Clarke reached for a glass to get something to drink and then decided that he was going to see what his other boys were up to. Ain’t no way in the world a brotha should be all closed up in the house on a Saturday, he thought. Persha was out with those nosey broads, and he was happy for the break. She and that belly of hers, with all the swelling, had become too much for him. He thought she might need to go to the doctor, but then figured, he really didn’t care, so he kept that suggestion to himself.
After swallowing the last of the water he had poured himself, he walked toward the phone. It rang just as he reached for it.
"Damn," he cursed, grabbing the receiver. "Hello?" he growled.
"Ah, Clarke? Is this Clarke?" the voice on the other end of the line asked.
Who the fuck else is it gonna be answering Persha’s phone, he thought. "Yeah, it’s me. Whassup? Who’s this?"
Clarke hoped it wasn’t any of Kelsa’s friends. How could they’ve found out where he was staying? His heart started beating faster, but he didn’t want to overreact. He hadn’t told Kelsa about the baby yet. Shit! How did these bitches catch up with him?
"Claaarke, it’s me, Kori," she sobbed.
Now he was confused. How the hell was Kori calling him? Clarke thought. Persha’s ass supposed to be out with her and that other one? He knew for sure Persha’s ass bet’ not be creeping on him. After all he done gave up to be with her. Boy, Women.
"What’s the matter with you? Persha ain’t here," he said. "Hmmm, she said she was gonna be kicking it with y’all."
"Clarke, I know where Persha is, that’s why I’m calling."
"What the fuck are you crying for?" is what he really wanted to ask. Forget about why you calling.
"Okay, so whassup? Why you all crying and shit?"
"It’s Persha," Kori said, still boo-hooing. Clarke rolled his eyes. He wanted her to just spill it. "Clarke, Persha was hurt. We’re at the hospital. That’s what I’m trying to tell you."
Clarke jumped up. "What happened?" he sighed.
"It’s the baby! You need to get down here right away." She cried some more.
Clarke moved the phone from his ear and quickly looked up at the ceiling. This couldn’t be happening, he thought.
"Ain’t no way Persha’s in the hospital because something’s wrong with the baby?" he said, faking concern. When he looked back down, he could hardly contain the grin that had spread across his face. "Um, damn, I’ll be right there," Clarke assured Kori after she told him about the hospital where Perhsa had been admitted.
"Finally! My prayers are being answered!" he said after hanging up the phone. He then grabbed his cell phone and headed to the hospital.
~ Persha
Lying flat on her back with a thick pad lodged between her legs, Persha was stared up at the ceiling tiles. Tears streaked both sides of her face, every now and then, she’d sniffle and sob quietly. Her ankles were so swollen that her legs looked the same size from the bottom to the top.
"God please, don’t take my baby," she cried. "Please don’t take my baby, whatever you do."
Her lips trembled as the words spilled from them. She blinked back the tears and tried to focus on the ceiling. Every so often, she’d squeeze the sheet her swollen fingers clutched tightly.
Persha heard people shuffling outside her room. The door stood ajar. She also heard the footsteps leading up to her bed, but she didn’t move.
"Please God, don’t take my baby," she continued. She knew something was wrong because no one bleeds so heavily at six months pregnant. She couldn’t lose this baby.
Soon, she smelled Kori’ perfume. Again, Persha didn’t move her head. She just laid there blinking back her tears, and struggling to think positive thoughts.
"Did you talk to him?" Cricket asked Kori.
"Yup! He’s on his way. What did she say?" Kori asked looking toward the bed.
"God, pllllleease. Don’t take my baby!" Persha moaned.
"She’s been mumbling that all day. It’s all she says," Cricket reported.
"What did the doctor say?" Kori asked. By now each were holding onto Persha.
Cricket motioned Kori toward the window. As they moved, Persha’s stare followed them. Before Cricket could answer, Persha said, "Please don’t leave me alone. I’m scared."
"We’re not leaving you for a second," Cricket assured her. They moved back toward the bed. Persha looked at her friends.
"Cricket, my mother told me to live right. You tried to warn me. You were right all along about Clarke. I was wrong to do what I did to him and Kelsa. Do you think this is my punishment? Do you think God is punishing me for breaking up their marriage?"
