My Woman His Wife Saga

by Anna J.

  Jaydah was an entirely different issue. She called me a few times the other day when I had visited the Cinque household, but I just didn’t feel like being bothered. Maybe I would call her before I pulled out as well. I mean at the airport right before takeoff.

  Thinking twice about it I decided to just call her and get it over with. That way when it was time to jet out I wouldn’t have to even deal with her. Peeping at the rearview for followers first, once I determined the coast was clear I dialed her number. I knew once I got back “butler security” would be on my heels. To my surprise she answered on the first ring.

  “I called you days ago, Monica,” she answered with a ton of attitude, not even bothering to say hello. I was still zoning and pulsating from the feeling of James being inside of me so I wasn’t fazed in the least.

  “I know . . . ummm . . . sorry about that. Where are you now? We need to talk.”

  “We sure do. I’m at home. How fast can you get here?”

  “I’ll be there in like fifteen.”

  She was saying something afterward but I had already hung up. I planned to just dip in right quick, and then I would be on my way. I needed a good night’s sleep, and that wine I had back at the Cinques’ had my head feeling a little fuzzy. Stepping on the gas, I zoomed across the city to get this done and over with. By the time I arrived she had the door cracked open for me to come in. I left the door cracked and didn’t even bother to take a seat. It ain’t like I was staying long anyway.

  “So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked, really not even interested. This girl was surely a pain in my ass.

  She sat down on the couch across from me after closing the door, and she looked like she was about to get into something I didn’t even feel like exploring. I was so not in the mood for the nonsense this evening, so I gave her the game face right back. I was not easily intimidated, and I thought she was going to find out the hard way.

  “We need to talk about us,” she spat out like she meant business, and I knew instantly that I should have taken my ass to the judge’s spot. Figuring I should just go end it, I let her make her point so that she could be done with it. That way I could just wrap up the situation with her as well as the mess with James and the kids, and once I left here that would be the end of it. Philly has seen the last of me around these parts, and I just can’t get out of here fast enough.

  Jaydah B

  The Lion’s Den

  “What about us?” she replied like she was already bored. I swear I could tell that Monica was a bitch. She was wearing me out because she acted like she was a gift to all women or something. I was slowly beginning to see what my sister was talking about regarding her nonchalant attitude, and it was beginning to piss me off.

  “We’re going to be together so I need you to decide what we’re going to do about your living situation. Am I moving to Atlanta with you, or are you coming back here to live with me?” I gave it to her straight, no chaser.

  She sat there motionless for a second, just staring at me. I was confused because she was still like a mannequin almost. I looked at her, puzzled, waiting for a response. She blinked a few times like she was thinking, and then the next thing I knew she busted out laughing. I mean, homegirl was holding her gut and cracking up like she was about to pass out. That just pissed me the hell off, but I kept my cool. Never let them see you sweat. This entire scenario played out differently in my head for some odd reason. It definitely wasn’t supposed to be going like this. She was supposed to be happy about us being together, and offer me a spot in her house for a while. We would commute back and forth until the commitment was made, and within a few months we would make it official. What’s happening right now is the exact opposite. Irked!

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You . . . This! We’re not in a relationship, Jaydah. I mean, you’re cool and all that, but this is just a fun thing. You know . . . no strings attached and all that.”

  Heart hurt and crushed at the same damn time. Was she telling me that we had nothing? At all? Like the time we shared in Atlanta and the love we made just days before was a “fun thing”? It didn’t mean anything to her? I closed my eyes and counted to ten as I thought about my next move. Sheneka said that she was known for fucking over people’s feelings. Monica didn’t know who she was dealing with, and I was just the right one to show her.

  I reached into my pocket, pulling the phone out a little so that I could see, and sent a simple message with two words: she’s here! I had the message already typed so when I slid my thumb to unlock the screen all I had to do was hit the SEND button. That way I wouldn’t have to pull the phone all the way out of my shirt pocket right in front of her. Once the message was sent I then pulled the phone all the way out, and pretended like there was something interesting going on.

  My damn blood was boiling, and at this point I didn’t give a damn if Sheneka and Carlos strung her simple ass up like a Christmas tree. I hated bitches like her, and I wasn’t about to let her keep doing me or anyone else this way. I flipped over to my Myspace page and pretended that I was reading posts as we talked. I was just wasting time because my mind was already made up. The bitch had to go.

  “Jaydah, listen, I’m sorry if I led you on in any way. I’m almost certain that I made it clear what this was. To be totally honest with you, if I didn’t have to come to Philly to check on my son we probably would have never seen each other again.”

  My head snapped up from looking at the phone screen, and my eyes bore into her like looks could really kill. Was this chick serious? It took everything in me not to run across the room and drop kick her in the chest. She couldn’t be serious. Could she? I mean, I didn’t think we were head over heels in love, but I thought we at least connected in Atlanta. The way she was all up on me and sweating me all hard . . . I had to take a breather.

