by Chrissy J
“How you feeling Granny?” I asked hugging her for dear life
“I’m hanging in there, I know my baby is a fighter god is on his side. How you feeling Princess?” she asked wiping my face
“I don’t know how I’m feeling Granny, I need to go home I can’t see him like that,” I cried falling on the floor Eddie and Hershey ran to me, my mother broke down again “Come on Diva, your father needs you to be strong,” my mother said helping me up off the floor I looked into her blood shot eyes , my mother told Eddie I needed to go home and rest and she would be at my house in a hour to check up on me Eddie carried me to the car; leaving out the hospital I kept wishing my father could walk out with me. Eddie drove me home, all I wanted to do was hold my baby boy and lay down. Once I got home I just laid in bed with all my clothes
“Goddess I’m right down stairs if you need me,” Eddie said kissing me
“Alright boo,” I said turning over, I loved Eddie but I wanted and needed Kevin there with me. I waited until Eddie closed the room door and heard his footsteps go down the stairs before I got up and went into his spot where he kept his drugs, I grabbed a baggie of coke and went into the bathroom I sniffed damn near the whole bag.
“Diva you alright?” Hershey knocked on the bathroom door, I closed the baggie and put it inside my pocket then I checked myself in the mirror I had coke all over my nose
“I’ll be out in a minute Hersh,” I yelled washing my face and hands I open the door Hershey made herself comfortable on the bed
“You good Chica?” she asked passing me the blunt “Yea I’m hanging in there Hersh, my daddy can’t die I wouldn’t know what to do. Lil Man and Fantasy need him and I need him,” I said getting choked up again “Big Mel will come outta that coma, he’s a fighter y’all are just alike stubborn and bull headed,” she said making me smile, I laid on the bed with my head on Hershey lap I fell right to sleep. When I woke up it was dark outside and I was alone I could hear people laughing as I walked downstairs “There you are, how you sleep Chica?” Hershey asked coming out the living room “I slept good, I should be going back to the hospital,” I told her “That’s not going to happen, Auntie Mary has banned everybody to go up there tonight,” Trill said walking to me
“Trill, when you got here?” I asked hugging him and holding on to him he held me in his arms like he did the night we learn that my auntie Summer was dead, he told me they didn’t want to wake me, I told all of them they should’ve woke me up and I needed to call Ma while walking into the living room where Major was sitting smoking a blunt with Eddie and Teddy; I said Hey to everybody walking to Eddie, he asked if I was alright and if I was hungry? “A little boo, but I have to call Ma and see why she band everybody to see my father tonight,” I said pulling my phone out my pocket I pressed four and Mary phone rung “How you feeling Princess?” she answered on the second ring “I’m fine Ma, I just woke up. What’s going on? Trill said you ban everybody from coming up there tonight,” I laughed so did she
“Tell Miles Jr he ain’t too old to get beat, yes Princess I ban everybody your daddy needs rest and everybody do to. Plus, your mother and I had some words,” she sighed “What happen between you two?” I asked
“You already know, she think she can tell me how to handle my husband,” she said with worry in her voice
“Ma don’t pay her no mind, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her shaking my head it was just like my mother to try and start some shit with Mary while my father was laid up in the hospital in a fucking coma; “Ok Princess I love you,” she said
“I love you Ma,” we hung up I turned to see everybody looking at me
“So, what happen?” Hershey asked passing me the blunt “She just said everybody needs to rest, her and my mother had some words about my father. Oh, yea she told me to tell you Miles Jr that you ain’t too old to get beat,” I laughed Trill made a face talking about he was going to talk to his auntie Mary
“Whatever you know you scared of Ma, she use to beat your ass back in the day,” I said causing everybody to laugh
“Yea I still remember those beatings too,” he said rubbing his arms. Hershey and Teddy left an hour after I woke up, Major left twenty minutes after them he was going to see his sister Trill went to the guest room on the other side of the house leaving me and Eddie in the living room
“Goddess I have to make this run to Brooklyn to drop some money to Shady and to check on my moms and Lil Man,” he said playing in my hair
