“Whatever.”
Janell
Santi had already warned me about the conversation Trent wanted to have with me. I couldn’t say I was surprised. Kelsi was a good woman, and any man would be lucky to have her. I just didn’t think Trent was the one. Don’t get me wrong; he was a cool dude. He just wasn’t the type of man I saw Kelsi being with. She wasn’t equipped to handle Trent and his street shit.
When I told him this, he reminded me that people thought the same thing about him when we first started messing around. Santi was in the dope game when I first met him, and I had to admit, that was one of the things that drew me to him. I’d always liked bad boys. It was something about that rough shit that turned me on.
Trent and Santi were different though. Santi set an end goal for his hustling days and stuck to it. From the looks of it, Trent was addicted to it. He seemed to be prepared to do the shit forever. That was why I couldn’t allow him to date my sister. It took Santi reminding me that Kelsi went to bat for us whenever somebody came at me sideways about our relationship. She didn’t care who it was. Any time somebody said something negative about us, she was on they asses like white on rice. Though Santi wasn’t sure if things would work between them, he told me it was only right I returned the favor to Kelsi. It was for that reason only that I was giving Trent a chance with her.
Later that evening, I sat down with Kelsi and told her my thoughts while Santi and Trent went to Mississippi to get their things. With Trent deciding to move here, Santi decided to do the same.
“If you want to give him a chance, Kels, go for it.”
“Really? I just knew you were gonna curse my ass out for even considering it.”
“I was until Santi reminded me how hard you rode for us when we first got together.”
“You’re my sister. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
“Well, now it’s my turn to do what I’m supposed to do. If you want to give that man a chance, go for it.”
“I really do like him. He’s not the type of guy I saw myself with, but that could be a good thing.”
“It could be. You never know. Oh, I told him if he fucked up, I would beat his ass.”
“Of course you did.”
We hugged then decided to watch a couple movies. By the time the second one was over with, the guys were back. The four of us smoked and had drinks to celebrate the guys moving here. Looking at the way Trent and Kelsi interacted with each other made me wonder if my fears about them being together were wrong. However, later on, I would discover they weren’t.
Kelsi: A month and a half later
“I can’t believe we are about to sign the lease on our own place!” I excitedly told Trent.
“I told you we were going to do it, baby. Guess you didn’t have no faith in your nigga though.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in you. I just didn’t think it would happen this fast.”
It had been a little under two months since Trent moved to Tuscaloosa with me, and to my surprise, things had been going great. The Monday after he moved here, he applied to some temp agencies. By the end of the week, he had an interview. The next week, he was working at SMP, which was a plant that made car seats for Mercedes. They paid good money and were always giving out overtime. Santi had gotten a job there too. Due to Trent not having a car, they worked it out so they were on the same shift.
Today, he took off so that we could sign the lease on our new apartment. It was on the other side of Tuscaloosa near Cottondale. When we first started looking, I tried to find places closer to Janell, but they were full. With this being a college town, that wasn’t a surprise. We lucked up and got the last available apartment at this complex.
It was a small one-bedroom, one-bath, which was perfect for us. There was a pool, and from what I heard, the neighborhood was safe. That was all that mattered to me.
After signing the lease, we went to the furniture store. We purchased a sofa, loveseat, and a bed. We needed a dining room table, but it wasn’t a necessity, so we decided to wait on it. Janell bought us dishes, and my mom got us some towels as our housewarming gifts. I knew Janell was going to get us something, but my mom shocked me.
When I introduced her to Trent, she made it clear she wasn’t fond of him. I had him dress in some khakis and a nice button down, but she still peeped that he was a street dude. When I told her we were moving in together, she tried to talk me out of it. I guess once she saw I was going to do it with or without her blessing, she gave in.
Over the next few days, we spent time getting things together for our apartment. We got the utilities switched over to our names and got miscellaneous things we needed. I worked from home until the end of the week. When I went back to work, I realized how tired I was. It didn’t dawn on me that I would need a few days to recoup.
I told Trent how tired I was a few times while we were texting. He told me since he was getting off early, he would have a surprise for me when I got off. I never rushed home so fast. When I opened the door, I noticed there were candles lit, and I smelled food.
“It smells good in here,” I said when I walked in.
“Welcome home, beautiful,” Trent replied before giving me a kiss.
“What’s all this?”
“You said you were tired, so I’m going to relax you. Get out of those clothes while I run your bath water. Your dinner will be waiting for you when you get out.”
I had the biggest smile on my face. A man had never done anything like this for me before. I had already fallen in love with his man. Him doing this just made me fall deeper. Once my water was ran, I got in the tub and soaked for what seemed like forever.
While I was in there, I thought about how far Trent and I had come in just a short amount of time. I never imagined myself being with a man like Trent, but I was, and I loved every minute of it. I knew no relationship was perfect and we would have problems. In my mind, we would be able to push through any obstacle that came our way. Little did I know the amount of bullshit that was in store for me.
