Tasha's Got a Baby
Tasha’s Got A Baby
S. Yvonne
Shan Presents, LLC
Tasha’s Got a Baby
Copyright © 2018 by S. Yvonne
Published by Shan Presents
www.shanpresents.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the publisher and writer, except brief quotes used in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to the real locals intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents are entirely coincidental.
Contents
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1. ‘Year of 2000’
2. A couple hours later
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
7. 2 months later
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
20. ‘17 Years later’
21. Graduation Day
Chapter 22
A Note From The Author
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One
‘Year of 2000’
“Tasha… Tasha come on.” Pepper whispered through the window of the roach infested apartment while she stayed on the lookout. She shivered wearing her bomber since it was cold as hell outside but after being out there standing around trash and crack heads for the past thirty minutes she was ready to go and she knew Tasha should’ve been done. The window was rusted around the edges and the windowpane itself was fucked up but Pepper was careful not to touch it cause she didn’t wanna cut herself.
The only thing she was able to get a good visual of was the dirty air mattress on the floor that Tasha and QUA used whenever they were getting busy but today it wasn’t QUA… it was Officer Moron’s bitch ass cause that’s exactly what both Tasha and Pepper called him. Pepper couldn’t stand him especially cause he was blackmailing Tasha into doing what he wanted her to do and he had a whole wife and little ass kids at home. For whatever reason though, he just couldn’t stay away from Tasha.
A few minutes later he came walking out in full uniform zipping up his pants making his way to his patrol car that sat waiting for him. Pepper gawked his way; as she ignored him… she read the words on his vehicle ‘City of Miami Police’… she shook her head watching him pull off. It wasn’t even that Officer Moron was a bad person… he was just a fucked up nigga in a uniform that’s all. Coming from a crack infested neighborhood like the one that Pepper and Tasha lived in… he knew those kids did anything to survive whether it was selling drugs, or selling ass and if they needed to hustle with a peace of mind and not worry about getting busted then they had to do what he said in order to make the bread.
“Let me get a honey bun…” A rusted crack head sluggishly walked up to Pepper trying to hand her some change from his ashy hands for some dope. Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke to her, which was a result from missing half his teeth. Pepper took a step back and frowned just as Tasha rounded the corner.
“Nah… step the fuck off.” She slapped his hand away.
The sun was setting causing an orange and reddish color above them but down on the bottom in the real world… everything was black and white for them, sometimes even grey. That’s how shit was. “Here…” Tasha passed Pepper a fifty-dollar bill and stuffed the rest in her pocket as they casually walked off like nothing happened. “I’m sick of this shit… on God. I’m tired of fucking that old ass nigga. I don’t understand why he just won’t leave me alone.”
“You know why.” Pepper suggested. “You hugging the block all day and night, you’re a runner, and you in and out of stores all day…”
Tasha held up a hand… “Yeah…. I get it. I gotta take care of myself though.” She looked up when they reached their building. Kids were running everywhere, cracked up glass was scattered, the walls wore graffiti from different gangs, dope boys hugged the corners and so on and so on. From the top stoop, they heard the sounds of music playing. She dreaded going inside the apartment that she shared with her family. They were all in a 3-bedroom apartment… all 9 of them. Tasha, her mama, her mama’s boyfriend, her cousin DayDay, his twin brother RayRay, DayDay’s lil son Darius, her brothers Eli and Cleo, and her niece Summer with whom she shared a room. Everybody else had to just figure it out. “You just better be glad he don’t fuck with you.” Tasha told Pepper.
“They don’t call me Pepper for no reason. I’m black as the dirt what the fuck he want with me.” She looked herself over. Pepper was a short 5’3 in height with skin as dark as the night sky but she was pretty with a decent shape. Tasha on the other hand was just like Pepper; an around the way girl… golden brown skin, same height, round face and chinky eyes. She wasn’t all that thick but she was exactly what a 16 year old was supposed to be. They both wore huge gold earrings and Cuban link chains compliments of the dope boys that were crushing on them. Unlike Tasha… Pepper wasn’t a hustler, she wasn’t built like Tasha; Tasha knew how to sale drugs and pop tags off of clothes but Pepper was too scary for that. Most of the time Tasha just looked out for her.
Snapping from her thoughts, Tasha looked at Pepper and frowned. “Just cause you black don’t mean you ain’t pretty. Who the fuck ever told you some shit like that? That’s weak as hell.”
“That’s what Officer Moron said… plenty of times.”
