Mekhi
After the altercation with Red, Mekhi went inside the house in search of Marcus. He spotted Marcus moving across the room toward a woman who, also, looked oddly familiar. Not wanting to cockblock his brother , he went into the kitchen to get a drink and to catch up with a few of his friends.
"Yo, I saw some bird outside wildin' you out. You messing with women, too?" Julius said when he saw Mekhi enter the kitchen. Julius was Marcus' friend and although he was cool, Mekhi was well aware of the comments Julius made regarding his sexuality and so he didn't really care too much for him.
"Nah, just a misunderstanding. " Mekhi replied while taking a sip from his beer. "There she go right there. I'm staying as far away from her as I can." He added as he saw Red moving across the room.
"So, how long you messed with men?" Julius asked casually.
It kind of took Mekhi aback because no straight man had ever been interested in his dealing with men. Even with his brother being accepting he didn't really want the details. "About 5 years now." He said with another sip of beer. "And you?"
Julius damn near chocked on his drink as he coughed and liquid went spewing out of his mouth. "Ch-ch-chill man. I'm not gay. You know that, yo. "
Mekhi tried to stifle a laugh, " uh huh. Sure." He shook his head and headed back out to the main room when he began to hear commotion. Just as he rounded the corner out of the kitchen he caught a glimpse of a man with a gun and saw people scatter like roaches out of the house which gave him a clear view of what was going on. Everything seemed to happen so quickly right before his eyes. He saw Marcus still standing with the woman, shielding her and yelling, "this has to be a mistake, wa-" and he was cut off by the gunshot. Time immediately slowed down, Mekhi saw Marcus fly back into the woman, clutching his chest and fell to the ground. Mekhi ran over to the area and hit the big man with all his strength, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble. Red looked as if she saw a ghost, and then it registered that she had the wrong man attacked, there were two of him. She had set up the wrong person.
"Someone call 911!!" The mystery woman yelled snapping Mekhi out of his trance. The woman moved fast, first checking Marcus' pulse. She began tearing his shirt open to get a clear view of the injury.
"You, twin, call 911 and give me your shirt. "
Mehki did as he was told and handed the woman his shirt and sat his phone down on speaker for the woman who clearly had medical background. All he could think about what what would happen if his brother died.
He kneeled over his brother, who's eyes where fluttering and mouth was moving as if to say something.
"Don't say anything. Just stay with me, bro. You're gonna be fine " Mekhi said as he squeezed his brothers hand and waiting for the paramedics to arrive.
The paramedics arrived shortly after they called 911. Mekhi was frantic when the paramedics tried to explain why it would be best if he didn't ride along. His brother was in critical condition and needed help as quickly as possible.
"Sir, we have to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. You can't ride with us, we could use this nurses extra set of hands." The paramedics explained while loaded Marcus into the ambulance.
"I'll take him. " Julius called from behind Mekhi as he pulled the frantic, crying man from the doorway so the ambulance could pull off. Mekhi cried in Julius' bear hug as he started to blame hisself for the accident.
"This is my fault. Had I not dating that stupid ass closeted ass nigga, " he cried, while kicking debris across the lawn.
"It's not your fault. It's no way you could have know this would happen." He rubbed his friends back. " we have to hurry to the hospital."
---
The ride to the hospital was quick. Mekhi hopped out the car before Julius even pulled to a complete stop. Dear God, please let my brother be okay, he thought to himself. He rushed through the emergency room doors straight to the nurses station, out of breath with tears rolling down his face.
"Miss, please. My brother!! He was bought in on an ambulance with a gunshot wound. Can you please tell me where I can find him." He asked patting the counter impatiently and exhaling while the older nurse types slowly into the computer. "Ma'am please, I need to know if he's ok. Marcus. His name is Marcus Whitehead. "
" Uh huh, young man, you are going to have to calm down. It says here, on this screen, that your brother is in surgery. You will have to wait until the doctor comes out and gives you an update."
Mekhi paced back and forth, running his hands over his head until Julius came back into the hospital.
"Man, you look terrible. Why don't you have a seat? I'm sure Mark will be ok, he's a fighter. You know that. "
Mekhi sat down in a chair in the nearby waiting room. He's right. Marcus will be fine. Then Mekhi realized that he would have to call his parents and let them know what happened. He dreaded having to break the news to them but he knew they had to be there. He's pulled out his phone, called his parents and left a voicemail. When no one answered, he called their individual cell phones and sent texts that Marcus was in the hospital having emergency surgery and needed them to come right away. Feeling defeated he sunk into the chair and watched the waiting room chaos until the doctor came to give an update.
