It is What it is: A Hood Love Story

by B. , Ivory

  “Keema Jah with Los and he staying with him to make sure Jah alright, you already know your man a soldier, so he’ll be just fine.” “His hand broookkke,” Keema cried. “No it’s fractured and cut, but there’s good news. Jah never knew about the little boy until two weeks ago. Carlos told me.” Ty made a face like oh shit. Then Keema started to really get loud and dramatic. It took all three of them to finally get her upstairs to the bedroom and in bed. She cried for hours until falling off to sleep. All of them ended up crashing in Jah and Keema’s bed tired from the drama filled day.

  The very next day things took a turn for the worst; Keema woke up with her first bout of morning sickness. She ran to the toilet hurling up everything she ate the day before. She could hear the girls down stairs talking. She discreetly flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and lay back in bed. She checked her phone for any missed calls none, then she checked the house phone the same. Keema dialed Jah’s cell phone not even knowing what to say. She just wanted to hear his voice and make sure he was okay and tell him that she loved him. Her nerves were put to rest when her call was forwarded right to voicemail. The feeling of rejection that followed hurt like hell. Tears started to well up in her eyes and the crying started all over again.

  Lucky had suggested they all go out to lunch. She noticed that Keema hadn’t eaten much of anything. She knew it was really hard for Keema, she remembered bad times with Los and eating and sleeping was just a difficult task to complete when your heart is aching. As she expected Keema didn’t really eat anything, instead she played with her food rearranging the order of it on her plate. Lucky summoned the waiter to bring the check Keema had played with her food long enough and everyone at the table seemed to be in a funk; this definitely wasn’t one of their usual luncheons. Lucky pulled out her Black Card Carlos had given her to pay the bill. Everyone had reached for their purse except Keema who just sat looking dazed. “No I got it,” Lucky said. “Girl what I tell you about those cards?” Ty chastised. “Okay Suzie Orman calm down. This is my card with my name on it but it’s under Carlos name,” Lucky said holding the card up. “He gave it to me talking about he would prefer if I carried this instead of money because it’s safer.” “Hold up is that a Black Card?” Tamika asked Lucky shook her head. “A real Black Card girl with no limit. I called the credit card company and they confirmed it.” The table started laughing. “I got a lil crazy with it at first. I went and bought two new Hermes bags that I wouldn’t have paid my own money for, but shit it’s his money. I bought shoes galore and clothing. Girl the bill was sick. I almost threw up in my own mouth. I thought he would flip it was a little over…” Lucky stopped and didn’t finish. “A little over what Lucky?” Ty asked “40G’s,” Lucky answered shamefully. “What?!” the table screamed. “Yeah I was going to bring the stuff back. And pay for some stuff on my own. But when I called the company to make a payment they said the balance was zero, so I knew he paid for it. When he got home that night he was like, I see you took your card out for a test drive. Did you at least get me anything?” Lucky chuckled. “Girl that man spoils the shit out of you, you should've at least bought him a pair of boxers or socks,” Tamika laughed.

  They made it back to the house and Lucky watched Keema drift in and out of sleep for short periods of time, she looked worn out. As night fell, the girls started to blast music which was therapy for any broken heart. Mary J Blige old jawn Be without you blast through the surround sound and Keema cried so hard Lucky told Ty to cut the stereo off but Keema protested. When the song ended Keema signaled for them to sit around her they knew she had to tell them something. Ty turned down the stereo with the remote and sat next to her. “Y’all bitches about to be Aunties,” Keema said. The room went crazy “Keema! Are you serious?” Lucky yelled, she was so happy. Ty reached for Keema’s belly and rubbed softly “Keem you gonna be a mommy.” Keema smiled trying to hold back tears of joy. Keema placed her hand on Ty’s which was still resting on her stomach and cried. “Do Jah know?” Lucky asked with excitement. Keema shook her head “No he don’t. And y’all need to swear to god y’all won’t say shit. I mean it, don’t say nothing.” The tone of Keema’s voice let them all know she was serious. Everyone agreed to keep her secret a secret. “Keema I know you not planning to do that again,” Tamika said referring to an abortion. Keema looked offended “Hell no! The reason I don’t want him to find out now is because I want him to come back on his own will, I don’t want him to come back because of the baby situation. I want him to come back for me. I need to know that he loves me enough to forgive me like I forgave him for shit he put me through in the past.” All the women in the room nodded in agreement they knew exactly where she was coming from. “I was gonna tell him last night but shit happened and I never got a chance to.” She looked down into her lap. “How far along are you?” Ty asked. “A little over two months.” Ty smiled and hugged Keema tight “Wow hi lil Jah,” Ty said poking Keema’s stomach gently causing Keema to laugh.

