Accidentally
“What you doing here?” Hussein asked walking into legal visiting.
“I just came from Carmell’s birthday party.”
“How was it?”
“Five out of five. Would recommend again. The food was bomb. The decorations looked like something off of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and the entertainment was out of this world. But before we get into that,” she scrolled through her camera roll, “let’s get me out the way.
Tell me everything you know about him.” She held a picture up in Hussein’s face.
“That’s War.”
“Ok, does he have a girlfriend? How many baby mamas. What’s his drug of choice? Is he a drug dealer, a murderer or both?”
“Your questions all over the place. I don’t know if you tryna fuck him or charge him.”
“Oh, I’m trying to get carried out the club all summer long. But like in a fun way not a black eyes, fighting baby mama’s kind of way.”
“You ain’t built for that nigga.” Hussein snickered. “That man will have you busting windows out of cars and climbing up fire escapes.”
“So, I should one hundred percent text him back.” Nyelle smirked. “You see my professionalism and think you know me. I can hang.”
“You got any other pictures of the party?” Hussein asked.
“She was there and cute as fuck.” Nyelle showed him a picture of Jakia “We didn’t get introduced but I know that I don’t even want to be on that bitch’s bad side. She’s mean as fuck.”
“What happened?” Hussein sat forward, worried.
“What didn’t happen?” Nyelle threw her hair over her shoulders.
“So, first your girl and Tina got into it. I wasn’t there for that, but Tina told me all about it.
She’s not scared of Tina and that shit don’t sit well with your TT.
” Hussein smirked. “Then she got into it with Prissy. Don’t know too much about what happened with that, but Tina had to separate them.
Then threats were passed between your girl and Tina.
The party went on and then Boom’s baby mother tried to—”
“Wait, huh? Boom’s baby mother?”
“Yeah, Nene.”
“Who the fuck is that?”
“Wait. You didn’t know that?” Nyelle sat back. “The girl is ready to pop any day now. She’s staying with Tina and her, and Prissy were glued at the hip the whole day. I thought they would’ve told you.”
They didn’t tell him because they didn’t want him to know. Heat rose up Hussein’s chest. He was taking sitting in a cell on the chin. That was getting harder to do.
“They probably did and I forgot because I got more pressing matters than worrying about who the fuck Boom was dicking down before he died,” Hussein played it cool. “Finish the story, though. The bitch Nene tried to do what?”
“She tried to give Khyell a gift and your girl wasn’t wit’ it. Read that bitch for filth and left. Tina was pissed.”
“She can’t control Jakia, and that shit makes her angry. You said you got War’s number. Text that nigga and tell him to be at Jakia’s house when I call. I’ma give him a second to get there.”
“Ard.”
“I gotta make some calls.” He stood. “But, I’m done sitting in this bitch. It’s time to lock in and get me the fuck outta here. I gotta be on the outside before this shit is out of my control.”
“You aunt thinks it’s best that you sit in here. She’s scared that you may do worse with your next run in with the law,” Nyelle countered.
“Only one thing scares her. That’s not having any control. She’ll say anything to get what she wants. You think I’m stupid enough to kill a cop, Nyelle?”
“I don’t but, I don’t want to be on her bad side either.”
“You was just talking about how you can hang.” Hussein stretched his arms out.
“Me and Tina don’t want the same shit no more.
You gon’ have to pick a side. Me or her.
Make smart decisions because I’m going to get out this bitch and anybody making my stay difficult gon’ have to stand on that shit.
” Hussein knocked on the door for the guard.
Nyelle nodded. “You.” She stood. “I choose you, but it’s not much you can do to protect any of us from her while you’re in here. I’ll push on them to release you or slap on a charge so that we have something to fight. But until then, I have to play nice with Tina, still.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Hussein said, nodding for the CO to take him back.
He returned to the cell block, gunning straight to the phones. The first number he dialed was Tina’s.
“I was waiting gon you to call,” Tina answered.
“I don’t know why because you’re not going to like what I’m fitna say.”
“Is that right, nephew? Unfortunately, this call is not for you to talk. It’s for you to listen.
Jakia has crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed.
We can’t work it out. I don’t want to fix it.
For the foreseeable future she is an Op.
I don’t like her for you, and I don’t like her for my boys.
I think it goes without saying that moving forward I expect there to be no communication with her. ”
“So, you just don’t give a fuck about Khyell and Carmell anymore, huh?”
