by J Peach
I parked at the grocery store. “Who in the hell told you that?” What the hell was he saying? The baby takes after me? I wasn’t no damn crybaby. Yeah since I’ve been pregnant, my emotions have been heightened but I wasn’t always crying. I thought I was very strong.
“I’m just saying if she was a full blooded Carter, she wouldn’t be making you sick all the time and you wouldn’t cry as much.” He shrugged as if it was nothing.
“If she was a full blooded Carter? You’re not even a full blooded Carter. What the hell? You take from both the mother and the father.”
“My point exactly. It’s obvious I took after dad and this baby taking after you. I mean maybe if your last name was Carter, this problem would be solved.” He pointed out then got out the car stretching.
“What?” I mumbled to myself as I caught on to how he just played our conversation. My little man was to gotdamn smart. I found myself laughing at what he just said. I got out of the car and walked around to his side. I hit the alarm button and then wrapped my arm around Blake’s shoulder. I kissed the side of his head and laughed.
“My last name don’t have to be Carter in order for her to be full blooded. Regardless of anything, I am a Carter and we don’t need no papers to tell me otherwise. The moment you entered my world that title was mine. Plus, being a Johnson is not bad. We are very strong far from being weak. Have you not met Uncle King?” I questioned as we walked into the store.
“Or Sha, she ain’t weak and she’s a Johnson. That little girl crazy. Man, I hope this baby don’t be like Sha.” He groaned out.
He better stop trying to play my niece. Even though I could admit Sha’Keema was something else, she wasn’t that bad. She was a total sweetheart. “Leave Keema alone, she’s not that bad.”
Blake looked at me with a blank stare. “Yeah okay.”
I laughed at his response. “Shut up, let’s get this food and get out of here.”
Chapter 25
Peaches
“Blake, run in there and get me an extra sweet Pure Leaf Tea.” I handed him a five dollar bill before I started pumping the gas.
“Ma, I can pump the gas for you.” He stood by me trying to grab the nozzle.
“I got it, just run in there and come right back out.” I instructed as I started to pump the gas. “Watch the cars, Rashad!” I yelled after him as he ran across the lot.
I lifted the latch and let the gas pump itself. A yawn left my mouth and my arms crossed over my chest. I leaned against the car waiting on the tank to fill. I was tired as hell and was ready to go to sleep.
“Peaches?” A manly voice called my name.
I looked over my shoulder and mentally groaned. Why now? This couldn’t have been at a worse time. Shit! I couldn’t pretend I didn’t hear him because I had already looked at him. And I couldn’t jump into the truck and pull off because of Blake.
Blake, shit! This couldn’t be the worse fuckin’ time.
The man walked over to me with a wide smile.
I forged my smile. “Hey, Joseph.”
“Hey, I’ve been hoping that I’d run into since I never received a call. I wanted to check on you. How have you been?” He leaned against the car with folded arms, which indicated he was getting comfortable and was ready to catch up.
“I’ve been good, dealing with everything, you know? What about yourself?” I asked, looking at the numbers on the pump station.
“Like you said, I’m dealing with everything. I still wish I had more time with him, you know? Got a chance to apologize for everything. I’ve been trying to reach out to Brittany. I met up with her a couple of months ago and got the chance to talk to her. I explained everything. Every now and then, she’ll send me a text or call to see how I’m doing. That’s more than enough to me.” He smiled as if Britt talking to him made him happy.
“That’s good,” The pump clicked and I let out a relieved breath. I pointed to the pump then took it out. “That’s real good to hear. I don’t mean to rush but I really need to go. I have this food in the car and it so hot out here. I don’t want my meat to spoil.” I needed to be far away from him. I just hoped Blake didn’t come out just yet.
“Oh okay. I don’t wanna hold you up, but did you move back here?” He looked into the car at the groceries.
“How did you know I didn’t stay here?” I was on high alert and suspicious of him because Blaze told me to stay away from Joseph.