It seemed like hours had passed when Mekhi looked down at his watch. Time is moving so slow, it's only been 30 minutes. Mekhi looked back up to see a m couple walk up to the nurses station. He took a deep breath and slowly approached them. The woman had on a purple button up shirt and jeans with flip flops. Her clothes were wrinkled as if she had slept in them and hoped right out of bed and came to the hospital. Her caramel skin, though streaked with tears, was flawless with black hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her eyes where red and her hands trembled as she talked to the nurse. The man beside her was a tall and dark complexed, a strong man with dark hair with a little grey right above his temples. He wore jeans and a polo shirt and Nike shoes and stood beside trying to console his wife.
"Mom, Dad." Mekhi said, just above a whisper. His parents turned to face him, he was not embraced and this was not a family affair where they would lean on each other in time of sorrow. He was greeted with glares and hateful stares.
"What did you do? What did you do to my son!" His mother screamed at him in the middle of the emergency room. "I know you caused this. I know my son was thrown in the crossfires of your sins!! What did you do to him?" She continued to scream.
Mekhi looked at the ground and fiddled with his fingers. "I didn't do anything. We went to a party and there was a fight, a misunderstanding. Someone thought he was me and they shot him."
"I wish they had shot you!" The mother weeped into the fathers arms. Mekhi simply walked away and say back down next to Julius.
Julius was stunned. He had meet the Whitehead's several times and they had always been pleasant. He had even attended their church for family and friends day. He never questioned why Mekhi didn't attend. He never knew they arbored such hatred for their son because Marcus never mentioned it.
"Tough break. I'm sure she didn't mean it. " he leaned over to Mekhi and spoke softly. "She's probably just scared. "
Mekhi let out a slight laugh, " Yea, so scared that she would rather her gay son die, instead. "
Julius winced a little at the member and just nodded his head.
"I appreciate you bringing me. You can leave if you want. "
"Nah, Marcus is like my best friend and it seems you need someone to lean on since clearly it's not your parents. "
Mekhi looked up at Julius and was met with sympathetic eye. He just nodded and waited in silence.
Mekhi remembered it like it was yesterday, but it was nearly four and a half years ago a few days after his 18th birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead where away at a church conference in Arlington, VA a mere hour and a half away from their hometown in Baltimore. The conference was due to last from Friday evening until after the Church service on Sunday. Mekhi and Marcus begged to stay home and because their parents trusted them and because they had just turned 18 they allowed it.
"Ok, Boys your father and I are leaving now. You have the number to the hotel we are staying at and we will be home early evening on Sunday. We are trusting you! No wild parties. You may invite a few friends over and no girls!" Elizabeth said while kissing both her boys on their forehead.
"Come on, Liz!" Malcolm yelled in through the front door while dragging suitcases out to the car. "We are only staying for a weekend and you packed like we are staying a week at some luxury resort in the islands." He grumbled under his breath while loading his Nissan Pathfinder.
"I'm coming." Elizabeth said as she walked out the front door with the two boys in tow on the front steps. She got into the passenger side of the car and looked back at her boys and waved bye as she shut the car door.
The boys watched the truck disappear down the street. Marcus turned to go back into the house while texting on his phone.
"So, what are you about to do?" Mekhi quizzed his brother to see what rule he would break first.
"Nothing, just tryna see if Maria wanted to go to the movies. " Marcus replies. He and Maria had been dating since the beginning of their senior year but their time was limited. Graduation was around the corner and Maria had been accepted into a school across the country in California. They were trying to spent as much time together as possible.
Marcus changes his clothes and headed out the house to meet Maria at the movie while Mekhi lounged on the sofa watching TV. His phone started to buzz signaling he had received a text message.
Alex: What r u up 2?
Mekhi: Watching TV.
Alex: U want company?
Mekhi: Sure.
