesses. Then like your mom said, you leave us standing on the porch for almost thirty minutes,” Kendrick snapped. “Plus, nobody would believe this shit if it wasn’t on tape. Three in the damn morning,” he vented. “Excuse my language, Rev.”

  “Man, cut me some slack. I would have done it for yo’ punk ass. I know I’m the bad guy here. Y’all also know I had some issues that I’ve been trying to work through. So—”

  “Muchachos!” Mother Santos cut in. “Cut it out. Y’all acting like y’all still them same little five-year-old knuckleheads I had to whip, with all this bickering y’all doing.”

  Tamara, Kendra, and Omar giggled. It definitely reminded them of the good ole days.

  “Yeah. Cut the nigga some slack,” Kajuan added. “This the same nigga who left this beautiful woman at the altar. So you know he ain’t right,” he cracked.

  “Kajuan, cayate!” Mother Santos scolded him.

  Kaylin hung his head in embarrassment as his mother, Kendra, and Tamara all circled around Angel and gave her a hug.

  “Can we get on with this?” he finally asked in protest. “I’m sure the reverend would like to go home … sometime in the near future.” Kaylin attempted to get the pressure off himself.

  Angel finally spoke. “Before the reverend officiates this I need to say a few things. Thank you, ladies.”

  “Aww, man,” Kaylin groaned.

  “I know you didn’t think you were getting off this easy?” She cut her eyes at Kaylin. “However,” she continued, “we do thank everyone for making such a huge sacrifice on our behalf, especially you, Reverend.” She then turned to Kaylin. “And as for you, I want you to get down on one knee and apologize to me in front of everyone, while the tape is rolling. I also want you to know that this isn’t it. You owe me a wedding. I want my wedding, Kaylin. A full and complete wedding planned and put together by you. From the invitations to the place to the caterers. I’m not lifting a finger. I want you to go through everything I went through.” There were snickers in the room from all of the guys. “And I am not wearing that same dress. I want a new dress for myself and my bridesmaids. Is that understood?” That got some amens and, “I know that’s rights” from the ladies.

  “Anything else, Your Highness?”

  “And don’t you dare forget my honeymoon!” The ladies in the room snickered while the men cringed.

  “Anything else?” Kaylin was ready to get it over with.

  “No, you can apologize now.”

  Kaylin adjusted his pants and got down on one knee. He took her hand, kissed it, and gently wrapped it in both of his. He looked into her eyes and began, “Baby, you mean the world to me. I love you more than anything. I need you in my life and I know it sounds corny but you complete me. And that’s real talk. I apologize for making you suffer because of my insecurities. I apologize for not putting my ego in check and my pride aside. Baby, I need you in my life, forever. I swear that I am still the man you fell in love with. I want us to be a family. I want to be the best father for our baby and I need you to be a permanent part of Malik’s life. He loves you and I love you even more for loving him and accepting him as your own. Will you forgive me?” Angel was fighting to choke back her tears and no words would come out. “Baby, will you forgive me?” She nodded yes while trying to swipe away the tears. “Will you marry me?” He pulled her close and he was now on his knees, hugging her and kissing her belly. “Answer me, baby. I know I hurt you and I probably don’t deserve you, but I need you. Tell me you’ll marry me,” he pleaded.

  “Baby …” She ran her fingers through his hair. Reverend Run handed her a handkerchief. “I need you to tell me that you’ll let nothing or no one come between us.”

  “Ma, I swear I won’t slip like that again. I will protect what we got and I swear I won’t let nothing or no one come between us.”

  “Baby, tell me that you meant everything you just said to me.”

  “I meant every word that I just said. You know I meant it. I need you. Baby, will you marry me? Will you continue to be my wife?”

  “Baby … yes.” Her voice cracked.

  Kaylin stood up, hugged her, and they began to kiss, neither one of them hearing what Reverend Run was saying. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

  “Umm, who has the rings?” Reverend Run asked.

