by India
“Fuck you then, bitch.” He jumped at me like he was about do something.
Without flinching, I pulled my gun and put it right upside his dome. “Do that shit again and it’ll be the last thing you’ll ever do, believe that!”
“Oh, shit!” Just like I knew he would, he stepped back with his hands up. “It’s like that, shorty?”
“The minute your ass got disrespectful, you made it like that. Now get the fuck out of the way before I shoot you just for pissing me off.” I was dead-ass serious, too. Men these days thought they could talk to women any ol’ kind of way. But I wasn’t having it. By look on his face, he had never met a bitch like me. He attempted to save face for his boys, who were watching and laughing. Even so, I could tell he was intimidated.
“Yeah, all right then. I guess I’ll see you next time and we’ll see how tough you are then.” Having just tossed me an empty threat, he walked away like he was a boss.
“Nigga, I ain’t ever scared.” I proceeded to enter the building without looking back. All the same, I kept my piece out just in case another person wanted to jump stupid today.
Knock. Knock. I tapped lightly on Gran’s door and placed my gun back into my purse.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Janelle,” I replied and waited for the door to open.
“Well, hello, stranger.” She looked me over from head to toe before she decided to move aside so that I could enter her apartment.
“How are you, Gran?” I took one look at the old corduroy sofa and made the prompt decision to stand. Not only was it on its last leg, but it probably had a roach or two crawling beneath the cushions.
“I’m blessed and highly favored.” She sounded like a gospel robot.
I simply shook my head. Now don’t get me wrong. There was nothing wrong with religion. However, Gran took it to a whole other level with her sermons, side-eyes, and finger-pointing. In the past, I’d heard that saints were once the biggest sinners. Yet, Gran acted as if she were holier than the Lord Himself. Just because she hadn’t sold dope or killed anyone didn’t mean that her having a baby out of wedlock was viewed any differently in the book of judgment.
“Anyway, I just came over to check on you and see if you needed anything.”
“Janelle, the Lord will supply my needs.” She nodded then sat down at the dining room table. “I was just about to eat some lunch. Would you like some?” She pointed to an open can of tuna fish.
My eyes bucked. “Gran, why are you eating tuna from the can? Where is the relish, the mayo, the egg for God’s sake?”
“I like it like this.” She was lying, and I knew it.
Without delay, I went into her kitchen. Swinging open the refrigerator, cabinets, and pantry, it was just as I thought. With the exception of two more cans of tuna, a can of Vienna sausages, and a half-eaten pack of saltine crackers, they were all bare.
“Gran, why didn’t you tell me you didn’t have any food?” I was devastated. While I was at home eating steak and lobster, my grandmother was starving. We may have had our differences, but I would never see her go hungry.
“It’s not your concern, Janie.” She kept on eating that tuna like it was her last supper.
“You’re my grandmother!” I yelled. “Please let me help you,” I begged on the verge of tears. Gran was merely too damn stubborn for her own good.
“No, thank you. I don’t want anything to do with that street money.”
“So you’d rather starve?” I couldn’t believe this shit.
“I won’t starve. My food stamps come in on the fifteenth.” She completed her canned meal and set the empty container down on the table.
“Gran, today is the seventh. There’s no way you’ll survive for eight days with what you have in that kitchen.”
“Like I said before, it’s not your concern.” She looked at me with a straight face. “I can see that you’ve been eating good though.” She pointed.
I looked down at my belly then back at her. “Gran, I’m pregnant.” It took a few minutes for my words to resonate with her. I imagined she was going to go hard on me.
On the contrary, she actually smiled for the first time in a long time. “Babies are blessings, Janelle. Congratulations, granddaughter.”
“Thank you, Gran. I’m due in four months. We’re excited.”
“Who’s the father?” She looked as if she almost didn’t want to know.
“Anthony.”
“That boy your father adopted?” She appeared puzzled. “Well, isn’t that your so-called godbrother?”
