by Kia
That image would forever be in my head.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Yazz
“Frizzy, wake up. Come on,” I said as I tried to get Frizzy to wake up, but it wasn’t working.
I tried to rationalize with myself, making excuses for how this could be a joke, but it was very real. So real that it was scary.
“We gotta get her outta here,” Red said.
“And do what?! Dump her somewhere like a fucking nobody? No,” I said as I rocked her back and forth. For the first time in a long time, tears ran down my face.
“I’m sorry,” Red said with pleading eyes as she walked away and gave me alone time.
“Oh, baby, what were you doing here? Who did this to you?” I asked as I rocked back and forth.
“Your brother is on the phone for you,” Red said, but I didn’t respond.
“Come back, Frizzy. Please, God, do me this one time,” I cried. Cocaine was all in my dreads, but I didn’t give a fuck.
Red walked back into the bathroom slowly, kneeled down, and grabbed my hands. “Look, I know you’re hurt, and I am so sorry. But you need to pull it together before you end up in prison. There are drugs in this condo and a dead woman who was shot with your gun. Get out of the tub and help me fix this for you.”
“But I didn’t do it.”
“I know you didn’t. But the police aren’t going to care. Get up, Yazz, and I won’t ask again,” she said as she stood up and extended her hand to help me out.
I didn’t fight it, I just did as I was told. I appreciated Red for being my brain when I didn’t have one. I know this is more than she bargained for, but she made it her business to make sure I was good.
“What do we do?” I asked as she wiped the tears from my face and the cocaine away from my forehead.
“One step at a time. Okay? First thing first, we clean this mess up.”
“Kasha did this. I know she did to get back at me. I know it.”
“We will worry about that later. Let’s get this mess cleaned up. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, putting my head down.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but you have to get rid of all the cocaine in the tub. It has blood on it and its evidence. You hear?” she asked as she placed her hands on my face, bringing my attention back to her.
This would be the longest night in my life.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Diamond
“Why’d you just up and leave? And how do you know Yazz?” Neek asked.
“Long story,” I said as I rolled out of bed and went to make me a midnight snack.
“I got time.”
“I don’t want to really talk about it over the phone,” I said as I pulled out some oatmeal.
“That’s why I’m at the door.”
I smiled and opened the front door. Sure enough, he was standing right there. He just wouldn’t give up.
“Now what were you saying?” he asked as he walked inside and shut the door.
“Yazz has another brother named Gee, and that’s my child’s father.”
“Damn, and you felt the need to keep that away from me?” he asked as he led me over to the couch.
“It wasn’t your business.”
“Damn.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but still.”
“That nigga Gee got mad cake, though.”
“What that mean?” I asked.
“Like, why you not fucking with that nigga?”
I frowned. “Is that a reason to keep someone around? To use them?”
“Na, I’m just saying. I feel flattered ’cause you fucking with a nigga like me when you could have a nigga like that,” he said as he leaned in to kiss me, but I pulled back. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m not ready for that yet,” I said.
“What? A kiss?”
“No, I’m not ready for what will come after that kiss.”
“I feel you.”
A knock came at the door and I immediately thought it was Red. “Hold on,” I said as I walked and looked out the peep hole.
It was Gee. I wanted to answer, but couldn’t with Neek sitting right here. So I walked back over and sat down.
“Who’s that?” Neek asked.
I put my index finger over my mouth. “Shhhh, be quiet,” I whispered. When the knocking stopped, I finally spoke. “That was Gee.”
“Why didn’t you answer?”
I looked at him like he was dumb. “Because you’re here. Why would I? Why you asking so many questions?” I asked.
“I don’t wanna come between y’all if that nigga really loves you.”
“Gee doesn’t love me.”
He raised his brow. “That nigga stood at the door knocking for a minute. He definitely loves you.”
I looked over his shoulder and onto the patio. Maybe he was right.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Gee
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I said to myself as I got back into my car.
Diamond didn’t answer the door and I was confused about how in the fuck it came to this. I had blood on my hands from someone that I didn’t even kill. She killed herself. But who would believe me? I went to Diamond because I needed to see her to calm me down, but she didn’t answer the door for me. And I know she was there.
I didn’t even care about finding Kasha anymore. She was the least of my worries. You know what, why don’t I just call Yazz and explain that it was an accident? Yeah, just tell him that she indeed killed herself.
I picked up the phone to call him. Red answered. “Hello?”
“Where is Yazz?”
“Hold on, here he is.” I heard her trying to give Yazz the phone.
“Fuck!” I yelled as I hung up.
What the fuck was I thinking? I couldn’t tell him no shit like this. The only thing left to do was go home. I needed to wash up and take these clothes off anyway.
***
When got home, Kasha was there. She refused to go away, and it was beginning to make me very angry. “I just couldn’t leave. I need you, Gee,” she said as I shut the front door and walked past her.
