Tales of the Hood (8 page)

“So you're the birthday boy? Guess the surprise is for you then,” the leading man at the front said. When he took of his ski mask I realised it was the same man from south side that drove off and came back; the same ma that shot Donny in front of us.

“What the fuck is going on?” I yelled baffled.

Before I got an answer the guys made a dash for me. They got me to the ground and stomped on me repeatedly. Every footstep was like a boulder, crushing me a little bit more. I saw Jason and Jose run and start pulling guys off me. Rico and Joel were fighting to get me out but nothing seemed to work. There were so many I couldn't understand how this was happening, how they knew I was going to be here. I felt feet plummet on my face and punches pierce through my stomach. I was coughing up blood and desperately trying to break free of the torture I was enduring. I looked up helplessly to see Myah kick off her shoes and run towards the biggest of the gang.

“Leave him alone! It wasn't meant to be this bad!” she cried angrily.

The man turned to her and struck her across her face so hard that she fell to the ground. “You're the one that wanted this to happen so sit back and don't fucking get involved” he roared at her.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was trying to say that Myah - my Myah – had set me up on my own birthday. I refused to believe it as I tensed, taking every blow. She sat on the floor shaking and crying; watching my eyes swell slowly. It was then I realised that it was down to her. This was all down to her. I could see it in her face; the guilt and the shame; the regret and the pain. My thoughts were abruptly stopped by a penetrating pain rapidly going through my thigh and my shoulder. They had stabbed me. Crime Scene got most of the guys off me whilst I saw the others run off as I lay there exhausted; throbbing all over.

Jason crawled up to me, “Jayden! Jayden are you cool” he said, moving my head. His face looked bruised and so did the others. They came through for me when I needed them most. Things would have been so much worse without their intervention but I pushed them away and scrambled to my feet. I couldn't keep my balance unless I dragged the leg I'd been stabbed in. All the guests had run out and the only thing in sight now was blood. My mind was no where near where it should have been and I couldn't make sense of what had just happened. I limped out into the street, briefly collapsing with every step.

“Jayden where are you going? Your not in a good state fam,” worried Joel as I got further away. I was going to Vanessa's because I knew if I stayed there I would kill Myah with the little strength and sense that hadn't been kicked out of me.

As I clutched my chest with my agonising arm I heard Myah scream behind me: “I'm sorry!”

I turned around with a daggering look on my face. Rain began to fall, drenching the both of us in the dead of the night. Her dress shrivelled and her hair fell. Her bare feet were covered in blood as she stood in the cold, shivering. “Why did you do it?” I asked wrathfully. That's all I wanted to know at that point in time.

“Because of you; you just don't love me. All you fucking think about is Vanessa. Did you think I didn't hear you call me her name? I heard loud and clear, Jayden. I wanted to get you back. I was angry and it built up even more, pretending to be fine with you all this time. But when I saw what they were doing to you I couldn't take it. I love you,” she said, trying to vindicate her actions.

I turned away and limped off. I felt like collapsing on the floor but I had to keep going.

“Wait! Jayden, I'm pregnant,” she said, lowering her voice. I didn't even face her. I was so indignant and in no fit state of mind for her bullshit. My head was pounding relentlessly and I couldn't think straight. I raised my hand and put up my middle finger. That's all she deserved from me. I carried on my forever journey up the road.

***

I used the little strength I had left to knock on the door before my body gave up. I lay on the doorstep when I saw a bright light shine in my eyes. “Jay what happened?” she screamed as she dragged me into the house. I tried to talk but I was so tired. She lay me down on the sofa and ran upstairs. When she came back down she was carrying some warm water and cotton wool with the intention to patch me up. “Who did this to you?” she asked as she cleaned the wounds on my face.

“It was Myah. She set me up at my own party,” I replied still in disbelief at what I'd just experienced. I flinched as my face began to sting.

“Don't worry honey. I have to clean you up properly so you don't get any infections,” she soothed. I don't know why but I gave her a broken smile. After all that had happened between us she still cared for me in my time of need. When she unbuttoned my shirt to look at my shoulder she gasped like it was a horror show. “Jay, the tip of the knife is still in your shoulder. If I don't take it out it's going to get worse,” she explained sympathetically.

