by Midnite Love
Several hours later
“I knew her ass would be no where around. That’s another reason I made it a point to show up!” Joe fumed.
“And I appreciate you being here,” Maven replied. “I only had one number for Sonnet and that’s disconnected. I don’t have any contact information for any of her friends. It’s sad to think that our family has become so divided that we can’t even come together for a tragedy.” She shook her head in despair.
“It’s not the whole family, stop taking up for her Maven and call it what it is. Niece or not, Sonnet is a selfish bitch who only thinks of herself.” Joe replied.
“That’s right daddy, don’t nobody want her triflin ass here anyway,” Trina chimed in. My lil’ cuz know he has family that loves him. Besides that, I still got a bone to pick with that bitch over how she showed out at granny’s funeral. So it’s best she keep her distance from me.”
Before Aintee Maven could respond the Dr. stepped into the waiting area.
“Ms. Wiggins?”
“Yes, how is he Dr?” Aintee Maven asked, leaping from her seat.
“I’m Dr. Thompson. I’m one of the surgeons working on your nephew. It’s touch and go, but we are doing everything possible.”
“Touch and go?” Joe retorted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“That means that he’s lost a lot of blood. We will need to do a transfusion. The bullet that penetrated his chest went straight though and caused minimal damage. Luckily it didn’t hit any major organs. Unfortunately the one that went through his abdomen ruptured his spleen and lodged it’s self near his spine. That’s what we have been working on for the past several hours. We are trying our best to remove out without causing any further nerve damage, but it’s in a tricky spot.”
“So you staying that the bullet may have to stay in him?” Aintee Maven asked with a shaky tone.
“I’m not going to make that speculation just yet. Right now he’s in critical condition. Our main priority is getting him stable and replacing the blood he has lost. Ms. Wiggins would you be the one signing the consent form?”
“Yes, by all means.”
When it was all said and done Aviare made it through the surgery with minimal complications. The doctors were able to remove the bullet lodged near his spine. The full extent of the nerve damage wouldn’t be evident until he was awake. Worse case scenario was he may not be able to walk but he was still alive and that was all that mattered to his family. Maven and Joe were informed that since Aviare was so young and otherwise healthy that he should make a full recovery.
Chapter 4 - Settling In
“Are you sure this is the wall you want it on?” Darrius asked as he and his friend set down the heavy piece of furniture.
“Yes baby I’m sure,” Lexi replied.
She couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as she and Quantez stood back and admired his newly remodeled bedroom. Moving in with Darrius so far proved to be one of the best decisions she could have ever made. Not only were they living in a beautiful neighborhood; it turned out to be one of the best school districts in the city. Not to mention the fact that the apartment complex not only offered a state of the art work out facility; there was also a huge play area for the children. And the fact that it was closer to her job didn’t hurt one bit either.
This was a far cry from the beat up neighborhood Lexi was used to. Darrius had promised to try and make a better life for her and Quantez and so far he had kept his word. Not only was he staying out of trouble and going to work every day; he was treating her better than ever. Lexi couldn’t help but choke up when she thought about all that she and Darrius had been through, and all the heartache he had caused her in the past. Their relationship had now come full circle and he was finally proving to be the man that she could see her future with. For the first time in a long time she could truly say that she was happy.
Her joy soon turned sadness when she thought about her friends. No could have ever told her that Sonnet and Cheron wouldn’t be right there to celebrate her new place, helping her decorate, throwing her a housewarming. The way everything ended was truly fucked up but she had no choice but to let Sonnet go on her way. After Lexi moved on with her new life with Darrius she also decided that this would be a good time to make some other positive changes in her life as well. She decided go back to school for her degree in media marketing as well as start taking better care of herself and getting in shape. She even cut down on her drinking and weed smoking. With Darrius in her corner supporting her she felt like she could conquer the world.
