For The Love Of A Goon: A Miami Hood Love Story

by LadyJ

  One of the staff members escorted him to the room filled with ten chairs around in a circle. He took a seat in one of the chairs, then waited as every other patient came in one after the other and filled the other chairs. “I guess since you were the first one here, Mr. Brown, we’ll start by letting you go first. Please stand, introduce yourself, and state your addiction,” she said, beginning the session.

  Meek stood to his feet and looked around at the other nine dull faces around him. “Hi, my name is Dameeko Brown and I’m addicted to cocaine.”

  Fifteen

  “You girls eat up,” Roshel’s mother said while placing the last dish of the soul food Sunday dinner she had prepared for them, in the middle of the dinner table, “oh, and no more beating up on my neighbors.” She added, before she left the girls at the table, and took her plate into the living to eat as she watched the TV. The girls all giggled at her statement, then Roshel quieted them all down so they could pray. In the middle of Roshel’s touching prayer, Moe began to cry out of nowhere. The heartache and pain of missing her love was tearing her up. Not only that, it had been a while since she had spoken to her own mother and father, and she never went too long without calling and checking up on them. The life she was living was something she knew her parents wouldn’t understand.

  “Moe, what’s wrong?” Roshel asked after opening her eyes and seeing her friend’s tears.

  “I’m good, Ro, just a few things on my mind.” She dried her tears with the napkin on the table.

  “You sure?” Carmen asked, placing her hand on Moe’s shoulder to comfort her.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s eat.”

  Moe was in a strange head space. She wanted to tell her friends what was really on her mind but she knew they were all going through things and didn’t want them to pity her. Her plate was full, from working at the salon in the mornings and hustling at night. She made sure Meek had everything he needed at the rehab and that all their bills where paid up. She did it all and never bitched about it one bit. Moe had made Meek one promise the morning she dropped him off at the rehab center, and that was that she would never give up on him. To her, that meant through the good and the bad, through the sunny and rainy days, she will always be there and she was determined to make good on her word to him.

  “Umm, Carmen? Where the hell is my God child?” Moe asked. She had been so in tune with her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Kira wasn’t with her.

  “Girl, she with her daddy for today,” Carmen said. “I had to get some me time. Between her and Trent both whining in my ear, I had to get away. You should’ve seen me putting on my clothes and running out that door when Roshel called inviting me over for dinner.”

  “Really, Carmen? They were getting on your nerves that bad?” Roshel asked.

  “Just that bad, Ro,” Carmen replied stuffing her mouth full of baked honey ham.

  “How that’s been going anyway?” Moe asked Carmen about her relationship.

  “What? Me and Trent?” Carmen asked and Moe nodded her head yes. “We good, I guess.” She answered unsure of herself.

  “You guess? What does that mean, Carmen?” Moe could always tell when one of them was hiding something from her. “What he do?”

  Carmen stared Moe in the eyes blankly, then jotted her eyes toward Roshel, then down at her plate on the table. She played with the macaroni noodles with her fork and tried not to look either one of them in the eye. “He hasn’t changed. Last night I went through his phone; he’s been texting some chick name Portia.”

  “And?” Ro instigated.

  Carmen looked up at both of them and replied, “He telling that bitch he miss her and he love her. Now, how the fuck he gon love her and me!” Carmen’s voice rose a bit as the anger escaped with her words. She lifted her fork and stabbed the stack of honey ham then pushed her plate away. “Go on, say it.” She shifted her eyes to Moe.

  “Say what, Carmen? You want me to say I told you so?” Moe smirked, “You knew that man was gon do that. Since when hasn’t he been a hoe? He worse than some of these hoes I know who been hoeing. You know Carmen, Ro knows, hell we all know.” Moe pointed her finger around in a circle. No, she didn’t feel sorry for Carmen because this wasn’t the first time and she knew that it wouldn’t be the last. “Carmen, you know what I don’t get about you?” Moe placed her silverware alongside of her plate, looked her best friend in her eyes, and said, “You are the smartest person I know. When we were in school you were at the head of the class. How can that smart girl be so dumb for one no good man?” She knew that her words would hurt her, but she felt as though it was the only way she was going to get through to Carmen.

