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Three months earlier
“You sound like a damn fool! I’m not going anywhere with you!” Aintee Maven yelled.
“Listen Ma’am, I don’t want no trouble with you,” Ace replied. “I’m just trying to offer you a ride to the hospital. We need to get there quick to check on Aviare.”
Ace knew that he wasn’t giving her much to go on but he was doing everything in his power to avoid telling her that Aviare had been shot.
“Oh my God! Hospital? What have you done to my baby?” Aintee Maven barked. She knew in her heart that nothing good would come from Aviare hanging with Ace and here was the proof.
“I haven’t done anything except tried to help him, we really need to get going....”
Aintee Maven’s heart raced. She dreaded asking what happened to Aviare. All she knew was this character they called Ace was at her door banging like he was the damn police. She had a half a mind not to answer it. The only reason she did was because he mentioned Aviare’s name and she was already worried sick because he hadn’t come home and it was almost 2 AM.
Against her better judgment she grabbed her coat and purse and got in the car with him. Lord knows if she would have had any other way to get to Aviare besides riding with this thug she would be using it, but seeing as this seemed to be a repeat situation of what went down with granny, when no one else was around with a ride, she had no choice but to take him up on his offer.
“Tell me the truth,” Aintee Maven announced with a blank stare as they weaved through traffic and raced through yellow lights. “What happen to my boy?”
Not wanting to upset her any more than she already was, Ace decided that he would let the doctors give her the news about Aviare being shot.
“Look ma’am, I think we need to just wait till we get to the hospital and they can explain everything,” he replied.
“Tell me what the hell happened!” she screamed.
Her reaction caught Ace off guard. It was apparent that she wasn’t going to let up until she heard the truth. He let out a heavy sigh as he chewed on the end of his toothpick before responding.
“He was shot.”
“Oh Lawd Jesus! My baby!” Aintee Maven wailed. Her worst fear had been confirmed. Her body trembled as she prepared herself for the worst. The tears flowed like a waterfall from her ducts. Ever since she had taken in Aviare she had tried her best to protect him from the pull of the streets and from men like Ace. But her attempts had failed. In a flash her attention soon turned back to him.
“It’s all your fault! I knew you were bad news when you first started coming around. Lawd knows I tried to keep that chile away from you and the rest of them thug ass niggas!”
Before she could continue she was cut off by Ace.
“I don’t know how many times I gotta keep telling you I didn’t do anything but try to help Aviare!” He yelled. He didn’t mean to raise his voice at her but he had now become frustrated with the whole situation.
“You need to watch your tone with me! You can run that gangsta shit on them niggas in the street but you don’t intimidate me.”
Aintee Maven knew who she was dealing with, and the fact that he was most likely packing heat, but that didn’t stop her from getting her point across. As far as she was concerned he was somehow involved in her nephew being shot and she didn’t have shit to lose. If he thought she was going to be running scared like the rest of the older people on the block when it came to drug dealers, he had another thing coming. She waited with baited breath for his response; however, instead, he remained silent as they pulled into the trauma center at Mercy Grace Hospital. Ace let Aintee Maven out at the door and he went to park.
After briefly chatting with the intake receptionist at the front desk Aintee Maven was informed that Aviare was in fact still alive and in surgery to remove several bullets that lacerated his abdomen and chest. No further information could be given until the operation was over. That’s when the Dr. would speak to her personally. There wasn’t anything that could be done at this point except pray that he pulled through.
“How is he?” Ace asked after racing into the waiting area and taking a seat beside Aintee Maven.
“He’s been shot several times. They have him in surgery to remove the bullets. We won’t know anything till the Dr. comes out.”
“Thank God he’s still alive,” Ace replied, taking his snapback off and rubbing his bald head.
At this point Aintee Maven was totally ignoring him and dialing her family to let them know what was going on. Her brother Joe and sister Rita were about to drop everything and head her way, but seeing as it was almost a three hour drive she insisted that they stay put until she got word from the Dr.
“Really Joe I’m fine. We can’t do anything for him now anyway. I just wanted to let y’all know what was going on, but y’all don’t have to drive all this way this late. I promise I will call as soon as he gets out of surgery.”
“Nonsense!” Joe replied. “There no way we are gon’ let you go through by yourself. I don’t know about Rita but I’m leaving as soon as I get dressed.”
“Joe listen...”
“I don’t want to hear another word, I’m on the way.”
For as much as Aintee Maven insisted on Joe not rush to get there, quite as it was kept she was happy that her brother was on the way. Despite his quick temper Joe was a caring and compassionate man, who would give the shirt off of his back for his family. And it felt good to have someone to lean on.
