No Justice No Peace (12 page)

            “I do. But, you know you my nigga, don’t you?  And you know damn well you don’t have to go through that shit alone.  Just move back to LA.  Shit is going magnifico, I’m tellin’ you. Pack it up and get yo ass back here! How many times I gotta say it?”

            I snickered, always knowing that Rufus had my back. “It’s going that good, huh?  I mean, it couldn’t be no better than before, could it?  I just don’t want to live my life on the edge, man, and I already feel as if I’m doing that here.  I’d fasho have to bring Desmon with me and I can’t stand to have him brought up like I was.”

            “Listen, a man gotta do what he gotta do. You know that my son and my daughter are both in the game.  It’s the only way I know how and I ain’t mad about it either.  Tomorrow ain’t promised to nobody.  Whether you’re a dope dealer, stockbroker, minister, teacher…whatever. When it’s your time to go, it’s just your time to go.”

            “I know.  But going back to my previous lifestyle will be a setback for me.  I’m not saying what you said doesn’t make sense but…”

            “But…but you need to come on back home, Kiley.  If I got to come to St. Louis to get you myself, I will.  Basically, we all we got. I got love for some of these niggas, but not how I got love for you.  You’d be in control of this game right along with me.  It’s a low key operation and our chances of going back to jail are slim. I got the police on my payroll, and some of the best people are working closely with me.”

            “What about killing people?  You can’t tell me all that shit has stopped.”

            “Hey, you know how that is.  If it don’t shake and it don’t rattle, then we haven’t had to roll.  It comes with the territory and you know that.”

“Right. That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Kiley, stop trying to be somethin’ that you ain’t. I said it before and I’ll say it again, you will never change who you’ve been or what you are.  You wanna know why?”

“A part of me knows why. It’s in my blood.”

“Exactly. You are what Pappa Abrams made you. Just think about coming home and getting back to reality.”

I paused for a while, thinking about his offer. “I will think about it.  And don’t come for me until I ask you to.”

Rufus promised me he wouldn’t, and after he told me how sad Quincy’s funeral was, I was even more hurt.  So hurt, that I went into a deep sleep and didn’t come out of it, until I heard a voice that was all so familiar to me—Anna.

I hopped out of bed and when I pulled open the already cracked door, I peeked out at her standing in the living room while talking to Ginger.  Before she saw me, I closed the door. I heard Ginger’s voice come near the door.  She opened it, as I’d already pulled the cover over my head like I was sleep.

“Kiley,” she whispered.  I didn’t say nothing and she called for me again.

“What?”

“I want you to meet somebody. Get up.”

“I’m tired, Ginger.  I’ll get up later.”

“Come on, now.  It’s almost three o’clock in the afternoon and it’s time for you to get up. Besides, it’s Antonio’s aunt.  She’s been dying to meet you.”

“I’ll get up in a minute.”

“Well, hurry up.  She’s joining us for dinner so make sure you put some clothes on.”

I was silent and Ginger closed the door.  Damn, I thought.  How in the hell was I going to get my ass out of this mess. Ginger had already said my name and I wondered if Ana was already putting two and two together.  I knew I should’ve been honest with her, but I wanted to do it when I was ready. 

I laid there for about another fifteen minutes, trying to figure out what to do.  The only thing that made sense was to get the shit out in the open.  Now was the appropriate timing, since Desmon wasn’t here.  He was still gone, but I figured he was okay. 

I pulled the covers back and eased my way to the bathroom, since they’d already went into the kitchen.  I took a quick shower, and just as I tried to slip out of the bathroom to put on my clothes, Ginger saw me with a white towel around my waist and called for me. 

“Come here for a second,” she said.

“Wait,” I said with my back turned.  “I need to go put on some clothes.”

“Just come here.  The towel is covering you up, ain’t it?”

Without another delay, I headed to the kitchen.  I held the towel around my waist and stood in the doorway as Anna eyes bugged with utter shock. Ginger stood with a wide grin on her face.

“Anna, this is Desmon’s father, Kiley.  And Kiley, this is Anna. She’s Antonio’s aunt.”

Anna couldn’t get any words to come out of her mouth and neither could I.  Trying not to be so obvious, I finally spoke.

“What’s up, Anna.  Nice to meet you.” 

I walked up to her, reaching out my hand to shake hers.  Still not saying anything she stared at me and reached her hand out for mine.  After we shook hands, I told her and Ginger I’d join them once I put some clothes on. 

I headed to the bedroom, wiping the sweat from my baldhead and hands. By the look on Anna’s face, I could tell she was either pissed or probably more confused by my lies. 

I hurried into my sweat pants and a wife-beater, then went back into the kitchen to see what was up.  Ginger was by the stove putting some diced potatoes in a pot, while Anna sat at the table and listened to her go on and on about what went down at the club the other night.  I took a seat at the kitchen table and quickly cut Ginger off to make conversation, since Anna stared at me.

“Ginger, have you heard from Desmon yet?”

“No, he hasn’t called.  It is getting pretty late, so I guess I should call and check on him, huh?”

I glanced at Anna and reached for my cell phone on the table to call Desmon.  Surprisingly, he answered.

“I’ll be there in a sec.,” he said.

“Where are you?  What in the hell kind of homecoming did you go to?”

“Man, I’m still at the hotel.  I’ll be there soon, au-ight?”

“Yesterday, I was Dad.  Today, I’m back to being man, huh?”

“Okay,
Dad
.  I’ll be there in a few. After I drop Antonio and his date off, I got some unfinished business to take care of and I’ll see you soon.”

“That’s better.  Also, did you take your condoms?”

Ginger turned around and put her hands on her hips.  Desmon laughed and then hung up.