“Oh no, my plan is still the same. I’m going to raise those boys just like I raised the rest of y’all.”
“You did raise me, so you should already know how this is going to go.”
“You’re going to try and do things your way, fail and then come crawling back to me like you always do. And I’ll accept you with open arms like I always do because I love you. I just wish you and your cousins didn’t have to find things out the hard way all the time.”
“I wish you didn’t make us,” Hussein rushed out. “I wish you checked in with us, on our mental and shit instead of sending spies to tell you all of our business. I wish you let us be children instead of gearing us up for the streets. I wish you let us make mistakes. I wish…”
“You wish I was your mother,” Tina cut him off.
“And you only wish that because you didn’t know her.
She gets all this praise because she’s gone.
Meanwhile, I’m here taking care of y’all and doing the same exact shit that she did in the streets and getting crucified for it.
In fact, I’m the one that pulled the drugs off the table.
Sabrina was really good at playing both sides. I’m too real for that shit.”
“Stop speaking on my fucking mother.”
“See, emotional just like she was. Look, I told you what it is. You’re either with me, or against me. And if you ain’t riding with the Turners then you’ll be reuniting with your mother sooner than you think.” Tina ended the call.
Hussein slammed the phone on the receiver, roaring from the pits of his chest. It caught the attention of the entire cell block. Dink didn’t flinch, standing guard beside him. He never asked for security, but Dink was determined to prove himself loyal.
“Cooper!” Hussein barked the guard’s name.
The block remained silent until Cooper ran into the room. “What you need?” he asked.
“I need you to let your counterparts know that a nigga ain’t gon be in here forever.
When I get out, I’m gon’ remember the people that looked out.
Any motherfucker making my stay in this bitch harder, won’t be fucking forgotten either.
Turner don’t mean shit no more. It’s Tina or Hussein and ain’t no riding no fences. Pick a fucking side and stay there!”
JAKIA’S APARTMENT | 5:31 P.M.
Jah sat on the living room sofa with a bottled water, her puzzle board and a Lidocaine patch.
It’d become her new drug of choice. It’d been too long that she’d had a night in alone.
She was accustomed to noise and people coming and going.
There was a thin line between solitude and loneliness.
She hit Fatima up to come over before she could figure out which it was.
When her phone chimed, she thought it was Fatima saying she was outside. Instead, the picture message was from an unknown number. Jakia clicked the still frame of the video.
Tears built at the brim of her eyes as she watched Keyona’s car being crushed. That shit stung. She couldn’t front, Tina hit her where it hurt.
She loved for a bitch to go low, she could skip the small shit and take it to Hell without anyone judging her for it. When Fatima knocked at the door, she could feel Jah’s energy.
“Where we going?” She asked, racing behind Jah out of the building doors.
“I’m going to get my get back,” She mumbled, speed walking to her car.
“Nah, let’s take my shit.” Fatima hit her key fob. “Whoever you beefin’ with, don’t know my car.”
“They ain’t gon’ see me no way,” Jakia said slipping into the passenger seat. “I need to run in Wal-Mart.”
Fatima didn’t ask any questions. She took off in route to where her friend wanted to go. She kept the car running like instructed. When Jakia walked out the store empty handed, she wondered what she purchased, but stayed quiet, wanting to see her mind unravel.
Details of where they were going got less specific. The directions were “turn left,” and “make this right, then go straight through the light.” Every time that Fatima thought she had it figured out, Jakia would tell her to go in a different direction.
“Bitch ain’t shit around here but this cemetery, what you mean, park?”
“This is where we’re going. Park right there.” Jakia pointed.
“Why would we park outside and not drive closer to who you’re trying to see?”
“Because I don’t know if they have cameras.” Jakia came out of her seatbelt and the car one behind the other.
“Hold the fuck up.” Fatima slammed her door, chasing behind her. “What are we about to do?”
“The bitch likes to play with dead folk. So, I’ma play with hers. See how she likes the shit.”
Jakia pulled a can of spray paint from her purse. The agitators bounced around the container as she shook it, making a clanking sound.
“At least hide it until we get to where we’re going.” Fatima snatched the can from her hand, stuffing it under her jacket.
Jah let her have the can, pulling her phone out. She watched the video that Rashida posted when she revealed Boom’s headstone. It led her right where she needed to be.
“Give me my can.” Jakia held her hand out.