by LadyJ
“Ro, you are my world. You’re my only child. The only thig that I am concerned with is your wellbeing. I don’t need a man in my life to make me happy. What do I need a man for huh? So he can get on my last nerves?” She laughed lightly while brushing her daughter’s hair back away from her face then placed a soft kiss on her right cheek. “What makes me happy is being your mother and being here for you. That night this happened to you, I was out on a date. When I left you girls alone that night I asked you not to go anywhere but I knew your lil butt was going to do it anyway. I’ve beaten myself up for years now over it. If I’d stayed home and looked after you like I should have been doing instead of on a freaking date with a man, this wouldn’t have happened to you. This is all my fault.” Her mother broke down in to tears.
Roshel lifted her hand and wiped her mother’s tears away. “This is not your fault. This was just my destiny.”
Eight
“Carmen!” Yelled Monisha from bedroom.
“Yeahhh!” Carmen hollered back from her bathroom where she was busy applying her make up.
“Get in here and help me get Ro in this dress.” Moe replied.
Carmen stopped what she was doing, and hauled off to her bedroom where Moe and Roshel were. “First, Ima need you to put the blunt out with yo Smokey the bear face ass.” She joked with Ro who was sitting in her chair puffing on a fat dubbie.
“I know right.” Moe jumped in.
“Man, y’all know I be needing my meds.” Ro said giggling to herself. She was feeling damn good and it was all because of her friends.
“Well, in that case yo ass should’ve been OD’d by now as much as you take your meds.” Carmen said walking over to assist Moe. “Is this what you’re wearing?” She asked Roshel hold up the red sparkling BCBG mini dress. “Oohhh, girl, this is hot. Mama bought this didn’t she? That lady know she got style.”
“Yep, she bought it for my birthday last year.” Roshel replied still toking on her blunt. “You talking about my dress, look at you.” Carmen laid the dress back down on the bed and twirled around on her bare feet. She smiled from ear to ear showing off the black, lace, Nasty Gal dress. “Isn’t it cute? Trent got it for me the other day. He picked it out his self.” She said proudly.
Moe slightly rolled her eyes at the mentioning of Trent’s name. “Ro, will you put the bud out so we can get you ready.” Moe had stopped in the middle of doing her hair to make sure Roshel was dressed and her hair was on point. She took the blunt out of Roshel’s mouth just as she tried to sneak in one last puff. She took one long pull of the blunt before she put it out in the ashtray. “Hold your arms up.” She instructed Ro. She pulled her t-shirt up over her head while Carmen kneeled down and slid Ro’s shorts off. Moe took the red dress off of the hanger, put it over Ro’s head, and pulled it half way down. Carmen lifted Ro up just enough so that Moe could pull her dress over her thighs and knees. “How do you want your hair styled?” She asked Ro while taking her long thick hair out of the messy ponytail and letting it fall down her back.
“Just put it up in a bun please.” Roshel said. “Where are we going anyway?” She asked.
“King of Diamonds.” Carmen said walking out of her closet holding two pairs of flats in her hands. “Which pair?” She asked Roshel holding them both up for her to choose from. “The black ones or the gold ones?”
“Black.” Roshel chose. “Why we gotta go to KOD? I hate that damn club. It’s always too damn packed, and I can never get my wheelchair through all those people.” Ro whined.
“We know you do. That’s why we’re going in through the back door entrance and heading straight to the V.I.P.” Carmen said while putting the black flats on Ro’s feet.
“Yeah, you know how we do.” Moe chimed in leaning over Ro’s shoulder and slapping Carmen a high five.
“So it’s just us or are the guys going to be there?” Roshel continued on with her questions about their night ahead.
“The guys are going to meet us down there.” Carmen ran off to the bathroom and retrieved her make up bag. She came running back in all excited. “Now, just a little bit of make-up, then you’ll be all ready to go.” She said stepping towards Roshel with the big bag of colorful eyeshadows and lipsticks.