  “I’m not nobodies dummy Moe.” Carmen cocked her head to the side and screwed up her face.

  “Well, I’m glad you know that. Now be sure to inform Trent of that because you letting him play you like you are one. Ask yourself, how many times are you going to let him hurt you like this? That ain’t love, Carmen, and I’m sorry because I know you love him, but a man who really love a woman would never want to see her hurt. If anything, he gone make sure she happy.”

  Carmen got up from the dinner table and ran out of the kitchen to bathroom. Ro had a shocking expression on her face and didn’t know what to say about it all. She backed her wheelchair away from the table and headed out into the hallway, “I’m going to check on her.” Ro said.

  Moe sighed deeply. She got up and walked to the bathroom where Ro was sitting outside the door, trying to talk Carmen into opening it. Moe tapped on the door. “Carmen, open the door.” Carmen unlocked the door then stepped back so they could let themselves inside the bathroom. “I’m sorry, Carmen. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but as a friend who truly cares for you, I had to be honest. If I can’t keep it real with you then what good am I as your friend?” She lifted her hands and wiped Carmen’s tears away. “Look at me,” Moe said, “You are a stunning young woman and there are plenty of men out there who would kill to have you on their arm. You and your happiness is what’s important to me and you are not happy C. I just want my old friend back, I just want to see you happy again.” Moe couldn’t stop her own tears from resurfacing and neither could Roshel.

  “Okay, okay, can we cut out all this mushy stuff?” Ro said drying her eyes. She rolled closer to Moe and Carmen and wrapped her arms around their waist, hugging them tightly. “I love y’all bitches.”

  “We love you too.” Carmen and Moe replied in unison.

  “Now, what are we doing tonight? I heard that Fetty Wap was going to be performing at club Story tonight.” Moe said trying to change the subject and lighten the mood as they all retreated back to the kitchen to reclaim their seats at the dinner table.

  “I’m down,” Carmen said. “I can use a drink or two.”

  “Y’all know I don’t want to go to no damn club,” Roshel butted in. “I can use a drink too, but I don’t want to go to no crowded ass club to get one,” she said.

  “Oh, I got a big stupid bottle of your favorite at the house,” Carmen spoke up.

  “Peach Ciroc?” Roshel’s eye grew big when Carmen spoke of her favorite brand of liquor.

  “Yuuppp!” Carmen said. “We can just have a ladies night at my crib,” she suggested.

  “Sounds good to me,” said Moe. “I’ll bring the bud.” She added, getting up from her chair and grabbing her purse from the arm of her chair. She dug around in her big Coach bag and pulled out her sunglasses. Right before she put them on her face, she said, “I’m about to go home and get some rest.” She paused and checked the time on her watch, “I’ll be over about nineish.” She put her shades on and hugged her friends good bye.

  It was all like her life was moving into a totally different direction than she started from. Her parents had worked hard to move her out of the hood, but she still never gave up the hood lifestyle. She was intrigued by street niggas like Meek. That was what she liked and he was who she wanted. She tried hard to think on the decision to pull her p
arents back into her life, even with knowing they wouldn’t approve of the way she was living. She had to make things right in her life with them before she could truly be happy herself and live her life with the man she never planned to leave.

  Moe finally started up her car after sitting in front of Ro’s mother’s house for a good twenty minutes thinking to herself. On her drive home she replayed everything her and Meek talked about two nights before he went away. She told him that she trusted him and that she did. She knew that right now her man was going through one of the roughest periods of his life, and if it wasn’t for that damn road block, he would be there making sure Moe was good like he’d been doing for the past five years. Now it was her turn to step up to the plate and hold her man down.

  She pulled up to her condo and hurried inside. Moe was in a rush to call Meek at the rehab center before it was too late. She entered her home and kicked her sandals off at the door. The plush soft carpet beneath them made her feel as though she was walking on cotton balls. She took a seat in the black leather recliner chair they had sitting in the corner of the living room, then let the seat all the way back. She was getting herself comfortable before she made her call. Moe fished her cell phone out of her purse, then dialed the number to the rehab.

