by Meesha
“What are you over there thinking about, ma? Your mind is somewhere else.”
Looking up with a smile, I bit into a quesadilla so I wouldn’t have to disclose my thoughts right away. After, I took a long sip of the margarita and sat the glass down. “I was thinking about how I would like to get to know you as well, Mr. Vasquez. You’re a smooth talker but I think I’ll give you a chance to show me what you have in store for me.”
“The first thing I want to do is clean your damn mouth before somebody thinks you been doing something other than eating,” he laughed as he wiped the side of my mouth with a napkin.
“Shut up and thanks with your nasty ass.” I said blushing like a school girl.
He leaned over the table and I did the same. His lips were almost on mine when a voice interrupted the moment. “Hey, Ricio. Where’s Nija while you’re out here entertaining the next bitch?”
I looked up and there stood a beautiful woman with her hand on her hip with two other women standing next to her. She was glancing back and forth between the two of us making me remember he had a tribe of females all over the city. Picking up my glass, I waited for him to address the woman because I was going to let the bitch word slide for the moment.
“Nihiyah, I don’t know where she is. Watch your mouth, you have no reason to call her out her name. If she knocks your fuckin’ teeth out of your head, she would have every right to do that shit. Now, get the fuck away from me. Go find a dick or two to ride.” He said picking his fork up. “Sorry about—”
“I don’t need to respect this bitch! You think because you run around this muthafucka killing people, I’m supposed to be scared of you! Fuck you!”
“Keep yo’ damn voice down! Whatever the fuck I do ain’t yo’ concern. Wherever you getting’ yo information from, tell them mufuckas to get the shit right. It’s not in your best interest to spread rumors you don’t know shit about, Nihiyah. On the strength of yo’ mama and Nija is the reason yo’ ass ain’t laid out in this bitch. For the last time, get the fuck away from me!” The vein in his temple protruded out and his face hardened with every word he spoke. “Don’t worry about it,” he said throwing money on the table. “Let’s go.”
Mauricio stood and held his hand out to help me out of the booth. Nihiyah or whatever her name was, followed us out with her two bodyguards right behind her. I had a feeling something was about to happen but I didn’t know what. All I wanted to do was make it to the car without an altercation. But she wouldn’t leave well enough alone.
“You threatening to put your hands on me, don’t mean shit, Ricio! Yo’ punk ass ain’t shit without a gun, nigga. What happened to yo’ brother could easily happen to yo’ pussy ass!” she yelled as she pushed him in the back of his head.
Before I could stop him, Mauricio spun around and in one long stride grabbed her by her throat. “Bitch, if you ever mention my brother again, I will kill yo’ hoe ass! Stay outta my business! As far as anybody comin’ for me, tell them to get their army ready!” he snarled as he shoved her to the ground.
“Oh, you put yo’ hands on the wrong one, Ricio! Watch ya’self, nigga. I don’t care how much my sister loves yo’ ass, you done fucked up!” she yelled as she punched buttons on her phone.
Mauricio went after her again and I grabbed him by the arm, “she’s not worth it, let’s go.” I said in a shaky voice. I didn’t want him to go to jail for beating her ass. He allowed me to lead him to the car and once we were inside, I kept my eye on the Nihiyah girl. Her lips were moving as she talked to whomever she had on the phone and her head was whipping around rapidly. She looked up and threw her middle finger in the air as we drove off.
“I hope you don’t let that bullshit get in your head. She is one messy bitch and there’s a lot of suspicion with the shit she pulled tonight. That didn’t have shit to do with her seeing me with you. It’s deeper than that. I’m dropping you off at home, I have some shit to figure out. Sorry to cut our night short, ma. I’ll make it up to you.” He said as we headed back to my house.
Chapter 8
Sincere
After leaving the warehouse, Beast and the guys went to the storage facility to bring the product back. The cleanup crew was there to get the warehouse ready for operation. There would be safes installed in the walls and other things that were needed in order for things to run smoothly with what was in store.