As much as she loved Sonnet she knew that she had no place for her in her new life, considering all she brought was drama and negativity. As far as Cheron was concerned, that ship had sailed as well. She tried to explain herself the last time they spoke but Cheron wanted nothing else to do with her once she found out that she knew about the affair between Sonnet and Kenterris. It was just as well. Sometime friendships are like picking up the pieces of broken glass. The more you try to put the pieces together, the more you get cut.
Chapter 5 - Cheron Gets Her groove back
“So it’s settled, I’ll see you in an hour,” Grace, Cheron’s stepmother replied. Once her mother passed and her father had finally clean himself up and gotten off drugs he remarried. Grace took the place of Cheron’s real mother. She loved her dearly and had no problem calling her momma
Cheron sighed, “Ok momma, I’m hopping in the shower as soon as we get off the phone.”
The last thing Cheron wanted to do on this day was spend the day at the mall. Not only had she stayed up half the night listening to Mary J Blidge and nursing a bottle of Don Julio; she was still groggy and a bit hung over. Not to mention the fact that the gloomy over cast added to her dismal mood. Her plan was to sleep till at least noon then spend the day relaxing in her PJs. However her mom wasn’t trying to hear any of it. She’d dodged her and the rest of her family for as long as she could. She finally caved in to the pressure and agreed to spend the day mall hopping along with a pamper session. It was either that, or her mother threatened to hang out at her place for the entire weekend. When faced with the ultimatum, the mall seemed like the lesser of two evils. Besides, Grace was right; she did need to get out of the house for more than just running errands.
Once Cheron emerged from the shower she quickly lotioned up before slipping into her panties and bra. Before sliding into her jeans she turned to look at her backside in the mirror. This was the first time she’d taken a really good look at her body since she and Kenterris broke up. What she saw surprised her. She knew that her clothes were fitting a bit looser but she didn’t realize how much weight she had actually lost. Not only had her butt lost some of its plumpness and perkiness; she had lost a considerable amount of belly fat. Upon closer inspection she also noticed that her tits no longer spilled out the cups of her DDD bra.
The stress from the breakup had taken its toll on her. Not only had she lost weight; she realized that her hair was thin and scraggy on the ends. She was long overdue for a trim and deep conditioning treatment. The more she thought about it a day at the mall wasn’t such a bad idea after all. She could grab a few pieces that actually fit her new slimmer figure as well as dip in the salon.
“Lawd, look how my baby done fell off,” Cheron’s mother announced when she emerged from her vehicle.
Cheron sighed, she knew her mother was going to have something negative to say about her appearance. And while she couldn’t deny the fact that her weight loss was noticeable; it also wasn’t drastic. She’d lost almost fifteen pounds. And truth be told it not only looked good on her; she was now actually closer to a healthy body weight and she planned on taking full advantage of it.
“Yeah, I’ve been kinda going through it,” Cheron admitted, “but I needed to drop a few pounds anyway.”
“Nonsense! We gotta fatten you back up. You just don’t look healthy to me,” Grace replied as they made their way across the mall parking lot.
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Cheron knew better than to argue with her mother. She would have been fighting a losing battle against her old-schooled views on weight, and how black women should have some meat on their bones. Instead she smiled and agreed with her.
“You right momma.”
Cheron mood had changed considerably since that morning, when she planned on holeing up in her condo. Now that she was actually out she felt better than she had in weeks. She was looking forward to a mini shopping spree and catching up on the family gossip with her mom.
When it was all said and done she ended up having ball. She grabbed herself several sexy outfits to compliment her new figure as well as a trendy haircut and a facial. She was feeling better about herself than she had in a long time. It gave her the confidence boost she needed to start going out again. Her days of crying over Kenterris were now long behind her. Now that she had a new look and a new attitude to match, it was time to share them with the world
Chapter 6 - Old Acquaintances
“Pass the bottle Miss Sidity,” Effie ordered.