  “Damn this is drama central, I need to light something Keema I know ya man holding that good shit that’s the only thing Jah put in his lungs where it at?” Ty asked. “Ty go upstairs in the second drawer on the night stand Jah got a lil stash in there,” Keema instructed. It’s any dutch masters up in here? Tamika asked. “Yeah it should be some strawberry flavored ones up there Jah hates them. He only likes grape or original.” And with that last statement Keema started crying again. “Keem you gonna be okay baby girl that man coming home,” Tamika assured. “Damn y’all just growing up so fast having babies and shit, goodness Ty where the fire at? I need to smoke something. I can’t believe my babies about to have babies,’ Tamika said. “Shit I’m stressed I need to hit something too,” Keema joked. “No the hell you not!” Lucky screamed. Keema laughed at Lucky’s over protectiveness. “Oh shit turn that up! That’s me and my baby song!” Keema exclaimed. Lucky turned up the stereo to blast Alicia Keys teenage love affair. Keema got up and started to smile for the first time in days and sing. “Nothing really matters I don’t really care what nobody tells me I’m gonna be here, it’s a matter of extreme importance my first teenage love affair. By the end of the song even tough tears were falling down her face she was smiling.

  “Did I ever tell you guys how I first met Jah? Everyone in the room said no in unison. “Tell us, tell us Keem,” Lucky said while puffing on the blunt the girls was sharing minus Keema. Keema broke into a smile “I don’t know if I should tell you guys.” everyone started to beg her to tell them. She laughed loving the fact she had control and they were hanging on her every word. “Okay, okay Ty turned the stereo off. Lucky was lying on the opposite couch with her hands under her chin looking as if she were getting ready to hear a bed time story. Keema looked at her and laughed.

  Teenaged Love Affair

  “It was Jefferson high where I met him. I was a junior and he was a freshman. Girl from the first day of school this nigga name rang bells. Everyone and I mean everyone from freshman’s to seniors knew of him cause he was known in the hood. The fact that his ass was driving a Lexus to school while most of us were straight walking, bussing it, or on the septa made him even more popular. This dude had a better car than the damn teachers.” The room lit up with laughter. “He was fine as hell back then like he is now only difference he had braids, long ones and he kept them shits fresh, in all type of styles zigzag, crisscross. I mean whoever braided his hair knew what they were doing. And y’all already know he stayed fresh to death all the time. From his clothes to his jewelry and his sneaker game was crazy. He had mad bitches in school on his shit heavy, all the time and he was smashing everything. I mean everything, even a teacher.” “What?” Ty screamed. “Yes girl it was this one teacher she was like in her early 30’s forgot her name but all the dudes in school used to be like they would hit that. They were all talk except for Jah he really smashed that.” Keema laughed. “That bitch used to be getting mad at the high school girls. Giving them detention and shit because they were in the hallw
ays talking to him.

  But listen I never paid him no attention. I thought he was fine as hell but being all on a nigga dick was never my style. So I really kept to myself and never followed what everyone else was into. I had this one girl that I hung with in school all the time since you guys didn’t go to the same school, her name was Tami.” “Uh yeah I remember her,” Ty said with a screw face. Keema laughed “Oh god Ty you would always get so mad if I even mentioned her name.” Ty rolled her eyes “Cause I could tell that bitch was phony. I didn’t like her.” “Please Ty you were just jealous.” A sly smile crept up on Ty’s face. “So you were my best friend first.” They all started laughing.