“Kasha, it’s not the time,” I said as I turned the light on in the bathroom, exposing all of the blood that was on me.
“What the f… What happened?” she asked as she walked closer to me.
I sat on the stairs that led to my tub and placed my head in my palms.
“It’s nothing, Kasha. Really. It’s okay.”
“Baby…” she tried to wrap her arms around me, but I pushed her away.
“Stop.”
“But I just want to help,” she said, taking my shirt off. Then she grabbed a wet towel and wiped the blood off of my face.
“Move, Kasha.” I pushed her away again.
“Stop doing me like this!” She was now standing up and pointing her finger at me as tears threatened to fall.
“Like what?”
“Let me be here for you, Gee! Please,” she said as she kneeled back down and continued to scrub my face.
“Don’t cry,” I said as I stroked the side of her face and ran my hands through her hair.
“I just want to show you that I care and be here for you. That’s all. I love you.”
When she said that, it made me think of something. Moments like these, I could always count on her. “I love you too.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Red
“We have to go,” I said to Yazz. We had cleaned the condo and dumped the body, now it was time to go.
“We’re just going to leave her here?” he asked with a pitiful look on his face.
The wind had started blowing really hard, and rain was starting to fall.
“We have to go, baby.”
I walked to him and grabbed his arm. It was rude, but I had to get him into that car. Finally, he gave in and walked my way. The fact that he got into the passenger side let me know that he was too fucked up about this to drive. So I drove. It was no bi
g deal to me, but I wasn’t about to deal with him and his mood swings.
“Did you kill her?” he asked as he glared at me with glossy eyes.
“What? Why would you ask me that?”
“It’s no coincidence that you’re the one that found her dead.”
I swerved to the side of the road. It was now pouring down raining, so I almost slid into a ditch. “Listen to me, I would never kill her. You hear me? Get ya fucking head wrapped back tight!”
“You’re right. I need to stop tripping. That’s all.” He got out of the car and started to pace back and forth in the rain.
“Here we go,” I said as I got out and went to comfort him.
“She has to die. She has to go!” he yelled over the rain and thunder.
“I know! Get back in the car!” I yelled. We weren’t even out of Orchard Beach Park yet, and I didn’t want anyone driving crazy and hitting us on this small road.
“Then my fucking drugs are gone. Fuck!”
“I know this, Yazz! But I have to get you back in the car. I’m pregnant and I don’t have a jacket!”
Skrrrrrr
“What the fuck?” Yazz asked as we turned around and looked up the road.
A car had just slid to the side of the road. At first I thought it was an accident until I saw three men hop out the car and go to the trunk. They were far back, so I couldn’t hear what was being said, but I heard the gunshots.
“Oh, shit!” I yelled when I saw them drag a body out of the trunk and toss it on side of the road like a rag doll.
Skrrrrrr
The car burnt rubber as they sped out of there. Then Yazz started running toward the body.
“Yazz! Let’s go!” I yelled after him, but he wasn’t trying to hear it.
He was running up the road like his life depended on it. I rushed back to the car and drove up to where he was with the body.
“He’s still alive! He’s moving!” Yazz yelled as he waved me over.
“Yazz, we have to go,” I said. This had nothing to do with us. We were already in enough trouble.
“Noooooo!” he yelled.
“What?” I asked as I got closer. Then I walked around to see the face of the person that was shot.
“No, no, no, no, no!” Yazz yelled over and over.
I finally saw the face and couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Emo?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Diamond
“What I really need is a down ass bitch,” Neek said as we smoked a blunt.
I knew I didn’t need it because I was pregnant, but I couldn’t help it. I was stressed the fuck out.
“I ain’t nobody’s bitch. Know that,” I said as I passed him the blunt.
“I’m just saying.”
“I hear you, but watch your mouth. That’s all.”
“Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you,” he laughed as he tapped my shoulder.
My phone began to ring. It was Red. “What, Red?”
“Where are you? Have you talked to Gee?” she asked.
“The house, and no I haven’t. Why?”
“Get to the hospital now,” is all she said.
“Why?”
“Dammit, Diamond, just get here! I’ll send you the address! And call Gee while you’re at it. Maybe he’ll answer for you.”
“Who was that?” Neek asked.
“Red, she says she need me at the hospital.”
“You need a ride?” he asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind. Let me grab my sister.” I went to my room and started to get Rena dressed. While I was back there, I tried to call Gee, but got no response.
“Ready?” he asked as he stood by the door.
He extended his arms to take Rena’s bag out of my hand and we proceeded to leave.
“I don’t even know why she wants me to come there,” I said as I gave him the address.
“Is she okay? Is her baby okay?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Yazz
“Calm down, Yazz. We don’t know anything yet,” Red said as I paced back and forth in the hospital lobby.
