Choose Wisely (2 page)

             
I checked the kitchen. I was starving; I also knew that’s where the liquor was. I had no doubt Darius would be close by either eating or drinking a Corona. I spotted him in the kitchen, by the back door on his cell phone. He was so handsome. He was 6’5, and his skin was dark chocolate like a Hershey bar. All the women in Harrisburg loved him including me. That was my secret. We had been friends forever. Growing up he was teased a lot. His parents didn't have a lot of money so the neighborhood kids would constantly crack jokes about his appearance. His shoes would be worn out and his clothes were always too big, because they belonged to one of his older brother’s. I don’t even want to talk about his bad his acne. He always got into fights because of all the taunting. I would get teased for just hanging with him. But I didn’t care because I knew who he was on the inside.

         Once we started high school
everything changed. He started hustling and making money. He moved out his parents’ home and got with his gold-digging baby mama Trina. I despised her. I knew she felt the same way about me. She hated the bond Darius and I had. Actually most of the girls he dated never understood our relationship. But Trina was the worst. I knew she never really loved him. It was all about the money with her. Even now she used their daughter Jade as a pawn.

             
When I think back I wish I would have done things differently. I knew Trina was wrong for Darius back then. I should have said something. But once my father found out he was selling drugs I wasn’t allowed to see him anymore. I was aware what he was doing was wrong. But he was my best friend. And it wasn’t my place to judge him. It killed me when he went to jail. I had to sneak to write him letters and send money. I even lied to my father to visit him once. He made me promise that I wouldn’t return. He said he didn’t want me seeing him caged up like an animal. He also swore that he would turn his life around and be there for Jade and Trina. He kept all his promises except sticking with Trina. He broke off their engagement, once he found she slept with one of his brothers while he was in prison.

             
Once Darius was released, I convinced my dad to help him find a job. He was able to get him a job at Stroman’s Bread Company. He was really doing well; even my father was impressed by his work ethic. I’ve always loved him. He has been my friend for years. But lately I’ve been having romantic feelings for him. I can’t explain it. I want to tell him, but I can never find the right words. We’re close and I didn’t want being in a relationship ruining what we already have. Plus what would he want with my big butt anyway? I wasn’t the same girl everyone wanted to take to Prom. I was hundred pounds overweight and he could have any women he wanted. I could no longer blame my weight on my pregnancy. My son would be three next month! I was in a size eighteen and standing at 5’1 that was obese. Luckily I carried my weight well. Thanks to my curves most men thought I was big in all the right places.

             
I watched as Darius hung up his phone. I could tell he was upset by the frown on his face. He looked at me and put up his index finger signaling for me to wait there. I mouthed the words ok. I grabbed a beer out the deep freezer and sat down. I could see him talking to his boys on the back porch. He had a lot of friends but I knew I held the number one spot.

             
I couldn’t believe I knew him over twenty years now. He was one of the first kids I met when my family moved to Harrisburg from Jersey. We moved right after my mother was killed. My father wanted a fresh start and thought Pennsylvania would give us that. We moved to the Hall Manor Projects, which was on the Southside of Harrisburg. Darius and his family lived next door. He had three older brothers. I think they were the only kids in the projects that had both their parents living under one roof.

When
Darius’s mother found out Sandy and I had lost our mother she treated us like one of her own children.  I think we were like the daughters she never had. I loved Mrs. Jackson she was really the only mother Sandy and I knew. I stood and walked over to the fridge. I smiled when I saw a picture of Sandy, Darius, Dontae, and myself. I was ten and we were all standing in front of the ice cream truck. Sandy was crying because Dontae had knocked her cone out of her hand. We were like the three musketeers plus one; funny how things can change.

             
Darius touched the back of my shoulder. I jumped because I was deep in thought.

             
“Boy you scared me!”

             
“My bad I was just checking to see if you were ready yet?”

I nodded my head yes. It had been a long day and he looked just as exhausted as I was. Darius handed me his keys.

              “You can wait in the car if you want. I want to holler at Dontae before we go,”

             
“That’s fine I want to check to see if Sandy left,”

I watched him head towards the stairs. I searched downstairs and there were no signs of her. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I just said a little prayer for my sister and decided to wait in the car until Darius was ready.

              I knocked on Dontae’s door, “Yo brah you dressed?

             
“Yeah come in,” I looked around.

             
“Where girly at?”

             
“She’s in the shower,”

             
“Oh ok me and Melissa are about to be out. You need anything before we roll?”

             
“Nah man I’m good. I got my girl Lexi looking out if I need anything,”

             
“Where you meet her anyway?”

             
“I met her at the Heights, one night when me and my boy Troy was playing pool. I asked her if she wanted a drink and well you know the rest,” he smiled.

“
She just moved here from Philly. She got a spot down Ivy Lane with her little man,”

I wanted to find out more about this broad. But it had been a long day and I had another situation to deal with.

