“Well, well, well,” Arnez said as he opened the ripped screen door. “What do we have here?”
Jacoby almost looked frightened. He stood with his eyes locked on Arnez and hadn’t said a word.
“I—I know you didn’t want me to come with him,” I said. “But I didn’t want him to come alone. May we come in?”
“Fasho,” he said, and then moved aside for us to enter. As I walked past him, he inhaled and sniffed his nose close to my neck. “Damn, woman, what’s that sweet perfume you wearing? Alizé?”
“Alizé is a drink and you’ve obviously had too many,” I said, staring into his beady eyes. He seriously looked like Eddie King from The Five Heartbeats. I didn’t know whether to laugh at his joke or cry.
Arnez laughed, though. His hazel eyes were fire red and the wavy hair he once had was all gone. He was tall like Jacoby, but much, much thinner. His lips were black and his beard was scraggly.
Jacoby looked around at the old house that badly needed renovated. It needed to be cleaned too and the smell of piss infused the air. Spiderwebs were caked in the corners and the tile floors were filthy.
“Come on in here and have a seat,” Arnez said.
We followed him into a spacious living room that had a card table sitting in the middle of the floor. A sunk-in dirty couch sat in front of a window, and on the table was a glass with brown liquid in it. A joint was next to it and several cards were spread out.
“Y’all have to excuse me, but I’m getting ready for my card game with the fellas in about an hour. Anyway,” he said, holding out his hand to Jacoby, “I’m Arnez. Good seeing you, man, and all I can say is you sho’ll look just like me.”
What an insult. Jacoby shook his hand and nodded.
“Nice to meet you,” was all he said.
We sat in the aluminum chairs and Jacoby continued to look around. I wondered what he was thinking and more than anything I hoped he was grateful.
Arnez opened his arms and held them wide. “This is my palace and I’ma show y’all the rest of the crib before y’all go. Can you believe yo’ mama traded all of this in for a lousy muthafucka who wasn’t shit? Man, I could tell you some stories about that punk Cedric, but I want to hear about you. What you got going on, nigga?”
Jacoby shrugged his shoulders and couldn’t stop gazing into his father’s eyes. I knew he saw himself, even though Arnez was looking a hot mess.
“What I got going on right now is school. I already know what college I’m going to and I’m majoring in computer science, like my da—like Cedric. I play basketball, but I’m not really that good at it, and I have a girlfriend named Adrianne. We’ve been together for a while and I honestly think that I may one day wind up marrying her. I also play the saxophone too, but I only do that in my spare time. I want to experiment with some other instruments too, mainly the trumpet because I like how it sounds. Other than that, my life is kind of boring. I write, read, and like to bowl. I’m an A-B student and that’s pretty much it about me. What about you, though? Tell me about you.”
I was real proud of Jacoby. And whether my secret had caused a lot of damage or not, at that moment I realized that I may have done the right thing. A lie was still a lie, but this one I wasn’t going to beat myself up about anymore.
Arnez sipped the brown liquid from the glass and cleared his throat. “Well . . . I used to have stuff like that going on, but then life happened. It can be a muthafucka, you know, and that shit can shut you down so fast that you can’t even predict what’s coming. Right now, I’m just chilling. I’ve been in rehab, trying to get my act together and I’m doing pretty good right now. Been clean for about six months, but I kick back a li’l alcohol from time to time. Other than that, I get disability because I hurt my back a while ago and I can’t really do much work.”
“So, like, when you were my age, what were your dreams and aspirations? I know you went to college, so what did you go for and what did you want to do? How did you know my da—Cedric, and how did you meet my mother? When did you start doing drugs and do you have any more children? How is your relationship with them and why did you accept money—”
“Whoa . . . whoa, calm down,” Arnez said, then laughed. “I see you got a lot of questions for me, and I’m going to answer them for you, but I must say this to you first. I don’t know what brought you to my doorstep today, but I’m glad you came. I may not ever see you again, but this moment right here is one that we will never forget. What I want to say to you is whatever disturbs your heart about me and your mother, you gotta let that shit go. I’m not shit, I ain’t never gon’ be shit. Even back then yo’ mama knew I was fucking up. She did right by taking you from me ’cause I didn’t have my head on straight. I regret that shit too, man, but there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it now. If Cedric done took care of you and made you a nigga like this, I’m grateful. I mean, I gotta back the fuck up and let that man continue to handle his business, ’cause I can’t. That may sound fucked up, but on a for-real tip, you are better off. I hope you know that. And now to answer all this other bullshit you done hit me with . . .”
