by Coffee
“Bruh, what the fuck you doing? I knew the risks. I’ma take my own lick, ya heard me.”
“Don’t be stupid. This will be your third fuckin’ strike. I’m guaranteed to come home but you’ll never touchdown. Aside from all that, your girl just told you she’s pregnant. You really wanna leave Shenae to raise y’all child on her own? Shit is bigger than you. Think about that.”
“Fuck! Mannn, I can’t have you go down for me. I won’t let you.”
“How you gon’ stop me? Look, it ain’t up for discussion, bruh. Stick to the plan. Do what you need to do and then get the fuck out, go legit and raise your family.”
“Shit ain’t that simple,” Kamal argued.
“Real life never is.”
“Nah, I gotta think this over, round. Shit not sitting right with me.”
“Go on and think. I’m resolute in my decision.” Yuriah was immovable. The system already fucked them into a position where selling dope was the only avenue for them to take to escape poverty, he wasn’t going to let it rob his mans of his freedom too.
The next day, Yuriah Leblanc signed an affidavit, stating the key of coke belonged to him and Kamal Jones had no knowledge he was transporting drugs for him.
Yuriah was charged with conspiracy with the intent to distribute and sentenced to five years with parole in three. To see his boy free, he pled guilty. There were no regrets there.
The day Kamal left court, he felt guilty but Yuriah insisted he shouldn't because he believed if the outcome will be great, the sacrifice, regardless of loss, is nothing by comparison.
Over the years of Yuriah’s incarceration, Kamal stuck to the plan. He hustled nonstop alongside Munch until they were able to turn illegitimate revenue into legitimate bank.
Kamal also made it a point to visit Yuri twice a month and would bring his daughter, De’Asia, to see her uncle when she was big enough to go along. He kept money on his books and held him down in every way he was supposed to.
Kamal’s phone buzzed and brought him out of his reverie. He removed it from the clip and looked at the screen. It read: Wifey. He cleared his throat and then answered.
“What’s good? Everything a’ight?” His voice carried concern when he looked at the time and saw it was a quarter past two in the morning. It was odd for Shenae to be woke at that hour.
“Everything is good over here. I’m breastfeeding this greedy son of yours right now, so I decided to call to see if anything changed and if you were okay.”
“I’m straight, ya heard me.” Kamal yawned into the phone as he stretched his legs and sunk into a slouch position in his chair.
“How is Minnie holding up?”
“She goin’ through it. She tryna stay optimistic, ya dig, but this shit is taking a toll on her.”
Shenae nodded her head up and down although he couldn’t see it. “I trust everything will be all right, it has to be. Oh, not to change subjects but De’Asia wants to see you, she misses you. So, I am going to swing that way after I pick her up from school today.”
“That’s what up. But is she the only one missing daddy?”
“Of course not,” Shenae softened her voice. “Double misses you, too.” She referred to Kamal Jr, his twin.
“You got jokes, huh?” He chuckled.
Shenae was glad to hear him laugh. She giggled herself before she cleared things up. “I miss you, too. Can’t wait until—”
“I gotta call you back.” He rushed out his words before he hung his phone. Kamal sprung to his feet the moment he saw the doctor approaching them.
Minnie was exhausted and in a daze but she perked up when she saw the doctor. She was both anxious and hesitant the second she heard her name called.
She wanted to stand and greet the physician but she didn’t have the energy to hold herself up if she was about to receive more devastating news that would knock her back down, so remained seated.
“Mrs. Leblanc. Mr. Jones,” she looked them each in the eyes. “The surgery was successful and Mr. Leblanc is stable.”
The breath that Minnie held released itself with a hard exasperated sound. She then leaped out of her seat and into the doctor’s arms who braced herself for the hug she saw coming at full speed.
Kamal snappily clapped his hands once and walked in a tight circle as he excitedly shouted, “Hell yea!”
Minnie pulled back from the doctor and then headed over to Kamal. They shared a hug to express their joy and relief.
