by Tracy Brown
Seeing how DJ. related to him made Born extremely proud. He loved him as if he were his own son, and he knew that Dorian would be proud of how Born was helping to shape and mold him into a strong and determined young man.
His time in the studio began to pay off. D.J. auditioned for a chance to battle on Cipher Sundays, a rap freestyle competition, in which contestants battled for the chance at a recording contract. He was thrilled when they called him for the show, and Born worked with him to get ready for his big shot. He really believed that D.J. had what it took to go the distance. Already, he’d been in freestyle ciphers in Brooklyn, and uptown, and D.J. had held his own, and made Born proud. Born had ensured that D.J. had been exposed to all the areas of the industry that he himself had access to. He figured Dorian’s son was ready for the world.
When D.J. won the first round of the competition, everyone began to pay attention. Dorian’s brothers, who up to that point had only seen rapping as a pastime D.J. enjoyed when he wasn’t soaking up the game, began to take notice. They were still a little skeptical that he had what it took to compete on such a high level. Many youngsters dreamed of being famous rappers, yet few actually achieved that goal. But after watching him on TV, and seeing him demolish the competition, everyone in their family began to take notice of his talent. For five consecutive weeks, D.J. conquered opponent after opponent, and the title of Cipher Sundays Champion was within reach.
Dorian’s two brothers—William and Lamont—invited Born over for a meeting at Lamont’s house. They explained that they wanted to talk to him about D.J. and his career. When he got there, D.J. had smiled at him as if he knew something that Born didn’t know. He did. Dorian’s brothers sat Born down, and explained that they’d thought D.J. was best suited to follow in Dorian’s footsteps in the streets. But after seeing D.J. pummel the competition for more than a month on Cipher Sundays, they were convinced that he had a different destiny. Finally, they believed that DJ. had what it took to be a rapper. And, they explained, the reason they had called Born over to discuss this was because they wanted him to be D.J.’s business manager. DJ. already had a terrific chemistry with Born, and it didn’t hurt that Zion—a man with considerable industry connections—had suggested, and almost insisted, that Born be the man chosen to manage D.J. Both Born and D.J. were thrilled at their new business relationship, and Born began to see that this might be his big chance to get out of the game once and for all.
DJ. went on to win the last two rounds of Cipher Sundays, and everyone was ecstatic. It was on! DJ. was the champ, and almost every major record label was interested in signing him. He was a teenage ingenue, with the charisma and personality of a seasoned hustler. His interviews were flawless, and D J. effortlessly displayed a mixture of humility and pride that made fans embrace him by the thousands. Born spent his days negotiating contracts, and getting DJ. in the studio. Born gave him feedback on his songs, suggesting lyrics from time to time. But for the most part, DJ. wrote his own rhymes, and Born offered constructive criticism, helping DJ. shape an image for his growing legion of fans. Zion assisted him in choosing producers, and in obtaining media coverage for D J., and soon they inked a great deal with one of the biggest labels in the industry. D J. was featured in major urban magazines, as well as on MTV and BET. He was on his way. Everyone could tell that this was only the beginning for the young powerhouse.
And ever since she’d heard the news, Anisa had been more anxious than ever to sink her claws back into Born. She knew that, as he began touring with DJ., he would inevitably meet beautiful and successful women. She wanted to try and get back “in” before that happened. Born saw her clearly, though, and he paid her no mind.
Born left Ethan in front of the television and walked into the kitchen. He found Anisa sitting at the table with her two good friends, Kiara and Precious. Born groaned inwardly, not exactly thrilled to see these two bitches sitting in the kitchen.
“Hey, baby.” Anisa smiled at Born as he entered. Her hair was freshly done, highlighting perfect cheekbones and a glorious smile. She was a pretty girl; still, Born knew that an ugly side existed within her. Anisa was all about the Benjamins, and Born knew that, since she was being nice today, she must want some money.
“Hey,” Born greeted Anisa, and said, “Wassup, y’all?” to the other two.
