Beauty and the beast

50

          "Man I asked y'all for specific shit! Why y'all sending me pictures of shit I ain't fucking ask y'all for?" I heard Dae snap as I walked in the house with my shopping bags of clothes for Mimi's birthday trip in a couple of days. "Man just get the shit done, y'all had ample amount of fucking time!" He snapped then hung up the phone. "What's wrong?" I put my stuff down and walked over to him. "My brother birthday coming up and I'm trying to get everything I need for his party and shit!" He snapped as he sat on the couch.

           "Do you want me to do it? What is it you need? I'll figure everything out for you." "Nah I wanna shoot somebody in the fucking face!" "Well that's not an option so stop. Please try to calm down." "I'm just tryna make sure everything perfect for him! Like he already ain't here to celebrate it with me so the shit at least gotta look like something he'll smile at." He groaned. "I fucking hate when his birthday come up, I just wish I could skip the whole July." He put his face in his hands.

            "Damn dawg I just miss my nigga, I wish he was here! I would've died for him and everybody know that. He dead and gone and I'll still die for him. Yeah I got other siblings and I love the fuck outta them but Dolph my heart. Me and that man went through everything together. All the good, the bad and the ugly. Niggas knew if they wanted to get me, fuck with him. I wasn't scared to die, but him? That was my biggest fear and that shit came true. Why they ain't kill me instead? Why I'm still here and my brother gone?" His voice cracked as tears rolled down his face.

This is the first time I've ever seen him this vulnerable and it's really breaking my heart. "Oh my baby!" I teared up and hugged him tight. "Baby it might not seem like it but god still got you here for a reason okay? I don't have any biological siblings so I can't lie and say I know how you feel. But what I can say is as long as I'm here I got you for life and you can talk to me about any and everything." "Thank you baby, I love you." He wrapped his arms around me tightly. "I love you more." "Trust me you don't." He shook his head as I gently wiped his tears.

"I be thanking god for you every single day. I know I ain't perfect, and I fuck up daily. But you still here, and through it all you still love me. That alone make me love you even more. After my brother died I was lost, then you came outta nowhere and just been making my life so much better." "Daeshawn." I burst out crying. "You so emotional." He laughed. "I can't help it, it just feels so good to be in love with somebody that actually loves you back! Hell that actually loves you even more." I calmed down and wiped my tears.

"I love you so much my stinky." I planted kisses all over his face. "You making my face sticky Phat." He laughed as he started moving his face from side to side. "Stop denying my kisses." I mugged him. "I'm not." "That's what I thought." I continued kissing his face. "You think you run me lil girl." "Cause I do." "Yeah cause I let you think that." "And that's all that matter." I laughed as I tried to wipe the clear lip gloss off his face but it wasn't budging. "My brother birthday on the twenty seventh, I have a block party for him, and call it Peace in the hood day."

            "People from all kinda hoods in Miami come, shiddd people from other counties pop out too. It don't be no beef or drama, just chilling and good vibes." "Me and the girls went last year. But wait, didn't somebody get shot?" I twisted my face in confusion. "Oh yeah." He nodded. "I'm the one shot his ass." "Man what?" My mouth dropped open. "The flyer said all hoods welcomed but please leave the beef and drama at home. This nigga seen some nigga he ain't like and went over there starting shit."

"They started fighting and soon as I found out which one of they ass started it, I shot em. I seen plenty of niggas I ain't fuck with out there, me and them niggas kept it G and respectful. We just kept on walking, ain't exchange words or nun. As crazy as I am, if I could off on some beef why the fuck they can't? And after I shot that nigga in the ass, I got on the microphone and said I won't be so nice with the next one. I think everybody got the memo." He nodded.

"You are actually crazy as hell. You ever got that checked out?" I was laughing but I'm dead ass serious! "No I'm good, ain't shit wrong with me. I been this way since a kid, Dolph was the calm and laid back one. That's why it shocked the shit outta everybody when he was the one to get killed. Man everybody fucked with him. He was good in all hoods cause everybody loved and respected him. They knew he wasn't no shit starting ass nigga."

"But see me? I'm good in all hoods cause who gone fuck with me? I don't mind shooting it out with any nigga in any hood. But that's just how I am. Well was, Dolph had calmed me down a lot. But I'm proud of myself, nie I ain't gone sit here and act like after he died I ain't go crazy and crash the fuck out cause I did. But I calmed down a whole lot since then, I was wayyyy worse." He shook his head and sighed. "Well I'm happy the lord delivered you." "You not all the way but that's okay, he still working me."

"But why did you say everybody was shocked when he was the one to get killed like you expected that fate for yourself?" That part didn't sit right with me at allll. "Cause I did along time ago." He shrugged. Hearing him say that honestly shattered me. "I ain't gone lie Makyha, I done did a lot of wrong and put a lot of wrong out here in the universe. I'm just waiting for my time cause I know it's coming." He said nonchalantly. A lump started forming in my throat. I quickly jumped off the couch and grabbed my shopping bags.

"I don't wanna hear that, I'm not having this conversation with you." My voice cracked. I quickly made my way upstairs and into our room, slamming the door behind me. Like why would he say that? Why would he accept that and basically speak that over his life. As the day progressed I helped Dae plan the rest of his brother's party, cleaned up, did laundry and made dinner. Now I was drained and tied as hell so I took a shower to get ready for bed.

"Bae I gotta go handle some business right quick, I'll be right back. I love you." Dae walked in our bathroom and said. "No." I rapidly shook my head. "Can't somebody else do it?" I walked over to him. "No baby I gotta do it." "Can you do it tomorrow when the sun is up?" "Bae I gotta go, imma be right back I promise." He huffed. "Okay." I gave in. He hugged and kissed me then made his way out the door. Seconds later I heard the front door open and shut.

I stood in the bathroom for a few seconds trying my hardest to compose my composure. "Im not bout to let his ass stress me out." I shook my head as I walked out the bathroom. I grabbed a nightgown out of my dresser and slid it over my head. I packed my suitcase for Mimi's birthday trip and put it in the closet. I turned off the light, got in bed and turned on the tv. I put on a random movie I've never seen and snuggled under the covers.

I closed my eyes and started praying. "Lord please watch over Daeshawn. Please shield , guide and protect him father god and don't let any hurt, harm or danger come near him. Please let him make hit back home safely to me and his brothers because God you know we need him. All these things I ask in your precious name, amen." I opened my eyes and kept watching the movie.

            At some point the movie was watching me, so when I got back in bed from peeing I turned the tv off and drifted off to sleep. I heard the room door open and close softly. I could hear Dae taking off his clothes and jewelry. Then went in the bathroom. "Kyha?" He called out to me. "Hm?" I turned and looked at him. "I need some bleach." "Okay hold on." I got out the bed and went to the hall closet with all the cleaning supplies. I went to the bathroom in the hallway and ran some hot water in the tub.

              As that warmed up I went to our bathroom to get him. "Come on." He walked behind me in nothing but his boxers. I filled the tub up and dropped half the bottle of bleach in it. He submerged his whole body in the water as I sat on the edge of the tub holding a towel. After a couple of seconds he came up and I dried his face thoroughly. "Thank you for making it back safely to me." I whispered as I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Imma always make it home to you."