I was on my way to the hospital to check on Madysen. I stopped at the mall to get her an outfit to wear home because she wouldn’t be able to put the clothes on from last night. When I saw her the night before she looked as if she was going to die right along with Max. I felt sorry for the poor girl, I needed to talk to her to see if there was anything she knew that would shed some light on what was going on with him.
I needed to get to the bottom of what was eating him from the inside. Max was a very good kid that was forced to live the life he’d lived. Big Jim was the last person that needed to have custody of those kids. I never liked him from the first day I met him. There was always something off about him, but he kept the shit hidden well. He was on the top of my list of people to get at.
Sosa on the other hand was going out of his fuckin’ mind, I like that shit though. The way Rodrigo laid down the law was the shit that had me cheering inside. Anyone that could stand up to my man without being disrespectful, was that nigga to me. My nephew was about to be a force to be reckoned with. Personally, I was going to try my best to keep an eye on him because he was liable to kill everyone before I had a chance.
My stomach was rumbling and I was hungry as hell. I would grab something to eat after I finished with Madysen. Easing in a spot a short distance away from the entrance, I turned the car off and got out. There was a group of people standing outside crying. The scene before me reminded me of the way my family was gathered outside this very hospital the night before. There will be many more sheds of tears shed before all is said and done.
After getting a pass at the counter, I went to the elevator heading for the third floor. The doors opened and one of Floyd’s flunkies got off the elevator talking on his phone. As he passed me, I caught part of his conversation and I wanted to follow him and put a slug in the back of his head.
“Man, I can’t believe them niggas got to Clout. I’m killing them niggas in broad daylight if that’s when I see ‘em.”
Deciding to let him live a bit longer, I got on the elevator and pressed the number three and laid my head back. I remembered the name Clout from the meeting and shit was about to heat up quickly. I pulled my phone from my purse and sent Beast a text.
Sin: Tell everybody to stay on alert. I just saw one of the opps at the hospital. They are looking to retaliate for the shit on 16th whenever and where ever. We need to be on the same shit!”
The doors to the elevator opened and I stepped off looking for room 312. When I found it, I knocked softly on the door. Madysen didn’t respond so I took the liberty of walking in without permission. The tv was on low and she was lying on her side with her back to the door. I walked to the other side of the bed to see if she was asleep.
She was sleeping soundly so, I sat down in the chair and looked down at my phone. Beast had replied to my text. I opened it and read what he had to say.
Beast: I let them know what’s up. I want you to be careful, Sin. Don’t be out there trying to handle shit by yourself. I’m not worried about them niggas coming for you because they don’t know nothing about you. I want to keep it that way.
I don’t know why he thought I was going to sit back and let this shit play out. I knew about the trap on 16th street and the one on 26th, they won’t let me in on any of the other spots but I wasn’t going to let that bother me. There were many ways to find out shit and I was determined to get the information I needed.
Sin: I hear you Erique.
“Sin,” I looked over at Madysen after I heard her say my name. “Please tell me I was dreaming about Max dying.”
Lying my phone on the food tray that
sat beside the bed, I grabbed her hand. She was shaking slightly and I didn’t want to upset her but there was no reason to give her false hope. The only thing I could do was be straight up with her.
“No baby, it wasn’t a dream. Everything will be alright, Madysen.”
“It’s not going to be alright, Sin! How am I supposed to live without him? I would rather be dead too, he was all I had!” she cried snatching away from me.
“Madysen, I need you to calm down. Talking like that is the reason you are in this part of the hospital. If you keep it up, they are gonna ship yo’ ass to the mental hospital and lock you up until they feel the need to let you out. I know you’re not crazy, but they don’t. What happened to Max was fucked up and I wish he was still here. But he’s not.”
“I don’t want to live anymore, Sin.”
