Can I Talk to You (G Street Chronicles Presents)

by Nicole Jackson

  By then it was too late. The niggas were on both sides of my car with a gun pointed to my head. I knew that I shouldn’t have listened to that bitch when she insisted that I roll down the windows versus just running the AC.

  “Get out the car, nigga!” the nigga on my side of the car said as he pointed his gun in my face.

  “A’ight,” I agreed. The freak that I was with just sat there, she didn’t seem too scared if you asked me. “Let me zip my pants up.”

  “Nigga, don’t make a motherfuckin move!” he shouted as he opened my Cadillac’s door. “Get out nigga!”

  I did as I was told because a ride is not worth dying over. The thing is, those niggas didn’t know who they were dealing with. They were so bold that they didn’t even bother to cover their faces up. I guess they thought I was a mark ass nigga that wouldn’t dream of coming back for them. That was a deadly mistake on their part.

  I was glad that I didn’t wear any jewelry that night. I watched as that bitch ass nigga drove off in my car while his partner followed behind him in the other car. Of course, the nineteen-year-old freak left with them. That was a night that thinking with my dick had really cost me.

  Luckily, those niggas didn’t bother to check my pockets, so I still had my money and my cell. I called my nigga, Big Jeff.

  “What it do, nigga?” he asked as he answered the phone.

  “Say, where y’all at?” I asked.

  “Shit, in the hood. Why, what’s up?”

  “Man…these bitch ass niggas just got me.”

  “Got you? What you talking about, nigga?”

  “They took me for my Lac.”

  “No shit?! Where you at right now?”

  “I’m at the AMC on the west side.”

  “Nigga, I’m on my way. You saw how the niggas looked?”

  “Yeah, I saw them.”

  “They gotta be handled.”

  “Oh, they will be. That’s in the bag. Just come pick me up. I ain’t trying to talk over the phone,” I told him.

  “Alright. Give me like ten minutes and I’ll be there.”

  “A’ight,” I breathed, before I hung up the phone.

  Those pussy ass niggas had fucked with the wrong man. If I wanted them locked up, I could’ve made that happen instantly since my car had a tracking device; but I didn’t deal with police under no circumstances. I had full coverage insurance, so I wasn’t even concerned about the car. The only thing that I was losing was my rims and music; but when I would lay those niggas to rest, all could be forgiven.

  * * * * *

  “Why didn’t you answer my calls last night?”

  “Come on, man. What’s up? What you want?” I groaned.

  “So, you can’t answer my question?” Karen badgered.

  “Karen, I ain’t in the mood right now. What the fuck do you want?!” I barked.

  “Why are you yelling?”

  “Cause you getting on my nerves, man. I had a fucked up night and the last thing I need is you questioning me like you my fuckin mama.”

  “I’m sorry, Trent. What happened? Is it something that I could help you with?”

  “No, I’m good,” I contended. “What did you want?”

  “I was trying to see when you were planning to come over. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? How can a man not know when he’s going to see his woman?”

  “See…that’s just it. I don’t have a woman.”

  “Oh, really? Since when?” she wanted to know.

  “Since my girl died.”

  “Okay…So what was is it that you and I have been doing for these past few months?”

  “Fucking…not that it was good, but we were fucking.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I think that I just said it. You can’t fuck and I’m tired of it.”

  “Is this Trent that I’m talking to? You can’t be serious,” she ranted, sounding like her feelings were hurt.

  “This is Killah you talking to, and he’s tired of talking.”

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “I think that I just said it,” I hung up the phone.

  A minute later she was calling again. “Hello,” I answered.

  “Why the fuck did you hang up on me?!”

  “Mama, mama…chill out, okay. You better than this. It was cool while it lasted, but I think that we should take a break. Don’t fuck up and taint the image that I have of you. Let’s just leave on a positive note.”

  “Wow,” she stressed. “I didn’t know that you could be this cold. Trent, don’t you know that I love you? It’s just not that easy for me to walk away from you,” she cried.

  “Karen, you’re a beautiful chick and some man would be happy to be your man. I’m just not ready for all the shit that you want. Trust me, I’m doing you a favor.”

  “Please don’t do this to me, Trent. Just come over and let’s talk about this,” she pleaded.

  “Karen, there ain’t shit to talk about. Just don’t call me anymore,” I hung up in her face.

  She called again and I sent her to voicemail. I knew that I was being cold, but it was better that way. I didn’t want her thinking that she could do something to change my mind cause it just wasn’t happening.

  It was time for me to move on to bigger and better shit. I needed a bad bitch that had her shit together and could make a nigga bust over and over again. I didn’t want to hurt Karen, but I couldn’t go on trying to force something to fit. She just didn’t do it for me, and I wasn’t really trying to be tied down to any of these scandalous bitches; especially somebody off the chat. That little grimy bitch that called herself Jasmine had left a bad taste in my mouth. She quickly reminded me that I’d been too comfortable with my shit. In my life, getting too comfortable could become a grave mistake.

