Chapter Twenty Two

Serenity spent nearly thirty minutes running down her plan which Koran had to admit was worth trying. If it worked, his suspects would provide him with a name. If it didn’t work, at least Hector would be dead. The problem what he wasn’t willing to risk was having Serenity caught up in the middle. If he put it in motion, she would be targeted by both sides. When he tried to voice this, Serenity shut him up with a kiss, then changed the subject, determined to have her way. For the time being he decided to go along with her just so he could avoid the argument. In the mean time, his goal was to come up with another plan. One that didn’t involve her.

Afterwards, on their way to Emma’s apartment, butterflies fluttered in Korans’ stomach. The thought of meeting Janet, the woman who had played a part in molding Jahad into the man he was today, made him feel a little apprehensive. He wondered how Jahad would react once he found out. From what Tony told him, Jahad believed Janet to be dead. Did he still love her? Did she still love him? The questions along with a million others ran through his mind as Serenity knocked on Emma’s door.

“Who is it?” Emma’s voice came from the other side a few seconds later.

“It’s me Mrs. Harris, Koran.”

It took a few more seconds for her to take all the locks off the door. It sounded like she had about ten dead bolts on that shit. The door opened and Emma stood with a wide lip splitting smile. “Hey baby.” She kissed Koran on the cheek before turning to Serenity. “Did you tell him?”

“Yes, Ma’am. He wants to speak to her. We both do. How long has she been talking Mrs. Harris?”

“Y’all come in first and we’ll talk. Janet is taking a nap right now, poor thing. I don’t think she slept in two days.”

The sweet aroma of cookies and cakes lingered in the air as Koran and Serinity followed Emma through the brightly lit hallway. Pictures of Black Jesus, crosses, The Last Supper and old photo’s dating back to the seventies decorated the walls. Some showed Emma in her prime posing in front of Lincoln Town Cars and Cadillac Sevilles with an afro the size of a punch bowl.

“What you cooking Mrs. Harris?” Koran asked, his mouth watering.

“I’m in here doing a little baking for my church. How bout y’all try something out for me. I need to see if I still got my touch?”

Koran wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “You know I wouldn’t turn down your cooking for nothing in the world.” Emma giggled.

Entering the kitchen Koran felt like a kid again when he saw all the goodies. Seven cakes sat on the large round table. Two chocolates, two vanillas, two red velvets, and a pineapple pound cake. On the kitchen counter an assortment of chocolate chip, oatmeal, lemon, and peanut butter cookies were lined in plastic trays.

“You need to open a bakery Mrs. Harris and call it Emma’s Sweet Treats. I betcha you’d get paid,” Koran said, pulling out a chair. “All this stuff for your church?”

Emma chuckled as she walked over to the knife rack. “Yes, we’re having a family day tomorrow. You two need to come. What will you have Serenity? I already know you want red velvet Koran.”

“I’ll take red velvet too, Mrs. Harris. Thank you.”

Emma cut two healthy slices of cake, then turned to the refrigerator and took out a gallon of milk. “You know, this reminds me of the time I had Jahad and Janet together right here in this same kitchen. They’d had a spat over something, but I fixed it right up. Yes, I did.”

Koran and Serenity exchanged a questioning look while Emma poured two glasses of milk. She sat the two slices of cake on small plates, added a couple of cookies and placed it and the milk on the table in front of them.

“For a while they had a good thing going. Jahad had a good paying job, although he worked his butt off. But hard work is good for a young man. He had his dream of doing his Be-Bop thing and Janet was right there supporting him.”

“Hip Hop,” Koran corrected.

“Be-Bop, Hip-Hop, it’s the same thing,” she said, waving her hand. “Anyway, they were off to a good start. Then them no good Puerto Rican boys came along and messed everything up.” Her face hardened. “They should be a shamed of themselves for what they did to that girl. The devil has no shame though. For two straight nights I’ve held her while she cried her poor little heart out.”

Serenity sat up in her chair. “That’s how long she’s been talking? Two days?”

“Yes. The first day was when I went to your apartment. I knew who she was right away, but she didn’t recognize me. That is, not until the day I brought her here. I’d sit and talk to her for hours, but she just stared at me like I was a fixture on the wall. I’ve seen people like that before. It’s the pain. It becomes so unbearable it shuts you down and that's exactly what happened to her. She told me when she came out of it how those boys threatened to kill her baby. Jahad’s baby. And his stubborn butt had the nerve to accuse her of turning on him. When she shot that man, that did it. It pushed her over the edge. It’s a wonder she didn’t lose her mind.”