“Say that shit again and I will slap the snot outta yo ass! You are too young to think your life is over because Max isn’t here! You were apart of this family and you will continue to be. Do you think we would turn our backs on you like that?” I waited for her to respond and when she didn’t, it pissed me off more. “Do you?” I asked standing over her.
Shaking her head back and forth, I sat down in the chair. After listening to her cry for the next ten minutes I’d enough. I snatched a couple pieces of tissue out of the pack and handed them to her.
“Listen to me. We are all hurting over the loss of Max. He was the baby of the family and he didn’t deserve that shit. I need for you to get your head together, that’s the only way you can get out of this muthafucka.” I said calmly. Before I could continue, there was a light tap on the door and the doctor walked in.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Langstein and you must be Madysen,” he said closing the door behind him. “Who may you be?” he said directing his attention to me.
“I’m her aunt Sincere, nice to meet you. How is she?” I asked.
“Madysen hasn’t really been talking to us today but I think she is progressing fine. With everything that she witnessed, the sedative has worn off but she seems to be very depressed. Only time can heal her from that and it’s understandable why she is feeling the way that she is. I came in to deliver Miss Wright some good news. Hopefully it will brighten her day,” he said with a smile.
“The only news I want to hear is you telling me I can go home. Other than that, I don’t want to hear nothing else.” Madysen shot back at him.
“Miss Wright, I think what I have to say is just as exciting as you going home.”
Madysen was giving this doctor so much attitude and it was hard for me not to hold in the laughter I wanted to let out. The expression on his face had him looking like a puppet waiting for his strings to be pulled on what to do next. He was twirling the clipboard in his hands nervously.
“Well, your lab work came back and I want to say, congratulations! You’re having a baby!”
Both Madysen and I sat staring at him as if he had two heads. That was the last thing I expected him to say out of his mouth. My focus went to Madysen and tears were falling down her cheeks. She fell back on the pillows and covered her face with her hands.
“Are you sure?” she asked in between sobs.
“The results from both your urine and blood samples read the same, positive. I hope those are happy tears, Miss Wright. Children are blessings,” Dr. Langstein said smiling. “I scheduled you for an ultrasound, the sonographer will be coming in any minute.”
He didn’t fully finish what he was saying before there was a knock on the door. A young woman in purple scrubs rolled the ultrasound machine into the room bearing a wide grin. It was evident that she loved her job.
“Who’s ready to see how this beautiful bundle is baking inside the mommy to be?” When Madysen didn’t respond, she frowned briefly but forced a smile quickly. “My name is Leslie, I will be the one to show you the first images of your little peanut,” she said as she plugged in the machine. Placing a tube in a warming container, she looked over at us. “I’m warming up the gel before I apply it to your stomach, it can be very cold if I don’t do this.”
Madysen wasn’t the least bit enthused about this process. She looked like she was mad at the world, on top of being sad at the same time. I was worried about her mental state at first, now I was really worried. Leslie folded back the sheet that covered Madysen and lifted her gown exposing her stomach.
It was the first time I noticed any signs of pregnancy because she was big boned and always had a slight pudge. At closer glance, she was definitely pregnant. There was no way Madysen didn’t know this until now.
Leslie applied the gel on Madysen's stomach and grabbed a wand like object. She moved it around as she looked at the screen. Instantly the sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room. Dr. Langstein moved closer to the screen and both he and Leslie were staring at it intensely. Curiosity was eating me up inside and I wanted to see what they were seeing.
I rose from the chair I was sitting in as Dr. Langstein spoke out loud. “Miss Wright, when was your last menstrual cycle?”
“Last week. It was on time and lasted five days. I’ve had a period every month as usual, that’s how I know for a fact I’m not pregnant,” she said with her eyes closed.
“What you have been experiencing is something that is simply called vaginal bleeding. It’s usually a watery like substance unlike your regular cycle. Do you experience any cramping along with the bleeding?” he asked without taking his eyes off the monitor.
“The cramping is not more than the usual cramping that comes when I’m on my period. It lasts maybe, a couple hours or so.” Madysen replied.
