by Meesha
“Erique it was good seeing you,” Alejandro said walking to the door.
“Hold up, I’ll walk out with y’all. I’m about to shake fellas, if y’all need me, hit me up,” Beast said giving both of us hugs.
“I’m not staying here with this muthafucka, I’m going home to go to sleep, I wore myself out today.”
Brah, if I come to your crib and you’re not there, I’m personally beating your ass. You have been lying too much this past week. I can’t believe shit you say no more,” I said frowning at Rodrigo.
“Oh well, the bitches in the street made me into the ain’t shit nigga I turned out to be. Goodnight, brah. Love ya.”
Rodrigo led the pack out of the door and I was left alone to think about the day I’d been dreading all week. Seeing Max laying in a casket was something I would never be able to prepare for. Nija was what I needed but she was still ignoring my calls. Walking to my bedroom, I picked up the phone and went to the Uber Eats app to get me something to eat.
Chapter 17
Sin
The day was finally here and I was not ready at all. I’d tossed and turned all night barely getting any sleep at all thinking about this funeral. It was still kind of a shock to me that Max was really gone. Madysen and I sat up and had a serious talk and she promised to do right by herself while she was pregnant. That was the only thing that put a smile on my face the entire week.
Laying out the outfit I chose to wear, I looked at it with admiration. The navy blue pantsuit I chose was tuxedo like with wide legs. I had a white silk cami to wear under it, along with some navy and white Manolo pumps. The suit jacket was purposely a size bigger than usual because I’d be damned if I didn’t take my bitches with me. I took it to the cleaners so Sue Wang could alter it fit perfectly and look good at the same time.
Beast had a navy blue suit with black dress shoes and a white button down. With his broad shoulders, I had to have his shit tailor made. But that’s usually what we had to do with his suits. Beast was already up and showered. He couldn’t sleep last night after he got in and spent most of the night in his office.
I got up and walked downstairs to make sure Madysen was up. As I walked up to the door, I could hear her talking. I knew she didn’t have anyone in there, but it seemed like she was crying as well. I put my ear to the door so I could hear.
“Why did you leave me, Max? I don’t know if I can do this. Seeing you for the last time will only confirm that I’ve lost you forever. The baby is coming and you won’t be here to cut the umbilical cord, you won’t see hear him say his first words, take his first steps, see him grow into a man,” she wailed lowly. “I miss you so much. It’s so hard living without you. I made a promise to Sin not neglect myself during this pregnancy. Max, I only said okay to get her off my back. This is not the way I wanted to bring a baby into this world. We were supposed to raise our kids together.”
Madysen was crying hard and I felt a tear roll down my cheek while I listened to her. Tapping lightly on the door, I waited for her to invite me in before I entered. When she gave the okay, I pushed the door and she was lying in the bed with her back to the door. sitting on the side of the bed, I gathered her in my arms and we cried together. Once I got myself together, I moved the hair out of her face and looked down on her.
“We are going to get through this, Madysen. It’s okay to cry whenever you feel the urge, but you have to get up because this is one party we can’t be late for. It will start with or without us,” I said getting up to go to the closet.
Reaching inside I grabbed the navy blue maternity dress out and laid it on the foot of the bed. In a week’s time, Madysen had blew up like a balloon. She was huge, but no one would be able to tell she was with child. I’d gotten her a pair of flat dress shoes so she would be comfortable for a few hours.
“Sin, would it be okay if I didn’t go? I don’t want to see him like that.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I just don’t want you to regret not going to say goodbye at some point down the line. The funeral is part of the healing process when a loved one passes on. You need that closure, Madysen. We will be leaving in an hour, if you are going, meet us at the door,” I said sadly.
I went back to my bedroom and Beast was sitting on the bed with his socks and dress pants on. He was looking down at the floor with his hands folded. This was going to be the day I had to put my big girl panties on and be strong for everybody. So far, there were two people breaking right before my eyes and there were two more that I hadn’t even seen.
