Chapter 16 #3
I felt eyes on me, so I followed them and saw a woman whom I immediately knew.
Shio looked just like his mother. There was something familiar about her.
I’d never met her before, but I couldn't help but feel like I had. I didn’t know the dynamics of her marriage with the man who had a hand in bringing me into the world, but I knew I was a side baby.
I couldn’t read her expression to determine whether I should keep my distance out of respect for Shio or not, so I simply looked away.
“Ma’am, I'm not worried about Nel. He always causing hell. Now, I’ll tell you what I told him.
She’s expecting twins, so they have to deliver them in the operating room.
It’s being prepped, and someone is already on the way to bring her up.
Y’all will have to stay down here until the ‘okay’ is given for the rest of you to go up. If all of you can go up.”
“Nawl, ain’t no fuckin’ if. We all going up. We ain’t on Medicaid!” Nel reached in his pocket and pulled out a bankroll, slapping it on the desk.
“Pia! Come get your man, please,” the receptionist said as she rolled her neck.
Pia pulled Nel from the counter, who was still talking shit, and I shook my head, watching their mama slide the money off the counter into her purse.
The elevator doors opened, and a nurse pushing a wheelchair came out.
Ezio clapped his hands. “’Bout fuckin’ time!”
Metavello placed her in the chair while the women assured her everything was going to be okay.
It was too damn much going on with Don and them in the corner, chopping it up instead of getting their wives the fuck out of the way.
I knew Discover was overstimulated like a motherfucker.
Some of these wives already had children; what was happening wasn’t new.
The nurse let everyone know that someone would be back to get the rest of us, and the three of them got on the elevator.
“Pia, dis is going to be you in a couple of months,” the twins’ mom said, grinning, and I could hear a strong Jamaican accent.
“Yeah… I think I’m gonna do a home birth at my dad’s house, though. Pearla is still not feeling the hospital, and this is the only private one.”
“Pia baby… I’ll give you whatever you want, but that ain’t it. No way in hell my baby being born in the Mansion of Dicks.” Nel shook his head.
“Shush, Nel boi. She had de baby where de gyal wants.”
“Hellllp! Help! We need a doctor! We need a fuckin’ doctor!”
All of our heads snapped to the entrance where two girls were running inside barefoot.
All of the men’s hands went to their waistbands, including mine.
Blood was dripping from one of the girls, and both their eyes were flooded with tears.
The receptionist ran from behind the counter to the girls as the rest of the guests stayed on edge, watching.
“My best friend… She’s bleeding. She says she may be pregnant. I didn’t know. I had no idea,” the darker of the two said through heavy tears.
Hearing that the one bleeding was pregnant took me back to my own sister. When she was pregnant with Tulsaire, her water broke on her graduation day, and she was so scared. Shit still fucked me up that I was too young to rescue her from that pedophile-ass nigga that knocked her up.
“We need a doctor!” the receptionist screamed.
“What the fuck? Glee?” Glow moved through the women and stood a few feet away, almost as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.
The one leaking blood eyes ballooned, and she continued to hold her stomach while being toppled over. “Glow… I… I don’t know what’s happening,” she cried.
“What the fuck do you mean you don’t know what’s happening!
You’re fucking pregnant? Is that what the fuck you were doing at that school!
” Glow nearly ran in her direction, but with one arm, I scooped her petite ass up.
“Let me the fuck go! She’s fucking pregnant!
Are you fucking serious? Pregnant, Glee? ” Glow screamed loud as fuck.
I held my grip because if Glow thought she was about to touch a pregnant girl, she was mistaken. I knew she was pissed, but she had to think logically.
“Let me the fuck go!”
“Nah, I can’t do that, my baby. You gotta calm down. You mad, and clearly something’s wrong, Glow. This ain’t the time for hows and whats. She needs you right now.”
Her head snaked around like her ass was the exorcist as she shot me a nasty glare. “This bitch was pregnant the whole time!”
“Glow…” I warned.
“Who the fuck are you to tell me what the fuck I need to do with my sister?”
Chuckling at the scene Glow was causing, I kept her mad ass suspended off the ground. “Your husband. That’s who the fuck I am. Now, pipe the fuck down!” I stated through gritted teeth.
The women gasped.
“Oh, fuckin’ wow. Nigga, I thought Glow was your hoe? You handed her to ya brother?” Nel’s messy-ass asked Shio.
Forgetting where the fuck I was and slipping up with my last statement, I still held Glow while she glared angrily at me.
If she put her hands on her laboring little sister, she would never forgive herself.
The heat of the moment had me doing twelve months in jail.
I knew how quickly shit could flip when you were pissed.
“Glow… so you a brother fucker? Ain’t that ‘bout a motherfucker. I never would have thought.”
