Dirty DNA (G Street Chronicles Presents) (26 page)

We tossed ideas back and forth about where
we should go. I was set on Atlanta because it was far from DC and
in the south, but it wasn’t really country like going to South
Carolina. Atlanta was busy, just like DC yet with southern charm.
Neko, on the other hand was thinking Texas, Florida or Louisiana. I
was against all three. I wasn’t feeling Texas because I just kept
thinking about cowboys and racist people who didn’t like rich black
folks. I wasn’t going anywhere near Louisiana because of Hurricane
Katrina. After she took aim on the Gulf Coast there was nothing in
this world that could convince me that living in that state was
safe. I was almost feeling Florida because of the heavy drug trade.
I knew I could fit right in there and feel right at home, but the
weather kept me from committing to Florida. They always had a storm
or something brewing. So that shit was out too.

Neko and I sat up all night trying to figure
out where we would go to live and raise the baby. We kicked around
several ideas on what we wanted to do once we left here.

“I was thinking that if we settle in Atlanta
I can set up a little boutique. I am sure I could learn those
country, outdated hoes a thing or two.” I laughed.

“I could open a car detailing shop and make
cake in the south. You know how those southern bammas like to keep
their whips fresh. I mean I could hook them up with the candy and
custom paint jobs, rims and everything.” Neko said daydreaming.

I sat back feeling good about the fact that
we were mapping out our future and it had nothing to do with the
drug scene. We were both eager to get the hell out of DC alive and
not trying to establish a drug empire somewhere else. Although it
was what I was taught to do, I just didn’t want any parts of it
anymore. I had someone else to live for now. My mind drifted back
to Dread. Atlanta was the place to be for aspiring artists, so I
knew he may consider coming along. He had even said that his boy,
Lucky Lamar, was based out of the A.

I was starting to feel at peace with all of
the decisions I was making and I just wanted to hurry up and
execute my plans. I rubbed my belly and said a silent prayer for my
future and everyone in it.

Crystal Skates

Temple Hills, MD

Time felt like it was moving slower than
molasses. I was growing restless. Neko and I had settled on moving
to Atlanta. I was more than ready to go. Days had passed and still
no money in my account from the insurance company. I had called
them to confirm they had received all they needed to make the
transfer happen. I had been on the phone with them for the past
hour trying to get more information on when the money would be in
the account. The lady finally told me that the funds had been
approved and that the money should be available in the next
seventy-two hours at the most. I thanked the lady who had given me
the status update and disconnected the call.

I felt like I was making some progress. I
sat in my room wondering if I should tell Dread that I was carrying
his child. I also contemplated telling him where I was going. I
already had it worked out in my head that he could continue his
music career in Atlanta. Lucky Lamar was his ticket into the music
scene there and he could record as much as he wanted once we got
settled. That was the easiest part of my plan. The hard part was
telling him that I was pregnant and it was his baby. I wasn’t sure
how he would process that information. I figured it was now or
never though. He could reject my idea of him coming south with us
or he could embrace the idea. Either way, I was going to Atlanta
and starting my life over. I just hoped he wanted to start a life
with me.

I gathered myself and figured I should start
packing up all of my belongings scattered about the room. I had
kept the maids from coming inside my room because I know some of
those shady bitches got sticky fingers. All it would take is for
them to find out I had large amounts of cash in the room before
they tried to help themselves to a pay raise. I didn’t see any
reason to stay there another night. I had the confirmation I needed
about our money. We could leave. We had more than enough cash on
hand to make the trip to Georgia, and get settled. I needed to let
Neko know that the money would be in my account in a few days and
that we could push. I hadn’t really seen him much over the last
three days. I was sure he was in his room freaking.

The walls in the run down hole in the wall
were thin, so I could hear his late night escapades. He would stop
over to my room to check on me every now and again to make sure
“we” were ok. It was fine by me that he left me alone because I was
frustrated and didn’t want to take it out on him.

