by Kia
“I guess so,” I said as I leaned my head down and kissed my sister.
“Pernel went home today,” she said.
“I know.”
“Can I be honest?” the doctor asked.
I sat down. “Yeah.”
“Your sister isn’t going to make it.”
“You said the same thing about Nel.”
“I know but… look… the bullets hit every organ in her body. The only thing that’s keeping her breathing is the machine. Like I told your cousin, Divine, please start making arrangements.”
“I can’t give up on her,” I said as a single tear fell. “It’s too much shit I gotta tell her. She can’t go like this,” I said.
The doctor came over and sat beside me. “She can hear everything you’re saying right now. I promise. She just can’t respond. While she has breath, let her know how you feel. I will leave you two alone.”
I stood up and walked over to the bed. Nyssa still looked horrible from the way Bishop had cut her hair bald. Her chest went up and down as the machine pumped life into her. I grabbed her hand as tears fell.
“This is so weird, sis. I never thought I would be saying my goodbyes to you. We both made mistakes and said some shit that we didn’t mean, but you know I didn’t want this. God knows. Well, to my knowledge, PJ is still alive. Divine and Malina are doing what they can to come up with the money. I’m sure divine will get him back. I honestly believe that deep down in my heart. Remember when Dad let us get our nails done for the first time? Your nails came out prettier, so you got them trimmed shorter than mine so everyone would notice mine instead of yours? Remember when I got my abortion? You cried with me all day and held my hand. We had bad times, but our good times outweighed it. Remember when you first had PJ? You wouldn’t even push him out until I made it to the hospital,” I said as I laughed and cried at the same time.
“Remember how ma used to cook me waffles every morning? With the whip cream and cherries? After she died, you used to wake me up with the same breakfast every morning until the day we moved out on our own. I never told you thank you. I never told you how much I appreciated you. All I did was tell you what you did wrong. Why did I do that, Nyssa? I lost my way. I can say that now. I lost my way. It took me ’til now to realize that all you wanted was the best for me. Well you know what, sis? I hear you. From here on out, I will be a better woman for you. I make a vow to be who you always wanted me to be; a strong woman like you were. Why you didn’t tell me what was going on with Bishop, Nyssa? You know I woulda helped. But you decided to deal with it alone. I heard them niggas raped you, and you said nothing. Nothing at all. Why? Why, sis?” I broke down.
“You ready?” the doctor asked as two more doctors walked in behind her.
I shook my head yes.
“You sure?” the other doctor asked.
“Wait, let me call Percy,” I said. I knew he would want to be here. He didn’t answer. I had to call more than twenty times. “Let me call my cousins,” I said. The phone began to ring. Divine answered.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said.
“It’s time,” I said.
“What? No!” Divine yelled.
“It has to be today. They said she ain’t gonna make it.”
“Malina! Get in here,” Divine said. “They’re about to pull the plug.”
“Y’all can’t wait? We can catch a flight and be there in three hours,” Divine said.
“You sure?” I asked, looking at the doctors, who nodded their heads, indicating that they could wait .
“Yeah.”
“Okay, hurry up,” I said before hanging up.
“We will come in here later.”
“Okay,” I said.
How come Nel couldn’t die like my sister was about to? I would never understand.
Four hours later…
“Y’all ready now?” the doctor asked after Divine and Malina had finished saying their goodbyes.
“Yes,” I said.
“Okay, let me get the other doctors and our watch so we can call the time.” She walked away.
“Nyssa, I swear to God I ain’t tripping about AJ. I’m still going to treat PJ like he’s mine. He ain’t gonna want for nothing,” Divine said, squeezing her hand. There wasn’t a dry eye on the room.
“I love you,” Malina said as she leaned down to kiss Nyssa for the last time.
Percy still hadn’t answered the phone.
I looked up and the doctors came in. They all stood around as one doctor unhooked all of the machines. We all watched as Nyssa’s chest finally stopped moving and she flat lined.
“Call it,” the doctor said.
Another doctor looked at her watch and called the time of death.
Just as they called her death, Percy came running into the room. No one had to say a thing for him to realize what had just happened. He backed against the wall and slid down. His face was in his palms as he cried.
“I wanna talk to you,” Divine said as she and Malina grabbed me by the hand.
“Percy,” I said as I walked past him and stood at the door.
He didn’t reply.
“Come on,” Malina said.
“Give him time,” Divine said, grabbing my hand.
I turned around and looked at Nyssa one last time. I said something that I barely said to her when she was alive.
“I love you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Milo
“You have a kid?” I asked Bishop as he unloaded the little cute boy out of the car. He looked just like him.
“Nah, this my nephew,” he said, picking the little boy up and putting him in a stroller.
The sky was pure blue. Everyone was smiling and eating, and it was nothing but positive vibes. My type of day.
“Where is his dad?”
“His dad is in prison, so he with me now until his mom gets out of the hospital.”
“Damn, what happened? If you don’t mind me asking,” I said as we walked across the street so I could cop me a swim suit.
