Chapter 12

Complex Situations

 

“Happy 1996 Philly!” shouted the DJ over the microphone. Everyone raised their bottles and glasses of champagne towards the sky. People were hugging each other. I spotted a few couples tonguing each other down. Rashawn and his boys were over at the picture booth posing in front of the big wall that had the words “Gotham Night Club” painted across it.  I watched from the VIP section sipping on my virgin Pina Colada.  I was tired, hungry and ready to go home.

I felt swift movements in my stomach that felt like butterflies. I looked down at my round little pouch and smiled. “I know… mommy’s hungry too.” I was four months pregnant. I’d found out shortly after our trip to the Bahamas.  

When I told Rashawn he was ecstatic. I had mixed feelings about it. I wasn’t ready to be a mother just yet, but it definitely made things better for me. Kat wasn’t really an issue anymore. She would basically deal with Rashawn when money was low. I knew she suspected he was messing with someone else, but she just didn’t know who. She didn’t care because that gave her more time with “Lamo Allen.” I knew when she found out about us she was going to flip, especially when she heard a baby was on the way. Rashawn told me not to worry about it. He said he would fix everything before the baby was born.

When I came back from the Bahamas I didn’t have anywhere to live. Rashawn fixed that quick. He got me a luxury apartment out in Bear. School Bell Apartments were top of the line. I had a fireplace, washer and dryer, fitness center, spa, dishwasher, detached garage and so much more. You know he fully furnished it. I had pink leather furniture in the living room, a king-size brass four post bed and I had a bangin’ Pioneer stereo system with a fifty-two inch TV. My place was laid. It was too hot for me not to show off.

So much had changed over the past few months. Before I went to Atlanta Rashawn’s business had been dropping. His workers were getting locked up left and right. Of course I didn’t know what was going on.  He never talked to me about it.  I wasn’t schooled about everything until I arrived in Atlanta. 

My “friend” told me all the problems Ra-Ra and his team were having.  He also told me how we could use this to our advantage. My intention was to go down south to relax. Instead I was in boot camp for “the takeover.” I was taking a crash course, “The Art of Hustling 101,” and not just pushing drugs.  There was more to it than that. In my own way I was already a hustler but now I had perfected the art. 

The whole time I was away Rashawn blew up my phone. I heard nothing from Kat or my mom. I went back to Delaware a week later. I lied about my whereabouts. I told him I was in Dover with one of my girls from school. I also told him that I had been talking to an old friend of mine that happened to be a major player in the game. I lied and told him that I heard people talking about how he was losing his status in the city. He was offended and tried to act like everything was cool. I told him I knew a way to fix his problem.

I explained how I could introduce him to a “new” connect and a new way to get his product. He didn’t take me serious at first, but when I told him it was Spinx’s old connect that brightened his day.  He knew that Spinx had some good shit. He was all ears for what I had to say. I told him that everything would have to go through me, but he didn’t like that. I explained to him that the connect didn’t know I was dealing with Rashawn. I said he thought that I was handling business for Spinx until he got home. I made it seem as if he wouldn’t deal with Rashawn because he was loyal to Spinx. I even told him we could do a trial run so he could just test everything out. Of course his greedy ass fell for it.

The next day he gave me the money to make the transaction. No less than twenty-four hours later his package was being delivered by UPS to the abandoned house across the street from his Aunt’s apartment. I’d left a note on the door of the house for the package to be left on the step. We watched from the window as he left the package and pulled off. I went on the porch and gave one of the junkies $10 to go get the package off the steps. Of course they did it gladly and handed me the box.

Once inside I opened the package. My eyes sparkled when I caught a glimpse of the snow white substance. I called Rashawn over, who was paranoid as hell, and showed him what lay beneath the Styrofoam and coffee grounds.  He was astonished as well. Rashawn immediately called his workers. Before the day was over we had a few young girls at three different Western Unions. They were sending the maximum amount of cash they could send without using identification. They used fictitious names when doing the transactions. Within a months time Rashawn was on his way to becoming a future millionaire.

I’d let my girl Kee in on my secret affair with Rashawn. At first she wasn’t with it. She thought I was really fucked up for messing with my sister’s man, but after I schooled her on what my main goal was her thoughts quickly changed. Rashawn hadn’t been so secretive about our affair either. After a few of his boys started to tell him how they saw Kat in public with Allen I guess he figured two could play that game. He started taking me to family functions, parties, and even on a few of his business ventures. I knew I was a pawn, but I didn’t care. I already knew how the game was going to end.

