by Pinky Dior
“Why did you come here Mercedes?” Chino bluntly asked.
“Well…umm…Chino I just wanted to apologize for the other day at the club and…” Chino interrupted.
“Yeah, you should be-acting a damn fool up in there.” Chino shook his head as he took off his Rolex and placed it on the dresser. Mercedes stood up and continued.
“I’m sorry Babe, but that day in school when I saw you and India-that really hurt me. What was that all about?” Mercedes crossed her arms across her breasts and awaited a response.
“Babe, do you want to know the truth?”
“Yes.” Mercedes looked at him in his eyes. She hoped she didn’t hear what she feared she would.
“Well, that day she came to me crying saying she wanted to talk to me. I told her that we were done and I was officially with you and shit. She said she didn’t care about that; she just wanted to talk to me. While we were in the hallway, she told me that her grandmother passed away that morning and she didn’t know what to do. Her grandmother was the only one who was always there for her. Her mother was a fiend. She left her when she was just a baby. I felt sorry for her, so I just hugged her and told her it would be alright. Mercedes, I would never cheat on you Ma so you don’t got shit to worry about. I love you Ma.”
Mercedes believed him, but she also remembered India said that she was having his baby. She knew India was jealous of her and wanted to walk in her shoes, so she just disregarded her statement.
“I’m sorry.” Chino cut her off.
“Just tell me that you love me too.” Chino lifted up her chin.
“I love you too Baby.” Mercedes moved in and slowly and sensually kissed him.
“I want to apologize to you too Ma. Since that day your pops and I butted heads, I have been acting different. I didn’t want to come between a father and his daughter. I feel that’s something you just don’t do. I understood where your pops came from, but he just doesn’t know how much I love you Ma. He’s just judging me by what I do, but that’s why I fell back.” Chino sighed.
“So are you still falling back?” Mercedes walked over to where he was standing and placed her arms around his neck. She cocked her head to one side and was searching his eyes for an answer. There was only one that she would be satisfied with.
“Nah Ma, I’m falling more in love with you. No one can ever keep us apart.” Chino kissed her passionately as Mercedes pulled his shirt over his head. He began to undress her as well. Mercedes pulled her hair from the ponytail and it regally laid
on her shoulders. Chino gently pulled her bra straps and unsnapped her bra. She giggled as she stepped out of her pants and he lustfully watched her hips and breasts.
Chino gently threw Mercedes on the bed and hopped on top. He palmed her breasts and put his tongue to work. Mercedes moaned as he skillfully licked and sucked on her breasts. Her hands wandered up and down his body. Mercedes bit the bottom of her lip as Chino found his way to her favorite spot, her pussy. Mercedes grabbed his head and grinded her hips as he gently and slowly sucked her fat pussy lips. Mercedes moaned like never before while Chino tasted her clit. He knew that she was in ecstasy and he was making her feel better than ever.
“You ready for me Ma?” Chino asked while winking at her.
“Oh I’m more than ready Baby.” Mercedes propped herself up with a pillow while keeping her legs spread wide. Chino climbed on top of her and slowly entered her wetness. With every stroke she gripped his back harder. Her eyes began to roll upwards in pleasure. His name rolled off of her tongue in sheer bliss.
“Chino…Papi.” Mercedes moaned. “That feels so good, don’t stop.” Chino made passionate love to her as they kissed exchanged freaky talk. They even cried together after the session was complete.
“Don’t ever leave me Chino.” Mercedes said as she stared into his eyes. He looked to her and placed his finger over her mouth, “I love you Ma, always and forever.” He had never made a promise like that before. He was always afraid that he would not be able to keep it.
“Love you too Chino.” A tear slipped down the side of her cheeks and she didn’t bother wiping it away, “Forever.”
Tomorrow Isn’t Promised
Chino and Mercedes were spending every night together since they reconciled. Mercedes would sneak out of the house to be with him. She told her parents that she was staying with Candy on most occasions. Don Carter still didn’t approve, but Mercedes believed in the old saying ‘what you don’t know won’t hurt you.’
