Page 10 of Meek: Chasing That Gangsta Love

“ D on’t get out there and forget about me bitch. I always tell you that.” Mya stood in front of the group home hugging me while Kidd sat in the car waiting. It was officially my eighteenth birthday and time to finally leave this place.

“Oh, hush Mya.” I replied. “You know I’m calling you as soon as I get settled. You helped me to keep my sanity in this place, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” I told her smiling. “Where are you gonna go when you leave?” I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders; she had two weeks left. “I’m not really sure yet.”

“Make sure you call me Mya. We’re finally free.” I said. “We had it rough but it’s time to leave all of that behind now.”

“You’re right.” She sniffed. “Did you forward a address for your diploma to be sent to you?” She asked.

I nodded my head. “Yeah, I did. I’m having it sent to Kidd’s address.” I had graduated a week prior, but I chose not to go to graduation, since I didn’t have any family that would be there. Kidd offered to go, but it wasn’t the same.

She threw her head up toward his Benz. “You better go ahead and go, don’t keep him waiting.”

I looked at Mya one last time. I was going to miss the warmth that she brought with her presence and the twinkle in her eyes when she smiled, our late-night girl talks and gossiping trying to keep each other sane and erase the truths of our ugly past. I looked back at Kidd who sat there watching us.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“I’ll talk to you later.” She said.

We hugged one more time before I left her to go be with Kidd. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous about this day at first. After going through everything that I’ve been through when I left the group home, so did the little scared Kisha.

“You finally free baby! You finally made it out the prison.” Kidd beamed all geeked up and excited.

“I’m so happy but at the same time I really don’t know my direction right now.” I pulled down the visor and looked in the mirror as my long thick hair flowed down my back.

Kidd placed his strong hand on my thigh looking me directly in my eyes. “Don’t worry, I told you I got you.”

I made myself comfortable in the seat and enjoyed the scenery thinking we were heading to his house first. On the way there, he told me he had to make a quick stop, but I didn’t expect it to be in my old neighborhood.

We were literally right across the street from there.

A wave of emotion floored me all at once.

After a long year, everything looked the absolute same.

I saw a lot of people hanging out. Some old faces and new ones as the tints hid my face.

I wanted to get out and find Meek so bad, but how would Kidd feel about that?

“Why you look like you saw a ghost?” He asked.

I swallowed hard. I spotted the faces of Rags only he didn’t look like he had money.

He looked like the same Rags that I knew when he was broke.

Dreka and her crew were on the corner doing what they did best, sitting on top of the dope boy cars and trying to look flyy wondering whom they’d bag next.

“That’s where CPS got me from, that’s my old home. These used to be my streets.” I said. “The nigga named Rags that I told you about, there he is right there. The girls who jumped me leaving that permanent mark on my back,” I said pointing them all out, “that’s them sitting on the corner.”

Kidd squinted his eyes to get a better look. “Dreka?” He frowned.

I snapped my neck toward him. “How you know her?” I asked.

“I used to fuck her a while back; a couple of months ago.” He confessed.

I was always taught that if you didn’t want to know the honest answer to something then don’t bother to ask, so I didn’t ask the rest. I guess he saw the confusion on my face.

He smiled showing his gold teeth. “Don’t even trip Kisha.

That shit was nothing.” He let me know. “As a matter-of-fact I’m taking you shopping and I’mma give you my spare whip to get around in.

Another Benz just like this one ‘Cocaine White’ and everybody round here knows that’s my car.

That’s how you hurt a jealous bitch to her soul.

You fuck the game up and stunt on them hoes.

When you left you were broke; when you come back to visit, you’ll be a whole new person.

I’m about to help you get that self-esteem back. ”

Just thinking about the looks on their faces had me feeling better about myself already. “Thanks for everything Kidd.”

“No thanks needed.” He said. “Sit tight, I’ll be right back.

” He assured before getting out leaving me sitting there on the side of the rode.

He wasn’t even gone for ten minutes before a distraught looking older man came to the driver side placing his hands and face on the window trying desperately to see who was behind the tints.

He was missing his two front teeth and looked like he was on it bad.

“Kidd, you in there? Come on man, let me get something to get this monkey off my back. I’ll wash yo car for you man.” He begged. “Kidd! Don’t be like that.” His voice cracked. He was now scratching the shit out of his forearm.

