by Shan
I brought the spoon up to my mouth about to devour another taste of this Cherry Jell-O, when suddenly my hospital room door flew open, and Imran came storming in like he was here to save the day.
Shit. He looks good.
Even with the hospital gown on and a pair of holey jeans he looked gorgeous as ever. His scruffy chocolate skin was as beautiful as ever and he looked well. He didn’t look like he’d been shot or even been an accident, and I was happy to see that.
Before the police was standing over me with all of their questions, I had assumed that he had ran off with Rain and had left me for dead until they told me about the accident.
Funny thing is they had never asked me about Rain and when I had brought up her name and told them how Imran had only shot me because he was protecting Rain; they had looked at me rather strangely.
I rushed to sit the Jell-O down and went to fix my hair as if it mattered. Hell, I was on my sick bed just as he was so I know he wasn’t expecting me to look the part when he’d walked in. I couldn’t believe how my stomach had begun to turn flips as if it was the first time I was seeing him. My feelings for him were still there even though I had hoped that they would disappear. There was too much damage done between the two of us to have anything and I just wanted to put him in the past along with the rest of those that I loved. Part of me wanted to stay around so that I could try and make things work with him, but the other half of me was telling me to just let it go.
“Imran, what are you doing here? Are you okay?” I asked noticing the menacing, hard glare that he gave me as he came closer to my bed.
“The keys to the rental you were driving. Where are they?” he asked getting straight to the reason he was here.
“Keys? I don’t know anything about any keys, Imran. I don’t remember anything past you pumping those two bullets into me,” I said bitterly. I could tell that he sensed that by the way his jaw tightened before he spoke again.
“Mmph, so you haven’t seen any keys?” he asked me and then he looked over in the corner of my room before he just bolted off in that direction. He pulled the little closet open and pulled out my bag. I oddly stared at him as he poured the contents of my personal belongings bag onto the floor. He rummaged through the things and his shoulders dropped in defeat when he didn’t find what he was looking for.
“Imran, I told you I don’t know anything about those keys. Maybe they gave them back to the rental place. Did you ask Rain if she had seen them?”
Imran placed his hands on his hips and seemed to be in deep thought before he shot me a glare that spoke volumes. I placed my arms into my lap and just watched him as he kicked my things out of his way and headed towards the exit.
“Imran!” I called after him before he could get away.
He turned around and looked at me, staring intensely into my eyes, and penetrating my soul like he’d always done.
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about everything. I know that everything that happened to you was because of me and the choices that I made, and for that I am truly sorry. If you ever need me for anything, I’m here. My number is still the same,” I genuinely said.
I meant every word of it. He and I didn’t have to be in a relationship for me to still be there for him. All of this was my fault and I wanted him to know that I took full responsibility for it.
“I appreciate that Jahzara, but right now all I want is to find my keys so if you can get on the phone with the rental company and see if they have them, I would appreciate that,” Imran said and left out of my room as quickly as he had come.
I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed my Jell-O off the lunch tray and grabbed the phone to place the call. I didn’t have the number on me so I dialed information so they could direct me to the right place.
7: Rain
We’d been back in Maryland for about a week and were now sitting in the family room of Chino’s big beautiful brick home. He’d just finished putting all of the money and the bricks inside of two different bags. The inside of Imran’s safe contained way more money than I had expected. We’d come clean off two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars; not to mention how much we would get off the kilos of coke that was inside as well.
I hadn’t seen Chino so happy in a while and I was glad that I was the one that could put that smile on his face. I really believed in Chino and I knew that he had the potential to go far in life. If I didn’t believe in his abilities to lead me, then I would have never introduced him to this lick or put my life in his hands.
“What you thinking about love?” Chino asked as he lit the tip of a blunt and took a huge tug from it.
“Just thinking about us and what I’ve gone through to be here,” I said and looked over at Chino.
His light brown skin was turning red from the smoke he held in and his dark hazel eyes were cloudy; an obvious sign that he was already high as hell. Chino stood up and walked over to me. He stood at six-two and was barely two hundred pounds with a slender build.
“What? Do you think it’ll be in vain?” Chino asked and I sat there thinking about my answer.
“You’ve been my ride or die since the first time I met you and you wasn’t even mine yet. I’ve been looking for a woman like you all of my life, Rain. You will be my wife one day and you will be the mother of my children.”
Hearing Chino mention children caused a cold chill to run up my spine. Kids had been the reason my relationship with Imran failed, and the very reason that I had relapsed and started doing one of the worst things I had ever done in my life. Although I had marked my heart with the promise of never returning to using again, it still didn’t change the fact that kids scared the fuck out of me. I didn’t know if I could have them and that frightened me.
“What? Is that not good enough? What do I need to do to show you that I’m for real about this?”
“It’s not that, Chino. All of that sounds good. I believe you. I’m just so happy that I’m finally here with you. It just seems too good to be true,” I admitted.
