Still Sheisty: Part 2 (Triple Crown Publications Presents) (7 page)

"Yes Lord, praise God."

Jay tightened his lips and shook his head. She was taking this church thing a little too seriously. She cried as she hugged Epiphany tight and whispered a prayer of thanks. Epiphany was a bit shocked by all the praising her mother was doing.

'Damn I know I gave everybody a bit of a scare but what got
into her while I was sleeping,'
Epiphany thought.

Just then the doctor came in to check Epiphany's vital signs and informed her and her parents that the nurse would be in shortly to check the healing of her gun shot wound. He then asked to speak to Jay Wright and Tiara in private. They agreed and stepped outside of Epiphany's room door.

"You are aware that we ran a few test on Epiphany yesterday, right?"

"Yes we are," both parents answered.

"Good. Now for the most part, Epiphany is going to be okay.

So I don't want anyone to panic, alright?" Dr. Frye said, directed his attention towards Mrs. Wright.

"Okay," she answered.

"Good! Now we did discover a bit of a problem in her right lung. It seems to be healing, just slowly. It's still very weak at this time. Therefore, she will be experiencing some difficulty with her breathing. Now I know it sounds bad, but it's not as bad as it sounds. I will be prescribing her an asthmatic pump, which will be useful to her if she should have any trouble breathing.

She must carry the pump with her at all times. Now the results from the other test we took confirmed that Epiphany is suffering from partial amnesia. Meaning, she's not likely to have any recollection of any person, place or thing that has occurred in the previous hours or months leading up to the shooting."

"So Doctor does that mean that she might not ever remember who did this to her?" Tiara asked.

"Well, it's probable that she will regain her memory in spurts. It will be kind of like putting a puzzle together piece by piece. Epiphany's memory could start coming back to her tomorrow or a year from now, that part I can't say, but I will be discharging her at the end of the week. Now if you'll excuse me," said Dr. Frye as he walked off to speak to a passing nurse.

"Jay, we might not ever find out who did this to Epee," said Tiara.

"Woman, you know just as well as I do; that, that punk bastard C-god did it. I'm gonna kill him dead I swear."

"Baby, we don't know that."

"Has he been up here to see her yet, huh?"

"No but -"

"Ain't no buts about it. That's guilt right there and now the nigga's hiding out. He can't even be a man about it." Jay Wright slightly raised his voice.

"Shhhh. Okay, honey please, just let God handle it? What's important is that Epiphany is going to be fine. She's coming home with us and we can look after her. I don't need my husband going to jail because of some low-life. Are you listening to me Jay? It's not worth it."

"Not worth it to who, Tiara? Epee is our daughter and as her father it is my job to protect her by all means and that's what I'm gonna do. All that shit about God handling it, is for the birds 'cause if he was handling it, why did it happen, huh? Answer that."

"I'm sure he had his reasons, but I'm not gonna question his will," said Tiara.

"We have a lot to be thankful for. Epiphany is still here with us and we are a family and that's what you need to be focusing on."

"You and this holier than thou act is really starting to get on my nerves."

"Okay well, let me just say this Jay, we ain't getting any younger and if you want to convert back to the thug life, go right ahead, but I don't want it around me. So put that bullet in your gun and shoot it, gangsta!" Tiara might have been a changed woman but she still had a sharp tongue.

Just as Epiphany's mom headed back to the room she bumped into Keisha and Shana at the doorway.

"Hi, girls," she said.

"Hey Mrs. Wright, is Epiphany awake," asked Keisha.

"Yeah she is and I know she's gonna be happy to see you guys. But I must warn you, she has amnesia. She's not going to remember anything about the shooing or her friend's death.

Please don't mention it to her because I don't want her getting upset, okay ladies?"

"Wait a minute Mrs. T, If she has amnesia how's she gonna remember us," asked Shana with a puzzled look on her face.

"She'll remember you guys because it's only part of her memory, the last couple of months that she seems to have lost."

"That's crazy. She won't remember C-God, her pregnancy or Malikai' s murder?" Keisha asked.

"Well, I hope she never remembers that no good Hinderson boy," said Mrs. Wright.

"But, what if he is the one that tried to kill her?"

"Shana, come on He did it, I know he did," Keisha had no evidence, but she felt it in her gut.

