by K'wan
“Why are you coming to my place of employment starting shit?” Fatima greeted him with an attitude. Though she hadn’t been working there long, she liked her job and didn’t want to lose it over someone else’s mess.
“Your staff here needs to be a little more courteous,” Ashanti said, looking back at the skinny guard who had accosted him. After the incident, he had been removed from his post and was now standing near one of the concession stands talking to the dude who had been chatting it up with Fatima. It looked like he was being reprimanded, so the other one must’ve been their supervisor. “But fuck all that clown shit, I’m glad to see you,” he leaned in to kiss her on the lips, but she turned her head and gave him her cheek. “Damn, it’s like that?”
“How is it supposed to be when I had to find out my man was back in New York on a post some chicken head made on Facebook?”
“Fuck is you talking about?” Ashanti was confused. Unlike everyone else, he refused to ride the social media wave. He didn’t own a computer and refused to allow any apps on his phone.
“I’m talking about this,” Fatima held up her phone so he could see the post in question. As it turned out, some random chick had taken a selfie in the club he, Animal, and Abel had the shootout in, and Ashanti just happened to get caught in the background of her picture. He didn’t know the girl and had no clue the picture even existed, but made a mental note to himself to track her down the first chance he got. That’s why he didn’t fuck with Social Media, because the things posted on it could get you indicted. “I heard there was a shootout at the club that same night and I hope you weren’t involved.”
He could’ve lied to her, but he knew Fatima would see right through whatever story he came up with. Being able to tell when he was lying was one of her gifts. Instead, he just lowered his head in shame.
Fatima rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you! Didn’t we have a long discussion about shitting where you lived? We agreed that after you got out of the last mess that almost cost you your freedom that you would be more mindful about what you did in the city.”
She was speaking about a close call that Ashanti had a few months prior. Kahllah had been paid to take out a target in New York, but she had her hands full chasing an arms dealer across Connecticut. Ashanti had offered to take on the job by himself, but Kahllah had been against it. She hadn’t had time to assess the situation yet, and wanted Ashanti to wait. He figured she was just being paranoid and dropped the dude anyhow. As it turned out, he was a police informant who had been under surveillance. Ashanti hadn’t realized how well-known his name and face were in New York City until less than an hour after he killed the snitch, he found himself in handcuffs. Luckily, for him, the arresting detective had been a man named Wolf who owed Kahllah a favor. Ashanti had avoided spending the rest of his life in prison by the skin of his teeth and it was agreed on by all parties that Ashanti wouldn’t do anymore local jobs.
“This was different. The fools who got dropped were connected to the people who took Animal’s kids,” Ashanti explained.
At the mention of the kidnapping, Fatima’s demeanor softened. “That is some sad shit, and my prayers are with Animal right now. Have y’all gotten any closer to finding the people who did it?”
“We know where the muthafuckas who did it are, it’s Animal who we can’t find,” Ashanti admitted and went on to tell Fatima what had happened over the last few hours.
A terrified expression crossed Fatima’s face. She’d seen what Animal was capable of when Gucci got shot, and didn’t even want to think about what kind of horror show he was going to put on over his babies. “Ashanti, I know that’s your friend and all, but I’m worried about what kind of fall out can come of this. Those cartels don’t fuck around and they won’t hesitate to kill entire families. What if they come for us because of your affiliation with Animal?”
“Baby, I promise I’m going to keep you as far away from this as possible. I saw how it tore Gucci up when we all thought Animal was dead, and I see how broken Animal is over her and I won’t subject us to that. I’m a survivor, you ain’t gotta worry.”
“Ashanti, when I said us I don’t mean as in me and you, I mean as in me and this life that’s growing inside me,” Fatima touched her stomach.
“What did you just say?” Ashanti’s knees felt weak.
“I said that I’m pregnant. I only found out last week and wanted to surprise you. That’s why I got so upset when you stayed in California longer than expected,” Fatima explained.
