by Natavia
“No hospital! What do you want us to do? Wait by his room with big guns? Kenjay is a target! Taking him to the hospital is a high-risk! He stays here,” Leodonis said to Latavia.
“Someone will come here and take care of him. He is fine here!” Leodonis’s wife spoke up.
“Ms. Pam I understand that but he cannot lay here like this. Blood is seeping through the bandage on his head. What about a cat scan? What if he is suffering a brain injury and is bleeding on the brain? He hit his head and he needs to be seen. If someone doesn’t see what the hell is wrong with him, I’m taking matters into my own hands! No disrespect to you or your home, but I don’t care about nothing else! I’m only concerned about my fiancé!” Latavia spat.
“Someone is coming now!” Leodonis said. I closed my eyes then drifted off into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes, it felt like I had been asleep forever. I had IV’s in my arms but the pain I had in my head was gone. I heard slight snores. I looked across the room and Latavia was knocked out. I slowly sat up, my body no longer feeling heavy.
“Latavia!” I called out. She jumped up.
“Leave me alone, Geraldine!” she said causing me to chuckle.
“What the hell is wrong with you, shorty?” I asked her. She rushed over to my bedside then kissed my lips.
“How are you feeling? You just passed out on us. You probably are floating on cloud nine from all the medicine they gave you. They even stitched your head up! Your father has some strong pull. No man should have that much power. It’s almost scary!” she said squeezing my hand.
“Just to think you will inherit all of that,” she said. I already knew what she was getting at and I didn’t want to hear that shit.
“Not now. I swear I don’t want to hear nothing about this shit! What the nigga does is what he does! I’m my own man and I’m not inheriting shit!” I said.
A beautiful thick woman walked into my room with a lab coat on. Her hair was dyed blonde and she was wearing it in a busy, long curly do. Her eyes slanted and she had an oval-shaped face. She smiled and it almost calmed me. I wasn’t attracted to her but something about her aura was calming.
“How is he feeling, Latavia? I hope he feels better. Girl, you should’ve seen me rushing, trying to hurry up and get here from nursing school!” she laughed.
“He is fine but his moody ass was ready to cuss me out if you hadn’t walked into the room,” Latavia told her.
“Kenjay, this is Cam. She’s Royal’s wife,” Latavia told me.
“What’s good, shorty? Now that I have met you, can you get me the fuck up out of here? Y’all got me laid up in this bed wrapped up like a fucking mummy. What the hell you wrap my whole body up like this for anyway?” I asked then she laughed.
“Cam, I apologize for his behavior,” Latavia told her.
“Girl, hush! I’m around it twenty-four seven! It’s to the point where I actually look forward to it. You haven’t seen nothing yet! Wait until family dinner tomorrow! It’s a ghetto-ass mess!” Cam said.
“My bad, shorty! But can you please unwrap a nigga! I’m in this bitch looking like a bloody tampon! I can feel blood seeping through my bandage,” I told her then she laughed at me as she unwrapped me.
Royal walked into the room then grilled me. I smirked at him as his wife tended to my wounds. I could see he was a jealous type of nigga. I won’t lie, if it was Latavia, I would be checking on her too. You don’t want your woman coming into close contact like that with a nigga you don’t know.
“Well damn, nigga! You could’ve brought some get-well cards with you or some balloons!” I told him.
“What I should’ve brought was my nine! But I’ll wait till you get better. I don’t want to fuck with you while you laid up like you just pushed a baby out your pussy!” he said to me. This nigga getting real G! In so many words, he just called me a bitch-nigga.
Latavia chuckled like that shit was funny. I had to laugh myself because I was laid up on some bitch shit with my legs spread out on a sling, wrapped up.
“Shorty, I’m ready to bounce!” Royal told his wife.
“Go ahead!” she told him. He gave her the same look I give Latavia when I don’t want to hear any bullshit.
“His woman is here. You did enough. Plus, his old man got some nurses downstairs,” he told her. She rolled her eyes at him.
Leodonis walked into the room. “I need to talk to Kenjay privately,” he told them. Royal and Cam walked out, and while they did he openly smacked her ass. Leodonis looked at Latavia then cleared his throat.
“What?” she asked me.
“Walk out the room for a few minutes with your nosey ass!” I told her, smirking. She got up rolling her eyes. I hope she took her pills today.
“We need to talk,” Leodonis said.
“What’s up, man?” I asked.
“Let’s start off in a good way. I don’t know how to be a father to a grown man. I know I bark orders, and maybe I shouldn’t because you are going to do what you want. I realized I was talking to you like a tiny boy. So, how about we get to know each other?” he asked me then I smirked.
“Your wife cursed you out about that didn’t she?” I asked laughing then he started laughing too.
“She ripped into me! Women obey their husbands in my country. But not my wife! Her neck was rolling and her fingers were pointed in my face!” he said.