“Oh for fuck's sake,” I grumbled. It was just getting worse as the night went on. She washed her fingers in the warm water then dug them into my stab wound to get the tip out. The pain was excruciating. Tears rolled down my face as I tried to pace my breathing. After it was out she tightly wrapped a bandage around it. “They stabbed me in my thigh as well,” I whispered, out of breath.

She slowly took off my trousers and looked at the damage. “It's not as bad but it still needs cleaning,” she analysed. She dipped the cotton wool into the water and wiped around it softly. The skin was so tender that with every touch it sent shivers up my spine. She wrapped a bandage tightly around it, then she cleared up and brought me a hooded top that I had given her so long ago. She was my Florence Nightingale, attending to my pain out of the goodness of her heart. “Put that on for tonight and I'll go round yours to get you some clothes tomorrow,” she said considerately.

I didn't know what I would do without her if she wasn't here. I tried to stand up but the pressure on my leg brought me right back down. I felt hopeless. Vanessa was heavily pregnant and she was the one looking after me. I lay down on the sofa examining the harm the faggots had caused to my body. I didn't even want to think about Myah. Her damn excuse was because I had called her Vanessa, and instead of talking to me about it she got me rushed on my birthday; so much for loving me. I speculated if what she said about her being pregnant was true. Even if she was, I wouldn't care because I wasn't going back to her. Not after this. Vanessa came and lay next to me; her big bump separating our touch.

“Are you feeling a bit better now? I can't believe she did that to you, Jay. You see if I wasn't pregnant I would go round there right now and buss two licks in her face!” she said, sounding genuinely frustrated. I laughed in pain before we both drifted off.

***

I was awoken by a tearing cry. Vanessa was lying on the floor screaming my name. “Jayden the baby's coming! It's coming now!” she said, losing breath with every word. I didn't know what to do. I jumped up in the heat of the moment, forgetting what had happened and sat back down in agony. I tried again this time dragging my wounded leg.

“I'm going to get help.”

“No! There's no time for that you need to stay and help me through this. Please!” she wept. My mind was all over the place. I really didn't know what to do. I was about to deliver a baby.

“Look at what's going on and guide the baby's body as I push,” she groaned in discomfort.

I did as she asked and was shocked at what I saw. “I can see the head already, what do I do now?” I asked, starting to hyperventilate. Everything was so overwhelming. She wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. With every push came another dreadful scream. I held what I saw of the baby in my hands and guided it out slowly. “You're nearly there. I think you need just one more big push!” I shouted, acting as if I knew what I was on about. With that last push came the worst scream of all and a beautiful baby girl. I smiled as I took off the hooded top I was wearing and wrapped her snug inside. Vanessa sat up, dripping with sweat. There was a long thing still attached to the baby and Vanessa. “What do I do with this?” I asked, perplexed.

She smiled solemnly at my lack of knowledge. “That's the umbilical cord, babe. You have to cut it,” she said, taking the baby from my arms. I struggled to the kitchen and got a pair of scissors, and then I cut the string-like thing: the umbilical cord. Seeing Vanessa cradle the tiny baby in her arms made me feel happy that I had brought that little girl in to the world. It felt like I was in a family, even though we weren't together anymore and the baby wasn't mine.

“I think we should call an ambulance just to make sure everything is all right,” I said feeling chuffed.

“Okay. And by the way, thank you. You were great. If it weren't for you I probably would still be there trying to get this little cutie out. I owe you big time!” she said, moving her hair from her face.

“It's cool. It's the least I could do after you fixed me up. Plus It's not everyday I get to deliver a baby,” I beamed sarcastically.

Within minutes the ambulance came for Vanessa and the baby. One of the paramedics looked at me, “Sir would you like to come. You look a bit beaten up?” he asked politely. I said yeah just so I could be with Vanessa. This was a moment that I wanted to embrace.

