Animal

by Foye, K'wan

  Ashanti cursed as Holiday went down, not because of his bullet but because of the trash he had slipped on that helped him to avoid it. He was about to try for another shot when a bullet ricocheted off the fence a few inches from his face. Ashanti peered down the block and saw a man rushing toward him, blazing two guns.

  Ashanti dove out of the way and landed on the ground behind a car and a few inches away from where Holiday lay. “I see you brought some friends to the party,” he said to Holiday. “Don’t matter, though. After I take care of captain save-a-ho, I’m gonna smoke your ass.” He shot Holiday in his good leg. “Try not to rush off while I’m taking care of this.” Ashanti disappeared around the other side of the car.

  Staying as low as he could, he crept alongside of the car trying to get the drop on his opponent. He peered through the window of the car he was hiding beside and didn’t see anything, but he knew the man was out there; he could feel him stalking him. Ashanti heard a crunch of gravel, which gave him an idea where the man was so he popped up and fired at the sound. Six cars down a windshield shattered and drove the man from his hiding place. Ashanti tried to gun the man down while he was exposed, but just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared. He was fast, almost too fast. Ashanti moved to get into better position and immediately found himself dodging bullets. He scurried under a car on the opposite side of the street and came up blasting from the other side of it.

  They went on like this for almost five minutes, exchanging fire but neither man hitting his target. Ashanti was getting low on bullets and frustrated. He knew if he kept it up at that rate he’d be in jail when the police finally showed up—if he didn’t get blasted first. He needed to end it now and get ghost. The man on the other side of the street must’ve been thinking the same thing because they both popped out of their hiding places at the same time, guns drawn. There was a tense silence as the two killers sized each other up from opposite sides of the street. They gave each other a respectful nod before the shooting started again.

  Ashanti and the man leapfrogged between cars, exchanging fire and closing the distance until a single car was the only thing that separated them. Ashanti sat with his back against the car and his gun clutched to his chest. On the other side of the car he could hear the man’s labored breathing. He had to respect the man’s skill because most wouldn’t have lasted that long against him, but respect aside, they both knew that there was only one way to end this. They came up at the same time, aimed, and pulled the trigger—but all three guns clicked empty.

  Before Ashanti could figure out his next move, the man leaped over the car and was on him. He and Ashanti both went spilling to the ground in a mess of flailing fists and feet. Ashanti was a good brawler, but the man was heavier than he and had him at a disadvantage. He wrestled Ashanti to the ground and climbed on top of him, pinning his arms at his side with his knees. Ashanti saw the man produce a hatchet from somewhere and raise it to finish him off. He thought of all the things that he had done and all the things he would never do. He thought of Fatima and how she would take him dying on her before they really got a chance to know each other.

  The cleaver made a whistling sound as it cut through the air en route to Ashanti’s neck. Rays from the lone streetlight on the block kissed off the blade and for the first time Ashanti saw the face of his attacker. “Animal?” he blurted out in shock, just before the cleaver made contact.

  Animal knelt on the cold ground, resting on his knuckles and breathing like he had just run a marathon. His adrenaline had him so pumped that his head hurt and felt like he would pass out if he tried to stand up too quickly. Next to him on the ground was the bent hatchet. At the last minute, he had been able to redirect his strike and hit the ground instead of the soft flesh of Ashanti’s neck. Even now, Ashanti sat against a car a few feet away from Animal with the look of a terrified child on his face. He knew better than anyone how close he had come to meeting his Maker.

  “You could’ve killed me,” Ashanti said, breaking the silence.

  “I was trying to.” Animal stood up. He walked over and extended his hand to Ashanti to help him up. Ashanti was hesitant at first, but he allowed Animal to lift him. The two just stood there for what felt like a lifetime, staring and trying to figure out what to say.

  Without warning, Ashanti hugged Animal. “Tell me it’s really you. Tell me this ain’t some fucked-up dream and that my best friend is really alive and standing here with me,” he rambled.

