A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma: A Naptown Love Story

by Natavia

I flopped down on my couch. “What did I get myself into?” I cried out. I needed someone to talk to. I had to talk to someone. I also needed someone to check on my apartment. I know once Kauzie heard that I just up and left, he would be stopping by every day.

  I pulled up to Kyree’s house. I was glad she was off today. I knocked on her door. I could hear loud music playing. She was playing Mary J. Blige’s No Drama CD. She did that when she and No Hands had falling-outs. I knocked harder and waited for a few seconds before the door was snatched open.

  “What bitch? What the fuck are you doing here, Tassana? Didn’t I tell your dumbass not to come by my crib?” she fussed pointing her finger in my face.

  “Can I come in?” I asked her.

  “Can you come in? Bitch, you ain’t Jesus. What the hell you want to come in for huh, bitch? Are you smoking PCP? You have to be on something to be knocking on my muthafuckin’ door, bitch,” Kyree cursed me out. I pushed myself into her house. Kyree grabbed my hair yanking my head back.

  “Bitch, don’t fuck with me!” Kyree yelled trying to swing. I pushed her as hard as I could and she fell on the floor. I slammed her door as her neighbor walked past trying to take a peek in.

  “It’s Tokyo bitch. What the fuck? I swear if I have a bald spot I’m kicking your crazy ass,” I fussed.

  Kyree stood up. “Why are you looking like Tassana?” she asked me starring a hole in me.

  “I’m her twin idiot. Besides, I need some favors from you,” I said sitting on her couch. I dug in Tassana’s handbag and got my half of blunt out then lit it.

  “What you want? Can’t you see I’m mourning?” Kyree asked me.

  “Mourning what? Who died?” I asked.

  “No Hands fingers,” she said laughing.

  “Look here bitch, you are going to stop talking about his damn hands. That shit ain’t funny,” I said.

  “Oh, fuck you and him. You are in my house. Therefore, I can talk my shit. Now, what you want me to do?” she asked snatching my blunt. I shook my head at her. Kyree was going through it. I hated when No hands did stupid shit; it drove Kyree insane. Sometimes, she would even take off from work just to sit in the house and cry.

  “If I can’t get a handicap ass nigga to love me then who will? I love that deformed X-men mutant. Why can’t he just do right? This nigga has a lot of bitches in his phone. Do you know how long it takes for No Hands to store a number in his phone? The fact that he spends an hour putting a bitch’s number in his phone says a lot. My mama always told me stay with a man who can touch your heart. Well, that nigga can’t touch shit and I’m still hurt. I hate him,” she cried. I’m slapping No Hands for this.

  “Move on, Kyree,” I said to her.

  “He has a hold on me,” she said.

  “How?” I asked her.

  “Oh, bitch, are you trying to be funny? He can’t have a hold on me because he don’t have no hands, huh? You know what, Tokyo,” she said.

  “Would you shut the hell up? I didn’t mean it like that. I’m out of here. I will come back later,” I said to Kyree.

  “Wait a damn minute. You look decent. What’s going on?” she finally asked me.

  “Don’t I always look decent?” I asked her.

  “Tokyo, I love you, I really do, but bitch, you know you be too colorful,” she said then I laughed.

  I sat down on her couch then gave her a rundown on everything that happened. I started crying like a baby. Since Kauzie and I made love, I didn’t want him to be with anyone else. It hadn’t bothered me until now. We connected on something special other than our friendship.

  “That bitch lying, Tokyo,” Kyree said.

  “You should see her. She looks terrible. The coughing and all, she is really sick,” I said defending Tassana. Kyree’s mood lightened up.

  “Well she didn’t look sick when I saw her at the hotel,” Kyree said.

  “She has her days,” I said.

  “So, let me get this right. Tassana is going away for treatment and she doesn’t want nobody to know? She doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her? She wants you to pretend to be her and win Kauzie over? She wants her life to be back to normal once she comes back? When she comes back and switch, Kauzie is going to be in love and you are going to be lonely?” Kyree asked me.

