Faces of the Game (18 page)

Thug Holiday

              Chelle woke up at 7am and rolled over to glance at Chip, he was fast asleep.  She thanked God for waking her up and attempted to roll out of bed.  Chip grabbed her, “Where are you off to so early?”  He wanted to know.  “If you don’t let go of me with that morning breath.” Chelle said giggling.  He grabbed her and gave her a big kiss.  “Ewe!  Oh my goodness, get off of me.”  Chelle joked as she wiggled out of his grasp.  “I’m going to Winston, where are you going?”  “Nowhere, I will be here when you get back.  Can you get the stuff out of the trunk and take it to my Momma’s house?”  “Yeah babe, what stuff?”  “The kids Christmas stuff, it’s two coats in the same bag, some boxes of shoes, toys and clothes.  It’s not wrapped yet, you think you can wrap it for me?”  Chelle looked at him as if he had 5 faces.  “Yeah man, give me the key.”  Chelle rolled her eyes and slipped on a pair of grey sweat pants and her bedroom slippers.  On her way out, she grabbed her hoodie that was thrown over the computer chair.  Chip smiled and rolled back over.  On her way down the stairs, Chelle saw guy leaving her neighbors’ apartment.  As she grabbed the things out of the trunk, she saw another guy going up the steps.  Chelle was skeptical, but she kept grabbing the things stuffing the shoe boxes in the bag with the coats.  She realized that she was going to have to make another trip to the car so she grabbed as much as she could and slammed the trunk.  Before going back upstairs, she observed her surroundings and nothing seemed to be strange or out of the ordinary so she toted the Christmas gifts up the steps.  After her second round, she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.  Chip was already in the shower.  Chelle went into the coat closet and grabbed the wrapping paper, and got the tape and scissors off of her desk.  She sat in the middle of the living room floor and began wrapping.  A few minutes later, Chip walked into the kitchen to cook breakfast. 

Knock, knock, knock
someone was knocking so hard that Chelle’s stomach instantly felt like a butterfly catcher.  Chip peeped around the corner and whispered “who in the hell is that?”  Chelle looked at him wide eyed and shrugged her shoulders; he immediately went into her bedroom and closed the door.  “Who is it?”  Chelle said as normal as possible.  “UPS delivery.”  The person on the other side of the door replied.  She was very nervous by this point, she remembered someone from Winston being kidnapped by someone who had claimed to be a UPS Delivery Man.  Chelle looked through the peep-hole and hesitantly cracked the door, she waited for a reaction and she quickly planned a defense scheme if he had tried anything bogus.   He handed her a box and a digital device for her to sign, she slowly opened the door a little more but she kept her peripheral vision in focus as she signed for the package.  “Have a nice day ma’am” The delivery man handed her the package and skipped down the stairs.  Chelle let out a sigh of relief and quickly shut the door.  She walked in her room Chip was standing beside the window as if he had planned to escape if anything out fluky happened.  Chelle laughed hysterically at him and at the fact that they were both scared.  She sat the package on her bed.  “Look it’s from my Auntie in New York.  She always sends me good presents!”  Chelle opened it, it was a brand new crock pot and she had just mentioned it to her Aunt days before.  “Nice, let me see.”  Chip grabbed it and checked it out, and then he took it into the kitchen to store it.  Chelle walked back into the living room and sat on the floor.  “We were scared as hell” Chip said laughing.  “Yes oh my goodness!”  Chelle said laughing too.  “Nigga was about to jump out of the window” Chip chuckled.  Chelle shook her head and started wrapping the gifts.  “Santa Clause!”  She said excited about all of the things he had bought for his daughter and her brother.  “Ms. Clause to help things run smooth” he responded.  They both laughed.  “You are so damn silly.” Chip said pouring the pancake mix into the pan. 

