I shook my head. “Yea, that’s not how it happened.”
“So you admit you hit him then…”
“Yeah okay! Fine! Yes, but that’s not how it happened. The sloppy fucker was actually riding your bike up and down the street with his friends. They were laughing as he jumped willies on your bike and shit like that. So I went up to them and said, ‘Give me back Ayana’s bike.’ Of course, they laughed at me; the skinny white kid and all that.”
Our food came, and I waited until the waiter placed the food down, asked us if we needed anything else and left before I continued. “Since Roger was bigger than me, he figured he’d challenge me and, since his friends were around, he felt it was the best time to do it. So, for your information he started it, and I pretty much ended it. I just hit him twice in the stomach, then once in the face, and he went down. A couple of his friends tried to jump in it, and I took them down too. I may have been quiet in school but in no way was I a pussy.”
“So you call that peaceful?” she replied
“I didn’t start it,” I rebutted.
She shook her head but didn’t reply. I sighed and affirmed, “Look, at the end of the day, Roger and his friends deserved what they got and you shouldn’t have had to make his ass anything. I’m sure you had no problems from him after that, right?” I paused and when she shook her head, no, I continued. “And as far as Nora goes, she and I just weren’t on the same page as I thought we were. I was wrapped up in my career to see it at first, but now I do. Now I don’t feel like Nora is the one I should make my wife. It’s a little messed up I know, but I’d rather do it now than later. I don’t want to be a robot in a marriage doomed to fail. Shit’s going to be rough as it is with the type of job I have, working crazy hours and being on call. I just need that one person that can handle it as well as handle me and, to be honest, I don’t think she exists.”
“Why is that?”
I just shrugged. “I just don’t, but I don’t want to settle. It’s all or nothing when you talk about marrying someone, right?”
We both got quiet as we ate with an occasional drive down memory lane or story one of us wanted to share. I told her about my cases, the good and the bad. We talked about her going to school and working at Ice’s.
When we pulled up at Ice’s, after dinner, she said goodbye to me, turned off the car and started to get out. I touched her arm, and she looked back at me.
I said, “Listen, just as much as you know me, I know you. I know something is up and I know it has to be deep. I hope it has nothing to do with your brother and the shit he’s into. The drug thing was crazy and if you’re wrapped up in that again…”
“I’m not,” she said simply.
I continued, “If you are, then I won’t reach out to you anymore. I can’t deal with that shit again.”
“I told you I’m not,” she repeated.
I sighed. “Then what’s going on with you? You’re jumpy and short-tempered, more than usual, I might add. You’ve lost a lot of weight that, in my medical opinion, isn’t healthy. Come on, Ana; talk to me. If it isn’t drugs, what is it?”
“I can’t, okay? It’s nothing like before, I assure you. I just…” She got quiet and I saw the battle that ensued in her eyes. “Maybe your brother is right; maybe you should stay away from me.” She then got out of the car, leaving me with a shitload of questions and not a single answer.
When I made it back to my brother’s house, I was met by an angry figure sitting in the living room. I ignored him, not trying to deal with his shit. He’s typically angry all the time about everything. I told you the death of MJ messed him up.
I headed for the kitchen to grab some water. When I turned around to head to my room, he was standing in the doorway.
“Are you that fucking stupid?”
“What are you talking about?” I knew what he was talking about mind you, but hell I didn’t want to assume.
“You know what the fuck I’m talking about. I mean, you left a wonderful girl for what? For that trash? I thought you were better than that.”
I walked past him, bumping his shoulder on my way out of the kitchen.
“Don’t walk away from me.”
I turned around. “Lock, you don’t know shit that’s going on.”
“Yea?” He folded his arms. “Why don’t you enlighten me? Help me understand why you left Nora for a junkie?”
“Wow,” I challenged, shaking my head.
“Ana says all the time that you don’t like her. And I would always say she was wrong, but you really don’t like her.”