“Whattup, big baller, shot caller?” Precious’s ghetto ass responded. “You came just in time. We was just talking about Anisa’s birthday, which you should know by now is coming up. And we think you should get us a limo and let us take Anisa to Atlantic City to celebrate.”
Born walked over to the refrigerator, completely ignoring Precious’s audacious comment. Kiara chimed in. “You only turn thirty once, Born. Don’t you want Anisa’s birthday to be memorable?”
What Born wanted was to tell these gold-digging hos to get the hell up out of his house. After all, it was his house. Anisa just lived there. But instead of saying that, he poured himself something to drink and continued pretending he hadn’t heard a word. Finally, Anisa spoke up.
“Born, you don’t have to be so rude. You could just say yes or no. It’s that simple.” She folded her arms across her chest, sat back in her chair, and rolled her eyes at his back. Precious grimaced at Born from behind, and Kiara giggled quietly.
Born sipped his iced tea, and turned around to face the women in his kitchen. “Y’all bitches is crazy if you think I’m coming out of pocket to send y’all anywhere.”
“Born!” Anisa cried, defending her friends.
He continued talking. “Y’all better roll some quarters, or sell some ass, or do something so you can go to Atlantic City. ‘Cuz I ain’t paying for a muthafuckin’ thing. Don’t come at me with dumb shit.”
“Born!” Anisa looked steamed.
“What? You knew that shit was dumb when they started talking.” Born frowned, turned, and walked out of the kitchen.
Anisa avoided looking at her friends, until finally Precious said, “I told you his cheap ass wouldn’t pay for it.”
Born went back into the living room, picked up the extra joystick, and played a game with his son. He could hear Anisa’s voice mixed with those of her friends as they continued talking and cackling in the kitchen.
Within an hour or so, the two guests left, and Anisa came to see what Born was up to. He knew she had an attitude about how rude he had been to her friends, but Born didn’t really give a damn.
“Why you had to be so mean, Born? You know how Precious is. You know how she acts. She didn’t mean no harm.”
Born shrugged. “I don’t care what she meant by it. Ain’t no free rides over here. Whoever don’t like that, they can kiss my—”
“Okay, okay. I get the point. But, it is my birthday weekend, and I would like to go to Atlantic City with my friends. So can I have some money to pay for the hotel room—”
“Hotel room? How long are you planning to stay there? It’s, like, two hours away, so what the hell do you need a hotel room for?”
“Just for the weekend, Born. And this is all I want you to give me for my birthday.” Anisa batted her pretty, long eyelashes at him. “Pleeeease. It’s close by, so you’ll be able to get in touch with me if Ethan needs me, or something.”
Born knew that Anisa really didn’t concern herself with Ethan as much as she should. Born played the role of Mr. Mom, while Anisa was busy being a diva. She was a good mother, but not what one would call a supermom. Born decided to give in so that he could have some valuable alone time with his son. He figured it would be better to have Anisa out of his face for a little while. Fuck it. “Go ahead and make the reservations, and I’ll pay for your room,” he said. “But you three can get down there the best way you can.”
Anisa smiled, pleased with the outcome. She didn’t need a limousine, as Precious had suggested. She could always drive her Range Rover instead. She hugged Born, and then ran off to call her girls to give them the good news. Born finished his game with Ethan and made sure that he ate dinn
er and took a bath. Then he tucked Ethan into bed, kissed him good night, and prepared to head home.
But when he peeked his head inside Anisa’s bedroom to say good-bye, she pulled him inside and kissed him deeply. She pulled him closer to her, until the heat of their bodies was too much for either of them to ignore. They had sex on top of the covers of her queen-size bed, and then Anisa fell asleep almost immediately. Born laid in bed beside Anisa, watching her sleep. He thought about slipping out while she snored softly. But instead, he lay there fitfully tossing to and fro, not realizing that Anisa’s peaceful slumber was a hoax. She knew, as she feigned sleep, that something had Born lying awake later than usual. Something had him troubled.
Born thought about Jada. He thought about her voice, the way she sounded so sexy, especially in the morning when she first woke up. He remembered how they used to talk until the wee hours of the morning about any- and everything. Jada had stimulated his mind like no other woman since. She had made him think about things that he probably never would have thought about otherwise. And he missed that.
