A Lesson Learned

Chapter 24: Breakthrough

Ahmad searched frantically for food, he searched the unlocked cabinets and in all the drawers. He opened and reopened the fridge and freezer several times to check if he had missed something. He went through the hallway closets and even looked under the living room furniture. Then he started in the bedroom, he knew he never stored food in there out of fright of roaches entering the bedroom, but decided maybe Darius stashed something in one of the closets or drawers. After an hour of coming with nothing, Ahmad laid on the bedroom floor in defeat. He looked under the bed and noticed how cluttered it was beneath the mattress. This is where a multitude of Darius's sneakers were, Ahmad counted over fifteen boxes of high end designer sneakers and shoes one night when he told Darius that he had a serious sneaker fetish. Ahmad moved the sneaker boxes over and all the way in the corner of the bed he noticed an old looking chest he never noticed before. He inched his way under the bed, moving the sneaker boxes out of his way as he made his way to the chest. When he reached it, he grabbed it and then pulled it out into the light. The chest looked dusty, and one could tell it hadn't been touched in a long time. Ahmad wondered just how long the chest had been there and if by any chance there was some food stash inside. To his disdain and growling stomach's disappointment, there was a combination lock on the chest. Ahmad first tried Darius's birthday, then his birth year, then his own to no avail. With one last hope, he tried Darius's mom's birthday, which he oddly remembered,  was blessed with the sweet sounds of the lock opening. Please be some ramen noodles or something, he prayed. But when he opened it he found a folded note, a letter of some sort and lastly, true sustenance for his survival.

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Taliah had been getting of sick of playing the roles of both mother and father. If her new family unit didn't have it, she would go get it, all the while doing all the other parental duties on her own; feeding, cleaning, shopping, bathing and taking care of DJ. As far as Darius was concerned, he was running the show and calling the shots. Everything was his, and he made sure she remembered it whenever an argument ensued. It was truly a matter of who was the "man" of their house. She figured if she didn't do it, then it wouldn't get done. But she was getting tired of doing it all, she didn't want to be a single mother but it seemed like Darius had no time to help out. The only thing he provided was money, and while it was more the enough to provide for them, she wanted him in the picture, playing the role of husband and father. She needed her husband's support! He was as unattached as a deadbeat, and he was driving her to the brink of getting a divorce.

"Darius," She would say. "Can you watch the baby for a few while I go out for some diapers and Enfamil."

He would quickly reply, "Hell no."

She would roll her eyes and then ask, "Well can you run to the store then before you leave out for the day?"

"Na I got a run in a few I don't have time." He would reply before making a hasty exit in the next few minutes.

But truth be told, Darius was caught up. He couldn't get enough of the newly enslaved version of Ahmad. He would go to his other apartment slap him around, dick him down, and then he would leave. Sometimes he would stay the night so he continue the rough lovemaking throughout the night until they both passed out. He would even make visits while he would supposed to be out making money just so he talk and mind-fuck Ahmad periodically. He loved the control he had over the man, he just couldn't get enough.

But he had become sloppy somewhere along the way, someone was hot on his tail about his secret lifestyle, and he had important decision to make before everything blew up in his face. The threat had come to him via a text from an unknown number. There were photos of Darius and Ahmad together in a park and another of his 2nd secret apartment. With the images there was a message that read: "If you want to keep this on the low, I'm going to need 10 stacks to keep my mouth shut! Text this number back by tomorrow or the world will see the double life you've been living!"