"Keisha you sound like my husband. Ya'll need to come to church with me and get some Jesus in your life. Anyway, go ahead in, I know she'll be happy to see you two. Just remember what I said."

The girls eyes widened when Mrs. Wright mention going to church and needing Jesus and they both turned to each other with the
'I don't know girl'
look on their faces. Keisha and Shana slowly pushed open Epiphany's room door not sure what to expect. They smiled when they saw her cursing out the nurses over the intercom about how cold and nasty her breakfast was.

"She's back,"
said Shana. Keisha ran towards Epiphany with open arms and hugged her carefully, so not to pull on her IV

tubes.

"Hey ya'll what's up? Finally, my girls. Now, which one of ya'll is gonna tell me what the hell happened to me. Shana you ain't shoot me did you?" Epiphany cracked a smile.

"Oh I see you got jokes, right." Shana responded.

"Epiphany, me and Shana been coming up here to see you everyday. I'm so glad your back, you just don't know." Keisha said.

"Yes, I do. I know ya'll can't live with out me, but I gotta get the fuck up out of this hospital. Look at this cold ass oatmeal they trying to feed me and who the fuck still eats oatmeal anyway." Epiphany already back to her silly self.

"I don't know girl." Keisha agreed.

"No, but seriously; who did this to me?" Tears began to fill Epiphany's eyes and her humor turned into sadness.

"Honestly E, we don't know," answered Shana. Keisha decided it was best to keep her mouth shut because she was ready to fill in all the blanks for Epiphany.

"Keisha, where's Mali at? I know he's trying find out who did this to me, right? Does he know I'm out of a coma? Where' s his ass at?" Epiphany's questions started to wear Keisha down. She burst into tears and started spilling the truth.

"Epiphany, Mali is dead. Whoever did this to you, killed him.

He's gone."

"What! No, not Malikai. Why him? Why did he have to die," Epiphany cried.

"We think C-God had something to do with it." Keisha added.

"C-God?"

"Yeah Corey, Corey Hinderson. Ring any bells?" said Keisha.

"Ahhhh yeah, black Corey that use to live around our way, right?"

"Bingo!"

"But, why Keish?" Epiphany was puzzled.

"Because, you was fucking him, that's why." Shana replied.

"I was? So Mali is dead 'cause of me?" Epiphany cried.

"Epiphany, don't start blaming yourself because we don't know what Corey's reason was. He's been hating on Tucker and Mali for awhile. I honestly don't think it was you that caused of any of this." Keisha explained.

"Why can't I remember any of this?" asked Epiphany.

"Epiphany, maybe once you get better you'll remember, besides we ain't a 100% sure it was C-God. And Keisha, you make sure to tell Mrs. Wright that it was you that opened your big mouth. E, I'm glad you're okay, but just concentrate on getting better, alright."

"Keisha, I'm about to be out, I got a few things I gotta take care of, but I might be back later a'ight," said Shana.

"Okay, I'm gonna stay for the afternoon visit, since I ain't got the baby or no man to run home to." Keisha replied.

The afternoon quickly turned into evening and Keisha ended up staying until visiting hours were over. Playing catch up, she filled Epiphany in on all the drama that was going on in her life and answered whatever questions Epiphany had for her.

Shana had a to drive out to her suppliers house in Staten Island
to re-up, which was something she dreaded.
She always traveled alone and made sure her transactions were quick ; she let it be known that she's always on the move so her time was limited. Once she safely made it back around the way she'd arranged to meet with Raina at various locations, so she could hit her off with work for the week. This time the meeting was at Applebee's. Shana waited in a booth, watching the entrance and her surroundings at the same time. Finally, Raina came walking in looking like Babs from "Da Band." She was wearing a Rockawear baby tee, a short jean skirt and some crispy clean tan timbs.
'Representing BK to the fullest,'
Shana thought as she watched her approach.

"What up, Cream?" Raina was the only person who still called Shana by her hustlin' name.

"Chillin'. Excuse me, waitress we ready for some drinks or something." Shana said flagging down one of the uniformed girls as she walked past.

"Okay Miss, your server will be with you in a minute," the girl replied.

"Hey, there's 500 of them things in the backpack under this table, a'ight." Shana whispered softly to Raina, getting the business part of their meeting out of the way first.