His face all of a sudden got serious. “She reminds me of your mother. Same attitude but Tammy was just a little more outspoken. I was secretly in love with your mother. I even betrayed my own brother, but I couldn’t resist her. When she got pregnant, I was very angry. I moved back to Cuba. It took years for me to visit the U.S. I couldn’t see the woman I was in love with give another man a baby. If I had known you were my son all those years ago…”
“You alright with me if you chill out with that demanding shit!” I told him.
“Okay, bet!” he said sounding hip.
“Come on, man! You cannot do that!” I said laughing.
He threw his hands up, “Come on, man! Cut the old man some slack hijo!” he said.
“Yeah, alright! Just don’t call me a nigga and we’re good! That’s some racist shit right there!” I told him then he smirked. “How long have I been at your crib? I need to go!” I told him.
“For a day. You go home tomorrow. I’m not demanding it, I just think you are not in a good condition,” he said. He walked out then Latavia came back, sitting in a chair next to my bedside.
“Britain and O’Shea had the baby,” she told me.
“Oh, word? Damn! They could’ve waited for us,” I told her.
“Yes, she had the baby in the living room on the floor at Geraldine’s house yesterday. Y’all were busy yesterday, weren’t y’all? You got into a car accident and Britain went into labor on the floor. It was also three homicides in the area you crashed your car in! Isn’t that something?” she asked me.
“Damn! That is something! I guess everyone had bad luck yesterday!” I told her, ignoring her question. She was just trying to fish for information.
“Call O’Shea for me,” I told her. She dialed out then handed me her phone. I shook my head because of all the 3D shit she had on her phone case. O’Shea picked up.
“Yoooo!” I said.
“Damn, nigga! Where the fuck you been at?”
“Long story! I rap to you about it when I get home! I’m glad to see you holding up!” I told him. O’Shea was more than just my right-hand man; he was like a brother to me.
“Yo, some crazy shit happened yesterday! I’m not going to get into all of that over the phone,” he said. I already knew what he was talking about. I heard baby noises in the background. I smiled. “Congratulations, nigga! What’s his name? He isn’t a junior is he?” I asked him. O’Shea was named after his father. It was just switched around. Yager’s middle name is O’Shea and O’Shea’s middle name is Yager. That’s some screwed up shit his mother did to him. O’Shea said he didn’t
want his son having any part of that.
“Kensi Jace Keningston!” he said.
“Good looking out!” I laughed. I told O’Shea I would holla at him later. Latavia snatched her phone away from me. What the fuck is wrong with this broad now?
“Yo, on everything you need to lose that attitude! I’m not going to entertain that shit! Go the fuck home or something if you mad at me for no reason! What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked her.
“I’m not stupid, Kenjay! I know all that happened yesterday was tied to you! I can feel that shit! What are you trying to do? Get locked up? Get killed? What the fuck is it?” she asked me.
“Seriously? You just going to accuse me of shit? I hit my head and busted my shit wide open! I don’t remember shit that happened yesterday! I got temporary amnesia!” I told her. She stood up then snatched her purse off the chair.
“You keep lying to me and I’m sick of it!” she screamed. This bitch had really gone off her rocker.
“I don’t lie to you! I just refuse to tell you shit that isn’t any of your damn business! What I do outside of our relationship is my business! As long as I’m not fucking another woman, or involving you into my other life, we should be good! What the fuck!” I spat. My head started pounding.
“It doesn’t matter! As long as I’m with you, I’m affiliated with fucking criminals! Do you think they won’t lock my ass up too?” she asked me.
“Shorty, can you please just leave! I have a headache! Yo, just go!” I told her.
“I’ll be back later. I’m going to visit Britain,” she said walking out. I closed my eyes as the medicine Cam gave me started to kick in. I dozed off…
Britain
I cried as O’Shea held Kensi. I was supposed to be enjoying this moment with my family but I couldn’t. The man my father turned out to be was sickening! The more I thought about it the angrier I became. Now that everything came to light it all made sense. My father wore Depends but not once have I ever witnessed him having an accident. A man used to always come to pick him up but my grandmother told me he was helping my father with his reading and writing. My father was barely home, and when he was, he would be in the basement just about all day. When I lived with them for a few years certain things were questionable but I would never have assumed he was faking it.
O’Shea rubbed my back as I cried my heart out.
“It’s all good, shorty. I’m going to take care of it. You don’t have to worry about that bitch-ass nigga anymore,” he said to me as he laid Kensi in his incubator next to my bed. Shia was asleep on the sofa bed. Sometimes it was a good thing to not listen when someone tells you to do something. I told O’Shea he was not allowed to take Shia over her friend’s house. He thought it was because I was being overprotective. That’s not even all of it. I know their mamas have seen his sex-tape! Hell, everyone saw it. All of Shia’s friends’ mamas are single. But I’m still glad she was dropped off. I was more than glad, I was thankful! I would’ve lost my mind if she was caught in that mess.