Sunny was exhausted. After drinking a whole bottle of Hennessy, talking to Jada for hours about their past, and ordering pizza for Sheldon and Mercedes, she had finally ended her conversation with Jada and gone to sleep beside her daughter. It wouldn’t be the first time Sunny had gotten lit and camped out at her friend’s place. The two of them were so close that they made themselves at home whenever they visited one another. Jada looked in on Sunny and Mercedes sleeping comfortably in the guest bedroom. Sunny was sprawled out in the queen-size bed, with Mercedes nestled peacefully beside her.
She shut the door and then looked in on Sheldon, who was knocked out in his own bedroom. Jada looked at the assorted sports paraphernalia scattered throughout the spacious room and smiled, thankful for the second chance she’d been given to be a mother to her child.
She took a long, hot shower, and washed and conditioned her hair. Then she moisturized her skin with lotion and pulled on an oversized T-shirt that she liked to sleep in. She wrapped her hair up in a silky scarf and walked into her bedroom. Her feet sank into the plushness of her thick carpet. She loved the feeling of climbing onto her pillow-top mattress and lying back across her sky blue comforter. What a day it had been. Her conversation with Sunny had conjured up lots of things she’d long ago forgotten. She stared at the ceiling, thinking about all the memories her conversation with Sunny had brought back. Jada toyed with the card in her hand and read Born’s script for the thousandth time:
Believe it or not, I still think about you all the time. And I’m sorry for your loss.
She smiled. He still thought about her. He was sorry for her loss. She wondered why those words meant as much to her as they did. She thought about their story, about all the things that she and Sunny had discussed that evening—both good and bad. Jada remembered the love she had shared with Born, and the pain of losing him, as if it were all recent. But at that moment, what consumed her was an overwhelming need to talk to him.
Jada fluffed up one of the seven pillows on her bed, and laid her head on it. She closed her eyes, and could see Born’s face so clearly. She could see his lips vividly, lips she used to love to kiss, lips that had taken her to ecstasy countless times. Jada opened her eyes, hating herself for ever going back to where she swore she’d never go, back to the drugs and the crazy lifestyle, and leaving Born and all his love for her behind.
She picked up the phone and dialed the cell phone number quickly, before she could think better of it. She listened as the phone rang several times, and she tried to control herself, tried to calm down. After five rings, Jada got ready to hang up. But as she pulled the phone away from her face, she heard his voice.
“Hello?” Born sounded like he was asleep. She put the phone back to her ear and waited. “Hello?” he repeated, his voice husky, and so damn sexy after all these years.
Jada sat there in the silence of her bedroom, and realized that she had no idea what to say. She hung up without uttering a word, and she buried her face in the pillows. Damn! He still had a voice that melted her like butter. Jada’s heart beat rapidly in her chest, and she hugged her pillow close to her. The man still had the power to make her weak.
Born woke up to the ringing of his cell phone. The caller ID read “Unknown Number,” and he wondered who would be calling him this late from a private number. He couldn’t sleep as it was, although he had been lying in the dark for about two hours. He got out of bed, and walked into his son’s room. He saw Ethan sleeping peacefully, and he was content with that. Born walked downstairs and sat on the couch in the dark. His eyes were completely adjusted to the moonlight glowing in the windows. He sat down, and once again, she was on his mind. Jada. He wondered if it was she who had called.
Born fell asleep on the sofa downstairs, sitting alone in the dark, thinking about the past. He dreamed that they were all together again: him, Jada, Dorian, and Sunny, all together in a car, driving to an unknown destination. In his dream, Dorian looked over at Born riding shotgun. The ladies were chattering as usual in the backseat. Dorian smiled at Born, and said, “I been in this game a long time, my nigga. You feel me? I’ve seen a lot of things, and met a lot of people, made a lot of connections. But you are the best friend I’ve ever had. You got what it takes to do everything I did, and then some. So remember this. You only get one shot, Born. You hear me? Just one shot.” He held up his index finger to illustrate his point.
