Street Symphony: A Tainted Love Story

by Treasure Malian

  “Ms. Andrews,” A nurse, called from the doorway that led to the back of the office where patients were being seen. Sym sighed and silently thanked the nurse for her impeccable timing.

  Symphony stood, took McKenzie out of her stroller and headed in the direction of the nurse.

  “Hi, pretty girl,” The nurse cooed at Kenzie. “You can have a seat right in here, and the Doctor will be with you shortly.”

  Symphony thanked the nurse before walking into the room and taking a seat. She held McKenzie close to her chest and reached into her pocket for her vibrating phone. It was a text from Mitch.

  What’s good.

  She was appalled that he was going to try to carry on a conversation as if nothing happened last night. Sym didn’t expect him to go into details about whatever he had going on with his friends, but she expected him to acknowledge that the night didn’t end like either of them would have hoped.

  What’s up.

  She texted back. A minute had passed before her phone vibrated in her hand. As soon as she looked down to read the message, the Doctor walked in.

  “Hello, Ms. Andrew. McKenzie, look at you, cutie.”

  “Hello.”

  “Okay, today she’s scheduled to have two shots. I want to give her quick exam. Anything since the last time I seen her?”

  “No. That ear infection was the last one, thank God.”

  “Good. We have a strong Immune System. Don’t we, McKenzie. Sit up here with her,” the Doctor spoke while patting the patient table.

  Sym got up from where she was sitting and took a seat on the table, holding McKenzie on her lap. The Doctor proceeded to check McKenzie’s breathing, temperature, ears, and throat.

  “Looking good, looking good,” She praised McKenzie’s health before stepping away from them to prep the needles that would be used for her shots.

  “Are we ready for this mom?”

  Symphony looked down at her baby and pouted. She hated anything that the needles were surely going to irritate her, but she also knew she had to do it.

  “Try your best to keep her distracted,” The Doctor coached while pulling her stool directly in front of Symphony and McKenzie.

  Sym looked down at the baby and did sound effects that made her laugh. She was completely wrapped up in the show her mother was putting on that she didn’t see or feel the Doctor go in for the kill until it was too late. She whined for two seconds before busting out into full blown cries.

  “You did both?” Symphony asked the doctor while lightly bouncing McKenzie on her knee.

  “Sure did,” she placed a band aid on each of her thighs.

  “It’s okay, stink. It’s over; it’s over.” Sym held her close to her chest and patted her back.

  “In the event of a fever or if you just want to reduce her discomfort give her some Tylenol.”

  “Got it.”

  Symphony stood from the table and after sharing a few more words with the doctor about McKenzie remaining vaccinations, she was headed back out to the waiting where Laverne was patiently waiting.

  “How did she do?” Laverne questioned as Symphony placed McKenzie back in her stroller and strapped her up.

  “She fussed a little. She’s okay now. Just look out for a fever. We have Tylenol in the house.”

  “You are going into the office?”

  “Yes. I’m going to drop you guys home and head there. I called in and said I would be late.”

  She would have loved to stay home for the day. But it was a big day for her, Kory, and Nadja. She would never send them out on a job without her unless it was extremely necessary and it wasn’t.

  “We can walk home from here. It would be nice to walk and enjoy the weather. I might even take her to the park for a little while.”

  Symphony pushed the stroller toward the exit while contemplating Laverne’s offer. She only lived a couple of blocks away from the Doctor’s office, and she did like that Laverne allowed Kenz outside for sunshine and fresh air.

  “Okay, that’s fine. Just call me if anything. If I’m unable to answer, leave me a message so that I’ll know to get right back to you.”

  “I know the drill. Have a good day at work.”

  Symphony kneeled in front of Kenzie’s stroller. There was so much she wanted to say to her baby. So much on her heart that she just couldn’t express. It was days like today that made Sym question everything. She knew that daily she ran the risk of living her daughter motherless, but doing what she did for a living was all she knew. She just prayed that she made it home to her daughter every night

  “Kenzie, I love you.” She placed a soft kiss on her hand and stood up straight. “Thank you, Ms. Laverne, you girls have a good day.”

  Sym watched Laverne and McKenzie disappear down the block before jumping in her car. Before starting it up, she remembered that she had a message from Mitch that she didn’t read so she went to check it.

  Shit just got up about to shower and shit. What you up to?

  She lifted head from her phone and ironically looked directly at Mitch’s building. Her Doctors office was located on Fulton and Lafayette, and his building was two blocks up on Fulton and Ashland. She smirked while scrolling to her call log and hitting his name to call him.

  “What’s good,” he groaned into the phone.

  “Why you sound like that? You busy?”

  “Nah, I was working out. What you doing?”

  Sym placed the phone on speaker and put it on the seat beside her.

  “I just left a Doctor’s appointment with my daughter. She’s on her way home with her Nanny, and I’m about to go to work. I want to see you first.”

  She couldn’t believe the words had left her mouth, but they did. Not too long ago she was saying she needed to fall back from him because she didn’t want to take on whatever he had going on but then again here she was admitting that she indeed wanted to see him.