  “So anyways, third lunch wave I’m doing what I always do in line with Tami to get lunch and all of a sudden someone hits me in the shoulder with a empty soda can. I still remember it was a grape Crush soda can. I looked in back of me to see Jah and this chick. Looking at me laughing but she was laughing extra hard all exaggerated falling all over him and shit. Ladies now y’all know me, but obviously they didn’t. So I went to what was considered the cool table and was like “Yo who the fuck threw that can at me? No one said anything everyone just continued to laugh like I was a fucking joke. Jah gonna give me this real cocky look like, Yeah what if I shot the can. So y’all know how my mouth gets. I leaned right in his face and was like “fucking bitch ass niggaz gonna throw a bottle but then scared to say who threw it.” Ladies I thought that nigga was gonna show out on me but he just laughed as if he was tickled by me getting mad. The bitch that was next to him she laughing so hard I automatically assumed she threw the can. Before I knew what I was doing I was in that bitch face. “Yo bitch I will whoop ya ass! You threw that can at me!” “I didn’t throw shit at you and you ain’t gon whoop my ass, why you not jumping up in these niggaz face?” “Cause bitch somebody gotta get it and I don’t give a fuck who shot the can no more since you the bitch at the table with the biggest mouth. I’ma fuck you up.” I lunged at her; I was really gonna fuck her up. Next thing I know somebody grab me from behind wrapping they arms around me preventing me from pounding that bitch out. “Yooo chill baby girl why you acting up? You ain’t about to fight and get ya pretty face all scratched up.” “I was hot I didn’t know who was holding me back. I was like “Get the fuck off me.” Cause ole girl played the classic sucka role and got extra loud as soon as she saw school security guards heading our way and people grabbed both of us she started poppin off at her mouth crazy. I wanted to tear her up. I spin around mad that this person grabbed me back and it’s Jah standing there smiling. I stomped off mad as hell.

  After school I’m standing at the bus stop with Tami, guess who pulls up? Jah So he beeps his horn and calls my name. I was still mad, a bitch caught a detention and everything for what happened in the lunch room. I guess he could tell, so he said he was sorry and just wanted to talk. He asked if he could take me home. I don’t know why but I said yes, even though I had a boyfriend at the time.

  That same day we drove around for hours and talked. I felt like I knew him for years like he was really cool but it was on some friendship tip. He never came off like he wanted me until he brings me up the street from Sister G house. Y’all know she would’ve flipped if she saw a nigga bring me home in a damn Lexus. I get out the car to walk home and he grabs me pushed me up against his car and the rest is history, I was officially open after one kiss. After I kissed him, I told him I had a boyfriend. His response was “Yeah so what.” My lil boyfriend at the time dumps me the very next day. But get this, I didn’t know then but found out later that I got dumped cause Jah ran up on my boyfriend and told him” to stay the fuck away from me, So that fuckin punk gonna diss me cause he was scared of Jah. The room burst out in laughter.

  “Right after that day, I was riding wit Jah every single day. Either he would drop me off to work at the grocery store or I would just hang with him on the block he used to hustle from. Man that was some of the best fun I ever had in my life, those were the days. I saw it all bitches beefing and fighting, jump out boys hopping out and lining D-boys up running they pockets for drugs, money, and no one getting arrested. The cops used to straight gank them niggaz for they shit, leaving their pockets fucked up then let them go. The room erupted in laughter.

  When Jah first brought me over there to his block them chicks from over there was upset, they were ice grilling me and screwing they faces up something awful. This one girl from over there that was popular with the niggaz and had a reputation of being a brawler stepped to Jah, and asked him Why he be bringing me over there? Or how he gon bring some chick over there? Listen, he put that bitch in her place. Told her that I was his peoples and ain’t none of those bitches was gonna touch me. Girl long story short those chicks were mad at first but they had no choice but to get over it. Come to find out me and the same loud ghetto chick Peaches that stepped to Jah about him bringing me through the block, became real cool after that

  I used to sit up on the stoop dead in the middle of the hood braiding Jah’s hair while he caught crack sells or gambled. I learned to play c-low from Jah and them niggaz on Broad Street. Shit I even played lookout for them, if I saw the jump out boys up the street or something I would whistle warning them niggaz to get they shit right,” Keema said through laughter. “Jah basically turned me out to hood shit him and his lil street fam from Broad. But as far as me and Jah it was kinda weird right after that first day he brought me home when he kissed me, he never came onto me like that again. I was confused I found myself liking him more and more but it was as if he had a friend vibe for me or something.