"Nah, girl," Kori comforted her. "You shouldn’t be thinking about that kind of foolishness right now."
"She’s right, Persha," Cricket agreed. "God doesn’t work like that. I can’t tell you what to do about this thing with Clarke. I know you probably feel like you’re ahead of the game because he’s living with you, but all I’m gonna say about that is if a four legged dog needs a license to be living in your house, then a two legged one should too. But we’ll get into that later. We shouldn’t be talking about this right now anyway. He could walk in here any moment."
Persha started crying harder. "I know you’re right and I tried to leave him alone, Cricket, I really did. But once he put that taste in my mouth, I longed for him like a feind on crack. I felt like I wouldn’t survive unless I had him all to myself. And now that he’s mine, I don’t want to push him away by talking about getting married, but I know for sure, I can’t lose this baby. It’s all I’ve got to ensure my future with him. I can’t lose this baby. I just can’t," she bawled.
Just then, the door swung open and a nurse walked in.
"Is everything okay in here, ladies?" the nurse asked as she walked up to Persha’s bed. She started checking the machine and Persha’s pulse. "It’s not a good idea to get her all worked up. She really needs to rest."
"Yes, I understand. I’m a retired RN myself," Cricket offered.
"Oohh, then you know what I mean. She just needs to rest."
"Can we stay? She’s very uncomfortable being in here alone," Cricket threw in.
"Yes. No need for you guys to leave, but try to keep her happy. Nothing too heavy," The nurse stuck her hand forward. "I’m Menesha Michaels. Just holla' if you guys need anything, okay?"
When she left the room, Kori and Cricket reclaimed their places next to Persha’s bed.
"She was nice," Kori said.
"Yeah, but when’s the doctor coming to talk to me?" Persha whined.
Cricket stroked her hand. "He’ll be in here soon, hon. You just hang in there and try to relax, for yourself and the baby."
Suddenly, Persha’s eyes lit up. "Did you get a hold of my mom?"
"Yes, I did. She’ll be here tomorrow," Kori said.
Persha started crying again. "It must be bad if Mama’s coming in early. Shit! I hadn’t gotten around to telling her about Clarke moving in. What am I gonna do? She knows about him, but she’s gonna have me crucified for living in sin!"
"You will simply have to worry about that later," Cricket snapped. "Right now, all you should be concerned with is getting better for yourself and that baby."
When the door opened again, all eyes turned toward it. Cricket sucked her teeth at the sight of him, Kori was indifferent by his presence, but Persha immediately began to perk up. Her heart felt at ease, a bit.
Clarke hesitated for a second then said, "Aeeey y’all."
"We’ll step out so you guys can have some alone time," Cricket said dryly as she and Kori moved toward the door.
Persha took in a calming breath and slowly exhaled it. Just the sight of Clarke had a soothing effect on her heart. She knew they were meant to be together.
"Whassup, Shorty?" Clarke said as he looked around the hospital room. "Sorry it took a brotha so long to get here, but I called Pops on my way here and he was all panicked. I think he’s coming down."
She couldn’t discern his mood as he stood there taking in the equipment in the bland room. Persha didn’t like the idea of him seeing her in that state, but what else could she do? And she didn’t have a single thing to talk about. She did feel happy about his father being concerned enough to fly in from San Antonio. That had to indicate they’d be together for the long haul.
"So what did the doctor say? About the baby I mean?" Clarke asked.
He appeared so nonchalant about the situation. But in her current state, there was nothing she could do to stress the importance of her condition to him. Persha blinked back more tears. How exactly could she say she still didn’t know? But she didn’t have to. When the door opened this time, the doctor walked in.
"I’m doctor Blendshe," he said, reaching for Clarke’s hand. Before Clarke could introduce himself, the doctor turned to Persha. "How are we holding up Ms. Townsend?"
"I’m fine now that he’s here," she said, motioning over to Clarke.
"Ah, I’m…" Before Clarke could properly introduce himself, the nurse walked in. When he and the doctor turned toward the door, Menesha dropped the folder she was holding and Clarke closed his eyes.
~ Clarke
Clarke’s head started twirling and he began feeling like the room was closing in on him. He needed air, fresh air. It had been way too long since anyone spoke, and he knew it was looking suspicious.