This day was different though. I could
almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. We would be headed
85 south real soon and away from all of the chaotic bullshit in DC.
I perked up just thinking about not having to look over my shoulder
every time I went out to the ice machine or to the store for
snacks. I would be free of worrying about my “so called” sister
trying to take my head off.

I decided to shower and
get out of the room. I needed to get the conversation with Dread
over with. There was no need to prolong it anymore. Either he was
coming or he was not. Either he wanted the baby and to be a part of
my life or he didn’t. No matter how it played out, I owed it to him
to know he had a choice in some of everything that was going on. He
deserved that much. I couldn’t see having a baby and not at least
giving the father the option of being in the child’s life. I
rummaged through my bags and found a pair of
Love Pink
sweatpants and a plain
white t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and headed out of
the door.

I was feeling better than I had in the past
two days. I guess having some clarity could do that for you. I
knocked on Neko’s room door. He didn’t answer. I knocked harder. I
could finally hear him moving about the room. When the door opened
I was shocked that it wasn’t Neko. It was female who was wrapped in
a towel. She was obviously in the middle of a shower and I had
disturbed her.

“Um, is Neko here?” I asked

The girl had the nerve to cock an attitude.
She crossed her arms across her large chest and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, he’s here. Who are you?” She demanded snapping her neck and
rolling her beady little eyes.

I just smiled and tried to remain civil. I
really wanted to smack her for trying to be cute. “I’m his sister.
Can you tell him that I have to step out and I will be back in a
few hours.”

The girl looked like she didn’t believe me.
“How I know you are really his sister?” She asked me in a huffy
tone.

“If I wasn’t his sister I would have beat
the shit out of you if I would have caught you in there with my
man.” I said pointing into the room. “Just let him know I will be
back and that he should be ready to make some moves when I come
back. Can you handle delivering that message or should I write it
down for you? You can read can’t you?” I shot back. I was trying to
rile the stupid bitch up since she wanted to get cute.

She looked like she wanted to say something
else, but I didn’t even give her the chance. I put my hand up in
her face to stop her.

“Make sure you give him the message and be
gone when I come back because you don’t want it with me for real.”
I said chuckling. She just didn’t know I would punish her little
ass.

I walked away from the dumbfounded broad
standing in the doorway and proceeded down the steps to the car. I
could hear her young dumb ass fussing and cursing at Neko as I got
in the car. I sent Neko a message letting him know I would be back
and that he should be ready to leave in the morning.

I knew he probably had his
hands full with his big-breasted female friend, and he wasn’t going
to get the message until he could calm her down. I decided I wanted
to buy a few things for the road. I went to a
Walmart
that was located further up
the street. I bought a cooler and some new luggage. I got the kind
that had a lock on it. I wanted to transfer the money we had in
cash into the luggage and lock it away inside. I wanted to pull out
of DC looking like we were going on vacation rather than looking
like we were fleeing.

I bought a few personal
items too and stopped to look in the beauty section. I had never
shopped in
Walmart
. It wasn’t exactly my normal style, but I couldn’t help
grabbing up some hair dye. I would change my whole appearance, hair
color and all. I may as well switch it up. I was moving to a new
area, I might as well change what I look like too. I picked out a
spicy cinnamon color. I walked through the baby aisle and could not
move from there. I looked around at all the bottles and booties. I
looked at the blankets and all of the things I was going to have to
purchase when I got to Atlanta.

I started to wonder what I had created. Was
it a girl or boy? Would it be healthy? Would I be a good mother?
Then it hit me. I wasn’t supposed to be shopping I was supposed to
be leaving so I could live long enough to know what I would be
having. I pushed the cart down the aisle and headed to the register
to pay for my items. I paid for my things and left. As I got in the
car, I started making one of my last trips across the Woodrow
Wilson Bridge. I didn’t have to put any thought into where I was
headed. I crossed the bridge and headed up 295 to the
Southside.

