Page 77 of Rah
I shook my head at her with a chuckle. “Mama, I can’t eat solid foods.”
She waved what I had to say away. “Boy, I know you’re hungry, and you need some comfort food. They can’t tell me not to feed my baby.”
I laughed again, still shaking my head as she walked towards me. I just knew that she was about to force-feed me. Kahlani just giggled and shook her head too as we gave each other that look that said, “Here my mama go again.”
Just as she opened the Styrofoam container and revealed the lamb chops, spaghetti, corn on the cob, and garlic bread, Kahlani pressed, “Unt uh. He can’t eat that. He is on a liquid diet.”
“Hush. Where is the micro–” My mother stopped midsentence when her phone started to ring. Reaching into her purse, she pulled it out and answered it.
“Hey, Nancy,” she greeted my aunt, Rah’s mother. “What?! Oh God!”
I tried to sit up but instantly felt pain in my stomach. I relaxed but still looked on as my mother started to cry with her hand over her mouth as she listened. Kahlani went closer to her and rubbed her arm to soothe her.
“It was who?! Jesus! Where is he? Oh, I’m here now. Okay.” When she hung up, she didn’t say a word. She just looked at me with her older, weary eyes.
“Ma, say something,” I told her.
“Solae done stabbed Rah!” So much concern and despair was all over her face. “I can’t believe this! So much is going on! First you, then Carlos, and now Rah. Oh my God, I can’t take this!”
“Is...” Kahlani looked at my mother as she swallowed hard. “Is he okay?”
Honestly, I was hoping that my mother said no. I was hoping that that clown was in a body bag.
But I lost all hope when my mother said, “He’s downstairs in surgery.”
“Where is Solae?” Kahlani asked.
“She got arrested.”
“Oh gawd.” Kahlani’s eyes instantly teared up.
“This is madness,” my mother grimaced while shaking her head. “I can’t believe all of this is happening. We need to pray. Lord, we need yourightnow, in the name of Jesus. Let me go down there and talk to his mama. Lord, I know she is fit to be tired.”
“I’m coming with you,” Kahlani told her.
Shaking her head, my mother put her hand up. “Baby, you don’t have to do that. Stay here with Moses.”
“Nah, Ma. Let her go,” I told her. “Somebody needs to be down there with you to calm you down. I’m straight.”
She looked between me and Kahlani and gave in. “Okay, that’s fine. We’ll be back.”
As Kahlani and my mother left the room, I didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for Rah. I could only imagine what he’d done to push Solae to do this. That nigga was shady. I couldn’t believe that I had stood by his side for this long.
But I didn’t have to keep standing. I was through with Rah and all his pipedreams and empty promises.
17
KAHLANI
“Oh, Jesus. I can’t believe this. God, I hope he’s okay.”
Moses’ mother, Tina, was going on and on as we rode on the elevator, but I was barely listening to her. My mind was going at a rapid speed in disbelief at what was happening. I was so worried about Solae. I wondered what they would charge her with, if she would get bail, and how long she would be in jail. It made my stomach turn as I wondered if the police would find out that I had been there. I wondered if Rah had heard anything me and Solae had said.
For every worry that crossed my mind, I hated Rah more and more. Everything was his fault, even his own suffering. In his own way, he had asked for Solae to stab him. He deserved that shit, and it was unfair that Solae and her children were going to suffer for it.
As I followed Tina off the elevator, I held her trembling hand. She was so worried and stressed, and I even blamed her stress on Rah as well. I wished he would die on that surgerytable because I had an aching feeling that if he lived, he wouldn’t be done ruining our lives.
I was in my own head as I walked along with Tina down the hall. I was wrapped in my own thoughts as we entered the ICU waiting room. I smiled sympathetically at Rah’s mother, who was in the corner in tears being consoled by Rah’s father.