Trent: Three weeks later
Moving to Tuscaloosa was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. Not having to be nervous every time I saw police was one of the best feelings in the world. Shit with Kelsi had been straight. It was nice to have a chick who was down for a nigga no matter what. I fucked with her the long way.
The downside was my job. Don’t get me wrong; I made good money. Shit, I made damn good money. However, this working man stuff wasn’t for me. Punching a time clock and being told what to do every day was something I couldn’t get used to. I liked setting my own hours and being my own boss.
As hard as I tried to fight it, the streets were calling me. I decided to get some dope from this dude I met in my neighborhood. At first, I was skeptical of him. For all I knew, he could have been a rat. I talked to him for a few more days and watched his movements before I copped from him.
Since he had our complex on lock, I started selling to the people at my job. Niggas at that plant smoked all day, every day. Within a week, I had made double my paycheck and had to reup. This was the kind of money I was used to making. In order for me to be able to quit my job, I had to find customers elsewhere.
One day I was riding around with Santi when I saw a familiar face. It was my cousin Kaden on my dad’s side.
“KO, is that you, cuz?” I asked, calling him by his nickname.
“Trent?”
“Hell yeah, it’s me. What you doing out here?”
“Shit, I stay out here.”
“Word? I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah. I left Mississippi ’bout six years ago. My ol’ lady got a job up this way, so I came with her. Who you visiting up here? Is that Santi? What up, nigga?”
“I ain’t seen your ass in forever! What’s good, KO?” Santi said as they dapped each other up.
“Shit, I moved out this bitch not too long ago.”
“For real?”
I told him how I moved out her
e after I met Kelsi. He suggested that we all get together this evening. I gave him the address to the crib and invited him and his girl over. Once we were done talking, I hit Kelsi up and let her know they would be coming over. She told me she was excited about meeting more of my family. I was excited that I ran into KO, but not for the same reason Kelsi was. If KO was out here, then he knew people, the kind of people I needed to know so I could get my ass out that plant.
Later that evening, KO came over with his girl Shawnda. I had ordered pizza and wings before they got there. The four of us ate and talked. KO and I went outside to talk later on that evening. We told the women it was so they could get to know each other, but it was really so we could talk business.
“Cuz, I’m tryna get out this plant.”
“I was gonna ask why you working a nine-to-five. What you wanna do?”
“I need you to hook me up. Set me up with some customers.”
“What you got?”
“Some weed.”
“You gonna need a lil’ more than that. I’ll get you set up with my connect. Get you some coke, pills, and some different types of weed. Since you just starting out, I got some shit for you.”
“My nigga! That’s what’s up. I tried this plant shit ’cause I needed money to get me and my girl a spot. We was staying with Santi and her sister.”
“I feel you on that. What’s up wit’ your girl though? She not your usual type.”
“She not, but she straight. I need a good girl to get me right. Keep my ass out of trouble. You feel me?”
“I feel that. That’s how my girl is. My ass would be in jail by now if it wasn’t for her. Her daddy the sheriff. Whenever shit ’bout to get hot, she let me know so I can chill out.”
I couldn’t lie. That shit KO said about his girl made me a lil’ jealous. Kelsi loved me and all, but she would never do no shit like that. I prayed hanging out with KO’s girl would loosen her up a little bit.
Two weeks later
When I wasn’t working or chilling with Kelsi, I hung out with KO. He kept his word and got me some work to sell. So far, shit was booming, and I was almost to the point where I felt comfortable enough to quit my job. I might have hated it, but I wasn’t gonna quit till I was making enough bread to take care of home.
Kelsi wasn’t feeling well today, so she took some meds and went to bed. KO invited me to his crib for a party. After I made sure she was straight, I went out. This was the first party I’d been to since I’d been in Tuscaloosa. I called Santi to go with me, but he was under Janell. I couldn’t; he was definitely better at this boyfriend shit than I was.
“What’s good, cuz? How you?” KO greeted me when I walked in.
“I’m good. You got it booming in this bitch!”
“This how we get down. We got liquor, lean, weed, and X pills. Get you some and have a good time.”
I did exactly what he told me to do. He rolled a blunt while I got a shot of Henny and took a X pill. While I was chilling, peeping the scene, this chick came over to me. She looked like she was about five feet five, had a blonde weave that was down to her ass, and her breasts were big. Her skin complexion reminded me of a snicker. She was bad, but not as bad as Kelsi.
“How you doing?” she asked me.
“I’m good. How about you?”
“I’m straight. I’ve never seen you around here before. What’s your name?”
“You must know everybody in the city? I just moved here. I’m Trent.”
“I know a good bit of people. Nice to meet you, Trent. I’m Drea. Welcome to Tuscaloosa.”
“’Preciate it, Drea.”
I didn’t say much to her, but she talked my ass to death. She asked if I had a girl, and I told her yes. She started asking if I was happy and shit. I kept trying to get rid of her ass, but it didn’t work. I rolled another blunt, and we smoked it. When she got high, she stopped talking as much. She asked for my number twice.