"A'ight, I'm a handle that." Raina knew the routine.

"So, what's good Raina?" Shana was ready for the gossip.

"Ain't shit, really. You know me; I'm mostly business, but some baller niggas been coming through the spot lately and they from out here in Queens. One of them niggas be acting like he checking for me too."

"Yo word, they be up in Honey's like that?" Shana asked.

"Like that kid, for the past couple of nights or so," answered Raina.

"I hear that! Get that money, just make sure it don't interfere with getting mine." Shana said flipping it back to business.

"Yo, I got you kid. I'm handling my shit."

"What's up with Silk? Where she been hiding at?"

"Man that bitch done fucked around and got her ass pregnant, again. She was still doing her thing up in Honey's until she started showing too much. But she home chilling now, out of commission for awhile," said Raina.

"So, what's up with Chasity, you seen her lately?" Shana questioned out of curiosity.

"Nah I ain't really seen her that much, but I heard she still be coming through."

"Oh that's cool." Shana said relieved.

"Excuse me, are you ladies ready to order?" asked the waiter.

Knock...Knock...Knock...

Shana woke up out of her sleep when she heard the knocking at her door. She glanced over at the clock, it read 2am.

"I hope K.C. ain't lose his damn key" she mumbled as she got out of the bed.

"Yo Sha, it's Smitty open up," he yelled.

"I'm coming. Stop knocking on my fucking door like you crazy." Shana yelled back as she cracked open the door.

"Yo what up, what up Sha?" said Smitty in a playful tone.

"K.C. ain't here Smitty." Shana snobbishly responded.

"I ain't here for him."

"Then, what do you want?"

"Yo Sha, what's up? 'cause I'm saying, you been throwing me a lot of shade lately."

"Ain't nothing up." Shana stepped back to let Smitty come inside.

"Oh, so I'm bugging out then, right?"

"Look Smitty, I don't know what you talking about."

"I'm saying Shana, every time I come through, you start rolling your eyes, huffing and puffing and shit like a nigga did something to you. All I wanna know is, what the fuck is up with all that." Smitty carried on.

"Whatever Smitty, look it's late and I'm tired, so uhh-"

"Nah, ain't no 'so ahhh!' Just let me finish."

"What do you want Smitty?" Shana rolled her eyes and let out a hard sigh making sure he knew how annoyed she was getting.

"Yo, how's what's her face doing?" Smitty said skirting around the real reason for his visit. Shana was getting defensive and stared Smitty down. She ignored his question for a few moments, assuming he was asking about Chasity to be sarcastic.

"Yo, I don't know who your talking about and honestly I don't give a fuck, so why are you wasting my time?"

"E-p-i-p-hany, that's her name," said Smitty. Shana was relieved that it wasn't Chasity he was talking about, but still decided not to give up any information.

"What is it to you?" she questioned.

"Nothing really, but since she's your friend, I just thought I'd ask. Either way that's neither here nor there 'cause that ain't why I'm here," said Smitty.

"Then what is the reason?"

"Business of course." Smitty replied.

"What business you got to discuss with me?" Shana asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Your little business down at Honey's."

"And, what about it?" Shana snapped.

"I hear you're doing well for yourself down there."

"Oh yeah, that's what you heard?"

"Yeah that's what I'm hearing. I hear you done stepped up your game. You saw a little gold mind and handled your business, instead of lap dancing for that bullshit ass money you was making. You charging them bitches $30 dollars a pop for E, I' m really impressed."

"So what you saying, Smitty?"

"I'm
saying
, I'm trying to be on your team."

"What team? I ain't making team money." Shana argued.

"Oh really, 'caused I fucked this stripper bitch a little while ago from Honey's, who said you be making at least 10 to 15g's a week. Now, that's a nice little piece of change. So, since I know your man hates dikes and your into girls, you should be looking out for a brother. Say 40% and I'll keep your secret."

"Forty percent of what? You bugging the fuck out if you think I'm giving you my money." Shana yelled.

"A'ight then, I guess I'm a have to tell K.C. and you know how that nigga feel about that shit."

"Yo, I can't believe you Smitty. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be making the money you making now. I helped you out and now you trying to play me. It's all good though, nigga you do dirt