What the hell is she doing here? Clarke thought as he quickly looked around the room. Even if they weren’t, it felt as though every eye was on him; waiting for him to speak or move; waiting for him to do anything, but he couldn’t.
Menesha’s abrupt halt gave him serious concern. He watched as her eyes made contact with his. He knew everyone else noticed it too. Why couldn’t she just play it cool?
She stood at the door empty handed and looking dumfounded. But he could only imagine what he must’ve looked like, standing there next to Persha’s bed while the doctor looked on. How could he not be there for Persha? How could he make this seem like he was just in the area and walked into this room? There was nothing he could do or say.
"Nurse Michaels? Is everything okay?" The doctor asked, finally breaking the silence that blanketed the entire room.
She looked at Clarke, down at the papers scattered at her feet and then at Persha. "Ah, I’m fine," Menesha said. "I, ah, I have the test results and I," she stooped down to pick up the papers.
"I just got back from the lab and her tests are in. I didn’t know if this was a good time to-"
"This is a good time," the doctor said, cutting her off. "Actually, this is the father of Ms. Townsend’s baby, so we can certainly go over all the details right now." He then reached for the shuffled folder.
Clarke sighed and his eyes quickly filled with grief. He didn’t need this shit right now. What the hell was Menesha doing here? How could he not remember that she no longer worked with Kelsa, she’d moved to Herman Hospital almost a year ago.
As the doctor skimmed through the shuffled paperwork, Clarke tried to read Menesha’s reaction to the news that he was having a baby with this woman. The same woman Kelsa caught him with, the same woman he lost everything over. He knew it was really over between him and Kelsa now. Menesha had all the ammunition she needed to destroy him and Kelsa and he was sure she’d use it
Persha looked at Menesha then at Clarke. "You two know each other?" she asked. Persha looked Menesha up and down then her stare transfixed onto Clarke.
"How do you know her?" Persha demanded to know.
At a loss for words, Clarke stood there, slowly shaking his head. What could he say? Oh, don’t worry Persha, this is just my wife’s best friend, don’t you remember her from the restaurant months ago?
The doctor looked up from the notes he was reading. "We have a situation here," he murmured.
"If you don’t need me, doctor, I have another patient I need to look in on," Menesha said.
Looking back at the notes, the doctor shook his head. Every eye in the room suddenly turned to the dark man who stepped through the door carrying a large bouquet of exotic flowers.
You could tell he was related to Clarke. Their features were similar as was their build. But this man’s hair was cut close to his head with gray sprinkled at his temples. He had a cleft in his chin, with broad shoulders and muscular legs
"This is Persha Townsend’s room, right?" the man asked.
"You’re in the right place," the doctor said, closing the folder. "Nurse Michaels, why don’t you place that arrangement near the window?"
"I’m Clarke Hudson Senior," his baritone rang out. Clarke Sr. walked up to Persha’s bed. "And you must be Persha," he said with a smile.
"I am," she replied. "I wish you didn’t have to see me like this." She ran her hands down her hair as if she was trying to flattening it out.
"Pop? What are you doing here so soon? I wasn’t expecting you ‘till tomorrow!" Clarke exclaimed.
"I was on my way to the airport when you called on my cell. I was heading to New Orleans and switched my destination to Houston. Southwest has flights leaving nearly every 30 minutes, son," he said as he approached Clarke. "You didn’t think I’d leave you and Persha to go through this thing alone did you? This is my first grandson we’re talking about here."
By the time Clarke was released from his father’s embrace, Menesha was gone. Everything in him went still. He couldn’t believe things continued to get worse for him by the minute. He wasn’t even looking forward to leaving the room. He knew for sure that Menesha had bolted out of there to call Kelsa and he dreaded what would be waiting for him on the other side of that door.
~ Persha
Persha could barely control her heart rate. The nurse and doctor kept telling her it was imperative that she remain calm and not get too worked up. But what else was she supposed to do when her man looked like he’s the cat who swallowed the canary at the sight of the beautiful nurse. Then as if that wasn’t enough, the doctor said, "we have a situation," and then left the room saying that he needed to check something and hadn’t been back. She pressed the nurse’s button.
"Yes Ms. Townsend, you need something?"