  “Pull up. Call me when you downstairs, so I can call the desk and let them know to let you up.” Mitch wasted no time accepting her offer to see him.

  Sym started the car and looked out into oncoming traffic before pulling out of her spot when it was clear.

  “Call now. Her Doctor is literally two blocks from your house.”

  “Aight, I’ll see you when you get here.”

  Sym ended the call and focused on the road. After coming to a stop at the red light she glanced at the time on the dashboard. It was only eleven fifteen, and she wasn’t scheduled to meet her sister and Nadja till one. She had ample time to kick it with him for a little while. As she drove down Fulton, she came up on a parking spot right before she hit his block. She decided to park there because she knew finding parking on his block was out of the question.

  After sliding out of her car, Symphony put on a pair of glasses to shield her eyes from the beaming sun. She adjusted the strap to her bag on her shoulder and trucked it up the block.

  “Hey, I’m here for Mitch… uhh,” she spoke to the desk clerk while realizing how foolish she sounded because she didn’t even know his last name.

  “Symphony?”

  “That’s me.”

  The desk clerk pointed toward the elevator, “Go right up. He’s expecting you.”

  “Thanks.”

  She exited the elevator on the twentieth floor and strolled down the hallway. Mitch never repeated which floor he lived on and the apartment because he was banking on her remembering from their last encounter. Once she reached his door, she tapped lightly.

  A few seconds passed before Mitch opened the door in nothing but Grey sweats that showed his dick print. Sym ran her tongue across her bottom lip thinking about what the sweats were masking. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to imagine because she had seen way more than the print, twice.

  “This how you open the door?” She laughed and pressed her hands against his chest.

  Mitch flexed and caused his triceps to jump.

  “Stop flexin’.”

  He stepped to the sid
e to allow her space to walk in.

  “I told you; I was working out. I’m glad you came through, though.”

  “Oh, yea?” She countered.

  “Yea, after last night I didn’t think I would get to kick it with you again,” he admitted.

  Symphony knew what he was referring to but decided to act dumb. “What happened last night? I had fun at Starlets. You and your boys know how to have a good time.” She wasn’t lying. She did enjoy the evening out with Mitch and his friends, but she was interested in knowing what the confrontation was about.

  “Cool. You want something to drink or anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good. Thank you.”

  They made their way into the living room where they took a seat on the couch next to each other. Silence fill the room. It was as if each of them had something to say that they were afraid to say. Sym shifted in her seat and turned to face him.

  “Mitch…”

  Her words were smothered by his mouth. Mitch reached up and grabbed the back of her head pulling her deeper into his kiss.

  “I—Mitch, I can’t. I have to go to work.” She spoke whit their lips touching. He kissed her once more for good measure and pulled away.

  “What do you do?”

  “I work at an accounting firm on Water Street in the city.” Symphony done told that story so many times that it just flowed off the tip of her tongue without thought. She knew the ins and outs of the accounting business because she had an aunt who did work at a firm on Water street and when they spoke Sym picked her brain as if she was interested in going into accounting. She wasn’t.

  “What about you?”

  “Besides owning the sneaker shop. I do trading, investing, and stuff like that.” All true. Unlike Sym, Mitch didn’t murder for hire because he needed the money. In fact, he was pretty well off. He murdered niggas because it was something he was good at and for that reason only. He started out just working for his big brother, who before his demise was on top of the New York City Drug trade. Michael didn’t trust not one nigga in the street with his life, so he took the one who would always have his back and molded him into the savage he had become. Without much effort, Mitch’s thoughts drifted to one of the fondest memories he had with his brother.

  “What’s that?” Twelve-year-old Mitch asked his then, Nineteen-year-old brother, Michael.

  Mitch had walked in on Michael bagging a white powdery substance into little baggies.

  “Nothing you should ever get involved in.”

  Mitch wasn’t stupid; he knew what his brother was involved in. He knew how he kept the newest Jordans on his feet and latest gear on his back. He just wanted to hear the words from Mike. The vague answer didn’t suffice so he pressed on.

  “Come on, Mike. I’m getting older. Tell me how I can get money too.”

  Mike snapped his head in the direction of his little brother.

  “This a grown man’s game, Mitch. All I want you to worry about is getting good grades. And when your balls drop, you can add getting bitches to the plate. That’s it. You hear me? Plus, I take care of home you don’t have any worries and I’ma make it where you and Michelle will never have worries.”

  “Do you give that to my dad?” The question took Mike by surprise. He knew that his little brother and sister were observant and knew that they weren’t dumb, he just didn’t know how much they really knew.

  “What you mean?” Mike asked picking Mitch’s brain a little to see where his head is at.

  Mitch’s shoulders dropped as he walked further into his brother’s room. He took a seat on his bed and looked out into thin air.

  “I never understood why my daddy was never around. Or why when he was around he wasn’t right. I heard mom one night telling you that he stole some of her jewelry and sold it for drugs. Is that it? Do you give that to my daddy?”