 

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“Ms. Nyse, would you like to know the sex of the baby?” Dr. Angler asked as she wiped the jelly from my stomach.

I had just finished my twenty-seventh week ultra sound. I looked up at Rashawn to see what he wanted to do.  He eagerly shook his head yes. I told her we wanted to know, and she told us we were having a boy.

Rashawn practically jumped from his skin. He was overly excited. “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!” he yelled as he rubbed my stomach and kissed me. “Thank you, baby, you just made me that happiest man in the world,” his voice cracked.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. I was a little taken back. I knew this nigga wasn’t about to cry. Dr. Angler had a warm smile on her face. She quietly exited the room.

  “Rashawn, baby, I want to get dressed now.”

He broke his embrace. I climbed off the bed and began to dress. He watched me with teary eyes. I tried not to look his way. This was truly an emotional time for him, and I wasn’t trying to catch feelings.

On our way out of the office she gave us a picture of the ultra sound. Rashawn took the one that said “it’s a boy”. He said he wanted to show it to his mother. I gave him a fake smile. I knew she would love that. 

A few weeks ago he’d decided to come clean with his mother. He told her the truth about our relationship and that I was carrying his baby. She wasn’t too thrilled about it. Matter of fact, she cursed him out badly and called me all types of conniving bitches. She even threatened to tell Kat about it. That’s when I panicked. Rashawn was pissed. He took his mother upstairs to talk in private. An hour later she came down and apologized. I don’t know what he said, but ever since she had been sweet as pie.

 

 

Rashawn rambled on about the baby all the way back to the apartment. He talked about all the fresh gear the baby would have and how he was gonna be a beast at basketball and football. He was planning his life out before he even took his first breath. I just nodded and agreed to what he was saying. Truth be told, my mind was far away from what he was saying. 

A feeling of victory was coming over me. I’d finally had everyone where I wanted them. Kat’s face wouldn’t leave my mind. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she found out that her soon to be nephew was Rashawn’s son. I knew she was with Allen, but I also knew she still had love for Rashawn. I’d read the cards she’d sent him on holidays. I’d heard the phone conversations they would still have. If she hated him that much she wouldn’t still meet him at the Radisson every Thursday and Sunday night. He didn’t think I knew those things, but I knew everything.  I knew his every move.

 I was out of breath when we hit the front door. I couldn’t wait until he opened the door. When I heard the lock click open I rushed past him and practically ran to the bathroom. A sudden urge to urinate came over me quickly.  I thought I was about to piss myself. I almost fell trying to get my pants down and get on the toilet seat. The water just gushed out, and some of it managed to get on my clothes. Shit. Now I gotta take a shower, I thought. I just wanted to lie down and relax.

I reached over to the tub and ran the water. Once I was finish I gathered my pissy clothes and placed them in the hamper. I wrapped the towel around me and headed to my room. I heard Rashawn in the living room bragging to one of his boys about his new son. I shook my head. He’s so damn stupid. He better shut up about it before one of those jealous mutha fuckas put a bug in Kat’s ear, I thought. I lay across the bed in my towel and before I knew it I was drifting off to sleep. 

 

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It had been a week since my doctors’ visit, and Rashawn hadn’t left my side. It was starting to get on my nerves. I couldn’t even shit without him standing at the door talking about his soon to be son. The only time I had any peace or privacy was when he was sleep. I knew my “friend” had to be worried about me. I usually called him every day and he hadn’t heard from me in over a week. I was determined to call him tonight. To make sure that would happen; I’d slipped a sleeping pill in Rashawn’s tea to get him out of the way.

He was sitting on the couch watching GoodFellas, for the millionth time. I passed him his drink and cuddled up next to him. I watched as he gulped it down to my satisfaction. Not even a good twenty minutes later he was snoring. I turned off the TV, grabbed the phone and went on the balcony. It was cold as hell; I should have grabbed my mink. I dialed the number and damn near on the first ring he picked up.

“Baby, everything all right?” he asked.

I damn near had an orgasm at the sound of his voice.

“Yeah, it’s cool, I’m sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I found out that I am having a boy and Rashawn went a little overboard with it. He acts like I’m about to have the baby any minute, he won’t leave my side.”

It felt funny talking about the baby with him. I remember when I found out I was knocked, I was afraid to tell him. I didn’t want it to mess up our plans to be together after all this was done. I loved this man. Had things not went down the way they had I would have been with him in Atlanta and not here playing games with Rashawn.