I didn’t know what to say but I’ve seen shit like this all of my life; nothing shocked me anymore. I just hoped he didn’t start beating on the window anymore drawing attention to me. I slouched down in my seat trying to hide. Next thing I knew the crazy fool was climbing on the hood of the car.

I slouched even lower. I knew my red cheeks were bright as hell by now. “Oh shit! Oh shit!” I tried not to laugh; this fool was crazy. He looked like a damn spider monkey staring down at me.

“Don’t hide pretty girl.” He said looking through the front window. “Ain’t you Angie’s girl? What you got for me?” He gave me a snag toothed smile.

“Oh my God.” I mumbled hiding my face with my hands. His ass needed to go and get away from here.

“Yo man! You crazy! If you don’t get the fuck off my ride I’mma put one in yo ass!” I heard Kidd’s voice boom walking up the sidewalk.

I opened my eyes just in time to see him hop off and took a deep breath. “Shit, that was close.” I mumbled.

He stared at Kidd with wide eyes. “Come on Kidd, help me out.”

Kidd shook his head. “No money, no fucking product, now get your ass away from me. You done lost yo mind all on my shit. Get the fuck on!” He warned.

The guy jumped and jogged off going about his business. I watched him run off and turn into the park. “That was close.” I said.

Kidd locked the door and looked at me laughing. “How you gon’ let the nigga hop all on top of my ride and shit Kish?” He put the car in park and sped off.

“I didn’t know what else to do. He needed to get away from me.” I said.

We laughed about that shit all the way to the Dolphin Mall. “Why are we here?” I asked him hoping that he didn’t say shopping for me. I was tired and ready to go get to a bed. Shopping was something I would’ve loved to do when I had all of the energy to do so.

“Get out, I’m going to pick you out some flyy shit.

You’re gonna need it if you gon’ be on my hip.

You beautiful but it’s only right that your flyy matched mine.

” He hopped out. I looked him over one last time; like I said before, I didn’t know about a bunch of designer shit.

I only looked at him and could tell that his clothes were expensive.

I then looked down at my own clothes. I had on a simple pair of skinny jeans with artistic holes in them and a tight white fitted V-neck that showed the roundness of my breast. My feet were sitting pretty in a regular pair of slides. The only thing I was confident about was my hair, which was laid.

“I look like a bum standing next to you.” I frowned.

He wrapped his arm around my back and led me inside with him. “You’re a natural beauty baby. I’d take you over a made up bitch any day.”

Just in those few words, a memory of Meek came back. I remember that night we lay there in the bed, and he told me the same exact thing. Damn, I hated thinking about Meek because when I started I just couldn’t stop. All I asked is that he was well off and he didn’t have it half as rough as I did.

He took me to every boutique and store in the mall.

We were so overloaded with bags that he had to pull the car up to the front and we made a double trip loading everything.

My feet were hurting; I was exhausted. I slow dragged to the house when we made it there.

To everyone else, it may have been a regular house, but to me it was everything.

“Hurry up Kish, why you walking so slow?” Kidd asked getting impatient.

I picked up my pace not wanting him to think that I was being a whining little brat.

When we made it inside his house I planned on taking a shower and giving him some.

I didn’t care what he said, I didn’t want anyone to feel as though they did anything for me for free and right now, I only had one thing to offer.

That night after we ordered take out from the Cheesecake Factory we came back to the house to eat it.

When I finished, I took a shower and put on a sheer robe with nothing under it besides my bra and panties.

Before, I would’ve been nervous, but life was teaching me that this world had no room for weak people.

Besides, right now I was as happy as I’d been in a very long time.

I found Kidd out on his private balcony leaned back looking out at the water while smoking a joint.

I eased my way out; I didn’t have time to be a little girl anymore. This was my new reality.

Kidd looked up at me and smiled. “I like it.” He said.

I had to admit he did look sexy with his shirt off showing his ripped physique. “Thank you.” I sat on his lap and looked out into the lake with him as the night lights bounced off of it.

“You smoke?” He asked. I shook my head ‘no’. He practically shoved it in my face. “Here, try it.”

“I’m good.” I declined.