by Sherri Marie
That’s why I can’t respect Bishop when he down talks us for selling drugs. I will do whatever not to see my family poor again. The struggle was real growing up. I remember we had to wash our paper plates and reused them. One thing I can say thought is my mother and father kept food on the table for sure. It might not have been a hot meal every night, but our belly got full. When I was twelve my father and mother graduated from college.
My pops became a paralegal and my mother worked in the psychiatric ward facility for kids. They began making good money and life began to get better for us. By that time, I had already turned to the streets for help. A couple of older guys showed me the dope game and I been in the streets since. Do I like doing this shit? no. Do I want to get out the game? of course. As of right now though its to much money that need to be made and I’m the king of the streets.
“The Pain family.” The nurse called out.
We walked over to the nurse and she escorted us to my mother room. Soon as we walked in my father ran over to her and began placing kisses on her lips. A smile crept across my mother beautiful face. I was thanking God every second for putting breath back into my mother body.
I walked in the house from the hospital and took a long hot shower. Today has been a long day and all I wanted to do was relax. I took two double shots of Hennessey then laid my ass down.
“I love you babe.” Sky said as she laid her head on my chest.
“Do you really?”
Sky lifts her head up to face me “You know I love you Saint; you never have to question that.”
“I love you to baby.” I placed a kiss on Sky forehead than push her head back down on my chest.
I laid there thinking about life and how fucked up it could be at times. Sometimes I wonder what’s the point of living if you got to die one day anyways. That’s why I live life to the fullest every day, you never know when it’s your last breath. Bzzzt Bzzt Sky phone vibrated throwing me out my thoughts. I grab her phone off the nightstand, and it was a private number.
“Who this?” I ask answering Sky phone.
Whoever it was wasn’t saying shit, but I could hear the person breathing.
“Don’t call this motherfucking phone no more unless you open your damn mouth.”
“Hello, Saint this Emani. My bad the phone was going in and out.”
“Oh, what’s up Emani, Sky sleep.”
“Ok tell her to call me soon as she wakes up its important.”
“You want me to wake her up now?”
“No, it can wait just make sure you give her my message.”
“Okay got you.”
“Ok.”
I disconnected the call then laid there until I passed out.
Three
Knowledge
“Knowledge I’m pregnant.”
I look over at Te’Asia like she was crazy “It isn’t mine, so what you are telling me for?”
“What you mean it’s not yours? You the only man I been sleeping with in the last six months.”
“You sure about that?”
“I’m positive.”
“You haven’t been fucking Tory?”
Te’Asia eyes grew big when I mention that name.
“Hell nah, I haven’t who told you that?”
“You going sit up here and lie in my face Te’Asia? I’m not your man you don’t have to lie to me. If you fuck the nigga that’s on you. All I’m trying to say is don’t be trying to pin no baby on me when you out here spreading your legs like butter.”
“Knowledge I’m not fucking Tory I swear.”
“Since when? last week. Word on the street is you be with that nigga almost every day.”
I put my clothes on and grab my keys off the nightstand. I made my way towards the door for I could leave. Before I could even reach for the doorknob Te’Asia stood in front of the door.
“You’re not going nowhere.” She said with her arms folded across her chest.
“Man, if you don’t get out my way, I will move you out my way.”
“No, I’m not moving until we talk about this baby. I didn’t make this baby on my own Knowledge.”
“Explain to me how you pregnant Asia? Every time I go inside you, I use a condom. The condom only broke once.”
“And that’s all it takes Knowledge is one time.”
“I thought you took the morning after pill and came on your period.”
“I did take the morning after pill, but I never came on my period.”
“Yeah ok. I’m not claiming no baby until I get a DNA test.”
“Why are you treating me like this Knowledge?”
“Like what? A fuck? that’s all you are Asia. After I find out you was fucking with Tory, I was done with you than. The only reason I’m here now is because I needed to get my dick wet.”
“Fuck you, knowledge!”
“You just did.” I smirked. “Now move out my way.” I picked Asia up and moved her to the side than walked out the door. Asia followed behind me to my car and stood in front of it. I shook my head at her lil crazy ass. Asia stood about 5’3 light skin. She wore her hair short and it was dyed cherry red. Asia was thick in all the right places and her frame complimented her height well. Asia was sexy as hell and her little attitude made her sexier. She put you in the mind of Jada Pinkett when she played in Low Down Dirty Shame.
I been messing around with Asia for the last six months. Come to find out she been messing with some dude name Tory from the southside of Atlanta. I asked Asia several of times was she sleeping with somebody else and she told me no. After she told me no today, I knew then that I couldn’t trust her, that shit turned me the fuck off. One thing I hate is a liar. I didn’t understand why she was lying to me we were only friends with benefits. Even If I did decide to take it further with Asia I couldn’t because I can’t trust her now.