The elderly homeless woman bundled the tattered layers around her neck as she eyeballed Sonnet. She had told Royce about inviting newcomers into their circle. The temperature had dipped to a chilly 47 degrees and the last thing she needed was a prissy ass hoodrat who wasn’t privy to the rules of the street.
“Leave her alone Effie. You was new to this shit too once,” Royce replied as he rekindled the fire in the tin trash bin they stood around, swigging on a fifth of Thunderbird wine. When Sonnet’s turn came, she stood staring at the bottle with a slight upturn to her nose. One part of her craved the warmth that the ethanol would provide if she took a swig, but another part of her couldn’t stomach the idea of drinking behind bums who hadn’t seen a toothbrush in God’s knows when.
“I never acted that damn uppity,” Effie spewed before snatching the bottle from Sonnet’s hand and slugging down a few gulps. “Acting like you too good to share a drink with us. With all the dick you been sucking we should be afraid to drink behind you!”
Sonnet never said a word. Instead she stood in silence trying to absorb her surroundings and taking in as much as she could. Effie’s words didn’t faze her one way or the other.
“Alright Effie, that’s enough,” Royce chuckled as he took the bottle from her. After taking several swigs he wiped his mouth and turned his attention to Sonnet.
“She’s right you know. You ain’t gon’ make it in these here streets lest you come down off that high horse you sitting on.”
“Excuse me?” Sonnet replied.
“You heard me, you been walking around here acting like somebody owes you something. Acting like you better than the rest of us. When the truth is you ain’t got no room for pride when we all in the same situation. It would do you good to humble yourself and realize you can’t make it out here by yourself.”
Royce’s words of wisdom went in one ear and out of the other. As far as Sonnet was concerned she’d survived this long by herself, she didn’t need to start making any new friends now.
“Naw you got it wrong old timer. What would do me some good is staying to myself like I’ve been doing.”
With that she chucked them the deuces and took off with her buggy and Gucci in tow. Royce was right about one thing. She was no better than the rest of the bums as long as she was sleeping with them. With that in mind she decided that she would try to secure a spot at the shelter for the night, but not before stopping off at the soup kitchen next door to grab a hot meal. It was almost dinner time and the line was getting long.
Once she hid her buggy behind one of the dumpsters in the alley across the street from shelter she tied Gucci to a lamp post and prayed that both of them would be there in the morning. This was the very reason she’d been avoiding the shelter. Number one, she couldn’t bring in a pet. And number two, there was no way of protecting her belongings. By now she had collected enough junk to fill up a shopping buggy and she didn’t want to risk losing any of it by leaving it unattended. However if she were to get a bed for the night, this would have to be the case.
“Gucci, mommy loves you. I promise I’ll try to sneak out something for you to eat. You protect mommy’s stuff and I be back to get you tomorrow.”
The scruffy pooch looked up at her and whined. Before she left she tore open the few packs of saltine crackers she had stashed in her bag and let her gobble them up. She then placed a tiny bowl in front of her and filled it with water from a bottle.
“This should be enough to last you through the night.” After pulling a dusty blanket from her buggy and arranging on the ground to fashion a doggy bed, she gave her one last hug and took off.
By now the line was wrapped around the building at the soup kitchen. That didn’t stop Sonnet from gladly taking her place with the rest of the hungry patrons. The rumbles from her belly could damn near be heard on the next block.
When she was finally inside the aroma hit her nose like a welcoming mat. Even though canned, diced chicken and gravy served over instant mashed potatoes was on the menu, it was going to taste like Filet Mignon tonight. Once she got her tray and silverware she waited patiently for her turn. The sight of how many people who were awaiting a meal in her same position, basically starving, was surreal. She had spent most of her adult life avoiding and looking down on the very people she now was about to break bread with. And the irony was, she was glad to be there. A hot meal in her belly beat the hell out of eating cold spam out of a can on the street any day. She was finally awakened from her trance by the sound of a familiar voice.