              “Alright man I’m going to hit you up tomorrow. Be careful with girly. You know some of these women out here can’t be trusted. He looked at a picture of Sandy on his nightstand.

             
“Yeah I know. But don’t worry about me. Lexi is defiantly feeling ya boy,” he stated as I closed his door. 

             
I walked to my car still thinking about Dontae. I knew him better than he knew his self. He always thought with the wrong head when it came to the opposite sex. I also knew with Aunt Karen gone things were only going to get worse.  She was his everything. On the bright side I knew he was going to come into a lot of money. Aunt Karen co-owned three local bars, and four apartment buildings she rented out. He always had the best of everything since I could remember. Aunt Karen was my father’s little sister. Since Donate and I were so close in age. We grew up more like a brother’s then cousins.

             
Once I got to my car, I tapped on the passenger’s side window. Melissa was in the car sound asleep and I didn’t want to startle her. She unlocked the door and smiled. She still had that same pretty smile she had since we were kids. I got in and started the car.

             
“Whatchu doing out here sleep?”

She sat up and straightened her dress.

              “Boy I’m beat. It’s been a long day,” she stated.

             
“I feel you, and I gotta work tonight,” I yawned.

             
“Awe you poor baby,” she giggled.

              “Well since you feeling sorry for a brother. I need a favor,”

             
She looked into my eyes with concern.

             
“What’s up?” She asked.

`
              “I need you to watch Jade tonight,”

             
“Boy is that all? You know you don’t have to ask me to watch Lil Mama,” she replied

             
“I know I just hate asking you at the last minute,”

             
“Jade and David love spending time together. It will be fine,” she assured me.

             
She took a deep breath, “Where is her mother tonight?”

             
“She called my phone and asked me to watch her earlier. When I explained I was busy, she got pissed and took her and the other kids over her mother’s house,”

             
“Wow that’s deep. Ain’t her mother sick?” She asked.

             
“Yeah she can barely take care of herself let alone four kids!”

             
Melissa took my hand.

             
“Don’t worry about it I got you,”

             
Her words warmed my heart because I knew she meant what she said. Melissa had been there for me since day one. She was the type of woman you brought home to meet ya Momma. Funny thing was my mother already loved her. I just couldn’t say the same when it came to her dad. I knew he wanted better than me for his daughter. Honestly so did I.

             
We pulled up to Trina’s mother’s house.

             
“Stay right here. I’ll be right back,”

             
I ran up the steps and rang the doorbell. Trina’s oldest son opened the door.  I gave him a few playful jabs in the chest. He tried to get a few hits in but I was too quick for him.

             
“What’s up man? Where’s your sister?”

             
He yelled up the stairs, “Jade your dad’s here!”

             
I heard Jade and her other siblings come running. Trina had three other children and they all had different father’s the only thing the kids had in common was all their fathers were incarcerated. I got arrested when I was eighteen. I did five years upstate for drug charges. I’d actually been home for two years now. I made a promise to myself never to go back to prison. I missed too much of Jade’s life already. I was doing my best to make up for lost time. It just never seemed good enough for Trina.

              What pissed me off the most was when she took me down to Domestic Relations out of spite. She knew how I felt about the man being in our business. Domestic Relations was for men that did nothing for their children. Not only did I take care of mine, I also looked out for her other children as well. I knew a lot of women who were just bitter and my baby mama was no exception.

             
“Hi daddy!” Jade cheered.

             
I gave her a big hug.

             
“Hey princess how are you?”

             
“I’m fine daddy what are you doing here?”

             
“Your mom-mom called and asked me to come get you,”

             
I could see she was disappointed by the look on her face. Jade hated to leave her sister Jazzy.

             
“Can Jazzy come to daddy?”

             
I didn’t want to tell her no. But I couldn’t ask Melissa to watch her sister too.

             
“I’m sorry baby girl not tonight. I have to work and you’re going to stay with your Aunt Melissa tonight,”

             
“Will David be there?”

             
“He sure will,” I confirmed.

             
Her face lit up like a candle, as she jumped up and down. Melissa was right those two defiantly had a bond. Jade grabbed her bag and hugged her sister. She took my hand and we headed to the car.

             
I dropped Melissa and the Jade off and went home to get ready for work. I parked in front of my apartment building and noticed Trina sitting on my porch.

‘
Damn I don’t have time for her mess.’
I thought.

             
“Well hello Darius. Where’s my child?”

I ignored her question and walked passed her. I unlocked my
front door and went inside. She was right on my tail.

“Are you
going to answer me?” She questioned.

             
“She’s at Melissa’s house,”

             
“You know I don’t like her over that girl’s house!” She snapped.

             
“Look Jade is fine. Your mom called and asked me to pick her up so I did. What do you care for anyway? You were just trying to get rid of her less than two hours ago!”

I could feel my temperature rising. But I refused to let her take me there.

              “Listen I have to get ready for work. What do you want?” She slowly walked over to me.

             
“Daddy you know what I want,” she purred.