by K'wan
Shamel's mouth suddenly became as dry as a desert wind. He told himself that he had heard wrong, but when he saw the tears in Trinity's eyes he knew that he hadn’t. Shamel felt tears forming in his own eyes as he thought of his friend dying in some gutter. Before he could say anything to comfort Trinity, she took off running down the block. Shamel was right on her heels.
When they reached Columbus Avenue, the hood was in an uproar. Lights were flashing everywhere as the police and the EMS units tried to straighten out the mess. People were bowling and crying left and right. Some even went as far as to curse the police and throw rocks. Trinity looked at the chaotic scene and couldn’t help but remember the warning that her dream had brought her.
People were screaming, but no one was really saying anything. Shamel managed to get ahold of a crackhead named Teddy and ask him what happened. “Ah man,” Teddy sobbed. “This shit is all fucked up, Mel. They killed them, man. They shot Prince and his two sons dead on the street.”
“Prince and his kids?” Shamel asked. Hearing this, he let out a sigh of relief. It was sad what happened to Prince and his boys, but at least it wasn’t Rio. “How long ago, Teddy?”
“About fifteen minutes ago, man. Smoked em while they was just kicking it. About five dudes, man. Rolled up on the ride and popped it off.”
“Damn,” Shamel said. “That's messed up.”
“Damn right. But that's okay though. When Truck gets wind of this, he's gonna turn it up on these niggaz.”
“Hold on, I thought you said that Price and his two sons got killed?”
“I did, man. Melvin and Prince's youngest boy, Tito.”
“Tito?” Shamel said, wide-eyed. “You mean Rio?”
“That's what I said, ain’t it?”
“Teddy,” Shamel said, grabbing him by the arm. “Are you sure?”
“Shamel, I know who Rio is. Tall kid with curly hair. He was one of the only ones who treated me like I was still a man. The rest of these ma fuckas act like I was born a crackhead.”
Shamel released his grip and walked away. Rio was dead. He felt as if his heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. He sobbed heavily as he recalled his last moments with Rio. He could feel Trinity's eyes on him, awaiting the news, but he couldn’t face her at that moment. He didn’t want anyone to see his tears.
“Shamel,” she said softly. “What's wrong?” Shamel remained silent. “Mel, is it Rio?”
“T,” he said over his shoulder. “I…They said he's gone.”
“Gone? No, Mel. It has to be a mix-up,” she said, teary-eyed. “Rio isn’t dead.”
“Trinity, Teddy just told me he saw what went down. It was Rio that was in the car with Prince.”
“No!” Trinity screamed. She began to cry and pull at her hair. “No, Mel! Tell me it's a mistake. Tell me that you’re lying. Tell me something?”
“Trinity, I wish I could. I wish I could.”
Trinity shook her head frantically. Her nerves were so bad that she didn’t know what to do with herself. She tried to light a cigarette, but couldn’t get her hands to stop shaking. She felt her breath shortening and the blood rushing to her head. She had to sit on the curb to keep from falling out. Rio couldn’t be gone. Even though they weren’t seeing each other like that, she would’ve known if Rio was dead. When two people loved each other as hard as they did, there was a connection. More than a physical one, it was like spiritual. Their souls were intertwined. If Rio was dead, she would know about it.
“Trinity,” Shamel said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I loved Rio, too, ma.”
“Shamel,” she said, shaking her head. “This isn’t right.”
“I know, T. This whole situation is wack. I’m gonna make sure whoever did this to my man is punished.”
“No, Shamel. That's not what I meant. I mean Rio being dead. I can’t accept it,” she said animatedly.
“Trinity, I know it's hard to believe, but Teddy saw it.”
“I don’t care what some crackhead said. I need to see it for myself. Which hospital would they have taken the bodies to?”
“Trinity, do you really wanna put yourself through this right now?”
“I need to see, Shamel. Please, which hospital?”