  My sister texted me back to tell me she was on her way here with a crew and it would only take about ten minutes. I needed a damn drink in the meantime, but I didn’t want her to try to leave just yet. I was busy counting backward from one hundred, trying to keep my composure. Tears were threatening to spill from my eyes, and I just wasn’t having that. Not at least until I was by myself again. She was not about to see me weak and upset.

  “Jaydah, I’m really sorry. It’s just that this thing with my son and my having to run a business is a lot on my plate right now. Besides, you live here, and I live in Atlanta. It could get costly commuting back and forth you know.”

  “Would you like a drink?” I asked as I finally got up to get something. I couldn’t take another minute of just staring at her, and listening to this bullshit she was trying to feed me. I really needed my sister to hurry up.

  “No, I’m okay. I had a little wine earlier, and I’m already feeling a little fuzzy.”

  I didn’t bother to respond, and simply poured myself a full glass of Moscato. I usually only did half, but I would need all of it tonight. I was itching to get at my laptop because that Monica character would be going in an entirely different direction now. I might just kill her off just because. I was so pissed I could spit nails! She just had this stupid-ass look on her face that I wanted to knock clean off, but it was cool. She was about to get what was coming to her simple ass.

  There was an uncomfortable silence between us, and I couldn’t help but feel like she played me. Okay, so we never actually talked about being in a relationship, and she never really said that she was interested in me. All we really had was amazing sex . . . over and over and over again. Maybe I should have given it more time to build. I was sure that if we spent a little more time together she would have been on board with my plan. Damn, I think I just fucked up again.

  “Okay, this entire night just got kind of weird so I’m going to head out. Once again, sorry I misled you, and if you’d like I’ll contact you before I head back down South.”

  As she was getting up to leave a knock came from the door and the knob turned. I didn’t even have a chance to hide he
r. Before I could do anything, Sheneka and Carlos walked in along with two other people. I wanted to protect Monica, but I knew I couldn’t do a damn thing. This was about to be a mess and a half, and I couldn’t blame anyone but myself.

  The look on Monica’s face went from confusion to rage as she recognized the visitors to my house. I knew she and Sheneka had beef, but I wasn’t sure I believed all of the stories that my sister told me, and how often they saw each other. I didn’t know if she had ever seen Carlos at all. She looked from them, and back to me, and I could tell that she was trying to figure out her next move.

  “I told you I would catch you slipping, bitch. You got my man killed; now it’s your turn.” Sheneka spat venom as she approached Monica. Not an ounce of fear showed in Monica’s eyes though, and I wondered briefly who would win the battle.

  “You set me up?” Monica asked me, but she kept her eyes trained on Sheneka and her crew. I could see her balling up her car keys in her fist with the key poking out between her fingers. She definitely wasn’t going down without a fight, and that just made me love her even more.

  I didn’t get a word in edgewise before Sheneka charged across the room. The two women collided with such force, and before I could react they were both on the floor throwing wild blows that thudded upon connection. Sheneka was going ham, but Monica wasn’t a chump, to say the least. The two women went at it, and my feet felt like they were stuck in dried cement so I couldn’t even move to stop it.

  In a desperate attempt to gain control, Sheneka reached up and grabbed my lamp from the end table, busting Monica in her head and face with it over and over. When a gush of blood flew from Monica’s mouth, I knew I had to step in. My feet felt heavy, but I managed to get over to the women, and grab Sheneka off of her, afterward grabbing the lamp. She put up a hell of a fight, but finally let it go. Carlos pulled Sheneka up from the floor, and still had to hold her back. When I looked down, there was blood everywhere, and Monica’s eyes were swollen shut. Did she kill this bitch? I stood there holding my breath, wondering what to do next, and suddenly Monica began to breathe.

  The men who were with Carlos and Sheneka pushed me out of the way and began to bind Monica’s feet and hands together with duct tape. A painful moan slipped from her bloody lips as the biggest guy scooped her up and threw her bruised body over his shoulder like a rag doll. A dark crimson circle was left on the floor where she was just lying, and I thought I might have seen a tooth in the midst of the carnage. What have I done?

  Taking the car keys from the floor, Carlos tossed them to the smaller guy, and said something to him in Spanish that I didn’t understand. I was sure he told him to get rid of the car, and the guy would probably be taking it to one of Carlos’s garages. Sheneka was nursing her bruised hand and busted lip, but I didn’t feel sorry for her. I just wanted them all to go.

  “Good looking out, sis,” she replied as she walked toward the door. Carlos didn’t bother to say a word, and the ignorant bastard left the door open on his way out. After locking the door I ran to the bathroom and vomited for what felt like forever. How could I get her out of this situation before it was too late? I paced back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom, past the blood on the floor. I was racking my brains for what felt like a lifetime when an idea hit me.

  Sprinting into the bathroom, I grabbed a bucket and some peroxide, and got the blood up so that it wouldn’t stain my hardwood floors. Afterward, I looked through Monica’s pocketbook that was left here for a picture. I found her phone, but I didn’t know who exactly I would call in it so I just tucked it away. I was hesitant at first, but I knew I was doing the right thing. As I pulled my cell phone from my pocket I dialed 911, and prepared myself for the ride that was sure to come.

  “Nine-one-one emergency, how may I help you?”

