Blood, Sweat And Revenge

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tokyo

We all had a crazy day, so we ended up at the Holiday Inn downtown. Divine and Malina went half on our rooms. The plan was for all of us to have separate rooms, but Tori was scared to be alone so she roomed up with Divine. Malina and I had our own rooms. But they were all on the same hall. I couldn't believe all of this bullshit was happening. Somebody was trying to kill one of us, and we had no clue who. But on the other hand, I don't like the way Malina tried to play me earlier, so I had something for her ass. I texted Divine and asked her for Glory's number and she gave it to me. I overheard Malina telling Divine that she was going on a date with Glory tonight, so you know I had to block that shit. Hoe had me fucked all the way up. I knew this would get under her skin. I got a knock at my door and grinned as I peeked out the peephole and saw Glory. Quickly, I opened the door and let him in. He was looking good as ever. "What's up, love?" He gave me a hug and walked over to the couch. I don't know why he did that. He knew what was on my mind. "Just stressed out. We got off on bad terms earlier." "You think so?" "You don't?" I asked. "Nah, you just sensitive. So what's up? Why you call

me here?" He asked. "Can I vent?" "Sure. Can I smoke my blunt?" He asked. "Go ahead. Come sit by me," I said, trying not to sound like a hoe. He smiled, took his shoes off, and sat on the opposite end of the bed. "Talk." "Shit, where do I start?" I asked. "Anywhere." "Well, I want to start by getting to know you," I confessed. Glory was mysterious, like a cat. Didn't talk much. As a matter of fact, he didn't speak unless he was spoken to. "I'm Glory," he said sarcastically, placing his hand out for me to shake it. "I'm Tokyo. How old are you?" I asked. "Twenty-six." "Is Glory your real name?" He laughed and shook his head. Guess he was used to being asked that. "Yes, ma'am." "How long did it take you to grow them dreads?" "Since I was fifteen." "Really?" "Yaa."

"You must be from New Orleans?" I asked. "Yaa, how you know?" "By the way you talk. So are you single?" "Yaa." "Got kids?" "Yaa." "How many?" "I got one." "Really? So why aren't you with her mom?" I asked. "Her mom died in a flood a couple years back." "Oh my God. I'm so sorry to hear that," I said as I out my hand's over my heart. "It's all good. Me and my daughter do just fine." He lit his blunt and took a puff. Then offered it to me, but I refused. "So you raise her alone?" I asked. "Yaa, but I wouldn't have it any other way." "What's her name?" I asked. "Rayne. She's seven." "Am I asking too many questions?" I asked. "Nah, you cool. That's how you get to know people. I knew you would hit me up though." "How?" "I just knew. Glad you did. I fucks with you, love.

You cool, yaa." "Glad somebody thinks so. My cousins and sister been ganging up on me all day," I confessed. "Why?" "They feel like I put my boyfriend before everyone." "Oh yaa?" "What you think?" "I told you how I feel. Put ya husband before everyone. Not a fuck nigga that ain't even put a ring on it. Do you feel like he deserves all of you like that, yaa?" "No," I confessed and it was so hard to hear myself admit that. "Let me ask you something, love." "Yes?" "Do you love yourself?" he asked. I laughed. "I'm serious," he said. The more I searched for an answer, the more I realized that I didn't know. So I said what sounded right. "Yes." "What do you eat?" he asked and that confused me. "Huh?" "Just answer." "I like Taco Bell. Oh, and Sonic. Why? You hungry?" I asked. "Nah, just helping you see if you love yourself or

not. Do you eat fruit? Drink water? Eat vegetables?" "I hate water. It doesn't taste like nothing. I eat fruit and veggies every once in a while. What does that have to do with loving myself?" "When you found out that nigga was cheating on you, did you at least make him wear rubbers after that? I bet you didn't. Be real..." "No," I said as I put my head down. "So how you gonna love yourself and you don't even take care of yourself? You eat toxic, think toxic and allow a toxic nigga all up in your womb... your temple," he said. It felt like he had just thrown me off a hill. Never heard a reality like that before. If felt like today was judgment day, and all of my sins were on front street. "But I loved him and wanted to make it work," I pleaded. "So you wanted to see him happy before making your own self happy?" he asked. "But seeing him happy made me happy." "So you needed him? You loved him more than you loved yourself?" "Damn, Glory! Stop." "Stop what?" he asked. "Stop what you're doing. I know I fucked up, okay?" "Okay, but answer me."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "You asked me to. Now answer. Do you love yourself?" It felt like Sunday morning in church when the pastor was deep into his sermon and all of your feelings came out in tears. "No," I said as tears threatened to fall. "When did you stop loving yourself?" he asked. Again, I couldn't answer because I didn't know. "Do you remember ever loving yourself?" He asked when he noticed that I didn't have an answer. "No," I said. each time I said no , it took more and more out of me. Felt like I was naked with all of my clothes on. This is not what I expected out of Glory tonight. Now I was starting to see the beauty in his name. "What do you love about yourself?" He asked. I didn't answer. I didn't know. "That's okay; most people don't know the answer to that question." "Man." "What?" "I never realized how much I was fucked up. Everyone was right about me. I ain't shit." "What? Don't say that. The only difference between you and the people that judge you is they don't know that they don't love themselves. They're too busy looking down on you to see their own bullshit. They don't wanna help. Or maybe they do and you just pushed

them away. Did you push them away?" "Yes," I confessed. Finally, I could answer yes, but this was still bad. "Well, there ya go." "Teach me," I said. "Teach you what?" "Teach me how to love." "How to love who?" he asked. He knew the answer but he wanted me to hear me say it; self-revelation. "Teach me how to love myself."