“Nah, I don’t mind. She was shot by her ex-boyfriend. Some psycho ass nigga who thought he was the dad got mad and shot her when he found out he wasn’t.”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Yeah. Have you eaten today?” he asked.
Lawd, he was so fine. Them hazel eyes were just glistening in the sunlight. His mocha skin shimmered along with them. Not to mention he had perfect white teeth, with a smile to kill for.
“Nah, why? You wanna eat first?” I asked him as he held the door open for me to a Chinese buffet.
“Yeah, PJ ain’t ate nothing since two hours ago. He keeps eating on his hands, so I think he’s hungry.”
“Cool. We can do that.”
We grabbed our plates and walked over to find a seat. He put the stroller under the table and picked the little boy up.
“Honestly, though, you sure you wanna court a stripper?” I asked with laughter.
He didn’t laugh. “Why is that funny?” he asked.
“Because most men find that hard to do.”
“I’m Bishop. Everything cool.”
“Already. You’re not much of a jokester, are you?”
“I am. Just felt like it was no need to bring up the fact that you’re a stripper. What, you insecure or some shit?”
“No, I just—”
“I’ght then. Don’t bring it up no more.”
“Well…”
“Hold him real quick, I need to make a phone call,” he said, pushing the little boy into my arms.
As he walked away and picked up his phone, the little boy hugged me so tight that it made my heart warm. I almost died when he pecked my cheek. He was so sweet. I just wanted to take him home.
“Ay, can you take him home? I gotta handle some business,” Bishop said as he rushed back in.
“But… I mean… we don’t really know—”
“Man, just do this for me. Take him home with you. I got you later,” he said, j
ogging away to the front door.
“Bishop!” I yelled after him.
“Don’t forget to feed him. I’ma call you later!” He sprinted to his car and burnt off.
“Well, lil’ fella. It’s you and me,” I said as I fixed our food. This made me wonder because Bishop didn’t even know me like that. But then again, the mother was fighting for her life and the dad was locked up, so he probably had no choice. He was riding in a Porsche, so he had to be hustling. I wasn’t tripping though. I liked Bishop for some reason. He seemed like the take charge type.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I turned around to see who it was, and it was Shyro.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He walked up to me. “You have a kid now?”
I rolled my eyes. “You know damn well I ain’t got no kid.”
“So who baby is this? That nigga that just drove off in the Porsche?”
“None of your business,” I said as PJ started to laugh uncontrollably. He seemed like such a happy baby.
“So why you been avoiding me?” Shyro asked, pulling his nappy ass dreads to the back.
I shook my head and took a seat at the table. How did I ever give him a chance? Had to be the money. He looked like the rapper Chief Keef, but a bit older. Just black as hell with crusty ass lips and long dreads.
“Shyro, I’m busy,” I lied.
“Doing what? Playing mama?”
“You know this is violating your restraining order, right?”
“But I’m here eating. I didn’t even know you would be here.”
“Right. Sure you didn’t.”
He laughed and stood up. “It’s cool. I’ma see you later. You can bet that,” he said as he walked off while nodding his head.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Chapter Seventeen
Divine
“So now y’all want me to come with y’all? I don’t need no pity from nobody,” Neiman bitched as she packed her bags at the apartment. She called herself about to move and be on her own because she was tired of living off of me. That’s what she said.
“But you ain’t got no money or no job,” Malina said.
“I’ll get by.”
“How?” I asked.
“I will.” A tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it.
“Neiman, just shut the fuck up and come on. We don’t have all day. Malina already booked our flights.”
“We gotta get you to Miami and then we have to drive to Cali. Bitch, if you don’t stop with the pity party and come on. We all miss Nyssa! All of us! But PJ still needs us, Neiman!” Malina yelled before she slammed the door and walked down to our rental.
“If you coming, come on. If not, good luck on everything,” I said as I walked out and went to the Impala that we rented from DFW airport.
“I don’t have the time for this shit,” Malina said. “Is she coming or no?”
“Yeah. Just give her time.”
“Shit, how much?”
“There she goes right there.” I pointed as Neiman pouted her way to the car.
“Where are the rest your clothes?” Malina asked. I turned around and saw that she didn’t have everything that she packed.
“I was hoping y’all could buy me some clothes like y’all got when we got to Miami. If not, I’ll have Glory buy me some.”
“Whatever,” I said as Malina backed the car up.
“Yeah, that nigga gonna have to.”
“Fuck you,” Neiman said as she put her seat belt on.
I looked at her through the rear view and shook my head.
“Neiman, I wanted to take this time to talk to you,” I said as I turned around and gave her my full attention.
“Okay. Go.”
“I’ma keep it real with you. Malina and I are out here getting money, and we don’t need you fucking it up. First off, don’t be running your big ass mouth telling anybody where you are. If anyone ask, you’re in Los Angeles. Secondly, you need to get a job out there or something. I don’t feel comfortable taking care of you no more,” I said as I searched her face for a reaction.
“That’s what I wanna talk to you about.”
