𝐃𝐎 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐆

65

Skooby

I sat at one end of the circular teal-colored visitation chairs as Toni sat at the other end of the table filling me in on what he knew as best as he could with both of the correction officers eyeballing us like we was planing a great escape or some shit.

When Toni was done putting me up on game, all I could do was shake my head. This shit was way deeper than surface level and the key person who could at least keep me aflot while I swam back to shore was nowhere to be found, according to her dad.

"So, you don't even know where Ana is? What about Miss Kandi?"

"To be real, Skooby, me and Kandi ain't talked in years and she did me so damn dirty I couldn't even see my daughter till she turned 18. Court-ordered restraining orders and shit. I wish I could talk to you about that but- man- different time, same place."

"The last I heard from Ana, she just.. Ain't sound right. She sounded like I would when I was tryna talk on a burner. Like she was saying something without really saying anything and every time she picked up the phone it sounded like someone was always around her. I called up her friend auntie, Miss Ruthy, man she been trying to throw it on me since I was with Kandi, youngin'."

Toni shook his head as he chuckled, took a sip of his Pepsi, and continued.

"Well, I ain't get Miss Ruthy when I went over there. I got her ole fast friend, Jamie. It ain't my spot to say who my baby hang around but since I knew Jamie she always been 'bout living a fast life and when I went to go see where my daughter been at, she proved just that."

"She open the door, titties all out and the house smelling like weed and shit. I had smelled acetone in the house as well, like way more than what you smell in a salon and shit. And I saw like this lightskin nigga sitting at the dining table smoking and cutting up some shit. Jamie looked like she hasn't slept in days, and she  kept scratching at her ears and her nose like she had a bug or some shit flying around her."

My eyes transitioned from shock to plain disbelief. "Nah, that ain't Jamie. She always been crazy and shit but she ain't sounding like the girl you talking about."

"Toni threw his hands up in defeat, shifting his head from side to side. "I wish I was the type of nigga to just say whatever to make a story sound good, but I'm not. So, I'm asking Jamie where is Ana.."

--

"Hello?" Jamie swung open the door, only wearing a white padded bra and curly bundles down the crack of her ass. She rocked some bright red cheerleader shorts and there was Kodak Black blasting all through the house.

"Uh, Jamie?" Toni stammered over his words, almost second-guessing whether he was at the right house or not. "Is Miss Ruthy here?"

"Nah," she fidgeted back and forth, scratching her nose then her ears and back to her nose. "She on travel assignment, so she won't be back till.." she checked her Apple Watch, scratched her ears, and looked up at Toni with her nose wrinkled like she smelled something foul.

"January."

"January? Aw sh- She had told me to come by and see you 'bout Ana."

"Ana? What your old ass want with Ana?" Jamie rolled her neck around with a hand on her hip, eyebrow raised in a defensive stance.

"Who dat is, baby?" a deep voice boomed from the kitchen, making Jamie almost block Toni from looking in as she turned around.

"Nobody, Bear! Its all good."

She turned back at Toni, lips still pursed and her eyes still sizing him up from his all black Balenciaga shoes to his matching black Armani shades.

"Well,"

"W- Jamie, don't you recognize me? Its me, Ana daddy." Toni took a step back and raised his shades, showing the teardrop under his eye and the Anaiis Tattoo on the side of his temple.

"Oh sh- Mr. Hamilton! Lemme go grab a jacket. I- I'll be right out."

-

"Jamie ended up telling me that Ana hasn't been home in almost a month. Running around with some nigga named Cut talking about she staying at his place or some shit like that. She gave me her cellphone number but its always going to voicemail."

Toni took a moment of silence, twisting his mouth upwards like he was trying to figure out how he going to pay a high ass bill or some shit. I could tell the shit was eating him up on the inside but he was trying hard to keep it playa.

"I don't like how this sounding at all. And Kandi- Kandi ain't doing good. She still at the hospital and they talking about placing her in a nursing home because she can't walk right, can't piss or shit right, its just-"

Toni blew out a big gust of air and leaned back into his seat.

"I just want to get to my baby girl before the streets get to her. Cause if the niggas Ana running around with are a drop of the shit I saw Jamie having in her own house, its not going to be good. And,"

Toni leaned forward in his seat, clenching his hands together in a praying position. The glimmer in his lightbrown eyes went dark as he tilted forward just enough so the correction officers couldn't say shit.

"I'm still trying to get the answers I need but, from the lil bit my niggas round the B&Bs tell me, that Cut nigga was that nigga nephew that Kandi shot up. And, not real sure on how accurate it is, but that Cut nigga is just about as ruthless if not more than Sweet."

I swallowed hard, almost feeling my whole throat dry up at the thought of Cut having his hands on Ana. Then, it dawned on him that Cut was at the scene and saw me in the car. MY blood boiled all over again and I wanted blood even harder as I sat in this seat.

"So, you saying that Ana-"

"Could be another Kandi. Yeah, that's exactly what the fuck I'm saying."

Fuck.