A Hood Legend (9 page)

Everyone had to admit that DJ's operation was running smoothly. Tonight some of his workers would simply walk onto the lot and place a dealer tag on a car, then use the copy key to drive off. This was Menage's idea but he would never do so many cars in one night.

DJ looked at his Movado watch. He leaned back in the chair and looked around the office. A picture of Menage and Chandra sat on the desk. He picked up the picture and tossed it into the trashcan. His thoughts drifted back to the night before with Tina. It was a mess, but he smiled when he recalled the sensational feeling of being inside of her with nothing between them. He wondered what the outcome would be—if she would get pregnant . . . he hoped not. But he knew that Tina was able to overcome any problem, and she'd be able to overcome this one if the need to arose. Damn, he wanted her again—her flawless body. He tried to push her from his mind and he was about to leave when a customer appeared. DJ motioned him into the office.

“Welcome to MD Body Works. How can we help you today?” DJ said extending his hand across the desk.

“Uh . . . I'm looking for some air bags to put on my truck,” the man said ignoring DJ's hand. DJ leaned back in his seat, enjoying the feeling of being on top. “What kind of truck do you have?” he asked.

“Yukon,” the man said staring at the picture in the trashcan.

“I'm sure we can do that. Do you know what size you want?”

“Nah, not really,” the man said looking around the office. “But I called a few weeks ago and talked to the owner. I forgot his name but he said it would take about a week to order everything.”

“We're under new management now and I kinda run the place. But I'm sure we can still take care of your needs,” DJ said.

The man smiled. “I see. Well is there a time that you can let me know when I can bring my truck in . . . and why were y'all closed a few days ago?”

“We just had to take a few days off . . . you know, since I took over I had to change a few things.”

The man folded his hands across his chest.

“Will there be anything else?” DJ asked. The man said there wasn't and he left after ordering the air bags he wanted. DJ made sure things were in place before stepping outside into the warm air. He walked to his flashy SUV and thought of how to spend the rest of the day. It was now after two in the afternoon.

* * *

Dough-Low thought about DJ as he turned at an intersection. He was heated after seeing the picture in the trashcan and wanted to smoke DJ on the spot. “So that's DJ,” he said. “How grimy can a nigga get?”

* * *

“What the hell do you mean I can't see him!” Dwight yelled at the nurse behind the front desk at the hospital.

“Sir, I'm sorry, but your name is not on the family's list. I'm really sorry, but those are the rules,” the nurse said.

“Baby, please calm down,” Tina said rubbing his shoulder. “Call Dr. Wilson. He'll clear all this shit up,” Dwight said slamming his fist down on the desk.

“Dwight,” Tina pleaded.

“Not now, Tina!” he said, cutting his eyes at her.

“Is there a problem?” someone said in a calm voice, coming from behind where Dwight and Tina stood. It was Dr. Wilson. Dwight turned around and let out a deep breath.

“Dr. Wilson, am I glad to see you. This ... woman here,” he said waving his hand toward the nurse, “said I'm not ... permitted to see Menage. Can you please clear this up right now?”

“I'm sorry to inform you, but she's correct. Beg my pardon, how are you, Tina?” he said acknowledging her then brought his attention back to Dwight. “These rules have been set by his mother and we have to fully comply with her request. Furthermore, Mr. McMillan, yelling and carrying on like this will change nothing. And with all due respect, try placing yourself in his mother's shoes. She has no clue who tried to kill her son, nor does she know you, so how can you expect her to trust anyone around him?

“Dwight, I ask that you please try to understand. I know this is a difficult time for you and Tina, but please lower your voice and calm down. I wish I could allow you to see him or at least tell you more, but I can't. Please believe that. The best you can do is ... well, to be honest, I don't know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do . . . and Dwight, I really am very sorry.” He nodded at Tina once more and then turned and walked down the hall.

“Dwight, let's go home . . . please,” Tina said gently. They slowly walked out of the hospital hand in hand.

* * *

“Benita, I just talked to Dwight and he said Menage has been shot.”

“Oh, no! Not again! I need to go and see him!” Benita said hysterically.

“Calm down, girl. They said he couldn't have visitors or something. And who's Dwight?”

