Lagging behind Londyn, I followed her to the nursery and watched her unwrap a sleeping Thyssen's blanket and placed him in his crib. It had been two days since he'd been born, and he and his mother were cleared from the hospital. Londyn hadn't said a word to me since leaving the hospital, in fact she hardly said anything to me since I'd showed up and her silence was killing. The air surrounding us had literally felt like it was suffocating me as I watched the woman I love maneuver around the house as though I was nonexistent.
"L." I tried getting her attention as we exited Thyssen's room and she journeyed to the kitchen. She fished through the refrigerator refusing to acknowledge my presence. I was slightly confused by her behavior. I hadn't necessarily expected her to welcome me with overwhelming love and affection but I thought she had at least forgiven me of my transgressions.
"Londyn." I blocked her path as she was about to acquaint herself with the living room.
"What TJ?" Annoyance laced her voice.
"Wassup? You've been giving me the silent treatment for a minute now." A sarcastic chuckled escaped her lips as she gave me the once over, her look of contempt not to be overlooked.
"What did you say to Khayo? And don't lie to me either." Her hand now firmly planted on her left hip. I sucked my teeth before responding, finding the reasoning behind her attitude towards me slightly ridiculous.
"I just told him he ain't fam, that's all. Nothing to trip about."
"NOTHING TO TRIP ABOUT?" Her voices rose several notches before she pinched the bridge of nose and took a deep breath hoping to pacify herself.
"TJ it wasn't your place to say shit to Khayo. He's been there for me in so many ways without me even asking, doing shit that should've been done by you. He took me to my birthing classes, been to my doctor visits, damn near coached me through labor!" She counted on her fingers as she spoke. I said nothing as she ran her fingers through her natural mane and started pacing. She then stopped abruptly and glared at me.
"So cat got your tongue now huh?"
"What you want me to say Londyn? You know the only reason you allowed him to do all that is cause I was locked up. You acting like it was my fault. If I had a say I woulda been free a long time ago and helping you."
"It was your damn fault TJ." She stated matter-of-factly and wedged a finger in the center of my chest.
"You wanted to be on some macho shit which ultimately landed you where you were." Her eyes stayed on mine, communicating a host of emotions that couldn't be conveyed through words. Most noticeable though were pain and anger.
"Come here." I motioned for her to come close. When she hesitated, I took her hand and gently brought her to my embrace. She didn't resist as my arms wrapped her waist. We stood in silence, moments later I felt shirt clinging to my chest as Londyn's emotions surfaced.
"Let me make it up to L. I'm a better man now, one who's well aware of his folly and promises not to make the same mistakes twice." Silence engulfed the room once more as her sniffles quieted and the tears subsided. She broke free from my embrace, and took a step back gaze into my eyes.
"Just make it up to me by being a good father to Thyssen." With that said, she retreated to her room and left me standing there. Though she appeared resolute, I had no intention on giving up. I wanted her to see that I'd really transform and was ready to be that she needed.
*******************
"What's good pop?" I greeted as I waltzed into my childhood home. After deciding it was best that I give Londyn some space I decided to drop in on my parents. I hadn't seen much of them since my release as I spent most of my time at the hospital building a bond with my son.
"You know me man, taking it easy." He replied, a wide grin plastered across his face as he stood up and pulled me into a tight hug which I gladly reciprocated. He held on to me for a minute and patted my back. No words were exchanged but I felt the raw emotions radiating from the old man. Undoubtedly he was happy to have me back.
"So how's my grand son, and Londyn? Haven't seen my girl in a minute." He beamed making me chuckle. Unlike my mother, my father loved Londyn as though she was the daughter he'd always wanted.
"Thyssen is fine. L is aight, she not really feeling ya boy right now though." I admitted sadly. I felt bad for everything that had transpired between, even the Khayo situation. It was obvious that he meant a lot to her.
Rather than respond, my father simply shook his head and reclaimed his seat on the recliner. I followed suit, and took a seat on the couch across from him.
"I lost a good one pop."
"That you did."
"Man, ain't you spose to make me feel better or something?" I questioned jokingly.
"Ain't no use in buttering you up son. You did lose a good woman. If she ever thinks about taking you back you better not screw up but if she doesn't, let her be TJ." I nodded solemnly. Though I didn't want to accept that the latter part of his statement was in fact a possibility, I had to agree. All I could do was fulfill her desire by being a good father to Thyssen.
"Where's momma? Thought I saw her car outside." There was a visible shift in my father's mood as the previous joy he'd exuded was replaced by something I couldn't quite figure out.
"She's out back, in the garden."
"Aight, I'ma go check on her then I'll be back." He simply nodded then turned his attention to the television.
"Momma." I knelt down in the soil next to her, interrupting her humming.
"TJ." She resumed humming, and continued to pluck the weeds from around her plants.
"Haven't seen you in a minute. You didn't attend my trial, hardly any visits, you didn't even come with pop to see Thyssen." She simply scoffed at my statement. I hadn't planned on addressing her absence just yet, but deep down I was genuinely hurt and couldn't keep it buried any longer.
"Excuse me for not wanting to see my son behind bars, and you sure that baby yours?" It took every ounce of strength in me to restrain myself. Not wanting to visit me was one thing but to insinuate that Londyn was promiscuous was another.