Ashanti was speechless. All he could do was stare at her stomach in shock. He had noticed she had been putting on weight, but chalked it up to the fact that they had been eating better than ever. The fact that she might be pregnant had never entered his mind.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Fatima asked.
“I…I guess I’m just a little shocked,” he stuttered.
“That’s not quite the response I was looking for,” Fatima snapped. She had been nervous about telling Ashanti since she found out and his response was the reason why. They were both young, but Ashanti was still very immature and more fascinated with the streets than anything, and she didn’t want him to feel like she was trying to lock him down. “Look, Ashanti, I know this was unexpected and this probably isn’t the best time, but —”
“Don’t…just don’t say anything else,” Ashanti cut her off. His face was serious as he tried to find the words. “Fatima, I told you how it was for me growing up; no father and a mother who pawned me and my sister off to settle a drug debt. I got to see firsthand how fucked up this world and the people in it are, and the last thing I ever wanted was to curse a child to this madness.”
Fatima’s heart sank. “I know, Ashanti, and I understand. This was unexpected for both of us and I know that with everything you’ve got on your plate this is just an added worry. I can do this on my own if I have to.”
Ashanti looked at her as if she had lost it. “Fatima are you out of your mind? If you’d let me finish, what I was about to say was, even though neither one of us come from the most stable backgrounds it doesn’t mean we can’t build a solid foundation for our baby. Now I might not know a damn thing about being a good parent, but I know plenty about being a bad one and I’m going to use that as a blueprint as what not to do to my kid.”
“So you’re not mad?”
“Mad? Hell no! This is the best news of my life!” Ashanti scooped her about the waist and spun her around, drawing more than a few stares. “Fatima, when I said I loved you and would stick with you through anything, I meant that shit. You are my moon, and this child will be my stars.”
“Ah…Fatima?” her supervisor was back.
“Sorry,” Fatima said apologetically and motioned for Ashanti to put her down. She could only imagine how unprofessional the scene must’ve looked, but she wasn’t sweating it. If her supervisor could experience even a fraction of the joy she felt at that moment, he’d understand. “Baby, I gotta get back to work, but we can talk about this some more at home tonight, okay?”
Ashanti’s face darkened and the mood was killed.
“You aren’t coming home tonight, are you?” Fatima asked in a disappointed tone.
“You know my heart, Fatima. It won’t let me rest until Animal’s kids are safe,” Ashanti said honestly.
“I figured as much.” She was hoping that she had been wrong, but Fatima knew her man. He would be loyal to the end. That was something she both loved and hated about Ashanti. “I understand that you gotta do what you gotta do, but I need you to make me a promise first. Promise me that you’re going to come home. I’m not saying it has to be tonight or tomorrow night, just as long as you tell me that you’ll make it home so you can be a father to this baby.”
“I’d die one thousand deaths before I let my baby be an orphan or leave my wife a widow,” Ashanti promised.
Fatima chuckled. “Boy you crazy. You mean your baby mama because we ain’t married. Hell we’re not even engage
d.”
“You’re right, and we need to do something about that.” Ashanti fished around in his pocket and came up holding his car keys. He pulled the ring free of the keys and squeezed it until it caved to a size slightly larger to the size of her finger. Ashanti took Fatima’s hand in his and got down on one knee in the middle of the Barclay’s lobby. “I don’t want you to be my baby mama and I don’t want to be your baby daddy. Let’s do this the right way,” he slipped the key ring over her finger. “Will you be my wife?”
Fatima looked around at the spectators who had gathered at the sight of Ashanti on one knee, including her supervisor. “Ashanti, are you serious? I didn’t tell you this to try and force you into marrying me.”
“I’m as serious as a heart attack. You and I both know that there’s nobody short of God who can force me to do anything I don’t want to do. Now say yes so I can get up off this damn floor and these people can stop staring at us.”
“Yes, of course I’ll marry you!” she declared with tears welling in her eyes.
