I prayed that this wouldn’t be the end. To die on your birthday, how ironic is that? She had been through so much growing up and even as an adult; to just simply die this way didn’t seem right. I was losing it, sitting here on this bench clinging to her hand. It was stiff but warm, which gave me hope that she was still holding on.
Though it only took about ten minutes to reach the hospital, it seemed like forever. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion and I was on the outside looking in. She was rushed to the trauma room and I was told to wait in the waiting room. I paced back and forth. I couldn’t even think. I hadn’t even called Tyson to let him know what was going on. What was I going to say? He didn’t like me around her anyway, since he assumed that her bad habits would rub off on me.
I would go up to the window every ten minutes or so to ask about her and each time I was pointed back in the direction of the waiting area. The woman at the counter was obviously annoyed since after a while she stopped speaking and just pointed her fingers instead. I didn’t give a fuck about her attitude. That was my cousin dying in there. She was lucky to have the thick bulletproof glass in front of her because I was ready to break that damn finger off. The longer I waited I felt that the prognosis wouldn’t be good. Damn, had I just come earlier that day I probably could have swayed her away from using in the first place. After I’d waited for about an hour, someone finally came out and escorted me to the back of the ER. I was nervous as I followed the female doctor in all green scrubs. She was pretty quiet and wouldn’t say a word as we walked what seemed like a mile. She took me into a small conference room and shut the door.
“Have a seat,” she said, pointing to the green cushioned chairs that matched the ones that I’d been sitting in for the past hour. Once this day was over, I never wanted to see a green chair again in my life. “Deidra is doing much better than when she was brought in so you can relax.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I though for sure I would hear the worst. “So what happened?”
“She had a seizure, which was caused by a drug withdrawal. A drug addict’s system gets used to the drug and eventually depends on it like our body depends on food and water. When they try to go cold turkey without any help it sometimes has bad effects. The extreme could be what you witnessed today or even worse, death. Luckily, she made it here on time or else she might not have made it.”
Was I really hearing her right? Withdrawal? So, D was actually trying to quit? What the hell would make her do that? I knew that my talks with her made a lot of sense to me, but, damn, I hadn’t gotten through any other time so there had to be something other than that to make her change so drastically. Either way, I was glad that she made it out okay.
“So what does that mean?”
“She should probably be checked into an inpatient rehab. It’s great that she wants to quit but she has to do it the right way. I can give you a list of treatment centers and you could go over them with her and maybe she’ll make the right decision.”
“When can I see her?”
“You can actually see her right now, she’s awake but a little groggy. I’ll take you in the back where you can see her.”
She led me out to the room where they’d taken D. She smiled when she saw me, I smiled as well. I had never been happier to see her.
“Baby girl, I scared the hell out of you, huh?”
“Scared isn’t the word. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was trying to quit. I know that I’m pretty much all that you have out here in this world, and prior to you showing up on my door that day, I didn’t give a damn about life. Now, I care. I care about you a lot. More than you may believe.” She grabbed hold of my hand as I sat on the edge of the bed.
I never dreamed that someone would care about me that much. I know some people would think it was bull for a lifelong drug addict to want to change because they love someone, but honestly, I believe it was a combination of loving and being loved at the same time. Her family shut her out and when I came around and showed her how much I cared it helped her see things in a totally different light.
We sat and talked for what seemed like hours. I didn’t want to leave but eventually I had to. Once I left I headed home. I was ready for a blowout with Tyson since it was now three AM and I hadn’t called him to let him know where I was. As soon as I walked in the living room he began ranting. I damn sure was in no mood for his temper tantrums.
“Where the hell were you?”
“Tyson, please don’t start. I’ve had a very long night and I don’t feel like arguing with you.”
“Who’s arguing? I just asked a damn question. It’ll only turn into an argument if you don’t answer me.”
“Listen, D got sick and I had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital.”
“She got sick? A drug addict? They can handle anything, you expect me to believe that?”
“Yes, I do, because it’s the truth. She damn near died, Tyson. If I would have showed up just a few minutes later she might have been gone for good.”
“You’re real smart, Mica. You deserve a damn Oscar. I’m going out, call me when you’re ready to tell me the truth about where you really were all fucking night!”
I didn’t respond. I knew that he wouldn’t believe me. Most men that are out doing dirt believe that you are doing the same shit, so they never think you’re telling the truth. I wasn’t out doing dirt—shit, I hadn’t did anything wrong since dating him. I cared about him too much to cheat but that shit didn’t matter. He was stuck in his own world and it didn’t matter what I told him, he still would assume that I was lying. I headed up to bed and after saying a prayer climbed in and got comfortable.
I visited Deidra the next day and told her how foolish Tyson had acted when I came home. She assured me that things would get better. He was probably guilty about something and it would either come to light or pass by. I didn’t spend too much time on that topic since I wanted to forget it and focus on her recovery. She decided to go to an inpatient rehab for three weeks and continue the treatment as an outpatient after that. I was happy with that and I felt like things could only go up from that point. She had a three-day hospital stay and checked into the rehab with confidence. It would take a lot of determination to win the battle within, but I planned on helping her every step of the way.
