Chapter 27 #4
In all, I just couldn’t describe the feeling of knowing that I had somebody to fully confide in, without judgement. Outside of Jahrein. We didn’t go a full day without talking, and this day was no different.
“Whatever, hoe,” Quel snickered. “I figured that I’d fuck with you, since you didn’t bother answering my call on your phone.”
I sucked my teeth. “That was Jahrein. He’s insisting on us unplugging, while we flip through the city.”
“I guess,” Quel breathed into the phone. “If that’s the case, then why you answered his phone?”
“A natural reflex. Didn’t even think about it, honestly.”
“Girl, whatever. But how I knew to call his phone? You know that you and Jah got it bad, screening each other’s calls. Especially his ass. Shit, after midnight, we gotta go through him just to talk to you.”
I smirked. “It aint that bad.”
“Shii-it. I keep telling you to gone ‘head and make that appointment with me.”
“What appointment?” Jahrein questioned, suddenly fully tuned in.
“The doctor’s appointment to tie our tubes,” Raquel responded, clearly not caring that Jah could hear her.
“You talking crazy, Quel,” Jah claimed.
I glanced his way. “How is that? Cause I aint having no more damn kids. I’m forty, nigga. In case you forgot.”
“I aint forgot shit. I really been thinking that one more will keep us young.”
Hearing that, Quel laughed hysterically in my ear.
“Oh, hell nawl. He got us fucked up, Raven. Don’t you go for that.
Reagan is the last one, and we can do whatever we wanna do.
No babysitters necessary. Vacation whenever.
Midday cocktails. Good smoke sessions. I know you aint trying to abandon all that. ”
“And I aint,” I swore.
“Shit, I can’t tell. You still aint ready to make that appointment—"
“Quel, we gon holler at you later,” Jahrein spoke up. “Tell that nigga Kevin that I’ma come through tomorrow.”
“Alright, nigga,” Quel tittered.
“Bye—” I got out, as he grabbed the phone.
“Put this shit up.” He dropped the phone into a cupholder. “You fucking hard-headed, girl.”
Cheesing, I lifted my hands in surrender. “Okay, I won’t answer no more calls.”
“Yeah, try it if you wanna.” He warned, licking his lips.
Turning to gaze at the surroundings, as we floated past buildings, I thought about how far we’d come.
I could still remember how my stomach would twist in knots whenever I’d grab Jahrein’s phone.
Often fearing that some bitch was about to deliver some bad news.
And now I’d answer his phone, because most of the callers didn’t care which of us were doing the talking.
Because we were one, and I wasn’t plagued with worry of my man cheating.
I had access to everything. Could literally take everything.
And he trusted me with it all. His vital information.
And every dime of his legal money. I could literally go spend a million dollars, and Jahrein would blindly trust my judgement.
So, saying that there weren’t any trust issues was an understatement.
Now, did I believe that my husband was no longer attracted to other women? Absolutely not. He was human, and I was too. However, he’d matured beautifully, and had gained hella perspective.
We were both sexual beings, and were probably freakier than the average.
So, we were no strangers to sex clubs, role playing, etc.
Our primary kink was exhibitionism. Basically, we enjoyed fucking in front of people.
Still, we stopped short of being swingers, and that was flat out due to Jahrein’s jealousy.
He said that he couldn’t share me with anybody.
Including other women. So, that was an area we hadn’t touched, but I don’t think Jahrein cared, as long as we kept our sex life fresh.
On a personal level, I had never been more secure in all my life, and that gave me a whole different walk.
I could speak with confidence about my husband and our marriage, and defended it fiercely.
Because Jahrein had become the man I’d prayed for.
And I didn’t shy away from receiving all my blessings.
Funnily, as several things changed, there were some things that would always remain the same. And Jahrein pulling up in the hood was one of those things that would always be.
“I keep crying (I keep crying) I keep trying for you. There's nothing like you and I, baby…” Sade blasted from the custom-built speakers.
It had been a minute since the last one, but they were throwing a block party on MLK.
At this point, mostly the younger crowd had taken over.
So, block parties didn’t hit the same. There was too much shooting.
Fighting. Pure ignorance. And we weren’t foolish enough to get caught in the mix.
So, there were no plans of stopping. But Jahrein did drive down the boulevard, while the onlookers showed love.
“There go that nigga Jah!”
“We see you, boy!”
“Y’all coming down, huh?!”
“Let me hold somethin’!”
“Ooh, that’s Jahrein Junior’s mama and daddy!”
“This is no ordinary love. No ordinary Love. This is no ordinary love. No ordinary Love…” With no verbal response, we gave them head nods, as Sade explained the vibe we were on.
Jahrein coolly chuckled, while grabbing my hand again, and intertwining our fingers.
Sitting back, I couldn’t stop laughing, recalling how I’d walked those same streets, bopping, wanting to be next to the hood’s celebrities. And now…we’d sort of transcended to something beyond that.
The hood fame was cool. Everybody from our past probably had a host of stories to tell about our wild, young days.
When we were ghetto fabulous. Toxic as fuck.
But now, we were two people who’d come together, made a shitload of money, created a legacy, beat the odds, all while still managing to hold each other down.
And that was larger than life in my eyes.