Chapter 37

 

Jasmine finished her last drink, and was all ready. She had heard more than enough about Harlem. She grabbed Hope’s phone, looked at her and said, “Call him. If you’re not gonna ask him, I’ll ask his ass. We gonna get to the bottom of this shit right now cause I’m not gonna have my girlfriend all down and depressed bout no fucking piece of dick”, she said passing Hope the phone.

 

Hope called the truck phone first, but there was no answer. Then she tried calling his cellphone, and still she didn’t get an answer. He wasn’t ducking her. She just kept missing him, and took that as a sign that Harlem was doing him without her and with another girl.

 

She hung up and tried the number from the piece of paper that she got out of his pocket and dialed the number, 410-555- 5559. Her heart skipped a beat when the call was picked up, but to her disappointment it went straight to the voicemail.

 

The voicemail only pissed her off further because it was one of the songs that Harlem often listened too. “LOST & TURNED OUT.” They had several more drinks and then she called him again. This time she caught up with him. Her words were slurred. It was obvious that she had been drinking.

 

"HARLEM! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHAT? YOU DIDN’T THINK THAT I WOULD FIND OUT? WHO IS SHE HARLEM? WHO IS THIS BITCH THAT GOT YOU CHANGING YOUR LIFE AROUND? WHO THE FUCK IS IT?” She screamed into the phone.

 

Sitting next to her friend, Jasmine watched the sad show unfold. She felt sorry for Hope. Leaning closer to Hope she whispered, “she brings out the best in you” to remind her of the last line in the letter.

 

"YO! What the fuck you talking about?” He asked confused. “Yo, you must be drunk or something?” he said taking note of her slurred speech. “What bitch you talking bout?” he asked.

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I'M TALKIN BOUT, DON'T PLAY ME, I AM NOT STUPID” Hope screamed into the phone.

 

“Yeah Nigga, you know what the hell she talking about. Just tell us who the bitch is. Don’t play dumb,” Jasmine uttered loud enough so that he could hear her. She was already over the whole situation.

 

"YO! Who the fuck is that?” he asked referring to Jasmine’s voice. “Man! You and whoever tripping got me fucked up. I don't know what the fuck you talking bout but I am not gonna keep talking to you while you like this. And if you not gonna tell me what it is, then I will just see you....” he said trying to calm her down. Suddenly she screamed again and he lost his patience. “Stop fucking screaming and talk like the fuck you got sense”, he warned.

 

 

"I'M NOT FOR THIS BULLSHIT. YOU WANNA PLAY STUPID! FUCK IT, FUCK IT HARLEM, FUCK IT...”, she screamed as her friend chimed in, “Yeah! And fuck you too nigga”.

 

"Fuck it then.” Harlem said in frustration.

 

"NO!" She screamed. “Say something Harlem. WHO IS THE BITCH? You know what,

change your life for her. As a matter of fact, just leave me the fuck alone HARLEM”, she screamed as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

 

“Niggaz kill me with that playing stupid shit. I bet you he wasn’t playing stupid when he got the bitch number”, Jasmine yelled.

 

"What number? Who the fuck is that? Tell that bitch to mind her fucking business. Matter of fact, you can call me when you’re ready to talk like you have good fuckin sense”, he said.

 

"YEAH! RUN HARLEM! RUN BECAUSE YOUR ASS IS CAUGHT!” Hope screamed. The angrier Hope grew the more Jasmine wanted to chime in. “Yeah! Run like the little punk motherfucka you is”, Jasmine added before Hope slammed down the phone.

 

Harlem had no idea what she was talking about. He thought long and

hard about all the females that he had been fucking with or had recently met.

 

He couldn’t recall getting no new numbers. “It’s a small world but Hope’s not from around this way, she doesn’t know any of my bitches,” he thought to himself. But she said FUCK IT, SO IT’S FUCK IT.

 

Jasmine was pumped. Hope felt better but only for about a half hour. Somewhere between drinks she sobered up and thought, "why am I listening to a bitch that don’t even have a man?”

 

She was wishing that she didn't hang up on him, and that she had handled it her way. Maybe she was tripping off nothing. Yet, she wouldn't be happy until she found out who the number belonged to and why Harlem had it.

 

"See girl, that’s the shit that kills me. Now he wants to play stupid, like you crazy or something. He knows damn well that you’re not gonna just pick up the phone and be on some bullshit with his ass unless he did something”, Jasmine told her, and just kept running her mouth.

 

"Jasmine! STOP!” Hope screamed.

 

“BITCH PLEASE! Shut the fuck up for a minute, and let me think damn! You haven't shut up yet, SHIT!" she screamed in frustration.

 

Harlem was confused and gave what had just happened a lot of thought. He was always careful when it came to his dealings with the females he selected. Freeze’s mistakes were his guides and as smart as Freeze was, he made many mistakes. Harlem said fuck it and shifted his thoughts to Ginger and her daughter.

 

 

*********