“How long that’s going to take?” I asked turning to face him
“An hour or two, you want to ride with me?” he asked
“No, I’m straight, just tell your mother that Hershey going to come get Lil man tomorrow,” I told him he kissed me and left out the house, I sat there looking into space. My phone broke me out my thoughts, I looked at the phone
“Hood Diva,” I hit my blue tooth “Take a ride with me,” Bookie said on the other end “Ight,” I hung up I got up and walked to my room changing into some black fitted jeans with a black Champion hoodie and my Black Timberlands, I threw my hair in a tight ponytail grabbed my keys and walked out my room, Trill was lurking in the shadows coming out the kitchen causing me to jump back he asked where I was going dress like I was going to put in work “Trill you scared the fuck outta me,” I said holding my chest
“Punk ass, so where you going?” he asked
“Right out front to speak to Bookie,” I told him he nodded and walked off. I walked out the house and seen Bookie inside a black Tahoe I jumped inside and he pulled off Bookie only drove his raggedy Tahoe when he was about to put in work so I knew he only called me so I could be a part of what he was about to do, it wouldn’t be the first time I rode with Bookie to handle business and I knew this wasn’t going to be the last. This was only the beginning of me and Bookie Business relationship;
“What took you so long to call me?” I asked looking at him “Business Princess, you know that,” he said smiling at me I sucked my teeth “Whatever, so what happen to my father and where were you?” I asked Bookie is mine and my father body guard it’s his job to prevent shit from happening to my father, “Yo Diva don’t come at me like that, your father and everybody know I would lay my own life on the ground to protect y’all,” he said getting angry his caramel face turning red “I know that Dewayne, but I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how my father got shot and laying in a coma and uncle Mike nowhere to be found. This shit seem fishy as hell,” I yelled trying to keep my tears at bay, but it was hard to do knowing that my father whole empire was about to be placed on my shoulder if my father was to die and my uncle was nowhere to be found;
“Mel was in the Bronx checking with this shorty, he told me to go on and he would call me when he was done so I just drove two blocks and waited for his call, but when his number popped up on my phone and I answered Shorty was yelling and screaming for them not to kill him in her house, I don’t think she knew his phone called me. Diva I heard everything,” he said with a pain expression on his face I touched his shoulder
“It’s not your fault Book, who this bitch? And where she live?” I asked ready to kill this chick with my bare hands some might not know this but both me and Hershey knew how kill someone just using our hands, it was something my grandfather made my father teach us at the age of eleven;
“She live over near Fordham,” he said going to the Major Deegan “It’s wrecking season,” I said this bitch had some nerve to set my father up “Look in the glove compartment,” Bookie said lighting a blunt, I did as I was told I looked inside and pulled out the all black .380 I smiled at Book and he smirked at me
“This is your time to shine Princess,” he said.
CHAPTER10
WELCOME HARLEM’S PRINCESS
Bookie pulled two blocks from where the girl lived I looked around checking my surroundings before turning to look at Bookie
“You ready?” Bookie asked me looking at me; “Yea I’m ready,” I told him getting out the car,
Bookie followed and got out the car behind me. He walked towards the girl building with me behind him, it was going on two in the morning so I knew it wasn’t people hanging out in front of the building or outside for that matter. I followed Bookie to the third floor where he pointed to a red door, standing near the door we both heard a guy say that nigga ain’t dead and word on the streets say he in a coma
“I told y’all it was a bad idea, I have to live here me and my son. What if Mike come here trying to kill all of us in this bitch?” a female said
“Alex shut up, Mike not going to kill or put harm to his family so you good,” that was the second guy talking
“You don’t know Mike like I know him, I’m not his family,” Alex cried
“No but your son is, and he the only male heir from Mel,” the first guy said I turned to look at Bookie who was shaking his head at the comment I needed to see this girl and the little boy that these people kept referring as the male heir from Mel.