 

I remember the night he called to let me know the plans for our house was finished. I’d busted out crying on the phone. He immediately got upset; he thought that nigga had put his hands on me. He was about to come up here, so I had no choice but to tell him the truth. I blurted out that I was pregnant and I was so sorry. He fell silent for a few minutes. I knew he was hurt, I heard it in his voice. He said it was ok, things like this happen all the time. He knew the game that we were playing, and he knew what the consequences could be. He told me he loved me and we would make this work. He said the baby was gonna need a father anyway once that nigga was gone. I managed to smile a little, too. But deep down inside I knew this shit was going to get out of control, and someone was going to get seriously hurt. I just prayed it wasn’t me.

 

We talked for a couple of hours before I heard Rashawn moving in the living room. He must have felt the cold air from the patio doors. I told my friend I had to go and I loved him. He told me he loved me back and to be safe.

Before he hung up he said, “Nalyse, thank you for everything you’re doing for us.”

I held the phone to my ear. “I just hope I make it out alive,” I whispered.

I dialed Kee’s number and hung up like I always did, just in case Rashawn got the urge to hit redial to see who I’d called. He was slowly getting off the couch, holding his head. I tried to play concerned.

“You ok, baby?” I asked and rubbed his back.

He seemed a little dazed. I grabbed his hand and helped him to the bedroom. He fell onto the bed and was out again. I rolled my eyes. I had to remind myself this was only for a little while longer.

 

The next morning I woke up to an empty bed. I smiled in relief. I had gotten used to waking up with his dick in me. I looked at the clock and it was a little after noon. Damn, I must have really needed that sleep, I thought. I rolled out the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I peeked in the living room and it was empty. Great! I got the place to myself, I thought.  I decided that I wasn’t going anywhere today. I was going to sit around and talk to my baby. I really needed to check on things around the way, but I could just call Kee to get an update.

I went into the kitchen to take my vitamin and make some raisin toast. I didn’t even have a chance to get the bread out the bag before the phone rang. I know it ain’t this nigga, I thought. I looked the caller I.D., and it was Kee calling from Caree’s house. I noticed that it had the number six next to the name. I wondered why she had called here that many times and why I hadn’t heard the phone ringing. 

“Hello?” I answered annoyed.

“Bitch, why ain’t you been answering the fucking phone!” she yelled.

“Hold up, who you calling a bitch? And what’s wrong with you calling my house yelling and shit!”

“We got a serious issue. Two of our packages were stolen this morning, and I think I know who did it…”

My heart dropped. “Do you know how much fuckin’ money that is? How did that shit happen? Who did it? Did you call your squad? They need to handle this, ASAP!”   I questioned her thoroughly. I began to pace the floor. That was over $200,000 worth of shit that I’d stole from Rashawn. I felt my stomach knot up. I had to take a seat.

“Nyse, I called my peoples, but they’re not going to budge… you see, my peoples were once his peoples, so they ain’t my peoples no more. They back with him,” she explained.

Why is she talking in riddles? I wondered. This was not the time for that. “Kee, who is he? What the fuck are you talking about? I ain’t got time to play fucking Jeopardy.” I was aggravated.

Kee whispered, “Spinx, he’s out. I don’t know how, but that nigga is out, and he knows what the fuck we been doing. He was sitting outside this morning when I went to one of the houses to pick up our shit. At first I didn’t pay him any attention, but when I got closer he stepped out of this black Blazer. I almost pissed myself; it was like seeing a fucking ghost.”

My body began to tremble. I was not ready for this shit. How did he get out? I thought he was gone for sure, I thought. I needed to call Rashawn, but I couldn’t call him. He didn’t know I’d set shit up in the Hills. I had to call my friend; he would know what to do.

“Kee, did he say anything to you?”

“Girl, that’s the scary shit. He ain’t say nothing, he just smiled at me. You know that smile he gives before Fatal comes and snatches your ass up. Look, as soon as I can, me and my kids are getting the fuck out of dodge, and I suggest you do the same. I love you, girl. Take the money you got and bounce!” she hung up.

I couldn’t believe it. That bitch was going to bail on me after all I had done for her.  My stomach began to cramp worse. I needed to call my friend and let him know that shit was fucked up. Before I got a chance to call the doorbell rang. I was scared to death. What if this bastard found out where I live? I thought.

I wasn’t taking any chances. I went to the closet and pulled out Rashawn’s .9 millimeter. I’d be damned if this nigga was gonna get me first. I made my way to the door and a sharp pain rang through my pelvis. I doubled over holding my stomach. The pain was so severe it bought tears to my eyes. The doorbell rang again. I took a deep breath and stood back up. I put the gun in the inside pocket of my robe and answered the door.