  “Right Path Rehab center. How may I direct your call?” The woman answered.

  “Hi, I need to speak with my husband, Dameeko Brown.” Moe said referring to Meek.

  “Please hold while I try to locate him ma’am.” The woman placed her on hold.

  She listened to the country music that almost put her to sleep as she held the phone up to her ear. She was worn out and her eyes were beginning to close shut. She snapped them back open as soon as she heard Meek’s sexy voice say hello. “Hey baby, I miss you. I just called to tell you that I love you Meek.” She said getting straight to the point.

  “Aww boo. Daddy love you too Ma.” Meek replied feeling overjoyed inside that he had a woman like her. “How was Sunday dinner?” he asked.

  “You know mama Tina threw down.” Moe said referring to Roshel’s mother. “It was good.” Moe said then got quiet. She was missing him like crazy and would do anything to get him back home with her.

  “What’s wrong Moe?” Meek asked sensing something was up with her.

  “Oh, nothing baby.” She responded.

  “Moe, don’t lie to me baby. How am I supposed to fix it if I you want tell me when somethings bothering you?”

  “Meek, why do you always feel the need to fix everything. Maybe this time I should try to fix my own problems on my own.” She said. “It’s my parents. I miss them and I was thinking about going to visit and telling them about my life.” She confessed what she was feeling. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. I want to hug my mom and hear my father tell me everything is going to be okay like he always used to do when I was younger,” she said as her tears spilled from her eyes.

  “Oh, yeah, now that I can’t fix.” Meek didn’t realize she had so much pressure on her and began to feel guilty for putting her into an even worse position.” Baby, as soon as I get out of here we can go see your parents together. After all, if you are going to be Mrs. Brown, I at least want meet my in-laws,” he said.

  “Mrs. Brown?” Moe stopped crying and cleared her throat.

  “Moe, do me a favor. Go into our room and look up on the 2nd shelf in the closet. Reach all the way to the back on the right side.” He instructed her. He waited until she told him she was in the closet. “Pull out the Nike shoe box and open it up.”

  Moe did as she was told and opened the lid of the shoebox. Inside the box was a long black sock with something stuffed inside of it. Moe turned the sock upside down and shook until the small ring box fell out. Her heart beat sped up as she picked the small box up and let the shoebox and sock fall to the floor. She opened the small box and was speechless. She stared at the beautiful diamond ring with her mouth wide open.

  “Did you find it, baby?” Meek had bought the ring three months ago and was waiting for the right time to propose, but due to his unfortunate turn of events, he had to push it back. He had planned on making it special, but it is what it is, there were no rules to this hood love shit.

  “I found it baby, it’s beautiful,” she said excited.

  Meek cleared his throat then said, “Ms. Moenisha Hayes will you marry me?”

  “Yes, Dameeko Brown. I will marry you.”

  Sixteen

  Please pick up, please pick up the phone Moe, Carmen paced the parking lot of the Florida Department of health clinic on 27th Ave. NW. She was mad as hell and really needed to talk to her girls. She had just received the most disturbing news ever and was about to go insane if she didn’t talk to them.

  “Hey boo. What’s up?” Moe picked up.

  “Moe, call Ro, I need to talk to y’all.” Carmen said on the brink of tears.

  “Okay, hold on.” Moe clicked over to call Roshel on three way. A short while later, she clicked back over. “She’s on the line C, what’s up?” Moe said.

  Carmen took in a deep breath, then let it all out. “That nasty mother fucker gave me an STD.” She shouted in the middle of the parking lot. Other people passing by stopped and gave her strange stares on the way to their cars. She didn’t care who heard her personal business; she kept yelling as she filled her friends in on how fucked up her morning had started out. For the past few days she had been experiencing unpleasant symptoms and strange pains in her lower abdominal area. She was scared to go see a doctor fearing they would tell her this. “I’m gone kill that low down dirty bastard!” She hollered. Her mind was telling her to ride over to Trent’s house and kick his ass.