“Aye come on baby, slap another helping of them potatoes on that plate.”
What the hell? Sonnet thought as she moved closer to the man in line in front of her. There was no way this could be who she thought it was.
“Yeah that’s it, and add some more of that gravy,” the man demanded.
“Tyler?” Sonnet called out to the man but he didn’t reply.
“Tyler?” she called out again, this time stepping in front of the man so she could actually see his face. “It is you!” she snapped. His appearance was quite different from the refined gentleman that had swept her off of her feet and swindled her out of her money. However even the lint balls in his hair, crusty eyes, cheap cologne, and full beard couldn’t hide the fact that it was indeed Tyler.
“What? You got the wrong person,” the man replied.
“No I don’t! It is you, you son of a bitch!”
“Hey! Keep it down over there!” a security guard yelled out.
“You need to calm down and back the hell up off of me. I don’t know nothing about no damn Tyler. My name is Rayquan.”
“I’m Sonnet you asshole! You stole my money and ruined my fucking life!” she screamed.
By now the woman behind the counter was motioning for her to take her plate of food and get the hell out of the line, seeing as she was the reason it was being held up. The crowd behind her was also becoming impatient. The security guard made eye contact with Sonnet and issued another warning. Once they moved to the end of the line she started in with her verbal assault on Rayquan.
“Rayquan? So Tyler was a while fucking front? Just as I suspected, you stole some white’s man identity! I should have known you was a bum ass nigga!” She already knew the truth but it was better hearing it from the horse’s mouth. “Do you realize I lost everything behind that shit you pulled? Thanks to you I’m living on the damn streets,” she ranted. By now she was shaking in rage. “You gon’ pay me back every fucking dime you owe me, do you hear me?” she screamed in his face.
“Bitch, do I look like I have any money? My momma just put my ass out. And I got three baby mommas after me for support. If you weren’t so fucking thirsty you wouldn’t have gotten got. That shit was like taking candy from a baby. You was just another notch on my damn belt. And I know what the real problem is. It ain’t about the loot. You miss this dick don’t you?” Rayquan asked smugly as he gripped his manhood in one hand, while
balancing his tray in the other. “I still got that good wood if you wanna tip in the alley after we get our grub on,” he shot a buttery yellow grin at her and blew her a kiss. He was right, Sonnet’s money was long gone and he was broker now than he was before he’d scammed her. But if she wanted to get it in for old time sake he was down.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Sonnet dropped her tray and dove on Raquan, clawing his face in rage. “You muthafucka! You ruined my life!”
“Get the fuck off of me!” Rayquan yelled, flinging Sonnet to the ground. The fact that she made him drop his tray pissed him off more than her attacking him. “Bitch, its sugar cookie Wednesday! If you get me put out before I get my damn cookies imma knock that other tooth out yo’ damn head!”
By now the crowd forming around them had moved back to make way for the security that was pushing their way through. Sonnet and Rayquan were locked in a bear hug rolling in the floor. When they were finally torn apart they were made to leave the establishment from separate doors. Sonnet was escorted kicking and screaming to the front door while Rayquan was led to the side. Somehow he managed to break free from the grip of the security guard and snatch two sugar cookies from someone’s tray.
“Hey! What the hell?” the person yelled out.
Before Rayquan could be stopped he crammed the cookies in his mouth and made haste out the side door.
Sonnet’s first mind told her to wait for Rayquan and find something to bash his damn head in with. But considering that she didn’t get to eat, nor was she going to be allowed to sleep at the shelter because of the altercation she decided that she’d better grab her buggy and Gucci and seek shelter and food for the night.
As if her day couldn’t have gotten any worse. When she arrived back at the spot when she’d hidden her buggy and Gucci they were both gone, just that fast. She collapsed on the ground and cried. She could replace the stuff she had in her buggy, but what was she going to do without Gucci? She had been with her through thick and thin. When it was all said and done she’d lost the only friend she had left in the world.