If she can’t keep it real being friends, I know damn well she can’t keep it real being my woman. Asia and Angie are prime examples why I’m not in a relationship. I don’t have time for the bull shit games because I’m not the nigga to play with. When I get in a relationship, I have to know that you’re completely mine and only mine. The part that pisses me off the most is I know she is lying. Not only did someone tell me she be sleeping with Tory, they actually sent me a video of them fucking. Te’Asia can lie all she wants, but I know the truth. I know what the fuck I saw on that video. Don’t get me wrong if the baby mine I will step up and do my fatherly duties. I’m a man at the end of the day and I’m not neglecting mine.
“Open this car door Knowledge.” Asia shouted pulling on my door handle.
“Man gone with all that Bull Asia. Why you out here making a scene? You know I hate that shit.” I said out the crack of my window.
“Open the door now!”
“Nah move, before I run your ass over.”
“You will kill me and your baby?”
“Stop saying that shit until you get a DNA test done.”
“I don’t need one I know who my child father is.”
‘I know who is to his name Tory.” I said pissing her off even more.
“I didn’t fuck him.”
“Oh, you didn’t?’ I grab my phone out my pocket. I scroll down my gallery until I found the video went of her and Tory fucking. “If you didn’t fuck him what you call this?” I placed the phone against the window for she can see the video. Te’ Asia mouth flew wide open.
“It’s not what you think Knowledge.” Tears filled the rim of her eyes.
“Fuck what I think. Like I said get that DNA test than holler at me. “Now move out my way for I can leave.”
Te’Asia moved out my way with no hesitation than I speeded off. I can’t lie I had feelings for Te’Asia, but I wasn’t in love with her. She was the only girl I been fucking for the last six months, Except for when I fucked Angie. Asia had some bomb ass pussy, so I didn’t feel like I needed to go elsewhere to get my dick wet. Although she wasn’t mine, she kept me satisfied like she was.
I actually thought that me and Te’Asia could make things work in the future, but I guess not.
Four
Saint
I got down on my knees and thank God for waking me up this morning. That was the first thing I did every morning. When I was done praying, I got dress for I could get my day started. Usually I go straight to the office but instead I was going to see my mother at the hospital first. I didn’t get much of a good sleep last night because my mother was on my mind heavy. Although she was okay that shit still bothered deep me down inside. All I could think about is what if me and Knowledge didn’t make it there when we did. My mother would be dead and gone. That’s exactly why I’m calling a nursing agency to have someone there to make sure my mother is taking her medicine.
I know my mother isn’t going to like that idea, but she doesn’t have a choice. My mother is very stubborn when it come to taking medicine. She hates pills and she hate the hospital. My mother will rather be in pain before she goes to the doctor to make sure she’s okay. One day my mother went to the hospital and got diagnose with the flu. The doctor gave her a prescription and my mother went to get it filled that same night. A week later my mother was still sick ass a dog.
We took her back to the hospital only to find out the doctor wrote her out the wrong prescription. She was taking medicine for cancer patients. Ever since that day my mother hates the hospital. My father called our family lawyer and sued they hospital. A year later my mother won the case and was granted 300k. I thought that was bull shit she should’ve at least got a half of million or better. We could’ve argued the case but instead, my mother settled for the money. She said she didn’t want to wait any longer to get paid. I grab my keys and my cell phone off the nightstand. I placed a kiss on Sky forehead while she was asleep and told her I love her.
“You’re leaving already baby?” Sky asked as she tried to adjust her eyes to the sunlight that were beaming through the curtains.
“Yes, it almost 11 o’clock I got a late start today. I’m on my way to go see my mother than I’m going to the office for a while.”
“Okay. I will call you soon to check on you.”
“Alright. Oh Yeah Emani called late last night she said call her it’s important.”
“Did she say what was wrong?”
“No, she just said call her.”
“Okay.”
“How are you feeling ma?” I handed her the dozens of roses I bought her on the way to the hospital.
“I’m feeling better just tired.”
“I bet you are?”
“How is Knowledge holding up?” My mother asked.
“He better but he took it really hard seeing you like that.”
“I know he did. That’s why I was concern about how he was doing today.”
“Look Ma I want to talk you to about something.”
“What’s that?”
“I called a nurse agency for you can have a in home nurse.”
“Boy are you crazy. I don’t need no damn stranger in my house every day watching me like I’m a damn child.”
“Ma this is for your safety. She only going to be there to make sure you are taking your meds and that’s it.”
“You act like got cancer or on my death bed. I got high blood pressure and diabetes for god sake. I will not have no stranger coming into my house telling me what to do and when to do it.”
“Ma, you are blowing this out the water. It’s only to make sure you’re taking your medicine that’s it. We can’t afford to lose you, you all we got. Seeing you passed out unconscious in the basement tore me into pieces Ma. All I’m asking is to do me this one favor. How about the nurse come for two weeks if you don’t like it, I will fire her Deal?”