In his dream, Born didn’t ask what Dorian meant, because in his heart, Born already knew. He meant that you only get one shot at life. And you damn sure better not waste it.
39
BURYING THE PAST
Jada woke up the next morning with the difficult task of her mother’s wake looming ahead of her. The viewing of Edna Ford’s body was to be held that evening at seven o’clock, and Sunny had agreed to watch Sheldon while Jada handled her daughterly obligations. Jada wanted to spare Sheldon at least one day of sadness and grief. He would attend his grandmother’s funeral, but he didn’t need to be present at her wake. The wake was still hours away. Jada sat at the breakfast table, amazed that Sunny had prepared French toast, eggs, and sausage all by herself.
“Girl, I didn’t know you had it in ya!” Jada munched on the soft, sweet bread drenched in syrup. “You have never been domestic. When did you learn to cook?”
Mercedes and Sheldon smacked their lips as they devoured Sunny’s breakfast. Sunny laughed, pleased that everyone was enjoying her cuisine. “I learned how to cook after Mercedes was born. Even though I have Jenny G., I still like to cook for her myself every now and then.” Jennifer Gonzalez was Sunny’s housekeeper. She came by every day, except Sundays, to clean up Sunny’s spacious high-rise apartment, and to prepare meals for her and Mercedes. Sunny paid Jenny G. a very competitive wage, and in turn she got whatever she needed from the Dominican woman. She cooked, cleaned, ironed, ran errands, answered phones. Whatever Sunny wanted, Sunny got it, and Jenny G. was more than happy to do it. After all, she was an illegal immigrant who spoke little English. Sunny spoke Spanish, thanks to her mother, and was happy to have her daughter exposed to a second language as well. In spite of her lack of credentials, Jenny G. was getting paid in full, and she knew well enough to shut the fuck up and jump whenever Sunny told her to. Jada had never guessed that Sunny knew how to cook. For Sunny, it wasn’t that she didn’t know how to do it. She just very seldom wanted to do it. “There’s a lot that you don’t know about me,” Sunny said, winking at Jada.
Jada laughed. “Yeah right. I know everything there is to know about you, Sunny. I could write a book on your behind!”
Sunny smiled big at the thought of that. She nodded. “And it would be a bestseller!”
The women slapped each other five, and enjoyed their food. When the kids were done eating, they went to watch TV, and Sunny looked at her friend from across the table. Jada looked bewildered. “What?” she asked.
Sunny folded her arms across her ch
est, and sat back in her seat. “Last night, when we went to bed, I did a lot of thinking before I fell asleep. You should call Born. He’s obviously thinking about you.” She shoveled some food in her mouth, and looked at Jada expectantly.
Jada shrugged. “That’s easier said than done,” she said. “I mean, I would definitely like to talk to him. But what would I say? Where the hell do I even begin?” She shook her head. “I’ll think about it.”
She finished her breakfast and then went to get dressed. Jada put on a black Donna Karan pantsuit and went on her way to her mother’s wake. She paused at the door, and looked at her watch. “Ava’s supposed to meet me at the church before the wake begins. We’ll finish talking when I get back,” she said to Sunny as she kissed Sheldon good-bye. Jada headed down the driveway and got inside her SUV. Sunny shut the door and returned to the living room, while the children played in Sheldon’s room.
Sunny sat on the sofa and looked at the photo albums stacked on Jada’s coffee table. She picked one up, flipped through it, and saw a picture of Jada and her sister as children. They looked like two peas in a pod. She saw some other pictures that she assumed were pictures of family members whom Sunny didn’t recognize. And then she saw it.
A picture of Born at the birthday party they’d thrown for him aboard the cruise ship was on a page all by itself. Born was smiling, his dimples prominent. She looked at the man standing beside Born with his arm flung over his young apprentice’s shoulder. Dorian. He looked so happy, with his sexy smile gracing his brown face. The stars over New York Harbor twinkled in the background, and Dorian’s eyes seemed to sparkle just as brightly.