“Are you okay, baby?” I asked as I sat down. He didn’t respond so I waited. Beast was praying and there weren’t too many times I got to see him do it.
He didn’t seem like he would be finished any time soon so I went into the bathroom to get myself ready. Turning on the shower, I put the cap on my head to protect the wrap I had done the night before. The water splashed down my back and massaged my shoulders. After cleaning my body twice, I turned the water off and stepped out. I wrapped a towel around my body and flipped the switch for the exhaust fan. The steam in the bathroom was so thick I had to open the door.
I decided I would go natural because makeup and tears didn’t mix. Being outside looking like a raccoon was not for me. While moisturizing my face, I saw my man standing behind me looking sharper than a knife in his suit. My lady parts started tingling but I had to check her ass because there wasn’t time for all that.
“Hey handsome, you all good? You lookin’ good,” I said turning around to see him in the flesh.
“Yes, I was having a moment. I’m ready to face this day head on and thank you. You looking mighty good yourself in that towel. Would it be wrong if I taste you before we leave?”
I started blushing like a little school girl, “yes because we will be late as hell because that particular meal can’t be rushed. You have to take your time with these cookies. What you can do is check on Madysen for me. She’s also was having a moment and hadn’t decided if she was going to the funeral or not. Take care of that while I get dressed, would you?”
“Anything for you, beautiful. I’m going right now because if I stay in this doorway any longer, you’ll be bending over that sink with your pussy in my mouth,” he said wickedly.
“Get your mannish ass out of here Erique,” I said laughing.
It didn’t take me long to get dressed. Stepping into my shoes, I put my holster on and put my twins in place with extra clips. As I pulled on my jacket, Beast walked in the room with a smirk on his face. I gathered my clutched and put my small .22 caliber in with my phone and keys.
“What are you gawkin’ at me for?”
“That’s all you packin’ today?” he asked chuckling.
“Yes, it is. Why?”
“You a damn lie, Sin. Let me pat you down.”
“You ain’t patting down shit, take my word on it will you. We need to get out of here, the funeral starts in a half hour. I wanted to be there early to scope out the place.”
“I got that covered, all you have to worry about is getting through the service. Make sure you have lots of tissue for your snotty ass nose,” he said laughing.
“Fuck you, jerk. Is Madysen—” I stopped talking when I saw her waiting by the door with a pair of shades on. “I’m glad you changed your mind. You will be glad you did when it’s over and done,” I said handing Beast his fedora and motioning to Madysen to open the door.
The ride to the funeral home was deathly quiet. I felt my phone vibrate after we had been on the road about fifteen minutes. Reaching in my clutch, I took my phone out and it was Nija texting me.
Nija: Where are y’all? This place is packed and I don’t feel safe being here with only Kimmie.
Me: Beast, Madysen and myself are on our way. There are people watching everything going on, you’re safe. I haven’t heard from Ricio, call to see where he is. I’ll call Rodrigo.
Nija: I haven’t talked to Ricio since Saturday. After today, he can kiss my ass.
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I wasn’t getting in all that shit with them. She would have to wait until I pulled up. What I didn’t have time for was beef. Getting through this funeral was my number one priority. Beast’s jaw was flexing the closer we got to the funeral home. He was nervous as hell and it was written on his face. I let the visor down pretending to check my face but I was actually studying Madysen. She sat back biting her nails down to nubs.
We pulled into the parking lot and went straight to the section reserved for us, as well as Ricio and Rodrigo. Beast cut the ignition and took the deepest breath I’ve ever heard in my life. I reached over and grasped his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He raised the back of my hand to his lips and kissed it softly before opening the door to get out.
There was a light rain fall coming down and I was glad there was a big ass umbrella in the car. Beast reached in the back and grabbed it then walked around the car to allow us to get under the umbrella without getting wet. Madysen was walking slowly and I had to hold on to her arm to make sure she didn’t run off. When we rounded the corner to the front of the funeral home, I noticed a lot of unfamiliar faces scattered out front.
