Page 10 of Dionysus
“Sure, Mr. Jackson,” he said as he gave me a glance in the mirror.
The more I watched his eyes bounce from me to the road, the angrier I became. I was mad at everyone, myself, my family, and his ass. I paid this nigga to keep an eye on my brother. I know he wasn’t his daddy, I get it, but the nigga could have called me if he knew my little nigga was in trouble.I snapped.I leaned forward and put his ass in a choke hold. The SUV began swerving left to right.
I gritted my teeth. “I told yo bitch ass to call me.”
The driver’s hands went from the steering wheel to my forearm. I didn’t give one fuck, maybe if I died, I would be with Dio. Nothing mattered to me at this point. My grip became tighter, and hearing him gasp gave me some satisfaction. Tears filled my eyes as my muscles protruded around his neck and smothered him. “That’s my fucking brother. This shit hurts, the pain of not knowing the outcome.”
I glanced at myself in the mirror and saw how demonic I looked, and released him. The loud gasp that left his mouth let me know that he only had a few minutes left before he passed out. He gripped the wheel to gain control. The driver said nothing more as he nervously drove through the streets. When he reached the condo, I didn’t even bother to speak as I hopped out and strolled inside. I knew when I didn’t see my cousin at the hospital, he didn’t know what was going on, which let me know Dio never called him. So this was an issue I would have to solve on my own.
I didn’t go to the front desk. As I approached the elevator, tapping sounds galloping behind me made me spin around.
“Oo, hello sir. I wanted to let you know—”
My nose flared. “I pay over five thousand a month for this muhfucka, what you got to say to me?”
The guy’s sassy ass placed his hand on his chest like what I said had appalled him. “I-I,” he paused as he stared at me. “Wait a minute. You are related to that boy Dion.”
“It’s Dionysus and yes nigga that’s my brother!” I snapped as I entered the elevator, letting the doors close on him, giving me the googly eyes. While I waited to get to Dio’s floor, I pulled my phone out to see if Sasha had left my crib. I had gone straight to the bedroom camera to see her tearing shit up. “The fuck is she doing?”
I debated if I should say something or let her get the shit off her chest. She was upset and so was I. I pressed the mic, “Sasha!” I shouted. “What the fuck are you doing? Get the fuck out my house!”
I could tell she didn’t know where my voice was coming from. Her eyes scanned the room until she noticed where the sound was coming from. “Zeus?” she called out sweetly.
Her voice had always been so comforting, and a nigga could sure use her right now. However, the same sweet voice she used toward me she was probably using on that corny nigga Pierre.
“What?” I asked.
“Why are you doing this? Why?” she shouted.
I sighed loudly. “Go to that nigga cause your home is not here.”
“Zeus you are my nigga.”
“No!”I roared. “Your nigga is the one you let hold you and stroke your face in that fucking shop! I told you, one time that’s it.”
“Listen to me. It was not what you think.”
Could she be right?I didn’t know if I was coming or going. All I knew is I was angry from every direction, and I didn’t know if this shit would cost me my relationship with Sasha or not, but right now I didn’t have time to deal with it. I needed her in that moment, and she wasn’t there for me. The elevator opened, and I took one last look at the phone. “I needed you. I called you and I saw you. Get. The. Fuck. Out!” I spat before exiting the camera and sliding the phone back into my pocket.
When I reached Dio’s door, the guy from downstairs greeted me. He dangled the key card in front of me. “I figured you would need these, so I took the stairs, " he brightly smiled.
I snatched the keycard from his hand and used it to open the door. He had gone to say something, but I slammed the door in his face. My knees buckled when my eyes captured the inside of Dio’s crib. My heart felt weak, and even more guilt fell upon me. The place screamed depression. From empty liquor bottles, writing on the walls, blunt guts all over the floor, and old, molded food. Dio had to be sitting in here for days on end.
The last time I saw some shit like this, was right before my mother left for the last time. I knew the night I busted into that room that he wasn’t ok, and it was I who ignored the signs that were clearly in front of me. I moved through the mess and stood in front of the wall.Ace, Asia, Samara, Esteban, Boogie, Bianca.The names were written over and over again.
I began eliminating people whom I knew were gone. Asia wasgone, andAce wasback in California.I didn’t know who these other people were, but I was about to find out. I sent the guys a quick text.
I slid the phone back into my pocket while I waited for my niggas to get here. In the meantime, every emotion that Dio was feeling in this single room coursed through me, making me break down. I didn’t know the ending of this, but if Dio didn’t pull through, I was scared that I would somehow become my father.
TAMEKA
“Mrs. Valencia, there is no brain activity. I know you were hoping for the best, we all were. There is no rush to you, but the machine is what’s keeping her—”
I gripped my stomach and curled over.“Ah, noo!”I wailed.
I didn’t want to hear it. I pushed past the doctor, leaving Felipe and him in the room, and ran down the hall. I killed my daughter, and it was eating me alive. I had to tell Sergio, and he was on his way up here, but I was hoping that I would get better news today, so that when I explained what happened, it would soften the blow. However, this was something I didn’t want to hear, and news Sergio wouldn’t accept.
I turned the corner and saw the same man who was at the vending machine the other day coming out of a room. When his eyes landed on me, I shied away, but the curiosity became evident again. I slowly eased toward him as he came toward me. When he reached me, his eyes squinted and narrowed in on me. “Guilt, that shit will eat you up if you let it. This is the second time I’ve run into you, and I don’t think it’s by chance. Who are you?” he asked me.