“What brought her around?”

Emma smiled. “Sometimes when you’re burdened with some bad memories all it takes is one goofy one to lift you up. I told you Serenity, your mother was doing something I didn’t approve of, so I gathered up Janet’s things and brought her here. And you know what? As soon as she stepped foot in my kitchen she smiled. That was the first time I saw her respond to anything so I started talking about the day she and Jahad were here.”

“At the mention of that boy’s name she broke down crying, a pitiful sight too.” Tears threatened to fall from the corners of Emma eyes. “It look a while for her to get herself together, but when she did, she asked where she was. Her next question was where was her baby. When I told her Dej’a was down south with Michelle, I couldn’t get her to shut up.” Emma laughed.

“Before I could finish answering one question she was asking another. There’s a gap in her memory too, Serenity. She doesn’t remember anything after the time she shut herself down, so you’ll have to bring her up to speed. She wants to see Jahad too. She’s a little scared thinking he might try to hurt her. I told her he would do no such thing.”

“He’s awake now too. I spoke to him this morning before I left the hospital,” Koran said, feeling like he was caught up in a soap opera. “Why you ain’t tell me you knew Janet all those times you came to see me in the hospital?”

Emma smacked her lips. “Because there’s a time for everything Koran. If I would have told you your mind would have been all mixed up when it needs to be on how you’re gonna get you and Jahad out of the mess y’all in.”

Koran eye’s widened. “What you talking bout Mrs. Harris?”

Emma ignored him and turned to Serenity. “Will you please excuse us baby? I have a bone to pick with this boy.”

Serenity shot Koran an ‘ooh you’re in trouble look’ and he stuck his tongue out at her. Once she left Emma looked at him pointedly. “Are you mixed up in these streets Koran, and don’t lie to me?”

He started to do just that, wanted to lie so bad so he wouldn’t disappoint her, but he couldn’t. Since he was filling in for Jahad he had to tell her since everything was stashed in her apartment.

“Yeah, Mrs. Harris. I’m taking care of things until Jah gets out the hospital,” he said looking down at his hands.

Emma shook her head sadly. “For some reason I thought this life would escape you. Jahad I understand, but you. It wasn’t forced on you like it was your brother. You’re a bright young man Koran, with a short future if you continue to mess around in them streets. Just look what happened to you. That was a sign from God baby. Get out before it’s too late. You’re probably wondering why I keep Jahad’s poison in my house. Well, believe me, it’s not the money he gives me. I donate every dime to my church. You see, old Mrs. Harris use to be a young Mrs. Harris, and just like you and Jahad, I was a slave to them streets. I had a pimp I loved more than life itself, but…”

“A pimp!” Koran dropped the cookie he was about to bite into.

“Yes, baby. I use to sell my body and do all types of despicable things. You know why? I put my trust in someone who didn’t care two red cent about me. When my body was all used up and my pretty face wasn’t as pretty, I was no longer any use to him. By that time, I’d had so many abortions, I lost the ability to do one of the things a woman was put on this earth to do, have children. Now you, Jahad, Jamel and Dej’a are the closet thing I’ll ever have to grand babies. And like any grandmother, I’ll do all in my power to protect y’all. So, I’d rather keep the poison here knowing I won’t betray him, then have him keep it somewhere else.”

Koran nodded, feeling a deep, sympathetic love for Emma.

“Remember this baby,” she continued. “With the life you’re living trust ain’t nothing more than an illusion. When it comes to money and power, if genuine love ain’t involved, then be very careful. That’s one thing them streets taught me. Now, while Serenity out, go look in the middle bedroom. Jahad keeps his mess in that chest beside the bed and the closet.”

Koran stood with Emma’s words bouncing around in his head. She definitely was right about one thing. Trust is an illusion. Something else echoed in his mind as well. Power! He couldn’t picture any of the Heads, nor their lieutenants, trying to kill them for money. Power was another story. If one person controlled the M.G’s, he would be one of the most dominate forces New York had ever held. Then another thought struck him. He and Jahad weren’t the only ones in danger if the control of the M.G’s was what the snake wanted.

With that thought in mind, he turned to walk out the kitchen just as Serenity and Janet turned the corner in the middle of a conversation. Immediately, the conversation came to a halt and Koran froze in his tracks. His eyes were fixed on Janet’s almond shaped green eyes, which seemed to hypnotize him. The resemblance between the sisters were distinct. The green eyes, high cheekbones, pointed chins, and heart shaped faces.