One night, the loud ringing of the house phone startled Mercedes and awoke her from her sleep. She covered her head with the pillow and hoped the phone would stop. It continued ringing and she was extremely irritated. For some reason sleep had become her best friend lately; she couldn’t get enough of it. She answered the phone to receive the worst news she could imagine.
“Hello,” Mercedes mumbled into the phone.
“Mercedes,” Candy sounded distraught.
“Hey, whassup Candy?” Mercedes yawned.
“Umm, I have some bad news to tell you.”
“What is it?” Mercedes ears perked up and she listened closely. She pressed the phone firmly to her ears.
“Umm…it’s Chino…” Her heart started racing at the mention of his name.
“What Candy? What happened to him?” Mercedes panicked as she sat up in the bed. She was wide awake now.
“Chino’s…well…he’s dead.” Candy hesitated to say. “He was murdered last night.”
Mercedes couldn’t believe what Candy was saying. Tears exploded from her eyes and her heart fell to the floor at the news.
“No…no…no!” Mercedes dropped the phone on her lap. “Why? Lord no…no…this can’t be so!” Mercedes yelled.
“Mercedes! Mercedes!” she heard Candy yelling her name. She slowly picked the phone back up with trembling hands.
She cried uncontrollably and asked, “Candy, why did they have to take my Baby?”
“I don’t know Cedes, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how you feel, but damn I can only imagine.” Candy shook her head.
Mercedes was inconsolable and didn’t know what to do. Candy told her to meet her at the park in Manhattan on 116th St. Initially Mercedes didn’t want to go, but she decided that she needed some fresh air and someone to talk to. Her mother was at the salon getting her hair done and her father was working as usual. Don was a busy man.
As soon as they hung up with each other, Mercedes ran to her closet. She grabbed the first thing she put her hands on. She put her hair up in a quick ponytail and grabbed her Sidekick. She rushed down the stairs and was on her way.
The park where she was to meet Candy was only a couple of blocks from Chino’s house. She cried on the train ride for her lost love. When she got off the train, her eyes were red and people were staring at her. She didn’t care, she kept it moving.
Mercedes sat on the bench waiting for Candy to arrive. While she waited, she looked around the park and watched a couple hold hands and kiss. It reminded her of the good times with Chino. She cried even harder and didn’t bother to wipe away her tears.
Several minutes later, Mercedes noticed Candy walking towards her with her arms outstretched. She got up from the bench with her lips trembling and hugged Candy. They rocked side to side and held each other.
“It’ll be okay Mercedes.” Candy pulled back from the embrace and they sat on the bench together.
“I know…but damn Candy…that was my Baby…my man…my boo…my everything.” Mercedes responded. She didn’t know how to explain, “Candy, I fucking love him and didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.” Mercedes cried.
“Damn, I know Mercedes. I didn’t believe it when I found out.”
“Who told you?” Mercedes eagerly asked.
“Well one of his boys that I use to mess with Keith called me. He said that some nigga was following him in a black Cadillac. Evidently it went down in a bloodbath. They were both shooting at each other and I guess the last shot
hit Chino. His car flipped over and blew up…just some crazy shit.”
“What, oh my God!” Mercedes covered her mouth as the tears flooded her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she heard.
“Mercedes, you are a very beautiful person. You’re smart and you’re a great friend. You’re a real ass bitch and I love you Mercedes. And I know Chino loves you too. I know he’s looking down at you right now Ma. You had his heart.” Candy nudged her shoulder. “Its life Mercedes, shit happens.”
“Yeah, I know.” Mercedes sighed. “Thank you Candy.”
“No problem, just go home and try to get some sleep.” Candy said.
“Aight, see ya later Candy.” Mercedes responded as she and Candy parted ways.