Chapter Thirteen
Diamond: Free to Roam
After my nine-month stay in the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center, I knew that I had to change my life for the better. Looking back, I couldn’t figure out how I ended up where I was. I had no family to run to, I had no man or money. I definitely had to get my strategy together to figure out how I was going to get back to the top. I had no access to money and luckily I could stay at Kiki’s until I got back on my feet. I had a degree in accounting but had never actually worked anywhere. Davey had always supplied me with more than enough money, so I felt that a job wasn’t necessary. I wished now that I had used my brain because now I was in a position that I had never been very fond of. It reminded me of the hard times living at my grandmom’s. There were plenty of times that our only source of nourishment was from Oodles of Noodles and Hug juices. Now, you couldn’t pay me to eat any of that shit. I’d rather starve than eat anything less than what I felt I deserved. I know that may sound conceited and in my current position some would probably say I should eat whatever the hell I could get my hands on, but that wasn’t me.
Kiki loaned me a few dollars to get my hair and nails done. If I was going to go out looking for a new man I had to at least look the part. I headed to the salon that I used to go to on a regular basis before I got locked up and found out just how much things had changed in such a short time. When I walked in everyone instantly got quiet except Gea, my hairdresser, who damn near knocked me down running over to give me a hug.
“Girl, I am so happy to see you. You look good, girl!” she said, looking me up and down.
“What was I supposed to look like?�
� I said, playfully putting one hand on my hip. I guess people thought that I would come out looking a wreck. I guess I proved them wrong when I walked up in there still clad in designer gear from head to toe. Kiki had managed to gather some of my things from Davey’s house when I got locked up and held onto them for me. “I’m glad to be here, girl. I can’t wait to get back on my job!” I said, laughing. My job meaning scooping me up a nigga with cash.
All of the girls in the neighborhood had dreams of catching dudes with money like Davey. The problem with most of them was that they appeared too desperate for the money. Niggas weren’t going to just give their cash away so if it was too obvious that your main goal was to tap their bank, you would get played in the end. I had mastered the trick of getting their attention and keeping it, but this time around I had to make sure that I didn’t fall victim and end up like I had done the last time.
Soon, I was in Gea’s chair getting my hair pressed and curled. By then, the crowd in the shop had loosened up and I was getting caught up on all of the gossip.
“Girl, you know Kemp Lo is a free agent now,” one girl, said turning her lip up on one side.
“What? He finally let Deja go? I can’t believe that. You know the bitches are going to be flocking to him like pigeons all that damn money he got!” another female said, slapping the other one high five and laughing.
My ears instantly became glued to the conversation. Kemp Lo? That was a name that I had never heard, but I was sure interested in hearing it again. I loved a nigga with money and the way they talked about him he seemed like he was just my type. I wanted to ask more about him but I knew that it would seem too obvious if I did. I decided to wait and do some research. I had to know who he was, especially since he was single, which was every reason for me to place myself in his view.
After I left the salon and headed back to Kiki’s, I couldn’t ask her fast enough if she knew who Kemp was.
“Kemp Lo, yeah, I know him. Why?” she asked, washing dishes and glancing at the television.
“I heard them talking about him in the salon today and I wanted to know who he was.”
“Girl, when are you going to learn, these hustlers don’t mean you no good. Wasn’t nine months in jail bad enough?”
“What the hell else am I going to do? I have a record now, so getting a good job is out of the question. I need to get back on top, Kiki, and that’s the only way that I know how,” I replied. That was the only way I knew how to be on top. I knew how to be on the bottom too, and I wasn’t trying to stay there for too much longer.
She looked at me for a few seconds before speaking, probably wondering how a girl as smart as me could be so stupid. She turned off the faucet and took a seat at the kitchen table and lit a cigarette. Taking a puff of her Newport, she began revealing the information that I was desperate to hear.
“Kemp Lo is a major hustler, I mean major. Not a lot of females even get him to look their way. He used to deal with a girl named Deja, last I heard. They have a child together too that he spoils to death. It’s a rumor that Kemp has millions in a safe buried somewhere. People only speculate where it is but no one’s ever found it. He’s fine as hell for sure and he commands everyone’s attention when he walks into a room. Now, I’ve also heard that he’s abusive, so I wouldn’t run to jump in his bed if I were you. I mean, you’ve been through enough ups and downs with that other asshole. I know that I can’t stop you from dealing with him if that’s what you want to do, but don’t ever say I didn’t warn you. You are my girl and I want to see you happy. I never want to see you in a situation like the one you just got out of.”
“I know, Kiki, and believe me, I don’t want to be in another fucked-up relationship either. I was real naive with Davey, but this time I’m on my game. This isn’t about finding love, it’s about finding money. I need to get me enough money so I can make it on my own. It’s just a stepping stone, Kiki. I promise you I won’t end up like I did the last time,” I said, grabbing hold of her hand. I appreciated her warnings, and trust me, I took heed to them. I knew what I needed to do, and I was so focused on it. I didn’t plan on falling in love. For me, that wasn’t an option.