  Although, the entire set-up situation had been handled by my little niggas after I gave them Jasmine’s address and they followed her and those broke ass robbers, I still felt pissed. I bet you that broad thought that she was being smart by meeting me around the corner from her spot, but she’d forgotten to cross all her T’s. All I had to do was put her number into a computer, and the next thing I knew, I had the bitch’s address. Some people were so smart until they were dumb.

  After that whole episode, I couldn’t fuck with the chat anymore. I couldn’t deal with broads while being paranoid that they were trying to stick me for my paper. I had enough to deal with while doing business with these shiest ass niggas in these streets. I was finally realizing that I liked calling the chat line, cause I hated going to sleep at night. I hustled all day and when it was time to retire, I couldn’t sleep. The ghosts came at night. Sometimes the ghost would be Courtney, but other times it was the different people that I had to handle when they crossed me. At those times, I had to do what I had to do; but my conscience had a hard time digesting it all.

  It was crazy how after so many years, money was no longer an issue, but my problems were just as plentiful as when I was broke. Shit…I may have had even more problems than before. I couldn’t trust these niggas or these bitches. The only friend I had was my nine. So, I blew back some purple haze driving my Escalade through the streets of Houston banging UGK’s, “Diamonds and Wood” and laughing at how niggas all over could have the same struggles as mine. Life had me thinking was it all even worth it. This was supposed to be living the life. I had all the shit that dope boys in my hood strived for, but I bet that they never thought of the emptiness that this life could afford them.

  Chapter 12

  Keirah

  Working twelve-hour shifts was something that my body had to get adjusted to. I wasn’t eating regularly, and the size ten uniforms I wore were fitting very loose. Sometimes I’d be so tired that I would skip over dinner and head straight to bed. Ted never allowed me to go to bed alone, so I had to handle him each and every night before I closed my eyes, and then I had to do it all again before
I prepared for work in the morning. Between him and work, I barely had time to think. So, after I left work it was like I was in a dream world when I pulled into my complex.

  I got out of my car dragging, picturing myself lying in my bed and taking a long nap before Ted made it in from work. I hit the alarm on my car and then heard, “Keirah.” I turned around and there was Chantez. He’d caught me totally off guard.

  “What are you doing here?” I frowned.

  “Can we talk?” he asked.

  “For what? If you want the keys to your cars I can give you that right now,” I told him.

  “I went to jail with copies of my keys.”

  “Oh. So, what do you want?”

  “I just want to talk to you.”

  “About what? Your money? Cause if that’s what you want, I can give you every penny back in less than thirty minutes.”

  “I ain’t worried about that money,” he claimed, as he moved in closer.

  I stepped further back. “So, what do you want, Chantez?” I asked, looking around to make sure that there were other people outside in case I had to scream for help.

  “Baby, I just want to talk to you. I want to apologize for putting my hands on you.”

  I stood with my hand on my hip. “Okay, you’re forgiven, so is that it?”

  “No. I want to come back home.”

  “Home? You can’t be serious,” I shook my head.

  “So, what you trying to say? You don’t love me anymore?” he asked with a pitiful look on his face.

  I took a deep breath. “No, Chantez. I don’t love you anymore.”

  He nodded. “So, that’s it? It’s that easy for you to move on?”

  “It wasn’t easy, but I did it because it’s what I needed to do. We just ain’t meant for each other.”

  “Why?”

  “Come on, Chantez. You know why.”

  “But I can change. I love you enough to change for you.”

  “It’s too late. Let’s just both move on.”

  “Keirah, baby,” he uttered, as he walked up on me so fast that I didn’t have time to react. “Don’t do this to me,” he pleaded as he grabbed my hands. “I was fucked up in the head, baby. You just don’t know the affect that you have on a nigga. You’re so down for your man that I didn’t know what to do. I started letting my mind play tricks on me. I didn’t want to ever lose you to another man, so I tried to do whatever was within my power to keep you close. I know that I ended up pushing you away, but baby, I know better now. Just give me a chance to show you. I can be better, baby.”

  “It’s just not going to work, Slim,” I shook my head. I didn’t see him as the same man I met and fell for. Too much had happened and we couldn’t go back.

  “Come on, Keirah,” he begged as he tried to hug me. I pushed him off of me.

  “Get off me!” I yelled. “If you want your money, then holla at me, but I gotta go,” I tried to walk away from him.

  He snatched my hand. “I’m not done talking,” he gritted.

  I pulled away from him so hard that I flew to the ground. I quickly hopped back on my feet. “Get the fuck away from me!” I shouted as I ran toward my apartment. I pulled out my cell and dialed 911. “Your ass is headed right back to jail!”

  Once I made it to my door, Chantez was no longer behind me. I was scared shitless as I talked to the police. As soon as I hung up the phone with the police, I called Ted. He was already pulling into the complex.

  “Where are you, baby?” I cried.

  “I’m outside the house. Why, what’s wrong?” he asked with concern in his voice.

  “He showed up.”

  “He? That nigga?”

  “Yeah,” I whimpered.

  “I’m coming up the stairs right now. Open the door,” he damanded before he hung up.

  I opened in the door and he walked in with a scowl on his face. “Did he touch you?”

  “He just kept grabbing me, and the last time he did, I ended up falling.”

