The Sheisty Saga

by T. N. Baker

  Keisha felt like such an idiot for letting her guard down and befriending Lea. She told her personal things about her and Tucker’s sex life: his dick size, how he was always away from home, and even about her alter ego, BAPS, that she used in the dirty online chat rooms. She had to admit she had set herself up for the kill, played right into Lea’s hands. She had agreed to inviting strippers that night, when in her heart she was dead set against whole the idea.

  By the time Keisha finished getting processed, it was too late to stand before a judge. Although it was late, she decided to use her one phone call to call Mrs. Wright, she was certain she’d reach her. She explained her situation to Mrs. Wright and told her that she wouldn’t know anything further regarding her release until the morning, which meant she had to spend the night in the bullpen.

  Keisha had never experienced such filth in her life, locked up with prostitutes, drug addicts, boosters, and God only knew what else. It was a tight squeeze in the overcrowded cell. With one dingy stall in the corner, the men in the other cell directly across could see everything. The idea of having to stay in a place like this turned her stomach. There was one long wooden bench up against the wall that was so full, women were stretched out in the remaining three corners and all over the floor. With no place to rest, she thought she’d be standing in that one spot for the remainder of the night.

  “Here, honey, come sit next to Big Doris,” a woman said, patting a small space next to her on the bench. Detecting Keisha’s hesitation, she continued, “Come, honey, I ain’t gon’ bite you. Shit, I got daughters your age.”

  That made Keisha feel a little more at ease. Hopefully Big Doris wasn’t on no lesbo shit. She proceeded toward her.

  “Thanks,” Keisha said, sitting down.

  “No problem, honey. What you in here for?” Big Doris asked. “Ahhh, I had a fight with this backstabbing bitch that stole my man.” Keisha was still bitter.

  All of a sudden, she noticed all the track marks and sores on every visible part of Big Doris’s body.

  “Honey, you are too much of a good-looking girl to be fighting over some damn man. And I’ma tell you just like I tell my own girls: If you got to fight over a man, then he ain’t yours. Now look—you in here, and he’s probably with that heifer.”

  Keisha explained to Big Doris that the situation was much deeper, because they had a child together. Big Doris told her she understood and advised that if a situation calls for her to move on, then that’s what she should do. Keisha revealed how Lea had betrayed her, and that’s when Big Doris changed her tune.

  “You should beat that bitch with a bat every time you see the ho!”

  Keisha was enjoying her conversation with Big Doris. She had a great sense of humor, plus she knew a lot of shit about life. Talking to her made the hours go by a little faster, despite the fact that she would nod off for at least thirty seconds in between each sentence and pick at the nasty scabs on her arm and neck, exposing the tendencies of a true dopefiend.

  Finally, morning came and Keisha’s name was called to stand before the judge. As soon as she entered the courtroom, she spotted Mrs. Wright seated, hopefully waiting to take her home. No doubt she was happy to see her, but she was also expecting Tucker to be present as well. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and she couldn’t hold back her tears from the pain she was feeling. The judge released her on her own recognizance and scheduled her to appear back in court in three weeks.

  Chapter 87

  C-God continued to school his new student, Alpo, about the hustling game. Even though C-God was still getting high as a kite, the two became kind of close. Alpo looked at him as somewhat of a mentor, while C-God viewed Alpo as his prodigy. He had heart, will, and a hunger that could take him far.

  C-God wanted to help him prosper, but he needed something done for him first. Alpo was down for C-God’s vengeful plan. He ran the necessary questions by Alpo: Had he ever caught a body before, and was he afraid to? C wanted to personally see to it that Ness suffered. He also needed to know that if Alpo had to pull the trigger, he wouldn’t bitch up.

  Alpo assured him that he had his back. All C-God had to do was say when and how he wanted the shit to go down. C-God had mapped out the whole thing weeks ago. All he had to do was get a hold of Reggie, who was still ducking C-God’s calls, even though he left messages that it wasn’t about money but rather another very important matter.