“I believe you, girl, but I need you to be careful, okay? Don’t get yourself hurt.”
“I won’t, girl. I promise.”
I needed to find him just to see what all the fuss was about. I planned on following him around until I figured out a way to get close to him. I was beautiful, but there were a lot of beautiful women out there, so the key was to get his attention and make him believe that I was the one he needed to be with. I didn’t think it was going to be too hard, but I was soon going to find out.
I followed him for weeks. It didn’t matter where he went, I made sure I was watching from a distance. Some would probably think that I was crazy, but I had to do my research before I stepped into any situation. I wasn’t about to go into it blind like I had done before. I wasn’t going to get fooled. Kiki thought I was nuts for what I was doing, but since she was usually the voice of reason, what she said went in one ear and out the other. I wasn’t in the state of mind for reasoning since I had my eye on the prize. I just had to keep my eyes wide open and not fall in love like I’d done in the past.
I had done it without being noticed until one day I headed into the barbershop where he got his hair cut. I was bold this particular day because I wanted him to see. I was sure that he’d seen me around on other occasions, but I wanted him to at least get a close-up. I found a local promoter who had an event coming up and needed some help with promotion. I was eager to help since passing out his flyers and posters would make it less obvious that I was everywhere that Kemp was. Dressing up and hitting the streets was a guaranteed way to get in a hustler’s view. Most girls used this method, but the difference between them and me was that I was going to get more than a fuck. Most guys felt like the women who tried too hard to get their attention were only good for sex anyway. Philly was party central, and if you wanted to meet a baller you had to get out into the nightlife. It just took a little skill to snag the right one without seeming too obvious. Me, I wouldn’t make it obvious, and once I got his attention it would be all over.
I put on the shortest pair of shorts that I owned and a tight tank top with some heels. Yes, heels. I wasn’t really going to be walking around in them all day but just long enough to catch his eye. I walked in to Big D’s barbershop with a stack of flyers and a few posters in my hand. As soon as I walked in of course every eye was on me, including Kemp’s. I went over to D’s chair and asked if it was okay for me to leave the flyers and put a couple of posters in the window. Once he agreed I put on my model strut to place the flyers on the counter. I even walked up to every man in there and put one in their hands. I stood in front of Kemp just a few seconds longer so he could get a whiff of the perfume that I was wearing. He slowly lifted his hand to take the flyer from me.
“Are you going to be here at this party? If so, I’ll make sure I’m there!” He laughed, looking down at the flyer.
“Most likely I will be.”
He smiled. “Good, hope to see you there.”
“Count on it,” I said, returning a smile and heading toward the door.
Damn, I thought for sure that he would have tried to put a move on me, but I guess since he was in front of all these guys he had to keep it basic. I didn’t care; I knew I would get him eventually. It was just going to take a little longer than I thought.
The week went fast and it was party time. I felt so good going out. The nine months that I spent locked away felt like an eternity. Now that I was free to roam I was going to party like there was no tomorrow. I had to enjoy myself. Shit, I deserved it after all I’d been through.
The party was at a club called ICE, and Kiki was able to hang out with me. I was excited about going with the hopes that I would run into Kemp there. The party was packed and the line outside was damn near curving around the corner. Luckily, we knew the bouncer and were able to skip it. I m
ight have contemplated leaving if I’d had to wait in that long-ass line. We squeezed through the crowd and made our way to the bar. It was like pulling teeth to get the bartenders’ attention. Niggas were so rude, damn near pushing us out of the way to get their drinks. I was getting annoyed, and if I didn’t get a drink soon to mellow me out I would probably be on my way back out of the door.
I felt an arm reaching over my shoulder and I was ready to lose it. I turned around and had a shocked look on my face when I saw that it was Kemp. I hoped the look wasn’t too obvious, but figured it probably was since he started laughing.
“Damn, did you see a ghost or something?” He continued to laugh.
“No, it’s just too crowded in here and I’m getting annoyed because the bartenders are acting like we are invisible,” I yelled in his ear over the loud music.
“I feel you, but if y’all want to come over in VIP we’re popping bottles over there.”
A tall, thin-framed guy came up behind him and tapped him. He turned around and the guy told him something that quickly made him walk away without even turning back around to me. I was pissed. Damn, I hadn’t even gotten a chance to tell him my name. I grabbed Kiki and tried to make it over to the VIP area, and when we peeked in we noticed that Kemp and his friends were all gone.
“Damn, where did they go?”
“Girl, I don’t know. You said someone came and told him something. Something must have gone wrong if they all just picked up and left.”
I pouted and Kiki laughed. I didn’t find it funny. I knew now that I had to get more creative if I wanted to make it happen. Just being in his eyesight wasn’t enough.
“Stop looking like a sad puppy.” She continued to laugh.
“I’m upset, girl. I thought that this was going to be my chance.”
“You’ll get your chance, D. Things happen when they are supposed to.”
The Black Diamond Trilogy Page 9