“Damn, Trinity. Okay, they probably took him to St. Luke's. But if you plan on going, then I’m going too.”
Trinity didn’t need Shamel to go with her, but she was glad that he did. He was a true friend to her and Rio. They headed for the intersection and flagged a taxi. All she could think about was Rio. There was so much that had gone unsaid between her and Rio. If he was dead, she wouldn’t be able to live with it. All the times Rio tried to get her to let him in, she ended up just pushing him further away. Now she might not ever have the chance to let him in.
21
Truck staggered to his car, giggling to himself. He had really shown Cutty a good time. They drank and smoked until the wee hours of the night. The look on Cutty's face when the big-butt stripper lured him off into the back room was priceless. Truck had been with her before, so he knew just what Cutty was in for. She would keep him busy for hours.
So far his plan was going well. He needed to find a weak link in Rio's chain and Cutty had proven to be it. As soon as Rio brought Cutty in, Truck had begun sizing him up. Cutty was a loyal soldier, but probably would never rise above that level. He was more greedy than ambitious, so Truck knew that as long as he kept him happy, he had nothing to fear from the man. Rio was a different story.
Rio was always reaching for the stars. He was ambitious as well as smart. At first Truck didn’t see the young upstart as a threat, but after seeing the kid work, he knew he was wrong. Since Rio had taken over the projects, the money was pouring in. There had always been money in Douglass, but not the way he was pulling it out. He had shown that he could turn shit to sugar, and that's why Price valued him so much. But Rio's most dangerous quality was his ability to make people love him.
Since Rio had been in power, everyone was eating. He made sure that whoever wanted a piece could get it. It didn’t matter who you were or what your status was, if you came to Rio he would give you a job. Then he had the support of the people who lived in the projects. They knew who he was and what he was doing, but his good deeds outweighed his dirt. When he took over, he put some changes into effect. If you were a crackhead and got caught getting high in the building, you were gonna catch a beat down. If the weather was nice and the mothers brought their children down to play out in front, you had to move to another spot to bubble. If you didn’t, you’d never work a shift for Rio again. The hood loved him for the moves he was making and would stand behind him. This made Rio a dangerous enemy. Truck had to plan his next move just right.
Truck was fumbling for his car keys when a cold gust of wind came through. A chill ran down Truck's spine as a sudden feeling of dread overcame him. At first he didn’t know what brought the feeling on, but when he looked over his shoulder he understood.
“What's good, Truck?” Kane asked, stepping from the shadows.
“Man,” Truck said, pulling his .357. “Fuck are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”
“Easy,” Kane said, backing off. “I didn’t come to fight. I brought you a message.”
“Yeah, what's that?”
“The deed is done.”
“You mean…?”
“Let's just say that you got what you paid for.”
“Well, well, the old man has gone on to his just reward?”
“Indeed. There were two more people in the car, but we won’t charge you for them.”
“Who were the other two?”
“One was the driver.”
“J?” Truck smiled.
“No, it was another man.”
“And who was the other person?”
“I don’t know for sure. I know he works for your father because we’ve seen them together many times.”
Truck racked his brain trying to figure out who Kane was refer
ring to. Prince didn’t associate with the grunts, so it had to be somebody important. But who? As he ran through the many faces of the organization, one in particular stuck out. Rio. That was the only person Kane could’ve been talking about. Truck couldn’t believe his luck.
“The young cat,” Truck asked anxiously. “Is he dead, too?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You mean your boy didn’t stick around to make sure the job was done?”
“Truck, you only paid us for one body. The others were just casualties.”
“Fuck that! He should’ve made sure the little punk bought it with the old man. What kinda fucking so-called killers are you guys? You go and half do a job? You cats ain’t killers, you’re fucking jokes.”
