Victorie (Urban Fiction)

Chapter 26

"Jay can I get something please? Your boys won't let me get it on credit no more," this woman said running up to us as we walked out of the house. "I'll bring you the money tonight. A few of my men supposed to come through later."
I could tell that she used to be a beautiful woman, but addiction had taken over.
"Miss Roslyn I don't have nothing on me," Jaison said. "Can't you see I'm with my girl?"
"I'm sorry," she apologized then looked over at me. "You're Victoria's baby huh? I remember when you was just a little baby. You still so pretty."
"Yes ma'am," I said uncomfortably. "Thank you."
"Well see y'all later," she said hastily walking off.
I got in the car and buckled my seat belt.

"Say what's on your mind instead of looking stupid," Jaison said after minutes of silence.
"Jaison why did you choose to do what you do?" I said turning to look at him.
"Look Victorie there were a lot of things that happened..." he said. "I ain't never had a daddy around. It was always just me and my mama. She busted her ass to take care of us. When I was sixteen, she got real sick, and we found out it was cancer. She couldn't work, so I got a job at a fast food joint to try to keep us afloat. That money wasn't nearly enough. It got to the point to where we thought we would lose the house, so I got with some older niggas in the hood. They put me on and I started hustling. It's fast and easy money. I did what I had to do to survive. You think I'm a bad person because of that?"
"No Jaison," I answered. "I don't like it, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. I just wanted to understand."
He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"Hey Jaison!" my mama greeted opening the door for us. "It's nice to see you again."
"Good to see you too," he said as he walked to the couch and took a seat.
"Ma where's Zuri?" I asked because it was quiet.
"In Joy's room," she said before Zuri who came running into the room with a head full of lil plaits and bows.
"Aww look at your hair baby," I laughed. "Come here."
She ran straight to Jaison bypassing me.
"Hey baby!" Jaison said kissing her and lifting her into the air as she squealed and giggled.
"No she didn't," I said rolling my eyes pretending to be hurt as they laughed.
"So how y'all feeling?" my mama asked. "I know today was a hard one."
"I'm ok," I said. "I actually feel better. I got to see her, and she looked so peaceful."
"That's good baby," she said rubbing my back. "How's Joann holding up? I need to go over there." She turned to Jaison.
"She's doing as well as can be expected," he answered. "I'm staying on her making sure she takes care of herself."
"That's good baby," she said. "I'll be over there tomorrow."
His phone began to ring, but he declined the call.
"I gotta head out," he said getting up. "Got some business I need to go handle. It was good seeing y'all though."
"It was good seeing you too baby," my mama said.
As Jaison and I stood on the porch, he pulled me in for a kiss. "I love you Victorie."
"I know," I said. "And I love you too Jaison."
He kissed me again and slid some money in my back pocket.
"Jaison, I don't need this," I said pulling it out and trying to give it back.
"I didn't care if you don't," he smiled. "You taking it anyway, and it's not up for debate." He then walked to his car. "I'll hit you up later."

Later that night at about 9, I was sitting on my bed bored when my phone buzzed.
Jaison: Hey pretty girl wyd
Me: Nothing bored outta my damn mind
Jaison: Well check your email and get to work. We hitting the studio soon. You gotta have some material when the labels start calling. I'll see you tomorrow.
I checked my email, and Jaison had sent me five tracks. I downloaded them and grabbed my notebook. I hummed, sang, wrote, and played them back numerous times adding and omitting parts until I had a song to go with each beat. By midnight, I'd completed all five songs. I used my phone to record myself singing a love song that I'd written about him. He called me not even five minutes later.
"So what you think?" I asked soon as I answered.
"I think it's fire," he said. "So you been thinking about a nigga huh?"
"Yeah," I said. "But that's always."
"I been thinking about you too," he said. "When you gone come stay with me?"
"Jaison I don't know," I said. "I have Zuri, and I don't..."
"That ain't a problem at all," he said. "She can come too. You know one of these days we gone live together."
"You think so?" I smiled.
"Girl I know so," he said. "I'mma marry you."
"You don't know that," I said. "We just got together."
"We just became a couple, but I been knowing you forever," he said. "I'mma marry your crazy ass."
"If you say so Jaison," I said then yawned.
"Take yo crazy ass to sleep," he said. "I love you."
"Love you too," I said hanging up.
I kissed my sleeping baby and climbed into bed.