I stood up and walked behind Leslies chair and damn near choked on nothing. What I was witnessing was a full fledge baby on the screen sucking its thumb. There were eyes, nose, fingers, toes, the whole nine yards. Madysen was pregnant pregnant and she didn’t look like it at all. She had to be carrying this baby in all those titties and ass that she had.
“How far along is she in this pregnancy?” I asked out loud.
Leslie moved the wand and pressed a couple buttons in between movements. This lasted a couple minutes before a series of numbers appeared on the bottom of the screen. “According to the measurements, and the development of the baby, I would say that you are approximately twenty-seven to thirty weeks pregnant, Madysen.”
Doing the calculations in my head, I turned quickly to the bed Madysen was lying in. “Seven months, Madysen! You can’t sit here and tell me you didn’t know about this!”
“I didn’t know! I had suspicions that I was and I even told Max—” she paused after saying his name and the tears started again. I sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her in my arms. “I told him about it and he bought several tests and they all were negative so I didn’t think anymore about it. My period came every month like clockwork. The only thing that changed was my breasts and butt. I’m a little heavier than usual but I’ve always been thick as hell.”
“Okay, don’t cry. Everything will be alright. That’s a baby in there, somewhere,” I laughed. “There’s nothing we can do about it now but wait until it arrives. Can you tell what the sex is, Leslie?” I asked excitedly.
Seeing the baby had me happier than a nun in a room full of dicks. I wasn’t able to conceive any children due to something that happened to me in the past. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, but being an aunt isn’t too bad, I’d take it. Leslie was back to tapping away on the keys with one hand, while moving the wand with the other. Her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly clicking the mouse.
“We got a boy! Lawd, lil man is gon’ be blessed!” she laughed.
“Leslie! That was not the appropriate thing to say!” Dr. Langstein said scolding her.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Langstein. Would you all like to have the sonograms in 3D?”
“Lighten up doc, it’s okay. Leslie is only telling it like it is,” I laughed. “Yes, Leslie. As well as the originals.
She printed out the copies and started packing up th
e equipment. Pushing the machine toward the door, Leslie stopped by the bed and wiped Madysen’s stomach with a paper towel and covered her up. “Congratulations, Madysen.”
“Thanks,” she said without feeling.
“Congratulations, Miss Wright. I will get your discharge papers together and I will also set up your first appointment with an obstetrician that I trust with my life. Dr. Cheryl Langstein is my wife and she will take very good care of you. Plus, I want to be around when this little one enters the world. I want you to get the prescription for the prenatal vitamins as soon as possible. You have gone seven months without any prenatal care and I’m glad everything looks good with the baby. We are going to make the last two months count, I’ll be back in the next thirty minutes. Sit tight,” he said before leaving the room.
Madysen automatically turned her back to me. I refused to let her shut me out. We was going to talk about how she was feeling. The way she was acting told me she was not happy about the baby. I believed if Max was still here with us, she would be ecstatic about the situation.
“Come on Mads, this is an exciting occasion, sweetie. Max wouldn’t want you to be sad. You have to pull yourself together because the baby feeds off your energy.”
“There’s no way I can support a baby! I’m twenty years old and Max paid for everything. He wanted me to concentrate on school and didn’t want me to work. The money I do have in my account isn’t nearly enough to take care of this baby, Sin. Max was all I had. He was my family.”
“First of all, you don’t let nan nigga tell you not to work. Yes, you are in school and that’s great. Never depend on another muthafucka to secure your bag for you. I’m not clowning you by any means, but having your own puts that security in place just in case that nigga wants to leave. Max didn’t have a say in the reason he is no longer here. If you had paved your own way financially, trying to make it wouldn’t be a concern. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I do know you won’t struggle a day with this baby as long as Max’s blood runs through his veins,” I had to school her young ass for a minute. Madysen had my full support, no matter what. She didn’t understand how much life she has given back to this family.