Chapter 32

The six days after my argument with Markita were the longest days of my life. I barely slept in the past several days. Unfortunately, my luck turned out to be the worse in the world. Each morning came and I willed myself to watch the door, expecting Markita’s arrival. Unfortunately, she never showed. Over the long stay in the hospital, recuperating was exactly what I needed. It gave me time to get my thoughts and future plans together.

The anxiety of getting released from the hospital had me wide awake like I had been drinking Red Bull energy drinks all day. I was counting down the last three days of my hospital stay and time moved slower than a turtle race. I worked out hard, paced around the room for hours, and took plenty of showers, trying to rush the time away, but those activities still didn’t help the time to pass like I needed it to. The days seemed long and the nights were twice as long.

Now that I was six hours away from being released, I felt happy, but I also feared the unknown. I didn’t know what would happen once I returned home. Would the locks be changed? Would Markita let me in the house once I arrived? Would she still be angry about the text Zetta sent me? Those thoughts and many more danced around in my head as Swol entered my room with his janitor tools and a white plastic shopping bag. When I saw him I was reminded about what we had talked about a few days ago. Every day he came to work, he would check in on me and make sure I was cool while I was on bed rest, but he never gave me an answer to the offer I gave him.

He moved over to the bed and I got up to embrace him with a manly hug. “’Sup wit’cha?” I greeted him with a smile after breaking the hug.

Swol gave me the shopping bag. “You, me, and that $5,000 to $7,000 every two weeks you was talking about. The legal nine to five hustle is over for me. I just finished up my time in the halfway house and my parole officer told me to just give her a clean urine once a month and valid check stubs from my job and I’m good. After six months of that, I’ll only have to check in with her once every ninety days.”

I emptied the contents of the shopping bag out onto the bed, noticing the clothes, my car and house keys, and a brand new AT&T Smartphone. I looked at Swol, demanding an explanation with my eyes.

“Oh, some chick left these clothes and shit for you at the nurse’s station,” he informed and I felt a little relieved, knowing my baby Markita still cared enough to make sure that I didn’t leave the hospital wearing a hospital gown.

I figured she wasn’t that mad at me anymore, ‘cause if she was, I wouldn’t have these clothes, new cell phone, and fresh New Balance track shoes.   “Thanks, Champ,” I said, pulling off my gown. I put on the Ed Hardy T-shirt and then slipped on the dark blue True Religion jeans and the 1500 New Balance sneakers. “Ay, the check stubs ain’t no problem. I can get them joints made up for you at the club,” I told him, getting hyped. Now that I had my baby Markita back in my life and a solid man riding with me, I felt a little bit more invincible. Swol gave me the camaraderie and security I’d been seeking every since my best friend Aaron passed away.

Swol and I talked for hours, reminiscing about old times spent on lockdown, until I got discharged from the hospital with a whopping $18,635.46 bill. I gave Swol the hospital bill on our way to his car:  a two-door 1978 Monte Carlo Landau. Swol had the car looking sweet sitting on some shiny chrome rims off the sparkling silver bullet paint job with glitter flakes mixed in the paint job.

“I’ma pay that though!” I said sarcastically as we reached his ride.

“Damn, it jive cost like a ma’fucka to heal up in them joints, huh?” Swol grinned, handing the bill back to me.

“Shiid! They need to pay me for holding a nigga hostage that long!” I capped as Swol got in and opened the passenger door for me.

After getting inside, Swol started the engine and the sounds of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly came on singing “Back In Stride Again!” Swol pulled off and I gave him the directions to my house. As he drove me home, I began mentally kicking myself in the ass for being so open and trusting with him. Under no circumstances did anybody know where I rest my head. You couldn’t trust too many niggas as far as you could see them in this game. For some reason, I didn’t feel like Swol had them cutthroat, snake-like cruddy tendencies. We’d done time together and he’d never showed me that side of him when it came to me. Now for the other guys Swol met at the water fountain, that was a different story.

After I got home, I jumped out of his car and ran to the front door. Swol got out and followed me. Man, I hope her ass ain’t in here waiting on me butt naked, I thought while sticking my key into the lock and opening the door.

I could barely erase the scene from my head as we entered the empty house. All the furniture was missing. The house looked just like a vacant house you view when you trying to buy the joint. I ran upstairs quickly, more concerned with the whereabouts of my son and Markita. Checking my son’s bedroom, I saw it was completely empty. I hung my head low, checking each of the bedroom upstairs and found them empty as well.