If it Aint One Thing it's Another

Venus was recuperating from a hangover. She hadn’t been to work and she hadn’t heard from BJ. She decided to call the hospital and get his room number. Her head pounded when she moved, and she felt like she had to throw up. Venus started drinking again, knowing full well that she was an alcoholic and should stay away from liquor.

The phone rang. It was Will, calling to tell her that Share was in the hospital. Will told her everything, from the incident at McDonald’s to coming home and finding Share. Venus was in shock. She hung up, washed her face and drove to Columbia Presbyterian.

Share was lying on her side when Venus arrived. There was a cop outside the hospital door. Venus knew it was serious now, seeing Share with police protection. Why did she ever get involved with Petie to begin with?

Share smiled up at Venus, who bent down and kissed her forehead. ”How are you, sissy,” Venus asked her with tears in her eyes.

”I’m in pain and I can’t shit. The doctors want to give me a bag to shit in,” Share said crying. ”He ripped me up bad, Venus, and I have internal injuries...he fucked up my insides.” Venus wiped Share’s tears and then wiped her own. Share’s face was beat up and her lip had four stitches in it.

Venus wanted to kill Petie. Share told her the doctors were running lots of tests on her—including the one for HIV. Petie had ripped her so badly that the doctors had to give her eleven stitches to close up the wound. She said it hurt even when she peed.

Venus and Share talked until the nurse came to give Share a shot of morphine. Venus watched as her best friend dozed off into a restless sleep.

She quietly left the room and approached the officer outside the door. ”Please make sure that anyone who comes to see her shows proper identification...please, sir,” she begged. ”Guard her with your life.” The officer told Venus that he would do his best for the eight hours he was there.

Venus left and headed to Lincoln Hospital to see BJ. Now that her mind was clear, she would listen to what he had to say.

Will and Kalif were sitting in the Durango when Ladelle and Lydia pulled up in front of them. Ladelle was getting a bag of groceries out of the car and Lydia was walking toward the building. Kalif recognized Ladelle immediately. ”Yeah, that’s one of the niggas who jumped out that burgundy truck on me—him and this other cat. This Jamacian kid tripped me up, and that’s how they caught me. But that’s definitely him,” he said.

BJ was ready to leave the hospital. He felt handicapped. There was a cast on his ankle and his wrist was bandaged up. Being that he worked at Lincoln Hospital doing custodial maintenance, the entire staff knew him. There were flowers and cards all over his room, but enough was enough; it was time to go.

BJ was sitting up in bed eating fruit when Venus came through the door. Damn, he loved her. She stood there looking at him for a few moments and finally said, ”Do you mind if I come in? Don’t worry; I left the dogs home.” BJ smiled at her and they both started laughing. Venus sat on the side of the bed and kissed him. ”I’m so, so sorry, baby. I swear I am. I was just so hurt, hearing you over the phone with that...girl.” She didn’t know what to call Annette.

BJ came clean with her about everything and hoped that she would take him back. She told BJ she didn’t know if she could ever trust him again. After speaking further and going back and forth, they finally decided to start over.

Venus told BJ about what had happened to Share and the condition she was in. It had been one thing after another lately.

Venus left the hospital and went to the ATM to withdraw some money. She then filled up her gas tank and went shopping. She wanted to replace some of BJ’s clothes that she’d cut up. Afterward she went to Pathmark to buy groceries.

BJ would be home tomorrow. He said he’d be leaving with or without the doctor’s consent. Venus knew she couldn’t stop loving him just like that. And she didn’t want to anyway.

Renee was on the phone talking to Petie. She told him his picture was on the news and he was wanted for attempted murder, rape, assault and a bunch of other charges. Petie told her to go home in the morning, gather up some of his clothes and meet him in Queens. Renee wanted to know what he’d done. ”I’ll explain everything later, ma. I love you, and tell my sons that Daddy loves them to death,” he said brushing her off. Renee hung up wondering what he had gotten himself into now.

Renee wanted to call Ladelle. He had been acting real shitty towards her since he came home, and especially since Lydia was pregnant now. How could he forget all the times we spent together—all the freaky things we did? Don’t I mean anything to him? Apparently not.

Renee wanted to fight Lydia again. That bitch can’t even fight, she thought. Punk bitch. She decided to wait until Lydia had her baby and then catch her ass outside the projects and put the beats on her—embarrass her right in her own hood. Why not? It’ll give the neighbors something to talk about.

Petie was at Roz’s house in Queensbridge. She was a chick he used to fuck with. He needed to hide out for a minute. NYPD had put out an all points bulletin for his arrest. The news reporter had said that he was armed and dangerous, and no one other than the authorities should try to apprehend him. Instead, the public was urged to call 9-1-1 or Crime Stoppers.

Roz was a bonafide thoroughbred. He knew she would let him lay low. He was thinking about going out to Pennsylvania, and from there down south. He didn’t really have a plan, but he wasn’t going to let anyone take him alive. He wasn’t trying to go up North on rape and sodomy charges. Fuck it, he thought. I’ma shoot it out with them niggas. Fuck them charges and the police...live by the gun, die by the bullet.