Stripping Asjiah II (19 page)

“So at what point did you realize your uncle was a rapist? Before or after he had his dick in you?”
“What the fuck did you just say?” I dropped my bag and cocked my head to the right as if that would allow me to hear her better.
Keyshia laughed, took a few swigs from her glass and proceeded to provoke me.
“I‟m just saying, maybe if you would‟ve known this nigga was a pedophile before hand I wouldn‟t have ended up in the hospital.”
“Are you really gonna sit here and blame me for what happened to you?”
“I‟m not blaming you; I‟m telling you that you should apologize.”
“Apologize? Are you fucking serious? What the fuck do I have to apologize for? Is it my fault that your crack-headed ass ended up in a hotel with this nigga? Did I had insisted on telling me trois even though I kindly tell you to snort coke off this nigga‟s dick?” Out of habit, I scratched my head like I usually did when confused.
“What do you want me to say? I‟m so sorry I wasn‟t there by your side gobbling dick or to help you shop for Monistat 7 because your hot ass pussy was itching.”
“Fuck you Asjiah.”
“Nah, hold up, you wanted me to say sorry, so that‟s what I‟m doing. I truly apologize for not being super geeked up to get on all fours and pose cheek to cheek with you while some nigga lubed up my asshole.”
Keyshia was in my face before Danielle could get to her.
“Don‟t get yo‟ ass whooped Asjiah! Everybody else might be scared of you, but I‟m not!”
“Aww,” I put my hand to her cheek and faked concern. “Did I hit a nerve? Is your booty still a little sore?” I couldn‟t help but laugh as I reached around and tapped her playfully on the butt.
“Bitch,”
I grabbed her by the wrist before her hand could connect with my face, squeezed it roughly, and then shoved her down on the couch.
“I don‟t have time for this shit.” Grabbing my purse I walked towards the door.
“Asjiah wait,” Danielle shook her head at an intoxicated Keyshia and rushed after me.
“Let her leave! That‟s her fucking problem; she‟s used to people chasing after her.”
Keyshia picked up her glass and guzzled down the remainder of her wine.
“She‟s used to people kissing her ass, treating her like she‟s some kind of goddamn princess or some shit.”
“Shut the fuck up!”
“Make me bitch! Make me!” She wobbled slightly then fell onto the floor.
“Maybe that‟s why you‟re so fucked up in the head; your father carved your mother up like a fucking turkey and your uncle is a rapist. What other psychopaths are in your family tree?”
I didn‟t even think; I just reacted. I may have blacked out; all I remember is taking off towards the living room, and kicking her in the face. I was about to do it again until Danielle pulled me back into the kitchen.
“Mira, calm down, remember the baby.”
I looked into her big, doe like eyes and tried to pull myself together. She was right, I couldn‟t just hall off and beat her ass the way I wanted to, I was pregnant; I had to protect my son.
“She‟s just upset Asjiah, she feels like you abandoned her.”
“I abandoned her?” I tilted my head to the right and arched my left eyebrow. “Whatever. Keyshia and I both know what went down last summer so if she wants to blame me for her poor choices, so be it. She‟s not woman enough to own up to her own shit so she has to point fingers at someone else. Typical.”
I ducked down just as she hurled the wine glass towards the door. It missed Danielle‟s head by inches and shattered against the wall.
“Put your hands on me again bitch and I‟ma fuck you up!” Keyshia wiped blood from her lip and attempted to steady herself against the counter.
“Oh hell no,”
Danielle gently placed her arms around me and pushed me into the hallway, “Calm down, she‟s drunk. Just ignore her.”
I wanted to go back in the house and mush her face into the wall but I had to think about baby Jai. He wasn‟t used to this, all this drama was making my heart race and I didn‟t want to do anything to cause him any distress.
“I need my purse.”
Danielle cracked the door open and picked my Chanel bag up off the floor.
“I‟m so sorry for all of this. I didn‟t know she was going to act this way.”
“Don‟t apologize for her sloppy ass! What you should do is put her out your house.”
Disregarding my last comment, she tried to get me to change my mind about leaving. “Are you sure you don‟t want to stay?”
“And talk to her when she‟s like that? Nah, I‟m good. If I stay, more then glass is gonna get broke.” I tapped on the down button and impatiently waited for the elevator.
“She just needs some time Asjiah.”
“She‟s wasted enough of my time today. Keyshia wants someone to coddle her and I‟m not on it. We can clean her up and put BandAids on her boo boo‟s but she ain‟t gonna do shit but pick the scabs and make them bleed again. I don‟t know about you, but I‟m not doing it anymore.”
I felt bad that Danielle had been dragged in the middle of all this but she would learn firsthand that Keyshia cared about no one but herself.
“Thanks for having me over though. You have a really nice place.”
My compliment made her smile. She looked a lot better now that she wasn‟t spending her days in the hospital. Her butterscotch complexion was no longer flushed and the worry that veiled her pretty face was now gone.
“You‟re welcome. You can come through whenever.”
“Thanks, but I doubt I‟ll be visiting while she‟s here.”
The elevator doors opened and I could hear Keyshia yelling incoherently from the apartment.
“Look, the two of you made it clear that y‟all are involved with each other now, but if you were smart, you‟d end it. She‟s a leech and if you let her, she‟ll suck the fucking life out of you.”
The doors closed and I began my decent back to the lobby. I should‟ve known Keyshia would be on some bullshit. I don‟t know why I thought we would be able to sit down and talk like civilized adults.
I thought being near death would clear her head, I thought her experience with Cash would‟ve knocked some sense into her; literally, but I guess not.
God had given her a second chance, a get out of hell free card and instead she threw it back in his face, chose not to pass go, and not collect two hundred dollars.