“Oh no, Carmen what the hell you think you’re about to do with all that war paint?” She asked referring to the bag of make up in her hands. Roshel never wore make up. She was more on the tom boy side growing up.
“Come on Ro, just a little eyeshadow, some mascara, and a little lipstick is all you need.” She opened up the bag and pulled out her shimmery gold Mac eyeshadow and applied it over Roshel’s eyelids, then applied the mascara. Lastly, she pulled out the ruby red lipstick and put it on her lips. “See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Carmen asked after she was done.
“Moe, are you done with my hair so I can see what the hell this girl done to me?”
“Just about.” Moe said sticking the last bobby pin in its place. “There, all done.”
Roshel took off in the wheelchair to look at herself in the mirror. She was amazed at how the eye make-up made her eyes pop. She smiled at how pretty she looked as she reached up and gently touched her face. It had been a while since Roshel had been out to a night club. After her accident she was scared from hanging out on the night scene, but Moe convinced her that getting out on the town would do her some good.
“You look beautiful chick.” Carmen said.
“Thanks, C. I appreciate it.” Roshel replied with a smile.
“Alright, alright y’all. We gotta get out of here. It’s getting late, and Meek’s ass is blowing up my phone.” Moe said.
“Wait!” Carmen pulled her cell phone out of her clutch bag and turned on the camera. “I have to get a picture before we leave.” She said while they were all standing in the mirror. “Say cheese.”
“Say cheese? What are we? Five?”
“Just smile Ro.” Carmen snapped the pic and put her phone away.
At club KOD they entered through the back door. Moe handed one of Meeks club connects a hundred dollar bill for allowing them to use the back entrance. He led them right up to the VIP section. On the sign just behind the velvet red rope read, Reserved. Behind the ropes Meek and Trent was lounging back on the blue leather sofa. Moe instantly became elated when she laid eyes on her man. She sprinted up to the section and jumped into his arms. She wasted no time sticking her tongue down his throat. “Damn you looking good daddy.” She winked her eye playfully.
“You do too love.” He pulled her in and kissed her again.
Meek got up off of the sofa to help pull Roshel’s wheelchair up into the VIP. He rolled her over to the table then walked around and faced her. “You good right here, lil sis?” He asked checking to make sure Roshel was comfortable.
“Yeah, I’m good big bro. Thanks.” Roshel replied.
Meek walked over to the table and fixed the ladies something to drink while Carmen found her way to the sofa and took a seat in Trent’s lap. Meek walked back over to where everyone was sitting and handed the women their cups. “Here we are, ladies.” He said like the gentleman he was. He made his way back around to his side of the sofa and sat next to Moe.
“Goddamn baby, you looking good enough to eat.” Meek whispered in Moe’s ear as he rubbed his hand up her thigh. She was wearing the hell out of the skin tight Leopard print cat suit that gripped every curve of her petite body. She stood and held her hand out for him to take. Moe lead Meek out to the middle of the VIP section and slowly started to gyrate her hips and ass on him. He placed his hands on her hips and tried to keep up.
Roshel set her drink down on the table in front of her and tried to straighten herself up a little bit when she saw Nino approaching their section. Damn, damn, damn! She thought, his ass is still fine as hell. She watched him as he spoke to his brother and Moe. She quickly caught an attitude when she saw him introduce the white chick standing closely behind him. Who the fuck is that? I know this nigga didn’t come up in here with
no damn white bitch.
“Yo, what up girl.” Nino stopped at the table and gave Roshel a hug. “How have you been?” He asked.
“Hey Nino,” she forced a smile. “I’ve been doing great.”
Roshel lied; she was miserable, and seeing him with another women wasn’t making it any better. Back in the day, Roshel and Nino tried to date for a while after the shooting, but only two mouths into their relationship he decided that being with a girl with a disability was too much for him to handle and broke things off. She didn’t hate Nino nor did she hold any grudges against him, she just wished he would’ve given her a real chance. She let her ill feelings go, picked up her drink from the table, and tossed it back.