“Girl, Lil D was shot late last night” Ash called Chelle with pain in her voice.  “What the!?”  Chelle dropped the wrapped gifts in the middle of the sidewalk on the way to her car.  “Who shot him and what did they shoot him for?”  Tears rolled down Chelle’s face as she stood there in the cold, she felt a wealth of emptiness.  They had known Lil D since they were small children, and the fact that he was shot and killed right before Christmas pierced her soul.  She didn’t really hear anything else Ash said, she sat on the curb beside her car and just cried.  Images of his smile ran through her mind, she instantly reminisced on all of the jokes he use to tell.  “I’ll call you back.”  Chelle hung up the phone, grabbed the presents and slowly placed them in the trunk.  She walked back into the house lifeless; she picked up her bag and walked to the door like a zombie.  “Oh Lord, what’s wrong with you?”  Chip asked.  “My homeboy got killed last night.”  She said in a dry emotionless tone.  “Who Lil D?”  “Yeah, why didn’t you tell me?”  “I just checked my text messages from last night.”  Chelle hugged Chip as she was about to walk out of the door, and she immediately broke down.  He grabbed her and held her, “its ok baby, shit happens.  Whatever is meant to be will be, I’m sorry that happened, damn.”  He was compassionate as he held her up and kissed her forehead, he could feel the pain shooting through her body.  “Sit down for a few minutes.” He told her as they walked over to the couch; she fell onto the couch and dried her eyes.  She didn’t have much to say, and she was just about to hit the highway so she just stared at the wall for a few minutes and stood back up.  “Call you when I get to the Trigga-Tre, love you.”  She said as she hugged Chip, she held him tight for just a moment realizing that every moment is precious and once moments are gone you can’t get them back.

“Thank you baby” Chips Mother said as she opened the door and allowed enough room for Chelle to bring the things in.  “No problem Ms. Mahr how is everything going?”  Chelle asked as she carried everything into the living room.  “I’m tired Chelle, I just want Chip to take care of himself, I don’t know what to do.”  She looked into Chelle’s eyes with the deepest sincerity, tears welled in her eyes but she didn’t let one fall.  “Ms. Mahr don’t let that boy get you worked up, he is grown and he is going to have to take responsibility for his actions sooner or later.”  “I know baby, I know.  I just wish he had kept going to school to get his certificate in computers.”  “I know, and this doesn’t mean that he won’t get it together, everything happens for a reason.”  Chelle couldn’t believe what was flying out of her mouth, but she knew that these were the best words of encouragement; she always tried to stay positive but stick to reality when giving advice or her opinion.  “You’re right.”  Chelle hugged his Mother and left, “Talk to you soon” his Mom said waving.

Chelle walked into her Parents house and plopped on the couch.  “Who is that in my house?”  Her Mother said jokingly.  “It’s Princess” Chelle said back giggling.  Her mother walked into the den, to hug Chelle.  “Where’s my Daddy?”  Chelle asked.  “I don’t know where he is, call him and see.”  Chelle called her Dad, “Hey Dada, where are you?  I’m home.”  “I’m not surprised; let me holler at your Mama real quick.”  Chelle gave her Mother the phone and went into her bedroom to lie down.  “Get off that bed; this is not your room anymore.”  Chelle’s Mother came in and hopped on the bed.  Chelle stared at the ceiling and wished she could be a young child again. 

Chelle, Ash and Bonna walked into Lil D’s funeral, immediately they felt weak.  Throughout the ceremony it became harder for the friends to grasp the idea that their friend was gone, forever.  Their frenemies sat on a row behind them which seemed awkward for all of three minutes, but at this time of sorrow it was easy to let bygones be bygones.  The girls shared hugs as they all took turns breaking down as the memories of D ran through their minds.  Bonna dated him for a short time, she reminisced on the long nights she spent talking to him about sweet nothings on the phone, the times they spent at the fair together, the days they skipped school just to go buy the newest sneakers.  It all ran through her mind as warm tears hit her thighs and her cheeks turned rosy red.  Chelle remembered D telling hilarious jokes, all she could see was his smile and those two gold k-nine’s in his mouth; he was like a brother to Chelle.  From as far back as she could remember he always made sure she was taken care of and protected whenever he was around.  Ash rocked back and forth as she remembered the times D helped her get out of trouble for sneaking out of the house, stealing her Mother’s car, staying out passed her curfew.  He always knew how to talk someone out of trouble, over all he was an amazing friend to have around. 

