A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma 2: A Naptown Love Story

by Natavia

  “Same goes for you too!” I spat, walking off.

  “Hold up! Come here, real quick!” he said, walking after me.

  “What?” I answered.

  “What’s your name?” he asked me.

  “Tassana and yours?” I asked him.

  “Armory,” he said. He looked at me from head to toe then licked his lips.

  “That’s cute. I haven’t heard of that name before,” I said to him.

  “Yeah, yours is too. Tassana, I like that.”

  “Well, you have a nice day,” I said, trying to rush him off.

  “Wait a minute! What’s the rush? You got a man?” he asked me.

  “No, but I don’t stand and talk to strangers either,” I said. I heard a familiar voice and I turned around. My blood boiled as I watched Kyree and Osari walk side by side! She had her arm through his and I almost threw-up. I wanted to cry, kick and scream! This bitch still didn’t know I was fucking with him on that level. She looked at me then smirked. Osari had a blank expression on his face as he stared at Armory and I.

  “Well, look at what we have here! The most hated bitch on earth!” Kyree said to me. I looked at her, wanting to burst her bubble but I held it in. I didn’t have the energy to feed into her bullshit.

  “That would be me! Too bad I don’t give a fuck!” I said to her.

  Armory put his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, shorty! I see something in here that might look good on you!” he said. I played along with it as I walked away, leaving Kyree and Osari trying to figure out what just happened.

  When we got into the store I let him have it.

  “Nigga, you don’t know me! Have you lost your damn mind?” I asked him. He smiled.

  “I helped you out! You are in love with that nigga, I see. Then he had a bad bitch with him. You should be thanking me,” he said.

  “Whatever!” I said to him. I hung out at the mall with Armory for a few hours. I was right about him he was from New York. He stated that he came here to take care of a few things for his cousin. We parted ways, but before we did, we exchanged numbers.

  When I got home Osari’s car was in the driveway. When I walked into the house he was coming from upstairs. I rolled my eyes at him as I headed to the kitchen.

  “You found another dope-boy, I see! That’s what’s up! You plotting on another nigga already! You ain’t going to ever learn!” he said. I ignored him as I continued to pour me something to drink. He just stood there grilling me like he always does.

  “Actually, he has a job!” I lied.

  “That’s what’s up! He can keep you busy so you can stay out of my business,” he said.

  “You are absolutely right. You can have fun doing whatever it is that you want to do. When are you moving the fuck out, Osari? I think you need to take your ass over to Kyree’s house. Maybe you and No Hands can take turns fucking her since she will always love that nigga anyways!” I said.

  “Just like everybody around here took turns fucking you! That still may not be my baby! You probably had niggas hiding in the closet in the hotel room!” he said to me. My eyes burned with tears, and as much as I didn’t want them to fall, they fell anyway.

  My phone rang in my purse and I answered it. It was Armory calling. He told me to call him to let him know I made it home safely but I’d forgotten.

  I answered the phone, walking away from Osari. I heard him mumbling something as I went upstairs. Armory and I made arrangements to meet up tomorrow for lunch. I could admit he was a breath of fresh air. He didn’t know anything about my past and I would like to keep it that way.

  I went back downstairs after I hung up with Armory. Osari was playing his Playstation. That’s the only time his real age showed! Him and those damn games.

  “Fix me something to eat, please,” he had the nerve to say to me.

  “Tell Kyree to fix it!” I told him.

  “She had to go into work, something you know nothing about!” he said, his attention still on the game.

  “Well, then you can wait till she gets off!” I said to him.

  “Why didn’t you tell her you was pregnant when you saw us? I’m surprised you didn’t tell her nothing! What you got planned, Tassana, and don’t lie to me!” he said, grilling me.

  “Nothing!” I said.

  “Why are you acting all calm now? You are plotting something! I swear to God if you are planning on fucking with me and what I’m trying to build, I will kill you! You got something going on with you!” he said.

  “I have to have something going on because I no longer care about who you fuck with? I don’t give a fuck anymore!” I lied.

  “What are you ready to cry for then?” he asked, putting his controller down.

  “I’m fucking pregnant and emotional right now!” I said.

  “Get an abortion then!” he said. I went upstairs then grabbed a few things out of the closet. I got my travel luggage and stuffed it with as many things as I could. Osari didn’t have to leave because I was going to! I dragged my heavy luggage down the stairs. Osari sat on the couch smoking a blunt without a care in the world.

  “You have a drop to make for me tomorrow. I expect to see you there,” he said to me.

  “You might as well kill me now because I’m not doing shit for you! Death is very welcoming to me right now! My life is already wasted! So, feel free to do whatever you want to do! Have a nice life!” I said, leaving out the door.

  I was putting my bags in the trunk when I heard a clicking sound. This looney nigga was still smoking his blunt but had a gun to my head.