When she got home, she immediately went to her room. She walked over to her closet and grabbed one of Chino’s hoodies. He had given it to her one day when she was cold and didn’t have a jacket. She smelled it and still had his favorite scent of Armani cologne. Tears formed in her eyes as she sat on the floor clutching his hoodie in her arms. Her cries were loud enough for anyone in the house to hear. She cried so hard that she had the sudden urge to vomit. She found herself rushing to the bathroom. She had been feeling funny for over a month, but kept ignoring it.
After vomiting her guts out, her face began to feel flushed and she was sweaty. She attributed it to the sadness that she felt inside about Chino. Somehow she knew it was more, but once again she ignored the signs.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door,
“Hey Baby, are you alright?” Maria asked from the opposite side of the door. Before Mercedes could respond, she was overcome with more nausea. Maria found her daughter with her head in the toilet releasing yellow stomach acid.
“Oh my God, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Maria panicked as she kneeled down to her daughter’s side and rubbed her back. Mercedes wiped the side of her lip.
“Nothing,” she mumbled as she got up and flushed the toilet.
“Baby come on, I know when something is wrong with you. I am your mother. It better not be that boy Chino because…”
“Chino’s dead.” Mercedes muttered through clenched jaws.
“Oh my God!” Maria covered her mouth in shock, “What happened?”
“Someone was following him and was shooting at him while he was driving. The car flipped over and now he’s dead.” Mercedes had no more tears left; she was all cried out. Her mother shed some tears for them both.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Maria said as she held her daughter close. Mercedes buried her face in her chest and Maria rubbed her silky hair. “It’s okay to cry Baby.”
“I love him Ma, and someone took him away from me.” Mercedes pulled back from the embrace and stared into her mother’s eyes.
“I know Baby, but sometimes life doesn’t go how we planned or wanted it to go. Things happen for a reason. Everything isn’t always going to be good, we must also prepare for the bad.” She kissed her daughter on the forehead.
“Baby you need some sleep. You’ve been crying and you’re burning up. You might have a fever.” She touched Mercedes forehead and it was scorching hot. “I’ll bring you some tea okay?”
Mercedes slightly smiled and nodded her head in approval. Her mother left the bathroom and went downstairs to get the tea. Mercedes brushed her teeth and crawled back into her bed. Before she did, she grabbed Chino’s hoodie and fell asleep with it in her arms.
Mercedes awoke hours later to the sound of knocking at her door. She didn’t respond because she wanted to be left alone. However, she heard it open anyway. It was her father. He hated to see his daughter hurting. Don walked in and sat on her bed. He placed a cup of tea on the night stand and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Hey Baby Girl.”
“Hey,” Mercedes said solemnly as she tried to hold back the tears.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Your mother told me that I should come upstairs and talk to you…is there something going on?” Don secretly panicked. His wife didn’t tell him anything, she didn’t feel as if it was her place to do so.
“Nothing,” Mercedes lied as she sucked in her lips and tried to hold back the tears. She knew her father would get it out of her one way or another.
“Mercedes, I know you and I know we haven’t been as close since Chino and I butted heads-but I want to apologize.”
“It’s a little too late for that.” Mercedes sniffed as the tears streamed down the sides of her face and dropped onto her fluffy pillow.
“What do you mean by that?” Don asked; he was baffled by her comment.
“Chino’s dead.” Mercedes blurted out. More tears fell as the words came out of her mouth. Don quickly moved in closer and embraced Mercedes. He held her head tightly against his chest as she relentlessly sobbed. He laid his chin on her head and rubbed her back.
“Shh Baby, I didn’t know that.” Don said. Mercedes pulled back from his embrace with her eyes as red as blood. She stared her father in the eyes.
“Did you kill him Daddy?” Mercedes asked bluntly.
“Of course not Baby Girl, why would I kill him?”
“I don’t know.” Mercedes shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe because you hated him and didn’t want me to ever talk to him again, I just figured I’d ask.”