  “Yes, I feel bad that I even slept with him,” I said and she laughed.

  “Bitch, please. You only feel bad because Tassana is sick. I bet you was loving that dick,” Kyree said.

  “Tokyo, I’m going to be honest with you. This is the dumbest shit I ever heard. But if it was my sister and she was dying, I would do anything to make her happy. But I’m concerned for you. I can see you love him. I always knew you did. I guess fucking him made it stronger,” Kyree stated.

  “I know it’s stupid. I just want Tassana to be happy since her time on this earth may be limited. I owe it to her,” I said. Kyree shook her head.

  “What you want me to do?” Kyree asked me.

  “I need you to pay my rent. I will give you the money I just don’t want to run into Kauzie when I go back to my neighborhood. I know he will be looking for me,” I said.

  “So, where is Kauzie going to think you are at?” Kyree asked.

  “I have an aunt that lives in New York. Tell him I went to visit her to get my mind right. He knows I have a lot of things going on in my life,” I told her.

  “Does No Hands know?” she asked me.

  “Hell no, don’t tell him either,” I said.

  “So, Tassana will be away? Kauzie is going to think it’s you? You will be in his house while he is looking for you going crazy? Well bitch, you better gear up. Kauzie is a little crazy. I don’t even want to be around the nigga after he finds out you left town,” she said. I gave her my house keys and hugged her, thanking her.

  “I see why he loves you. I know you might not want to hear it, but if you were the one sick, Tassana wouldn’t do this for you,” Kyree said.

  “See you later, Kyree,” I said to her.

  “Well, since you look different and have this new image, you should come down at the hotel to fill out an application. They are hiring for front desk. I can talk to the director,” Kyree said.

  “Oh, now you want to come through?” I asked laughing.

  “Because I know they would hire you. They would’ve took one look at your nails and hair and said hell no. But nobody could tell you that. After you get hired, that’s when the real bitch can come out,” Kyree said then I laughed.

  “Bye hoe. I will call you later,” I said leaving out of her house. My next destination was to Kauzie’s house.

  Tassana

  “So, where are you and Tudos living at?” Kai asked me.

  “Richmond. I can’t wait to get down there. I’m going to hit the malls. You know the Annapolis malls don’t have shit,” I said taking my scarf off my head. I unwrapped my hair and let it flow down my back. I wiped the dark eye-shadow from around my eyes that made me look like I was sick.

  “So Tokyo bought the story, huh? You are a bad bitch,” Kai said laughing. Kai and I had been best friends for years. She was more like a sister to me. I had more in common with her than what I did with Tokyo. Tokyo was an embarrassment.

  “Yes, I am. Kauzie is going to be whipped when I get back. Tokyo knows that nigga more than me. He is going to be getting into her ass. Better her than me because I don’t have the patience to put up with his stankin’ ass attitude,” I said fixing my makeup.

  “I have been with Kauzie for years. I deserve everything he is working hard for. He wants me to get a job. Can you believe that? A fucking job. I’m not working no damn where,” I fussed. Kai shook her head.

  “Damn, you evil. I would hate to see how you would do me if we were enemies,” Kai said checking her phone.

  “You are my sister from a different mister,” I said giggling. Tudos pulled up to his building. Kai popped the trunk so Tudos could grab my luggage. I packed my things up when Kauzie left for work this morning.
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br />   “This is all you got with you?” Tudos asked me. Poor Tudos. He didn’t know I was ditching his behind in a few months. I love him, but he just wasn’t the right man for me. He would never change.

  “Yes, I got rid of a lot of things,” I said. He put my things in the small U-Haul trailer that he had hooked on to the back of his truck.

  “What’s up, Kai. You can’t speak?” Tudos asked her. She rolled her eyes at him and got into her car.

  “Call me when you touch down,” she said pulling off. Kai couldn’t stand Tudos.

