by Desirée
“Who the fuck is coming here at this time of night?” I walked toward the front foyer and peeped out the window, spotting a red—
“No the nigga did not just pull up to this house,” I said, mouth dropped. I started to unlock the door but realized this door creaked so damn loudly it was bound to wake everyone in the house. Hearing the car door slam and the alarm sound off, I quickly opened the window, seeing Jahiem look around the area, looking lost.
“Nigga!” I hissed, and his head turned toward the door. “What the fuck are you doing—”
“Tia?” he questioned, heavy-ass boots stepping up to the porch. “You need to—”
“What are you doing here?” I whispered loudly.
“Fuck you mean, what I’m doing here? You—”
“Lower your voice!” I snapped before looking back, knowing I was loud as shit just then, and hoping I woke no one up. “Meet me around the side of the house, Jahiem. That side window.”
“Just come out.”
“Now!” I snapped, hearing him groan. I quickly ran to my room, careful not to cause too much commotion, and popped up my window, pushing the screen out as he appeared. He stood there with his thick red coat on, looking at me like I’d lost my mind.
“I’m too old to be sneaking through windows.”
“Nigga, I’m pregnant with no damn clothes on. I’m not coming outside.”
“So, just let me in the front door.”
“Jahiem, we not about to sit here and argue. Either get in, or I’m calling the cops on you.”
He bit his tongue as he tried to lift his thick leg up to get inside. With me holding onto his arm, I tried pulling his stiff-ass body in the small window before nearly falling back on the floor as he fell back on the ground, hollering out.
“I shouldn’t have to do this shit!” he screamed as I quickly got up, trying to help his loud, ignorant ass in the room.
As soon as I got him inside, I closed the window. His eyes went to my stomach, and he immediately dropped his mouth. He hadn’t seen me in a while, so the growth was shocking to him. Yet, looking at him, I couldn’t help but feel the rush of emotions I had for him, standing tall with his trimmed beard, dark pink lips, and dark brown eyes, looking hard at my stomach. He had a red coat on, looking like a fashionable Blood out of New York with those boots. I gently sat back on the bed, lifting my shirt, and continued on with my cocoa butter as if I didn’t just sneak this man into my room.
“You been getting regular checkups down here?” he asked, looking around the room before sitting on the edge of the bed.
I reached down below to grab the pictures from the 3D ultrasound I had the other day, showing all three bodies perfectly placed in my stomach.
“Here,” I said without looking at him.
He took the photos and stared with such an intense look that he could have burned a hole through the damn thing.
“Three girls, already named. First and middle.”
“You not gonna give ’em my last name?” he asked, eyes on me.
“I thought about it,” I said, shrugging. “Still thinking on it.
“Why she off to herself?” he asked, pointing at one baby, who was separate from her sisters.
“Nigga, I don’t know.” I laughed softly, watching him smile as he continued to look.
“So, what now?” he asked, looking at me as I continued to rub this cocoa butter on me. Shit was the most relaxing thing I could do, like therapy.
“You tell me, Jahiem. All I know is right now, I’m about to rub this butter on my stomach before I go to sleep. I got work in the morning,” I said.
He glanced at his phone. “You won’t come back to Atlanta?”
“I won’t. Not until after the babies are born.”
“So, you really about to make me come all the way down here every time I want to see yo’ fuck ass?”
“Yep,” I said, cutting him off. “And whet, nigga? What’s the problem?”
He kicked his shoes off, put his feet up on the bed with me, took his coat off, and brought my legs down closer to him, spreading them out over each thigh. Without another word, he took the cocoa butter jar from me, placing it on his side as he started to rub my stomach with it.
“You been doing the yoga I showed you?” he asked as I lay back, closing my eyes. I nodded. Told y’all Jahiem was into that organic, all-natural type of lifestyle. When people looked at him, all they saw was a nigga gang-banging, gun tucked, and some local rap star. When people knew him, they would see he was into meditating, eating healthy, reading books constantly, and always the one to talk about what the black community needs to do as a whole to improve. Y’all see how he get on me about wearing weave and makeup around him. He hated it. Nigga was a tree hugger to a T. We were so opposite, clashing constantly, but here we were about to bring three girls into the world.