“Baby Girl, listen to me. I would never hurt anyone that you love unless they put their hands on you. I love you Mercedes, and I could tell you loved him with all your heart…but” Mercedes cut him off.
“But what Daddy?”
“But I want you to be happy and I want you to finish school and go to college.”
Mercedes knew he was leaving out something, so she pushed for more answers.
“Daddy, what was it about him that you didn’t like? She asked while wiping her eyes.
He knew that his daughter loved Chino sincerely. He could see it in her eyes and in her face. She was always glowing when she spoke of him. He wanted her to be happy, but just not with Chino. When he saw Chino, he saw himself. Don and Mercedes stared at each other. They were searching for the truth and concealing it simultaneously.
“To be honest Mercedes, you know what I do for a living. I live that life, that fast life. Your mother is a beautiful woman and I love her. I didn’t want this lifestyle for her. I wanted to provide a good life for you and her. The price that comes along with it is usually too high. I don’t want you to have to worry about whether or not your husband is coming home at night because he’s a hustler. Either the streets will get him or jail will. Either way, that’s no way to live life.”
Don was finally real with her about his feelings. That still wouldn’t stop her from living her life.
“I hear you Daddy, but he’s gone now. You don’t have to worry about that.” Mercedes wanted him to understand how hurt she was that her dad was cruel to the man she loved.
“I’m just so sorry to hear that Mercedes, you just have to remain strong. You’re a Carter.” Don winked at her.
“Yes I am…Mercedes Carter” Mercedes smiled.
“I love you Baby Girl.” Don reached for a hug and Mercedes smiled as she hugged her father tightly. He got up to leave and turned to his daughter.
“Remember, no matter what The Carter family will never die!”
Mercedes processed the information that her father had given her. Although her man just died, the conversation with her father was long overdue. It helped her to put a few things into perspective. Mercedes pulled the covers back and lay her head on the pillow. She fell asleep remembering the words her father said before leaving her bedroom, ‘The Carter family will never die.’
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Chino’s funeral was held in his home town of Harlem. Mercedes wore all black and hair was simply parted down the middle. The funeral home was packed with people who came to pay their respects. The funeral was closed casket, with a picture of him on top. The parlor was filled with flowers from many who showed their love. Mercedes was accompanied by
her mother and father. They wanted to come as a show of support for their daughter. When Mercedes entered, she was greeted by Chino’s mother Cassandra. Cassandra looked over with tears in her eyes and Mercedes grabbed and held onto her hand. Tears streamed down her face as the pastor begin to speak. She never would have thought this would happen to him so soon. She had lost her husband and her son to the streets of Harlem.
After the eulogy and remarks given by family and friends, Mercedes looked at Cassandra for approval. It was her time to speak. Cassandra nodded and Mercedes rose from her seat to approach the podium.
“Good morning everyone. My name is Mercedes and I’m Chino’s girlfriend. I can’t say I was his girlfriend, I still am. I still carry him in my heart and I will never forget him. The first day I laid eyes on Chino it was love at first sight. His eyes, his long hair and his beautiful personality instantly won me over. Everything about him was pure and so beautiful. I don’t understand why someone would want to take his life. He’s a good person and I love him and I just want to say this to Chino.”
Mercedes looked up to the ceiling and placed her hand over her heart. She stood there with tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision.
“Chino I know you’re up there staring down on me, your mother, your family and everyone else. I love you Chino and no one will ever take your place. Your place is locked in my heart.” A tear crept down the side of her face and she wiped it away with her glove and laughed.
“I’m sorry ya’ll, I’m breaking down- but its tears of joy and pain. I’m just so blessed to be alive today; tomorrow isn’t promised for anyone. In closing, my message to you all is to stay strong and live your life as if it is your last day.”
Mercedes smiled as she walked back to her seat. Cassandra greeted her with a hug and kiss and thanked her for her kind words.
After the ceremony, Mercedes was walking down the corridor of the funeral home with her head down. She accidently bumped into India.