As the ambulance drove off she turned and faced me. “Her name's going to be Shakira; our baby's name is going to be Shakira.” I didn't know how to feel about what she said but this was too much of a proud moment to waste time contemplating. We both smiled.

We were in the hospital for a few days. They dressed my wounds effectively and made sure that Vanessa and the baby were in a stable condition. I walked to her room to see how she was doing. When I opened the door, Vanessa was smiling with the baby in her arms.

“How are you feeling, gorgeous?” I said quietly.

“I'm far from gorgeous at this point in time but I'm feeling good,” she replied. “What about you? Did the doctors stitch up your stab wounds?” she added.

“Not even. Only your hair's a bit mash up and your make up isn't on” I said bluntly. “And the doctors stitched me up good and proper. They said the healing process is going to take a while but I'll live” I added.

She gave a short laugh, “Thanks very much for letting me know. And that's good because I was worried.”

I settled myself down slowly in the chair next to the bed. Looking at Shakira in Vanessa's arms made me feel so proud that I delivered such a lovely thing into the world. How many guys can say they've actually done that? “How's the little one getting on?” I said, playing with her miniature fingers.

“She's okay. The nurse said that we would be alright to leave tomorrow so I guess that's a start. I just wanted to ask you though, what's going on between us now? Has this changed anything?” she asked curiously.

“Course it has. You were there for me when I needed you after Myah set me up and I was there for you when you went into labour. I know we have both had a rough time and, even though this baby isn't mine, I'm still going to be here to look after you both. I need to get out of this gang life for good. Make a fresh start so we can be a proper family. I had a lot of time to think in here and I love you Vanessa, and no matter how much I wanted that to change over time it didn't,” I profoundly expressed.

I saw tears run down her face. “I love you too, Jay, and I'm sorry for what I did to you. I just want you back. I'm all for the commitment if you are,” she replied.

“Well now you have me back. The sooner I get off these streets the sooner we can make a better life for Shakira. It's just a matter of time,” I smiled. She grabbed my hand and squeezed, then she pulled me closer to kiss me on my forehead. “The doctor said I could leave today so I'm going back to my flat to throw that bitch out and get some clothes to bring back to yours,” I said, feeling my blood start to boil again. Just talking about Myah enraged me.

“Alright, don't do anything stupid. Call me tomorrow so I can tell you when to pick me up,” she replied.

“Yeah I'll swing by early,” I said getting up. I kissed Vanessa on her forehead and bent down to kiss Shakira on hers. Her skin was so soft; it felt like I was kissing nothing.

I limped through the door and closed it quietly before making my outside to wait for my cab to pull in. The driver helped me in and we drove to my house. I paid him and walked up to my door, trying to work out what approach I was going to take. I didn't know what to expect when I walked inside. I didn't know what to say or what to think but I knew I had to stay moderately calm. As I opened the door the strong stench of rubbish hit me. I walked into the living room to see Myah huddled on the sofa in a tatty blanket. She had been living in squalor. There were dishes piled up in the kitchen sink, ants roaming the floor where she hadn't taken out the rubbish bags; disgusting smells lingered in the air. She was a disgrace to herself.

“Get up, pack your stuff and get out of my house now!” I shouted strictly. She jumped up, dropped the blanket and ran up to me to stroke my face. She looked withered and feeble, as if she hadn't moved from that spot since I left.

“Oh Jayden, you're back. I thought, I thought you were dead,” she said, sounding joyful to see me.

I pushed her back and she fell to the floor. “Don't touch me like that. You have two minutes, two fucking minutes to pack your shit and get out before I rip your face off. You got me beaten up on my birthday at my own party. Then you had the cheek to tell me that you're pregnant like I would actually care. Your two minutes has started,” I said, desperately trying to contain myself for my own sake.

“Jayden I'm so sorry, you don't understand. I know I made a mistake but you have to forgive me. I was angry at what you two had in the first place. Anyone could see there were still feelings there on both parts. Then you called me her name and that was the last straw. I felt like I had to do something,” she cried. I went upstairs and grabbed a bag. Since she didn't want to get a move on I thought I'd help her along, instead of standing there listening to her contemptible excuses. I dashed everything of hers I saw in the bag then went back downstairs. Whatever was left here I was planning to throw away. I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the door throwing her out onto the ground, and then I did the same with her bag.

