Chapter Thirty-one
Ka’yah had been trying to reach Ke’yoko and Ja’Rel for the past two days, but neither one of them had been answering their phones. She didn’t know what the hell was going on. Ke’yoko had already been acting funny toward her before this mess had happened, but she’d thought she and Ja’Rel were on the same page. Ka’yah was blowing her mother’s phone up every chance she got. She hadn’t talked to her mother this much in her entire life, but she didn’t have a choice since she was the only one who would answer and accept the calls.
Ka’yah was stressed all the way out because she’d been told by her mother that when she had called the automated system, it was saying her bond was set at $1 million cash. The police weren’t telling her anything and she hadn’t even been to a hearing yet. The COs kept telling her there were too many people in front of her going, but she would get her turn eventually.
Ka’yah got up from her bunk and walked over to the empty phone and was about to call her mother when a big, burly female they called Bones walked up and stood real close behind her.
“I was about to use that, fresh meat,” she said, putting her hand on top of Ka’yah’s.
“I was here first.” Ka’yah frowned, snatching her hand away.
“And what that mean?” Bones asked, while lifting up a piece of Ka’yah’s hair and putting it up to her nose, sniffing it.
“Look, I don’t know how you get down, but by the way you look, it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out; but I don’t get down like that,” Ka’yah snapped as she swung her head around.
Cell block B was in an uproar. They were cracking up about what Ka’yah had just said to Bones, the block bully. Ka’yah had said what everybody else was afraid to say. The inmates were loving it.
“Bitch, who you talkin’ to like that?” Bones asked, embarrassed. She got all up in Ka’yah’s face.
“No disrespect, but they do sell toothpaste in the commissary; you should try to buy you some on store day.” Ka’yah took a step back, making the block laugh even harder.
“You think you funny?” Bones asked.
“I ain’t tryin’a be,” Ka’yah responded.
“Bitch, I will fuck you up!” Bones snarled.
“You might fuck me up; then again, you might not. Let’s just say I haven’t forgotten much of the twelve years I was forced to study karate.” Ka’yah quickly stood in an Okinawan shiko-dachi stance.
Bones looked at Ka’yah and thought twice. She would never live it down in here if she got her ass whooped by this little-ass girl. She knew she could fight, but she had never gone head-to-head with somebody who knew karate. Bones knew if she tried Ka’yah and lost, she’d have to give up her prison throne and reputation and she wasn’t willing to do all that.
“Cho, you got a hearing. Let’s go,” the CO yelled into the block.
Ka’yah remained in her stance, not trying to chance Bones grabbing her from behind.
“Cho, let’s go,” the CO yelled again.
“Don’t worry, bitch, I’ll see you in prison. It’s a small, revolving world in there and, when I do, I’ma make you my bitch.” Bones smirked.
“Don’t count on it,” Ka’yah said and turned to walk away with her heart beating like two snare drums. She couldn’t believe her fake stance had gotten her out of yet another ass whooping. Ka’yah didn’t know the first thing about karate, but people always thought because she and Ke’yoko were part Japanese that they automatically knew karate, which had saved her from a lot of ass whoopings all through school.
Ka’yah turned around and got handcuffed, waiting impatiently as they put the shackles around her ankles too. She didn’t know what was going to happen during her hearing. This was her first time ever being in trouble. She hoped Ke’yoko, Ja’Rel, or even her mom would be in the courtroom to support her as she shuffled down the long hall. Ka’yah was confused and surprised when the CO escorted her into a roomful of other inmates instead of a courtroom.
“What are we doin’ here? I thought I was goin’ to court,” she said with a perplexed looked on her face.
“You are about to go to court. Look into the camera and smile,” the CO replied.
“This ain’t how it is on Law & Order,” Ka’yah said.
“Well, this ain’t TV; this is real life,” the CO said smartly.
“All rise,” the bailiff came on the screen and said.
Ka’yah was a nervous wreck and was sick to her stomach. Ka’yah sat quietly as the bailiff said a few more words and the judge walked in and took his seat. She watched closely as he put his glasses on and began riffling through a pile of papers. Ka’yah nearly fainted when he read her name, case number, and charge first.