“Lisa, just give me the number, girl! Dwight, he the one who brought me from the hospital!” Benita said as Lisa handed her the number. Benita walked around in circles as she dialed Jackson Memorial. She couldn't believe Menage was back in the hospital. Maybe Dwight had made a mistake and meant to say that he never left the hospital. But something was wrong. Why didn't Menage call while she was away?

“Jackson Memorial . . .” said the female voice on the other end of the line.

“I need to find out Menage Unique Legend's room number,” Benita said.

“Can you please repeat that name?”

“Menage . . . Unique . . . Legend!”

“One minute, please. Please hold.”

Benita was now pacing back and forth in front of the TV as Lisa watched her, just wishing she would at least sit down so she could see the screen.

“Benita!”

“What!”

“Can you keep your ass still so I can see the TV!”

“Huh? This guy saved my life. He may still be up in the hospital and all you can think about is a show!”

“Hello . . . hello? May I ask who's calling?”

“I'm sorry,” Benita said glaring at Lisa. “Yes, my name is Benita P. Alston and I would also like to see him. How is he?” She had to sit down as she waited for the reply.

“I . . . I'm sorry, but I can't give out that information, and there are no visitors allowed at this time.”

“What!” Benita said. She took the phone from her ear and stared at it for a second.

“Girl, what's wrong with you?” Lisa said, wishing she would leave the room to talk. Benita held up her hand to silence her. “What do you mean? I don't understand.”

“I'm really sorry, Miss—”

“Yes, it's Miss!” Benita snapped.

“Miss Alston, that's all I can say and I'm sorry . . . really,” the woman said in a professional tone. “But maybe you can leave a number and I'll be more than happy to pass it to a family member.”

“Uh . . . yes, but hold on for a second please,” Benita said pressing the mute button. Quickly she told Lisa what the problem was. Since she worked there, maybe she could cut through the red tape. Lisa took the phone.

“Girl, give me that. You don't know how to talk to my people,” she said smiling. “Hi, this is Nurse Lisa Alston. I work in the Cardiovascular Unit and if you wish to check, I'll be glad to hold. I'd appreciate it if you could then pass me through to Dr. Wilson . . . thank you.” Lisa looked at Benita and winked her eye.

“Yes . . . Nurse Alston, please hold while I direct your call to Dr. Wilson,” the woman said after returning to the phone a few seconds later.

“Thank you,” Lisa said turning down the TV.

“Dr. Wilson here, how may I help you?” He sat in a red leather chair with his feet up on his desk.

“Dr. Wilson, how are you? This is Nurse Alston from Cardio.”

“Ah, yes, Nurse Alston . . . you still on vacation?”

“No, sir, but I need a favor.”

“Hmmm, a favor . . . okay, and what might that be, Nurse Alston?”

“Well, my cousin has a friend that she wants to visit, but I'm getting the run-around trying to get his room number. Can you help me?”

“That's odd. What's the patients name?” he asked taking out his pen.

“Uh . . . Mak . . . Mer . . . Menage Unique Legend.”

Dr. Wilson dropped his pen and swung his feet off the desk and onto the floor. He quickly and specifically recalled what Mr. Marchetti had instructed him to say. “Nurse Alston . . . that's not possible.”

“Huh!”

“His family has set some firm rules—no visitors, and we can't reveal his condition. I'm sorry, Nurse Alston, but that's all I can say.”

“What is he saying?” Benita asked impatiently with her hands on her hips.

Lisa waved at her to be quiet. “Okay, Dr. Wilson, I understand. Thank you.” She smiled and hung up the phone. “Wait!” she said holding up her hands. “He wouldn't tell me anything, but I'll just wait till my shift starts tonight. Then I'll call back. It's no big deal. There's nothing more we can do . . . and don't stress me either!” She was listed in the books as being on vacation until the following evening. Benita knew Lisa was right, and all she could do was wait. She sat down on the couch and turned on the DVR to check out any possible programs that Lisa might have recorded while they were away. She pressed play as the phone rang again. It was DJ, and Lisa walked out of the living room and into her bedroom to talk to him. Benita was about to pop in a different tape when she saw that a special news bulletin had obviously interrupted one of Lisa's favorite shows. She decided to lie back on the couch and watch the bulletin.