“Babe, who are those people?” I whispered so only he could hear.
“The Vasquez clan” was all he said, but that’s all I needed to know. I was glad Maritza’s family decided to come.
I felt Madysen pulling back with every step we took toward the door. She was breathing funny and rubbing her stomach. “Are you okay? Are you having stomach pains?” I asked nervously.
“No, I’m just nervous. I’m sorry,” she said wiping the tears that ran down her face.
“Do you want to go to the bathroom before we go inside? I’m here for whatever you need to do.”
“No, no. Let’s go sit down, I’ll be fine,” she said as Beast held the door opened for us.
Nija was standing talking to her friend Kimmie when she noticed me walking up. She took one look at Madysen and wrapped her in a hug. Kimmie said her hellos to Beast and I and we greeted her in return. Rodrigo walked through the door with his suit on and his white shirt had the top two buttons opened. His demeanor was not hard like Rodrigo’s, that meant he was Sosa at the moment.
“What’s up, nephew?” Beast said giving him a brotherly hug when he made it to us.
“Nothing much. You good, Mads?” he asked Madysen as Nija released her. He held out his arms for her to enter them. “Everything will be okay. I’m sorry I haven’t been around, this has been hard for all of us. I got you. Don’t worry about nothing,” he said rubbing her stomach.
“We will wait on Ricio to come inside before we go in,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear.
“He’s parking his ride. I saw him pull in the lot as I walking up. I saw my uncles outside, when did they get in town?” That proved what I already knew. Sosa didn’t know any of the shit Rodrigo put his ass through.
“They arrived last night,” Beast explained. “You don’t recall anything from the past week?”
“Nah, I was wondering how the fuck I got a bullet hole in my arm.”
I laughed because the shit amazed the hell out of me that he truly didn’t remember. “Rodrigo came out to play for a while,” I said studying his reaction.
I need to seek some type of help, that muthafucka is crazy. He gon’ have my ass locked up some damn where.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that shit,” Ricio said laughing as he walked up behind us. “That dude’s been wildin’ out in the streets of Chicago. We’ll fill you in later, we have an important task to complete first,” Ricio said.
We started walking toward the chapel where Max’s funeral was taking place when Psycho and the others came in and fell in line. Alejandro, Julio, Sebastián and Hugo would be inside while the young Vasquez boys watched outside. Ricio and Sosa were standing on each side of Madysen to make sure she made it to the seats.
There was a long line that had formed to view the body. Low cries could be heard throughout the room mixed in with Marvin Sapp’s “Here I am” as it played over the sound system. Madysen’s knees buckled as she watched the pictures of Max glide across the screen ahead. Both brothers tightened their arms around her to hold her up.
“Take her through this row and sit down with her up front. As a matter of fact, we will all beat the crowd and wait until it clears to go up,” Beast instructed them.
We all cut through the row and went to the front of the chapel to sit in the family section. Madysen got a glimpse of Max’s body when a group of people moved past the casket and freaked out. It took all of us to calm her down. I wanted to take her out to get some air but she didn’t want to leave. She was taking seeing him lying there very hard.
The music changed and Tamela Mann’s “Take Me to the King” started playing. The line was getting longer and it was almost time for the funeral to start. Beast got up and said something to the pastor and he shook his head up and down.
Beast came back and sat next to me, “what’s going on?” I asked.
“I explained that we didn’t get a chance to view the body and he said we would get the opportunity before they closed the casket for the service.”
Ricio’s eyes were trained on Max and tears were rolling down his face. He put his hands on the top of his head and his shoulders shook with every tear that fell. Nija got up and went to his side and rubbed his back with her head on his shoulder.