“Just leave, it’s bad enough I can’t go to the hospital and see Mel now I have to deal with y’all two stupid niggas telling me about Mike not killing me because I have Mel only son,” Alex screamed and the air froze in my throat; I turned to Bookie and asked him did the chick really say she had my Father’s son. He only shook his head to answer me, I heard the locks open and the second guy yelled to the Alex chick that he would keep her posted and for her to call their mother;
“Whatever Jose,” Alex said opening the door for them, me and Bookie walked the other direction from Alex door. I had so much shit going through my head I was near the end of my rope and I needed my father up and talking;
“Let’s move,” Bookie said snapping me back I followed behind him as he knocked on the red door Alex asked I’m assuming her brother Jose what he wanted from her life before snatching the door open only to be greeted with a .380 sub nose in her face; “I want your life,” I said pushing her inside the apartment
“Oh my god, look I didn’t have anything to do with what happen to Mel.” she pleaded with wide eyes, I asked her how she knew we came for that my own voice scared me I didn’t sound like myself, she just looked at me tears in her eyes
“Who don’t know you? Your Mel daughter, Harlem’s Princess.” she said shaking“Fuck all the other bullshit, why is my father in a coma fighting for his life while you’re still standing?” I asked getting pissed off just standing near her, she was a pretty girl she had to be no more than 23 years old long curly hair big bright hazel eyes and a nice frame
“I don’t know what to say, Mel came by to see me and Lil Mel then next thing I know three niggas was running up here screaming about some money and for Mel to give them everything he had,” she cried; I looked around the apartment it was neat I walked over by the wall where pictures was hanging one picture caught my eye, my father was sitting in a chair holding a brown cinnamon baby and Alex was standing behind the chair looking down at them, I felt the tears form in my eyes.
“Why I have a feeling you’re lying to me?” I asked turning to face her
“I’m not lying, I love Mel I would never put him in any kind of danger,” she cried
“You lying bitch,” Bookie said walking towards her
“Book I got this,” I told him giving him a look he backed away
“We know what happen in here, we heard you telling them not to kill him in your apartment. So, I’m giving you five minutes to come clean and tell me everything that happen and who else was involved,” I said sitting at the table I sat the gun on the table and stared at Alex long and hard I knew she was trying to save face and show that she wasn’t scared but I smelled the fear in her, she broke and told me it was brother’s idea, he asked her to set Mel up, she told him no and he slapped her up. She said she had no other choice but to call my father and he was over at her house less than an hour then everything happen,
“Please don’t kill me I have a four-month-old son who is your brother please,” she begged crying harder
“Where is he?” I asked she looked at me
“He and his friend just left,” she said “I’m not talking about your fucking brother, I seen him leave I could’ve killed him right in the hallway if I wanted to,” I told her she nodded and walked to the back, when she came back she was holding a chubby baby in her arms he was wide awake. She brought him to me I looked into his face to see if I could see anything that linked him to my father to us and I found it he had my hair color that I got from Granny and those same ocean blue eyes he looked at me and gave me a big smile the tears I tried holding came rolling down my face I wiped them fast‘how can my father not tell me about my little brother?’ I thought “Princess,” Bookie called out to me “Please don’t kill my brother he’s the only family I have. My mother disown me when I got pregnant by a married man please don’t take him from me,” she started crying again
“Bitch you almost got my father killed, you think I feel sorry for you? My father is everything to me and you set him up, you grimy bitch.” I yelled standing up
“I didn’t mean to, I love Mel but he don’t love me the same way. He don’t want to be with me I’m just the mother of his son and that’s what pushed me over the edge. He wouldn’t leave that bitch of a wife for me, the woman that bared his first and only son the woman that can have kids and is willing to give him more. You know what he told me? He said I was just someone to pass the time with since him and his bitch was having problems, so I went along with my brother’s plan. I thought they was only going to fuck him up and take what he had on him I didn’t know they was going to shoot him, they’ve gone too far. My son could’ve lost his father,” she said
