know what to say or to do.
“Nah, Mom. She hasn’t called, but I’m quite sure she’s gonna be calling soon.”
Trent couldn’t bear to look his mother in the eyes again. He knew it was his fault, and he had to make it right.
“Baby, why don’t you have Kendra come by a little later? I want her to help me cook for this search party tonight,” his mother suggested.
“Mom, me and Kendra are not together anymore, and I don’t think we will be getting back together, so please don’t say her name around me anymore.”
His mother looked up at him and said, “She finally had the courage to leave you. That’s why your face looks like that, huh?”
Trent was just about to say something, but he stopped as soon as he realized who he was talking to, so he just let her words bypass him.
As Trent paced the floor back and forth, worry grew on his face. He felt like it was two thousand all over again, and the tables had turned. He so desperately needed to find his sister like yesterday. His mom was driving him crazy, and he was at his breaking point. Trent wished his father would hurry and get home, so he could help him deal with the stress from his mother. Trent’s father never showed signs of hurt. He dealt with things differently than his mother. He made sure he stayed working around the clock. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his family, but he knew being idle would cause him to do some things that he had vowed not to do anymore. He was a recovering alcoholic. He had been sober for five years, and he had promised himself to keep it that way.
Nicole started to panic when she saw the sheriff’s car patrolling the lot of the train station. He stopped by the smoker. Her heart almost sank when she saw the officer get out the car, but, as quickly he got out, he got back in and took off. Nicole wiped her forehead as she sighed with relief.
“Oh, good. Here comes the train,” Nicole said to the smoker, who was now smiling from ear to ear. He couldn’t wait to get back, so he could get his smoke on. They boarded the train and went straight to the top. The train was quite crowded, and Nicole didn’t feel like sharing seats with anyone, but she had to sit next to this white chick who tried to talk her to death, but Nicole wasn’t having it. At first, she tried acting like she was asleep, but that didn’t work. Next, she tried tuning the chick out, but that didn’t work either. Finally, Nicole was so irritated that she cursed the poor girl out, saying, “Look, bitch. Can you please shut the fuck up? Fuck! A bitch can’t get no peace and quiet!”
The white girl looked like she wanted to cry. The other passengers laughed.
“What the fuck are y’all laughing at?” Nicole screamed at them.
Everyone turned away like she wasn’t talking to them. She closed her eyes for the duration of the ride back to L.A. Once they were back in the city, Nicole and the smoker split up and went their separate ways.
“Look, nigga. You haven’t seen me if anyone asks you, and, if you do tell them, I’mma cut yo balls off,” Nicole threatened.
“Yeah, I hear you,” the smoker replied.
Then, he turned and walked away at full speed. He never looked back. Once he found an alley, he dipped into it. He took out some dope from his bag, found a stick on the ground, and poked at the package until it opened. He stuck one of his fingers inside. Then, he rubbed it against his gums, so he could get that numb feeling.
Another week had passed since Mrs. Moore had received a call from her only daughter, and it was driving her insane. She had heard no word from the police either. They wanted the family to hold a press conference and to give a reward for anyone who knew of her whereabouts. Trent didn’t agree with it because he believed it showed weakness.
“Trent, what’s wrong with you? It seems like you don’t want your sister to come back, and, if your drug antics have anything to with Treniyah’s disappearance…Lord, I don’t even want to think about that,” his mother stated.
Trent took it as his cue to leave the house. He called up Marcos and Marquise and told them to meet him at the spot. He didn’t understand why he had a gut feeling that his sister was dead. He tried to shake the feeling, but the haunting image played constantly in his mind.
“’Sup, big dawg?” Marcos said as he dapped Trent’s and Marquise’s fists.
“Aye! I can’t call it, but I know I’m ready to get at this nigga Wiz in a real way,” Trent said.
He dropped his head. Marcos ensured him that it would get handled. He said, “That nigga is gonna die today.”
The room fell silent for what it seemed like eternity. “My nigga, I don’t know why I feel this way, but I think my little sister’s gone. That nigga Wiz don’t have it all upstairs,” Trent said, breaking the silence. Neither Marcos nor Marquise knew what to say, so they just kept quiet and let Trent vent.
“The fucked up part is this nigga dopefiended me when I wasn’t paying attention, but the nigga’s aim is fucked up because the nigga could have killed me right then and there,” Trent continued.
“Maybe, you weren’t meant to die,” Marquise stated.
Trent looked up at his young protege and said, “I guess I wasn’t, huh?”
Kendra and Wiz made love for what seemed like hours. She couldn’t believe that she was engaged. She wanted to have the wedding of her dreams, but Wiz thought the best thing to do was to elope in Mexico at the end of the month. Then, later, they could have the wedding of her dreams. Kendra didn’t ask why he was such in a hurry to get married. She really didn’t care as long as it was Wiz she was marrying. She laid in her wet spot, breathing heavily and looking at her ring with a smile plastered across her face.
“That is why I love you, baby girl. Just in case you need anything. There’s a couple stacks on the dresser,” Wiz said as he kissed Kendra on the forehead. Then, he turned back over to get some more sleep before he had to start another day.
Chapter 15
“What you smilin’ about?” Wiz asked while rubbing Kendra’s red hair between his fingers.
“I’m smilin’ at you, babe,” Kendra replied.
Wiz smiled. Then, he said, “That’s my angel, so what do you have planned for today?”
“Just chill with my sister. We’re gonna go over some paperwork for the house. That’s it. That’s all.”
Kendra got up to use the restroom.
“Do you need any money? I may be gone all day,” Wiz said as Kendra walked back into the room and jumped on the bed.
“I don’t need anything but your good loving when I get home.”
Now, Wiz had the same big smile on his face that Kendra had had earlier. She laid back in the bed beside her man and went back to sleep.
When Kendra woke back up, Wiz wasn’t in the bed, but he had left a token of his love in his place. On his pillow was a single long stemmed rose and a note saying have a good day. Kendra took a shower, then dressed and was