My mother rolled her big round eyes “I guess, but I know one thing, she better not come in my house thinking she run shit, or she will get ran over. You better make it clear to the little heifer to.”
I chuckled because my mother was always going off “I got you ma.”
I talked to my mother for a little while then left for I could go to the office. I had a couple of shipments coming in today. I had to make sure I was there to collect my money, and everything went smooth.
Five
Sky
“So, what are you going to do?” I watched Emani as she paced the floor back and forth with her chrome Smith and Wesson gun in her hand.
“I’m going to kill her.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“No! you know how much I love J.C. I be damn if I let another bitch break that up.”
“That bitch isn’t worth killing Emani. If he keeps running back to his baby mama, you need to leave him alone.”
“That’s easy for you to say. Everybody don’t have the perfect relationship like you Sky.”
“Girl please! Me and Saint definitely have our ups and downs things haven’t always been good between us.”
Emani rolled her eyes “Arguing over quality time isn’t ups and downs that’s a discussion.”
“Whatever. Like a said she isn’t worth killing. You need to take that problem up with your man not her.
“Look I don’t have time for your Dr. Phil lectures. Are you rolling with me to this bitch house or not?”
“Hell no, I’m not about to jeopardize my life or freedom over some dick I’m not fucking Emani. I love my freedom I’m too damn thick to go to jail.”
Emani grabbed her keys off the nightstand than made her way towards the door.
“Emani you need to think about your daughter. If you go to jail who will raise her? No one is going to raise Zaya like you will. Your daughter will be hurt if something happens to you.”
Emani stood there in deep thought for a couple of minutes “Oh well she will get over it. just how I got to get over her daddy cheating.” Emani stormed out her house.
I have been best friends with Emani since the first grade she was more like my sister. We were both the only child and that made us even closer. When we were younger, we would spend a night at each other house every weekend even on some school nights. The only time we didn’t stay at each other house is when we were on punishment.
When we got in high school everybody used to think we were blood sisters. We would dress alike from head to toe, we would even wear the same hairstyle sometimes. People always tell us we favor each other in some kind away. When I was younger, I didn’t see it but as we got older, I could see the resemblance. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought my mother gave birth to Emani. Anyways, Emani had been dating her boyfriend JC since high school. Every time she turns around, he running to his baby mama Fancy house. I don’t know why they call her Fancy because isn’t shit Fancy about her ratchet ass. Fancy was the true meaning of a hood rat, yes, I said hood rat. That’s the only name I could think of to describe her jug head ass. That bitch wasn’t nothing, but drama she loved getting under Emani skin. I don’t know how many times I told Emani not to feed into shorty bull shit.
Fancy don’t have nothing to lose but Emani sure do. Emani just open the first black own hair store in Decatur, Ga, she just bought her first condo, and not to mention she have her beautiful daughter Zaya. Fancy on the other hand stay in the hood in a raggedy ass house her great great grandma left her, work at checkers, sell her food stamps and drive a 1995 dodge intrepid. I’m not the type to judge but Fancy isn’t worth it at all. Don’t get me wrong I understand why my friend is mad, Hell I would be to. All I’m trying to get Emani to see is Fancy not worth the jail time or headache. After Emani left, I left minutes after her. I called her phone several times to try to stop her from going to Fancy house, but she didn’t answer.
“Shit!” I bang my hand on the steering wheel. I didn’t want to be involve in this bull shit, but I had no choice. I had to stop Emani before she does something she will regret. I would be last of a friend if I let my friend throw her life away.
I speeded down I-20 damn near passing the exit I supposed to turned off on. When I pulled
up to Fancy house, I saw Emani car parked a couple of houses down. I pull beside Emani car to see was she in there, but she wasn’t. I parallel parked in front of Emani car than grabbed my Glock 43 out the glove compartment. I tuck it inside my Fendi jeans than made my way to Fancy door. When I approached the door, I notice it was cracked open.
“Emani?” I whispered through the crack of the door for no one would hear me. “Emani?” I called out again as I tip toed inside the house.
There was glass all over the floor and the living room table was turned over. It looked like someone had been in here fighting for there life.
“Ooh shit.” I said as I almost lost my balance because I slid in some type of liquid substance.
When I look down, I realize that I was standing in blood. My heart was beating rapidly, and it felt like I was about to past the fuck out. My first instinct was to leave but I couldn’t leave without knowing is my best friend okay. I pulled my Glock off my side than made my way upstairs. When I got to the top of the stairs, I saw a bedroom door wide open. I walked slowly to the bedroom with my gun ready to shoot. When I got in there my eye grew big.
“Omg!” I scream to the top of my lungs.
Six
Knowledge