But unlike Serentity, Janet stood at five eight with honey blond hair that hung almost to her waist, a long, sharp, delicate nose, wide sensuous lips, and a thin barely visible sexy mole near her eye. Her complexion was the color of champagne, pale from the lack of sunlight. She wore a pair of tight Azure Capri jeans that gripped her round voluminous hips, a white short sleeve button-up unbuttoned over a white wife beater that clung to her melon size breast, and nothing on her small narrow feet.

Koran held her gaze with all types of taboo thoughts running through his mind. She looked absolutely stunning, breathtaking. He saw how easy it was for Jahad to fall head over heels in love just as he did with Serenity. Both sisters carried an aura of untamed passion. A strong, magnetic, attracting power.

Janet studied Koran in a similar fashion, but in her eyes, she saw Jahad. The seven year gap in her memory puts Koran around the same age as Jahad when the two first met. He was close to the same build and height, and looked so much like Jahad she couldn’t differentiate between the two.

“Hi Janet.” Koran spoke with a little smile once he found his voice. The trance broken, Janet ran into his arms and kissed him, holding him firmly against her. Koran, without thinking, held her with his good arm and felt himself growing hard until Serenity broke them apart.

“What the hell you think you doing Janet! That ain’t Jahad. That’s Koran, my man!” she hissed. She then turned on Koran, her nose flaring. “And why in the hell did you kiss her back!”

Koran’s face flushed red. “I ain’t kiss her back.”

“Koran?” Janet looked him up and down surprised. “Little Koran?”

“I ain’t little no more,” he said with a wide grin.

“Oh my god!” Janet laughed, embarrassed, then arched her eyebrow. “I can see you aren’t little no more.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Serenity grabbed Korans’ hand possessively. “And you stop flirting with her before I knock that silly grin off your face.”

“Leave him alone, Sin. I thought he was Jahad.” Janet took hold of Serenity’s hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I ain’t trying to steal your man. He is a cutie though.”

Koran blushed turning his head away from Serenity who looked at him with a scowl. “Janet, honey, what are you doing up?” Emma asked as she walked over drying her hands on a towel. “You need to get some rest baby.”

“I’m fine Mrs. Harris. I’ve been resting for seven years. What I need is to get caught up,” Janet replied and turned to Koran. “How is Jahad?”

“He’s good. I spoke to him this morning. He’s still kinda weak, but he gonna be a’ight.”

Janet nodded. “You think… I mean, I want to see him. There’s so much I have to explain. So much he doesn’t understand. He thinks I set him up. I tried to tell him what Hector did, but he wouldn’t listen. He just wouldn’t listen Koran!” she cried, burying her face in her hands.

Instinctively, Koran wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “It’s a’ight, Janet. We gonna straighten it all out tomorrow, I promise. Once you explain what happened and tell him Dej’a is his daughter, I betcha he’ll apologize. I’ll talk to him first so he won’t spazz out. He thinks your dead, so all this gonna fuc…” He cut his eyes at Emma. “Mess him up.”

“He doesn’t know Dej’a is his?” she asked wiping her eyes. “But I thought she was down south with Michelle?”

“She is, but Jah still don’t know. I sent her and Sin down there when I was in the hospital.”

Confusion was written all over her face as she looked at Serenity then back to Koran. “I don’t understand. What happened?”

Serenity coughed under her breath to draw Koran’s attention, then gave him a little shake of her head. Koran picked up on it immediately. With all the stress Janet had been under, the less she knew the better. If she found out Hector was involved, fear could possibly make her slip back into her trance.

“I’ll explain what I can later. For now, why don’t you and Sin go out so she can show you how much New York has changed in seven years. You probably wanna do some shopping too. You should get all fly so when you see Jah tomorrow his tongue will fall out his mouth.”

Janet smiled. “I like that idea, but I don’t have any money for….” She paused and whipped her head towards Serenity. “I have some money put up in your closet that I took from Hector.”

Serenity looked down at the floor. “I um…. kinda borrowed it. Well, some of it. When mommy got on that stuff I had to take care of me and Dej’a. I used some for school too. There’s still a couple thousand left, though. I budgeted it as best I could.”

Janet’s face dropped. “I understand.”

“What you looking all sad for?” Koran titled her head up. “Money is something you never have to worry about.”

“What you mean?”

“Just trust me, you rich on the low. Sin, look in my closet and take out ten stacks so you can fix her up.”

“Fifth Ave money?” Serenity grinned.

Janet shrugged her shoulders not knowing what they were talking about. “I wanna speak to Dej’a before we leave.”

“You can call from my apartment. Now vamoose!”