Crazy In Love With A Thug: Bari and Seven (15 page)

Chapter 31

It was late in the afternoon, and Seven still hadn't returned. I dialed his cell phone; no answer. I paged him; no reply. I dialed Gucci's number.

"Gucci?"

"Bari?"

"You know who this is!" I said. "Gucci, I don't know what to do. He won't even talk to me, and he's been gone all day. He won't even answer my pages."

Tears burned behind my eyelids.

"He's okay, Bari."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause I'm looking at him. He's been here all day. I called you earlier 'cause I knew you'd be worried. Don't you check your messages?"

"I didn't today. Gucci, what do I do?" I cried.

"Bari, I ain't gon' sugarcoat nothing for you. He's pissed. Still. Six tried. I tried. It ain't working. He don't even want to hear it. But if it makes you feel better, when he opened the deed, he smiled from ear to ear. Bari, Seven loves you, baby. And the only reason he's mad at you is because of how you did it. And you sold me out! You fingered me to Six!"

"I'm sorry," I said.

She laughed.

"Girl, I ain't trippin'. I was only trying to make you laugh. Bari, you looked good up there last night, too good. Do you understand?"

"I don't think I should take that as a compliment."

"Then you understand. I love you, Lil’ Sis."

"I love you, too, Gucci." I started to hang up. "Bari!''

"Yeah?" I asked hopefully.

"Six wants to talk to you."

"What's up, Sis?"

"Six, I messed up really bad," I cried. "I don't know how to fix it."

"Your intentions were good though, baby. It was them damn boots, they bad luck," he laughed. "Give him a minute alright, Bari?"

"I love him, Six. I don't want to lose him."

"Girl, that fool ain't going nowhere, and I'll try to kill you if you try to. Don't get it twisted, Bari, he ain't that damn mad."

"I want to talk to him."

"Let him call when he's ready, alright?"

"Okay, Six."

"We love you."

"I love you guys, too."

I didn't bother to make anything for dinner. I couldn't have eaten if I tried, and Seven wasn't home. It was pitch black outside and almost midnight. I called Gucci.

"Baby, Seven ain't here. He left here a few hours ago. We thought he went home."

"He hasn't come home," I said sadly.

"Bari ..."

"Thank you."

I hung up the phone. I blew my nose, turned over in the bed in my old room and tried to fall asleep. I thought it would be easy, since I was dog tired. I dozed for an hour or so then sat up, fully awake. I got up and went downstairs, made me a cup of coffee and sat on the couch. I didn't know what to do. I was scared. I felt like my heart was being torn from my chest. Seven and I were inseparable. I didn't know what to do without him. It was too late to call Major and Birdie. I turned on the T.V. and watched Twilight Zone reruns for two hours, then put in a movie that I had seen a hundred times. When four-thirty finally came around, I got up and showered, then got dressed for school. Seven still hadn't called or come home.

For the first time since Seven and I had gotten together, I wondered if he was with someone else. Just the thought was too much for my heart to take. I told myself that I knew better, and I did. Seven would never do that to me, not my baby. I quickly forced the thought out of my head.

I stopped at Starbucks on the way to school and got a venti cup of black coffee. I dragged my way from class to class and at lunch went across the street and bought another cup. It seemed to be the longest day of my life, and I was so thankful when the bell rang and I was free to go home. I drove home slowly with the hope of Seven being there clogging my brain. He wasn't and hadn't been. I called Six on his cell.

"Yeah."

"Six, it's Bari."

"I know, baby. He stayed here. He was on the couch in his office when I came in this morning."

That really pissed me off.

"You know what, Six? Tell Seven he doesn't have to stay away from his own house. I'll be gone before he gets home."

I hung up the phone and waited. He made the thirty minute drive in fifteen and burst into the house.

"Bari, where ..." His words ended when he saw me sitting on the couch. "That shit ain't funny."

"It's not supposed to be, Seven. And neither is you staying gone for two days and not calling to let me know you were okay."

"I'm sure Gucci called you."

"I'm not Gucci's woman." He wouldn't even look at me. "Seven,'' I knelt on the floor between his legs, trying to get him to look at me. "Talk to me, don't ignore me like I don't exist to you. Why are you so mad at me?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"You won't even understand, Bari."

"Try me."

He shook his head.

"I can't."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I can't. I can't even look at you right now. Look, Bari,'' I could tell he was flashing and was now angry all over again, just as mad as he was that night at the club. "I can't talk to you right now. That's why I left. I don't want to say anything fucked up to you. So, to keep from getting your feelings hurt, just leave me alone, alright?"

He didn't wait for me to answer. He got up and left.

Each day seemed slower than the last. I rarely slept, if at all, and seemed to be living on coffee. Friday morning, I went into the bathroom and stepped on the scale before I showered. I had lost thirteen pounds, and it showed as I stood in front of the mirror naked. When I got out of the shower, I dressed in a pair of Diesel jeans that had once hugged every curve. They hung loosely off my hips. I applied make-up to hide the bags under my eyes, combed my hair and headed off to school. I was exhausted. I was surprised that I could even half-way pay attention in my classes.

My heart dropped into my stomach as I pulled up in the driveway and saw Seven's Hummer parked there. I purposely blocked him in. He should be at work, I thought to myself as I let myself in the front door.

"What took you so long?"

My head jerked up, and I ran into the arms that were open for me.

"Uncle Meestake!" I yelled and held him tightly.

"Girl, you ain't nothing but bones! My mama would have a fit if she saw you. You're still beautiful as ever though." He smiled.

"Why didn't you call? I would have picked you up," I said.