Arnez and Jacoby went back and forth talking. I kept my mouth shut and didn’t say one word. There were times when tears filled my eyes, times when I laughed with them, and times when Arnez tried his best to drag me into the conversation.
“With yo’ fine self,” he said, rubbing his finger along the side of my face. I smacked his hand. “Yo’ mama was soooo good-looking back then. She fine now too, but not like she was back then. When I busted that nut, I knew I had gotten her pregnant. I sprayed that—”
“Arnez, please. You were doing just fine, and I’m sure Jacoby is not interested in details about how he was conceived.”
Jacoby folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “You know, actually, I would like to hear about it.”
Arnez let out a cackling laugh and pounded his fist against Jacoby’s. “My nigga. You are damn sure all right with me.”
They continued their conversation and as promised, Arnez gave us a tour of the rest of the house. It was awful. I felt bad for him, but he was proud of the place he called home. He talked about fixing it up and told Jacoby that if he ever needed a place to stay that he was welcome to come there. Jacoby didn’t respond. Almost an hour later, we got ready to go. He and Jacoby shook hands again, hugged each other, and gave their good-byes. I watched as Jacoby walked to his car, and I turned to address Arnez before leaving.
“Thank you for that,” I said. “It’s what he needed and he has your number if or whenever he needs to reach you.”
Arnez nodded and rubbed sweat from his head. “You did good, sugga, and I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much. Jacoby got a bright future ahead of him and I can see that shit in his eyes. Now on another note: Why don’t you hit me up with a few dollars? I’m broke as shit and my disability check ain’t gon’ get here for another week or two.”
“Good-bye, Arnez. Maybe I’ll call you tomorrow and take care of that for you, or maybe I won’t. Whatever you do, don’t hold your breath on it.”
He laughed as I walked away and he watched as me and Jacoby got in our cars and drove off. I wasn’t sure how Jacoby felt about today, but when we got back to Adrianne’s house he came up to my car to talk.
“That was interesting,” he said. “I appreciate you for calling him, but just let me chill out for a while, okay? I need time to think. Kind of get my head straight and let all of this settle in. I’m going home tonight, and just so you know, me and Cedric have been doing okay. He’s been staying out of my way and I’ve been staying out of his. I don’t know what is going on with the two of you, and I don’t care to know. Work it out however you wish.”
“I will.”
I gave Jacoby another hug and he walked away to go into Adrianne’s house. It was time for me to work out my situation with Cedric, but as soon as I got to Trina’s apartment, a man was standing outside with papers in his hands.
“Kayla Thompson?”
“Yes.”
He gave the papers to me and hurried to walk away. When I looked at the papers, the top read Affidavit of Dissolution of Marriage. My heart raced fast. I guess Cedric had finally made up his mind. I doubted that there was anything I could do to change it.
Chapter Eighteen
Trina
I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I didn’t know if I should say anything or not to Kayla about what Evelyn had admitted to me, and when Kayla shared with me that Cedric had filed for a divorce, I felt terrible. I also saw it as a good thing. She could finally be rid of an asshole who meant her no good. Kayla would get the closure she needed and at this point, I felt as if there was no need for me to interfere.
I feared that if I told Kayla, she would fight for her man. She wouldn’t want any woman, especially Evelyn, to have him. This thing would drag on forever and ever. Then again, maybe I was trying to justify my actions. I felt like a coward—a friend who should’ve known better. This was hard. Really hard, but I had to realize that I had bigger issues going on in my own life.
