RIPPED & READY (PART 58)

RIPPED & READY (PART LVIII) 

When he turned down the offer for me to take him to the airport, I decided not to take it personally because we all had our own inner struggles to deal with.  D'Andre is fighting against something he didn't have any control over.  I'm pretty sure Denise's continued demise bothered him more than he was letting on.  I knew he really had fallen in love with her back then and, if it is real genuine love, then you always wonder if this wouldn't have happened, or if this person could've just been like...

Well, you get the drift; however, outcome is just that and none of us had control over it.  I mean, Denise's mother was murdered and as a result she had unresolved inner conflicts that, obviously, caused her to use sex as an outlet -- and that same outlet added another layer of issues to the rickety foundation she was trying to stand up on -- namely, she wound up screwing her own father. 

Rick James said cocaine was a hell of a drug and he wasn't lying either; when Denise inhaled that first white line, it knocked her smooth on the ass.  In addition to screwing out of hurt, she began to screw to get the drug when she didn't have any money.  This revelation wasn't headline news anymore because there were so many who had done it over the years that, all she was doing was becoming part of a rusty old chain of people who could've been, but now may never be.

I left Joseph’s side to accompany D'Andre to the hospital to check on Collin. The knot on my baby's head protruded out around the bandages applied by the medics.  I told him that if he started feeling woozy, to call me, and immediately after calling me, he was to call 911.  I gave him a kissed before I left and told him that I loved him, and promised him that we would work things out. 

When he told me that Lance was coming to sit with him I almost pissed on myself but, if he could accept my friendships with Collin, D, and Todd, then I had to respect and accept his with sir-stroke-a-lot.  I knew that was going to be easier said than done, however, he had every right to have male friends -- hell, I couldn't be with him 24/7 and he couldn't be with me around the clock either.  If a relationship doesn't have trust then it just doesn't make any sense to continue it.

I told Joseph that it was cool for old boy to come over and sit with him (Arggggg!!!) -- It was like nails on a chalkboard though but, I had to show him that I wasn't just saying it was cool just to be saying it; I wanted him to see it in my actions.  I let him know without biting my tongue though that Lance’s little masturbation sessions should take place on his own couch at his own house. 

He giggled. 

I didn't. 

On the drive to the hospital, I tried to get D'Andre to open up and express his feelings about Denise's situation.  He pretty much brushed me off, saying that he wasn't tripping off of her.  I knew he was lying though -- D had always been a terrible liar. 

"Forget about her, man, I should be asking you how you feel about your step-sister being a crack-whore," he said, bluntly. 

You see what I mean?   

"Well, I'm not sure I have really reached a peace on that one, D.  Once I found out, I never had a chance to cultivate the relationship.  I had started a new relationship with Joseph and moved out of my parent's home and they were going through a divorce, so my visits there were rare," I confessed.

I put my hand on his knee, and squeezed it.  "D'Andre, how is school going? What is it that you're majoring in anyway?" I asked, trying to get him to talk as much as possible. 

“It’s all good.  I’m majoring in Organizational Behavior,” he said.

“Oh, so you want to be a psychiatrist or something.  Leave it to you to take on a major that deals with getting inside of people’s head,” I said chuckling.

He didn’t. 

Whenever he was troubled, D would shut down on your ass, but if you knew him like I did, all you had to do was look into those marvelous hazel eyes, and you could see his emotions. 

If he was sad, they were a darker hazel.

If he was horny, they had a reddish hue.

If he wasn't feeling well, they were a grayish green. 

If he were mischievous, they looked like kaleidoscopes.

If he was troubled well, they looked dull. 

They were dull right about now and rather than sitting up straight in the seat next to me, his shoulders were slumping.  His body language was also a clear indicator because when D was feeling proper, everything about him was totally opposite of his current demeanor.  When he was happy, damn, he was at his sexiest.  That is when I didn't trust myself around him. 

By the time we reached the hospital ward where Collin was, D's mood seemed to show signs of recovery.  He was smiling more and, as we were walking, his arm went around my neck.  I hadn't felt any warmth from him like this since the first night he got here and that moment when we saw Collin for the first time. When we walked into the room, we saw Tootchie sitting near his bedside, snoozing along with him. 

I walked over to the far side of the bed, and D went up to the one closet to the door.  I rubbed his forehead, and D rubbed his tummy. 

"Nigga, wake your ass up, it's time for you to get better and get the hell out of here," D'Andre said. 

We both kissed him on his cheeks -- D the right one and I the left one. 

He jumped a little.

"What are you niggas doin?" he asked, groggily. 

We laughed.

He did too, wiping his eyes. 

Talk about three's company -- Jack may have had Chrissie and Janet, but I had D'Andre and Collin.

Against my better judgment, I rubbed the outline of the M6 tattoo.

Tootchie woke up (busted me in the act), rubbed her bulging belly and said hello to both D and myself.  She maneuvered her way up from the hospital-recliner she was in and said that she needed to talk to me.  I told her okay, helping her up from the seat. 

I wondered what the hell she needed to discuss with me. Again, I noticed the shade she was throwing me the last time I saw her and, in spite of all the other shit going on, it never left my mind. 

As we exited the hospital room, the pace of my pulse increased. 

Here goes something....