  “Well, what are you waiting for sexy? Let’s go,” Tudos said kissing my lips. I was going to live out my dream for a bit then come back to face reality.

  Tudos

  We were two hours away from Richmond. It was a five-hour drive and I was beat. Tassana slept peacefully in the passenger’s seat. I pulled up to a gas station for more gas. When I got out, my phone rang.

  I shut the door then answered it.

  “What do you want?” I answered.

  “I fucking hate you!” Kai cried into the phone.

  “I thought you loved me, Kai,” I said chuckling.

  “You really took that bitch with you? She isn’t doing shit but using you for your fucking money. That’s why she is coming back to Kauzie. She has Tokyo pretending to be her!” Kai yelled.

  “I don’t believe that shit. Tokyo and Tassana don’t get along. I told you what you and I had was just a fucking fling,” I told her.

  “What about my baby, Tudos?” she asked me. I knocked Kai up and she was now two months pregnant. She didn’t tell me until yesterday. I hope Tassana didn’t find out about this shit.

  “I will send you some money for my seed. But what you and I did was a mistake,” I explained.

  “She is going to leave your ass and come back home. Why do you think she didn’t pack much shit?” Kai asked.

  “Listen, Kai, I don’t believe you. I find it odd how you talk about her when she’s supposed to be like a sister to you, so I’m not trying to hear yo’ shit,” I said to her, looking over my shoulder to make sure Tassana was still asleep.

  “Fine, I won’t call your ass anymore. You just wait and see how she does you. I’m only telling you because I care about you. Don’t come to me like you did last time talking about she loves Kauzie more than you. Have a nice life,” she said hanging up.

  My phone rang again and it was Kauzie. I answered it.

  “What’s up my nigga?” I asked him.

  “Shit, just working. So, you made it down there safe yet? I can’t believe you moved on us. Damn nigga, that’s crazy,” he said. Kauzie and No Hands were my niggas. We grew up together, but I always had a thing for Tassana. I always felt like Kauzie knew that. But I still couldn’t bring myself to tell him I took his girl with me. What Kai said about Tokyo pretending to be Tassana popped up in my mind.

  “I had to leave. Niggas out there snitching and shit. Maybe you can come and visit me and bring Tassana with you. Her money hungry ass might like the stores out here,” I said waiting for him to tell me if Tassana left him.

  “Naw, I might bring Tokyo though. I don’t fuck with Tassana like that. That bitch sneaky,” Kauzie said.

  “Where her ass at anyway? I haven’t seen Tassana in a minute,” I said.

  “Shit, I don’t know. It looks like she took some clothes with her. I hope her ass finally left. I went home on break and most of her shit was gone,” Kauzie said. I knew Kai’s desperate ass was lying.

  “Where is Tokyo?” I asked him to confirm everything.

  “She should be home. Damn nigga, what the fuck are you questioning me for? Everything good with you?” Kauzie asked chuckling.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Tell No Hands hit me up. I hit you up when I get to my new place,” I said hanging up. I tossed my phone after I hung up. I didn’t want shit to do with my old life. I had my girl with me and I was ready to start making some real money with my cousin. I didn’t want shit getting between that.

  After I filled the tank up with gas, I got back into the truck. Tassana was on her phone and I snatched it from her.

  “What the fuck, Tudos!” she screamed.

  “How much do you love me, Tassana?” I asked her.

  “A lot, why?” she asked me.

  “You came with me to start a new life right? What we had back home is gone. It’s just us. I tossed my phone now get rid of yours. I’m the only person you need right now,” I said to her. I really didn’t want her to keep in touch with Kai. I didn’t want that bitch telling Tassana I knocked her up.

  “Seriously?” she asked.

  “I will leave your ass here in the middle of nowhere with no damn money. You need me so what I say goes. Get rid of your shit. I had better not catch you talking to nobody from back home. Your parents can call our house phone and that’s it,” I stated.

