“Were you aware that he stabbed Kyron in the throat and that he’s in critical condition? There’s a strong possibility that Kyron could take a turn for the worse.”
“Who the fuck cares?”
“Hear me out. I was calling to say that they plan to serve street justice on your husband. Me? I’d rather allow the appropriate authorities handle him. I’m simply reaching out before I turn him over to the law. Is he available? It’s important that I speak with him.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“To you, yes. Is he available?”
“First of all, bitch, speaking to me is speaking to him. And do yourself a favor, and don’t ever call my phone again. You need to be glad that he didn’t stab your ass in the throat . . . just because. So my advice to you”—I paused to make sure she got my point—“is stay in your fuckin’ lane.”
I hung up on her and went to stand up. Trae grabbed me and hugged me tight. “I wonder what that was all about?” he had the nerve to ask me. I couldn’t believe my ears.
I turned around and looked at him as if he had sprouted two heads. “You heard the entire conversation, just like I did.”
“What’s the matter with you?”
“You stab a nigga in the throat, his bitch knows that you did it, and you’re sitting here wondering what it’s all about? Did you really just say that? Or did I hear you wrong? And on top of that, I’m still trying to figure out why I gotta hear shit from everybody else except from my husband. I asked you about this several times, and you never had anything to say.”
“And I still don’t have shit to say. It is what it is, Tasha.”
“Trae, she is the second person to tell me that you stabbed Kyron. She’s talking about turning you in. What if she does? What if they come and arrest you? Don’t you think I need to be up on what’s going on?”
“No, you don’t need to be up on this bullshit. I got this.”
“Fine.” I stood up. “But I tell you this, if your ass gets locked up, I promise you, I won’t be the one coming to see you.”
“Oh, yes, you will.”
“I bet you I won’t.”
“Excuse me.” Aunt Marva interrupted our argument. “There is someone at the door. I think you both need to get up here.”
“Who is it?” I asked her. My defenses were already up, so I knew that some more bullshit was about to go down. Once again, the madness appeared to haunt us.
“Who is it, Auntie?” Trae asked her.
“I’ll stay out here with the kids. You two go let him in.”
Him? I panicked but just as quickly relaxed, because it couldn’t be Kyron; he was in the hospital. Now I was curious, and I guess Trae was, too, because he jumped up and grabbed my hand. When I tried to snatch away, he pulled me close and hugged me around the waist.
“Get off of me, Trae. I am not feeling you right now.”
“Well, I’m feeling you,” he said as he kissed me on the neck.
“Get off me.”
“Why do you have to trip, Tasha?”
“Because we made a promise. No more secrets. No more lies. And it seems like I’m the only one keeping the promise.”
“What do you want to hear me say? Fuck it! I’ll say it. Yeah, I stabbed the nigga in the throat, because he talks too much shit, and he needed to die for fucking my wife! Now, does that make you feel any better? Hell, no, it doesn’t, because you already knew that. You know me, Tasha. And you knew I was going to get him, and if I missed this time, I promise you I won’t miss the next. Now what, Tasha? What else do you want to know?”
“How about if you get caught? What if you go to prison? What do you expect me to do? Ride the bit with you? I can’t see myself going to see you in nobody’s prison. I’m not doing that shit again.” We were slowly walking through the house.
“You know better than I do, I can’t let that pussy live, Tasha. I mean that shit.”
“Baby, what’s more important? Your freedom and your family or your pride and your ego?”
“The nigga disrespecting me by fuckin’ my wife. So yeah, my principles are real important. Some shit you can’t let ride.”
“See, that is just plain stupid. Downright ridiculous.”