In the corner of the section Trent and Carmen seemed all in love with the way they were intertwined with each other on the sofa. They appeared to be the happiest couple in the room with all the laughing Carmen was doing. “I got to go to the restroom boo. I’ll be right back.” Carmen got up form Trent’s lap. She walked over to Roshel and spun her around in her wheelchair as is they were slow dancing.
“You want another drink?” Carmen asked and Ro shook her head yes. She reached over and grabbed the bottle of CROC from the table and refilled Roshel’s cup. The enjoyed each other as Carmen teased Roshel with a lap dance as if she was one of the strippers in the club.
“Bands will make her dance, bands will make her dance.” Roshel repeated the words of the song blasting through the club as Carmen bounced her big butt on her lap. This was the best time Roshel had had in a very long time; that would soon be short lived once Trent came barging back into the VIP in a hurry.
He ran right up to Meek and pulled him aside. Meek turned and waved Nino over then all three men rushed out of the section. Carmen peeped it and hopped up from Roshel’s lap and ran over to Moe. “Moe, what’s going on?” She questioned about the guy quick disappearance.
“I don’t know, but I’m about to go find out.” Moe said making her way down the steps.
“Wait up!” Carmen yelled. “Ro, we’ll be right back.” She told Roshel then shot down the steps after Moe.
“Oh, goody. Just leave me here with Becky over there.” Roshel cut her eye over at the white girl sitting in the corner booth just in time to see her getting up and heading her way. “Now here she go.” She mumbled underneath her breath.
“Excuse me.” The women leaned over to see eye to eye with Roshel. “Do you know where Nino ran off to?” She asked in her deep British accent.
Where the hell did this nigga find her at? She wondered how Nino pulled the beautiful British bombshell. “I have no clue.” Roshel answered. “So, what’s your name and how did you and Nino meet?” She patted on the sofa next to her for the girl to have a seat.
“My name is Samantha,” she said upon taking her seat. “Nino and I met at Purdy Lounge one night while I was bartending.” Her response was short but accurate. Before Carmen had a chance to ask her anymore questions, she spotted the crew rushing back to the VIP section. “There they are.” She stood from her seat and waited on them to arrive.
Meek, Moe and Nino were the only three out of the five to return. Roshel and Samantha looked at them confused because when they returned Nino’s knuckles where bleeding and the sleeve of his shit was slightly torn. Meek looked perfectly fine and Moe’s hair was a complete mess.
“Baby, we gotta go.” Nino grabbed his chick by her hand and escorted her out of the section as Moe and Meek carried Roshel’s chair down the steps.
On the way out, Nino paused as someone in the crowd caught his attention. Roshel’s eyes wandered around the club until they landed on the guy making shooting gestures with his hand at Nino.
At that point in time, fear had completely taken over Roshel as she began to have flashbacks. “Moe, please get me out of here safely.”
Nine
And all the hoes love Jeezy because they know that I’m the truth. Got the Chevy same color of Tropicana Orange juice. (Yeah, it’s trap or die nigga.)
Moe was awakened by the loud blasting of the music Meek had bumping through their home. She set up and checked the time on her cell phone then she noticed the date; it was that time of the month. She got up out of bed and searched the house for Meek. She found him on the couch wrapping stacks of money in clear plastic wrap. He was bobbing his head to the trap music with a blunt hanging from the side of his mouth.
“Good morning you.” Moe said taking a seat next to him. She already knew what time it was when she heard Young Jeezy floating through the speakers. She got right to work taking a pile of cash out of the black trash bag on the floor. She began straighten out the wrinkled bills, then she counted them up.
“Morning boo.” Meek hit the blunt then passed it to Moe. “Wake and bake?” He asked and she took it out of his hand.
“Are you making the trip today?” Moe asked, in between counting the bills out loud.
“Yes. It was supposed to be Nino and Trent’s turn this month, but Trent hit me up last night talking bout he wasn’t gon make the trip.”
“What you mean he can’t make the trip?” She dreaded this time of the month when the guys would take their monthly trips out of town to pick up the work. This uneasy feeling would always come over her whenever it was Meeks turn. He would usually go every other month, but since Trent backed out this would make the second trip in a row for him.