"Seven got a driver's license. What I need you for? You better have had yo' butt at school."

"I was at school, Uncle Meestake." I laughed, then looked past him at Seven and dropped my head.

My laugh died in my throat, and tears came to my eyes. I missed him so much. I hadn't seen him in four days.

"Now, listen here. Uncle Meestake ain't stupid. I know it's something going on around here. You standin' here lookin' like a pencil, and he ain't said a word to you since you came in the door. Uncle Meestake ain't tryin' to get in nobody's business, but y’all need to put that to the side and enjoy my visit. Y’all hear me?"

I looked at Seven. He attempted to look back at me, found he couldn't do it, and picked up his keys.

"I gotta get back to work. It's nice seeing you, man."

He hugged Uncle Meestake and walked out. I tried to keep my uncle from seeing the tears running down my face.

"You want to talk to your Uncle Meestake?" He had barely finished his sentence before I broke down crying and telling him the whole story. "Bari, what were you thinking?" He asked gently. "Don't know man I can think of want to see what's his up dancing on no stage in front of his friends. Not if he care anything about her. Bari, what you did for him was nice, but baby, you got to respect yo' man. And shakin' your body for other men ain't showing no respect. Not to mention that you're sixteen years old. Now, I know how me and my buddies act when we go to places like that down home, and I'm sure it ain't no different here. So, ain't no way in hell no man want to hear them thangs being screamed at his woman. Them kinds of thangs should be done in private, Bari. Do you understand?"

I nodded miserably.

"He won't talk to me. I can't even apologize to him, and I'm sorry you came right in the middle of this."

"Don't you apologize to me. I'm gon' make myself at home no matter how y’all show out. Just don't go rippin' up my lucky shirt," he said and was dead serious.

"I love you, Uncle Meestake. I'm so glad you're here."

I hugged him tightly.

"Is you gon' talk to that man?"

"He doesn't stay in one place long enough for me to even try. This is my first time seeing him in a few days."

"I can't say I blame him. He got to feel humiliated. I know I would. That was just dumb, Bari. You got more sense than that."

"You're not making me feel any better," I informed him.

"I'm not trying to," he said and did a George Jefferson walk up the stairs.

I heard the shower running and decided to call Gucci.

"Bari, what's up? This shit ain't cool, baby."

"I know. I just don't know what to do. I think I've lost him, Gucci."

“Not even."

"I need to talk to him."

"Then talk to him. Look, Bari. You're with a man. You're playing 'Big Girl' games so act like one. Make him talk to you. Six is all stressed out and shit, too. It's depressing."

"I don't know where he is."

"He's at Major and Birdie's."

"See, that's what I mean. He said he had to go back to work."

"He did go back to work, so did Six, but Six came home after, and Seven went to Birdie's. You would have known that if you'd tried to call, Bitch. Don't start that shit."

"He asked for space. I'm trying to give him that."

"Fuck what he asked for, give him what you want him to have. I love you."

"I love you, too. Oh, my uncle is here. I want you and Six to meet him."

"Meestake?" She asked excitedly. "When?"

"I guess tomorrow. I have to check with Seven. I'll call you back when I know for sure."

"Okay."

We said our good byes, and I dialed the number to Seven's parent's house.

"Bari, what's going on with yourself? Old Maja hears there's some trouble in paradise."

"You hear right, and has anyone ever told you at hat your name is rally Major with an 'o-r' at the end?” I laughed, and he laughed with me.

"That was cold. Young Bari is now a comedian! I want you and Seven to make things right. I don't like this nonsense."

"I know, Major. Tell Birdie hi for me."

"I will. Did you call for me or Seven?"

"Both. Uncle Meestake is here, and I need to ask Seven when he wants everybody to come

over.”

"I'm coming tomorrow! I'm going to have a barbecue for Meestake!"

"Can we come, too?" I asked sarcastically.

"If you must. Here."

I heard rustling in the background.

"Yeah." My heart skipped fifteen point three beats. All I could say was, "Seven."

Then I turned into the biggest crybaby on the face of the Earth.

"Baby." I couldn't even answer him. A loud sniffle filled the phone line. "Baby?"

"I gotta go," I cried.

"Don't hang up, baby. Don't cry, okay? I don't want you crying."

"What the hell do you expect, Seven? You know what? I don't want to talk to you."

I hung up the phone, and he called right back. I let the machine pick it up.

"Pick up the phone, Bari." I didn't. "Pick up the damn phone!"

I wish I would. Have me boohooing like a damn two year old that dropped her ice cream cone in the sand box. Enough was e damn-nough.

"Bari, pick up that phone."

"No, Uncle Meestake. I already feel like a damn fool for what I did, then even more like a fool for calling all over the state of California trying to track down his ass. I shouldn't have to be playing private investigator to find my man."

I listened to the dial tone.

"Oh, Bari, Bari, Bari."

"Uh-uh. I don't even want to hear that. I love you, Uncle Meestake, but this time, I'm blatantly disobeying you," I said. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Hungrier than a fat man on a water diet." I laughed. "I sure have missed you, Bari. I finally finished sorting through Mama and Daddy's stuff. I decided not to sell the farm." I smiled. I was so glad. "I hired some men to work on it so it should be okay. I grew up in that house. I can't stand to let it go."

"I understand, and I'm glad."

"And guess what, Bari?"

"What?"

"No, you have to guess."

"Can I get a hint or something?"

''Nope, you have to guess." I hated when people did that, and I glared at him. "Okay. Your Uncle Meestake done met him a woman." I gasped audibly. "Oh, is that so hard for you to believe? I gots charm when it come to the ladies now, Bari."