Concrete Rose, page 16
I take him in my arms, and his fat li’l hands grip my shirt. I kiss his forehead. “It’s a’ight, man. Daddy got you.”
Iesha frown. “Why he acting like this?”
“He hasn’t seen you in months, baby,” Ma says. “Give him time.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Aunt ’Nita call out.
Ma motion her head toward the door. “C’mon, y’all.”
We go to the kitchen with the rest of the family. We don’t sit around a dining-room table and eat like people do on TV. Nah, everybody fix a plate and sit wherever they want around the house. First, Granny gotta say grace. We hold hands around the kitchen and bow our heads. Granny do them long prayers, man. She act like God don’t know what’s going on and it’s her job to fill him in.
“And Lord,” she says, five minutes in, “please help these young mothers get their priorities straight. Nobody said it was easy, but they acting like they don’t have responsibilities and expect other people to care for their children. Help them, Father!”
Ma must’ve told her all about Iesha.
“Help my grandson Maverick, too, Lord,” Granny says. “Help him to stop making all these babies. Take all that fertileness and mannishness away from him, Lord! Make them spirits loose him!”
There’s a couple of “Yes, Lord” and “Amens” from the fam. Aunt Letha put her hand on my forehead, talking about, “In Jesus name!”
This floor need to go ahead and eat me up, man.
Granny end her prayer by thanking God for the years we got with Dre. Hard to be thankful knowing we should’ve gotten more.
After ten minutes, Granny done, and everybody can fix their plates. Not me. I get Seven situated in his high chair. I can never eat and feed him at the same time.
Ma come touch my shoulder. “Baby, fix yourself some food.”
“I will later. I gotta feed—”
“No. Iesha came here to eat our food, she can feed her son.”
Ma said it loud enough for everybody to hear. Iesha got two plates in her hand – one for her, and one for King. Ma give her a glare that I know real good.
Iesha set down the plates. “I’ll feed him.”
“Thought so,” Ma says. She kiss my temple. “Go eat, baby.”
I smile. It’s real nice when she on my side.
I stack a plate with ham and turkey, a big scoop of mac and cheese with the yams next to it ’cause ain’t no other way to do it, and then some collard greens. I fix another plate just for dressing. I scoop some cranberry sauce on that joint, throw two rolls on top, grab a canned Sunkist out the cooler, and I’m good to go.
Finding somewhere to sit the only problem. The kitchen table full. The dining room table crowded, and so is the living room. Me and Dre would eat on the front porch, so that’s where I head. I sit on the steps and set one of my plates where he used to sit. Kinda like having him here with me.
I pour out some Sunkist for him. That was his favorite. “Wish you were here, dawg.”
I take a sip and dig in. Goddamn, Ma, Granny, and Aunt ’Nita threw down. I’m gon’ need a couple more plates before the day over.
Wonder if Lisa able to eat or if her morning sickness been bad. I ain’t called her today. She want space, fine, I’ll give her space. Don’t mean she not on my mind.
The front door swing open. “Dang, ain’t nowhere to sit in there,” King says.
He plop down on the steps beside me with two plates. He really gon’ sit here like he ain’t pulled some foul shit.
I set my plate down. “Yo, man, what’s up with this?”
“What’s up with what?” he ask, mouth full of corn bread dressing. “Man, your granny put her foot off in this.”
“You know what I’m talking ’bout. You and Iesha together?”
He put mac and cheese and a yam on the fork. “I guess. You got a problem with that?”
“You brought her to my house, knowing that girl ain’t around for our son.”
“Then shouldn’t you be happy I brought her?”
“Dawg, why didn’t you tell me she staying with you? I asked you at the football game, and you switched the subject on me.”
“She wasn’t staying with me then,” he says.
“Once she was, why you ain’t hit me up?”
“Ain’t like I see you, fool,” King says. “You never come around me or the set.”
“’Cause I’m busy taking care of my son, thanks to Iesha! You foul for—”
A loud, rusty Datsun screech to a stop in front of my house. The driver’s door fly open and a muscular, light-skinned dude jump out.