  “Yeah, little one. It’s really me.” Animal returned Ashanti’s hug.

  Suddenly, Ashanti pushed Animal away and took a defensive boxing stance. “Good, because I owe you an ass whipping. How the fuck could you just disappear like that and let everybody write you off for dead?”

  “It’s a long story, Ashanti, one that we ain’t got time to go over right now. Police will be here any minute, and I got some unfinished business to wrap up. Where’s Holiday?”

  “Probably still lying on the sidewalk bleeding where I left him.” He pointed to the spot where Holiday had been, and the only thing left was a bloody smear leading around the corner. “Where the fuck did he go?”

  “Escaped . . . again,” Animal said in a defeated tone.

  “With one bum leg and the other one shot to hell, I doubt he got very far. If we hurry we can catch him.” Ashanti started for the corner. He had made it a few feet before he realized that Animal wasn’t following him. “C’mon, my nigga. Let’s go finish this fag.”

  “He’s gone, li’l one. The only thing we’re gonna get if we go around there after him is locked up. Holiday will keep for another day,” Animal told him.

  “That’s the second time in less than a week that slimy muthafucka has slipped through my fingers. The next time I see him, that’s on the hood, I’m gonna body him,” Ashanti declared.

  “Nah, that life is spoken for,” Animal patted his Pretty Bitches. “When his blood runs, it’ll be me who turns on the faucet. I owe him for what he did to Gucci.”

  “Say no more, big homie,” Ashanti conceded. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s deal with the elephant in the room; where the fuck you been?”

  Before Animal could answer, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Only one person had that number so he didn’t have to look at the caller ID to see who it was. “What up?” Animal’s face immediately turned as white as a ghost as he listened to the caller chatter away. “Say no more, I’ll be right there.” He ended the call. Without saying anything he turned and started walking up the street to where he had stashed his rental car.

  “Where you going?” Ashanti went after him. He caught up with Animal just as he was getting in the rental car. “I got a million and one questions that I need answered, and I ain’t gonna give you the chance to vanish again before you do.”

  Animal sighed. “Since it’s obvious that you’re not going to let this go, get in and I’ll tell you on the way.”

  Ashanti hopped in the passenger seat. “Where we going?”

  “To the hospital,” Animal told him and fired the engine.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  ANIMAL SCREECHED TO A HALT IN FRONT of Harlem Hospital and illegally parked the car in a bus lane. He was sure to have a ticket waiting for him when he came out, but the threat of one hundred tickets couldn’t keep him from this moment. He had wasted enough time already.

  He hopped out of the car with Ashanti on his heels, still firing questions about his disappearance. Animal had already given him the short version of what had happened, but Ashanti wanted him to fill in the blanks. They passed through the lobby, and the security guard who Ashanti had beefed with before was on duty again. He stood up like he wanted to say something, but the look on Animal’s face told him to hold his tongue. Ashanti gave him a mocking smirk as he followed Animal into the elevator.

  The elevator seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace getting them to their desired floor. Animal was visibly nervous, and he kept rubbing his sweaty hands on his pants. Ashanti was say
ing something to him, but Animal’s mind was a million miles away. Before the elevator doors could fully open, Animal squeezed through them. Ashanti opened his mouth to give him directions, but Animal knew the way by heart. At the end of the hall he spotted Ms. Ronnie and Tionna standing outside Gucci’s hospital room door. Ms. Ronnie seemed upset, and Tionna was rubbing her back trying to console her. Dread filled his heart as he feared he might be too late . . . again.

  When Tionna spotted Animal and Ashanti coming down the hallway, she told Ms. Ronnie she’d be right back and walked to meet them. Tionna’s hair was a hot mess, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days. He stopped short, waiting for her to say something . . . He needed her to say something. When Animal saw the tears in her eyes he feared the worst. He felt his eyes moisten and prepared for the devastating blow that he knew was coming. To his surprise and relief, Tionna threw her arms around him and squealed joyfully.