“Well it is true. You’re not dreaming, babe. This shit is as real as real can be and I promise, I got you. You ain’t gotta ever worry about nothing. And to make sure you know I mean business, I don’t want you putting in no more work. You got us this far, let me handle the rest. All I need you to do is sit around and look pretty,” Chino smiled and then took a puff off his blunt.
He blew the smoke in the air and then dropped down to his knees in front of me. He placed the blunt at the tip of his mouth and pulled at my pants. I helped him by unbuttoning my pants and then lifting my butt up so that they could easily come off.
Chino took another deep pull of the blunt and then handed it to me. He lowered his head between my legs and blew the smoke inside of me causing my body to tingle and jerk. The tip of his tongue dipped into my wetness and I palmed the back of his head.
“Oh shit!” I moaned and worked my hips in a circular motion. I looked down at Chino as and he looked back at me while he flicked his tongue over my clit. I felt a gush of my sweetness trickle down my backside and I screamed out passionately.
My body began to shake as I felt my body about to succumb to this good tongue fucking Chino was giving to me. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. This shit was feeling so damn good that it had my head spinning.
Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzz!
“Who the fuck—ohhhhh—who is calling at a time like this?” I huffed. “Damn it!”
“Would you like me to hold on while you answer the phone?” Chino asked sarcastically, as he pulled back and sneered at me.
I chuckled and rolled my eyes and pulled my cell phone from my bra. It was my cousin, Jina. I’d told her to only call me on this phone if it was something important. I hadn’t planned on keeping this phone much longer and was gonna dump it as soon as I got me another one.
“Hey Jina, what’s good mama?” I asked as soon as I put the phone to my ear.
“Your dude, Imran, called here. He said he has been goin
g crazy wondering if you’re okay and he wants to talk to you. I gave him your number-”
“You did what?” I asked cutting her off. I sat up on the sofa and caught the look of concern that Chino gave me.
“He sounded really concerned. I told him that you had made it back to Maryland and that I would have you call him, but he said he really needed to speak with you so I gave him your number,” Jina said.
I wanted to cuss her ass out, but her young ass didn’t know any better. She was only sixteen years old and I only gave her vague details about my life and the things that I’ve done. She knew that Imran was a big part of my life and now that I think about it, the last time I mentioned Imran to her I had told her how madly in love I was with him and how he’d hurt me. I’m quite sure now she thought that she had made a love connection when really she’d put a wrench in things.
“Okay thanks, Jina. If he calls back let me know. Did he say anything else?” I asked and heard the line beeping in my ear.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and noticed that it was a Dallas area code. Right then and there, I knew it was Imran. I could play this thing one of two different ways. I could either answer the call and find out what he knows, or I could say fuck him like he had done me when he’d dropped me off at rehab.
“Let me call you back, Jina,” I said and decided that I would answer the call. Fuck it!
I pressed the answer button to get to the other line and then put the call on speaker so that Chino could hear what was going on. I could tell by the discoloration in his skin that he was worried and I didn’t want to leave him hanging any longer.
“Hello.”
“What up Rain? Your cousin gave me your number. What’s good ma? You okay?” Imran asked, sounding deeply concerned.
“Yea boo, I’m good. Glad to see that everything is okay with you. I wanted to call you so bad, but shit, you know my situation,” I said.
“Yea, a nigga been worried sick about you. ’Ain’t nobody heard shit from you since the accident. It was like you disappeared in thin air. You sure you good? What about them niggas that was after you? What’s the word on that?”
“I don’t know what they on right now, but I’m hiding out. I figured it was best if I got away from that lil accident and maybe them niggas would think I was dead, you know?”“ I looked at Chino and shrugged.
“Are you okay? I hated to leave you like that. I mean, you looked bad and so did your girl, Jahzara. You sound good though.”
“Yea, I got a few injuries, but I’m alive. ’That’s all that matters. Jah is good too. Everybody been asking about you so I figured I would do a little work and try to track you down. I remember you telling me that you were living with your aunt and cousin and I looked them up. Shorty gave me your number and said you were back in Maryland. Why would you go back there if you got niggas looking for you, ma?”
I sighed, “I told Jina to tell anybody if they asked that I was in Maryland. I was just hoping that would buy me some time to get settled. So look, I don’t wanna stay on this phone too long, so let me get back with you tomorrow.”
“Hold up, hold up!” Imran yelled. “Aye, I’m missing my keys to my place out in Lubbock. Do you know what could have happened to them? The police said the keys were not on the scene, the hospital don’t have a record of me having any on me, and shit I don’t know.”
“Hmmm, nah boo, I haven’t seen your keys. I just got away from the accident as quick as I could, you know?” I asked hoping he would take my answer for what it was and leave it alone. I was ready to get off the phone with him because my heart was pounding something serious and I was beginning to sweat.
“Already, already. I’ll get up with you later, Rain. Glad you’re doing okay. Keep me posted on your situation.”
“Will do. Will do,” I said and quickly hung up the phone.
I looked over at Chino to see where his head was at. “So, what you think? Did it sound like he knows something or just fishing around?”