“I swear to God, if I see you around here again or if you go near Vanessa, I'll kill you! You don't know how hard it is to maintain composure after what you did to me. There were so many other ways to handle such a situation and you chose to get me stabbed up,” I bawled. She was speechless. She could see the rage running through my veins. Her frail body scuttled to her feet and ran, grabbing her bag on the way. I walked back inside and slammed the door. I was heated up, but now she was gone things could only move up. I went in the kitchen and picked up my post then went to sit in the living room. My head was pounding but I felt relief float over me as I opened one of the letters:

Dear Mr Jayden Ace Daley,

We have received your letter regarding your talent and interest in the music industry. We have acknowledged your ambition to become an artist and would like to invite you to a meeting to discuss what you would like to do and the reasons why you have decided to take a career in music. We would also like to hear a sample of your work in order to make the decision of granting you a contract. Your appointment will be held at 1pm on the 19
^th
October at the East Bank Centre. Please take this opportunity to express your deepest emotions on the subject and perform effectively. We look forward to seeing you and we hope you're successful in your progress towards becoming a musician.

Yours sincerely,

Music Nation

What I was reading was surreal. I remembered contacting Music Nation with a few samples I had made a few months ago, but I never thought I would actually get a reply. I had the opportunity to get signed. I jumped up on the sofa with my healing body and shouted at the top of my voice, but then I recognised that they had said the 19
^th,
which was today. I shut up quick and swiftly looked at the time. It was 11:30 a.m. I wondered if I could get ready and make it in time but what would they think of my appearance. I wouldn't say I was looking my best only a few days after getting beaten up but I really didn't care. I was planning to give it a shot and take the decision on the chin. I went upstairs, freshened up, and then I snatched the letter off the table as I flew through the door. I knew if I took the bus I wouldn't make it on time so with my last tenner I paid for a cab to drop me there. I couldn't mess this up. It was my only chance to start making legal money and making something of myself. In the car I was desperately thinking of what I should say but then I told myself to relax and worry about it when I got there. The key to pulling off a short notice performance is knowing how to adapt and improvise in any context, just in case things didn't go to plan. Surprisingly I wasn't nervous but I didn't want to get too cocky; anything could happen.

The car pulled up in front of the centre and that's when I started to feel a bit funny. This was actually my chance to reform. Change for the better, for my mother, Maurice and my new family; a chance to finally put my bleak past behind me. I got out and entered the centre confidently. There were quite a lot of people there, which kind of made me feel better. We had to wait until our name was called to know when to go into the room with the decision makers. I took a seat and watched people walk in and out of the room for the next hour. Some were crying; others were smiling. I didn't know what to expect but I had no time to think as suddenly my name was called. I stood up and opened the room door, trying to appear alert and ready to take on one of the biggest challenges of my life. I know it was only music but music is what makes me. There was a long table with judges sitting behind it. They asked for my letter and told me to take a seat.

“Hello Jayden, my name is Melanie and I'll be judging your audition today alongside my colleagues here. How are you today?” she asked respectfully.

“I'm cool, what about you guys?” I said, trying to sound somewhat decent. They frowned at my informal speech but that was something I couldn't change. I was raised in an environment where it had already been integrated in my vocabulary. It didn't affect the way I was able to produce good music.

“We're fine, thank you. Now let's begin. What makes you want to be an artist?” she asked generally.

“Well being raised in London, I had a difficult upbringing. My dad left me at the age of five and my mum was killed when I was eighteen. These streets are corrupting the youths of today's generation and maybe through music I could provide some sort of positive influence. We're like the walking dead. We have no knowledge of ourselves because we try to be people we're not. I know me getting involved in music wouldn't make a big change but It's a start. I want to be able to inspire other young people to see that the roads don't have to dominate their lives. They can channel their energy into something their good at,” I said proudly.

