In Love with a Thug by Reginald L. Hall Page B

with her?”
    â€œHer name is Melissa and no, I’m not with her,” he stated as the waitress came toward us carrying our plates.
    â€œThis is hot, watch yourself.” She set the plate in front of me, then set Bryant’s plate down. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked, cupping her hands in front of her. We both shook our heads no as she smiled and walked away.
    â€œLook, I was eighteen. I had just graduated from high school when Melissa got pregnant. We then broke up because she is crazy as hell. Rain was born and I always said that I would be there to take care of her. Now we’re in a custody battle.” He began to dig into his noodles.
    â€œOkay. I’ll meet her,” I responded. He looked over at me with a sarcastic smirk. “What?”
    â€œYou want me to cut your chicken up for you?” He giggled.
    â€œNo, I’m a big boy, I can handle it.” I placed the chicken in my mouth when his cell phone rang. He grabbed it from his pants pocket.
    â€œThis is my grandmother, I have to take this,” he said, getting up and walking in the direction of the restrooms. I began to feel the vibe of the music that filled the air. Jazz was never my thing but I loved the way the band kicked it tonight. I found myself not thinking that much about Darnell while Bryant was in the picture and to be honest, the only thing I was really thinking about was getting home to taste some of my candy.
    â€œJ.J., come on, we have to go,” raved Bryant who came back to the table tense and red-faced.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” I demanded to know. He fumbled around in his pockets and threw eighty dollars on the table and grabbed my arm. Still I chewed the chicken and gravy as he dragged me from the restaurant.
    â€œBaby, where did you park?” he asked with sweat beads forming on his head.
    â€œI had valet parking. Bryant, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?” I gave the gentleman my parking stub.
    â€œIt’s that crazy bitch. I’ma kill her,” he growled. We both stood there anxiously waiting for my car.
    â€œWhat crazy bitch?”
    â€œMelissa.”
    â€œWhat happened?”
    â€œI really don’t know. All I know is my grandmother said that Rain was admitted into the hospital and she has to undergo surgery.”
    â€œOkay, Bryant, calm down.” I turned to face him. “Where is your jeep?”
    â€œI let my cousin use it. I took the bus here.”
    â€œOkay, take a few deep breaths.” The valet drove up in front of us. The gentleman hopped out and Bryant and I hopped in. I jammed my foot on the gas pedal and sped off without thinking twice about leaving him a tip. I dodged in and out of the city traffic as I floored the gas pedal all the way down Broad Street. Rain was being seen at Einstein Hospital in the Olney section of Philadelphia. I had probable cause to run every red light that I came up against. Bryant’s cell phone would not stop ringing and he had no intention to answer it. If it wasn’t his grandmother, he wasn’t answering.
    I drove straight to the security booth in front of the hospital’s emergency entrance.
    â€œBaby, just go ’head in and I’ll park the car,” I said as he hopped out and closed the door behind him. I went to look for the first available parking space and pulled in on the side entrance. I parked and ran in, not knowing what had happened and whom I would encounter.
    By the time I got to the waiting area Bryant had already gone into the emergency area. There was no staff in sight to answer any of my questions. In the waiting room sat an old, fat, black guy snoring loudly, and a white lady picking her nose sitting next to who I assumed was her son who looked very sick. I took a seat closer to the intake door, then began watching TV.
    The doors opened and out came an elderly, heavy-set woman with her gray hair tied into a bun. She waddled with a cane