“I figured you didn’t when I dropped you off at the hotel but with your bags of groceries, I just figured you moved back.” Again he looked in the car.
“Oh, no I didn’t. I’m just hear visiting.” I shrugged.
“Ma!” Blake yelled from the store’s door.
I ignored him.
Joseph looked up toward the voice.
Shit! “If you give me your number again, we can probably do an earlier lunch before I leave town if you like.” I quickly said, grabbing his attention.
He looked back at me with a smile. “That would be nice, but I’m thinking I should get your number this time. Just in case you lose it.” He joked.
“Ma!” Blake called once again.
Joseph looked up.
“Sure!” I said a little too loudly but it got his attention back on me. “You can save it in your phone.”
“Are you okay?” His head tilted as confusion showed across his face.
God, Blaze took after him so much.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just hot.” I fanned myself to emphasize being hot. “Your phone.”
He looked down at his pockets, feeling them. I took the chance to glance at Blake who was making his way toward us. My head shook in his direction. I didn’t want him to come over here but he wasn’t paying my gesture any attention.
“Oh, my God!” I spoke loudly getting both of their attention. My hand waved in front of my face. “Damn, bee.” My hand swatted at nothing, but this time I looked at Blake and shook my head at him.
He stopped in his tracks. His eyes squinted and he slowly started to walk back. Blake’s eyes slid to Joseph as he moved to back to the door.
“Here it go.” He handed me the phone from his breast pocket. Once he gave it to me, he glanced over at Blake. He turned away only to quickly look back.
I tried to hand him back his phone. “There you go Joseph. I should be leaving in a few days so call soon.” I pushed the phone into his hands but he paid it no mind as he continued to stare at Blake, who had stopped walking.
I hit my car hard trying to get Blake’s attention more so then Joseph. I just wanted my baby to go into the store until he left. Why wasn’t he moving?
“Watch out!” Joseph yelled at Blake.
He jumped out the way just in time as a car flew through the lot and out of the exit. Seeing my baby almost get hit, I forgot about Joseph and I ran to him.
I grabbed his face and quickly examined him. “Are you okay? What I tell you about watching out for these damn cars, Rashad? That car could’ve hit you.” I fussed at him.
“I’m fine. I didn’t even see it,” was his argument.
“That’s why I said look out for the damn cars. This is still a street, God!” I yelled at him. I could literally see that car hitting him. The images that flashed in my head scared me to death. I pulled him into me and hugged him. “You have to be more careful.” My head reared back and I looked at him again. “Do you hear me?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry.”
A relieved breath left my mouth. “You sure you’re alright
Blake tried to shake me off. “Ma, I’m fine. It didn’t even touch me.”
“Okay, let’s go.” I kissed the side of his head and wrapped my arm around his shoulder.
“Ma, who is that man?” He pointed to Joseph who was now a few steps away from us.
I didn’t know how to answer him.
“Is he okay?” Joseph asked.
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. Look we really have to go.” I just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
<
br /> “Ma? This is your son?” He stared at Blake.
“Baby, go get in the car. Hurry up.” I urged him.
“Ma—”
“Go get in the car. I’m right behind you.” I gave him a push. He went on to the car as I instructed. Once Blake was in the car, I went to walk past Joseph but he grabbed me. His grip on my arm was painfully tight. “Let me go, Joseph.”
“That’s your son? Blaze’s son—”
I cut him off, trying to get loose from his hold but that only made his grip tighten more. “That’s not Blaze’s son—” I tried to lie.
“You lying little bitch,” he shook me hard. “You had his son and didn’t think to tell me after everything I fuckin’ told you?” The back of his hand raised and came down.
I jerked my arm free and was just about to knee him in the balls as his hand stopped midair and his body started to shake.
“Ma, let’s go!” Blake yelled at me.
I stood there frozen for a few seconds watching as my baby aimed a stun gun at Joseph’s neck. I didn’t even know he had a damn taser!