  “I would like to report a missing person,” I spoke tearfully into the phone as my tears ran down my face and soaked the collar of my top. I needed them to act fast before it was too late. Sheneka would be mad, but I would just have to deal with that when the time came. For right now, I had to save my baby.

  James

  Back at Scratch

  My wife was fully out of her coma. I didn’t know if I was happy or sad about it, to be honest with you. Monica had my head boggled, and I was so pissed at myself for letting her get to me like that again. On the way to the hospital I found it weird that she didn’t call me to let me know that she was home, but at the same time I was glad she didn’t because I didn’t feel like having to explain to my father-in-law why my phone was ringing this time of night and the woman on the other line wasn’t a family member. I wasn’t sure how much Jazz’s mom had filled him in on the Monica situation, and I wasn’t about to bring it up to find out. I didn’t feel like being busted in my face about some bullshit again, so it was best to just let it go.

  I was in a fog the entire ride, and I could not get Monica off my mind. So many thoughts were going through my head I was starting to feel sick.

  When we got to the hospital, I was a mess. I was so nervous about seeing Jazz up and alert. Every time I’d been in her presence she was down for the count, and not able to talk. Her mouth was wired shut so she still wouldn’t be able to say much, but I was sure that her attitude would do all of the talking if she could remember anything. Lagging behind a little, I followed her dad through the hospital and up to the intensive care unit where Jazz was being held. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I was not ready for this, and I didn’t know what to expect or how I would react.

  When we got up to the room I could see the doctor attending to her. She shook her head either yes or no to whatever the doctor was asking her, and when he ran an ink pen up the bottom of her foot and her toes curled, I was suddenly relieved. She might just be okay. I entered the room hesitantly, and when we made eye contact I busted into tears. My wife was alive. This all could have turned out so differently.

  I sat in the chair next to her, and placed my head in her lap. The tears flowed like a faucet, and when her hand caressed the back of my head I completely lost it. Would my kids have been able to keep going without her? Yes, Monica was a nice distraction for them, but she wasn’t their mother. I was crazy to ever think another woman could raise our kids.

  I looked up into her face, and she had tears in her eyes as well. I could tell she wanted to say something, but the wire was preventing her from talking. I started to get her a pen or something to write with, but I decided that we would have plenty of time to catch up. For now, she just needed to rest, and I would take advantage of her being quiet while I had the chance.

  “Jazz, I’m so glad you made it through. The kids missed you so much, and we were all hoping that you would make it out okay.”

  She looked at me with a puzzled look, and I knew that I had to at least fill her in on the basics. So much happened since she’d been gone, and I didn’t know where to start. Did I let her know that I knew about the twin she got pregnant by? Although Monica gave me the number on her first visit I had yet to use it. I already decided that I would be calling them, but when would the time ever be right? Do I hit her with the news that Monica is back in town? Do I inform her of Jordan’s condition, because I’m sure that she would want to know that the kids are okay? I just needed to say something to clear the air.

  “You’ve been in a coma for about five weeks, but it was medically induced so that your brain would heal. You hit your head on the steering wheel pretty hard,” I told her as I held her hand. The tears flowed from her eyes and I could tell she was shocked. I felt bad even telling her, but I knew she would want to hear it.

  “You look great though, and the kids are all okay,” I told her, trying to clear the air. I could see the relief on her face after hearing that.

  I caught her up on the minute stuff that was going on, leaving out the incriminating details about Monica being back in the picture, and the sex we slipped up and had just hours ago. Jazz’s father looked misty-eyed as well, a
nd I just hoped that he would not tell her anything that would upset her right now. We still hadn’t talked about how much he knew about Monica, but I was certain his wife gave him some details about her and why she was here. There was no doubt on my mind that once it all came down to it she would be pissed, but today we would have some peace.

  I stayed up at the hospital well into the morning. Jazz’s dad had left hours ago, and I didn’t want to leave Jazz by herself. She was sleeping on and off, but I made sure that I didn’t budge because I wanted to be there every time she woke up. The nurse gave me coffee and crackers to snack on, and that was pretty much what I survived on for the hours that I was there. All the hours in between I was in my head heavy and sleeping on and off.

  I couldn’t believe I slipped up and ran up in her without a condom again. What was I going to do if Monica turned up pregnant? I could check her getting rid of it off the list because she wasn’t even about to do that. Who knows? Maybe she changed over the years, and just might be up for an abortion this time around. Or if that isn’t an option, at least keep it with her. The responsible thing to do would be for her to just flush it and keep moving. I didn’t even have to know all the details. As long as she wasn’t bringing another child into the world at my expense we would be good.

  What was I going to do about these kids? They’d already gotten a taste of Monica, especially the girls, and I knew they were going to want to know what happened to her. Kids can’t even hold water without pissing the bed, so I knew they would tell their mom that she had been around. My dilemma was, do I tell her beforehand, or do we discuss it once the cat is out of the bag? Jazz is off the chain, and I just don’t feel like the bullshit that’s surely going to come with it. Maybe with her mom present at the time of reasoning it will soften the blow.