“We decided to date a while ago, and the rest is history.”
“I guess.” She sighed. “You do know you have to make sure you take care of yourself and eat right.”
“Look who’s talking.” We both laughed, which diffused the tension somewhat.
For the rest of my visit, we talked about motherhood. She even reminisced about when my father was born. It felt good to hold a genuine conversation with my grandmother, one that wasn’t phony or forced. When it was time for me to leave, I was even able to talk her into letting me give her some grocery money. We were making progress. I prayed things remained this way.
Chapter Forty-seven
Surprisingly, my visit with Gran lasted three hours rather than the anticipated three minutes. I was headed home to catch a nap when my cell phone rang. It was Ace. “Hey, I’m headed home now,” I said.
“Meet me downtown at the Detroit Princess boat. I have a surprise for you.” He spoke with the wind whistling in the background.
“What kind of surprise?” I smiled.
“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” He laughed. This man was always going out of his way to spoil me, and I loved every second of it.
“Okay, let me go home and change. I’m way too underdressed for the boat ride.” The denim shorts and pink tank top with a pair of Old Navy flip-flops weren’t exactly my “going out” attire.
“Chill, girl, I got you. Just bring your sexy ass on down here. I’ll be waiting out front.” He ended the call, and I amped up the volume on my radio.
Within half an hour, I was parking downtown and calling Ace. He had already spotted me and was striding over to me with a garment bag and a box of shoes. “What’s up, cutie? Where’s your man?”
“Ha-ha, very funny.” I leaned in for a kiss as he rubbed my belly.
“I got you a li’l something. Come on, you can change in one of the bathrooms on the boat.” He grabbed my hand.
“You are so good to me, Ace. What did I ever do to deserve you?” I knew that shit sounded corny, but it was exactly how I was feeling.
“Baby girl, I’m the lucky one. There are so many bitches out here claiming to be a down-ass chick. I know I got a real one. That’s why I gotta take care of you.” He winked.
“I love you!” Never in a million years did I think Ace and I would be together, but I was sure glad we were. He was the yin to my yang. In some ways, I felt the love my parents had for one another had been miraculously transferred to us.
After stepping onto the large party boat, I entered the first bathroom I saw in order to change. Ace had purchased a beautiful coral BCBG spring dress with beaded straps and a pair of gold Gucci sandals. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and made a bun. The look was cute yet comfortable. I knew he would like it. “Okay, I’m ready.” I stepped through the doorway with my old clothes stuffed inside of the huge Michael Kors purse I was carrying.
Wearing a huge smile, Ace was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. “Damn, girl, we might have to go in that bathroom and handle some business.” He licked his lips and readjusted his manhood.
“Stop playing and let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Girl, you’re always hungry.” He rubbed my belly again and led me toward the dinner cruise dining room.
“I can’t help it.” We laughed as he pulled the door open. At first glance, the place was dark. I thought we were in the wrong room. Out o
f the blue, the lights came on and everyone yelled, “Surprise!”
“Oh, my God!” I jumped, partially scared to death and partially surprised. The room was full of my friends, most of them wearing their caps from graduation. There was a banner in the center of the ceiling congratulating all graduates. “You did all of this for me?” I turned around to face Ace, who was holding out my cap and tassel.
“Put it on, baby, and go celebrate with your friends.”
“Thank you!” I mouthed after being pulled away by a few of my girls from school.
“Girl, Ace know he’s fine!” Tyra put emphasis on her statement by rolling her neck around in a circular motion.
“Hell yeah!” Tamia laughed. These twins had been my girls ever since ninth grade. I often referred to them as Chocolate and Vanilla. Their mother was white and their father black. One might assume they would both be light skinned. However, Tamia was dark brown and Tyra was high yellow. “Does he have a brother? Because a bitch is trying to get hooked up.”
“No, he doesn’t.” I laughed.
“When is the baby due?” they both asked at the same time.