“Shouldn’t be putting this stuff on you, shawty,” he said, reading the ingredients of the jar. “Shea butter is better for your skin. I keep telling you that.”
“Jahiem, why are you here?” I questioned. “I’m not leaving to go back to Atlanta with you, so you really wasted a trip.”
“Nah, but I wanted to see you, so I came. Been through too much shit these past few days, and I’m tired, Mama. I’m tired,” he said with a sigh. “I can’t—and refuse—to let you raise three kids on your own, especially if they’re mine.”
“If?” I snorted with another roll of my eyes.
“I know they’re mine.”
“Oh, now you know, nigga.”
“Chill out, Tia. Wrong nigga, wrong night,” he warned, and I immediately grew quiet. He was the only nigga I let check me. Only one. Anyone else would have been popped in the face, but Jahiem got it.
“You—”
The door swung open as Noelle’s dad came in with the bat in hand, wearing nothing but some damn briefs, with that stomach poked out.
“It’s not what it looks like!” I shrieked. “He’s my—”
“Get on out of here, boy!” he yelled to Jahiem, who quickly got up, hands in the air.
“Aye, I’m not here to—”
“Get out! We don’t tolerate that kind of foolery in my house! Not under my roof!” he yelled as Jahiem quickly got his things.
* * *
Needless to say, we were both kicked out of the house. So, with my things stuffed in the back seat, I texted Noelle, telling her what happened and telling her I would see her in Atlanta.
“And you wanted to stay down here?” Jahiem laughed, looking over at me.
I hit him hard on the arm. “It’s not funny. They took me in—”
“And kicked yo’ ass out. You should have just let me in through the front door like I said earlier.”
“Whatever, Jahiem,” I mumbled, looking out at the dark sky. It was going to be a long-ass drive with just us two in the car. Ugh.
“Aye, you hungry?” he asked, pointing to a field of trees. There was nothing on the road for miles and miles. We probably passed only one or two houses every so often.
“What are they besides trees?” I questioned as he pulled over to the side of the road.
“Come here,” he said, getting out.
I followed him, wrapping my coat around me as he stood in front of the small wooden fence.
“Peach trees.”
“Get me one!”
“Get me a bag out the car or something,” he called out, hopping the barrier as I quickly went inside the car to find a plastic bag.
As soon as I came to the fence, watching him jump up to pull a few down, I smiled. I couldn’t believe this nigga here was stealing peaches from somebody’s land. A porch light came on from the house nearby, and I nearly dropped the bag as I rushed back to the car.
“Shit!” Jahiem blurted out, trying to climb the wooden fence before falling flat on his face.
“Jahiem!” I laughed. “Baby, are you okay?”
He got to his feet and ran to the driver’s side, slipping into the car
with ease as the peaches fell out of his hands, onto his lap.
I quickly grabbed them all as he took off, wiping dirt and grass from his face.
“Damn! You see how big these things are?” he asked excitedly, holding one up before taking a bite. I grabbed one to take a bite and smiled. I guess since it was slightly warmer down here than Atlanta, they were still able to grow before taking them in. Whatever the case, it was good.
“You so damn clumsy, nigga,” I said with a laugh, remembering that fall.
“Aye, I’m too big to be doing all this 007 shit,” he said, picking up speed on the lonely highway.
We sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the peaches, throwing out the pits, and occasionally looking at each other.
“Whet, Jahiem?” I snapped, seeing him smile. “Whet you gotta say now, nigga?”
“What the fuck is whet?” he mocked, and I laughed.
“It just comes out. I don’t mean to say it on purpose.” I giggled as he smiled at me.
“You ghetto as shit, Mama.”
