Trife Life To Lavish (A King Production Presents...) (19 page)

"No, motherfucker, even after this nigga no
longer got a negative balance, you ain't frontin' him
shit. We don't front our product."

"Oh, Radric used to let me front the nigga
because he buy a lot of product from us and he
always been loyal. This the latest he ever been
paying up."

"Radric was my man, and God bless his soul,
but he ain't wit' us no longer, so I run these projects
now. And the frontin' policy is dead," Renny said,
crossing his arms over his chest. "Business tactics
like that is how your money get fucked up. Kasaun,
if you don't learn nothing else from me, remember
this. Don't neva let nothing leave your hand unless
the person you're giving it to is putting something
right back in it. You give a motherfucker some
drugs, they pay what they owe right then ...it's as
simple as that. I hope we're clear."

As the young soldier nodded his head and
continued talking, trying to convince Renny he
understood everything he said, the ice-blue Benz
speeding down the street caught his attention.

"We good, Kasaun, I'll speak to you tomorrow,"
Renny said, rushing dude off. He recognized the car
being the one he saw Nichelle driving at Carmelo's
funeral. He quickly walked across the street towards a parking lot when he saw her pull in. When he
got closer, he saw Nichelle getting out the car. He
waited to see what direction she was going, and
she crossed the street coming to the side he was
standing on.

Nichelle's head was down, but when she
walked past him, Renny made his move. "Hey,
don't I know you. Isn't your name Nichelle?" he
asked casually.

Nichelle quickly glanced up, "No, you don't."
She then quickly looked right back down, not
wanting to make eye contact.

But Renny saw enough of her face to know
something was wrong. "Nichelle, what happened
to you?" He reached for her arm and held it.

His concern sounded so authentic, that
Nichelle couldn't help but turn around and look
him in the eyes. "Do I know?" she stared intently.
"Oh yeah, I met you at Carmelo's funeral," she said,
immediately recognizing his face once she took the
time to look.

"Yes. But I want to know who did this to
you?" Renny felt a sort of anger smoldering inside
him that had him somewhat taken aback.

"I really need to go and lay down. I'm not
feeling too good."

"You live around here?"

"Yes, in the building right over there." Nichelle
pointed to one of the projects that Renny now had on lock.

"I'll walk you home," he stated, still holding
on to her arm.

"You don't have to do that for me."

"Yes, I do." It was obvious somebody had
fucked Nichelle up pretty badly, and Renny didn't
think she was in any condition to be alone. He
honestly wanted to pick her up and carry her to
his crib so he could take care of her. She looked so
helpless to him, like a wounded puppy.

"Oh, God!" Nichelle murmured as a sharp pain
shot through her stomach. She felt a wet warmness in
her panties, and when she looked down, she could
see blood seeping through her gray jogging pants.

"Come over here and sit down," Renny
directed. When he held her arm, about to guide
her over to the bench, he saw the blood. At first
he thought maybe she had unexpectedly started
her period, but with a bruised face and the way
she was holding her stomach, he figured it was
something much worse than that. "Come on, I'm
taking you to the hospital."

Renny lifted Nichelle off her feet and carried
her down the street until he got to his truck. He
laid her across the back seat, and he was worried
because it seemed as if she was going in and out
of consciousness. He also heard her mumbling
something, but he couldn't make out what she was
saying. But he put all that out his head and focused on getting her to the emergency room.

Renny fought his way through traffic headed,
towards the nearest hospital. Every chance he got,
he would glance in the backseat to keep tabs on
how Nichelle was holding up, and it wasn't looking
good, but at least her eyes were open.

"Move your fuckin' car and drive!" Renny
roared out the window and blew his horn at a car
in front of him. The couple was so busy arguing
with each other that they weren't aware that the
light had turned green. "Hold on, Nichelle, we're
almost there," Renny called out when he was a
few blocks away from the hospital. But, this time
when he turned around to check on her, she was
as motionless as a dead person.

"I'm surprised to see you home so early,"
Tierra's mom said when she came in the kitchen.

"It was Nichelle's first day back at school
since what happened to Carmello and Simone, and
I wanted to check on her. I stopped by, but she
must didn't get home from school yet."

"I still can't believe Simone is gone. I ran into
her mother at the corner store yesterday. She had her
grandson, and I swear that little boy looks just like
Simone. I know it must break her heart every time she looks at his sweet face."

"I know," Tierra sighed, sitting down at the
small round table.

"I bet you the cops ain't got no leads."

"hope."

"Why, when it come to `hood crimes the cops
can't never figure shit out? But if Simone was some
white girl from one of those ritzy neighborhoods,
that shit would be on `Nancy Grace' every damn
day. They'd have a ton of pictures plastered from
the time she was a baby, until the day she died.
When is these young black people gon' realize that
they are an endangered species?"

"I don't know," Tierra shrugged, not in the
mood for one of her mother's sermons.

"Well, you better figure it out real soon, or
that might be you being buried next time. A bullet
ain't got no name written on it," she continued as
she washed dishes. "I bet my life that whatever
lowlife came and shot them people, Simone was
not the intended target. She just happened to be at
the wrong place at the wrong time."