“In four months.” I waved back at a few familiar faces then took a seat at one of the tables covered in white linen. “Anyway, how is your mom?”
“Girl, she should be getting out in a few months.” Tyra sat beside me while Tamia continued to stand. Their mom, Harriet, was busted ten years ago after bringing a shipment of heroin in from Mexico for their father, Robert. The feds knew the dope wasn’t hers. They offered her an opportunity to rat on her man for a reduced sentence. Consequently, Harriet insisted she was in business for herself. Since they weren’t able to prove otherwise, Harriet was sent to prison and Robert was left with his girls. He tried to do right by them and leave the game, but after a while the streets started calling. About three years ago, he was murdered while waiting in the drive-thru line at a fast food restaurant.
“So what’s next for you two, college or the workforce?” I asked.
“Girl, I’m trying to find a baller to take care of me.” Tyra was dead serious. “I mean, look at all of this.”
“Girl, bye!” Tamia rolled her eyes.
“Well, not everybody’s a genius like you. Besides, I’ve been to juvenile too many times to get a real job.” While growing up, she had gotten into some of everything, from beating up girls with bats to stealing from the corner store. One time, she was sentenced to do real time in the county.
“I’m going to school for accounting,” Tamia interjected. She always was the brains of the operation, receiving straight A’s in school and scholarships to various colleges.
“Are you attending an out-of-state school?”
“No, I’m going to University of Detroit Mercy. I need to keep an eye on this one here.” She pointed to her sister, who was applying lip gloss. “What about you?”
“After I have the baby, I’ll probably get a job.” I shrugged.
“Janelle, do you remember the day we started ninth grade?” Tyra asked. “We were in Mrs. Claskin’s class. She went around the room asking everyone what they wanted to be when they got older. I said I wanted to be a model, and Tamia wanted to be a banker. Do you remember what you said?” She busted out laughing, and so did Tamia and I. Everyone’s mouth dropped open when I told my teacher I wanted to be a gangster.
I’d never forget that day! She was at a loss for words, but not for long. She called my parents then told me how idiotic I sounded. Most of the kids laughed until I asked Mrs. Claskin how much she made a year. If I recall correctly, it was somewhere between $35,000 and $45,000. Then, I proceeded to inform her that one brick of cocaine was worth approximately $1,000. And even if I only sold one brick a week, I would still make more than her in less than a year. The class roared with laughter. Although I was suspended for a week, it was still funny.
“Those were the days.” I continued laughing with my friends until the disc jockey commenced to playing the current hit songs. That’s when we hit the dance floor to break a sweat.
Chapter Forty-eight
The party was a huge success. I was elated to see all of my people again. A few of them had even asked me to come and hang out a little while longer, but I declined. Being pregnant sure could take a toll on your body. My back was aching and my feet were sore. So here I was stretched out across the sofa.
“Where you going?” I looked up from the Boss Bitch magazine I was reading just in time to see Ace heading for the door. He was in such a hurry that he hadn’t bothered to tell me he was leaving.
“I just got a call from my man, Nicky. He said today’s shipment should be arriving in an hour. He wants me to be at the spot when it gets there so that I can grab my order and hit the streets.”
“Should I go with you?” Don’t ask me why, but I was beginning to become more protective of Ace than he was of me.
“No, I’m good. It shouldn’t take that long.” He leaned down to kiss my lips then my belly.
“What time will you be back?”
“I’m not sure, Janie, but it shouldn’t take more than two hours.”
“Okay, be careful. See you later.” I watched him leave the house then turned my focus back to the magazine.
“Girl, you’ve been in that same spot since I came home over two hours ago.” Alicia emerged from her bedroom with Keisha on her trail.
“Why are you clocking my moves?” I teased Ali. “You need to be worrying about your life and stop worrying about mine. Now can you bring me some water?”
“Oh, no, heffa, I ain’t bringing you shit. Get your lazy ass up off that couch and get it yourself.” She laughed.
“You see how selfish she is, Keish?” I shook my head.