  “Let me see,” he grabbed my hands and examined my face and arms. “You sure that he didn’t hit you?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “I was just scared. He was talking about all this getting back together shit, and I told him that it wasn’t happening. He wasn’t listening. He’s gonna come back. I can feel it.”

  “Fuck that nigga!” he belted, as he headed for the bedroom. He was fuming. I followed behind him as he went into one of the walk-in closets. He went into a Jordan’s box and pulled out a silver handgun. “This is what you got for your protection,” he brandished the gun.

  I shook my head. “I don’t fuck with guns.”

  “Pretty Girl, you better get off of that scary shit real quick. Don’t you value your life?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Alright, so you have to do whatever it takes to keep it, right?”

  “Yeah,” I nodded.

  “Alright. Take this,” he insisted, as he handed me the pistol. “I’ll show you how to handle it later,” he promised, as we heard a knock on the door.

  “That’s probably the police,” I said as I handed the gun back to him and headed for the door.

  The police were at the door and I gave them a rundown of what happened. They said that they’d let me know if they caught up with Chantez and to call them if he showed back up. I knew that they weren’t going to go out and look for him.

  There were still two months left on my lease agreement, but I decided to move. Ted thought that I was overreacting, but I didn’t give a damn. There were plenty of bitches that underestimated the capabilities of their men and they were no longer around to tell their story. That wasn’t going to be me. I had to go. It didn’t take long before I found a two-bedroom condo. The rent was $800 a month and it was real nice. Since it was individually owned, it didn’t take long for us to move because there was less red tape. So, within one week, we’d already moved in.

  * * * * *

  Once we were moved, I felt safe again. Things were going good between me and Ted, and then he came home saying that he had been fired for failing a random drug test. To be real, I could afford to pay every bill all by myself, but I wasn’t about to. I refused to carry another relationship, so I made it clear that I was there for him, but he needed to get another job ASAP.

  Outside of the job situation, everything was still good between me and Ted. He wasn’t crazily jealous, so I kicked it with my girls whenever the mood struck me. Everything was uneventful until he introduced me to his sister. I’m not a jealous person, but life had taught me to be precautious so I was a little skeptical about the bitch. She was supposed to be this broad that his mama practically raised, but they were not actually blood related. I had only spoken over the phone with her, which is why I looked at him crazy when she called his cell in the middle of the night crying. She begged him to pick her up because her boyfriend had just kicked her ass.

  “I gotta go get her,” he jumped out of bed butt naked. We’d just finished having a major fuck session.

  “You what?” I asked to make sure that I was hearing him right.

  “I gotta go get her,” he repeated, as he threw on some sweats and a t-shirt.

  “And then what?” I scrounged.

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I just gotta get her out of that situation. Maybe she can crash on the couch for the night.”

  “You can’t be fucking serious? I don’t know that bitch,” I snapped.

  “Pretty Girl, don’t start that shit. I told you that she is just like my sister.”

  “Like and being your sister ain’t the same thing!” I spat, as I folded my arms across my chest.

  “So, you don’t trust me?” he asked with a raised brow.

  “Not in this situation,” I rolled my eyes.

  “Really?”

  “Yep. As a matter of fact, you and your sister can both find somewhere else to sleep tonight.”

  “You are really tripping hard. This is my house too in case you forgot.”

&nb
sp; “Yeah? Well I don’t see you paying no fucking bills around here!”

  “Oh, okay?” he nodded. “So, now that a nigga is down on his luck, you want to kick me, huh? You wasn’t doing no tripping when I went to work and gave you money every payday, now were you? I ain’t no sorry ass nigga, and you know that.”

  “Well, I’m like Janet Jackson. What have you done for me lately?”

  He let out a pissed-off chuckle. “You on some other shit right now.”

  “You ain’t know,” I sassed.

  “Yeah okay, smartass. I’m about to go get my people and I’ll be back,” he asserted, as he grabbed his keys off of the dresser.

  “If you leave here then don’t come back.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack,” I declared, as I laid back down hoping like hell that he didn’t walk out the door.

  My back was to him so I couldn’t see what he was doing. I was waiting to hear him leave out the door, but instead, I felt him sit on the edge of the bed right next to me. “Baby,” he whispered, as he pulled the covers off of my face. “You know that I love you?”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “No, that’s not answering my question. Do you know that I love you?” he asked as his voice rose a bit.

  “I don’t know. I guess.”

  “You guess? How the fuck can you be with a man and guess that he loves you?”

  “I guess cause a man that loves his woman wouldn’t be leaving their home at 3:00 in the morning to pick up another woman.”

  “Uhhh,” he moaned as he rubbed his temple. “Get dressed,” he ordered, as he pulled the covers completely off of my body.

  “For what?” I asked.

  He stood up. “Get up,” he insisted, as he lifted me out of bed. “Put some clothes on so that we can go pick the girl up.”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “Oh, you’re going,” he declared, as he walked to the dresser. He rumbled through the drawers and found me a pair of shorts and a tee.

  He threw the clothes at me and I decided to put them on. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and slid on my slippers. Then we both headed out the door.