"Momma what the hell is your problem honestly?" I was beyond fed up with her antics which seemed to flare everything I tried to build a bond with the opposite sex."
"You've had an amazing woman in front of you all these years and you've turned a blind eye to her!"
"What? Who are you even talking about?" Utterly confused was insufficient to describe how I felt in this moment.
"NADRA!" She yelled, which cause me to double over in laughter. I was hysterical.
"Seriously? Naddy? She and I don't look at each other like that ma. Never have, never will. The thought of crossing the line of platonic love had never been conceived. Naddy and I were quite content with being bestfriends.
Walking my mother over to the patio area, I sat her down and pulled a chair of my own to sit directly in front of her.
"Whatever hope you have of me and Naddy being together, let it go okay? It's not gonna happen." I stated as I took her hand in mine and patted it,"And I'ma need to you stop being so disrespectful to Londyn. She's an amazing woman and you would know that if you tried to get to know her. I can't force you to like her but you will respect her, and you won't drag Thyssen into your petty bullshit aight? He's just an innocent child." My eyes conveyed the rest of my message as she nodded and acknowledged that she understood.
"I love you ma, stop acting crazy. You even stressing pop out." I kissed her cheek and pulled her in for a hug. A wave of emotions washed over her as she sobbed and apologized for everything. I was grateful that we took the first step to truly mending our relationship.
KAZ
"Babe, they gon catch up to me regardless of what we do." I stated calmly as I acknowledged the cops on the monitor. With the aid of multiple surveillance cameras I observed the law enforcers who clearly had the house surrounded. Thana and I were currently in the cellar. She was actively trying to conjure an escape plan but I had no intentions on escaping.
"What you mean you Kaz? We in this together." I use to think that I was incapable feeling anything, especially love but as Thana and I became closer over years I couldn't deny that I cared for her. Her loyalty was unmatched.
"Naw, I'm not letting you take the fall for this. It was all me, go live life. I'ma be aight, I'm a survivor." I stood up, trodding towards the door once I'd noticed that the cops were about to break down the door any minute now.
"But Kaz I c--"
"Listen to me Thana." I gripped her shoulders and offered her a look of seriousness.
"Go through the door I showed you aight? You gon be safe, you'll be long gone before they even know that door exists. I already had some money wired to your account. You and the baby gon be straight." A genuine smile graced my lips as I rubbed her not yet visible baby bump. We found out recently that she was with child.
"I love you Kaz."
"I love you to girl, now go!" I nudged her in the direction of the concealed portal to her freedom. As I made my way up the stairs to meet my fate, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that she'd disappeared. I smiled internally, convinced that she'd be okay. The underground escape was almost impossible to find by anyone who didn't know the house.
As I reached the top of the staircase, the door was abruptly flung open as two cops tackled me to floor, splitting my lip open in the process.
"We've been waiting to catch you you piece of shit!" One officer spat as he kneed me in the back and roughly handcuffed me. He and his partner then yanked me off the floor and escorted me to the front door. I took note of everyone surrounding the house, with their guns drawn. I chuckled once I lifted my eyes heavenward and saw multiple low flying helicopters as well.
"Damn, all this for me? Shit, this is nice." I laughed, and spat blood at the officers shoes.
"SHUT UP!" One of the officers barked as he flung me in the backseat of his car. Spotting the cameras of different media houses, I flashed them a bloody smile before he sped off.
The same bloodied picture graced the television screen of the common area just a week after my arrest. I sat in a corner in solitude, partly because I wanted to remain off the radar and partly because many of the prisoners were afraid after learning just what I had done. The gory details hadn't been spared as my confessions escaped the confines of the interrogation room. One detective even became queasy as I had relayed how I had brutally lacerated my victims.
Taking my attention away from the television, I glanced over at C.O Paul we simply offered a head nod prompting me to abandon my seat and vacate the common area. Trodding to a somewhat discreet hallway, at least it was for the time being, I was quickly joined by the correctional officer I had managed to bribe in such a short time.
"Everything all set?"
"Yep, he's alone right now and he's all yours." He had agreed to shut off the surveillance cameras as I sought to add one final deed to my endless list of ills.
My tread soon turned into a steady jog as I glided down the hallway, eager to catch my prey. Once I'd reached the cell of interest, I stopped running so as to sneak up undetected. Conveniently my prey's back was turnt as I snuck up behind him and placed him in a murderous head lock. His eyes bulged, stunned by the sudden attack. I laughed sinisterly as I pulled the hand crafted shank from my pocket and swiped it clean across my victim's throat. I released my grip and watched as he made a failed attempt to spare his own life. Too bad for him, I had expertly sliced his jugular vain rendering his chances of survival nonexistent.
I watched as he fell to knees, death imminent. Once the final breath escaped his lungs and he was splayed across the cold concrete floor I released another laugh and delivered my final words.
"Snitches get stitches nigga." Dipping my fingers in the freshly shed blood, I scribble the same words on the wall before I spat at the corpse and made my exit.
R.I.P Matthews.
*****************
Heyyy y'all 🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️. Here's another chapter for ya. Wanna have this book complete by next week. We'll see how I do. Three more chpts plus and epilogue.
Feel free to drop ya thoughts.
Bless up,
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Z.A