“Do you have an attorney present?” the judge asked.
Ka’yah was stuck. She wanted to reply but the words wouldn’t leave her lips.
“He’s talkin’ to you,” the CO snapped.
“Ummm, no, no, sir, not yet,” Ka’yah stammered.
“How do you plead?” the judge continued.
“I plead the Fifth,” Ka’yah responded, remembering hearing that on one of her favorite episodes of CSI.
“Do you have an attorney or would you like for us to appoint you one?”
“No, thanks. My sister is gettin’ me one,” Ka’yah said, hopeful.
“Okay, that’s fine. We’ll continue court at a later date. Your bail is denied,” the judge said and began reading off someone else’s name, case number, and charge.
“What the hell just happened?” Ka’yah asked the CO as he escorted her back to the block.
“They just continued your case until you get an attorney and he denied your bail,” the CO said, basically repeated what the judge had just said to her, but for some odd reason she understood it better coming from the CO than the judge.
“I can’t believe a fine chick like you is down for murder,” the CO said, checking Ka’yah out.
“I’m innocent. I didn’t kill nobody!” Ka’yah snapped.
“Yeah, that’s what they all say.” The CO chuckled.
“You’ll see when my sister and boyfriend come bail me out!”
“You look real familiar,” the CO said. “Did you go to Laurel high school?”
“Yeah,” Ka’yah answered slowly. “You didn’t, unless you got a sex change.”
The CO laughed. “Naw, my sister went there and I used to pick her up from school. Do you got a twin sister?”
“Yes,” Ka’yah replied.
“Okay, damn! I always thought y’all was fine.” He smiled.
“Thanks.” Ka’yah smiled back.
“Damn shame you ’bouta go to prison for murder or else I woulda asked to take you out,” the CO said.
“I ain’t goin’ no damn prison, ’cause I ain’t killed nobody!” Ka’yah snapped.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, shaking his head in disgust.
“Hey, do you think you can let me use the phone to call my sister? She can’t accept collect calls on her phone so I need to call her straight through,” Ka’yah said, batting her eyes at the CO.
“You tryin’a get me in trouble?”
“No, I wouldn’t do that. It won’t take long. I’m just gon’ tell her to come visit me and that’s all.”
The CO thought for a brief second before replying. “Look, if I do this, you gotta hook me up wit’ ya sister,” he said.
This thirsty-ass nigga, she thought before replying, “Bet.”
The CO smiled happily. “You can go in this office right here.” He looked around to make sure the coast was clear before unlocking the door. “And hurry up. You got two minutes.”
“Thanks.” Ka’yah shuffled over to the phone, picked it up, and quickly dialed Ke’yoko’s phone number, only to have it go to voice mail. “This dirty bitch!” Ka’yah was furious as she listened to Ke’yoko’s jolly voice on her voice mail.
“Ke’yoko, this Ka’yah. I don’t know what your problem is wit’ me, but I haven’t done anything to you. Mother told me she called you to let you know what was goin’ on wit’ me, so I don’t know why you not answerin’ when I call you. I’ll tell you what, if you don’t want Ja’Rel to find out about you and punk-ass Ross, I expect you to be down here tomorrow to visit me,” she said before hanging up the phone and shuffling back toward the door.
The CO opened the door for Ka’yah, let her out, and locked it again.
“Thanks,” Ka’yah said with a huge smile.
“Well?” the CO asked impatiently.
“Well what?” Ka’yah asked, confused.
“Well, did you tell her I wannna get wit’ her?” he asked, hopeful.
“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Ka’yah lied.
“What she say?” the CO asked with a huge smile plastered on his face.
“She told me to give you her phone number,” Ka’yah continued to lie.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” He smiled as he escorted Ka’yah back to the block. “I’ma get the number from you at dinnertime.”
“Okay, I got’chu,” Ka’yah said as the CO removed the cuffs and shackles.
Ka’yah walked back into the block and headed straight to her bunk, lay back, and began reflecting on her life, wondering if karma was the reason she was in this fucked-up situation. Ka’yah pushed that thought to the side. Never in her life had she done anything bad enough to deserve no mess like this. She drifted off to sleep, taking a quick nap before dinner.