  “Right here.” Omar stepped up and tapped them both on the shoulder.

  They came up for air and both said, “I do” and went back to kissing.

  “We already did that for y’all. We just need y’all to put the rings on, and then we normal folks can go home,” Kendrick snapped.

  They came up for air again. Angel was giggling as they both took their ring boxes and placed the rings on each other’s fingers.

  “I love you, baby … forever.”

  “I love you too … always.” Angel grinned as she eyed her seven-carat diamond ring.

  Kaylin, immediately got rid of the twin beds. Several days after the marriage ceremony and when they finally decided to leave the bedroom Angel and Kaylin were in the living room. Kaylin was on the couch, chilling and watching television, while Angel was sitting on the floor going through her bridal shower and wedding gifts. She had refused to open the wedding gifts, and had refused to put away any of the bridal shower gifts until he had slipped that ring onto her finger.

  “Baby,” Angel whined. “We are supposed to be doing this together. You aren’t even paying attention.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Baby, yes, I am.”

  She waved him off as she looked all around her. Scattered around were Tiffany picture frames, champagne flutes, Manolo Blahnik candles, Teflon pots and pans, a Krups cappuccino maker, Cuisinart food processor, Manrico cashmere sheets, which she really liked. She had just seen them in a Town & Country magazine for forty-nine hundred dollars. There was a set of Frette terry cloth towels, crystal; gift certificates of all kinds, money, Egyptian cotton four-hundred-thread-count linen, and several bottles of chardonnay.

  “Baby, if you’re paying attention, then tell me who gave us gold. Gold bars, to be exact. Now, that’s some gangsta shit. How much do you think these are worth?” She let out a whistle and passed them to Kaylin. She picked up both cards and read them out loud. “Best wishes to the groom and the bride. Que tu sagra do matrimonio dura para siempre?”

  “That means may your sacred marriage last forever,” Angel clarified.

  “Let me see,” Kaylin told her.

  “This card is from Alexjandro Reyes.” She handed it to him and opened the other one. “This one says exactly the same thing but is signed by Don Carlos. Who are—?”

  Kaylin snatched the other card out of her hand. “Excuse you.” She rolled her eyes at him. He was looking at the cards in deep th
ought. Looking at them as if they were written in code. “Baby who are they?” He didn’t even hear her. “Baby.” She was now standing in front of him. “Hellooo … Kaylin. What is up with you? Who are they?”

  “Just some family I haven’t heard from in a long time.” He stood up. “I gotta make a run. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her on the lips, then on the cheek. He snatched up his car keys and headed out the door.

  Kaylin tapped lightly on the door before going inside. Tasha looked up at him and smiled.

  “Damn, nigga, you was just up here a minute ago,” she teased.

  “I know you gonna let me.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Come here and give your brother-in-law a hug.” She stood up and they embraced. Her stomach was about the same size as Angel’s. “You all right?”

  “It’s strange how we adapt. Us humans are definitely creatures of habit. Being here now seems as if it’s normal … natural. And the Creator is blessing me to stay positive. And since your boy gets such a huge kick out of taking care of me while I’m pregnant, I hope that he doesn’t think because he missed out on a few months, I’m supposed to do this again.”

  Kaylin laughed. “Oh, you know how he do it. And you know that’s exactly what he’s going to be thinking. So you might as well get ready.”

  She punched Kaylin in the arm. “Whatever, negro. So, tell me how does it feel to be married? Finally.’”

  “Oh, so now you got jokes?” It warmed his heart to see her smile. “For real, we were already married in spirit. We’ve been living together almost since day one, she had already accepted my son, we just wasn’t married on paper. Which to me ain’t all that important. But since it was important to her, I gave her that,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  “Oooh. You know I’m telling her what you just said,” Tasha teased.

  “You do that and I won’t bring you up any more plates.”