I was still fuming when the bell sounded and the doors to the elevator opened. I was fumbling around in my purse trying to find my car keys, I wasn‟t paying attention. I allowed my fight with Keyshia to distract me from my surroundings and that‟s why I didn‟t see her.

I didn‟t have enough time to regain my balance when she pushed me, my back slammed against the railing sending agonizing volts of pain through my back.

Suddenly she was on top of me, we exchanged blows and this animalistic instinct kicked in. I wasn‟t fighting for myself; I was fighting her to protect my child. I balled up and tried to protect my stomach. The look in her eyes told me that this wasn‟t about her catty dislike for me; she had found a better target. She was trying to kill my baby.

I felt like I was having contractions, the next stronger than the first, each limiting my movements, I felt wet, like I was bleeding but I kept fighting. I had to keep fighting.

The doors opened again and she ran, like a fucking coward.
I scrambled around for my phone; blood covered the screen as I tried to put it to my face.
“Yo,”
“…help me…”
The sound of her voice made his heart stop. Panic set in and he automatically thought the worst as he listened to her plea.
“I didn‟t… know who else to call.”
“Asjiah, A‟ where are you? Can you tell me where you are?”
“Southgate Towers,” The signal dropped and tears flooded my eyes as I placed my hands on my abdomen.
I fainted just as Danielle was running down the hall with my keys in her hand.

“Push Asjiah, you have to push sweetie.”

I took a deep breath and did what the doctor instructed.
“One more and it‟ll all be over.”
In an instant they had him wrapped up and under a light, I couldn‟t tell what was going on but I knew enough to know that he was supposed to be crying.
“Why isn‟t he crying? Why isn‟t my baby crying?” “Shh, it‟s okay A‟, its going to be okay.”
He was trying to soothe me, wiping sweat off my forehead, moving my hair out of my face, holding my hand. All I wanted was to know why my baby wasn‟t making any noise.
They put their heads down and said something I couldn‟t quite make out, then one of them approached me.
“Would you like to hold him?”
Unaware, I smiled and extended my arms. He was bundled tightly in a blue blanket, hair jet black and curly just like mine, I held him tightly, positioning him close to my heart waiting for him to open his eyes. Eyes that I hoped were the same shade as mine but I never got the chance to see them. I kissed him on his cheeks, whispered loving words into his tiny little ears, held his small hand in mine and that‟s when I realized how cold he was. That‟s when I noticed he wasn‟t moving, when I took in all the faces around me and death spoke in a voice that I had become all too familiar with.
“We‟re so sorry. He can stay in here for a little while but then we have to take him away. Someone will come in and discuss funeral arrangements with you…”
I don‟t remember the rest of her words; everything around me seemed to become white noise. I just remember crying, sobbing uncontrollably, screaming until he couldn‟t take it anymore and requested that they sedate me.

Chapter Thirty

Stacey was beginning to lose it. Paranoia had become her best friend which was only induced by the weed she was smoking. Everything and everyone was her enemy. She was certain that Angel was out to get her and it was only a matter of time before he achieved his goal.