“What the hell?” King says.
The driver rush toward us. Nah, toward me. Right as I realize it’s Carlos, Lisa’s brother—
Bam! His fist connect with my eye.
“You son of a bitch!” he screams.
I don’t get a chance to say or do nothing. Carlos yank me off the steps and sling me into the yard. Soon as I hit the ground, his boots ram into my stomach, my chest, my legs, my back. I ball up to try to block the kicks.
Sound like the whole fam rush outside. Granny hollering, my little cousins hollering. Ma yell for somebody to stop Carlos. It take King plus three of Ma’s cousins to get him off.
“He knocked up my little sister!” Carlos screams as they hold him back. “This son of a bitch knocked up my little sister!”
I get on my knees. I can’t stand – everything spinning. Everything I can see, I mean. My right eye swelling shut from that sucker punch.
“Carlos,” I say as blood drip around my teeth. My lip busted. “I’m sorry, a’ight?”
“You piece of shit!” he says. “You ruined her life!”
He snatch away from King and them. Just as fast as he came, he get in his car, slam the door shut, and drive off.
CHAPTER 19
It’s two days before I can see out my eye good. Four days later, and it’s still bruised.
This the first day back at school after Thanksgiving break, and my black eye getting me a lot of glances. I can’t go down the hall without somebody staring or snickering. I find Rico and Junie at the spot under the staircase where us King Lords hang out, and they both go, “Daaaamn,” when they see me.
“Who whooped your ass?” Rico asks.
“I hope they look as bad as you do,” Junie says.
“Forget y’all.”
“For real, what happened, dawg?” says Rico. “We’ll get back at somebody if you want.”
“It’s nothing. I bust my ass going down some stairs.”
Junie raise his eyebrows. “Them stairs got fists? That’s a black eye, my dude.”
“It was Mrs. Carter, wasn’t it?” Rico says. “Your momma look like she can throw hands.”
Junie nods. “Yep. She fine though.”
What the hell? “That’s my momma, fool!”
“And? She got ass.” He motion his hand like it’s going over her butt. “I’ll gladly be your stepdaddy.”
I punch the mess outta his arm.
“Ow! You need to be hitting whoever gave you that black eye!”
“Forget you. What’s up with y’all? How everything in the streets?”
“Dawg, did you hear? Shawn got busted on Thanksgiving,” Rico says.
“What?” I almost yell. “You lying!”
“I wish. He got pulled over during a traffic stop. You know they love to do them things during holidays. Cops found his piece and it wasn’t registered. They took him downtown.”
I wondered why he hadn’t come over on Thanksgiving. “He can’t get bailed out?”
Junie shake his head. “He a felon, and they take that shit real serious. Homie may be in there a minute.”
“Damn.” It don’t seem like it was that long ago when I was riding around with Shawn. I swear, in the Garden you’ll see a person one day, and the next they either locked up or dead. “Who running the set, then?”
“All the big homies wanna be in charge,” Junie says. “I’m glad we making money with King so I don’t gotta deal with they bull.”
“Word,” says Rico. “With Shawn and Dre gone, it ain’t the same. They were the only big homies who really cared ’bout us. We gotta look out for ourselves now.”
“Damn.” I don’t know what else to say.
“Don’t trip, Mav. It’s all good,” Junie says. “Long as we got each other’s backs, we’ll be a’ight in these streets.”
“In the meantime,” Rico jump in, “we tryna figure out how we gon’ roll to this winter dance. You oughta come through.”
Winter dance? Oh dang, I forgot that’s next weekend. “I don’t know, man.”
“Why not?” says Junie. “You momma can watch your son like she did for the football game.”
Not when I done got Lisa pregnant. I ain’t ready to tell my boys that I got another baby on the way. I don’t need the whole school in my business. “Nah, she probably won’t watch him for that. I don’t got a date no way.”
“Who said shit ’bout a date? I’m rolling solo so I can get as much sloppy toppy as I want.” Rico slap palms with a laughing Junie.