Alex and Mekhi had dated, secretly, since the summer before their senior year. They met during their school's auditions for the spring play. Alex was a sweet boy, kind, genuine, just the type of person you would always want around. Initially the two boys started off as friends and Alex never pressured Mekhi to admit who he was but Mekhi really didn't need anyone to help because he had always known who he was. The friendship with Alex was how it came to light for Marcus that Mekhi was gay. Alex was a typical white boy as far as looks, blond hair and blue eyes and be bared a slight resemblance to Theo James. He was raised by his mother and Grandmother in West Virginia until his mother found a job in Baltimore and relocated them. His mother knew from early on that Alex was gay and she accepted it. In fact, at Alex's house was the only place they didn't have to hide. Alex's mom, Myrna, loved Mekhi. The Whitehead's had met Alex as well and never suspected that he was gay. They knew him as Mekhi's best friend. He had even been to church with the family on several occasions.
Mekhi heard a knock at the door and got off the sofa to let Alex in. He waited until he was fully in the house before he pulled him into a hug and a full kiss on the lips.
"I missed you," Mekhi told Alex as they walked over to the sofa to set down and watch a movie.
"I see! You just saw me in school," Alex laughed and sat down beside Mekhi.
The two boys sat watching Love and Basketball like it was the first time they had ever seen the movie. It had always been a favorite of Mekhi's and he could watch it over and over again. The two sat there stealing glances at one another until Mekhi reached over to Alex and pulled him close. Neither boy had experienced sex before and they weren't in a rush. This was both of the boys first relationship and they wanted to do it right. Mekhi pulled Alex's face to his and softly kissed him. Feather light kisses as first until they became more urgent and needy. Mekhi pushed towards Alex and Alex pulled Mekhi deeper. Kisses landing on a forehead, a cheek, two eye lids, a neck, and an ear. It wasn't long before Mekhi started pulling Alex's shirt up. The two were so wrapped up into themselves neither one heard the front door open. But they did hear the gasp and the subsequent scream.
"What is going on here?" Elizabeth questioned from the door way. One hand on the doorknob the other clutching her chest as if she was in mid heart attack.
"What are you doing to my son?" She screamed at Alex. Even though Mekhi was on top, she just could not believe her eyes. There were a few things that Mrs. Whitehead could not accept and homosexuality was one. She took a very strong stance against it and now faced with the fact that she witnessed her son with another man sent her straight over the edge.
"Get out," she said calmly. Mr. Whitehead was behind her during this entire ordeal and had not said one word. They had arrived at the conference in Virginia only to realize that they had left his blood pressure medicine and unfortunately that was not something he could go without. They drove back home to get the medicine only to walk in on the scene that was now unfolding before their eyes. Mr. Whitehead had his suspicions about the two boys but because he knew how his wife felt, he never said anything to her. Truth was he didn't feel as strongly about homosexuality as his wife did. But, happy wife, happy life, therefore he did stand behind her on her decisions.
"Mom, please don't do this. This wasn't Alex's fault. I forced him. I did this!" Mekhi said defending Alex.
"You don't have to do this. It's ok. I can go. " Alex whispered to him.
"Then you may go with him." She said coldly just as Marcus walked into the house.
"What??" Marcus said as he looked around the room at all the shocked faces putting two and two together, realizing what happened.
"I have another son I have to protect. You will not corrupt him. You and your faggot friend need to leave. "
"Mom!" Marcus pleaded "Mekhi is no threat to me. I love him and accept him as he is. Don't do this."
"I said, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE before I call the police. Get. Out. " she repeated and then turned her back on the room and retreated up the stairs to the master bedroom.
Alex grabbed his things and headed to the door with Mekhi in tow.
"Thank you," he said to Marcus.
"We will figure something out. Just let mom cool off. Right, Dad?" Marcus asked his father.
And finally for the first time since all hell broke loose, Malcolm spoke, "We will see. " He patted Mekhi on the back and followed the footsteps of his wife.
His mother never came around. Mekhi ended up staying with Alex and his mother. He had a job and he was able to help out with the bills and once he graduated he found a full time summer job to help as much as he could since Myrna had taken him in. She appreciated the extra help. Mekhi stayed until a few weeks before his freshman year of college started when Alex was tragically killed in a car accident on his way home from work. After the funeral, Myrna decided to move back to West Virginia. Mekhi was able to move on campus. Even after all of that, his mother still would not forgive him.
"Whitehead. Family of Marcus Whitehead?" A tall white doctor called while entering the waiting room snapping Mekhi out of his memories. He and his parents approached the wry looking doctor. "Hi, you're the family of Marcus a Whitehead?" He confirmed and they all nodded,"I'm Dr. Schmidt, I was one of the doctors on this case," he started to review the chart in he hands. It seemed like forever while we watched him scan the chart. His shoulders dropped, he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry but ..."