I laughed and pretended like I was trying to rub my arm where she punched.
“Just kidding bae.” I said.
“I still got plenty more years… I think.”
I then turned over to my side and spread the white hospital sheet over my head.
“Can ya’ll leave though? I wanna get some sleep.”
Jerry then placed his hand on the doorknob and started to turn.
“Yeah, me too. Yo bro you want me to bring you some? Do they allow you to smoke?” He asked me.
Christy was still in the room. I had to think and act fast.
“Nah bruh, I don’t do that no more. I stopped.”
Christy took a step towards me and folded her hand across her chest.
“Really bae?” She asked me.
I turned over on the side to face Christy.
“Yes. The three days I been laying in this hospital bed really made me pensive and gave me time to think.”
Christy stood with all her weight on one leg, and she folded her lips.
“What did you think about?” She asked me.
“I now know what I want in life.” I said to her.
“I want more. I want you. I need you.”
“And
weed is just in the way. I’ve realized that now.”
“I just
feel bad that it took a near death experience for me to come into
that realization.”
“Awww babe really?”
I sunk my head and a frown manifested on my face.
“You know… I never told you this but…”
Christy walked up to me closer and sat down. “Yes bae?”
“You’re all I ever think about.”
“I would give up the world for you babygirl.” I said then I rubbed her cheeks.
“Awwwww…” Christy began to blush.
“I love you so much and I wanna make you happy. I’m never smoking weed again. I quit for you babygirl.”
Christy wrapped her arms around my neck. “Bae you mean that?”
“Yes. You will never see another blunt in my mouth again. I am done!”
Christy began kissing me on the cheek.
“Awww baby.”
“I need you to promise me one thing though okay?”
“What’s that bae?”
“Just promise me that you’re never going to give up on me. Promise me that you’ll love me forever.
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Christy and Jerry left. I was alone in the room, starring at the ceiling. Thoughts roamed through my head. As I laid there, I began thinking about… my father. The way that he acted. He never bought it up again. He did come to see me at the hospital a few times with mom and Lisa but I told them not to stay too long because I knew that they were sleepy.
I grabbed my phone from the medium sized hospital table on wheels and dialed my dad’s number. On the first ring he picked up.
“Jason, are you okay?” He asked me.
“Yeah I’m good.” I said to him.
“The doctor said that I can leave tomorrow morning. But I just wanted to rap to you right quick, could you please come over?”
My father immediately responded. “I’ll be right there!”
I told my father goodbye and hung up the phone. I laid the phone on my chest and looked up at the ceiling again, waiting for him to come.
About half an hour later my father came walking through the door.
“Jason… what’s wrong.” He said.
Then he walked over to the chair next to my bedside and sat down and began to stare out the window.
“Yeah, everything good. I just wanted to talk to you.” I said as I began to gaze on the wall on the far end of the corner.
“About?” My father asked me.
I didn’t respond. “That day…” I finally said.
My father gave a short pause. “What… day?” He asked me.
I didn’t respond again. I wanted to give my father some time to collect his thoughts and put everything together in his head. After about two minutes I finally spoke up.
“What happened?” I asked him.
My father gave a short pause and then he started to rub the crease on his forehead.
“Jason… what did Abdul tell you about Allah?” He asked me.
“He told me that Allah is the only One Who is worthy of being worshipped and he told me that it is a personal obligation for everyone to know the name of Allah.”
“And how does one get to know Allah? Let us use a parent and child analogy.”
I thought before I spoke. “So a child is ignorant about everything, whereas a parent isn’t, the parent is obligated to teach the child about the name of Allah?”
“And what will happen if the parent fails to do that?” He asked me.
“The parent will then be sinning.”
“And what kind of a sin is it? Major or minor?”
“It will be a major sin.” I said.
My father said nothing after this. He continued to stare out the window. I saw the melancholic look that swept across his face. I then understood. I got off the hospital bed and walked over to him on the chair. I lifted my hand up and placed it on his head and began to rub. I smiled at him as he looked up at me.
“It’s cool oldhead.” I said to my father.
“No biggie.”
My father continued to gaze up on me. A single tear trickled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it with the back of his forearm and got up off the chair and started walking towards the door.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.” He said. Then he walked out.
I was now left standing in the hospital room, by myself again. A thought came to my mind as I saw John standing on the corner next to the door. He was smiling.
I grabbed the phone and called Jerry. The phone rang once, no pick-up. Twice, no pick-up, three times, no pick-up. On the fourth ring he finally picked up the phone.
“Wallssup.” He said. His mouth was full. It sounded as if he had a mouth full of spit, but I knew that it was something else.
“Bruh where you at?” I asked him.
Jerry took another drag and blew out.
“I’m at the crib, where you at?” He asked me.
I ignored his question. Only one thing was on my mind.
“Bro, I need some. Can you bring me some?” I asked him.
Jerry started laughing and coughing. Idk if whether or not it was because of the smoke, or because of what I said.
“What did you tell Christy?”
“Bro… what you my mom? I KNOW WHAT I TOLD HER!”
“I got PTSD bro. The doctor just told me.”
“I need some for medicinal purposes.”
“Oh my fault bro.”
“It’s cool.” I said.
“I didn’t know bro…”
“I said its cool.”
“Do you need something else? You want me to bring you some juice?” He asked me.
“My mom made a killer casserole, would you like some?”
“It’s cool, just call me when you’re in the lobby.”
“I’ll be right over there!” Jerry said.
“Thanks bro.”
“You’re welcome champ! Do you need something else? You want me to get you some coffee… or you want some doughnuts, cause I got some doughnuts if you want some?” He said.
“I’m good bruh.”
About half an hour later my phone rang. I already knew who it was. I rushed to pick it up.
“That was quick bro.” I said.
“Jason?” Violet’s voice came on the line.
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“Jason how come you’re not calling me? Why didn’t you tell Christy that you’re breaking up with her? What did you guys do over there today when she was over?” She asked me.
Her questions slammed through my ears. Immediately I started thinking of a response I can give her, then Jerry started calling. I switched and hung up the phone on Violet.
“You downstairs?”
“Yeah, I got the casserole.”
“I SAID I DIDN’T WANT NONE!”
“Oh well!” He said.
I hung up the phone and walked out of the room and went into the elevator to go downstairs. Jerry was there standing. He had a black hoodie and black Timberland boots. I walked up to him.
“You got the stuff?” I asked him.
His hands was in his pocket. He pulled one hand out with a closed fist.
“It’s right here…”
“I got it rolled up already.”
“Thanks bro. Ard gimme that jawn.”
He quickly walked over to me and pulled his hand out his pocket and handed me the blunt.