            Still trying to avoid Anna’s stares, I focused my attention on Ginger. “He’ll be home shortly.  He said after he drops Antonio and his date off, he’s on his way.” I figured Anna was probably worried about Antonio, so that was a little FYI.

            “Good,” Ginger said.  “And I’m so surprised you and Desmon are getting along better.” She looked at Anna. “Girl, you should have been here when Kiley first came home from prison.  Him and Desmon were at it day end and day out.”  Anna didn’t respond. 

            Ginger opened the fridge and poured a glass of Kool-Aid.  She placed it on the table in front of me.  “Dinner should be ready in a few.  If you don’t mind, Anna’s joining us. She came over so I could tell her how to go about applying for this job at a nursing home not too far from here.  It’s the nursing home my girl Leslie works at and she got the hook up.”

            Anna sat quietly, until Ginger sat my plate in front of me and leaned in for a kiss.  She softly spoke, “I’m so proud of you for working things out with your son.  You have no idea what it means to me.”

            Ginger placed her lips on mine, sticking her tongue deeply into my mouth.  When I saw Anna stand up, I backed away from Ginger.

            “I…I really need to get going,” she said.

            Ginger back away from me. “Anna, I thought you were gonna stay for dinner.  Kiley and me get chummy with each other all the time.  Don’t pay us no mind.”

            Anna abruptly walked towards the kitchen’s doorway.  Knowing that she’d probably never speak to me again, unless I cleared this up right here and right now, I reached out for her hand.  Ginger’s brows went up and she backed further away from me. Anna snatched her hand away, looking so angry that she couldn’t even speak.

            “Hear me out and let me explain this,” I said to Anna.

            Ginger’s forehead wrinkled. “Explain what?”

            “That I’ve been seeing Anna,” I said with my attention on her. “I lied to you about who I was because…”

            “Muthafucka, you what!” Ginger yelled.  I couldn’t get my explanation to come out because Ginger’s loud voice was ringing my ears. “After all I’ve done for you, you’ve been have sex with her!” 

            Anna waved me off. “I’m out of here,” she said, making her way to the door.  I stood to go after, but Ginger dug her nails into my chest and forced me backwards.

             “I’m so sick and tired of arguing with you. Get out of here, Kiley!  I’m not going to kiss your ass to be with me, but it burns me the hell up when a black man always got to run his ass to women of another race! After all black women do for y’all asses, what fucking nerve!”

            Intending to leave anyway, I told Ginger an explanation from me wasn’t needed. I went to the bedroom, packing my things to leave.              “I am in disbelief!” Ginger said, standing by the doorway. “How long have you been fucking around with her?  And how long did you intend to keep making a fool of me?”

            I remained calm as ever, knowing that I should have left a long time ago. “I’m leaving your place, so it don’t even matter.”

            “It matters to me, damn it! Just in case you forgot, I was there for you, nigga, when nobody else was!  I put a roof over your head and fed you every day! Instead of giving that bitch an explanation, you owe me one!”

            “I don’t owe you shit, Ginger.  Maybe, a good ass kicking for fucking up my son’s life, and for stealing my damn money that didn’t belong to you.  You’ve been repaid for your services, so shut the fuck up talking to me.”

            Ginger challenged me and kept running her damn mouth. For the next half an hour or so, we went back and forth as I continued to gather my things to go.  When she decided to punch me in my chest, that’s when she brought out another side of me she didn’t want to see.  I punched her hard in her face, dropping her back on the bed.  She charged at me again, and I gave her an even harder blow than the one before.  That was enough to quiet her, as she held her eye, still screaming.  This was too much for me, so I hurried to gather my things and go. 

            Ginger got up and went into the bathroom.  She slammed the door and I could hear her sobbing.  I pulled the suitcase from underneath the bed, and when I noticed more of my money gone, that sent me over the edge.  I knew how many stacks I’d had, and when two bundles of five thousand dollars in cash were missing, I slammed the suitcase, hurrying to the bathroom door.  I knocked hard.

            “What in the fuck did you do with my money? You’ve been buying drugs with my shit?” I yelled. She didn’t respond. “Ginger, I will kick this damn door down…”

            “I spent it, you bastard! Na! Get the hell out of here and go live with your other bitch!”

            I put my foot on the door, kicking it as hard as I could.  It broke off the hinges and wood flew all over the place.  Without saying one word, I grabbed Ginger by her neck and shoved her out of the bathroom. She dug her long nails deeply into my arms, scratching my skin off.  When we got to the bedroom, I pushed her on the bed and reached for my gun on the dresser.  I aimed it at her and thought seriously about pulling the trigger.

            “Bitch, I don’t care how you get it, but I want my damn money back!  You got by next weekend to come up with it, or else I will blow your brains out—DO YOU UNDERSTAND!” 

            Just then, Desmon crept up from behind me.  He placed the tip of his steel on the back of my head. “Don’t you ever put your hands on my mama again. I will kill you, nigga, and if she die, you die!”

            “Shoot him!” Ginger yelled. “Kill his no good ass, Desmon!”

            I spoke calmly to Desmon, feeling the gun tremble from his shaking hands. “Don’t be no fool.  If she really cared, she wouldn’t have just told you to kill me.  And if you do, that makes you like me.  Remember, you don’t want to be like me.” 

 Desmon’s held his gun steady.  “Get out,” he said calmly. He reached in his pocket and tossed my keys on the bed. “And don’t come back here again. We don’t need you.”

            I nodded and moved myself forward, away from his steel. As I picked up my suitcase and threw my bag over my shoulder, Ginger sat on the bed crying and trembling as if she’d been beat-down for no damn reason at all.  Desmon comforted her, and I left that day having no regrets.