It was no secret that these trips made Moe nervous. Every time it was her man’s turn she would try and say just about anything to keep him off of that highway; that day wasn’t any different. “Hold up, you went the last time bae. This is his business just as well as it is yours. You need to make him take this trip.” She expressed knowing that they always rotated. One month Meek and Trent would go, the next month it will be Trent and Nino, then the month after that Meek and Nino. Then the cycle would start all over again the following month.
“Baby, I know but he can’t make it. If I don’t go we’ll run out of work. Then we won’t be getting any money. Do you know what happens if we don’t make any money around here?” He paused and took the joint they were shearing back. “We won’t eat and if we don’t eat, we’ll die. You don’t want us to die do you?”
“Really fool.” Moe started to laugh so hard she nearly fell off the couch. “Did you really have to go that far?” She stacked the money in stacks of ten thousand each and handed them to Meek to be wrapped.
“Moe, come on baby. You know I gotta handle this business. Will you finish wrapping the money for me while I go get changed?”
“Sure.” Moe agreed.
Meek kissed her on the nose. “Thanks baby.” He ran off to their bedroom.
Moe’s mind drifted off as the Jeezy CD continued to spin in the disc player. All she could do was worry about her man’s safety. She wanted to be there right by his side but there was no way Meek would ever let her ride alone on a mission like this. A million what ifs’ ran through hear mind as she tried to focus on counting the money.
Meek returned a little while later wearing a simple black t-shirt, a pair of black jean shorts, and some sneakers. “Bae, are you done?” He asked reappearing in the living room. Moe snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him as though a ghost had just appeared into the room. “What’s wrong with you?” He reached out in placed his hand on her shoulder. “You good?”
She slowly stood up and held on to Meek’s hands. She stared deeply into his eyes as the feeling of fear consumed her. “I don’t want you to go. I’m not feeling one hundred percent this trip and before you say it, no, I am not bugging. Why don’t you just stay home and send one of those lil niggas y’all got over there at the trap?”
“Now, you know I can’t do that, our connect only knows us three. If we send someone new he might not even serve us. Then one of us will have to make another trip all the way back out there to get the work.” Meek checked the time on his watch. “I got to get up outta here baby.” He said then started stuffing the wrapped bundles of cash in a duffle
bag. He threw the strap over his shoulder and grabbed his .40. Before exiting his home, he kissed and hugged Moe tightly. “Please don’t worry baby, I’ll be home in the morning. Love you boo.”
“I love you too Meek.” She grabbed his hand and stopped him one last time before he made his exit, “Baby, please be careful.”
Meek tossed the bag of money in the trunk then headed to the east side of Miami to meet up with Nino.
“What up blood?” Nino greeted Meek while jumping into the front seat of the car. “Damn nigga, you couldn’t have rented a bigger car than this lil shit?” He readjusted the passenger seat of the small Ford Focus to make room for his long grasshopper like legs.
“Shut the fuck up nigga. You ready to make this trip?” Meek spat back at him.
Nino lifted his shirt and exposed the pistol on his hip. “All ready!” He replied hyped while throwing his seatbelt around his body as the car took off. “Dawg, what happened to Trent? Why he ain’t come?”
“I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.” Meek reached over his brother’s lap and opened up the glove box. He pulled out a half an ounce of bud and tossed it Nino’s lap. “Roll up. We got a long ride ahead of us.”
*****
Nino’s heart began to pound heavily on the inside of his chest. His eye grew wide and he couldn’t get his words out fast enough to warn his brother about the ten or more police vehicles up ahead.
“FUCK!” Meek slammed his fist down on the dash of car. “What the fuck is this?” He questioned as traffic started to slow down.
“A motherfucking road block.” Nino said. “Bro, what the fuck we gon do? How the fuck we gon get out of this shit?” He dropped his head in his hands in disbelief. “I can’t believe this shit,” he mumbled.