The third time she asked, I gave in and gave it to her. I had no plans to cheat on my woman, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be with her. She was cute and all, but I liked my women thicker. When she looked at my phone, she saw the picture of Kelsi that I had as my screensaver.
“She looks like a plain bitch. You can do better.”
“You don’t know shit about my woman, so don’t speak on her!”
“Damn, calm down. It was just my opinion.”
“Well, keep it to yourself.”
Without warning, Drea took out her phone, pulled me beside her, and started snapping pictures of us.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Taking a few selfies. Smile for me.”
“Hell nah. I’m not taking no damn selfies with you, for you to post them on social media.”
“I promise I won’t post it. Smile for me one time and I’ll leave you alone.”
Against my better judgment, I smiled so she could take the pics and leave me alone. Once she had taken the pictures, she got up and left.
I continued to drink and smoke. A couple more women walked up to me and started talking. Kelsi started calling my phone. Even though she told me she wasn’t going to bother me, I knew if I was out past a certain time, she would start calling. I put my phone on silent and continued to party.
At around 2 a.m., I decided it was time to take my ass home. The way the women were throwing themselves at me, I knew it was gonna be a matter of time before I fucked one of them. It took me a minute to get home because I was so fucked up. I couldn’t take the chance of getting pulled over or having an accident in Kelsi’s car. She treated that car like it was her child.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled up to the crib. I walked inside, preparing myself for this argument I was about to have with Kelsi. However, when I got inside and looked in our bedroom, she wasn’t there. That was odd. I pulled out my phone to call her, but it went to voicemail. I tried a couple more times and got the same thing.
Getting worried, I decided to call Janell.
“Aye, sis, I’m sorry to call so late, but I was wondering if Kelsi is with you?” I asked Janell when she answered.
“Had you answered your phone when she called, you would know that she’s in the ER. She called me crying about chest pains, so I brought her here.”
“Damn! I was at a party and didn’t hear my phone ringing,” I lied.
“Yeah, OK.”
“How is she? I’m ’bout to come up there.”
“Don’t bother. She ’bout to be discharged. She has walking pneumonia.”
“This time of the year?”
“You can get pneumonia anytime. She has to be on bed rest until she gets better. Can you take care of her, or does she need to go to my house?”
I could hear the anger in Janell’s voice. She knew I was lying about not hearing my phone ringing. Her asking if Kelsi needed to go to her house was too much. I got I wasn’t there to take her to the hospital, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t take care of my woman.
“Bring her here. I’ll take a couple days off and take care of her.”
Janell hesitated for a few minutes, but she agreed to bring Kelsi home. I tried my best to sober up so that I could tend to Kelsi’s needs. That was hard though because of all the shit I had in my system. I took a shower, trying my best to sober up. It worked some, but not enough. About thirty minutes after my shower, I heard the door open. I walked into the living room and saw Janell helping Kelsi in.
“I got her,” I told Janell.
“She gonna need somebody with her at all times. I’m taking a few days off to be with her. The doctor saying she will be fine with the meds, but when it comes to my sister, I’m not taking any chances.”
“I feel you. I’ll be here. If I need to go out or something, I’ll call you to come over.”
She agreed, kissed Kelsi on the cheek, and walked out the door. Kelsi looked at me like she wanted to say something but didn’t. She started stripping out of her clothes. I tried to help her, but she stopped me.
Rather than say anything, she just stood there. I took her clothes off and put the gown on her that she liked to sleep in. She got in bed and quickly dozed off. While she was sleeping, I started thinking. I could make a lot more money in the streets if I didn’t have my job. KO let me know that he made moves in Northport too. Majority of the time when he did it, I was at work. I knew it would be a fight with Kelsi, but I had to quit my job. Long as I was paying bills, I didn’t see the issue. I was gonna think on it a few more days, but I was quitting that job. It was time for the street nigga to come back out.
Kelsi: One week later
It had been a week since I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. I thought I would be feeling better, but I wasn’t. It seemed like I was getting worse. To make matter worse, Trent was acting stupid. The first few days I was sick, he waited on me hand and foot. He also cooked for me and made sure the house was clean.
After the third day, he started acting like he was annoyed with me. Whenever I asked what his problem was, he told me not to worry about it. I knew if we didn’t take a break from each other soon, things would go left.
“Bae, you can go hang out with your friends for a while. If I need anything, I’ll call Janell.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Without a second thought, he grabbed the keys and headed out the door. Part of me felt sad that he left like that. If he was sick and needed my help, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay with him. Guess that showed how different we were. While he was gone, I ordered some food from American Deli and had DoorDash to deliver it. American Deli was my favorite restaurant.
While I waited for my food, I decided to get a bath. Soaking in hot water always made me feel wonderful. I stayed in the tub until my DoorDash app said my food was close. Since I was sick, I put for the driver to leave it at the door.
After eating my food, I took my meds and went to bed. I wasn’t sure how long I was sleep, but I woke up to kisses on my cheek. It was Trent.
While He Was Sleeping: Kelsi's Story Page 3