Ashanti stood and pulled Fatima into a deep kiss, which got him a standing ovation from the crowd that had gathered during the proposal. “Me and you against the world. Never forget that.”
“You just remember your promise to come home to me, baby daddy,” Fatima teased.
“Fatima!” the supervisor was clearly in his feelings now.
Ashanti cut his eyes at the supervisor and he shrank back. “Ma, let me get out of here before I fuck one of these niggas up and you have to find another job. I’ll call you in a few and let you know what’s popping,” he gave her one last peck then made his way out of the arena. As he was leaving he passed the skinny security guard, who was now outside and chatting with someone on his cell phone. He gave Ashanti a dirty look, but the new father-to-be ignored him and kept walking. He was flying high and wouldn’t let anybody or anything bring him down.
The skinny security guard continued to watch Ashanti as he crossed the street and walked past Tony Roma’s Steak House. “Cuz, I’m telling you I’m looking at the nigga right now. I heard his bitch call him by name so I’m sure it’s him! Hurry the fuck up before we miss out on this paper,” he barked then ended the call.
*
Ashanti walked up Atlantic Avenue in a daze. It was as if everything that had happened over the last few days had fallen away and all that remained was Fatima’s revelation. He still couldn’t believe that he was going to be a father. He couldn’t wait to tell Animal the good news, but then remembered T.J. and Celeste and felt fucked up. Here he was thinking about celebrating the upcoming birth of his first child, while Animal was still fighting to recover the two he’d lost. No, he would wait until all was resolved before breaking the news.
As Ashanti crossed Carlton Avenue, he spied a group of young men emerging from the block. They were young dudes dressed in baggy clothes, and one of them sported a blue bandana hanging from his belt. Ashanti wouldn’t have paid them any attention had they not turned the corner and fell in step behind him.
“What up though, cuz? You just coming from the game?” One of them called behind Ashanti. Ashanti ignored him and kept walking. He knew trouble when he saw it coming. “Cuz, we just trying to find out who winning,” the young man shouted.
Ashanti added pep to his step, and heard their footfalls speed up too. They were obviously out looking for a victim to start trouble with and thought they had found one in Ashanti, but he would show them different once he made it to his car and his gun. He had successfully made it to Claremont Ave. and Atlantic, where his car was parked in the middle of the block, closest to Fulton Street. He turned the corner, intent on making the mad dash to his weapon when something cold and solid hit him in the face. The world spun and Ashanti crashed hard to the ground on his back. He didn’t have to touch his head to know there was a serious knot forming on it. When he looked up, he saw another young dude standing over him wielding a lead pipe.
“Where you in such a rush to get to, cuz?” the young man who had hit him with the pipe taunted. By then, the other boys who had been following him had caught up and Ashanti was surrounded. In one of their hands, he could see a large handgun.
“Fellas, y’all are about to make a bad decision,” Ashanti said, attempting to push himself to his feet before one of the young boys kicked him in the mouth, busting his lip. Seeing his blood leak from his mouth onto the concrete filled Ashanti with rage, but he couldn’t’ make any sudden moves. The boys were obviously pussies, but they were armed and he wasn’t.
“Hurry up and shoot this dude so we can get our paper,” the young man with the lead pipe told the one holding the gun.
Paper? What did he mean by paper? Someone must’ve place a contract on Ashanti. His laundry list of enemies who hated him enough to want him dead was so long he’d have been out there all night trying to go through it. If he had to guess, he’d say it was Tiger Lily who had dropped the bag. If there was a price on his head then there were very likely prices on the heads of his whole team. Animal was lost in the streets somewhere, but Brasco and the others were sitting ducks back at the apartment. He had to get out of there so he could warn them.
“Shorty, this is your last warning. Take that cap gun and your friends and beat it before I change my mind about letting y’all live,” Ashanti warned, trying to buy himself some time.
“You hear this nigga?” another one of the young boys spoke up. This was the one with the blue bandana hanging from his pants. “We got the drop on this fool and he’s still talking like he’s about that life. You should shoot him in his big ass mouth before you give him one to the dome,” he laughed.