It was time. It was time for me to tell
Dread. I couldn’t stall or conceal this secret from him anymore. I
had too many other little secrets, but this one was different. I
couldn’t keep it from him. I found myself parked in front of his
building again. My palms were sweaty and I was nervous. No matter
how much I had prepared myself for our needed conversation, I
really wasn’t ready to have it. I sat there fighting the urge to
say fuck it, crank up the engine, leave and never look back. I felt
like I was chained to the seat. I can’t explain why I didn’t just
go in there and tell him; instead I sat there in what felt like the
safety of my car. No one knew I had switched rides. The windows
were tinted just enough so no one could see inside. I fumbled
through my purse and found a pen and a piece of paper. I wrote
Dread a letter instead.

Dear Dread,

There are so many things I want to tell you.
I know the circumstances surrounding my life may have complicated
what could have been. I will understand if after you read this, you
never want to speak to or see me again.

I have been careless and wreckless my entire
life. I have lived carefree and done many things I am not proud of;
however, after meeting you I may have found a reason to stay on the
straight and narrow.

I have finally decided on heading south. I
know you aren’t ready to leave your life here in DC behind, but you
have created a life within me. I found out I am pregnant. This is a
lot to take in, I know. I could not keep this from you. Every child
deserves the right to know his or her parents. I hope you can
forgive me for telling you this way, but I could not face you to
tell you this. I couldn’t take either sadness or rejection. Nor
could I take you being the man I think you are and face you if you
were happy about this life we have created together.

I am putting the ball in your court. I will
contact you once I make it to Georgia. By then, I pray that you
have digested all I have told you and make a decision on what could
be the start of something beautiful.

Love Always,

YaYa

I finished the letter and folded it. I knew
if I second guessed myself, I would chicken out and not take it to
his door. I walked out into the courtyard with my head down, hoping
no one, including Dread, would pay me any attention. I slipped
inside his building and up the steps. I crept the whole way. I felt
like my heart was beating so hard it would burst through my chest.
Once I reached his door, I swallowed hard. It was now or never. I
could knock and tell him face to face or I could slide the note
under the door to his apartment and haul ass down the steps and
push it back across the bridge, grab my brother and get the fuck
out of the DMV. I decided on the latter of the two and quietly
slide the letter under the door and silently made my way back down
the steps. I never looked back. I walked straight out of the front
door and had to stop myself from making a run for it to the car.
Instead, I walked briskly to the car like I had somewhere to be and
got in the car and got out of there as fast as I could.

I blew through the stop
sign at the end of the block. My heart rate didn’t return to
semi-normal until I got to the mouth of the Wilson Bridge. I took
the first exit across the bridge and pulled into the first place I
saw. I was shaking and breathing heavy like I had run across the
bridge instead of driven. I got out and threw up.
This pregnancy shit was going to be
rough.

I didn’t even see them. I never heard the
car pull in behind me. I was too busy trying to control my nerves.
I felt the blow to my back first. Before I could even comprehend
that someone was hurting me, I felt fists raining down on me. Blow
after blow until I fell to the ground. I curled up into a ball and
tried to protect my stomach. When I tried to do that, whoever was
attacking me began to kick me in my chest, and face until
everything faded to black.

Pentagon City

Arlington, VA

The room around me was dark as I gained
consciousness. Restraints bound my hands and legs, containing me;
upright, in a chair. I screamed out into the darkness. To no avail.
I could hear something moving above me. My guess was that I was in
a basement. I could feel something moving around my ankles. Fear
overtook me. I tried frantically to get myself out of my
restraints. My body was in incredible pain from the beating I had
sustained. My upper body was beaten and bruised.. I wanted to
scream again, but I decided against it. Whoever had attacked me was
somewhere nearby. I had to try and get myself out of what felt like
those plastic ties that the police used to keep suspects from
moving.