By the time Truck finished his sentence, Kane had closed the distance between them and had a grip on Truck's neck. Truck tried to overpower the young man, but his bony fingers were like steel bands. “You listen to me,” Kane hissed. “If you ever speak to me like that again, I will break every bone in your body. Just because you’ve done business with us, don’t presume to know us. You know nothing of me or those like me. If I wanted to, I could have you and everyone in your fucking bloodline put to death. Children and all. Don’t test me, Truck. Do we understand each other?” Truck nodded as best he could, with the hope that Kane would let him breathe again.
Kane released his grip on Truck's neck and turned to walk away. On shaky legs Truck pulled himself up and drew his weapon. At the sound of the cocking hammer, Kane stopped short. “Go ahead, Truck,” Kane said over his shoulder. “Show me your gangsta. Pull the trigger.” Truck tried to pull the trigger, but his finger refused to budge. All he could do was stare at Kane's back and stew.
“Just like I thought,” Kane said, continuing his stroll. “When you’re ready to talk business, get at me, Truck. Until then, stay the fuck away from me.”
Truck watched helplessly as Kane disappeared into the night. He was so angry that his eyes began to tear. No one had ever treated him like Kane had. Kane might’ve gotten away with it for the moment, but he would pay for it down the line. Truck would make sure of that.
St. Luke's Hospital had always made Trinity uneasy. The whole place held the stink of death and sorrow. The bruised and sickly people in the waiting area looked more like refugees than the citizens of a flourishing city. This was the very same hospital where Trinity watched her mother wither and eventually pass on. They were hard memories that would fade in time, but never go away.
Trinity walked up to a small window where a fat woman sat talking on the phone. Her blonde dye job did a poor job of hiding her black roots. She was clicking her gum and talking about someone's child being pregnant. She had to notice Trinity standing there but acted like she didn’t. When Trinity tapped on the plastic, the girl raised a finger for her to wait. A whole five minutes passed before Trinity began to loose her patience. She tapped on the glass again, but this time the girl sucked her teeth and turned her head.
“Excuse me,” Trinity said, getting loud. “I’m trying to ask you a question. This is the information desk, isn’t it?”
“Hold on a second,” the receptionist said into the phone. “Can I help you?” she asked in a stink voice.
“That's what I’ve been trying to ask you,” Trinity said, matching her tone. “I’m trying to get some information on — “
“Look,” the receptionist said, cutting her off. “I’m sure you can see that I’m on the phone. Take a number and someone will be right with you.” Then she turned her back on Trinity and continued with her conversation.
“No, she didn’t,” Trinity said to no one in particular. Trinity had tried to be polite, but now it was time to get ghetto on her. “Look, bitch,” Trinity said, damn near screaming. “My man got shot and you tell me to take a fucking number? You must’ve fell and bumped your head. Either you get on your fucking job or get someone down here that can help me.”
The receptionist whirled back around. “Bitch? Who you calling bitch? Let's not get ignorant up in this piece. If you wanna get stupid, then we can get stupid.”
“Well,” Trinity said, taking off her earrings. “Ain’t nothing between us but space. Bring ya fat ass from behind that plastic and we can do it up!”
“What's going on out here?” an older white man asked, wearing a pair of scrubs. “This is a hospital, not Madison Square Garden. If you wanna box then take it outside.”
“I think you need to check your employee,” Trinity said, staring at the girl.
“What's the problem?” the doctor asked.
“I’m trying to get some information on a shooting victim. He was in the shoot-out on 101st Street. He came in about an hour ago, maybe less?”
“Well miss, three people came in here from down that way. Two of which were DOA.”
“Two?” Trinity asked. She knew for a fact that there had been three people in the car. Maybe God had been good to her and let Rio live?
“The one that lived,” she began. “How is he?”
“Stable. We just removed a bullet from him. The other ones, well… I’m sorry. What was the patient's name you were inquiring about?”
“Darius. Darius Santana.”