  “Oh well, in that case …” She pretended to be thinking it over. “Well, where is my plate for today?” Her hands were on her hips.

  “She hasn’t cooked yet. But I got you.”

  “Aiight, then I got you too.” She held out her hand and he shook it. “Deal?”

  “It’s a deal,” he confirmed.

  “All right, then. Let me let you holla at your boy.” She was used to Kaylin coming and talking with Trae. She also welcomed the break. “I’ll be back.”

  “Cool.”

  Kaylin went over and grabbed the chair, adjusting it to his usual position and spot before sitting down.

  “Yo, nigga. You still playing like you asleep?” He looked Trae over. “Well, I’m beginning to understand why. Everything happens for a reason and I guess it’s meant for me to do some things solo.” He thought about what he just said and spat, “Nah, fuck that! Shit, I really could use your companionship right about now and Tasha needs you too, nigga. She’s holdin’ it down but I don’t know how long she’ll be able to hold up at this level.

  “At any rate, and the reason I’m back so soon, check this out. Red was going through the wedding and bridal shower gifts and guess what? She came across these gold bars. Yeah, nigga. Gold bars. The same size and weight we jacked from that fat fuck we merked in Mexico. Yeah, nigga, you heard right. Our shit is stashed away deep and we agreed to keep it like that until the time was right. So? You guessed it. Them cats knew what was up all of these years. Yeah. The big kahunas.” Kaylin smirked. “Them same kahunas whom we had to pay to get out of the game. Don Alexjandro and Don Carlos. The cards that came with the gold bars were signed by each of them. Now, why all of a sudden they pop up? That’s the shit that got me shook. But I know why. And you do too. They want sumthin. Plain and simple. You know it’s not retaliation because we did them a huge favor, and they still eating off the fruits of our labor. You smell me? So they want sumthin, man. How the fuck they gonna drop off them gifts at my wedding? They damn sure weren’t there.”

  Kaylin leaned his head back and closed his eyes, as he tried to make sense of the whole scenario. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t even feel Tasha’s presence when she stepped back into the room.

  “Everything okay?”

  He looked up at her and cracked a smile. “Yeah, sis-in-law. Everything’s okay.” He stood up and stretched. “This nigga is lucky to have you. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, I know it.”

  “Red told you that we were gonna be gone for a couple of weeks, right?”

  “Yeah, she told me. She said sumthin about a tour with Papi Chulo and the white chick, Lil’E. Angel is liking her job a little too much. I’m getting jealous.” Tasha pretended to pout.

  Kaylin laughed. “We mixing work with pleasure, that’s all that is. And sort of like a prehoneymoon before the honeymoon. Nah mean? But check it. You’re welcome to come. We could pack up my boy and all of this here shit.” He waved his arms around the room. “I’ll make it happen for you.”

  “I’m sure you will. It would be some Weekend at Bernie’s-type shit, huh? Rolling him around on beaches and to clubs.” They both started laughing. “Trae would kick our asses when he woke up and found that we did some shit like that. Hell to the nah.” Tasha laughed

  “Our asses? I’d blame that shit all on you!” Kaylin teased.

  “Whatever, nigga, and I’m sure you would. Thanks, but no, thanks. We’ll wait here until y’all get back.”

  “Aiight, then. But if you change your mind, let a brotha know.” He went over to Trae, balled up his fist for him, and gave him a pound. Then he gave Tasha a hug and was gone.

  The crew of Game Over Records were amped and ready for their fifteen-day working vacation. Everyone was excited about the newcomers Papi Chulo and the white chick who was a lyrical genius, Lil’E. They were anxious to rock the crowd and Kaylin and Angel were looking forward to their working vacation and prehoneymoon. Bobbi, Dashae, and Courtney put the tour together in two months. They worked night and day.