For the past few weeks, it had been all about Keith. We had been spending an enormous amount of time together. I had fallen head over heels for him. He was everything I needed the man in my life to be. He cooked for me, treated me with respect, lifted me up, and praised the work I’d done. He supported my endeavors and he continued to take our lovemaking sessions to new heights. I couldn’t believe all of this was happening to me. It was almost frightening. I didn’t know what to call myself these days: gay, straight, bisexual or what. All I knew was that I was giving my time to the one person in my life who was making me happy. Unfortunately, that person wasn’t Lexi. I didn’t know how to tell her when she stood outside of my apartment, begging and pleading for me to tell her where I was going, as well as who I had been spending my time with.
“Nobody,” I rushed to say while walking to my car. “If there was somebody else, I would tell you.”
“You never told me before.” She hurried after me, damn near walking on the back of my shoes.
That pissed me off, so I spun around to face her. “All I said was that I had other friends. But I’m not in love with those friends, Lexi, nor do I have feelings for them like I have for you. So, back up. Stop tripping and go home. Please.”
She rolled her eyes and tapped her foot on the ground. “Why can’t I go with you? If you’re not going to see anyone else, tell me why I can’t go?”
I spoke through gritted teeth. “Because, I don’t want you to. I need some time for myself and I’m on my way to the library. There’s no need for you to be there with me, unless you’re interested in reading some books. I doubt that you are, so go home and I’ll call you when I’m done.”
Lexi stood with tears in her eyes. I felt bad for her, but I didn’t appreciate her stalking me. I turned to walk to my car, and as I got inside, she continued to stand there and mean-mug me. I drove off and went out of my way to Keith’s house, just to make sure she wasn’t following me. Almost forty-five minutes later, I arrived at his place.
He reached for my hand and rushed me to the third floor. “Come over here and look at this.” Keith sat in a chair and stared at a painting in front of him.
I sat on his lap, observing the weird-looking painting that hadn’t moved me at all. “It’s . . . I guess it looks okay. I really don’t like how the colors blend in together and it looks sort of sloppy to me.”
Keith cocked his head back. “Sloppy? Did you just have the nerve to call my work sloppy?”
“I did, but in no way was it my intentions to hurt your feelings. It’s just my honest opinion. You know I’m entitled to it, especially since you asked.”
“Yes, you are entitled to it, only if I’m entitled to do this.”
Keith lifted my shirt and moved my bra away from my breasts. He nibbled on my nipples and already feeling the heat, I snapped my bra loose in the back.
“Aren’t you tired of all this sex we’ve been having?” I teased then sighed. “I know I’m getting tired of doing it, but if we must go there again, so be it.”
“Yeah, unfortunately, we must.”
Catching me by surprise, he dipped his brush in paint and splattered red paint on my cheek. I tried to snatch the brush from his hand, but I wound up getting more paint on me. I jumped up from his lap and as I rushed to grab a cup full of black paint, he doused me with the cup of paint in his hand. It was a good thing that white sheets were on his floor. We made one big mess, but neither of us were disappointed when the time came for us to clean up in the shower. We stood face-to-face with our wet bodies pressed against each other. Keith ran his finger along the side of my face and searched into my eyes as I gazed up at him.
“You know, there comes a time in a man’s life when he knows that he has finally found that special someone in his life. For these past few weeks, I’ve been feeling that way. I’ve been feeling real good about us and it’s almost like I know I found my soul mate. But then the relationship is so young. We’re both very excited and I don’t know if these feelings will fade. I’m hoping that they don’t, but I wanted you to know that I can’t stop thinking about you while you’re away. It’s driving me nuts too, because I usually can’t stand to be around nobody this much. But I like you a lot, Trina. I enjoy being around you and I hope the feeling is mutual.”
“Trust me when I say it is. I’m glad I found you. Things in my life are very different now.”
“Wait a minute. You didn’t find me. I found you.”
“No, no, no, my dear. I found you. I was the one who approached you at work, remember?”