Tasha’s stomach did flips thinking about how she had to constantly lay there while he pumped in and out of her until he was done on their once a week meetings. She regretted day by day ever getting into the car with him 3 months ago to ‘take a ride’ and she only went cause she was caught red handed selling a bomb. The rent was due and nobody in her apartment had it so she had to miss school for a week to make the money. Officer Moron, whose real name is Officer Ralph pulled up on her in the middle of a transaction and from that day forward she had to fuck him in order to keep him from turning her in and she wasn’t tryna go to juvi.
“Fuck him… he would be fine as hell if he wasn’t a pervert.” Tasha sighed.
“Yo Tasha!
Her and both Pepper spun around. QUA was walking up on them with a mug on his face. Skin brown like a chestnut with a mouth full of gold teeth, medium built, dimples, low fade with the perfect waves in his head with a fresh tape… he wore a simple black bomber, chain around his neck, a pair of Jordan’s and some black baggy jeans. He was two years older than them both but was a hot head and always trying to run Tasha and keep tabs on her. She loved QUA but she knew she was too young to be letting a nigga beat on her. Knowing that he was mad about her not answering her phone she was prepared to take off running but he grabbed her roughly by the arm before she could. “Let me go!” She tried to yank away.
“Nah.” He growled. “Where the fuck you been?” He asked her with balled up lips like one wrong move and he was gonna hit her ass. Pepper wanted to
break it up but she had learned long ago with these two to stay out of their shit cause nine times outta ten they ass’s were gonna make up and she was still gonna be mad… but still, he better not had hit her though… Pepper thought to herself with her arms crossed.
“QUA! I wasn’t doing nothingggg.” Tasha whined trying to get away. It was an ongoing circus with the two of them; a real love-hate relationship but no matter what they always had each other’s back.
“Stop lying! You always fucking lying yo! You smell like a whole nigga!” He barked with his other fist balled up. It wasn’t that QUA didn’t love Tasha… he just didn’t trust her and if she thought she was gonna play with his heart she had him fucked up. Tasha couldn’t even believe he was coming like this as much as he cheated. If it was 10 girls in the park he probably fucked 7 of them. Tasha had numerous of fights around the hood cause of him and every time she won. She hadn’t run across not one person yet who could beat her ass.
With panic in her voice she knew she was about to get hit so she did what she knew to do. With all her strength she raised her knee catching him right in the balls causing him to let go and bend over in pain holding himself. Pepper and Tasha both gave each other a knowing look before they took off running separate ways to their buildings and she knew she was going to have to hide out for a few days. Tasha managed to make it inside safe but she was out of breath and her tiny apartment was in an uproar. Everybody was in the living room. DayDay and RayRay sat at the table breaking down some weed. Her mama Vashon stood over the stove smoking a cigarette and frying some chicken while everybody else watched television.
Two-year old Summer grabbed a piece of the weed from the table ready to put it in her mouth but Tasha caught her in time gently picking her up. “Summer… that’s a no no okay? No-No.” She told her carrying her into her room. “Ya’ll stupid ass people can’t even watch the damn baby!” She slammed the door of her room and sat Summer on the bed turning on some cartoons. Summer should’ve been sleep by now. Tasha’s room was only but so big. She had a little twin bed pushed up against the wall. A nightstand, a lamp and a dresser that held her clothes. She didn’t have anything hung up in her closet; instead she had her valuable shit in a suitcase that she kept a lock on cause her shit had come up missing way too many times.
Removing the money from her pocket she peeled off two hundred and sat in on the dresser knowing that her mother was coming for it. Next, she peeled off her clothes and showered coming out fully dressed in something different… a complete fleece suit with a hoodie and a pair of Nikes. Summer was good and sleeping so she tucked the toddler under the covers but left the television on. In the top of her closet she stood on her tippy toes ruffling through the box at the top of the closet that she was looking for. When she opened it up, she pulled out the Ziploc bags filled with crack and then another one with some coke before tucking it inside of her jacket.
Tasha made sure she looked both ways before she crossed over to the next building not wanting to run into QUA and she made sure to put his ass on call block too cause if she didn’t give him at least a few days to calm down she knew she was gon’ have to fight his ass. Her Nike’s hit the pavement when she jumped down the steps of the shallow hallways that hid behind a wall where she sat with her hands tucked waiting to hear a knock on the wall. When she heard it, she would open up the makeshift hole that had a piece of wood covering it and make her serve knowing this was gon’ be a long ass night since it’s the first of the month.
Two
A couple hours later
It was booming all night and when Tasha realized that she was almost out of work it was time to get ready to go. What most people didn’t know about Tasha was that she had a beautiful voice. A voice that sounded like heaven on earth and most nights she’d sit and hum to herself or sing a low melody knowing that her situation would change soon. She placed her hoodie over her head and tucked her phone in her pocket getting ready to walk away only to be stopped by a knocking. “The fuck?” She mumbled. “What?”