Once she’d hung up from speaking with Joe and a few other family members who were on the way to the hospital, she tried to call Sonnet. Just as she suspected her number was disconnected. This came as no surprise. As far as Maven knew Sonnet most likely changed her number and didn’t give it to her or Aviare, which was a shame. Because despite the fact that they ended on bad terms she still needed to stay in contact with her brother, if nothing else but for an emergency such as this. Her gut told her that Sonnet hadn’t changed her ways, which is probably why she subconsciously dialed everyone except her first. After spreading the word about Aviare, Maven collapsed in a chair in a corner of the waiting room and broke down in tears.
“Is there anything I can do ma’am?” Ace asked in an attempt to comfort her.
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough already?” she spat. “He wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for you!” she yelled.
Her words came from a place of anger and pain. Ace sensed that she was lashing out at anyone that could take the blame, and for that reason he didn’t take it personally. Instead he opted to once again try and explain his role in Aviare’s life.
“With all due respect, I know you mad and hurt, but like I said I had nothing to do with your nephew getting shot. All I ever did was tried to help him. I knew he was running with some bad folks and I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Bullshit! How did you even find out he was shot if you had nothing to do with it?” she asked through a veil of tears.
“Like I said, I tried to talk him out of running for that shady cat he was working for but he wasn’t trying to hear it. I still tried to look out for him so I sent two of my peeps to trail him. It was a drop off that went sideways. They saw everything. Once your nephew got popped they jumped out their ride and started blasting at the fool who shot him but he got away. Luckily they was there because they drove him to the hospital and dropped him off, then called me. Ain’t no telling how long he would have laid there waiting for an ambulance, that is if anyone would have even called one at all. And if they did, who knows if one would have shown up.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she asked. You get no pass from me because you sent your little “crew” to watch out for him. How do I know he wasn’t running for you?”
Ace shook his head in frustration. It was obvious that this woman wasn’t believing anything that came out of his mouth.
“I’m telling you he wasn’t working for me...”
Before he could say another word Maven stood from her seat.
“I don’t want to hear another damn word! Just stop talking to me! They already said once his surgery is over only the immediate family will be able to visit. I think that leaves you out.”
“I can dig that, but I at least want to stick around and see if my man pulls through,” Ace replied.
“Look here Ace, or whatever they call you. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear the first time. You are not welcome here! I appreciate the ride but imma need you to leave before my family shows up. If you don’t go I’ll ask security to have you removed!”
Despite her small stature Maven spoke with boldness and authority. The only thing her mind told her was that she wasn’t going to have her family disrespected by the presence of the punk ass nigga who most likely put Aviare in harm’s way. He could save his sob story because she wasn’t trying to hear shit he had to say.
“You ain’t gotta do all that, fuck it, I’m out,” Ace responded before waiving his hands to the situation and walking off.
Several hours later
“I knew her ass would be no where around. That’s another reason I made it a point to show up!” Joe fumed.
“And I appreciate you being here,” Maven replied. “I only had one number for Sonnet and that’s disconnected. I don’t have any contact information for any of her friends. It’s sad to think that our family has become so divided that we can’t even come together for a tragedy.” She shook her head in despair.
“It’s not the whole family, stop taking up for her Maven and call it what it is. Niece or not, Sonnet is a selfish bitch who only thinks of herself.” Joe replied.
“That’s right daddy, don’t nobody want her triflin ass here anyway,” Trina chimed in. My lil’ cuz know he has family that loves him. Besides that, I still got a bone to pick with that bitch over how she showed out at granny’s funeral. So it’s best she keep her distance from me.”
Before Aintee Maven could respond the Dr. stepped into the waiting area.
“Ms. Wiggins?”
“Yes, how is he Dr?” Aintee Maven asked, leaping from her seat.
“I’m Dr. Thompson. I’m one of the surgeons working on your nephew. It’s touch and go, but we are doing everything possible.”
“Touch and go?” Joe retorted. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“That means that he’s lost a lot of blood. We will need to do a transfusion. The bullet that penetrated his chest went straight though and caused minimal damage. Luckily it didn’t hit any major organs. Unfortunately the one that went through his abdomen ruptured his spleen and lodged it’s self near his spine. That’s what we have been working on for the past several hours. We are trying our best to remove out without causing any further nerve damage, but it’s in a tricky spot.”
“So you staying that the bullet may have to stay in him?” Aintee Maven asked with a shaky tone.
“I’m not going to make that speculation just yet. Right now he’s in critical condition. Our main priority is getting him stable and replacing the blood he has lost. Ms. Wiggins would you be the one signing the consent form?”
“Yes, by all means.”
When it was all said and done Aviare made it through the surgery with minimal complications. The doctors were able to remove the bullet lodged near his spine. The full extent of the nerve damage wouldn’t be evident until he was awake. Worse case scenario was he may not be able to walk but he was still alive and that was all that mattered to his family. Maven and Joe were informed that since Aviare was so young and otherwise healthy that he should make a full recovery.