Page 52 of He Don't Play About Me
After dinner, I went to the rec room to watch the shift change, to see if my nigga was coming in. I flipped through thechannels, looking for something to watch, but only found shit I would lie up and watch with Islah. I shook my head; she had my head gone, and that was cool. It was supposed to be like that, but her telling me she was leaving was not supposed to be bouncing around my head.
I heard some niggas talking and snapped outta my thoughts. I looking around and saw the guards talking and my nigga Chris clockin’ in. I got up and headed back to my cell. That nigga was my dawg.
They called for count, and I waited by the door. Once Chris came down my line, I dapped him up and told him what I was on. That nigga was cool with it; he low-key wanted to get plugged in.
Once all my bases were covered, I made my call, listening to each ring in my ear, each longer than the other. I thought she wasn’t gonna answer, but then I heard her voice.
“Hello?” Her voice was low and confused.
“Yo,” I said low and calm. “It’s me.”
There was a pause, then she sucked her teeth. “You got ten minutes, Gio.”
I shook my head.
“Man, come on, baby, you know damn well I’m not gonna let you leave me. Whatever that bitch told you, I promise you it’s not.” I paused and made sure no other guard was coming. “I was using that bitch for work, that’s it.”
“Did you fuck her, Gio? And don’t lie to me.”
I paused. I didn’t know if I should lie or not; I didn’t know what she already knew.
“Yeah… I did, a few times, baby, but it was just for work. She was giving it to me for free from her daddy. But once you were on me ‘bout marriage and shit, I stopped all that shit with her. I was gonna stop anyway because Loc was putting me on with his pops.”
After I pleaded my case, the line went silent. I checked the phone, thinking she hung up, but she didn’t.
“So it only stopped because I pressured you into marriage? If I didn’t do that, you would still be fuckin’ with that bitch?”
“No, Islah,” I shot back. “No, I was done with that bitch. I just said I was using her, mostly to do all that you wanted.”
Islah went silent again.
“Gio, that doesn’t make shit better. You made that choice to step out on me.”
“You are right, baby. I fucked up, I know I did. I’m sorry.”
Her pauses were getting to me.
“I thank you for apologizing, but like I said, Gio, we are over. You did that for years, baby, it wasn’t just once.”
Now I paused.
“Islah,” I hissed, my tone sharp now, “You are not gonna walk away from me, baby. That shit is not gonna fly, not when I’m admitting my wrong.”
Her laugh was cold. “Gio, I said what I said, and I stand on it. We are done! I’m not coming back. I’m moving on, and hopefully the next nigga I’m with knows how to be faithful.”
I slammed my hand against the wall, making the bunk shake. “Girl, who the fuck you think you talkin’ to? You remember this your nigga Gio, right? You know damn well this fuckin’ cage won’t stop me! I got a phone in this bitch to call you, didn’t I?” Islah didn’t say shit.
“I’ll tear this whole mothafucka down if I have to. You know I ain’t ever cared.”
“You lost me, Gio,” she said. Her voice didn’t shake; it never did. That made it worse. “Three years of you holding off on our life because you was fuckin’ another bitch FOR CRACK! And you didn’t have to. At any point, you could have gotten a job, you could have sold cars, made music. Hell, baby, you could have picked up trash, and I would have been by your side like I alwayswas. But a bitch that comfortable to pop up at our house, pop up at court, then send pictures. That’s too much for me. That’s crossing too many lines. I’m done, Gio.”
I sat on the bed and exhaled. “You are not done with me, Islah. We are not done. That bitch just wanted your spot; she knew she could never have it.”
“Well…” she said before she exhaled slow. “Now she can have it.”
I opened my mouth and caught myself trying to control my anger when it came to her.
“Islah, baby. I’m trying to tell you. You bringing something outta me I never wanted you to see. I don’t play about you. I never did, I never will.”