“Hurry up, let’s go!” He demanded.
The tone of his voice shook me from my shocked state and I ran to the car as did Blake. He hopped in the front as I got in and hurriedly pulled off.
“Don’t you ever yell at me like that again, do you hear me?” I fussed at him but he paid me no mind as he texted fasted on his phone. I stared at my little man for a long while before looking back at the road. “Blake, where the hell did you get a stun gun from?”
“From my daddy. He told me to keep it with me at all times, just in case. Hold on.” He held up his finger as he answered his phone. “Yeah. We was at the gas station.—I don’t know. He kinda looked like you.—Yeah, like you and Momma called him Joseph.” Blake ran what he saw to Blaze.
I looked over at him not believing my baby paid that much attention to the situation. Blake looked at me and his eyes roamed over me before he looked away.
“She okay.—No she’s not shaking or crying.—He grabbed her and shook her hard so I tased him.—No we didn’t call the police. We left him there.—Okay. Hold on. Ma, my daddy wanna talk to you.” Blake was so calm.
What the hell had Blaze been teaching my baby? “Hello?”
“You straight?” He sounded pissed.
“Yeah, I’m good. A little worried about Blake but I’m good.” I didn’t know how I truly felt about the situation. I kept trying to shake the more hurt than angry look on Joseph’s face out of my mind. I didn’t want to tell Blaze my thoughts because he already made it perfectly clear he didn’t want me near his dad.
I didn’t want to sympathize with Joseph or put myself in his place but I couldn’t help but to. Maybe it was truly a trick behind him talking to me but deep down inside I felt like it wasn’t.
My reaction would have been the same as Joseph’s if I found out my dead son had a child with the person I confined in.
“Peaches?” Blaze called my name loudly.
“I’m sorry, B. Can we talk when I get home, please?” I couldn’t focus or shake his face from my mind.
“You sure you’re i’ight? You ain’t hurt or nothing?”
I nodded my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m fine, I promise. We’ll talk when we get home.” I didn’t give him a chance to question me again. I just ended the call. Even though Joseph was on my mind, Blake was on it more. His reaction to what happened and how he handle the whole situation scared me. If I was a kid his age, I would’ve freaked out and ran to get help, not think to use a taser. I glanced over at Blake only to find him looking at me.
“You sho you straight?” he asked.
I nodded. Who the hell was this kid and where was my baby? Better yet what the hell had Blaze been teaching him?
***
Blaze
“Fuck, we gotda hurry up. I need to get to the crib.” I told King as I called Bellow.
“What happened?” King asked.
I held up my finger for him to wait a second.
“What’s up?” Bell answered after the second ring.
“Aye, fuck that bitch. Head to my crib and sit there until I pull up.” My hand ran over my face. I was gon’ kill that mothafucka when I saw his ass.
“I’ight, what’s good?” Bellow asked.
“I’ll catch you up when we meet up. We out in The City so we’ll be there in about an hour.”
“Bet.” Bellow hung up the phone.
“Come on. Yo ass riding, so gon’ close this little place up.” I pointed around Jerron’s office as I stood up.
King, Mac and I had been there for a good fifteen minutes before I got the text from Blake.
Joseph done fuck’d up. If I didn’t wanna mess with the nigga while I was alive, why the fuck would he think it was cool to keep tryna talk to my folks?
Brittany was grown and could make her own decisions now but Peaches was off limits. I hate he even talked to her.
Now he was grabbing on her? I was gon’ kill that mothafucka.
“B, what’s going on?” King asked me again.
“Peaches ran into Joseph while she had Lil B—”
King cut me as he walked faster on the side of me. “Is they cool?”
“From what they saying, yeah. Blake said he shook Peaches, though. I don’t like that shit. Why the fuck would he think it’s cool to touch her? Aye, gon’ ‘head and cancel that trip to Ohio. Fuck!” We had gotten word earlier that day about Rice pushing some work out in Ohio. I had a little dude out there I suppled. He kept his ear to the ground and put me on to Rice. We lucked up when he called us about his move but now we were about to miss this chance. Fuck!