The crooks in their necks, the backaches, the discomfort that took root at the base of their bellies was all made worth it, hearing that he was alive.
Tears streamed from the corners of Minnie’s eyes as she threw her head back. “Thank you, God. Thank you, God…” She repeated the same line over and over until she found herself crying just as hard as she had the moment tragedy struck. Difference was, this time it was tears of rejoice.
The doctor stood there, wearing a smile. She was elated she was finally able to bring them good news. However, what was to follow was surely going to be a downer of their celebration.
***
G’Corey wasn’t wearing a watch but he knew it was well beyond an hour by the time Hakeem pulled into the gas station. He walked over to where he parked, tapped on the window and then opened the door when he heard the lock pop up.
The scent of sex wafted up his nostrils upon opening the door. “You smell like pussy, you couldn’t wait on getting yo dick waxed?”
“And you smell salty than a muthafucka, dawg, so bring that shit down one thousand. I had to get her right, but fuck all that I’m here, ain’t I?” Hakeem slumped in his seat and looked over at G’Corey. “And what the fuck happened to you anyway?”
G’Corey was bristling from having to wait so long. Coupled with the incident from earlier and Hakeem playing him for a duck, his words were reflective of his annoyance as he spoke. “I snapped off and killed that muthafucka, Yuriah, while at his wedding to, get this, my fuckin’ wife.”
Hakeem scrunched up his face. “Run dat back. You said what?”
“You heard me right.”
“Whew!” Hakeem whistled. “So, what the fuck is you gon’ do, nah? You know Drop’s people ain’t gon’ let shit go until you faced up. That’s how they rockin’. So, what you knock them off, too?”
“First, I’m gon’ lay low in LaPlace by Skits for a minute. The city gon’ be hot over that thuggah. I’ma heal up, put together a fire plan to eliminate his peoples and literally get my house in order with Minnie.”
“Wait a minute, dawg.” Hakeem tapped the tips of his fingers into the center of his palm, calling for a time out. “Getcho girl back? You were supposed to sling rocks not smoke them bitches. Hate to break this shit to you but Minnie ain’t gon’ want you after you went all ape shit at her wedding. How you plan to shake back from that?”
G’Corey shook his head, refusing to accept that Hakeem could be telling the truth. “Nah, I’ll make her understand. Did I fuck up by flatlinin’ that chump? Yes. Only because she had to see it but I don’t regret that shit. I don’t know what the fuck he did to convince her to divorce me and marry him but my throw away made that shit null and void. And because I cleared the way, I’m gon’ get her back. I’ma show her that I’m prepared to do whatever I have to just to get her and keep her. And that’s on everything.”
Hakeem shook his head. “You crazy as bat shit.”
“Maybe I am. But come on, man, let’s get the hell from ‘round here. Roll me through the set. I’ma get my car and get the fuck before sunrise.”
Before pulling off, Hakeem had to ask, “Dawg, you sure this what you want? To wage war with Drop’s peoples.”
G’Corey momentarily forgot he was injured and jerked his body forward to aggressively check him but he coiled back into his seat when the painful sensation from moving too fast settled him back down.
“Aaahhhhh! Fuck!” he groaned out, clamping his eyes shut as he tolerated the excruciating surge pulsing through his body. “Li
sten, I ain’t sure about shit except that I want my life back, starting with my wife. And I don’t give a fuck what odds are stacked against me, we vowed to death do us part. So, as long as we breathing, we gon’ be together.”
“I hear ya, dawg. Hakeem finally pulled off, choosing to let it be. He has had G’Corey’s back on many things but this by far was the wildest shit ever.
G’Corey twisted his wedding band around his finger, thinking: My love knows no boundaries, baby. You gon’ see.
***
“Excuse me, Mrs. Leblanc,” she tapped her on the shoulder.
Minnie turned around to face her, wiping her tears away with the inside of her shirt. “I’m so sorry. I got caught up and didn’t let you finish because you just answered my prayers. But what else did you want to say? Did you want to take us to him? Are we able to see him right now?” Minnie went a mile a minute.