“Yes, I remember well. I walked up to you and asked if I could use your stencils. You smiled, said yes, and then I asked for your number. You must be thinking of JaQuan.”
I laughed and gave Keith a kiss. “Maybe I was, but I’m not thinking about him anymore.”
“Good. Now turn around and bend over so I can spank that ass for being incorrect.”
I never got a spanking that felt so spectacular. Afterward, Keith cooked dinner and we chilled in his room, which was on the second floor, to watch TV. His big bed was so comfy, topped with cushiony throw pillows and a thick comforter that we cuddled in. We chomped on buttered popcorn while watching an interesting drama movie that had us tuned in. When the doorbell rang, Keith looked at the clock.
“Damn, it’s a little after eleven. Who could that be?”
He tossed the comforter aside and got out of bed to go see who it was. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Pause the movie for me.”
As he put on his robe, I paused the movie and waited for him to come back. I wondered who was at the door. I tried to listen in to see what was up. At first, all I heard was a female’s voice. Then I heard a thud and a loud gasp. I heard a door slam too and that was when I rushed out of the bed to see what was going on. From the middle staircase, I looked over the rail and could see Keith squirming around in the foyer. He was squeezing his stomach and blood covered his trembling fingers as he tried to catch his breath.
“Keeeeeith,” I screamed and rushed down the steps. I missed a few of them and my legs buckled underneath me. I went tumbling down the stairs, but I got back up and quickly rushed up to him. He looked to be in so much pain, so I pressed my hand on top of his wound, not knowing if it was a gunshot or if he had been stabbed.
“Hold on baby,” I cried out. “Please hold on! I’m going to go get you some help, okay? Hold on!”
I scurried off the floor and rushed into the living room. My bloody hands trembled as I dialed 911 and yelled into the phone for assistance.
“Help me, please! My boyfriend has been hurt! I think he’s dying!”
I screamed the address into the phone then threw it down and rushed to Keith’s side again. “Who did this, baby? Can you tell me who did this and why?”
Keith’s eyes fluttered and shut a few times. I kept shaking him and I continued to apply pressure to his wound to stop the bleeding.
I wasn’t sure if what I was doing would help, but he was losing more and more blood by the minute. In a panic, I rushed up from the floor and opened the front door. I was going to get him into the car and take him to the fucking hospital myself.
“Help me!” I screamed out then turned to face him again. His eyes were closed and I released a deafening cry that echoed throughout his entire house. “Noooooo! Please God, noooooooo!”
I tried to drag his body out of the front door, but he was too heavy. He opened his eyes and strained to talk to me.
“La—Lesi,” he stuttered.
I wasn’t sure what he was trying to say, but then it hit me. “Lexi!” I shouted. “She did this to you!”
He slowly nodded and closed his eyes again. Every single breath in me had escaped and left my body. I heard sirens coming from down the street and the blaring sounds knocked me out of my trance. I left Keith near the doorway and ran down to the middle of the street so the ambulance could see me. The paramedics moved quickly. They worked on him, he had lost so much blood. I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it, but as they put him on the gurney, I squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.
“Please don’t die. Hang in there, baby, please hang in there.”
The paramedics asked me to move out of the way so they could get him to the hospital that wasn’t far away. I closed the front door and hurried to my car so I could follow the ambulance. They beat me there, but when I walked through the emergency room doors, I had to wait. He was in surgery. All I could do was pray for him and pray that I didn’t have to go to that bitch Lexi’s house and kill her.
The clock ticked away and there was still no news. At this point, no news was good news. I continued to get hit with so many questions about Keith. But pertaining to the man I cared so much about, I knew little about him. I mean, I couldn’t answer much. All I knew was his first and last name, where he worked, what he did for a living, his birthday, and his address. I didn’t know how to contact his parents, nor did I know how to reach out to his brother, who he was really close with. I had no idea who his insurance carrier was, or even if he had insurance. His phone was back at his house, as well as his wallet. I was sure those things would be helpful to me, but before I left the hospital, I asked the nurse if she could give me some kind of update on his condition.
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