Pia hit Nel’s arm to shut his stupid ass up. Looking over at Shio, who just stared in silence while standing next to his mother, I sighed.
“Bro…” I started.
“All good.” He nodded as we communicated with our eyes.
A doctor ran out with two nurses to the screaming girl we now knew was Glow’s sister, Glee. The mob women were at the friend’s side, trying to calm her as they wheeled Glee back. Their eyes were still on us, though, as I tightened my arms around Glow.
“Brother?” Glow asked me in disbelief.
I assumed that Glow didn’t know we were brothers because she never asked or mentioned it before we got married. I didn’t bring it up either because it wasn’t important. We had established our wants, and it was what it was. I was here to get paid, and she was trying to get accepted.
“Are you calm now? Your sister needs you, Glow. You’n need to be on no dumb shit.”
“Fuck you, Tunan.” She spat the words with such fury that I knew she needed another reminder.
Leaning in, I pressed my lip to her ear. “Careful. You know you can barely take dick, talkin’ ’bout fuck me. Now. Pipe. The fuck. Down. Aite?”
Stiffening, she relaxed and then nodded hesitantly.
I let her down but stopped her before she could walk off. “Give me your slippers.”
She told me the night we went on a date that she kept disposable slippers in her purse for when she needed a break from her heels.
Fucking Glow always kept a bag full of products.
I’d seen it myself, but my sister had also talked my head off about all things Glow since she came to Memphis.
I’d learned more about my wife from my family than I had from Glow.
With attitude, she unzipped her bag, took out her slippers, and pushed them into my hand.
Kneeling, I lifted her right leg, smelling her arousal as I squatted and removed her heel.
I slid her slipper on and did the same with the other leg and foot.
Once I stood up, I jutted my chin, signaling her to follow her sister.
“Yeah, dat dere a man right dere.” The twins’ mama fanned herself.
Nel shook his head. “Mama, eww. He young enough to be your son.”
“And I was young enough to be your daddy’s daughter. Age ain’t notin’ but a number.”
Don walked to the receptionist’s desk as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it from my pants pocket, I saw it was my cellie. Looking at Shio, who was still waiting for me, I headed to the exit to answer the phone.
“What it do?” I answered as soon as I got outside. I still had Glow’s heels in hand, and they smelled just like her.
“You good, nigga? How the real world been treatin’ you?”
With all the chaos behind me, I slightly turned, seeing everyone now getting on the elevators, and chuckled. “If you only knew, homie. I’m married, for starters.”
Leader and I had confided in each other plenty of times behind bars. I hadn’t planned on telling him, but shit, he caught me in the heat of the moment.
“Married! Shit, congratulations, nigga! I haven’t talked to your ass in two weeks and already missed a few chapters. Gotdamn, you move fast.”
“Yeah, shit has been movin’ fast as fuck in my world. You good, though?”
I knew Leader was more than straight, especially since his brother was still holding him down in the streets.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m just tryna process the fact that yo’ ass is married.”
I laughed. “Shit, me too!”
“Aye, I need a favor. My... The girl I was dealing with... My people can't get in contact with her. She’s not responding back. I know you’re living in Jagoda Bay now and shit.
She has family that live out there. My brother can’t get out of Cove City right now, so I wanted to see if he could Zelle you some bread, and you can get it to her.
I want lil’ baby to live her life, but I promised that I would have her set always, and I meant that shit. You think you could do that for me?”
Leader had been trying to give me some money since I got out, and as much as I wasn’t in a position to turn shit down, I still declined.
Bad enough, my brothers, Shio included, had come through for me when I was released.
I didn’t want any more handouts. I was ready to put in the work to get my own bread.
“Aye, Tune…” Shio stuck his head out the door.
“Yeah?”
“We up on the private maternity wing.” Shio paused. “Don had her sister brought up there too. Come up when you done.”
I nodded. He didn’t seem fucked up about Glow, but still, we had to have a conversation.
Once Shio was gone, I made sure Leader was still on the line. “I got you, bruh. You know her people’s address?”
“Nah… I can get it, though. She got a big sister. Her name Glow.”
Choking on my spit, I pulled the phone from my face and looked at it. When I processed his words, I put the phone back to my ear, ignoring my racing heart. “Whose name is Glow?”
“My girl… Well, her name ain’t Glow, her big sister’s is.
I think she like a food blogger or some shit.
I need you to get some bread to Glee and tell her I love and miss her.
I don’t want her going ghost on my people.
I’ll keep my distance, but if she keeps running, I’ma go back on my word and reach out to her myself, and I ain't tryna do that. I just want you to give her the bread and tell me she good. That’s all.
A nigga ain’t been feelin’ right. I feel like…
like some shit is wrong. Just give her the bread and let me know she’s good. That’s all I ask.”
The fuck! This nigga had to be shittin’ me.
Jagoda Bay was too big to be so fucking small.