Married to a Balla (12 page)

At that moment, Skye let go. She didn’t want Mercedes to be the cause of her family getting kicked out.

“This shit ain’t over,” Mercedes said, leaving her room.

Chapter 13

4 Months Later

Shortly after 1:00 am Skye heard a loud pounding sound at the front door. She jumped out of bed and grabbed the baby before quickly proceeding down the hall. By the time she made it to Jordan and Kareem’s room they’d already ran out wondering what was going on as well. Despite months of a peaceful household, the entire family was still on edge.

“How did he find us? Isn’t he still in jail?” Jordan asked. It didn’t take much for everyone to know who he was talking about.

Skye didn’t know what to think as the banging continued. “Oh my God Kareem, did you call him? Did you tell him where we were?” she yelled. “How could you?”

Before he could answer, someone yelled, “Cobb County Police! Open the door now!”

As her eyes increased, a part of Skye was relieved that it wasn’t Sandino while the other half still questioned what they wanted. Hesitantly, she walked over and opened her apartment door. Within seconds, her small, barely furnished living room was swarming with four officers wearing dark blue police jackets.

“Get on the floor now!” one of the white officers yelled with his gun drawn. With dirty blonde hair and thick eyebrows, he reminded Skye of Justin Timberlake.

“What’s going on?” Skye screamed while her sons instantly dropped to the floor. Before she had time to ask anything else, they were handcuffed behind their backs.

Moments later, a female office appeared and took Payton out of Skye’s hands as she was forced to the floor and handcuffed as well.

“This is a beautiful baby. Too bad she has to live in a home like this,” the female officer said in a sarcastic tone.

“A home like what? What are you talking about?” Skye questioned.

“Ma’am we have reason to believe there are drugs inside this residence,” another officer responded. Unlike the Justin knockoff, he was slightly overweight.

Skye frowned. “Drugs? Oh no, you must have the wrong apartment, we just moved here a few months ago. You must be looking for the people who used to live here before us or something. There must be a mistake.”

“We know how long you’ve lived here. Trust me, we know
everything
that goes on in this neighborhood,” the chubby officer informed.

He placed a search warrant down in front of Skye’s face. She tired to look up at the paperwork, but everything seemed to be a blur.

Skye laid handcuffed on the floor as they proceeded to search the apartment. She then looked over at her sons. Jordan had a scared expression on his face while Kareem had a guilty expression on his. He turned his head when he saw Skye looking in his direction.

“Do either of you know what’s going on?” Skye tried to whisper. However, the female officer quickly told her to be quiet.

Skye watched as the officers tore the apartment inside, out. They searched every room, every piece of furniture, and even dismantled Payton’s crib.

“This is crazy!” Skye yelled franticly.

At that moment, the overweight officer helped Skye up off the floor and removed her cuffs. He then walked over to Jordan, helped him up and removed his as well.

Skye thought they were gonna remove Kareem’s next until a black guy with bad acne and an old, dingy, Rocawear sweat shirt walked into the apartment and headed straight toward her oldest son.

“Do you remember me?” he asked.

Kareem looked at the officer and lowered his head.

“Don’t be shy now, son,” the officer continued. “We just met each other yesterday. You couldn’t have forgotten me that fast.”

When Kareem still didn’t respond, the pimpled face officer helped him up, then politely told him that he was under arrest.

Kareem instantly looked at Skye, but never said a word.

“Are you serious? He’s not a drug dealer. He wouldn’t dare have drugs in this house!” Skye shouted.

“Well, I’m afraid you’re wrong because we found this inside the sock drawer of your son’s room,” the blonde haired officer chimed in. He held up what looked like two ounces of cooked crack cocaine. It was already bagged in 20’s. “The room with the bunk bed’s…that is his room, right?”

Skye’s heart rate increased when she realized that drugs had been found in her home. “Yes, but…”

The blonde officer cut her off. “That’s what we thought.”

When the officer continued to escort Kareem toward the door, she lost it. “My son can’t go to jail, he has school tomorrow!”