  Reg figured he had somehow gotten word that he and Tanya were in a relationship, and he wasn’t ready to face C with that yet. Once again, he’d betrayed C-God, this time falling in love with one of his baby mothers, and he didn’t know how he was going to explain that. C-God had asked him to look after her, and now they were living together.

  In order for his plan to be carried out, C-God was willing to ignore Reggie’s shitting on him. He needed him as an inside connect and felt Reggie owned him that much.

  Chapter 88

  Epiphany had replayed that deadly night over and over again in her head for the last couple of days. It was clear now that Ness was the one responsible for Malikai’s death and her being shot.

  Because she was so focused on nothing but her newfound recollection, Wild’s phone calls were the only thing that made her feel better. He would phone her whenever he got a break from the music, just to let her know she was in his thoughts. Their relationship was quickly growing strong, and he made it clear that he wanted to take things to the next level by asking her to come live with him.

  Epiphany wasted no time giving him her answer. she excitingly blurted out “Yes!” without putting any thought into it. She didn’t care whether it was too soon or if it would even work out. Love had nothing to do with it. All she wanted was to leave the hood and to live her life in a rich man’s world.

  As much as her gut was telling her to move on and put her past behind her, though, she just couldn’t until Ness paid for what he had done to her and Malikai. After putting as much thought into it as she possibly could, she phoned Shana.

  “What’s up?” Shana answered, recognizing Epiphany’s number from the caller ID.

  “Shana, listen. I’ve been thinking about what you said and you’re right. That son of a bitch has to pay for trying to take my life away.”

  “So what, you ready to fuck with Smitty?” Shana questioned.

  “Yeah, if he’s the one that could help me.”

  “Hell yeah, he’s the one, plus he got it bad for you, E. All you gotta do is get the nigga open, and I’m telling you he’ll probably do what whatever you want him to.”

  “But if Ness is his boy, how am I gonna get him to get at ’im for me?” Epiphany asked.

  “Come on, E. Good pussy can make a nigga do anything. This is me you talking to, and I know you know how to put it down for your crown. Just manipulate the shit out of his ass and make him think you feeling him like that, then set him up for the kill.”

  “A’ight, I got you.”

  “Cool. I’ma set it up, so expect his call, a’ight?”

  “Okay!” Ending the call, Epiphany felt jitters. She was a little nervous about the plan.

  It has to work, she thought, because nobody fucks over Epiphany Janee Wright and gets away with it.

  * * *

  Shana wasted no time getting on it. As soon as she got off the phone with Epiphany, she phoned Smitty and made arrangements to meet with him at IHOP for breakfast. He agreed. Shana got up, showered, and dressed. On her way out the door, she glanced over and rolled her eyes, disgusted with K.C. He was on the couch, where he’d been sleeping for the past couple of nights, since she began her silent treatment.

  When she got in her car, she turned on her cell phone and retrieved the six messages that were waiting for her.

  Message one: “Yeah, bitch, I see you trying to front on me, huh? A’ight, ho, I’ma see you!”

  Message two: “Yo, Cream, I see your sheisty ass really ain’t trying to get me outta here, huh? Watch your back, bitch!”

  Message thr
ee: “Shana Scott, how ’bout this: You can ignore my calls all you want, but my peoples will be seeing you, a’ight!”

  Messages four, five, and six were pretty much the same. Raina went from calling her Cream to her government name and admitted she knew who her man was and where they lived. Now Shana was starting to fret.

  She pulled up to the IHOP, went inside, and was seated. Of course, Smitty had her waiting for over thirty minutes, and when he arrived, he walked in like he had all the time in the world.

  Look at this character, she thought, pissed off.

  “Sha-money, what up, girl?” Smitty smiled as he slid into the booth next to her.

  “What’s up? Why you always gotta keep a bitch waiting, huh?”

  “Yo, what’s up? Oh, wait. Let me order some food first. A nigga starving.” Smitty looked at the menu, disregarding her attitude and her question.

  The two ordered breakfast before Shana began to conduct business.

  “Listen, I know you heard that the police ran up in Honey’s and shut shit down, right?” Shana asked.

