Chapter 9
Tafari
Not Da Mama . . .
“Yeah, Lacie wanted ta have a natural birth, but our baby girls weren’t having dat shit. Women are serious ’bout dat shit. I had ta calm her down too,” Vince recalled.
I was at Vince’s house in his man cave. My baby had a few more appointments before I headed that way to shut her ass down.
She was slick as fuck with those appointments.
Ever since I had access to her little calendar, she tried to take side appointments and not put them on the book.
I wasn’t sure why she didn’t understand that I would embarrass her ass every time when it came to her and my baby girl’s health.
“Yeah, her ass really wanted da natural. Hell, dat was after Dr. Frog tol’ ha no to a home birth. Who da fuck was ga be in here wit’ a blowup pool talkin’ ’bout push?” I said with my head bucked back.
Pril had me fucked up. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to have her dream birthing plan, but we had to be realistic considering her medical situation. Dr. Frog shut that shit down so fast, but she did offer a compromise. Christianson’s Birthing Center was that compromise.
Retired pro-baller, Liam Christianson’s mother owned a few birthing centers that partnered with hospitals for the care of expecting mothers.
The particular center that Dr. Frog told us about was connected to the hospital that we planned to have our daughter at.
Khiaere Washington and Trell Smith, who were co-founders and owners of Washington-Smith Brokerage Firm, sat on the hospital’s board of directors.
They both were connected to the Christianson family and helped broker the deal between the birthing center and the hospitals.
The other centers were either next door or across the street from a partnering hospital.
Those families were fucking billionaires and did so much in the community to support black health, wellness, and prosperity.
I had an account with the brokerage firm that increased every quarter.
I wasn’t at millionaire status yet, but it would come.
“Damn, you wasn’t ga climb in da pool wit’ ya wife, Cuz?” Jordan asked with a titter. “Dats messed up.”
My face contorted. “Nigga, stop actin’ like you ga do it when Nicole drop y’all baby.
We ga be in a calming room in Christianson’s Birthing Center.
She ga have all da luxury that they provide.
We still ga have to come out of pocket because her private medical insurance sucks ass.
As soon as we get married, I doin’ a life change ta add her on my coverage that I got for my company. ”
My baby’s insurance was that fifty-fifty bullshit. It worked for her at the time because although she had endometriosis, she didn’t go to the doctor any more than normal. It was her prescriptions that she really needed it for.
“Private medical insurance cost ain’t no joke, boy. Dats why a lot of people feel locked into dem white people jobs. Dey need the benefits when dey really wanna be outcha running dey own business,” Roy pointed out.
He had a point. When I shopped for the company that would support my employees’ benefits, I was shocked by how much it would cost me.
I thanked God that I had a successful business that could offer my employees insurance.
It wasn’t the same as a big corporation offering insurance.
Their price point was way different than a business under a certain head count.
“Shit, y’all ain’t got too much longer fa da baby or da wedding.” Vince raised his glass. “To time flying in da name of happiness and love.”
We all raised our glasses to the toast. He was right. My baby was already thirty-one weeks. My daughter would be here before we knew it. The wedding was all set. The ladies had their dresses, and me and my boys had our tuxedos. Zoie and Chloe were our flower girls.
“I can’t wait ta change her last fuckin’ name. We got our marriage license a few days ago. It took everything in me ta not just go a few doors down and let da judge do ’em,” I told them.
They all chuckled. “Shit, me and Lacie already been married at our wedding. No one knew, but us, da witnesses at da courthouse, da clerk, and da judge. We ain’t had even know the witnesses. I couldn’t wait either.”
“Boy, no! How I ain’t even know dat and I’m ya best friend!” Jordan sounded hurt.
I laughed. “Don’t be too hurt, Cuz. You can do da same thing.”
Before Jordan could respond, my phone rang. I knew it was my baby because of the ringtone. I picked up the line after the second ring. “What’s up, baby?”
“Tafari! Derrick is banging on my studio door threatening to kick it in. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. My client is on the phone with the police.” There was panic in her voice that I’d never heard before.
I jumped up from my seat. “What! I’m on da way. Stay on da phone, Pril.”
I moved around with urgency as I told my boys what Pril told me. I heard her yelling on the other end. “Derrick! Stop!” There was a quick break of silence as I climbed in my truck. “Oh, God! He just pulled out a gun.”
