836 Franklin Ave

A Case

Friday, September 14th
Jacob

I sat at the classic wood kitchen table and began tearing at the manilla colored envelope I received in the mail today. I knew exactly who it was from and what should be in there even though there was no writing on it. I ripped the seal and pulled out the clean stack of hundred dollar bills. I popped the dirty rubber band off of it and began counting under my breath.

Exactly twenty thousand dollars.

I licked my lips in excitement as I got my monthly payment. But I don't have a job. I don't need one. Just as I was tying the rubber band back over my bills, the doorbell rang. I placed the stack back in the envelope on the table and sighed as I got up to open the door.

As I swung open the door, I was surprised to see Sevyn standing there looking different than how I usually see her. Her face looked a little pale like she was about to throw up. She hadn't let me know she was coming over so I don't know why she's here but I'm sure I'm going to find out. I glanced down and noticed a small child by her side. She pushed the child in along with herself. I watched in shock as the child peacefully sucked on her pacifier. I locked back the door opening my hands.

"What's happening?" I asked her confused. She looked at me uneasily.

"I need help." She said really breathy. I nodded for her to go on. She lifted up the child and placed her on the couch and she began to entertain herself by playing with her little fingers. "I just kidnapped a child and basically ran from the cops." She said placing her hands in her head scrunching up her hair. I widened my eyes at her. "I called in to talk to my sister, right. Asked her for the address to see my niece because I was just curious. So I went to her baby daddy's mom's house and it's literally a trap house. Crack bubbling and all. She was playing with a bong!" Sevyn yelled at me. "So this old woman was there and apparently that's her grandma. One thing led to another and I ended up taking the child and left her. She threatened to call the cops on me but I wasn't thinking and just ran."

My mouth opened in shock. What in the-

"I can not go to jail. Not at all." She said sternly. I looked at her trying to think quick.

"Can't you turn her in for owning a crack house?" I asked stating the obvious. She nodded.

"Yeah but I just kidnapped a child, Jacob. If she goes down, I'm going with her. Snitches get stitches. I need help figuring a way I can get out of this." She said pacing. I could tell she was scared for her life. "Please help me come up with something, you're smart right?" She asked coming close looking up at me. I bit my lip trying to figure out a solution.

Then something clicked.

"Your sister has bail right?" Sevyn looked up puzzled.

"She should if I'm correct. Most robbery cases do." She said. I nodded.

"Okay, so I say we take our chances. Find out how much her bail is, we can bail her out, and then she has back the custody of her child." I said. She looked at me trying to piece it together in her head.

"You're still forgetting I just committed a felony." She said annoyed.

"I mean, there's no getting out of that. The best I can think of is that no one knows the date or time. So we can lie about that. We say Sayyora was the one that took your child because you guys look very similar you'll be able to pass as her. And then if you want, we can get the crack bitch in jail." I said shrugging. Her face lit up. She gave me a hopeful smile before giving me a tight hug.

"Damn Papi, you're smart." She mumbled into my chest. I bit my lip, a little turned on by what she had called me. She pulled away looking at me. "Im gonna go call." She said quickly sliding her phone out her back pocket. I watched as she walked into the kitchen scrolling through the previously called numbers on her phone. I sat down on the couch across from the little baby as she stared back at me chewing on her pacifier. I admired how adorable she looked. She looked a little bit like Sevyn because she had her bright eyes and long eye lashes. Other than that, she looked nothing like her mother or Sevyn. She must've taken after her father. She began extending her little hands towards me opening and closing them making little grabby fist.

"Mmm" she pouted towards me. I just stared at her. I watched as she took it upon herself to slide down off the couch on her stomach and walk over to me. She placed her self between my legs and began playing with my fingers wrapping her whole hand over one of mine. She looked up at me with her bright eyes. I couldn't help but smile at how cute she was.

Sevyn barged back in the room looking stressed as ever.

"What's wrong?" I asked placing the baby back on the couch going over to Sevyn.

"Twenty- five thousand dollars. I don't have that type of money!" She shouted sitting down on the stairs as her face began to get heated and red.

"It's gonna be okay we'll figure it out." I said sitting next to her. She jerked her body up.

"Jacob I don't think you understand. I cannot go to jail. She can turn me in and cover up what she did. I have no evidence. She does." She said sounding like she was about to cry and that was something I didn't want to see. "That's at least five years. Four if they feel bad for me." She whimpered. I thought as she began taking small breathes. I silently got up as she sat there panicking. I went into the kitchen and grabbed the envelope off of the table.

I really like this girl. This better be worth it.

I held it in my hands as I slowly approached her. She looked at me with sorrow.

"Here." I said handing it to her. She took it and opened it. She slowly slid out the stack in shock. "Twenty thousand." I said plainly. Her face held a crazy expression.

"No way. I can't take this, I'll figure it out on my own. I should've never dragged you into this." She said placing it back in the envelope giving it to me. I walked over to the table grabbing a pen. I took the envelope and wrote To Sevyn, From Jacob on it.

"Now it's yours and I'm giving it to you. Take it." I said. She looked up at me as I placed it in her hands.

"Where'd you even get this from?" She asked.

"You ask too many questions. Just take it." I insisted.

"I think I have about eight thousand in my account. I'll pay the difference and give you whatever is left over." She offered and I nodded. She gave me a soft hug. "You're a life saver." She said hugging me. I chuckled. "How do I repay you. Nothing is off limits." She pulled away looking at me.

"Nothing?" I asked making sure I heard right. She nodded. I began to think. The only thing I want that she has is herself. I'll be damned if I let another nigga take her from me. "I wanna take you out. On a real date. And that virginity is mine." I said with a little smirk. She couldn't help but smile back. I reached over giving her a hug. "You gon be alright." I said rubbing up and down her back. She pulled away and stared at the child on the couch who was now playing with her shirt.

"I don't want you to turn out like me." She whispered to herself. I didn't understand what she meant but I just ignored it. It obviously wasn't meant for me to hear.