  Mike’s father was killed in action while serving the country. Upon his death. His mother met and eventually married Mitch and Michelle’s father, Kerry. Kerry was a good dude until he lost his job and allowed his life to spiral out of control until eventually he reached the lowest of lows. Mike believed money was money, and he would take it from anyone offering but he never sold drugs to Kerry and he never would. He didn’t want to be a part of the reason why his younger siblings didn’t have a father.

  “Nah. Never have and I never will. And Mitch that’s the exact reason why I don’t ever want you to get involved in this shit. You see first hand what it does to families. Don’t become part of that problem.”

  Mike knew he was a walking contradiction, but there was a method to his madness which justified him doing what he did, at least, to him it did.

  “I know; you may not understand why I’m telling you to stay away from this stuff when I don’t. But I don’t really have a choice. This mortgage, the utilities, the upkeep on the house, and making sure you, mom and Michelle is straight, cost. I didn’t finish high school so getting a job that will take care of all of that is out. Mom’s disability ain’t shit, so I gotta do what I gotta do to make sure mines is now and forever will be good. That’s why I stress school to you, man. It’s important. I won’t be here forever, but I need to know you’ll be in a position to take care of Michelle and eventually the big head ass kids you may have in the future. You understand?”

  Mitch nodded, “I do.”

  “But if you out there risking your life for us, I should be able to have your back. Teach me how to have your back, Mike.”

  Michael looked over at his little brother in search of a sign of doubt. There was none. Instead, Mike saw the face he saw when he looked in the mirror. The face of a young boy willing to go above and beyond for the people he loved.

  “Let’s make a deal. Focus on getting through school and once you finish High school, I’ll teach you everything you need to know to protect me and, more importantly, yourself, mommy, and Michelle.”

  “Deal!”

  Mike kept true to his word. By the time Mitch graduated from High school, he was proficient at using most handguns and had even caught his first body, looking after his brother. Mike not only taught Mitch how to survive in the streets, he taught him how to survive financially. He invested money in stocks, other businesses, and, of course, his sneaker store. Mitch made bread in his sleep.

  “You’re not even listening to me?”

  You could hear how annoyed Sym was by the tone of her voice. For the last two minutes, she was speaking to Mitch and eventually stopped when she noticed the distant look in his eyes.

  “What were you thinking about? Whatever it was, really had you zoned the fuck out.”

  “My bad. My stomach touching the gate. I was thinking about what I wanted to eat.”

  “Okay so, I’m sitting here talking to you, and you’re thinking about food. I guess I'm that boring, huh? Whatever, I need to get to work anyway,”

  She stood up to make her exit, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm and pulling her back down on the couch.

  “Chill. I was joking. I was thinking about getting to know you better that’s all. It’s interesting I found you in the club being a bottle girl and you went on to get into accounting.”

  Symphony chuckled to herself and shrugged, “Yea, had to pay for school some way.”

  “So, you been in New York since I last seen you?”

  The conversation was going in a direction she didn’t want to head in, but she knew she couldn’t brush it off because it would make it look as if she was hiding something. She was, but of course, she didn’t know to make it seem that way.

  “Nah, I stayed here for a few months after I saw you. Then went back to Philly. I just came back here a few months ago, when I got my job offer.”

  “You like it? Making any new friends?” Mitch questioned while slouching back against the couch and putting one leg up on the coffee table.

  “I don’t have time for friends. I’m just really squeezing you in.”

  “Oh, word? At least, you honest.”


  “I’m kidding. I know how to joke too, sometimes.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ll be back. I’m going to get a water. You want?”

  Sym shook her head no. Just as Mitch made his way out of the living room, Symphony’s phone rung. She pulled it out of her bag to see that it was Nadja calling.

  “What’s up, Nadj?” She answered.

  “Remember the guy, John. The one we met when we first got settled out here?” Nadja questioned.

  “Yea, what happened?”

  “He called and needs us to have an emergency meeting with some dude named Omere. You know Omere. I think.”

  “I don’t know him, know him. But I’ve heard his name in the streets and heard about the work he put in. But when is this meeting supposed to happen?” Sym wasn’t up for meeting people spur of the moment, but when she did, she was always compensated for it.

  “Today. I know we gotta take care of that other shit today too. Terrance came through with the pictures. Kori and I just got back from getting the location from the Judge, but I think we can take this meeting now and handle that tonight.”

  Sym sighed while thinking about what Nadja put on the table. It was too much to try to pack into one day, but this is what she signed up for.

  “Aight, I’m on my way mow.”

  “Where you at?”

  Sym laughed. She thought about telling Nadja about Mitch but because she didn’t have expectations for what they had going on she preferred to keep him separate from her family life.

  “Coming now. Kenzie had a Doctor’s appointment this morning. She got shots,” she changed the subject with ease.

  “Awe, kiss my baby for me. See you in a little while.”

  “I will.”

  “You gotta go?” Mitch asked, walking back over to the couch Symphony was sitting on.