"So what? I'm supposed to stop living my life
because of what happened to Simone?"

"Damn straight, if you want to see thirty! Hell,
make it another day, at the rate these heartless
bastards is taking innocent people out this world.
You need to stop running around with these
hooligans and get a job, be productive."

"So what, I can bust my ass working multiple
jobs and barely be able to pay my bills like you?"

Tierra's mother put down the bowl in her
hand and turned off the faucet. "Listen here. I may
not be rolling in the money like them misguided
poison pushers you affiliate with, but I sleep easy
every night when I go to bed. The only person who
sometimes keeps me awake at night from worrying,
is you. We lost your father to these streets, and I
don't want to lose you too."

"You want me to give up on wanting a better
life for myself. I don't get it. You used to be so full
of life. I remember when I was a little girl and you
would get dressed up and go out with daddy, I was
in awe of you. You were the most beautiful woman
I had ever seen. I wanted to look and be just like
you when I grew up."

"You're not a little girl anymore, and it's time for
you to get your head out the clouds and face reality.
What's the sense of being beautiful if you're dead?"

"I'm sorry, but I want more out of life, and
these streets is gonna help me get it."

"Well then, I better start making your funeral
arrangements now, since it's more important to you
that you're able to live your life reckless so you can
die beautiful," she reasoned, throwing her towel
down and leaving the kitchen, unable to bear being
in the same room with her daughter any longer.

When true love is lost, is it possible to rebirth it
with someone else, or are you only trying to reignite a flame that has permanently died out? For
many, taking another chance at love only to risk
being burned again is a chance they aren't willing
to take. But for the few who are keen on taking the
gamble, the reward may pay out more than you
could've ever anticipated.

When Nichelle woke up, she dreaded opening
her eyes to the same lifeless white walls that held
her captive less than two weeks ago. But when she
turned her head, a man who she had to admit was
extremely handsome, was sitting in a chair with the
most concerned expression, adorning his face.

"You're awake. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better. How long have I been here?"

"A few hours."

"Have you been sitting there the whole time?"

"Yes, and I was prepared to stay cemented in
this chair until you woke up."

"Oh God, my baby!" Nichelle said in a panic,
laying her hand on her stomach, not thinking about
anything else.

"I'm sorry, Nichelle, but the baby didn't make it."

"How do you know?" she asked, as her lips
trembled.

"When I brought you in, the doctor and
nurses assumed I was the father, so they told me."

Nichelle put her head down in defeat. "I can't
believe I lost Carmelo's baby! This child was all I had
left of him!"

"That's not true. He may be dead, but he's
still with you in spirit."

Nichelle looked up, meeting Renny's glare. "I
would've never pegged you as the spiritual type."

"Thugs can be deep too."

"True. Carmelo was one of the deepest
people I knew." Renny was already sick of hearing
Carmelo's name, but he understood Nichelle was
very much in love with the man, so it was to be
expected.

"Not to change the subject, but you never
told me who did this to you."

"This trife chick named Lerrick I go to school
wit'. I told that bitch I was pregnant too, and she
still kicked me in my stomach!"

"Lerrick...what's her last name? Because she
has to be dealt with."

"No need. My signature has been permanently
engraved on that raggedy heffa's face. But that
won't bring back my baby. I had mentally started
making so many plans for a child I'll never see.
How dumb was that?"

"There's nothing dumb about it. What's dumb
is some stupid broad robbed you of those plans.
You can never replace the baby you lost, but try
to take some comfort in knowing you can have
another one."

"You're right. And hopefully, next time the
father will be around to share in the joy with me."

"He will."

"I've been talking to you all this time, and
I don't even know your name, or maybe you did
tell me and I can't remember. Regardless, tell me,
because this time I won't forget it."

"Renny O'Neal."

"Thank you, Renny, for thinking enough of
me to bring me to the hospital instead of leaving
me on the corner where you saw me."

"It's not even in me to be that careless about
another person's life. But you're welcome, and I
hope you get better soon."

"Are you leaving me?" Renny could detect
the fear in her voice and on her face when he
stood up. "I shouldn't have asked you that."

"Why not?"

"Because, bringing me to the hospital is more
than most people would do, and I'm sure you've
been ready to go. I mean, you have more important
things to do then sit in a hospital room, keeping a
girl company that you hardly know."

"Actually, I would like to keep you company."

"Seriously?"

"I don't have anything to do for the rest of
the evening. Besides starving, I'm good." Renny
managed to get a slight laugh out of Nichelle, which
was a difficult task under the circumstances. "Can I
bring you anything back?"

"No, I don't have much of an appetite, but
thanks."

"I'll be back shortly."

"Hurry." Nichelle did want Renny to hurry
back. She was at a place in her life where she was
scared of lonely. Everybody she loved was taken
out of her life. From watching the only man she
knew as a father die at the hands of her mother,
to Carmelo being murdered, and now her unborn
child, she felt lost and was desperate for a savior.