I remembered one day I came home from school. I heard him on the phone arguing with someone over missing packages. His words were clear and the bass in his voice wasn’t child-like as it normally would be. When he noticed me standing there he started crying and banging his head on the wall. He carried on like that for about fifteen minutes. When I asked him what was wrong he said that his Pokémon cards didn’t come in the mail.
I was hurt and ashamed! I know that his mother knew all about him faking it. All these years he faked being handicapped and I wanted to know why! I had to get to the bottom of it. If money could make a person harm their own flesh and blood they are better off dead! Words could not explain how much I hated my father! His actions caused me and my mother a great deal of pain! It was because of him she turned to drugs. I couldn’t even imagine how she felt. I prayed to God that this didn’t cause her to get high again.
“I feel so much pain for my mother. If you would’ve seen the look on her face when Lenny walked through the door. She was really hurt. Now, I was afraid she might start getting high again. I was afraid she was going to turn into the little ponytail-wearing Geraldine with the baby hairs slicked down! What about the holey, dirty socks she used to always wear? What if she starts stealing again? My mother has come a long-ass way and my father is going to ruin it again! He has so much power over her. I hate it. And the sad part is, she still loves him!” I told him. He kissed my forehead.
“Come on, shorty. Chill out. You got to have more faith in Geraldine. She has more to lose now than she did back then. She has grandchildren now and Kenjay is paying her really well. I’m sure she is hurting but I can’t see her smoking that glass dick again. Your mother is strong. She was strong even when she was getting high. You may not have thought so but she could’ve neglected you and you could’ve ended up in foster care. She did her best for you when she was at her worst. She will be okay. So stop tripping over that bullshit,” he said. I wiped my eyes.
“You’re right. I know she’s stronger than what she appears to be. I just hate for my mother to be in any type of pain. Damn I hate that nigga she had me by! You don’t understand how much I want him to die slowly and painfully!” I vented.
Latavia walked in with balloons and a big bag full of baby items. I just had a baby shower not too long ago and she brought in more stuff.
She kissed my cheek then hugged O’Shea.
“Damn, Britain. Did you do any work? I mean Kensi looks just like his daddy. I mean exactly like his daddy!” she said. O’Shea smiled and I playfully rolled my eyes at him.
“Don’t pump his head up.” I giggled. She washed her hands then picked Kensi up. You could see tears welling up in her eyes. Deep down I knew Latavia would never get over the loss of Jace. She used to be full of life and now she didn’t have that sparkle anymore. She lost a part of herself and I hoped that one day she could find it again.
“Shia is about to wake up. I’m going to take her to grab something to eat,” O’Shea said.
“What happened to your face?” Latavia asked O’Shea.
“Oh, nothing just some after-party fight I was in.” Latavia looked at me then I turned my head. I knew she knew something was going on but I promised O’Shea I wouldn’t tell her. He said that was Kenjay’s job to tell her and to not get involved in their relationship.
After Shia woke up, she kissed my face then hugged Latavia. Her and her father walked out.
“You have a beautiful family, Britain. A young, black successful couple? You don’t see much of that nowadays. You are so damn lucky!” she said kissing Kensi’s forehead. She laid him back down.
“Thank you! You will too when the baby gets here!” I told her. She sat down next to my bed.
“I’m leaving Kenjay for good this time. On my way over here I thought about my life. I never imagined it would be like this. I fell in love with a drug dealer. I hate the way it sounds even coming out of my mouth. I’m only twenty-three. I shouldn’t feel like my life will never get better. I’m supposed to be happy,” she said.
“Do you love him?” I asked.
“Hell yeah, I do! I love him too much! But I love my life even more. I’m afraid I might end up in jail or dead being with Kenjay,” she said.
“You know I love you, right?” I asked her.
“Yes, I know. How can you not?” she replied.
“You know that I will never say anything to you if I don’t mean it, right?” She shook her head yes.
“I think you need to put on your big girl panties and stop nagging about something you played a part in. I understood the first time you were mad because he lied and said he stopped hustling. But the second time around was all on you. He told you he would stop in a few years. You accepted it then spread your legs for him so he could get you pregnant again. He didn’t want to do it but he did it to make you happy. Then on top of it all, he dealt with your mental illness. I told you Kenjay was not going to change for anyone until he was ready. I grew up w
ith the ignorant fucker. Trust me, I know how he is!” I told her. She put her head down.
“All I want is a perfect relationship,” she said.
“There’s no such thing, you little heifer!” my mother said, strolling in. She washed her hands then picked up Kensi. “Hey, mama’s grandbaby!” she said kissing him.
“O’Shea better stop fucking with me, Britain. He told me the doctor found another baby. I thought I was going to walk in and see some twins. I knew that lil’ grown nigga wasn’t right. I’m going to beat his grown ass. Then he had poor little Shia lying with him. You need to make sure he isn’t getting high,” she said. Geraldine thought everybody was getting high.
She looked at Latavia then rolled her eyes. I didn’t know what her problem was with Latavia all of a sudden.