  “You wouldn’t do it! I don’t give a damn how much time you give Kyree or any other bitch! You are in love with me too! All I want at this point is to see my baby be born! You can do what you want to me after that!” I said to him.

  “FUCK!” he yelled, putting bullet holes into my car.

  “I got one bullet left! Get the fuck out of my face before I change my mind!” he said. I hurriedly got in my car then pulled off. I can’t believe Osari shot my car up just now!

  I drove and drove around until my eyelids started closing on me. I ended up in front of my parents’ house. I got out then rang the doorbell. The porch light came on as the door unlocked. My mother opened it with her robe on. Her eyes were heavy and puffy from crying.

  “What do you want?” she asked me.

  “I need you! I don’t have anybody!” I said to her.

  “That’s what you get! You should’ve thought about that before you manipulated everyone!” she said.

  “I know what I did!” I cried.

  “Go home, Tassana! It’s late and I need to get up early tomorrow.” She tried to shut the door.

  “I’m not to blame for daddy’s drinking, Mama! I might have lied on Tokyo but the problems were there way before I did that! That’s why I’m so hurt! You let him ruin you and you pretend like it’s fine! You are mad at me because of what I did! Why were you never mad at Daddy?” I asked.

  “Mad for what, Tassana? He was a great man!” she cried.

  “He gave you HIV! I overheard you two talking about it when I was younger! You stayed with him after he did that to you! I hated him most of the time because of that! I was so angry and I’m still angry! I hate him and, at times, I wanted to kill him! That’s not love, Mama, I don’t even know what it is! I have never seen it when I was growing up,” I said to her.

  “People make mistakes!” she said.

  “Do you forgive me?” I asked.

  “I will never forgive you,” she said.

  “Point taken, Mama. You loved your husband more than you loved your daughters. That’s why you were never involved! He was the one who was playing mommy too! The problem is you! You worshipped that peace of shit! You don’t give two shits about me or Tokyo! If my own mama doesn’t love me, who will? Have a nice fucking life!” I said to her. I was done with my family! Tokyo doesn’t know shit about what’s going on but I know everything! All I have is me and my baby! That’s all I c
are about at this point! I was going to stand on my own two feet!

  I pulled up to the cheapest, dirtiest motel in town. I had to start somewhere. My time may be limited, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

  Once I got situated in my filthy room I turned on the TV. My mouth dropped as I witnessed Darrion’s BMW filled with bullet holes. According to the reporter Darrion was gunned down in his car in front of Keshawna’s mother’s house. Keshawna was killed also in the process. They mentioned that they dropped their son off and was ready to leave before they got killed. Keshawna’s mother was on the news crying, holding their son. I turned the TV off, tried to get some sleep, but I had a lot on my mind. I didn’t know my destination at this point but I was going to try and figure it out.

  Chpater 15- Osari

  Three months later…

  Since Dez and Lee took care of that nigga Darrion I’ve been pulling in more money. Tasira was looking for me they said, but I didn’t want to deal with her. She is on something and needs some help. She hasn’t even been by our mother’s home to see her. Kyree and I have been getting pretty heavy lately. If I wasn’t making money I was with her. She said she wasn’t ready for a relationship yet and I was cool with that. I wasn’t ready for one either.

  I was now living in a downtown condo. After Tassana left the crib I moved out too. A few years from now maybe I could get a big house or something. But I wasn’t rushing it. I was young and getting money and I was doing it without my sister. If she needs something from me she can get it but she has to start respecting me. I’m not that thirteen-year-old kid anymore!

  I haven’t heard from Tassana. My pride wouldn’t let me call her to see what she was up to! She hasn’t called me either. I told Tassana I didn’t want any kids but once she has the baby I would help her out financially. All that other shit I couldn’t allow myself to get involved in. It would just make me want her and I don’t want to want her! She is probably shacking up with that nigga I saw her at the mall with a few months back.

  My phone rang and it was Kyree.

  “Open up the door,” she said when I answered. I opened my door and Kyree was standing there looking good enough to eat. I told her about Tassana after we ran into her at the mall. I told her everything, and at first, she didn’t want any dealings with me. She ignored me for a week but then she started missing a nigga. She said as long as I keep my shit away from her then it was out of sight, out of mind.

  “Who are you getting fly for?” I asked, picking her up. She wrapped her legs around me then tongued me down.

  “I was trying to look good for you, nigga!” she said, licking my lips. She slipped her tongue into my mouth then started moaning. I laid her down on the kitchen island then undid her pants. When I slid her panties down, her pretty, fat pussy was smiling at me.

  “Kiss it,” she said.

  “Fuck no! You still haven’t sucked my dick yet, but you always want me to eat your pussy!” I said.

  “Come on, Osari!” she said, putting my head down, trying to get me to eat her out. Kyree was getting too above herself! I eat the pussy when I feel like it. I slapped her hands away.

  “Yo, what the fuck I tell you about that shit? I want to fuck! I don’t want to eat shit right now. Disrespectful-ass bitch!” I said walking away, leaving her there.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you today?” she asked, getting down from the island.