“Yes, you may. But there’s something I need to tell you first.”
Minnie became panicked when she saw the plastic smile and heard the extra calm in her voice. Her smile went flat and she looked intently at the while she waited for her to speak.
Kamal stepped in closer as his antennas raised a touch higher as well. “What’s the matter?”
The doctor offered them a reassuring look but what she said next wasn’t as pleasant as the warmth she extended. “He never came out of his coma.”
Chapter 10
Monday morning greeted Blu but Eli still hadn’t. A few more tick tocks of the clock will make it 48 hours since she had seen or heard from him. And the mere fact that she had no way to call him and he made no attempts to call didn’t sit well with her.
“Ummmm,” Kanari stretched her arms above her head upon waking as her internal alarm told her it was 10 a.m. and time to make moves for the day. She had stayed over by Blu’s place, as she would anytime she didn’t feel like driving the twenty minutes it took to get to hers after they closed the bar at 3 a.m.
Kanari turned on her side and faced Blu only to see her sitting up clutching her cell, wearing the same salty look on her face she’d been sporting all weekend.
“You keep lookin’ at your phone like it’s gonna make him call. Didn’t yo grandma tell you a watched pot never boils?” Kanari snatched her phone out of her hands and put it on the nightstand beside her.
“Uggghhh! This isn’t like him. And I’m starting to bug the hell out. I don’t want to be upset with him if something is reeeally wrong but then I don’t want to give him the benefit of my patience if this is all over some bullshit.”
“So, you tryna be his peace meanwhile he isn’t giving you any? He got’chu worried and me messed up. I just hope for his sake that something reeeally is wrong or he’s going to find himself in a real fucked situation.” Kanari pulled back the covers, got out of the bed and headed into the bathroom to relieve her bladder.
Blu followed behind her and stood in the doorway as Kanari pulled down her panties and sat on the toilet.
“If this was your situation, what would you do?”
“Hold up. It’s hard for me to give you the best advice with a sober mind. Let me get that Bob Marley in me and I will be able to conjure up a plan from the gods.” Kanari wiggled the last of her pee out before wiping herself.
“I should have known you had to wake and bake as you call it,” Blu smiled.
Standing over the sink, Kanari examined her mountain sized pimple on her chin as she washed her hands. “Girl, I need to get laid. Waiting on the right one is gon’ have me looking like a crater face gremlin. Ugghhh! How long has it been?”
“It’ll be a year next month.”
“See, that’s why you my bitch! You keeps up with ya girl.”
“We been stitched at the hip since second grade. I know everything about you except your blood type.”
“O positive. Nah, you know it all.” Kanari confirmed.
“It’s a shame to say this but you’re closer to me than the sisters I actually have. We have eighteen years of tightship and a lifetime to go.”
Kanari bobbed her head slowly. “Tou fuckin’ ché’, mi best amiga.”
Cutting off the bathroom light, they both walked back into her room. Kanari headed to the oversized chair positioned in the corner, grabbed her purse off of it and pulled out her gunja kit.
“I bet your lungs are Incredible Hulk green with as much grass as you smoke.” Blu poked fun at her.
“No one calls it grass, Lame-O.” She tossed a throw pillow her way but Blu ducked. “And quit tryna clown me. It’s squares like yourself that will never know the ecstasy that bud smokin’ brings, so zip it and come with me outside.” Kanari smiled her way before walking out of her bedroom.
“You know what happened the last time you sat on the back porch with just your t-shirt and panties on.” Blu reminded her of her lurking neighbor.
“Yea, I do. But this my comfy wear. Besides, I’ll fuck lil’ mama up if she cross onto your property line with those plastic dick ambition of hers. I can’t fuck with a man who got hoe in him so you know a bitch don’t stand a chance with me. Let her try.” Kanari brazenly said as she pushed open the French doors that were off of her kitchen, leading onto the deck that overlooked Blu’s backyard.