Just looking at the faces in front of me showed me that they were touched by my speech. I tried to be as formal as I could and it seemed to work. “Well Jayden, at this moment in time I'm speechless. We understand your reasons for being interested in this subject and we have been profoundly affected by your story. Would you now like to give us a sample of your work? Take your time, there's no rush,” said Melanie, before conferring with her fellow judges.

I took out my phone and played a beat. It was the only resource I had in this music thing and it had been good to me. I felt nervous but when I realised that the bars I was going to say weren't lies, that they were the truth from deep within, I had nothing to worry about. I had to give it my best shot; for Vanessa and Shakira. They were my main priority in life now and getting this contract would mean a fresh start for all of us. I gave them a demo of a piece I wrote a short while after Donny died. That was when I knew I had to get out of this gang life. I was tired of death following me everywhere I went and that was the driving force behind my passion to succeed. When I finished there was a tense silence that filled the air. I waited in suspense for them to say something; anything. Even if they were going to let me down I just wanted them to put me out of my misery. Their faces didn't give anything away and I was starting to feel a sinking feeling in my stomach. They huddled together and the slight sound of whispering lingered.

They all turned to me. “We very much like what you're about, Jayden. You want to express your message through music and we believe it would be effective. You have the potential to be a good musician. We would like to grant you a contract that would provide all the resources you need in order to put you on the path to success. Providing that you're committed and this is what you really want,” Melanie said graciously. I could see in their faces now that they were genuinely happy for me. I was gobsmacked. “You lot aren't serious?” I said, trying to ignore the awful pain in my shoulder and leg. They all smiled when they heard my reaction but what did they expect? They would never be able to know what this meant to me. I walked up to the desk to get a copy of my papers then went to leave. When I got outside I forgot all about the pain I was feeling and dropped to my knees. To think I could have missed an opportunity like this if I hadn't come home today made my heart skip a beat. I was actually going to make it. It wasn't just a dream anymore. I had finally found my path in which the only direction was forward.

***

On my way home I called Vanessa and told her the good news. She sounded so happy for me. “Babe that's brilliant. I can't believe this is actually happening to you,” she cheered down the line.

“I know. I was so shocked but it's all for you and Shakira now. It's just about us,” I replied.

“Well you're not going to be seeing much of us. You're going to be in the studio, making videos and stuff so we're going to be distant,” she said with her voice gradually fading.

“I'll make time for you. We're in this together. Don't ever think otherwise,” I tried to assure her.

“Don't forget to pick me up tomorrow,” she said concluding the conversation.

“Bye,” I replied, feeling a bit deflated. I didn't want her to think that she was going to be neglected but I hadn't thought about the travelling I'd be doing and the late nights I'd be working. I knew it would put strain on the relationship but I was ready to take that strain on. That night when I went to Vanessa's house had been the start of my changing perspective. I shoved the phone in my pocket and made my way home on the bus. I was feeling beyond elated but walking through the blocks seemed dead. There was no noise; no crowds of youngsters wasting their time on the street corner; it was deserted for once. Upon opening my front door a letter fell from the letter box. It was literally a mission to bend down and pick it up with my aching body but I managed. When I opened it the content was spelt out using letters from a newspaper. I knew something was odd so I read on:

NEWS GOT AROUND THAT YOU GOT RUSHED AT YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY BASH. YOU MUST FEEL LIKE A REAL PRICK. IT'S A SHAME I WASN'T THERE TO FINISH YOU OFF. A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME YOUR SOFT FRIEND MAURICE KILLED HIMSELF ASWELL. LIFE”S A BITCH FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. I WONDER HOW YOU WOULD FEEL IF I GOT HOLD OF THAT NEW BABY OF YOURS. NEWS TRAVELS FAST DOESN”T IT? I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU JAYDEN AND YOU KNOW WHY I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU. I MIGHT HAVE TO PAY A LITTLE VISIT TO YOUR FAMILY SOON. LOOK OUT FOR ME. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHO THIS IS FROM, DO I?