“We getting a limo,” Junie adds. “Gon’ roll through in some fly-ass tuxes, looking like the Mafia. You can’t miss out on this one.”
He talking limos and tuxes, and I’m thinking dollars. “How much that gon’ cost?”
“You just have to put down a couple hundred,” says Rico.
“Man, I gotta get my son a new car seat. I can’t waste money on no dance.”
“Is that why you rock them dusty kicks every day?” Rico asks, and Junie bust out laughing.
My sneakers them same Reeboks I bought this summer. By now I would’ve had a new pair.
Every now and then, I wonder how different things would be if I was still selling drugs. I’d have fresh kicks, fa’sho, and I could buy Seven everything he need.
I can’t go there. Dre wouldn’t want me to. I shrug at Rico. “I got more important things to deal with than shoes.”
“We need to start calling you Old Man Carter,” Rico says. “I take that back. My grandma get out more than you and she fresher than you.”
“Whatever,” I mumble.
The first bell ring for class. I follow Rico and Junie down the hall as they discuss the dance and their plans. It’s like they speaking a language I ain’t fluent in anymore. The words real familiar, but they done lost all meaning for me.
Me and Junie go to history class. Mr. Phillips write notes on the chalkboard as we fill into the room.
“Hope you’re all prepared for today’s exam,” he says, with his back to us. “I trust that you studied properly over the break.”
I stop dead and close my eyes.
I didn’t study for nothing. I was too caught up in the fact I got another baby on the way.
This already ain’t my day.
I end up having three exams, and I studied for none of them. Just what I need when my grades already rocky.
I rest my head back against this hard-ass seat. I’m riding the city bus downtown to meet Lisa at her doctor’s. She called me Friday, told me she had an appointment today after school, and said I was welcome to come. That’s it. Girl get on my nerves, man. Mr. Wyatt told me I can come to work whenever the appointment is over, but of course that mean I’m gon’ have to stay late. I can never catch a break.
Lisa’s doctor’s office is on the fifth floor of a skyscraper. People walk around the main lobby in suits with briefcases. I’m real outta place in my hoodie, jeans, and backpack. I get on the elevator with this white lady, and she pull her purse closer, like she scared I’m gon’ snatch it. People way more scared of me than they oughta be.
I get off at the fifth floor and follow signs to the doctor’s office. This definitely not the free clinic. Water streams down a fountain, and elevator music play from some speakers. Fancy paintings hang from the walls.
I let the receptionist know I’m here to meet up with somebody, and I scope out the waiting area. Lisa near the back in the navy blazer and plaid skirt she gotta wear to Saint Mary’s. She made her uniform fresh by throwing on some Jordans. She fill out paperwork and ain’t noticed that I’m here.
The person next to her has.
Carlos stare me down. One of his hands bandaged up, probably from the sucker punch he gave me.
I ignore that fool and sit on the other side of Lisa. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, we just got—” She look up, and her mouth drop. “Oh my God, Maverick, is that a black eye?”
“It’s nothing.”
“That’s not noth—” Lisa look at Carlos’s hand. Then she look at me. She sighs. “Did you two get into a fight?”
Carlos rub his knuckles. “It wasn’t a fight. I beat his ass.”
This fool won once, now he talking shit. “Only ’cause I let you. Won’t happen again.”
“Oh, I’m more than happy to have a rematch.”
“What it is, then?”
“Y’all! Please,” Lisa says. “Don’t start.”
“Fine,” Carlos says, through his teeth. “However, I have every right to be pissed that he ruined my little sister’s life.”
“He didn’t ruin my life, and he didn’t make this baby by himself,” Lisa says. “I was a more-than-willing participant. Maverick told me he didn’t have a condom, and I still wanted to have sex with—”
Carlos cringe. “I don’t need to know more, thank you.”
“Obviously, you do. If you’re gonna be mad at him, be mad at me as well.”
“Believe me, I am mad at you.”
“Yeah,” Lisa says softly. “You’ve made that pretty clear.”