After a couple of minutes of inhaling the good, Kanari turned toward Blu, who was sitting on the ledge of the wooden porch beam.
“WWKD, huh? What Would Kanari Do? Well, Kanari would stop off at his house. If he wasn’t there, then she’ll roll up to the hospital where he was last known to be. And let’s say he’s there. She’ll get up on him and be like, ‘Baby, are you alright?’ Once he says he good, then she’ll mush his face backwards and say, ‘Bitch, then what the fuck was yo problem, then?’ Straight G-check him,” she spoke of herself in third person.
“That’s not my style. Too disrespectful.” Blu shook her head before resting her chin back onto her bended knee.
“Then why did you ask me? You already know how I am. Maybe that’s why I don’t have dick nah.” She laughed at herself.
“I ask because you always keep it real with me. I’m just not into all that rah rah behind a man like you ‘bout.”
“You right. Okay then, bring it down a couple watts. Let’s just find him and then you freestyle how you want to handle it from there? Whether you be calm or go crazy, I got your back, but after I get something to eat.” Kanari rubbed her stomach as she took another pull before smothering the flame at the end of the cigar.
“I know you do. Mucho thank you, chica.” Blu hopped down off of the banister and walked back inside with her friend in tow.
Operation Where the Hell Eli At? was about to be in progress.
***
The weekend had been exhausting. What started off as one problem, Lil’ Acacia needing a transfusion, evolved into ninety-nine of them.
The only silver lining she saw at that moment was that her baby received donor blood and so far she was receptive to it.
Other than that, Samiyah was bummed. She rested her head on the steering wheel of Eli’s truck as she sat in the parking lot of the hospital. She had to compose herself before going inside to visit her baby in the NICU, but it was hard. Her life was coming unglued all over again.
She was now pregnant with her husband’s second child but as fate had it, she wasn’t.
“Who makes the same mistake twice?” Samiyah questioned herself out loud as she reflected on what she told Elias about Cedric less than a year ago.
“I knew I should have never bedded my friend. Bad shit always happens when friends cross boundaries.”
“Why didn’t you fuckin’ listen to yourself?”
Samiyah was disgusted because she knew better than to allow a moment of weakness write another check her ass couldn’t cash.
She didn’t see her and Eli’s train wreck coming, but surely the consequences of a similar past with Cedric was an unfadeable lesson she felt she should have learned from, but yet she sat faced with another chicken that was coming home t
o roost.
Desperately needing someone to talk to, she picked up her phone to dial Acacia but then she remembered her calls couldn’t reach beyond the clouds. Samiyah felt weighed with sadness as if the news of her death was just delivered to her. Three months had passed since her untimely demise and she still had to remind herself that her number was no longer in service. Damn!
Then she wanted to reach out to Minnie, but she was out of the country on her honeymoon for the next two weeks, no doubt having the time of her newly married life.
Eli wasn’t an option because he was rocking the same boat as she, plus he was in jail as of result of the fight Gerran instigated.
Here I go again, same messy triangle but this time with Eli.
***
“Roll your window down if you wanna catch a breeze because the A/C isn’t working.” Kanari advised the moment they both got inside of her beloved ride.
Blu slightly lifted the door upward so it would latch when she closed it. “When are you gonna get a new car?”
“Nevaaa,” Kanari spoke animatedly. She was literally going to ride until the wheels fell off.
“Tell me again why we just don’t take my car?”
“Because we need to be incognito. He never seen ole Benny here.” Kanari ran her hand over the dash covering of her Delta 88.
“You really think we need to be inconspicuous, like we gon’ see something that calls for low-key riding?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I like Eli. So, I am hoping I’m overdoing it. But you said it yourself, he was acting weird since dinner, he took a call that threw him for a loop, then shut you out afterwards and now he’s M.I.A. If he’s up to no good, I rather we spot him first before he spots us. You know, have the upper hand in the situation.”
Blu didn’t think the extra mile was necessary, it gave the impression that she was expecting something to be wrong. But then again, it didn’t hurt to have an edge. “I suppose.”