Page 22 of Bricked Up
“I can’t, Saadiq, I still love him.”
“That’s truly unfortunate for you.” Saadiq stood and exited Pamela’s office without another word.
“Damn nigga, so Jabari is really behind y’all’s demise. Gotdamn bro, I ain’t see that shit coming. You ain’t never not had that nigga’s back or supported him through whatever. That’s fucked up, bro.” Truce said as he and Saadiq were back at Saadiq’s crib smoking blunts on the back porch. Truce had brought over some extra crunchy Parmesan wings and potato wedges from Rumi’s Wing Basket around the corner before he pulled up to check on his homie.
After he left the strip club, Saadiq sped to Jabari’s crib only to find that he didn’t live there anymore. After hitting up his aunt Mia’s house, Jabari’s mother. She said that she hadn’t seen him and that he wasn’t there either, so he headed home. He called a few family members on the way back, but nobody supposedly knew the nigga’s whereabouts. So, while he called it a night on the search, he had folks still on the lookout for Jabari with instructions to hit him up at first sight.
“Yeah, man, shit is crazy. Jabari don’ really lost his gotdamn mind out here. I can’t believe that nigga is behind this shit. Afterall the shit I’ve done for that muthafucka. I helped that nigga when nobody wanted to do shit for his ass.”
“What you gon’ do when you find his ass?”
“I’on know, Truce,” Dazed, Saadiq shrugged as he scratched his chin. “Beat his ass and be done wit’ him.”
“If shit get outta hand,” Truce asked as he stuffed a couple of fries in his mouth as he watched Saadiq’s distant expression turn deadly. “You gon’ be able to do what the fuck you need to do?”
“Yeah, you know if that nigga don’t give me no other choice, I won’t hesitate or even blink. I’ll pull the muthafuckin’ trigger the first chance I get.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Ican’t be fucking pregnant. I was just on my way to get some birth control pills. My doctor’s appointment is in two fucking hours,” Zia fussed as she nervously ran her hands up and down her thighs. This can’t be fucking happening right now. “All these gotdamn tests gotta be defective. They can’t be right. I just read an article about these women who all had false positives and–”
“Uht uh, now ma’am. Now I’mma stop you right there, boo thang. ‘Cause be fuckin’ fareal, Brittany held a hand up and shook her head. “You trippin’, sweetie. I’ve been sitting here trying to be supportive, but bitch, your level of delulu is just plain damn ridiculous,” Her sister piped up and cut Zia’s rant off. She was so over it. She’d been holding her tongue for the last five minutes and had officially had enough of Zia’s bullshit. “Zia, you know I love you more than I love any other muthafucka walking this earth, but babeee, you ‘bout to give me a headache with all this damn denial. You don’ pissed on five sticks and the two I bought over. And they all say the same gotdamn thing. Pregnant. Pregnant. And muthafuckin’ pregnant, bitch. So cut the shit and accept it.”
“But how?” Zia slumped back in the chair at her dining room table. “I can’t be pregnant right now. I?—”
“The fuck you mean how?” Brittany frowned as she smacked her lips. “Gurllllll, please don’t make me hurt you. You know how, hoe. You been throwing that ass back on the dick at drive-ins, on countertops, and ain’t no telling where else. Please don’t play with me. And if you can’t be pregnant right now, then yo’ ass shouldn’t have been bussin’ it wide open until after you got back on birth control. Whew chile, let me go get my purse ‘cause I need a joint fucking with you.” Brittany smacked her lips as she slid out of her chair and went to grab her coach crossbody off the couch.
“No smart ass,” Zia frowned at her sister. “I just meant that now isn’t a good time to be having a baby. I am not ready for this shit. Plus, I’on know shit about being nobody’s momma. My own fucking momma and daddy abandoned me. The hell I’mma do with a baby?” Zia ran a hand through her hair as sadness now replaced her worry.
“Aht, no ma’am, we’re not doing that. You are not doing that. You’re not going to be anything like the bitch that left you on a fucking doorstep of a fucking fire department. Or my bitch of a mother, who gave me up as collateral to pay off her debt and tried to pimp me out for money. You are going to love your baby with all your heart and soul, Zia.”
“How can you be so sure, Britt?” Zia asked as fear and shock shook her to her core. “How do you know?”
“Because,” Brittany lovingly pulled her sister’s hand into hers and squeezed gently. “I know you. I’mma be with you every step of the way. And so is that crazy man of yours who is head over heels in love with you.”
“But what if having a baby is too much for him and he leaves me because?—”
“Then I’mma get twelve niggas to beat that nigga’s ass up and down 7 Mile until he comes to his senses. But you already know that you don’t even have that typa nigga in Saadiq. So cut out all this unnecessary stress that you’re putting on you and or my niece or nephew and go get ready for your date with your man.”
“Maybe I should cancel,” Zia said nervously, as she stood up and headed into the kitchen for something cold to drink. “He can read me better than anyone I know. He’ll know I’m keeping something from him.”
“You’re not gonna tell him?” Brittany frowned again because her sister was really pissing her off.
“Not right now, no,” Zia admitted, then began chewing on her bottom lip. “I just need more time to sit with this.”
“Okay, gotcha. But I still don’t think you should cancel. He’s gonna know something is up if you start avoiding him. Just get him to focus on something else, Zia. Damn. I don’t think he’s gonna be able to tell that you’re pregnant unless you all of a sudden start displaying a bunch of symptoms. I think you’re overthinking it.”
“I’on know, maybe you’re right,” Zia released a heavy sigh as she lowered her head into her hands. “Shit, I wish I could have a damn shot right about now.”
“Well, you can’t, ma’am, so just calm yourself down, go enjoy your night, and quit stressing me the hell out.”
“Okay,” Zia flashed her sister a small smile. “You’re right. You have no fuckin’ patience, Britt. But you’re right. If nothing else, Saadiq knows how to cater to me and make sure I have a great time whenever we go out. So at least there’s that.”
“What you mean ‘at least’?” Brittany side-eyed her sister in disbelief. “Shit, that’s a whole hell of a lot. That means that man doesn’t just study your body, he studies your love languages too. Now, I get why you’re hesitant about the pregnancy and getting back with him. But like I told your stubborn ass years ago,when this shit between y’all first went down, that the story that chick gave you seemed off. It sounded like all that bullshit was rehearsed. You told me that he said he didn’t cheat on you, and I believe him. What y'all had was really rare. You and that man’s bond was special. It had soulmate vibes and was giving real-life fairytale, and that’s enough to make any miserable ass soul around y’all want to see that kinda love destroyed. You owe it to yourself to see what really happened so you can either move on with or without Saadiq. I love you, sissy, but I really believe you fumbled Saadiq’s heart the first time and that this is fate righting your mistake. Life is too short not to enjoy every second of it with a man who genuinely loves every inch of you. Go get ya man, girl.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Zia smiled genuinely this time. “Let me go get ready, then. He’ll be here in an hour.”
“Yes, go, because it takes your ass forever and a day to get ready.”