“But you carry a gun with you, and walk around with yo’ red flag like it’s nothing, but I’m ghetto? If I’m ghetto, nigga, you hood as shit then. Fuck outta here,” I retorted.
He stopped the car dead in the middle of the highway. I looked back, seeing no cars coming, before looking at him.
“We about to have three kids,” he said in a low voice, looking at me. Suddenly, reality hit him hard. “Three at once.”
“It was always a possibility,” I said.
He leaned in and kissed me. It was our first kiss since breaking up. Cupping his face gently, I pulled away to look at him. He was the man that tricked me into sleeping with him, and I was so glad he did. That dick was made for me. I swear it was.
“Shit is going to be hard with my job and everything. Small-ass condo, neither one of us have parenting experience—”
“I’m going to have my job once I graduate,” I chimed in.
He cocked his head back, looking hard at me. “You not working—”
“Nigga, whet? I’m not working?” I repeated with a laugh. “I did not go to college to get a degree and not put it to use, nigga.”
“So, who is going to watch the kids?”
“Babysitters, daycare, and—”
“Nah,” he said, sitting back in his seat as he continued to drive with a shake of his head. “I see now we already gonna have a problem. I don’t want no stranger watching my kids, Mama. I don’t believe in that daycare shit.”
“I’m not gonna sit at home like no housewife and do nothing. I want my own money too.”
“So, wait until they get in school, then—”
“We not about to have this conversation,” I said, cutting him off.
We sat in silence as he continued to drive.
“I love you, Jahiem,” I mumbled, still hearing him huff and puff about daycare to himself.
“Love you, too.”
Just like that, our bipolar asses continued on with the drive without so much as a hate bone in our body.
Trent
“So, you just gonna leave a nigga here by himself?” I complained, watching Ontrell get his things together. I was back at the hospital on a Sunday night after leaving from my grandma’s house. I didn’t feel like I needed to be here, but physical therapy for walking and healing my scars was something nobody in my family wanted to put up with or had the time to deal with, so I was back at this depressing-ass place—white walls, white sheets, few channels on the TV, with a window looking out at nothing but another building.
“Bruh, we got so much shit to do tomorrow. Working on this new album, and I’m trying to dip into my own solo shit.” Ontrell sighed, coming to the side of my bed. His hair was starting to grow in on the sides from where he shaved that shit. He was wearing a thick black trench coat with a new piercing on his left ear. “You gotta hold it down on yo’ own, big bruh. Time is money, and—”
“Money is time,” I mumbled, repeating what our dad used to tell us all the time, meaning put the time, energy, and effort into your investment, and in time, you’ll see it come back to you.
“Where yo’ girls at? Taylor not coming by?” he asked, checking his phone as I grabbed mine.
“Nah, she won’t speak to me, but I know how to handle that easily.” I smirked, knowing just what to say to get Taylor back in my hands, back on team Trent.
“A’ight, well, I’m out, big bruh,” Ontrell said, coming to me with a quick hug. “Get better, nigga.”
“I will,” I said, watching Ontrell walk out.
I started to scroll through my phone, looking for Taylor’s number and calling her on speaker.
“Hello?” she answered.
“What you doing, beautiful?” I asked with a grin, licking my lips. Whether it’s over the phone or not, ya boy got the charm.
“I’m actually—”
“Aye, come on. We about to miss the movie,” I heard a man say.
My body stiffened up, eyes coming close together in confusion.
“I have to go Tre—”
“You not gonna come to the hospital? I still need help,” I let out. “Who the fuck is with you right now?”
“I’m on a—”
“Taylor, what you want to snack on?” the man asked as they started to talk. “You want those? Yeah, lemme get the Milk Duds for my girl. She likes chocolate and popcorn together.” Nigga was talking like he knew her forever.
“It’s so good, KD. You have to try it.” Taylor laughed, and I cleared my throat, letting her know I was still on the fucking phone.
“Sounds nasty, shawty,” he replied.