“She’s not that bad, Janelle.” Keisha defended her boo at all costs. I tossed a pillow at her, and she caught it then tossed it right back.
“Here, lazy.” Ali set a cold glass of water down on the table. “Is there anything else I can bring Your Royal Highness before I go?” She bowed playfully.
“Yeah, bring me a million dollars.”
“Small bills or large?” she asked with a straight face. Then we burst into laughter.
“Where are you going anyway?” I reached for the water and took a sip. “Don’t y’all wanna stay in and order some food and a movie?”
“We got a room downtown for the night.” Alicia grabbed her keys from the table.
“Well, don’t mess around and get pregnant!” I cracked up laughing so hard that I almost peed on myself. Ali flipped me the bird. Keisha gave me a hug before leaving.
After a few hours of quiet time, I ended up dozing off in the living room. I awakened with a strong urge to use the restroom. Slowly, I stood from the couch and stretched. My joints popped as the pressure to pee intensified. I glanced at the time on the cable box and noticed it was almost midnight. Silently, I wondered where Ace was at. Therefore, I grabbed my cell phone from the coffee table to check for missed calls. However, there were none.
Quickly, I dialed his number while heading into the bathroom. After several rings, his voicemail came on. I ignored the feeling in the pit of my belly that was telling me that all was not well. Repeatedly, I dialed him, only to hear his voicemail.
Instinctively, I grabbed some clothes from my dresser and slid them on. I didn’t care one bit if they were wrinkled and didn’t match. After calling Ace one last time, I called Alicia.
“Hey, J. What’s up?”
“Ace hasn’t been home since earlier. I know something’s up.”
“Calm down, girl. When was the last time you spoke to him?” she asked as my other line beeped.
“Hold on.” Without awaiting her response, I clicked over to the other line. “Hello.”
“Janelle, sorry to call you this late. It’s Kenny.”
“Who?” I frowned.
“Officer Bryant.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I never knew your first name. What’s up?”
“Have you been watching the
news?” he asked cautiously.
My stomach tightened. “No. What channel?”
“Turn it on channel four. They’re doing a story on a drug bust this afternoon. The Feds confiscated over one hundred kilograms of cocaine and arrested seventeen people. Ace was one of them.”
“What?” I grabbed the remote control and turned on the news. Sure as shit, they were covering the drug bust. Ace’s name was all over the television. “Oh, my God!”
“I just wanted to let you know. From what they’re saying, he’s facing some serious time. So you better get him an attorney quick.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. Talk to you later.” Completely winded, I ended the call and fell onto the bed. What was I going to do with Ace behind bars for God knew how long? All the money that we’d saved for when the baby came would have to be used to retain an attorney.
My cell phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I answered without looking at the caller ID. “Yeah.”
“Damn, you could’ve at least clicked over and told me you would call me back,” Alicia complained.
“Girl, my bad. That was Bryant on the other end telling me that Ace was arrested a few hours ago by the Feds.” Unable to believe what I was actually saying, I sighed. It’s crazy because everyone in the game knew that death and prison were always lurking around the corner. Nonetheless, when that shit actually happened, you felt blindsided.
“Are you serious, Janie?” She was just as stunned as I was.
“I wish I were joking, Ali.” I allowed a tear to fall down my cheek. I didn’t bother to wipe it. I knew there were more to come.
“It’s all good, J. We’ll get him out.” She tried to sell me a dream, but this was definitely a nightmare.
“Alicia, he’s with the Feds. This shit is for real.” I sniffed.
“Look, don’t be getting yourself all upset. Ace will be home in no time. We just have to figure this shit out and keep on pushing.”
Even though Ali was right, it was difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter Forty-nine
All night long, I tossed and turned. I was simultaneously nervous and angry. We didn’t have a lawyer on standby. Therefore, the mission at hand today was to find and retain one. At exactly six fifty-nine, I hit the floor and began preparation for my busy day.