“This is Elaine Woods, interrupting your regular programming to bring you footage from Sky Five,” said the anchorwoman. The scene switched to a woman with short, blonde hair, reporting from a helicopter.

“This is Stacey Marks, and we are here at a quiet section of South Miami Beach, but this rainy Sunday evening, it's been turned into a war zone. Our ground crew has not yet arrived on the scene, but what we have learned is that . . .” she looked down at her pad, “several shots have been fired at the location below and there have been several injuries. Just a little while ago a Med-Vac helicopter left the scene with one black male. We'll now show you what's going on down below . . .”

The camera zoomed in on Menage's house. The gate was torn off its hinges. Two cars sat in the driveway surrounded by the flashing lights of police cruisers and several rescue squads. The camera zoomed in on a damaged Lexus and Benita paused the tape. She remembered seeing the Lexus at Club Limelight. She also remembered that the woman who did her hair was in that car . . . at least she thought so. And then Benita recognized Dwight's Dodge Viper. But what made her get up and step closer to the TV was what she saw sitting in the opened garage—Menage's Escalade ESV. Benita yelled for Lisa to come into the living room.

“What, girl?” Lisa said walking into the living room, no longer on the phone with DJ. Benita, not able to speak, pointed at the TV.

“What the hell . . .” Lisa said. “That's DJ's Lex . . . and the . . . whatever that is, it's the same car you rode home in from the hospital.”

“Are you sure that's DJ's Lexus?” Benita asked Lisa.

“Yeah, but what happened to it?” Benita said noticing the obvious damage. So what is this anyway—police everywhere . . . rewind the tape.”

“It's Menage's house. Are you sure that DJ's car?”

“Yeah, his rims are one of a kind. Damn, what the hell happened!”

“Did he tell you he was at Menage's house on Sunday?” Benita said pressing play.

“Nope,” Lisa said sitting down. “Heck, I might not go in tomorrow,” she added.

“Remember at the club that night, seeing DJ's car coming through? Anyway, I think the girl that did my hair was with him.”

“I don't recall all that. But so what, it ain't like he's my man or something. What are you trying to get at anyway? And what makes you think you know the girl he was with?”

“I saw her bracelet.”

“Girl, please, you had a buzz from them coolers!” They watched the rest of the bulletin and Lisa wondered why DJ hadn't said anything about what happened. Maybe someone else was driving his car that day. She found it odd that DJ and Benita knew Menage but DJ didn't know Benita, since everyone seemed to be in such a close circle. After they watched the clip twice more, Lisa got up from the couch.

“Majestic ain't he?” she said.

“Who?”

“Your hero—Menage. Look, I'ma carry my black ass to sleep. And if DJ calls again, wake me up and don't ask him shit. If he wants me to know anything he'll tell me, and you need to stop stressing about everything. And yes, I'ma call back to the hospital tonight.”

Benita never felt more helpless in her life.

* * *

Chandra sat in the waiting room waiting for Menage's mother to return from his bedside. She left his room out of respect so she could be alone with her son. To cheer herself up, she thought about all the fun times she shared with Menage. She remembered how he always treated her with respect, never pressuring her for sex. One day when she was in class he paid her a surprise visit. He pulled up in the parking lot by a promiscuous female that no man on campus would turn down. When Chandra left class she found him sitting in the rec area watching TV. They had a big laugh after the horny girl stated that Menage must be gay. He took her to Walt Disney World for the weekend and the subject of sex was never brought up—not even once.

Menage called her every day throughout their relationship. She knew about his fast and flashy life down in Miami, but she was happy with him. She didn't care at all about his money, and she didn't find out how much he was worth until after they had sex. From a million to a penny she would stay with him, and she hoped he fully understood how deep her feelings were for him. She loved him more than anything, but she knew he was afraid of love. He ran from it, yet he wanted it. She showed him that everything in life was a chance. She needed him and he needed her. Chandra didn't just lay with any man and since he came into her life, there was no other but him.
Maybe the child will change him,
she thought.