“Book take the baby, you see this shit Book? This bitch just sat in my face and told me she went along with her brother’s plan, A plan that almost cost my father his life all because he wouldn’t leave my mother. Bitches go through that every day, you knew what it was the moment you slept with him you knew he had a wife. So, who’s the fucking dummy? I hate bitches like you,” I said Bookie took the baby I looked at Alex with hate in my eyes. I swung the gun hitting her dead in the face blood leaked from her nose as she fell to the floor I stood over her everything I felt about my father being in a coma and me finding out I had a brother came to the surface as I beat her ass with the gun; “Bitch you lucky you have my little brother because right now I want to kill your grimy ass, but you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to take my brother with me until my father wake up and then he can decide what’s going to happen to your Ass far as your brother he’s a dead man walking, and if you breathe one word to anybody about me I’ll make sure I’m the last bitch you see before you take your last breath. Do I make myself clear?” I asked kicking her in the face with my Timbs
“Please don’t take my baby, I won’t say anything to anybody. I’ll leave New York,” she begged her face was bloody and her nose was broke her two front teeth were chipped from when I smacked her with the gun
“Nah mama we playing by my rules now, just remember what I said. And this is for you to remember who you fucking with, I did this to you not my family not my uncle, me! Diva Harlem’s Princess bitch,” I spit in her face. Bookie stood there quiet with a smirk on his face, I walked to the back room grabbed a blanket from the baby crib and walked back to the living room.
“Come here MJ, I’m your big sister Diva everybody call me Princess. And now we finally have Harlem’s Prince,” I said looking at Alex one last time before I walked out the door and out the building with my little brother, Bookie came down five minutes later “It’s done,” he said getting in the car as I sat in the back with the baby, I asked did he clean everything down;
“Yea, you fucked that bitch up. She gave me her brother number and his hang out spots, I threw her five hundred and told her to lay low,” he told me
“I don’t care about that bitch,” I said rocking my baby brother to sleep, Bookie said I shocked the hell outta him looking at me through the mirror I smiled
“I ain’t no
gangster but don’t push me,” I joked spiting a verse from 2Pac, Bookie started laughing
“You gangster alright, your just a quiet gangster and something really fucked up have to happen to push you to your limit. But today Harlem’s Princess was reborn. The old Diva has left the motherfucking building, I’m proud of you Princess and I know your father and uncle would be too,” he said pulling up at my house the living room light was on letting me know somebody was up in the house
“Thanks Book, I owe you,” I said getting out the car he rolled the window down
“You don’t owe me anything Princess, we family and that’s what family do.” he said waiting until I got to the door; the first person I seen was Hershey only because Looney open the door spazzing out and questioning where I Been and who baby I was holding. I laughed asking what she was doing back at my house walking deeper inside the house Eddie, Teddy, Trill and Major was sitting in the living room
“Where the hell you been? I know you heard me?” Hershey asked again
“I had to take care of some business,” I told her
“Ok who baby?” everybody asked I smiled down at my sleeping brother
“This Lil man is Jamel Jr,” I said everybody jaw dropped
“Wait hold the fuck up, you not saying what I think your saying right bitch?” Hershey asked with her hand on her chest like she about to have a heart attack
“Hersh breathe, yes this is my Lil brother,” I told them Eddie asked where I found him as he was trying to take him from me,
“His mother is the reason why my father is laid shot up in the hospital,” I said looking at them, I didn’t need to tell them what I’ve done they already knew. I went up to my room Hershey went into Lil Eddie room and brought me a brand-new sleeper and pampers and a brand-new pack of bottles
“He is so cute D, I love him already.” she said helping me change his clothes