  “Shorty, I don’t be on that fuck-nigga shit! You pushing my head down between your legs! Let me smell it first before I decide if I want to taste it. Do you just eat shit because it looks good?” I asked her.

  “But you know I’m clean,” she said.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if you washed your ass today! Damn, yo, you just be wanting the dick, don’t you?” I asked, rolling my blunt up.

  “You shouldn’t give it to me the way you do then!” she said. I waved her off.

  “Can you go to my job Christmas party with me?” she asked.

  “When is it?”

  “In three days,” she said.

  “It’s only the beginning of December,” I said to her.

  “I know that Osari, we have it early. I would like for you to go with me,” she said, licking on my ear.

  “Alright, damn!” I said. I was starting to feel messed up that Tassana was pregnant and I didn’t know what was up with her. It had kind of been eating away at me—how she just left in the middle of the night. I don’t know if she was alive or what! All I had to do was call her but my pride just wouldn’t allow it. Just minutes ago I didn’t want to be involved with her and now I was wondering what she was doing. This shows how confused I am about her. All day I be thinking about the broad; good and bad.

  “I’m going to sleep,” Kyree said, yawning. She got up then went to my bedroom.

  “You crashing here tonight?” I asked her.

  “Yup!” she yelled from the bedroom. I sat in the living, smoking a blunt then started drinking my Patrón straight. I looked at my cell-phone on the coffee table. I grabbed the phone, staring at it. I decided to call her and finally get it over with. I know Kyree is asleep by now since she hasn’t called me to bed yet.

  The phone rang three times before she answered.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “What’s up, shorty?”

  “Osari?” she asked.

  “Who else would it be?” I asked.

  “What are you calling me for?” Damn, Tassana is really trying to fuck with my head. She doesn’t even sound like she is missing a nigga.

  “How many months are you now?” I asked her.

  “A little over six,” she spat. I was ready to ask how she was six months already. Then I remembered she was around nine weeks when she found out she was pregnant three months ago. I heard a nigga talking in the background.

  “I see that you’re busy. I will holla at you later,” I said to her.

  “I’m actually on break,” she said.

  “From stripping?” I asked her.

  “I’m a 9-1-1 dispatcher, Osari. I’ve had my job for two months now,” she said. I didn’t realize how hard I was smiling until Kyree came into the living room.

  “Who the fuck are you talking to this late, Osari?” she asked me.

  “Goodbye, Osari,” Tassana said, hanging up on me. I looked up and Kyree was grilling me.

  “What’s up with you?” I asked her.

  “You sneaking on phones and shit now?” she asked me.

  “This is my crib! I don’t have to sneak to do shit! Next time, I will lower my voice though, so it won’t wake you up,” I said.

  “Who was that?” she asked me.

  “Tassana.”

  “Y’all talking back to each other? If so, let me know now, so I won’t be wasting my time. I don’t have time to be that crazy-ass bitch’s target!” Kyree said.

  “She’s pregnant and I just wanted to talk to her,” I said to Kyree. Kyree is the perfect girl and can make any nigga happy. She has opened me up in ways that I never thought I would with a female. She got me doing all that cuddly and holding hands shit, but something is missing.

  “You coming to bed?” she asked.

  “Yeah, go ahead! I’ll be in there,” I said, smacking her ass.

  “I thought I told you I’d rather you sleep naked!” I said. She started blushing.

  Two days later…

  Tassana sent me a text message saying that she was going to be in the city and for me to meet her downtown Baltimore. Surprisingly I agreed but I was curious to see what she had going on with her. I was nervous to see her pregnant. I wondered if her stomach was big and if her feet swelled up. I was sitting inside the Cheesecake Factory, waiting for her. I’d been waiting for an hour! When I got up to leave she was walking in and my face almost hit the floor.

  Tassana’s hair was cut shorter than it was the last time I saw her. She had some type of wavy-like curls framing her forehead. She wore a pair of leggings and an oversized jean shirt. She had a pair of bl
ack Uggs on her feet, and a black leather jacket with an oversized scarf around her neck. She looked so pure and innocent. Her face even seemed angelic like she has never done any fucked-up shit to anybody. She had a slight wobble in her walk and her thighs got thicker. She definitely put on some pounds but it was in a good way.

  “Took you long enough!” I said to her.

  “I got off from work late. Traffic in Baltimore is ridiculous! I had to rush home and take a shower,” she said, sitting down. I sat down across from her.

  “You look more calm and together. I’m sure your woman has something to do with that. I like the slight change,” Tassana said.

  “Do your feet hurt?” I asked her then she giggled.

  “Not yet. He just puts pressure on me and I be feeling it in my back,” she said.

  “He?” I asked.

  “Yup, a baby boy. I wanted a little girl because I will able to handle her. But a little boy with an attitude like his daddy, I think not!” she said.