              Immediately following the ceremony, everyone went to his Mother’s house to show their respects and pour out a little liquor in remembrance of their dear friend.  Ash, Bonna and Chelle pulled up and the entire block was packed with everything from old school Chevy’s with unique paint jobs, to luxury automobiles; people were standing around, sitting on trunks of cars, and sidewalk curbs appreciating each other’s presence.  Everyone was still in shock, the expression on so many of D’s friend’s faces were similar.  They stood in disbelief, sorrow, confusion, frustration, and overall they just wanted their friend to have another chance at life.  He left a girlfriend behind who was pregnant at the time of his death, a twin brother who was also his best friend, a mother who loved him dearly, a crew of homies that would have took the bullet for him and countless friends who genuinely cared about him.  There was a lot of cognac pouring and reefer burning going on that night, people stayed out there until the sun came up. 

Cheers to the Holiday Season

              Chelle couldn’t believe it had already been two years, since she finally gave Chip her phone number.  She placed each pair of her favorite shoes in the bottom of her suitcase, neatly folded her clothes and placed them on top of the shoes, topped everything off with her lingerie, underclothes and her house robe.  “Hey baby where you at?”  Chelle heard before she could say hello good.  “I’m at home, what’s up?”  “What time you hitting the road?”  “Probably in about an hour or something, why what’s up?”  “Nothing, see you in a little while love you.”  Chip was excited about their weekend, he didn’t mention their anniversary to Chelle, and he knew she probably thought he forgot but he didn’t forget, the date was too easy to remember.  He kept wiping off the counter tops, placing the bottles of champagne on the bar, readjusting the edible arrangement in the center of the bar, he was so anxious. He smiled at the fact that he finally had a female who made everyone else seem insignificant, nothing else mattered to him and he was cool with that. 

             
He better have something out of this world planned for us, or not either way he better remember our anniversary.  How could he forget, it’s on New Year’s Day, or Eve.
Chelle giggled to herself as she sat her suitcase upright and leaned it against the wall.  She had fit everything into her suitcase, she was proud of herself.  After making sure she had everything she could possibly need for the road, Chelle grabbed her belongings and headed for the door. 