  The first and most important stop was Ibiza, a hedonistic island off the coast of Spain and the epicenter of the European party circuit. All you do is party around the clock. And when you finally decide to get some sleep, it’s during the day and you do that on the beach. Talkin’ about a hot spot? Ibiza can’t get any hotter with its nonstop partying and sitting right there, literally … on the equator line. Sizzle … sizzle … sizzling! People clambor there from all over the planet, making it a very cosmopolitan hot spot.

  The music scene had hooked Kaylin with its many new artists, and the DJs coming there were doing groundbreaking things. Ibiza is so on fire that many of the hottest DJs come all the way over just to showcase one song. So Kaylin definitely wanted to make a lot of noise and showcase for Game Over. And he planned on doing just that, with the four shows he had lined up at Privilege, the largest club in the world.

  This was night number four as Kaylin stood in the back of the club next to Peter Gatin, the former nightclub King of New York. He had reigned over the Limelight and the Palladium, but Kaylin remembered him from his old Tunnel days. Now Peter was over here looking to open a new club. He wanted to be king again.

  They both stood there in awe as Lil’E had them and the crowd going bananas. Her raw energy was unbelievable … unreal. Even the people who didn’t speak English were going nuts. Peter and Kaylin looked at each other and Kaylin knew right then and there that it was official … he had a star on his hands. He owed his wife big time for this one.

  His spirits rose even higher as Papi Chulo received the same love. Papi showed him that Reggaeton was here to stay. Kaylin was amped. The crowd was already up on New Day. When they did their two singles, “Lovemakin’ Music” and “What’s Happenin’ Streets,” they sang along word for word.

  “My man.” Peter passed Kaylin his business card.

  “Call me. Promise me that your crew can do the same thing they did here tonight at my grand opening?”

  “You got that,” Kaylin assured him and took the card. They gave each other
a pound and Peter slipped off among the crowd.

  All four nights were performed in front of a packed house. They then spent the next four nights performing at the smaller clubs: Space, Pacha, Eden, and DC10. Then it was off to Greece to cruise to Mykonos, where Kaylin looked forward to a much lighter schedule and some rest and relaxation, not only for him but the two pregnant women as well. Kaylin left Ibiza on a natural high.

  They were now reveling in their downtime and the last two days of their working vacation and prehoneymoon. The expectation and goal were to make a lot of noise for Lil’E and Papi Chulo. They did both.

  “Damn, I’m mad that we couldn’t get Lupe Black on this here ticket.” Kaylin was kicking himself.

  “We’ll get him on the next one,” Angel assured Kaylin as they lay cuddled up.

  Angel was half asleep as Kaylin spooned her. He was wide awake since he had slept most of the day; plus, he was still hyped up. His head rested on one hand as he leaned on his elbow. His other hand was rubbing Angel’s belly. “Ma, you fallin’ asleep on me or what?”

  “I’m listening, baby, what’s up?” she whispered sleepily.

  He stopped rubbing her belly as he reached back onto the nightstand and snatched up a brochure. “Yo, Ma, listen to this. Does this sum this joint up to the letter or what?” Kaylin began to read the brochure out loud. “Mykonos is now the most cosmopolitan island in the world, more famous than Capri, more fashionable than Hawaii. Picture in your mind’s eye a deep blue sea, covered with white waves, and set in it a bare island bathed in sunlight. Add to—”

  “Baby, please.” She cut him off. “Why are you reading that to me? I see it, I see the island, it’s lovely.” Her eyes were still closed. “Mykonos is lovely, it’s heavenly. Don’t read anything else to me. Why are you still so excited? This is only the beginning.”

  “Exactly, Ma. And oh, what a start! Papi Chulo and Lil’E are gonna break platinum right out the gate, watch. I gotta get Scott Storch and Rick Rubin to hook up a coupla tracks on their albums. And there’s a new chick, Mayra Veronica, Reggaeton all the way, we gotta get her on a track with both of them,” he rattled off. “But check it, she’ll be showing soon, we can’t just let her disappear.”