  “Nah, when this happened?”

  Shana knew he was lying, but she didn’t call him on it. She just continued on about Raina getting caught up in the sweep.

  “A’ight, so why is you telling me?” Smitty questioned.

  “I’m telling you ’cause the bitch is locked the fuck up and she’s making threats to snitch me out. Her bail is five G’s and I ain’t got it, and if I ain’t got that, then you know I ain’t got the money to keep paying your fucking ass for that bullshit you got on me. Don’t you think we played this game long enough? Me and K.C. ain’t working out, but I’m willing to do you a favor if you could front me the money for Raina’s bail, and after I pay you back, we’re even.”

  Smitty laughed at her.

  “What kind of favor you gon’ do for me that’s gonna cost me five G’s? That shit sounds funnier than a muthafucka!” he said. “Anyway, what’s up with your E connect? Honey’s ain’t the only strip joint you could sell them shits at.”

  “I know that, but my connect ain’t fucking with me no more. The last time I went to check him he told me that that was my last play, ’cause he was giving it up and moving to Vegas,” Shana lied. Truth be told, she didn’t want to do it anymore, but she knew if she told Smitty that, his greed would get in the way.

  She no longer cared about him telling K.C. about Chasity. Besides, Chasity had a man now. But she knew that Smitty would dig up some more dirt to hold against her, because he was that kind of nigga. She wanted all debts settled.

  “Oh, word. So if that stripper bitch ain’t get knocked, you still would’ve been ass out, huh?” Smitty asked.

  “Yeah, I guess, but at least I would’ve had the dough she made for the week. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. Do we got a deal or not?” Shana questioned.

  “Yo, I ain’t hear no deal. What I’m giving you five G’s for, and why you ain’t ask my man K.C.?”

  “’Cause he’s the reason I ain’t got it! Remember y’all little investment? Don’t worry. As soon as I get my cut from him, I give you my word, I’ll give it back to you.

  “You feeling my homegirl Epiphany, right? I could hook that up for you—you know, wash my back and I’ll wash yours.”

  “Get the fuck out of here.” He laughed. “You want me to pay you for that? Yo, she already tried that. And I’ma tell you like I told her: The kid don’t pay for no pussy. A’ight, yo!”

  “I’m not asking you to pay for nothing. Are you listening? I said loan! C’mon, Smitty, one good deed deserves another. You been hitting my pockets hard. There’s gotta be a reason why you wanted me to hook you and Epiphany up, so what is it? You already hit it, so why don’t you just step to her again?”

  “Yo, shit went sour between us, that’s all.”

  “So she don’t remember shit about you,” Shana said.

  “For real, that shit’s really true about her losing her memory?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No bullshitting?”

  “Nah, no bullshit, so that means whatever happened between y’all don’t even matter. You got a clean slate, homie,” Shana assured him.

  “So shit, I could holla at her myself then,” Smitty responded.

  “Yeah, you could, but she kind of leery about fucking with around-the-way niggas now. I’ll let her know shit is cool and you’se my nigga, so she might rock with you.”

  “It’s like that, with just your word. K.C. told me y’all ain’t rock like that no more.”

  “He don’t know what the fuck he be talking about. First off, the nigga stay too busy fucking other bitches to know who I’m cool with. Epiphany is my girl. We been cool for over ten years. You trying to holla at her or what?”

  “Well, I don’t know what you talking about as far as my man with other girls, but yeah, I’m trying to swing with that.” Smitty tried his best to cover up for K.C.

  “A’ight, cool.” Shana ignored his bald-faced lie. “So, when you gon’ give me the money?” she continued.

  “When you hook that up!”

  “Come on, Smitty. Don’t fucking try to play me.”

  “Yo, I’m not. I’m trying to get at her,” Smitty said.

  “Then when you give me the money, I’ll call her, so you could do that.”

  “What, you don’t trust me?”

  Shana didn’t answer. She just gave him a look. that said, Nigga, that’s an understatement.