“Sing again” a low raspy voice whispered behind the wall. A voice that sounded all too familiar to her, it was the same crack-head who never had money to buy shit from her but always wanted her to sing. “Sing again.”
With her brows furrowed and her face balled up Tasha sucked her teeth, “Fuck outta here this ain’t no free show.” She spat and ran off. She didn’t know why she ran, she just did cause it made her feel better; that and she also didn’t like to walk through the projects in the wee hours of the morning risking getting shot up or shot at from somebody tryna rob her cause now days they’d rob a toddler for a tricycle, so she knew damn well they didn’t care about her. The wind smacked her face as she ran but when she made it to her door she was relieved. As soon as she stuck her key in the door, she locked it back and removed her hoodie from her head.
“Where the fuck you been Tasha?” A smooth voice asked from the couch causing her to jump. It was dark but she was able to see the smoke and smell the cigarette.
“I was out.” She mumbled to her mother and slowly walked away.
“I want my house locked down at a certain hour Tasha! And if you can’t handle the rules then you can get the fuck out.” She said cool like before blowing a cloud of smoke from her mouth. “Your fast ass-think you grown. Gon’ fuck around and end up pregnant and I’m not taking care of your fucking baby while you out fucking all night.” Tasha lowered her head piercing her lips together and sucked her teeth loud enough for her mama to hear. Not even a second later a coffee mug came flying toward her causing her to duck in the nick of time and behind her the loud thud and crashing of the mug hitting the wall could be heard. “Now keep talking back!” Her mama warned her.
Tasha, whom never listened, rambled on. “How the hell am I suppose to get money then if I don’t stay out late ma? Ya’ll some hypocrites!” She openly spoke her mind and slammed her room door. Behind closed doors she paced the room wanting to scream as she dropped all the money from the night on the bed. “I’m sick of this shit yo! How the fuck I’m supposed to get money? How the fuck am I suppose to pay my portion of the rent if I don’t fucking work? How the fuck I’ma take care of myself? Ouuuu I fucking hate her yo! I hate my fucking life!” She slapped her hands on her thighs and flopped on the edge of the bed as the perspiration built up on her forehead. She took slow, deep breaths before peeling her clothes off and throwing on an oversized shirt. She had two hours left before she had to get to school.
The blaring sound of the alarm coming from her phone woke her up a couple of hours later. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled her morning breath and then wiped the crust from the cracks of her eyes before heading to brush her teeth and take a quick shower. There was a 2 minute rule in their apartment cause it was way too many people who needed to shower and in order to reserve the hot water they had to do everything they needed to do in 2 minutes. She was in and out like the lightning and once she dressed in a Wilson outfit, she threw on her bamboo earrings and some lip-gloss before locking up her suitcase and securing the key around her wrist. She made sure she stuffed her money, fixed Summer a bowl of cereal and left her at the table to eat it when she bounced. Making her way through the halls she thought she was in the clear when her feet hit the outside pavement but she wasn’t as lucky as she thought cause QUA was lingering on the stoop and as soon as her saw her, he snatched her ass up.
He looked much more calm than the previous day so she relaxed a little but she still tried to remove his hands from the way he had her helmed up against the wall. Her eyes roamed her surroundings hoping that someone would notice them. “Hey…hey… QUA.” She spoke to him nervous like. “You know, you’re too fine to be so mad all the time.” She tried to soften up with him.
With a glaring look in his eyes, to a blind man you could see that he was simply just young and in love. Not even he knew how to deal with his feelings cause sometimes Tasha was just too much for him, he didn’t understand why she was in such a rush to grow up so fast
or why she kept all the shit under her roof a secret. One of the main reasons he didn’t trust her. “Tasha, I’m not fucking playin’ wit’ you right now yo. That’s yo problem you play too fuckin’ much. You think my feelings something to play wit’? Cause if so we can end this shit now.” He suggested.
She felt bad knowing that she was truly hurting him with all her secrets but she felt as if she wasn’t in a position to be telling him the truth about how she’s really surviving out here. He knew about the drugs but he knew nothing about the sex and she prayed he didn’t find out cause whether he knew it or not. He was her first true love. “I can’t see myself without you QUA. What I’mma do if you leave me?” She found herself panicking as she dropped her eyes. From the corner she saw Officer Ralph turning the corner and looking right in their direction. QUA was getting ready to address her but before he could she had to do something quick. Although he had her helmed up she pulled him in close for a kiss until Officer Ralph passed by.
Caught up in her tongue circus QUA forgot why he was really mad that quick. Looking lovingly into her eyes he removed his hand and grabbed her hand rushing off. “Come on!” He led the way.