Regardless of the fact, I would have someone watching over her while I was gone. But after that, I wouldn’t be able to focus on the job. I couldn’t chance it. Images of Peaches laying in the hospital, a few years back, quickly flashed in my mind. That bullshit wasn’t gon’ happen this time.
Once we started driving, I texted Bellow to see if he made it there yet. He said he was a few blocks away. I could now relax a bit and get back to business at hand. Jerron and I sat in the backseat. I looked over at him.
“What you find out about yo baby momma?” I cracked the window then lit a square.
“She still out in the Suburbs about a half hour from here. She staying with some dude.” He took out his phone and started doing something on it before handing it to me.
On the screen was a picture of Macy and some dude. “She looks the same. Who is he?”
“That’s the dude she’s living with?” He took his phone after I sent myself the photo.
“What about Ace? He with her?” I had to know because when I come for that bitch, I needed to make sure he wasn’t around. I didn’t want no stray bullets hitting him in the mix.
“N’all, he don’t stay with her. She got him staying with her sister and her dude, JB. Monica don’t bother with him unless it’s his birthday or Christmas. That’s how I found her, from watching him.” His hand tightened around his phone.
I could tell he was pissed. “How he doing?” It’s been five years since I saw my little homie. I was most definitely concerned about him.
“He good. That bitch and her nigga ain’t looking after him like they supposed to, tho’. I done picked him up a few times, took him to the park, shopping and whatnot. They didn’t say too much to him about it, though.”
I believed Jerron because they didn’t seem too worried about Ace when I did the same thing a few years ago.
I turned in my seat and looked at him like he done lost his fuckin’ mind. “What the fuck is you doing, yo? Do he know who the fuck you are?”
“N’all, he don’t know I’m his dad. He don’t even know my real name. So chill the fuck out. If I’mma take his ass after we kill his momma, he gotda know who the fuck I am. I know what the fuck I’m doing.” He snapped at me.
“My nigga, I would beat the fuck outda yo hoe ass. You better lower yo fuckin’ voi
ce. You bitch ass mothafucka—”
“B, chill out, damn.” King called from the driver’s seat.
“Nigga, shut the fuck up and drive. I ain’t talking to you.” I tossed my cigarette out the window.
“Fuck is you talking to?” Ron shot back.
“Yo, I will pull this mothafucka over and put both you bitches out. Don’t start that bullshit in here. Damn, you two mothafuckas need to grow the fuck up already, shit!” King snapped before he started talking again. “Ron believe me, I understand you wanna get yo son. But don’t get too fuckin’ reckless then fuck around and be seen. We got a week and you can have shorty but until then stay away from him and keep yo eyes on that bitch. B, yo ass need to chill the fuck out. He don’t want Peaches ass no damn mo’. That man done already told you that shit. He got a bitch!”
“Aye, watch your mouth with that bitch word. You don’t hear me calling yo girl a bitch!” Jerron spat the word bitch out harshly.
King pulled to the side of the road, threw the truck in park and turned around. “Because yo ass ain’t stupid enough to disrespect my girl. Now let me hear you refer to her ass a bitch.” He was pissed.
I started laughing. “Nigga, shut the fuck up and drive. That big mouth trick ain’t even yo girl no more. Now, nigga, go. I gotda get back to my pregnant wife.” I glanced at Jerron and couldn’t contain my smile. When the truck didn’t move, I looked at King. “Nigga, go! Fuck you steady looking back here for.” I hit the back of his seat.
King looked at me. “I’mma fuck you up.”
“Okay, now drive.” My fingers waved at him and he started back driving.
“You mothafuckas crazy. Here, B,” Mac passed me the blunt.
I took a deep pull.
“So the hit in Ohio is dead. Shid, we can find out where he stay out here and snatch his ass up real quick.” Mac chimed in. He had been quiet the entire time.