CHAPTER FOURTEEN
London
Today was the day that they were laying my baby to rest. Last night, I couldn’t sleep because I kept seeing his face in my head. I rubbed my stomach as I put on the black dress that I decided to wear. Oh, how I wished he were here to see his baby when it was born. This fucking life was not fair, I thought as I grabbed my Michael Kors clutch. I swore I wasn’t ready, but I had to go.
I called Nay to see if she was ready. She told me she should be pulling up any minute. It was really appreciated that she decided to go along with me. I wasn’t ready to face this crowd, and these bitches who were claiming they were fucking with him. Don’t get me wrong, he probably was, but I knew what Keon and I shared was very special.
I heard a car horn honking, so I knew that was Nay’s ass. My girl did not like waiting for anyone. I walked out and locked the door.
“Hey, boo, you ready?”
I let out a long sigh, then looked at her. “Not really, but what can I do?”
She reached over and rubbed my hand. “Baby, you are stronger than you know. You gonna get through this. We are gonna get through it together.”
“Thank you, Nay. I swear, what would I do without you?”
“I don’t know, maybe go crazy.” She burst out laughing.
“I love you, chick, for real.”
“A’ight, bitch, quit wit’ all this emotional shit.” That was Nay; she hated when I got mushy. In my opinion, I thought she had a soft side up underneath all that tough skin.
“You want to know some funny shit that happened the day before yesterday?”
“What’s up?”
“Sheika ass called me saying she needed a ride. At first I didn’t feel like picking her up, but then the bitch told me she got to fighting, and you know my nosey ass had go pick her up. Bitch, when she got into the car, her ass was fucked up and her face had scratches all over it. Whoever she got into a fight with tore that ass up.”
“Are you serious? So, who did she get to fighting with?”
“Bitch, that’s what’s crazy. This bitch said it was a random bitch. I know she was lying.”
“That shit sound fishy. Any other time she got to fighting she would call one of us. So why is this time so different? What is this bitch hiding? I told you, I don’t like the way she’s been moving lately.”
“I tried to get the information from her, but she insists that she didn’t know the bitch who attacked her.”
“Hmmm, sound fishy to me. Oh, well, that’s her business if she wants to keep it a secret.”
I noticed that we were pulling up at Good Shepherd Baptist Church. I started to feel ill, and my stomach got queasy. I tried to coach myself, but it wasn’t working. I noticed the line was long as hell. There was every kind of car out here. Mostly cars the dope boys drove. It was like a celebrity was getting buried. But I wasn’t surprised at all. Keon was well known in his hood and all around Richmond. Most niggas respected him because of his thoroughness; and the few who didn’t fuck with him was all because of jealousy.
“Damn, the hood came out, didn’t they? This is beautiful how they showing love to one of their fallen soldiers.”
“I’m scared, Nay. I don’t know I am going to face him.”
Before she could respond, my phone started ringing. I noticed it was Keon’s brother. I quickly answered the phone, trying my best to choke back the tears. “Hello.”
“Yo, are you here?”
“Yes. We are all the way back here, trying to find a parking space.”
“Mama wanted me to get you so you can sit with us.”
I was shocked to hear that, because the only time I saw her was at the hospital that day and we didn’t even exchange a word. “Okay. I’m in a Lexus. We all the way by the Dumpsters.”
“On my way to you.”
I said to Nay, “That was Keon’s brother. His mother wants him to get me so I can sit with them.”
“Go ahead, wifey. Now you see? You were Keon’s heart. Even his mama know it.”
“Hey, boo, I am going to get out right here so I can go with him. Are you gonna be all right?”
“Go ahead. I’m going to wait to see if I can find a parking space. I’ll be in there shortly.”
I got out of the car and waved to Deon. When we met up, he grabbed me up in a tight hug. That was when the tears started rolling down my face. I knew it was messing up my makeup, but I did not give a damn.
“You ready?”
We walked past a lot of people I knew from around the way. There were also a lot of strange faces. I peeped a few bitches shooting dirty looks my way, but I didn’t entertain them. Today was all about Keon and no one could take that away.
We walked into the packed church. I felt nauseous and my feet felt weak. I stood there as if I couldn’t take another step. “Come on, I got you,” Deon assured me.
I looked at him and noticed how much he resembled Keon. I also saw a person who was carrying the weight of his brother’s death on his shoulders. We walked to the front pew, where his whole family was seated. I saw his casket and started shivering inside. His brother held my hand and led me over to see my baby.
“No, baby! No. Wake up, Keon. The joke is over, baby,” I yelled as I rubbed his charcoal skin. The corpse looked nothing like my baby. His face was swollen and his complexion was dark as coal.
“Baby, it’s gon’ be all right.” His mother wrapped her arms around me.
My heart broke all over again. “Wake up, baby, please,” I pleaded.
“He is gone, baby. Our baby is gone,” she bawled. We hugged and consoled each other.
“Come sit down, y’all,” Deon said.
I used everything in me to get to the seat. The tears wouldn’t stop. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him. I want to tell him we were finally having the baby he wanted so badly; but I couldn’t share the news with my baby because he was gone.
The service started, and the pastor started to preach. I really didn’t hear too much of what he was saying. Did he really know Keon? He was kind and gentle and he had a big heart.
You could hear screams and moans all over the church. I looked over at his brother and he just sat there looking spaced out. I rubbed my stomach a few times, trying to calm my nerves a little.
My phone was on vibrate and I felt it vibrating. I checked and it was a message from Nay telling me she was at the back at the church.
I texted back, Okay.
Finally, the preaching was over and it was time to go to the cemetery. One by one we walked out. I was two steps behind his mother and brother. I was looking around for Nay. I stood at the entrance trying to pick her out of the crowd. I was just about to call Nay when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Before I could respond, I saw three bitches standing in front of me.
“So you the bitch who’s spreading lies about Keon fucking you?”
“Are you fucking serious? Bitch, you know where we are? In case your dumb ass didn’t notice, we are at the church trying to bury him!”
“Bitch, I don’t give a fuck. You better quit spreading them lies. I was Keon’s only woman and I swear I will drag your ass through the mud if you keep on.”
“Say what now? You all bitches gonna drag who?” Nay cleared her throat and said.
“Who the fuck are you? Fuck that; you can get it too, bitch,” one of the bitches said as she took a step closer to Nay’s face.
Man, I couldn’t believe this shit was going down like that. I had too much respect for Keon and his family to bring drama to them, especially today. “Listen to me, y’all low-level bitches. This is my man and baby daddy day and I will not disrespect him, but after the funeral y’all bitches can definitely get it. Come on, Nay, these bitches ain’t about nothing.”
“I swear we gon’ see y’all,” one bitch said before she walked off with the rest of those bitches following closely behind.
“Who the fuck are these bitches? I swear, funeral or no, I would stomp a hole into these bitches’ heads if they ever put a hand on you.”
“Girl, fuck them. They ain’t nobody. Trust me, I ain’t met the bitch yet who put fear in my heart. Let’s go so I can say good-bye to my baby.”
We took a step off the steps, then the unthinkable happened. Pop, pop, pop, pop. I fell to the ground and pulled Nay down. Gunfire surrounded us. We both held on to each other and I silently prayed to God. It was total chaos. People were running and screaming out for help.
The gunshots were not ceasing. My heart ached for my baby. First they took his life and now they were disrespecting his burial. When will all this madness end? I thought as I hugged my friend, hoping we’d make it out alive.