Page 65 of Color Me Broken
They all agreed with him, but the silence that came after was different now. Juelz sat there pondering on all the crazy events that had taken place in his life and how he needed to do better. He knew the hardest part about being saved wasn’t the fall itself, but having to wake up tomorrow and live with the reasons you wanted to jump in the first place.
Mar broke the silence. “Nigga, this why I only deal with older hoes. These young broads do too much.”
Juelz laughed low, shaking his head. “Shit, I tried that shit too. I had to let Grandma go. Her old ass kept confusin’ me with her fuckin’ grandkids.” He let out another soft chuckle. “Tappin’ me on my shoulder in the middle of the night ‘talmbout go pee-pee. Nigga, I was outta there before the fuckin’ sun came up.”
They burst out laughing. The tension finally broke; it was nothing now but laughter that only brothers can share when they’ve stared death in the face and blinked. Juelz was coming down off his high. That close call with that concrete had sobered his ass up quick.
“Nigga, you lying!” Kane barked, slapping his hand against the concrete as he doubled over. “Grandma ass had that wee-wee on a schedule.”
Juelz let out a dry, ragged chuckle, the ice pack pressed firmly against the gash on his temple. “This a full-grown dick, nigga,” he said, his hand dropping to grab his crotch area as he looked at his brothers. “It's been a long ass time since a nigga had a wee-wee.”
“Yeah, you need to go in there and wash whatever it is you got, nigga,” Mar said, fanning the air. “You know you funky when you can smell that shit outside. Damn, Jue.”
The laughter ripped through them, a temporary shield against the crushing weight of the last hour. But as the laughter and jokes died down, the reality of the afternoon sun settled back over them.
This was something that they did on the regular. They knew how to turn their pain into a joking matter once shit got too heavy for them to carry. The humor was their bandage, yeah, but beneath the gauze, the wound was still deep and oozing.
Sintonio wiped his face, his expression turning sober as he looked at the dried blood stain on the rag. “Aight, for real though. No more old hoes, and definitely no more railings, my nigga. We gotta get ya ass to the hospital for that gash.” He turned to face Mar, his expression serious. “Nigga, you get the rest of that fuckin’ white girl outta this nigga sight. You need to deal with that shit here on out.”
Juelz massaged the back of his neck, agreeing, as a faint smile spread across his lips, admiring the brotherhood they shared. He came to the understanding that when one of them was going through the fire, the others didn’t just stand by; they jumped into the flames to pull one through. Juelz had lost his girl, his pride, and almost his life, but as he looked at his friends, he grasped that he hadn’t lost his foundation. And as long as the foundation was holding? You can always build again.
Tasha sat quietlyon the hard, uncomfortable medical table, reading on her Kindle Colorsoft. Every minute stretched longer than it should as she waited for the doctor to come in. Kenji sat patiently beside her; his presence alone was enough for her during this time. He hated for her to go through this alone, so he insisted he come with her. She was a nervous wreck, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and fear. It was as if the walls were closing in on her, and just as they were about to slam against her, in came Dr. Madison.
“Tasha,” he began, his voice was so calm and professional. “I have some wonderful news for you.” Tasha’s breath hitched, and she squeezed Kenji’s hand harder than intended.
“The latest test results show that you are indeed in remission. The cancer is no longer detectable.”
For a second, time seemed to stop. Tasha’s vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over and tracing paths down her cheeks. Every bit of emotion there crashed over her in waves. Kenji pulled her into a tight hug, his own eyes almost glistening with tears of happiness and relief. He thought about the moment his mother, Mrs. Riggs, got the news that she was also in remission. After all the long nights he stayed up praying for a better outcome, the doctor told her she had won the fight.
“That’s great news, Tasha,” Kenji whispered, stroking her hair. “You did it.”
Dr. Madison gave them a moment, offering tissues and a comforting presence. Tasha pulled back, wiping her tears, and looked at Kenji with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. “I can’t believe it,” she confessed.
Kenji smiled, cupping her face. “Believe it! You did it, Tasha.”
The doctor went on to outline the next steps for Tasha, emphasizing the importance of returning for regular check-ups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Madison went on to reassure her that even with only having one ovary, she could still conceive and that it was just a matter of God’s timing. So much damn happiness flowed through Tasha. Once her visit with Dr. Madison was over, Tasha and Kenji walked out hand in hand, her heart more at ease now that the weight was lifted. They stopped by a nearby café to celebrate, ordering coffee and pastries. Tasha looked at Kenji, her eyes shining with love and appreciation. “Thank you for being here with me. I dunno what I would have done without you.” She got on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Kenji's brow furrowed as he smiled. “Oh, shucks now. I get a kiss.” He wrapped her closer into his chest. “My day has just been made.”
Tasha laughed as she pushed him in a playful manner. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the moment. Kenji broke the silence, “You know, it’s this art show coming up soon, and I would like it if you could accompany me to this event. Just to get you out of the house for a little bit.”
Tasha felt all giddy, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “I would like that. Shit, after all the madness I been through, I could use a different kind of vibe. So yeah, I will accompany you.”
As they finished their coffee and pastries, Tasha leaned her head against his arm as they walked out the exit. She felt safe and at ease, but somewhere in the back of her mind, a jagged piece of her heart was still back with Juelz. The elevator doors chimed, and Tasha stepped out first, smiling as if it came easy these days. They rounded the corner toward the exit, and she froze.
Sintonio, Mar, and Kane were chilling near the ER entrance, while waiting on the update about Juelz. Sintonio was pacing, his shirt still bearing the faint, brownish stains of Juelz’s blood. Mar was slumped in the metal chair, and Kane was staring at the floor. Tasha’s heart stuttered. Her feet stopped moving. She gripped Kenji’s arm so hard she left a mark on it.
“Hey…hey. Tasha? You okay?” Kenji asked, feeling her go rigid.
The three men looked up at the same time when they heard her name. The air in the lobby turned electric. Their eyes met with Tasha’s, then flickered to Kenji with a look of pure venom.
“Whaddup, Tasha?” Kane asked, staring Kenji up and down.
Tasha hesitated at first, head spinning, wondering where Juelz was. “Hey, what’s up, Kane… Sin.” She exhaled loudly, looking up at Kenji. “You probably remember Mar, from the restaurant. But these are Juelz’s friends.”
Mar stepped up with an extended hand. “Aye, whaddup li’l man?”
Kenji looked startled. He stepped in front of Tasha, his feet sliding into a wide, balanced stance, dropping his center of gravity, as his hands came up in a sharp, disciplined Taekwondo guard.