Hold the hell up, what he do to her? I swear, if he said some sideways shit to Lisa—
“Lisa Montgomery?” a nurse call out.
I know that voice. I look up, and sure enough, it’s –
“Moe?”
Ma’s best friend hold open the door that lead back to the examining rooms. She see me, and her eyes widen. “Mav, what are you doing here?”
Me and Carlos follow Lisa over to her. “Lisa got an appointment,” I say.
Ma told her the deal by now. She give Lisa a tiny smile. “I thought that name looked familiar. How are you doing, sweetie?”
“Okay, I guess. Ready to get this appointment done.”
“You’re in the right hands.” Moe look at Carlos and raise her eyebrows. “Only one person is allowed back with the patient.”
“I know,” Carlos says, eyeing me. “Just want to remind my sister that I’m out here if she needs me.”
Nah, he wanna remind me.
Lisa mumble, “Thank you,” and step around Moe.
I pat her brother’s shoulder. “Enjoy the wait, Carlton.”
Before he can respond, Moe close the door behind me.
She lead us to a room where she check Lisa’s weight and her blood pressure. Another nurse take some of Lisa’s blood and have her go pee in a cup. After that, Moe lead us to an examining room and give Lisa a gown.
“You’ll have to change into that,” she says. “Now, don’t be nervous. It’s a simple exam. Dr. Byrd will ask more questions than anything.”
Lisa take a deep breath. “Okay.”
“We’ll take good care of you. Faye would kill me otherwise. How’s she doing, Mav?”
“She good. Recovering from Thanksgiving. I’m surprised you ain’t stop by.”
Moe’s smile dim a bit. “I didn’t wanna cause any problems. Dr. Byrd will be here shortly.” She grab her clipboard and hurry outta the room.
I frown and point my thumb back. “What’s up with that?”
“Maverick … nothing.” Lisa shake her head. “Never mind. It’s not my place to say.”
“Huh? What’s not your place to say?”
Lisa sighs. “You haven’t figured it out yet, have you?”
I know my eyebrows practically touching. “Figured out what?”
Lisa smirk. “You’re actually kinda cute when you’re confused.”
“Oh, word? I thought I wasn’t shit.”
“I never said that, Maverick. You assumed.” She slip outta her blazer and, yo, this girl start to strip down right in front of me. I’m not complaining (I ain’t a perv), but it catch me off guard.
“You gotta take everything off?” I ask.
“Yep.” Her shirt go, and then her bra next, giving me a real good view. Man, I do love the sight of them things. I just be wanting to hold them sometimes. I ain’t a perv, I swear.
Lisa give me the evil eye. “Stop looking at them.”
I look at the wall. “You act like I ain’t seen them before.”
“You are more than welcome to go to the waiting room with Carlos.”
“Okay, okay! I won’t look.”
“Good idea,” she says, and I hear a zipper.
I pick up this weird-looking toy on the table. It’s kinda shaped like an upside-down triangle but got two things sticking out on each side. Handles? I don’t know. The middle part is red and pink. It tunnels down to an opening, like for a ball or something to go in.
“What kinda toy is this?” I ask Lisa.
“That’s a uterus, Maverick.”
I drop that thing so damn fast.
Lisa snort. “It’s only a model, relax. You can look now.”
Her clothes and sneakers in a small pile on the chair beside me, and she on the edge of the examining table in the gown. She swing her feet back and forth. “Carlos really messed you up, huh?”
That’s what everybody say. Granny wanted to call the cops and get him arrested for assault. Ma wouldn’t let her. She said I earned it.
“A little,” I say. I’ll never give him that much credit. “I let him win. I deserve everything he had for me.”
“Oh.” Lisa look down. “Mav, I’m sorry for what I said the other day.”
“You don’t gotta apologize.”
“Yeah, I do. I threw a couple of jabs that I shouldn’t have.”
“It must run in the family.”
Lisa roll her eyes. “I’m glad you can joke about getting beat up.”
“Ay, I’m just saying. Straight up? I’m sorry, too.”
“You weren’t lying, there is a lot I don’t know when it comes to the streets.”