Ten minutes later, the pastor walked up to us, letting us know we could view the body. Ricio and Nija led the pack and we all crowded around looking down at Max’s lifeless body. My baby looked like he was sleeping. He was wearing the hell out of the white suite I bought for him and his fedora was resting on his chest. His casket matched the colors that we wore with a white lining. Inside the lid were the words, ‘I’m going home.’
Nija forced Ricio to be strong when she started crying uncontrollably at the casket. Madysen didn’t make things better when she damn near climbed inside with Max. Beast and Sosa had to pick her up and carry her away so they could close the casket. As they lowered the lid, Madysen screamed, “He won’t be able to breathe! Please don’t close him in there!”
Beast was trying to console her but she wouldn’t let him. I sat next to her and wrapped her in my arms. She went limp and all I could do was fan her to keep her cool. Nija had a bottled water in her purse and I wet a few napkins, wiping her face. She opened her eyes after a while but continued to cry.
The pastor started the funeral. “This is one funeral that I didn’t think I would be doing. I’ve known this young man since he came out his mother’s womb. He had everything going for himself. I officiated his father’s funeral four years ago, and three months later I did the same for his mother. Now here it is today, I’m doing it again for Maximo. Max as he was called, was a bright kid. For him to get caught up in the gunplay that has taken over this city, hurts my heart. I want all you young people to put the guns down! Life is short, make the best of it while you can. This young man didn’t think his life would end at the tender age of eighteen, eighteen! He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. I’m seeing this too often nowadays, it’s not the way to go. No parent or loved one is prepared to bury a child. Live your life right starting today. To the family, Max wouldn’t want y’all to cry for him. Let’s read John 14:1 ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me.’ Believe that Max is alright, living in a more peaceful place than where we are. Max is reunited with both his parents, and now it’s his job to watch over all of you. Hold on to each other, make sure everyone gets through this together.”
When the pastor finished his Eulogy, then the choir stood and started singing ‘Precious Lord’ by Mahalia Jackson and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. As strong as I was trying to be, I couldn’t hold back the tears that I fought hard not to let escape my eyes. After the song ended, the obituary was read silently. We opted not to have the casket opened again at the end of the service because we just didn
’t want to put ourselves through that again.
We had many volunteers that took flowers out to the hearse and Beast, Ricio, Sosa, Psycho, Felon, AK, Fats, and Alejandro carried Max’s casket out of the building. Nija and I led Madysen to the car so we could line up to go to the cemetery. After I pulled the car to the front, I saw Beast standing talking to Chuck. I walked briskly over to them.
“Yeah, I didn’t like what Big Jim said to me at the prison the day Max’s funeral was announced on the news. I went to the security room and went back to the day Max came to visit and what I found, you are not going to like. I erased all evidence from the hard drive after I made a copy. Look at this footage, fam. That nigga is foul. The questions that y’all have, will be answered when you look at that, I promise. I’m gon’ get out of here. I just wanted to come pay my respects, and give you that disc. Oh yeah, Big Jim is pissed off about what Rodrigo did to his boy Red. They are planning to attack some time today. Keep yo’ eyes open,” Chuck said before he blended in with the crowd and disappeared.
“What’s on the disc, bae?” I asked with concern.
“I won’t know until I get home. We will find out together before I take it to Ricio and Sosa,” Beast said as he put the disc in the inside pocket of his jacket.
Waiting for all the cars to line up for the possession to the cemetery. The Vasquez boys came over to let us know nothing was out of the norm. It was good to hear that but I knew it was going to be short lived. Ricio and Nija was talking off to the side and Kimmie was chatting with Sosa when Rod stepped out of the funeral home. I was shocked that he had the nerve to come to the funeral.
“What the hell is he doing here?” I asked Beast.
“Who?” he asked looking around. When he spotted Rodney, so did Ricio. They both headed in Rodney’s direction but Psycho got to him first. Beast pulled Ricio back and said, “Let him take care of his business.”