  “A’ight, a’ight.” He got the message. “I’ll have it for you later on today. When I call, you be ready to meet up, a’ight?” Smitty got up from the table and left, leaving her stuck with the bill.

  Shana just shook her head. What a desperate, thirsty muthafucka.

  Chapter 89

  It took everything Mrs. Wright had in her to convince Keisha not to go back over to Tucker’s house and confront Lea. She told Keisha that she needed to cool out for a couple of days, then take the police over there to get her son. Keisha agreed, but the thought of her son being around another women ate away at her. Blocking her number, she called the house.

  The phone rang three times before Lea answered.

  “Hello.”

  Keisha fumed with anger when she heard that bitch answer the phone, but she tried hard to keep her composure, because she didn’t want to get hung up on.

  “Can I please speak to Tucker?” she asked, grinding her teeth and breathing heavy.

  Lea wasn’t going to hang up, because she wanted the opportunity to rub her shit in Keisha’s face.

  “Do you mean my Tucker, or your little rugrat?”

  “What did you just say, bitch?” Keisha yelled.

  “You heard what I said, Keisha. Are you calling for my man, or that fucking little brat of yours?” Lea taunted.

  “I know Tucker must not be there, because if he heard you talking about our son like that—that’s right, I repeat, our son—your ass would be out of there so fast, bitch.”

  “Oh, you think so? You know what, Keisha? You’re such a stupid-ass little ho. You fell right into my trap, dummy. I set the whole thing up. You ever wonder why you got tipsy so fast, huh? I spiked your drink and you got laid. The Damager’s a male prostitute, a gigolo. It only cost me three hundred dollars to destroy your perfect little relationship.”

  “You fucking bitch! Why would you do that to me? What did I ever do to you besides trust you as my friend?” Keisha couldn’t control the sadness in her voice.

  “Honestly, Keisha, it had nothing to do with you. I met Tucker way before I even knew who you were. I liked him, but he told me that he had a girl that he loved, so he couldn’t get down like that. At first I was pissed off. I felt rejected and I let it go. Then fate would have it, I ended up going to the same college and becoming friends with you.

  “Funny thing is, I didn’t even realize who you were when you started yapping your gums about how good Tucker was and the lavish wedding you were planning. That is, until you showed me his picture.
>
  “I wanted to tell you I knew him, but then you started complaining about all the problems you were having with him. That was the break I needed. And you know what, Keisha? You were right. The sex is incredible.”

  Keisha was appalled, enraged, and speechless. She sat lifeless, listening to Lea humiliate her.

  Tucker walked in, and Lea switched it up, quick fast. “Oh, honey, you’re just in time. Keisha’s on the phone. Here, let me take li’l man so you two can talk, okay, baby? No, honey, talk to her for li’l man’s sake. You have to.”

  Tucker must have refused to talk to her, ’cause all she heard next was the dial tone. From that point on, Keisha realized she was up against a real live one, and she needed to get her son ASAP.

  She cried on Mrs. Wright’s shoulder for half the night. She needed all the motherly love and moral support she could get, since she was holding a grudge and refused to speak to her own mother after she had allowed Tucker to take her son.

  After Keisha explained the whole scenario to Epiphany’s mom, Mrs. Wright suggested Keisha get a police escort to help her retrieve her son. The next morning, she did just that, but Tucker had a surprise for her. He handed the officer court papers. He had already filed for temporary custody of their son, citing abandonment on Keisha’s part.

  “Well, ma’am, there’s nothing I can do,” the officer said.

  Tucker had already shut the door in their faces. Keisha wondered how she had ever loved him. With the police standing right there, she couldn’t black out. That would definitely land her back behind bars.

  Having no other choice, she went home and cried her heart out to Tiara.

  “The Lord would never put more on you than you could bear.” Mrs. Wright sat on the bed next to Keisha with a box of Kleenex and her Bible. “Maybe He was just a little unhappy with your behavior, and this is just His way of getting your attention.”

  God, why are you doing this to me? I have nothing, no one. Keisha would rather be dead than to live without her son.