“Ma’am your son should’ve thought about that before he sold drugs to an undercover cop,” Mr. Acne replied.

Skye was floored. She couldn’t believe what he’d just blurted out. “Are y’all at least gonna let him put on some pants and shoes?” Skye managed to say as Kareem walked outside with only a t-shirt and basketball shorts on.

The cold, brisk January air was well under forty.

“I’m sure he’ll be issued some flip flops,” the female officer stated as she handed Payton back.

“What’s going to happen to my son?” Skye questioned with tears in her eyes.
“Where are you taking him?”

“He’ll be transported to the Marietta Youth Detention Center since he’s under age,” the female officer informed her.

At that point all Skye could do was shake her head as she watched the officer’s escort her oldest son out of the house and place him in the back of a police car.

Once the car pulled off, Skye grabbed her prepaid cell phone.
Is this how the new year is going to start
, she thought. “Justice, I need you!” Skye screamed in the phone when he answered.

******

Skye looked around her trashed apartment in complete disbelief. After staying in the shelter for another month after Sandino got locked up, she was happy when Justice was finally able to help her find a job along with her current home in Marietta, Georgia. Although the two bedroom apartment wasn’t as fabulous as her Miami mansion, Skye was proud to call the place her own. Even though Justice bought her a few pieces of furniture for Christmas and had even given her some items out of his personal home and the shelter, Skye couldn’t wait until she saved enough money to buy another T.V, and a dining room set. Eating at wooden fold-out tables had already taken its toll on them.

When they first moved in, it took a while for everybody to get used to living in a cramped space and a neighborhood full of Spanish people. They’d gone from a spotless home to a place where they saw an occasional roach, but it would just have to do until Skye got on her feet. She and Jordan dealt with it, but Kareem didn’t like living there at all. He started staying out all night and even skipped school a few times, but always assured Skye he would get his act together whenever she went off. Up until now, Skye was happy that she had a piece of mind, but apparently Kareem was going to be her next problem. She knew he’d been hanging with some of the local neighborhood boys, but she never thought in a million years that he would get in trouble for selling drugs. He was definitely turning into someone she barely knew.

She often wondered if Sandino was still locked up. Not knowing the circumstances, Skye prayed that he never saw the streets again, so she could really move on with her life comfortably. She asked Kareem almost every day if he’d talked to his father again. She feared that since Kareem was so rebellious right now, he might end up calling Sandino, but each time her son promised her that he hadn’t. Skye just hoped Kareem’s word could be trusted.

Skye glanced at the oak wood dresser and all the drawers that had been pulled out, when her mind suddenly drifted to Justice. Remembering when he and his cousin helped move the furniture inside, she thought about how Justice had really been there for her and the kids since they moved in. Skye also couldn’t deny the fact that she missed seeing him at the shelter every day and was really starting to like him.

As Skye continued to think, Justice knocked on the door five minutes later.

After asking who it was, Jordan slowly opened the door, then walked back to the couch with a sad look on his face.

“She’s in her bedroom,” was all he said.

Justice looked around the house. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

Jordan just shrugged his shoulders and continued watching T.V while Justice walked off. He headed down the hall past the boy’s room noticing that it had been completely ransacked. Both twin mattresses were off the bunk beds and clothes were scattered all over the floor. Wondering what happened since Skye refused to tell him over the phone, he knocked on her bedroom door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Justice.”

Skye placed her newly cut hair behind her eyes. She’d finally retired the wig. “Come in.”

When he walked inside, Justice watched as Skye placed a pair of shoes back inside her closet then glance at Payton who was on the bare mattress asleep. He could tell Skye had been crying.

“Did somebody break in here? Where’s Kareem? Talk to me,” he grabbed Skye and hugged her.

She instantly crumbled in his arms. “The police came to the house looking for Kareem. They found drugs in his room.”

“What?” Justice asked in shock.

“They arrested him. I need to go bail him out, but you know I don’t have that type of money,” Skye informed.

“Don’t worry about that, I got you,” Justice replied. “Where did they take him?”