“But he was shot in the chest, Red. Three times! How can you tell me to calm down? That’s where all of the important organs are!”
“Come here,” she said as she stood up and pulled me to sit beside her. Then she stroked my head.
“I’m sorry, it’s just been a long night,” I said as I buried my face into her neck while she played with my dreads.
“I understand.”
“Did you call Gee?” I asked.
“Yes, but I got no response. So I had Diamond to call.” Her saying that reminded me of something. I jerked my head up.
“Did you know that Diamond was cheating on Gee?”
“First of all, her and Gee aren’t even together, so how is she going to cheat?”
“She’s pregnant with his baby,” I said as I leaned back to cuddle with her. It felt good to finally have someone to be there for me now. She made the weight of the world feel so light.
“And what does that mean? Gee keeps making it clear that its only business between the two.”
“But they had sex,” I said as she pulled me closer and held me like a baby.
“And what exactly is your point?”
“He broke the contract. That’s a big ass step for my boy.”
“And he damn near broke her heart too. Is that a big step?” she asked.
“Yazz?” I heard someone say.
I looked around the lobby and finally saw who it was. We locked eyes.
“What’s up, Parish?” I asked as I stood up and walked over to her so Red couldn’t hear what we were saying. Parish was a school teacher who I used to fuck with, but shit ended quicker than it started.
“Hey, haven’t seen you in a while. How are you? Is everything okay?” she asked, looking over my shoulder at Red.
I stepped to the side to block her view. Last thing I wanted was for Red to get to tripping.
“It’s all good. My brother is here.”
Parish wasn’t bad looking at all. She was actually tall, dark, and beautiful. We looked each other right in the eyes. The only reason it didn’t work was because she wanted something that I wasn’t ready for at the time.
“Oh my. Is he okay?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m here. What about you?”
“Just here getting the reports from my sister and brother’s deaths. We’re suing the police.”
“Yeah? What happened?”
“They killed my sister, Patricia, when she wasn’t even carrying a gun. And we have reason to believe that their bullets killed my brother, and not the guy that’s in jail.”
“I hope that works out for you,” I said as I turned around to see if Red was still good. She was; she was now on the phone.
“Is that your woman?” Parish asked.
I ignored her when Red stood and walked over to us. “That was Gee. He’s on the way now,” Red said, then she went back to sit down. I was utterly surprised that she didn’t flip out, and I really appreciated it.
“That’s my child’s mother,” I said to Parish.
“Yeah? When this happen?”
“It happened. Ain’t that all that matters?” I asked.
“I guess this means you can’t call me sometime so we can catch up.”
“Look, today really isn’t the day. Maybe I’ll catch you on the rebound out there,” I said.
“Do you have a Facebook? I can add you.” She just wasn’t about to give up.
“You know damn well I don’t mess around with that police ass site.”
“Well, you don’t have the same number, so how can I reach you?” she asked.
“You have the same number?” I asked as I put both hands on my head.
“Yeah, just call me. Okay?” She was now backing up slowly, preparing to leave.
“Umhmm,” Red hummed as I sat back down and buried my face
into her neck again.
“She was a nobody.”
“Don’t look like she was a nobody.”
“Well, looks can be deceiving.”
“Boy…” She popped my head lightly and laughed.
“What? You asked,” I said.
“You just got all type of women,” she said as we watched a woman being rushed into the side doors. Judging by the big wet spot in her pants, I assumed she was there to give birth to a child.
“You ready for that?” I asked as we heard the woman scream in agony.
“Are you?” she replied.
“I mean… yeah. I’m already starting to feel all gooey inside,” I joked.
“Me too. It’s not just going to be us anymore.” She kissed my forehead.
“Then I should fuck the hell out of you while we have alone time, huh?” I asked.
This made me think of Frizzy. We often had conversations like this when she talked about having my baby. Now I was sad again. I squeezed Red tighter.
“And we need to be taking some classes.”
“Classes? I’m tired of fucking classes and sessions. I don’t need a woman with a degree telling me how to raise my baby. You need classes or something?” I asked her.
“Not at all.”
“Mr. Achul!” The doctor yelled as he burst through the doors and looked around the waiting room.
“Come on,” Red said, grabbing my hand. I wasn’t ready to hear what he had to say.
“How’s it looking?” I asked as we got closer.
“Let’s have a seat. Right over there.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Gee
“I just don’t think that’s a good idea, Kasha,” I said as I slipped on my last Air Max.
“Why? I need to be there for you.” She was now slipping her shirt back on.
While we were in bed sleeping, Red blew my phone off the hinges. I didn’t answer until she called for the hundredth time. Any other time, I would have answered on the second ring, but tonight was different. It was weird, and I didn’t feel like hearing or seeing any more bad news.