The hard knock on her front door almost made her jump out of her skin. She cautiously peeked through the blinds only to find the UPS man standing on her porch.

“Can I help you?”
“Delivery for a Stacey Johnson,”
“That‟s me.”
“Sign here, and here.”
Closing the door she put the box close to her ear

and shook it. The words “il mio amore” were above a P.O

Box address that she didn‟t recognize.
“Do you know what this means?”
“No Miss, sorry I don‟t, I‟m not too good with

foreign languages.”

The postal worker waited patiently as she picked at the tape anxious to open her surprise.
“Aww, this is so cute.”
Inside the box, on top of red and black tissue paper was a card with a little white teddy bear on the front. Maybe she had been forgiven after all; perhaps Asjiah had spoken to him and convinced him to work things out.
Opening the card, she read the inscription inside: “Since you took my heart, I thought it was only fair that I give you his.”
A look of perplexity and repulsion cloaked her face as she removed the tissue paper and saw the contents of the box.
The UPS guy closed the space between them and in a quick movement stabbed her in the lower torso, twisting then dragging the box cutter out horizontally.
“Angel say‟s hello.”

Chapter Thirty-One

“Where is she?”
CJ burst into the waiting room frantically trying to get answers on Asjiah‟s whereabouts.

Keyshia had called him after the doctors came out and delivered the news, she felt it was only right that he be notified.

“What happened to her? Where is she?”
“CJ calm down.”
“Calm down? How the fuck am I supposed to calm

down when you told me that she was rushed in here bleeding? Where is the baby? Where is my son?”

“I think we should talk.” Mike got up from his chair and approached his friend.
“Talk about what? Everybody keeps saying lets talk but none ofy‟all muthafucka‟s are telling me where Asjiah or my son is.”
“He didn‟t make it.”
It took a minute for the words to register, for everything to sink in. Mike put his arm around CJ and tried to steady him as his knees became weak.
“No. No. No!”
“They tried but there was nothing they could do, the damage was already done by the time she got here.”
“Where is she?”
“Down the hall, room 203. You can‟t go in there…” CJ rushed down the corridor almost knocking over the staff that littered the hallways.
“Asjiah,”
Upon entry, he didn‟t see the boy sitting in the corner until he spoke.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“Where the fuck were you at when this shit happened?”
“This here ain‟t none of your business dude, you can leave now.”
“Did you do this to her?”
“What?” CJ began to grow furious with his insinuations.
“Nigga you heard me. Did you do this to her? Why weren‟t you here when the paramedics brought her in? Why did she call me instead of you?”
Money sat up staring at CJ with daggers in his eyes. He never liked him. He thought he was too soft, a bunch of talk and no action. This was the third time that he knew about in which he had abandoned Asjiah when she needed him. Did he even know she was pregnant, had her miscarriage been caused by his hands? He wanted him gone, out of the picture, the only reason he hadn‟t laid hands on him was out of respect for Asjiah. For some odd reason she had feelings for the dude so he left him alone, but seeing her in the hospital, being next to her, trying to silence her screams as they announced her baby stillborn, that was too much. He had had enough.
Ignoring Money, CJ approached Asjiah.
“Don‟t fuckin‟ touch her.”
Money lifted his sweatshirt and flashed the handle of his pistol.
“Youdon‟t want to do this here, trust me.”
“Excuse me gentlemen, is there a problem?” Although they were fuming, both tried to appear calm in front of the nurse.
“She‟s only allowed one visitor at a time, so one of you will have to leave or go to the waiting room.”
Money sat back down in the chair next to her bed and flicked his hand towards CJ, shooing him away.
CJ was livid; he wanted to punch him in the face until that smug grin disappeared. Who was he to tell him that he shouldn‟t be here? The tension between them would have to be put to the side for now, Asjiah was in pain and this was neither the time nor the place to settle a childish love triangle. He needed to find out what happened, and who was responsible for the loss of their son.

T he scent of marijuana filled the air and circled above her head in ghost like wisps. She kept replaying the day‟s events over and over in her head hoping that she had been triumphant. The sound of his keys in the door signaled that her love was finally home. She would get to tell him about the sacrifice that needed to be made in order for them to be together, it would probably be a little bit much for him at first, but once he realized the lengths she had gone through, she was sure she would be rewarded.