“To some detention center.”

“There’s only one in Marietta. I know where it is, let’s go,” Justice quickly replied.

After grabbing her purse, Skye called and asked her neighbor Lydia, who lived on the first floor if Jordan and Payton could come over and stay with her while she ran out. She was Payton’s babysitter and also came over and tutored Jordan on his Spanish sometimes, so Skye knew that after giving the woman twenty dollars the fact that it was after two a.m. didn’t matter. Lydia was also nosey so Skye was sure that her neighbor knew exactly where she was going.

After Lydia agreed, Skye told Jordan to get Payton ready and head downstairs until they got back. He didn’t really want to go, but Skye told him it wasn’t safe for them to be there alone. Jordan sighed, but unlike Kareem he also listened to what his mother said.

When they left her apartment a few minutes later, Justice who always insisted on opening the car door helped Skye inside his black BMW 760 LI, then pulled off.

Skye glanced around his car thinking,
nobody really drives 7 series BMW’s like this anymore. They’re old, but then again I’m driving a fucking Honda now so who am I to talk?
Skye couldn’t wait to get rid of the car which legally wasn’t hers. She couldn’t help but wonder if the cook back at the diner was actually driving around in her Jag.

While riding, Skye was in a zone as she looked out the window thinking how any of this could’ve happened.

Justice gently placed his hand on her leg. “It’ll be okay. I have a lot of connections with some good lawyers. We’ll get Kareem off.”

“Justice, how could my own son be selling drugs and I not even notice it?

I mean…I did notice him outside hanging around crazy-looking boys sometimes; you know this isn’t a good neighborhood. But I gave him his space because their father never allowed them to have many friends. When I found out he was skipping school and when he stayed out all night, I thought I’d put my foot down, but apparently not. Kareem is so mad at me because he wants to get his license, but I won’t let
him.”

“Well, you
should let him get his license, what harm would that be?” Justice asked. “Are you afraid that your husband will try and find you?”

At that moment Skye contemplated about telling Justice who she really was, but decided against it. She still wasn’t ready. “Actually I am. Things are okay the way they are right now,” Skye replied. “Furthermore, it’s only been a few months since we’ve been gone.”

When she suddenly started crying, Justice rubbed her legs again. “I know what you’re thinking…it’s not your fault. You’re doing a great job, look at Jordan.”

Skye wiped away a few tears. “Yeah, he’s the perfect son. He doesn’t give me any problems, and always helps out around the house. He’s also doing well in school.”

“See…everything will be okay. Besides, I’m here now so you don’t have to be alone anymore,” he assured. “Oh, by the way I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’m so glad you stopped wearing that wig. The
real you
, is so much more beautiful.’

Skye couldn’t help but blush as Justice turned on County Services Parkway and pulled up at the facility a few minutes later
.

“Wait let me get that door for you,” Justice said, jumping out and running to her side of the car.

“Thanks,” Skye replied after getting out.

She had to get use to a man being respectable to her again. She really could open her own door, but it felt good every time he did it.

Once they walked inside, Justice saw an officer sitting at the front desk. They rushed over to him.

“Excuse me sir, we need to find out some information on Kareem Coleman.”

Skye couldn’t help but chuckle when Justice blurted out the fake last name.

The officer keyed the name into the computer. “We do have a Kareem in the system, but we have him down as Kareem Doe because he refused to give us his last name and he was arrested without any ID.”

Skye nodded her head. “Yes, I’m sure that’s him.”

“Has he been charged?’ Justice asked.

“Yes, he’s been charged with procession of crack cocaine. Apparently Joey and Manny Guzman were charged and brought in with him for the same thing.”

“Joey and Manny, those are Mercedes’ sons. I knew those boys weren’t shit,” Justice said. “I’d like to bail Kareem out.”

“Since its Sunday he’ll have to wait until the morning to appear in front of the judge. Bail can’t be posted until then sir,” the officer informed.

Skye sighed and dropped her head.

Will he be at the Juvenile Court, sir?” Justice inquired.