Vince, Roy, and Jordan jumped in my truck. Vince’s house wasn’t even ten minutes away from Pril’s house. I made it there in less than five. I’d already transferred the call to my earpiece. I didn’t even turn my truck engine off before I had my ack right in my hand and was out.
“Aye, fuck boy. What the fuck you on?” I asked in a venomous tone.
Derrick spun around. The fear in his eyes confused the fuck out of me. This man came over here on his tough man shit, but now that the men were here his bitch ass was scared. This nigga was a whole fucking bitch!
His eyes widened for a split second, then he threw one of his hands back. “Oh, here comes da nigga of the hour! The nigga dat got dis dirty bitch ta keep his baby. Yeah, she tell you dat she killed mine? Endometriosis my ass, man. Bitch is a whole lie.”
“This nigga must be drunk. Cuz, don’t pull unless he lifts,” Jordan reminded me.
I didn’t need a reminder. When I got with Pril, I outfitted her home and her business with cameras. The fact that this fuck ass nigga was with her for as long as he was and didn’t was crazy. The protection of a man’s family should be top priority.
“I’on give a fuck what you talkin’ ’bout. I advise you ta get in ya shit and get off me and my woman’s land. Fuck all dat dumb shit,” I told him.
He chortled loudly. “What! The ho moved you in, so now it’s y’all land?
She was trippin’ about me cheatin’ and havin’ a baby with another bitch, but she was killin’ my babies.
Did she really think dat I wanted ta have a baby wit’ another bitch?
I ain’t wanna have babies wit’ dat bitch or marry ha ass. ”
It was unclear if this dude really thought Pril was that gutter or if it was the alcohol.
If he thought that she killed his babies, then he couldn’t have been around when she actually lost the babies.
He also couldn’t have been attentive to her needs enough to go to the doctor with her.
Even after Pril had our daughter, I planned to go to her doctor’s appointments with her.
I needed to know everything that she would allow me to know.
We already had that conversation about what I wanted to know.
I smirked at his reference about y’all land.
The fact of the matter was that it was Pril and my land.
She added me to the deeds shortly after I asked her to marry me as I did the same with her for my properties.
It was about planning for the future and success.
She was also added to my investment accounts.
“Look, I’on care ’bout none of dat shit. I’m askin’ you to get ya shit and get da fuck on. She done called dem boys,” I told him. Where are they? They should have been here by now.
When Derrick stepped forward, I stepped back.
My hand was on my ack right the entire time.
I swear I didn’t come here to kill a nigga.
If I had to I would do it the right way to lessen the legalities.
I didn’t need to be aggressive or crazy about this shit.
I needed to be strategic and smart. Maturity taught me a while ago that smart and strategic trumped unhinged.
“Watch dat shit, Derrick. Don’t act outta emotion and get yaself in a fucked up situation,” Vince said. His attempts to deescalate were expected. Like me, he knew violence. When you truly knew violence, you were less prone to be violent.
Derrick’s attention turned to Vince. “Shut the fuck up! You and your perfect bitch stay over there.”
Jordan snickered. In a low whisper, he spoke to me and Vince. “Y’all ca’ be cool, but if dat nigga call my woman a bitch I ga pop his ass in both knees. I ga bring a whole new meaning ta bring dem niggas to dey knees.”
Jordan had yet to get to the selectively unhinged part of his maturity. He had hair triggers and had not learned how to control them yet. Jordan knew violence and he was violent.
“So, what we doin’ here, Derrick? You gonna leave, or is someone ga have ta make you leave?” I was over this bullshit. My woman was locked in her studio still on her phone with me. She wasn’t speaking, but I heard the other girl on the phone with those boys telling them to hurry up.
He stood there and just stared at me blankly. It was for a split second, but I saw the flicker in his eye. He was about to make a life-or-death altering mistake. Don’t do it! Don’t do it!
Derrick’s face tightened. “You and dat lil bitch think y’all ga ride off in da sunset wit’ a baby when dat bitch killed mine. Nah, if I can’t have a baby wit’ her den you can’t.”
It happened. He lifted his arm and aimed his gun at me. His finger pressed down on the trigger, but my finger was faster at completing the task.
Pow!
All I needed was one shot to make his body drop. My father taught me that if I had to raise my gun that it better had been to kill. A headshot would do it.
“Tafari! Tafari! Oh my God!” Pril was panicked in my ear.