“Nah, if he knew anything then he would’ve just flat out asked you. I know I would’ve. Don’t worry about that nigga, mane. I’m about to go sell these kilos to my patna out in V-A. Then I’ma get up with Papi and let him know I’m ready to get back in business. Hit me if you need me, ma”.”
Chino looked at me and then down between my legs. He ran his tongue across his lips and then reached for his blunt that I was holding on to. I handed it to him and tried to put a smile on my face, but I just couldn’t. I knew Imran would fuck something up if he knew I had his shit and wanted Chino to be prepared for whatever was to come. I knew he wasn’t scared of no shit like that, but he needed to make sure that he and his soldiers were on point at all times.
“Look baby, I know Imran and I know that he not gonna just lay down easily when he finds out that his money is gone. I just want you to be ready for whatever that’s to come of this situation.”
“Man, I am not worried at all about that young ass nigga. I had his ass running in circles not knowing what the fuck was going on. He’s not ready for me and my niggas, so don’t even worry. I got this shit, love. Look I’m out. Hit me if you need me.”
Chino placed the tip of the blunt in his mouth and then turned to leave. I shook my head and took in a deep breath.
Damn, I wish I would’ve just handled Imran at the scene of the accident. They wouldn’t have known one way or the other.
8: Imran
“Already, already. I’ll get up with you later, Rain. Glad you’re doing okay. Keep me posted on your situation,” I said to Rain.
“Will do. Will do,” she said and I heard the line beeping in my ear.
I looked at the phone strangely. She’d hung up on me. For some reason, she was acting hella weird and the shit had me feeling some type of way. After getting Jahzara to call the rental place where she’d gotten the car from, speaking to the police that were at the scene of the accident, and checking with the lost and found of the hospital, no one had seen my keys. I figured the only other person left to ask was Rain.
On the way to Lubbock, I tried every family member of hers that I knew. ’Every last one of them directed me to somebody else. It took damn near the whole three and a half hour drive before I was able to get the name and number of her aunt that she’d supposedly been living with in Maryland.
I ended up on the phone with her little cousin Jina who ran her mouth to me like we’d known each other for years. She told me that Rain was back in Maryland, but she had yet to see her. She gave me her number, and after that rushed five minute convo, my mind was on overload.
I couldn’t understand why Rain would run back to Maryland if niggas were after her, but hearing her say she’d only told her cousin to say she was there had me wondering what the truth was. I didn’t know what to believe, but wouldn’t worry about it. She said she was cool so I would take her word, and hoped that she took care of herself.
“Cool, the locksmith is already here,” I said as I looked at the driveway of my house and noticed the locksmith’s company van sitting there.
“Good, cause Lord knows I’m tired and ready to get in somebody’s bed,” my cousin, Kira, said in her Southern drawl.
“You think he gonna open it up for you”?” B.B. asked as he pulled in behind the truck.
“Shit, he better. Either way, I’m getting in.”
I got out of the car very carefully. I was already in enough pain and didn’t want to cause any more. I had tripped out when I realized that my keys were missing and almost passed out up in that muthafuckin’ hospital. B.B. and the nurses were trying to get me to get back in my bed, but I wasn’t trying to hear that. Knowing my shit was missing wouldn’t allow me to even rest until I got here and verified that everything was cool.
“Hi, I’m Larry,” the locksmith introduced himself. “The office said you needed to get inside and get a spare key”?”
“Yea, I got into a car accident and the hospital misplaced my keys,” I said hoping he wouldn’t ask any more que
stions and just open up the damn door.
He looked me up and down and then walked over to the front door where he pulled open a small tool box. He looked at the knob and then down at his tools before he pulled one out. He grabbed the knob and my heart felt like it dropped into the bottom of my stomach when the door opened at the mere touch of his hand.
I pushed him out the way and rushed into the house, moving as quickly as my body would allow me to. I took big steps down the hallway until I made it to the back bedroom. Above the California King bed was a big ass hole in the wall where my safe used to be. On the bed was the humungous picture that was used as a cover. I know that it was the most typical place to put a safe, but no one knew about the shit, but me and three other people—Kira, B.B., and Rain.
“Ah fuck!”
I turned around to see B.B. and Kira standing behind me. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I worked to catch my breath and get something out. My words were caught up in my throat and I couldn’t even form my lips properly to get anything out. I placed my hands on my hips and took one deep breath after another. My head became heavy and I knew that meant I was close to fainting. I fell back on the bed and dropped my head into my hands.
“Call an ambulance, Kira,” B.B. told her. I looked at her and shook my head no.
“You sure, baby boy? You look bout as white as a ghost right now,” Kira said, examining my face.
I nodded my head up and down and continued to take deep breaths. Slowly, I started to feel like all the oxygen was filling back up in my head.
“I think that bitch got my shit. It’s out of her and Jahzara and I doubt Jahzara had time to leave the hospital and come here. I need to go to fucking Maryland.”