“What?” Malina asked with a screwed look on her face. “You ain’t ’bout to get money with us. Get it somewhere else.”
“Come on, y’all. Why not?”
“Because, I don’t trust your judgment,” I said.
“But I can prove myself.”
“Tuh. Bitch, how?” Malina laughed.
“I can show you better than I can tell you. Fuck it, let me go to Cali with y’all,” Neiman said.
Malina looked at me. “I don’t know about that. Chola crazy ass might kill her.”
“Nah, let me worry ’bout Chola,” I said as I let my seat back. “You get one chance. And one chance only.”
Chapter Eighteen
Milo
“So this where you live?” Bishop asked as he walked into my place looking good. He looked around and nodded his head to show that he approved.
After he was done with whatever he had to handle, I gave him my address and he was here shortly after. But it took him until night time to get done with whatever he had to do.
“Yes, and don’t get in here talking loud. PJ is sleeping.” I shut the door and led him to my room. Pinky was gone with Glory, so I had the place to myself.
“So who live here with you?” he asked.
“My friend, Pinky. But she gone right now with her nigga.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked, shutting my door behind him.
It was dark in my room, but my TV was on. I loved it because if I looked out my window, there was a clear view of the beach. It was always relaxing to me.
“Yeah,” I said as I laid back down on the side of PJ. Bishop sat at the end of the bed and lit a blunt. “Excuse you?”
“What?”
“You can’t smoke with a kid right here.”
“Man, that lil’ nigga straight,” he said in a dismissive tone as he lit his blunt anyway.
“Damn shame. I’ll be back,” I said as I went to get my keys.
“Where you going?” he asked.
“To the store.”
“Here I come.”
We started to walk to the door before I realized that we were missing something. “Bishop!”
“What?”
“Get PJ. Get PJ, damn! The fuck wrong with you, dude?”
“Go get him. I’ll be waiting in my car.”
“What’s going on?” I asked myself as I walked back into my room to pick up PJ.
Spending time with him today, I learned that all he liked to eat was carrots. Give him carrots and apple juice, and he would be quiet as a mouse. His mother was so lucky. He didn’t give me a hard time at all. He was actually a joy to be around.
“Muah.” He gave me a kiss as he went back to sleep on my shoulder. I locked the door and headed to the car.
“What store you going to?” he asked.
“I need to get some more apple juice for PJ. I ran out.”
“Bet. And I need to get some condoms,” he said as we sped off.
“Condoms? For who?” I asked, looking at all the college kids all drunk on the strip.
“Play crazy.”
“I ain’t fucking you,” I said as I blushed.
“I know. ’Cause I’m fucking you. You on birth control?” he asked.
“Nah, why?”
“Because if you were, I was about to be like fuck them condoms and raw dawg.”
“No the hell you wasn’t.”
“I’m not now.”
I tuned him out when I turned around and saw that Shyro was following us. “Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.
“What?” he asked, looking over at me.
PJ was still asleep in my arms. I just couldn’t put him down.
“My crazy ass ex is following us.”
“In the black Cadillac?” he asked, still looking unbothered.
; “Yes.”
“Bet. Let me make a quick detour,” he said as he turned down a street that led to a dead end.
I just shook my head. “He’s not gonna stop.”
“I know. I got something for that ass,” he said while grinning.
I released a frustrated sigh. I didn’t have the time to watch two grown men fight. I hated that Shyro always put me in these predicaments.
When we finally got a few miles down the road, Bishop parked and turned the car off. Good thing no houses were around because we all would be going to jail.
“So, this is why you can’t answer the phone?” Shyro asked as he hopped out the car.
“Yo, my mans, talk to me. Not her.”
“Fuck that! I’m ’bout to kill her ass!” Shyro yelled.
I locked all the doors and cradled PJ.
“Bishop, let’s just go! He’s crazy!” I yelled in fear of what Shyro was about to do.
“Let’s talk like men,” Bishop said, leading Shyro further and further away from the car.
“Yeah, let’s talk about you leaving my girl the fuck alone,” Shyro said as he followed Bishop.
I looked down at PJ and held him tight. It was dark and I had a stalker ex right in my mix. I closed my eyes to say a prayer.
“Lord, I come to you humb—”
Pop!
“Ahhhhhh,” PJ began to cry.
“What the fuck?” I yelled as I looked up and saw that Shyro was laid out with Bishop standing over him holding a gun.
“Shut that mothafucka up!” Bishop yelled at me.
“Shhhh. It’s okay, PJ. It’s okay.”
Bishop fired three more shots into Shyro.
“Bishop, let’s go!” I yelled.
With a sinister look, he walked over to my side, opened the door, threw PJ in the back seat and pulled me out by my hair.
“What the fuck? Get off me!” I yelled when I realized that he was indeed about to kill me too.
“Look at him,” he said calmly as he yanked my head to look down at Shyro.
“What? For what?” I yelled with tears of fear running down my face. Was this a set up?
“You ain’t eva gotta worry ’bout that nigga no more.”