“Let me see.” The doctor flipped open the clipboard that he was carrying and began to scroll through the names. He only took a few seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime. She knew that it was a long shot, but she had to keep the faith. Her boo was destined for more in life than to die in the game. Trinity's heart felt like it was going to bust out of her chest as the doctor looked up from his list.
“Santana?” the doctor asked. “Yes, that was him.”
Trinity dropped to her knees and said a prayer of thanks. The doctor as well as the rest of the reception area looked at Trinity as if she was crazy. And she was. She was crazy with joy. God had finally chosen to smile on her and had spared Rio's life. If there was ever any doubt that they were meant to be, it was erased now. The fact that he had survived was a sign.
“Can we see him?” Trinity asked.
“Hold on,” the doctor said. “He's just coming out of surgery. You can come back and see him tomorrow.”
“Please, doctor. It's very important that I see him tonight. I won’t stay long. I just wanna sit with him for a while.”
“I don’t know about that. It's against hospital regulations for me to allow anyone to see him besides the police or his immediate family.”
“Oh, I am his family. I’m his wife,” she lied.
“His wife, huh?” From the way that the doctor was looking at her, she could tell that he didn’t believe her. But something about the pleading look in her eyes made him feel sorry for her. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll let you see him, but only for five minutes and only one of you can go up.”
“Don’t worry,” Shamel said. “I’ll wait for you down here. Just tell Rio that I’m here.”
“Okay, Mel,” she said, following the doctor through the double doors. Trinity could hardly contain herself as the doctor led her down a long hallway. It hadn’t been that long since she and Rio had last seen each other, yet she had no idea what she was going to say to him. The doctor stopped in front of another door and held up five fingers. Trinity nodded and approached the door. Her moment of truth was at hand. Trinity pushed through the door and went to be by her lover's side.
Rio lay in the little hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling. His arm and side ached like nobody's business, but he would live. The medication that they had given him for the pain made it hard to stay awake. But every time Rio closed his eyes, Prince's murder played over in his head. His friend and mentor had been taken from him. There was still so much that he had to learn from Prince, but he would never have the chance. His adopted father had left him, just like his biological one.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would’ve never believed that Prince was gone. Cats like him usually beat the odds. It just went to show that tomorrow wasn’t promised to anyone. As h
e touched the bandages on his side, he realized how lucky he was. He could have been stretched out in the morgue next to Prince instead of in a hospital bed. Getting shot up was far from a good thing, but it was better than dying.
Rio heard muffled voices coming from outside the door. He figured it was the police. He knew they would come, but he thought that they would wait until the morning. See, when you go to the hospital for a gunshot wound, they have to call the police. As the door creaked open, Rio prepared to face his inquisitors. To his surprise it was a female who came into the room.
For a good while the two lovers just stared at each other. It had been a minute since they had been around each other, so it felt a little awkward at first. How could two people who were once so close feel like total strangers? It was like meeting for the first time all over again.
Trinity got tired of standing there, looking stupid. She didn’t expect Rio to come to her, even if he wasn’t lying there shot up and weakened, so she took the initiative. Moving one step at a time, Trinity made her way to Rio's bedside. He just lay there, staring at her. They had really done a number on Rio. His ribs were bandaged as was his right arm. His left arm was in a cast and suspended in a sling. When she looked at his bruised and bandaged body, she wanted to cry. The only thing that stopped her was that she didn’t want to upset him.
“Hey,” she said, touching his leg.
“Hey,” he responded sleepily. There was another uncomfortable pause, but Rio broke the silence. “Been a while, huh?”
“Yeah,” Trinity said. “Guess it has. How have you been?”
“Shit,” he said, looking at himself. “You see me.”
“Does it hurt much?” she asked, biting her lip.
“Nah. They got me pumped full of some shit. When I wake up in the morning, I’ll probably wish that I had died.”
“Stop talking crazy, Darius. You’re lucky that you survived. You could’ve ended up like… Sorry about that,” she said, turning her eyes away. “I know that the two of you were close.”