  “No he didn’t.” Roshel said in sheer disbelief.

  “Yes the hell he did, and on top of that.” Carmen paused and thought about whether she should tell the second half of her fiery news.

  “What? What?” Moe chanted after Carmen stopped speaking in the middle of her sentence.

  “I’m pregnant.” She mumbled underneath her breath then began to cry out loudly.

  “What?” Moe said unable to understand her.

  “I’m pregnant again, Moe.” Carmen spoke louder that time. She felt as if she was going to have a mental breakdown at any given moment sitting in her car. Her world was crumbling and she had no one else she could turn to other than Roshel and Moe. “What am I going to do y’all? I can’t take care of another child. Kira is already a handful. I’m not ready, I’m not ready.” She whined as snot slid from her nostrils down to the top of her lip. She was sick to her stomach from the unsettling feeling in her tummy the tiny fetus was giving her. Carmen just couldn’t believe she was going through this. She had never had an STD in her life and haven’t even thought about bringing another child into this cold, dirty world.

  “Calm down C.” Was all Roshel could say. She had never even had sex before, so she couldn’t say she understood how her friend was feeling at the moment.

  “Carmen, if you feel like you can’t do it then don’t put yourself through it. Only you know what’s best for you.” Moe said trying to encourage her friend. “Whatever decision you make you know that Ro and I will be right here beside you. Just make sure you do what’s best for you and Kira.” She finished. Moe was like the mother of the three, she gave the best advice and held them all together at times when it seem as if they might fall apart. She was good at hiding her own pain, but even better at helping someone else heal theirs.

  “Ahhhhhhh!” Carmen let at a loud unruly scream. Moe and Roshel both took their phones away from their ears until she was done. “I am about to spazz the fuck out!” She said meaning she was about to go crazy on Trent. “I’m so done this time, this it y’all.” Carmen broke down into tears again. “I’m never going back.” She sobbed uncontrollably as her tears soaked her face.

  “Friend, please stop crying. Where are you? I’m on my way.” Moe said.

  “Moe, come scoop me.” Roshel said.

  “
I’m still sitting in the damn parking lot at the clinic.” Carmen answered sadly.

  “Go home. Ro and I will meet you there.” Moe said.

  Carmen tossed her cell phone on the passenger side seat of her car and peeled out of the parking lot. Since the clinic was only a few blocks away from her home, she got there in no time. She ran straight up the steps and unlocked her door and hurried inside. Her face was a mess from the make-up running down her eyes, and she didn’t want anyone to see her like that. She swung her purse, keys, the papers, and bag of meds she had from the clinic, to the side and ran straight for her bedroom. She rambled through the small stack of mail on her dresser top. The night she had gone through Trent’s cell phone she made sure to get all of his other woman’s personal information; down to where the heffa lived. She scribbled it down and stuck it between the stack of mail. Here it is, Carmen cracked an evil grin on her face. She googled the girl’s home address to check the distance then used google maps to get turn by turn directions. While she was in her bedroom she dug around in her closet for the old baseball bat she’d use occasionally to protect herself, out of the closet and dusted it off. She then walked to her kitchen and grabbed a knife from the holder on the counter top. Carmen had so much stuff on her mind and all should wanted was to repay him for some of the bullshit he’d dragged her through over the years.

  Carmen placed her bat and knife in the center on the coffee table, then waited by the window for Moe and Roshel. When they arrive, she snatched up her weapons of choice, stuffed her test results into her back pocket, and hauled ass out of her front door before Moe had a chance to unbuckle her seat belt.

  Roshel and Moe watched with curiosity as she marched to the truck with the baseball bat in hand. “Crazy cat, what you doing?” Ro yelled from the front seat of the car. “What’s the bat for?” She asked as Carmen climbed into Moe’s backseat.

  “You’ll see when we get there. Moe, drive.” Carmen sat back and fastened her seatbelt across her body before Moe pulled away from her apartment complex. “Make a left up ahead at the stop sign.” She instructed from the backseat.