  “She’s awake,” she whispered in his ear.

  The two words were the sweetest Animal had ever heard. Unable to contain his elation, he scooped Tionna in his arms and spun her around and around, laughing like he had just won the lotto and crying tears of joy. When Ashanti found out the good news, he joined them, and the three of them danced and shouted through the hospital hallway. They were making so much of a racket that they drew the attention of several nurses as well as the attending physician who had been in Gucci’s room.

  “Would somebody please tell me what all the noise is out here?” Doctor O’Hara stormed into the hallway. She was a fiery redhead who appeared to be in her early forties with pale green eyes and freckles on her cheeks.

  “Sorry, Dr. O’Hara. Everybody is just a little excited about the good news.” Ms. Ronnie apologized and cut her eyes at Tionna and the others.

  “I’m all for a little excitement, but this is still a hospital, so please respect the other people being treated here or I’m going to have to ask you all to leave. Are we clear?” Dr. O’Hara looked at the hugging trio.

  “Yes,” all three of them answered at once.

  “Good,” the doctor said frowning. She turned to Ms. Ronnie and gave her a playful wink, letting her know that she wasn’t as mad as she pretended to be. “Now, back to the patient.”

  “Yes, yes, how is she?” Ms. Ronnie asked excitedly. Without being invited, Animal, Tionna, and Ashanti huddled around to hear the update.

  Dr. O’Hara paused, but Ms. Ronnie nodded that it was okay to speak in front of them. “As we were saying earlier, the worst is over, and Gucci is officially out of the woods. The worst of her physical wounds healed while she was in the coma, and the graft we did on her stomach from the original gunshot seems to be taking.”

  “Will it leave a scar?” Tionna asked, drawing a funny look from the doctor.

  “More than likely, but I think a little scar is a small price to pay for her life, don’t you?” Dr. O’Hara asked sarcastically. Without waiting for Tionna to answer she went back to addressing Ms. Ronnie. “All the tests we ran after her stroke came back positive, so there are no signs of long-term neurological damage, but she’s going to need a few weeks of therapy to get her motor skills readjusted. Once we get her rolling with that, we’ll be able to better judge how close to her old self she’ll get back to, but I think she’ll be okay.”

  “Praise the Lord,” Ms. Ronnie cupped Dr. O’Hara’s hand in hers. “Thank you so much for bringing my baby back to me.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank your daughter. I can admit now that it didn’t look good in the beginning, but that little girl fought like hell for her life every step of the way. She refused to let go.”

  “I guess God felt like there was still work here for Gucci to do.” Ms. Ronnie looked over at Animal who was wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands.

  Dr. O’Hara glanced at Animal, then turned back to Ms. Ronnie and smiled. “That sounds like an accurate prognosis. There is nothing in this life stronger than the human will. Ms. Ronnie, you can go in and sit with your daughter for a few minutes, but you can’t stay long. She needs to rest.”

  “Thank you,” Ms. Ronnie told her and went into the room.

  “Can I see her?” Animal asked the doctor.

  Dr. O’Hara was about to give him the speech about only allowing immediate family into the room, but she took one look at the pleading in his eyes and couldn’t bring herself to do it to him. She knew a bleeding heart when she saw one. “Listen, I’ll give you five minutes. The nurses will be coming in soon to give Gucci her medication, and if they catch all you guys in her room, I have no idea how you got in, understand?”

  Animal nodded. “Fair enough.” He started toward the room, but the doctor’s voice stopped him short.

  “Second chances are hard to come by and should be appreciated. I’m sure you and the rest of Gucci’s family will see that she makes the best out of the second chance she’s been given, right?”

  Animal flashed his gold and diamond smile. “That bet is sure money all day, Doc.”