Ashanti made eye contact with the young man holding the gun. He could tell that he wasn’t a killer, but peer pressure and a firearm could turn even the most sheepish men into something they really weren’t. The young man with the gun pointed it at Ashanti, but he seemed hesitant. Behind his eyes, Ashanti could see the moral conflict raging between his fear and the pressure from his friends. He knew how this was going to go down, and his timing would dictate the success or failure of what he was planning.
“Shoot!” one of the boys shouted.
At the same time the young man with the gun pulled the trigger, Ashanti sprang forward. The bullet missed him, but grazed his leg opening a gash in his thigh. He grabbed the gun and the young man’s wrist just as he fired the second shot, which struck the ground harmlessly. The boys swarmed on Ashanti while he struggled with their friend for the gun. They struck him in his head and face over and over. They were beating the hell out of him, but Ashanti’s will to live and be there for his child kept him from letting go of the gun. He managed to maintain his grip up to the point where the lead pipe landed on the back of his head dropping him to his hands and knees.
Blood poured from Ashanti’s head and stung his eyes making it hard for him to see. “Put this nigga to sleep!” he heard one of them yell. Ashanti managed to clear enough of the blood from his eyes to see the young man who had the gun advancing on him. This time he saw no fear in his eyes, only determination. Of all the ways Ashanti imagined he would go out, at the hands of a pussy nigga on a Brooklyn street hadn’t been one of them.
There was a faint chirping sound, followed by the young man with the gun abruptly falling to the ground. In the middle of his forehead, Ashanti could see a red dot, leaking blood onto the ground. There was another chirping sound, followed by the pipe wielder’s chest exploding. By now, the boys realized they were under attack and they took off running. Ashanti watched as one by one they each fell. The last of them had made it halfway down the block before dropping out of sight between two parked cars.
Ashanti slowly got to his feet, still slightly shaken. He had come close to death before, but never quite that close. He wasn’t sure who had intervened on his part, but he couldn’t wait to thank them. A shadowy figure moved towards Ashanti. At first, he thought it was a man, but when they got closer, he could see his savior was a female. It wasn’t just any
female, it was the same girl he had squared off with in the club the night they snatched George.
She was dressed in black jeans, boots, and a black long sleeve t-shirt. Her long dread locks were pulled back into a ponytail allowing Ashanti to get a good look at her face…a face that looked much like his. He hadn’t been sure if she was who he thought the night they’d fought, but now he was. There was no mistaking that it was the sister he’d long thought dead.
Angela was Ashanti’s older sister. They had grown up in the same house under the same worthless addict of a mother. Both the kids had it bad, but Angela had it worse because she was a girl. It wasn’t unheard of for their mother to force Angela to turn tricks with grown men in exchange for drugs, which was how they ended up getting split. Ashanti’s mother had owed some dealers some money and when she couldn’t pay, she offered her kids as collateral until the debt was settled.
Ashanti was never sure if their mother knew or even cared that the men planned to kidnap them and flee New York City. The men forced the children into the sex trade and for a while, they bounced from city to city peddling their wares. The brother and sister were kept together for a while before Angela was sold off to someone else. Ashanti managed to escape and eventually made it back to New York, but Angela hadn’t been seen or heard from again until that night at the club.
“Angela,” he called out softly.
“My name is Ophelia!” she snapped, using both hands to steady the gun. In her eyes, he could see the conflict raging.
“What has that crazy old broad Lilith done to you?” Ashanti asked sadly. It was like she was brainwashed to believe she was someone she wasn’t.
“She’s shown me the light…she’s shown me the way!”
“No, she hasn’t, she’s filled your head with a bunch of bullshit. Look at me…look at my face,” he urged.
She snapped her eyes closed as if the sight of him pained her. “You’re trying to confuse me like my mother warned me you would. You’re an enemy of the Brotherhood and enemies of my order must die!”