Love & Money in NOLA ------- Chapter 7

Chapter 7

      Yesterday at Keno’s took an unexpected turn. While I anticipated going over there attitude on a hundred, in King Kong mode, things turned out a whole lot differently. We made love and he cooked me a romantic dinner by candlelight. I wanted to hate him, but when I’m in his presence he has his way of making me forget all of our problems; an attribute I both loved and despised in him. The night ended with a startling phone call. It was Jasmone’s mom and she was at the hospital after she had gotten a call that Jasmone was there. I took off as fast as I could wondering what was wrong with my friend.

    Upon arrival at River Oaks Hospital, I met her mom Joyce in the waiting room and she led me to room 111 where my friend lied looking like she had been attacked by a pack of werewolves. I couldn’t help the tears that had begun rolling down my face. “Oh my God Jas, what happened to you?” “I’m alright. Just a bunch of jealous females in the neighborhood you know.” I caught her shooting her mom a reassuring glance. “I’ll leave you two alone for a few moments, but I’ll be back to check on you,” Mama Joyce told her firmly after planting a kiss on her forehead. “Man, I’m glad she’s gone. She has been so overbearing.” “Jas, look at you! What do you mean overbearing, those bitches could have killed you. They’re lucky I wasn’t there. Why didn’t you call me?” I was beyond infuriated at my friend because she knows all it would have taken was a call for me to have her back.

      “Look, Nae, calm down. I told my ma a lie because I am not ready for her to know about what I do on the side you know. I was a few bucks shy of what I owed the leading lady and she had one of her men rough me up. It’s cool though, we worked things out and she’s letting me keep my job.” I could hardly believe what she was telling me. “You’re lying in the fucking hospital looking like you had the life beat out of you and all you’re worried about is that she let you keep your job. What about your life Jasmone? Huh? Or do you just not give a fuck anymore?”

      I was angry but more hurt that my friend could endanger her life in such a manner. All for a dollar! “I am a grown ass woman Janae. I can handle myself, it was just a little fucking confusion. You act like you’re so much better than me. We come from the same hood, only thing different is our hustle. So stop talking to me like I’m a little ass girl. Matter fact, who called you anyway? I didn’t.”

      The nerve of this girl! My best friend, more like a sister was dissing me in my fucking face. I never knew it was a crime to care about somebody you love. I looked at her through the most painful eyes and just walked out. I knew she wasn’t in her right state of mind so I let it go. I just pray that she gets it together because these NO streets aint no joke; they’ll swallow you whole and spit you back out.

      I didn’t run into Mama Joyce on the way out which was a good thing, because she would’ve interrogated me for hours on end about why I was so upset. I didn’t need that right now. Sometimes I wonder why life throws so many curve balls; when one thing goes right, you can pretty much expect some bullshit to follow. I can’t count how many l’s I’ve taken in this game of life and to be losing my closest friend to a whorehouse was just about the biggest one of them all. I don’t know what to do.

      My rumbling stomach took my mind off of Jas and put it on food. I called in an order of Green Pepper Steak and egg rolls at China Palace. That was my only stop on my way home.