  Animal stepped into the room as quietly as he could for fear of disturbing Gucci, but found her having a conversation with her mother, who was at her bedside brushing her hair. He stood around the bend of the room to watch Gucci for a few moments before he would make himself known. Ms. Ronnie said something to Gucci while putting her hair in a ponytail, which made her smile. It was the first time Animal had seen Gucci smile in years, and the sight of it choked him up. For so many years he had to get by from day to day on just the memory of her smile, but here he was seeing it live and in the flesh. It was a moment that he never thought would come, and now that it was at hand, he wasn’t sure what to do with it.

  Gucci noticed her mother staring at something just beyond her line of vision. “Who is it, Mama?” she asked in a groggy voice.

  “Maybe it’s best he tell you himself.” Ms. Ronnie motioned for Animal to approach.

  Slowly, Animal stepped from his hiding place. The overhead light stung Gucci’s eyes, making it hard for her to see at first. The closer Animal got, the more of his features she was able to make out. The flowing hair, the smooth dark skin, they stirred memories deep within Gucci’s still-clouded mind. When she saw the glint of gold and diamonds behind his bowed lips, she broke down into tears.

  “What’s the matter, baby?” Ms. Ronnie asked.

  “They lied to me,” Gucci sobbed. “The doctors told me that I would be okay, but they lied.”

  “They didn’t lie to you, Gucci. You’re gonna make a full recovery,” Ms. Ronnie assured her.

  Gucci looked up at Animal who was now standing directly over her. “That can’t be true, Mama. I’m dying. If I wasn’t dying, then I wouldn’t be able to see no ghosts.”

  Animal took Gucci’s hand in his and placed it on the side of his face. Her hand was dry and coarse against his skin, but in his mind, it felt like the softest silk. “No, I’m not ghost.”

  Gucci shook her head from side to side in disbelief as the tears flowed feely down her face. She had craved his touch for so long that it didn’t feel real; it couldn’t be. It had been years since they had last seen each other, but Gucci would know her soul mate anywhere. “It can’t be.” She placed her hand over her mouth to try to stop from hyperventilating.

  “But it is.” Animal kissed her fingertips.

  “You know, if I wasn’t so doped up to lift my arms, I’d take your life for running out on me like that,” Gucci said half-jokingly.

  “And my life would be yours for the taking if it would ease the pain I inflicted on your heart, Gucci. If I could’ve done it differently . . .”

  “You didn’t, so no need to dwell on what-ifs when there are so many what-nows,” she said weakly. You could see the fatigue riding her, but she wouldn’t give in to it until she had fully spoken her piece. “They all told me you died, but I never believed them. I knew there was no way you could’ve passed from this life without my heart telling me so. We might not have been married, but we exchanged vows, remember?”r />
  “Yes, I remember. In this life or the next, we will always be together,” he assured her.

  “So have you come to throw yourself at my mercy and beg forgiveness for breaking your promise, Tayshawn?”

  Animal said, “You’re my rib and know me better than my closest comrades, so I know that you know my name and mercy don’t belong in the same sentence. What I will offer you are my apologies and my word that I will never leave your side again.”

  Gucci closed her eyes and turned her face from him. “There was a time when those pretty words of yours would’ve been taken as the gospel, but after all that’s happened . . . I dunno. My head is all screwed up right now.”

  Animal turned her to face him and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “Then don’t think with your head; think with your heart. I’m not asking you to forgive me, Gucci. All I want is a chance to right some of the wrongs I’ve done.”

  “But what if—”

  Animal placed a finger over her lips. “No more what-ifs, remember? All we need to focus on is what will be. We’ve been given a second chance at love, so let’s run with it.”

  Gucci’s face suddenly took on a worried expression. “Speaking of running, the last time I checked you were a fugitive before you died. Won’t your sudden resurrection put you back on the most wanted list?”

  “Probably,” Animal admitted sadly.

  “I won’t lose you again, Animal, I won’t! Look, I’ve still got the money you left me. We can leave here together, just you and me, and we don’t have to ever come back.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me, but not now. You’ve got to get better, and I’ve got some unfinished business in the city.”