  So anyways, Tami started acting really funny. She would always say lil slick shit like claim I was throwing shade or acting funny ever since I started hanging wit Jah. I never really paid it no mind I figured she was just feeling a little jealous being that me and her was so cool which we still were, but you know Jah wasn’t in the equation before. She used to say real off the wall shit like Uhh that’s all you talk about is Jah and them niggaz from Broad, you better watch it cause that’s all them niggaz trying to do is gang bang you. I know how them dudes get down from around that way that’s why Jah acting like he your best friend and shit. I never told Jah the slick shit she was saying. “Hold up I know you cussed that bitch the fuck out for saying some shit like that right?” Ty asked. Keema just smirked and put one finger up as if to say hold up.

  Jah would bring me lunch to school every day when he would go out to get lunch for himself. Back in the days lunch was open for people to come in and out, and mad people with cars would leave go get something and come back. I was on my way to meet Jah where I always met him to grab my lunch from him, ain’t shit change I wasn’t on no phony shit. I was still sitting with Tami everyday for lunch and he was doing what he did with his people. So why I overhear one of these little groupie bitches in his face that hangs with the bitch I was about to fight. She was like “Oohhh Jah let me find out you got a thing for dusty Keema.” “Ohh! No the fuck she didn’t. I know you fucked that bitch up!” Lucky screamed. “Nope I sure didn’t. I waited to hear exactly what Jah was gonna say. I can’t remember his exact words but he said something like, Yo you know you talk to fuckin much, or you talk too much shut the fuck up. I don’t know but honestly the reason I didn’t go off was because I was too embarrassed. I know I wasn’t like the rest of them girls that was talking shit. They wore the best, they had moms to cop shit for them. And on top of that them bitches were fucking for outfits and sneakers. One of those chicks in that lil clique mother was a hair dresser so they hair was always tight. Y’all know the way I used to rock my hair, in a ponytail. My hair was too long and curly to deal with it out.

  Sister G never brought me anything. I would have to work to buy whatever I owned. While these chicks was rocking name brands. So I mean it was obvious that my clothing game wasn’t up to par. Side note though, I swear to god no freaking lie although those bitches used to be dressed to the nine’s they panties were always raggedy. They panties were
always fucked up. One of them used to rock the same bra like every day. I had swimming with them and I remember one day a nasty bloody pair of panties fell out of one of their bag. They sat there and argued about which one of them the panties belonged to. I swear I never got how those chicks thought they were so fly, dressed up on the outside but raggedy ass panties on under all them designer clothes. Lucky fell out on the floor with laughter “Yooo it be like that, that is the truth bitches be like that,” Tamika confirmed through laughter hearing her share of dirty panty stories over the years of being a hair stylist. “Ty now you know we used to be up in Victoria secret faithfully for them semi-annual sales copping the 5 for 30 panties and even copping the expensive sets for when we knew we was gonna get it in wit our little boyfriends .” Ty jumped up and high fived Keema “You already know. And we had all the damn lotions and body sprays,” Ty screamed. “Exactly that’s what I’m saying,” Keema said with a smile on her face. “That just goes to show you that a nigga would fuck anything, even a chick with nasty panties and brown stains in them their just gross. But anyways, I wasn’t the flyest but you better believe a bitch had the best on her ass and I always smelled good.

  Anyways where was I?” “When the bitch said that funny shit,” Lucky said with attitude. “Oh yeah, I heard what she said and I was pissed and embarrassed. So, I went back to the table with Tami and acted as if I never heard anything. Tami must’ve known something happened because she started with the questions. “What up, what happened?” I was like nothing, like I said I didn’t want to repeat what was said it was too embarrassing. Not to mention on that day I had the same damn all white air force ones that I had since Christmas when Aunt Tina bought them for me, and here it was damn near the end of the school year. Even though I kept them shits clean no matter how clean you keep all white sneakers they will start to turn that off white looking color on you. And that’s exactly how they were looking.