I looked at the phone before hanging up on her. “Didn’t like yo’ fat ass anyway,” I muttered, scrolling through the phone to find Jade’s new number. As soon as I found it, I pressed down with a smile.
“Yo?” she answered with that thick New York accent.
“Come see me in the hospital. I miss you,” I said easily.
There was a moment of silence, then I heard her blow out her breath like she was smoking. Of course she was.
“I’m good, nigga,” she responded softly.
“You what?”
“I said I’m good,” she repeated more clearly. “Why you back in the hospital if you was already—”
“Come on, Jade,” I groaned, frustrated. “I don’t want to sleep alone in this place, and I don’t want to be by myself. Can you just stop by for a minute? You not too far from here anyway, so I don’t understand the problem,” I snapped, trying but failing to keep my attitude in check. Last thing I wanted to do was argue when all I was trying to do was to get a female in my room.
“You right.” She sighed. “I’ll stop by in a few minutes to check on you.”
“You know I love you, right?” I cheesed, trying to sit up in the bed.
“I love you too, baby,” she cooed before hanging up.
“Hell yeah!” I shouted, feeling like I’d won the fucking lottery. You’d never catch me without a female by my side. Even when I was at my lowest and weakest point, I was going to have a chick with me.
Two Hours Later
I should have known she was lying. Should have fucking known. After repeatedly calling her back with her not answering, I gave up. I tried calling Taylor again, but she cut her phone off. No female was trying to deal with the nigga in the hospital bed. I called Elijah, my blood, my twin, my partner for life, but guess who answered?
“Hello?” Jordyn said softly.
“What y’all doing?” I asked, looking at the time. It was going on 12 o’clock at night.
“Elijah fell asleep during Scandal, and I’m not sure I want to wake him.”
“Nah, nah, it’s cool,” I said quickly. “Talk to me, Jordyn. I feel like the loneliest nigga in Atlanta right now. I’m not used to this.”
“Well, um . . . I was trying to go to sleep myself,” she said, clearing her throat. “Maybe you should use this time to think about your year. Think
about the things you’ve done, or what you could have done differently.”
“For what, though?” I laughed. “My life is perfect, shawty. I don’t need to rethink nothing. I’m good on this end. I survived bullets, I graduated school, and I got women that will do whatever just to get with me. I’m good on this end.”
“Said the loneliest nigga in Atlanta right now,” she retorted with a laugh. “Look, I’m going to sleep. It’s inappropriate to be talking on the phone with you while your brother is sleeping next to me. So, on that note, good night, Trent. Use that time to reflect.”
“Yeah, whatever,” I mumbled, hanging the phone up. Lying back on the hospital bed, I looked up at the ceiling.
Fuck everybody. Shit.
The Ending
Jade
So, we finally reached the end of this damn book. Since I started this shit, I’m going to be the first to end it.
Now that we hit the new year, I can honestly say my life hasn’t changed much. I learned a lot from dating the prettiest Carter boy. Learned that I need to calm down all my dominance and know my worth as a woman. Still single, but I got a couple of dudes I’m talking to. Nothing serious. I wanted to use this new year to focus on me, school, and my art.
Haven’t spoken to Trent since I told him I was going to see him in the hospital. Can’t be around that type of energy. Nigga is so full of himself. The girl that he’s meant to be with, I hope she makes it hard for him; make him work for it, because he needs to be taught a lesson. Getting shot wasn’t enough for him. Just made him feel—Shit, why the fuck am I talking about this nigga on my story? Anyway! Spring semester is starting soon. New niggas, new places to see, and new vibes to mesh with. I’m ready for the new year. Time for me to do me.
I’m out.
Jordyn
“You were absolutely wonderful, Jordyn,” a woman said, coming up to me to shake my hand.
I smiled, responding back in kind, while secretly looking around. He said he would be here. It was a New Year’s Eve concert in New York that I was asked to play in. Of course, I never turned down money or a chance to showcase my skills on the violin to the world. It’s always a great way to bring people together.