              The sun was shining, the weather wasn’t half bad and Chelle had made the drive to Atlanta so many times, it was like a routine for her.  She was in a New York mood, so she popped in one of her all-time favorites “The Blue Print Vol. 2.1”. 
You got it criss-crossed ain’t no turning me backwards, too many district attorneys concerned with the actions, with one individual, he’s criminally attached.
Chelle rapped the lyrics while entering Highway 85 South; she was preparing herself for the 4 hour drive.  “Hey, what are you doing?”  Neese called Chelle, wondering what she was about to do for the weekend.  They usually spent New Year’s in Atlanta together; Neese hadn’t made plans to go out of town this year.  “Girl on the highway, what’s up?”  Chelle replied.  “Nothing, umm you going to Atlanta?”  Neese asked although she already knew the answer.  “Yep” Chelle was brief with Neese; she wasn’t in the mood for small talk or beating around the bush.  She turned her music back on low and looked over her left shoulder; it was almost time to hit the cruise control and coast down the interstate.  “Ok well, I didn't want anything call me later.”  Neese sounded a little upset, but Chelle didn’t know why so she politely said okay and told her she would call her when she got to Georgia, she hung up the phone.  A little over two hours later, Chelle was half way through South Carolina and the sun was shining brighter than ever so she pulled her sun visor down, slid her Gucci sunglasses over her eyes, lit a spliff and reset her cruise control.  Before Chelle knew it, she had about 15 minutes left before she pulled up to the house.  Her eyes were low, the sun was shining and she was ready to take a power nap.  Chelle caught butterflies in her stomach, she was anxious and excited because this holiday was special to the two of them.  She backed into the driveway, parked and popped the trunk.  She gathered her things that were scattered across the passenger seat and placed them in her handbag, refreshed her lip gloss, and got out of the car.  After grabbing her suitcase out of the trunk, her spoiled persona kicked in she wondered why Chip wasn’t at the car when she pulled up to take her bags in the house, but then she realized that she didn’t tell him she was pulling up because she was trying to surprise him.  Chelle giggled at herself as she pressed the button on the remote for the garage.  When she walked into the kitchen, she champagne bottles on the bar and rose petals scattered across the countertop.  She started cheesing, she propped her suitcase up against the wall in the hall was next to the kitchen and walked over to the bar.  There was a heart shaped candle in between two bottles of
Dom Perignon Rose.  When Chelle looked down, she noticed a trail of the rose petals and they led her to the bedroom upstairs.  When she got into the bedroom, she saw a pink bag with tissue paper, and a pair of scissors with a roll of tape beside it.  She called his name, but he didn’t answer.  Chelle looked inside of the bathroom, the closet, the other bedrooms and bathroom.  She walked down the steps and into the kitchen, she looked in the pantry, then she went downstairs into the basement and still he was nowhere to be found.  She realized that he had probably stepped out, but the car was in the driveway.  Either way, he obviously wasn’t there, so she hurried up and moved her car out of sight and walked back to the house.  On her way back to the house, her phone rang she jumped and quickly hit ignore.  She didn’t want him to ask her where she was, because she was already at the house and she was a horrible liar.  She looked around to make sure he hadn’t seen her and she grabbed her bags and rushed upstairs.  She went upstairs and took a quick shower and slipped into her silk robe, lightly sprayed perfume on her neck and moved all of the things that were on the bed onto the night stand.  So much for Chelle surprising Chip, she was stretched across the bed asleep in no time.   An hour later, Chip came home and could tell someone had been in there.  He wondered where Chelle’s car was, but he still decided to walk quietly through the house.  Once he walked into his room, he saw his sleeping beauty stretched across the bed.  She was on her side facing the door, her head at the left corner near the foot of the bed and her feet near the pillows.  Her hair fell over her shoulder away from her face, her mouth was slightly opened, and the sun shined through the blinds as it kissed her caramel colored skin.  He smiled, and took her gifts into the other bedroom.  He sat on the bed rolled up and turned on the television; he didn’t want to wrap the gifts because he knew he would wake her up if he did.  He had just left the diamond district in Morrow, GA he decided to get her a nice heart shaped diamond necklace as their anniversary gift.  Although the diamonds weren’t FL, IF, or VVS, he decided to get her VS diamonds; he knew she would appreciate them regardless.  Besides he saved a nice chunk of money, which was always a plus.  After he decided to leave the jewelry in the small portfolio bag that they had given him with his purchase, he then remembered that he still hadn’t wrapped Chelle’s Christmas Gifts.  He went into the room and plopped on the bed, he figured she had slept long enough.  She didn’t budge, she was knocked out.  Chip leaned over kissed her on her cheek and made the dramatic kissing sound “muuuu-aaaaah” right in her ear so she would wake up.  She smiled and opened her eyes, “good morning baby” she said as she sat up.  “It’s not morning, it’s 7:30 at night” Chip said as he laughed at her and shook his head.  “Oh, I saw the sun setting I thought it was the sunrise” Chelle said as she chuckled.  “Crazy ass” Chip said laughing with her.  He leaned over and kissed her again, “I missed you baby” he said as he layed across her lap.  Chelle leaned her head against the headboard and rested both of her hands on Chips chest.  “So, do you want to do Christmas or Anniversary first?”  Chip said excited about both holidays.  Chelle laughed, “Which one comes first fool?”  Technically, our Anniversary is not until tomorrow at midnight.  “Alright, we’ll do Christmas first.”  Chelle slipped on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, her Jordan flip-flops and headed down the steps.  “Take your time, and where is your car anyway?”  Chip said as she headed down the steps.  Chelle stopped in the middle of the staircase, “I parked around the corner I was trying to surprise you.” She continued down the steps, walked around the corner and cranked up her car.  Once she backed into the driveway, she popped her trunk and grabbed two extremely big boxes and two smaller boxes.  She placed one large box under each arm and carried the smaller boxes in her hands.  She walked slow as she concentrated on not dropping either of them; she slowly placed one of the small boxes on the ground once she got to the garage and opened the door.  Chip was inside gathering her things and placing them all in different gift bags.  As he stuffed tissue paper in the last bag, Chelle was walking up the stairs.