  “I can’t believe your crazy ass,” she said to me. I snatched her phone from her. I got out of the truck then dropped it on the ground, stepping on it until pieces were everywhere.

  “What the fuck are you hiding?” Tassana asked me.

  “What are you hiding?” I asked her.

  “Nothing,” she yelled then I chuckled.

  “Good, neither I am,” I said pulling off. Deep down I knew Tassana was hiding something. I didn’t want to know what it was. I love her too much. If what Kai said was true then so be it. Tassana wasn’t leaving Richmond alive. She wasn’t going back to that nigga. So if that was her plan, it was canceled. I would kill that bitch if she left me.

  Kauzie

  “So, Tudos finally left, huh?” No Hands asked me.

  “Yup, that nigga is gone. I’m going to miss his bitch ass,” I said, blowing smoke out. I tried calling Tokyo for the eleventh time and her phone was off.

  “Yo, have you talked to Tokyo today?” I asked No Hands.

  “Naw, her phone is off. She might be with Kyree. Call Kyree up,” No Hands said. I shook my head because he probably wanted to see what she was doing.

  “Nigga, you need to treat that girl right. Now look at you. Nigga you look pitiful. You need a fresh line-up too,” I told him calling Kyree.

  “What do you want Lemonade?” she asked with a lot of noise in the background. Kyree called me lemonade because she said I was too yellow.

  “Where Tokyo at?” I asked her.

  “She went to New York to get her life together. I thought you knew that,” she said.

  “WHAT?” I shouted into the phone. I never wanted to put my hands on a woman as badly as I wanted to now. I wanted to slap Kyree’s ass too.

  “Nigga, you heard me. Tokyo is gone. She will be back, but I don’t know when. She just needs her space. She has a lot going on Kauzie,” Kyree said nonchalantly.

  “Yo, I swear when I see you, I’m slapping the fuck out of you. You couldn’t talk her out of it? Have you gone fucking crazy Kyree?” I shouted into the phone.

  “No, but you have. Tokyo is grown, nigga. She needs to do what she has to do to better herself. You of all people should know that. If you love her you would let her,” Kyree snapped.

  “You wrong for that shit,” No Hands said in the background.

  “Oh, it’s you, the dirty dick nigga. Kauzie, call me when you get away from that piece of shit,” Kyree hung up.

  “That bitch done with me for real?” No Hands asked hurt. I shrugged my shoulders dialing Tokyo’s number again. This time it told me it was no longer in service. I plopped down on the step with my phone in my hand.

  “This bitch left me nigga. I showed her the house and all of that. This fucking bitch left me and didn’t tell me shit. Tassana wouldn’t even do something heartless like that,” I said.

  “She left me too nigga. Damn, Tokyo wrong for this shit,” No Hands stated hurt. He and Tokyo were the closest when we were younger. No Hands was like her big brother.

  After I left No Hands’ crib, I swung by Tokyo’s neighborhood. Something wasn’t right. If she left with a nigga, I’m murdering
something. I spotted Dez coming out of her building and I got out of my truck.

  “What’s up my nigga?” Dez asked me giving me dap.

  “Shit, chilling. Have you seen Tokyo?” I asked him.

  “Naw, I haven’t seen her. I just heard she left town. Kiwanna said when she was in the rental office paying her rent, Kyree was there paying it for Tokyo. Kyree told them that Tokyo is gone out of town and she would be paying the rent for a couple of months. Damn, I thought maybe you knew that,” Dez said shaking his head.

  “Thanks yo,” I said walking off.

  “Hey, Kauzie, wait up,” Dez shouted out walking towards me.

  “What’s up?” I asked him.

  “She will be back nigga. Maybe she was going through something,” Dez said.

  “Yeah, I feel you. Same shit Kyree said. I’ll get up with you later,” I said getting into my truck. I stopped by the liquor store to grab a half-gallon of Henny and some cigarillos. I went home instead of my parents’ house. I didn’t feel like taking that drive.