A Gangsta Twist Saga (35 page)

The next morning, Taz met Sacha at her doctor's office. He had to smile when he saw her looking so delicious sitting in the waiting room. She was wearing a lavender Baby Phat jogging suit, with a pair of matching Nike tennis shoes on her small feet. Her shoulder-length hair was looking as silky as ever, pulled back tightly in a long ponytail. Her smooth, brown skin was flawless as always, and at that moment Taz knew that he could never let this woman get away from him. After he was seated next to her, he said, “What's up, Li'l Mama?”

“Good morning, Taz,” she said in the same businesslike tone she'd used with him the night before.

“Come on, Li'l Mama. Can't we call a truce? I'm not with the simpin' sucka shit. It's just not in me. I love you, though, so I'm willin' to swallow my pride a li'l.”

“A little?” she asked with a hint of a smile on her face.

“Yeah, a li'l,” he said as he held up his thumb and index fingers inches apart from one another.

Damn, I love this man!
she thought to herself. To him she said, “Taz, I really thought I'd be able to deal with how you live, but I can't. You don't know how terrified I am while you're out of town doing that shit. I can't take it! I just can't!”

“I understand, Li'l Mama. That's why I'm about to get out of this shit. I know you don't believe me, but it's almost over. To be totally honest with you, I don't even have another mission to go on. All I have to do is make sure that a person gets where they need to be. After that, everything is a done deal. The party will be over. I know you don't trust Won or believe that he's goin' to stop needing me for things, but I need for you to believe in me. I haven't lied to you since we've met, and I don't intend on starting either. I'm not goin' to lose you over this li'l shit, Li'l Mama. Whatever it takes to prove it to you, I'm willing to do it. I can't take it without you next to me in my bed at night. It just don't feel right.”

Sacha smiled as his words weakened her resolve. “Do you give me your word that after you get whomever where they need to be that there will be no more out-of-town trips?”

“My word, Li'l Mama.”

“Do you give me your word that you will not under any circumstances do anything illegal for Won ever again?”

“My word.”

“Do you love me, Taz?”

“You know I do, baby. With all of my soul.”

“Then don't you ever break the promises you've just made to me. Because if you do, I'll never forgive you. Do you understand me, Taz Good? I'll
never
forgive you!”

“I understand, baby. Now, can I have a kiss or somethin'?”

Just as they were about to kiss one another, the receptionist said, “Excuse me, but you two can go in to see Doctor Moses now.”

Sacha smiled and said, “Come on, let's go see about our child.”

Taz smiled brightly and said, “I'm right behind you, Li'l Mama.”

 

 

Mama-Mama was up early as usual, cooking Tazneema a big breakfast.

Tazneema was sitting at the dining room table watching her grandmother prepare what looked like a meal for ten instead of two. She smiled and said, “Mama-Mama, why do you always have to cook so much food?”

“'Cause Mama-Mama loves to cook. Whatever's left over, I'll just take it over to the church so the good Reverend can eat as much as he wants to.”

“Hmph! I think you and the good Reverend gots something going on with each other!”

Mama-Mama turned around from the stove, smiled and said, “If we do, you'll never know.” They both started laughing as the telephone started ringing.

“I'll get it, Mama-Mama,” Tazneema said as she slowly rose from her seat and went into the living room to answer the phone. “Hello.”

“Hi, baby! You miss me?” asked Clifford.

Tazneema smiled and said, “You know I do. You shouldn't be calling here, Cliff. What if Mama-Mama answered the phone?”

“I would have asked for someone else, like I had the wrong number. What are you doing today?”

“Nothing but resting. I'm not supposed to be on my feet for at least a few more weeks.”

“Man, I wish I could see you.”

“Me too. But, look, I have to go. Mama-Mama is in the kitchen making me something to eat. I'll give you a call later on.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Tell me you love me.”

Tazneema gave a quick peek toward the kitchen and quickly said, “I love you! Bye!” After she hung up the phone, Mama-Mama asked her who was that who had called. “That was Lyla, Mama-Mama,” she lied as she walked back into the kitchen.

 

 

After the doctor confirmed that Sacha was indeed two months pregnant and in good health, Taz and Sacha left the doctor's office in a very good mood. “Do you want to go get something to eat?” asked Taz.

“Mmmm-hmm. I'm starving,” Sacha replied as they stepped outside.

“All right, this is what we'll do. I'll follow you back to your place. Then we'll head on out to Mama-Mama's for some of her good-ass breakfast food.”

“How do you know if she's made anything?”

Laughing, he said, “Come on, Li'l Mama. If there's one thing that I know for sure in this world, it's that my mother has been up, since maybe the crack of dawn, cooking something to eat, especially with 'Neema being over there. By the time 'Neema gets back on her feet, she's goin' to be so fat that it's goin' to take a hell of a lot of working out to get that weight off of her ass.”

They both laughed as Sacha climbed inside of her car. “In that case, let's go then! You know I'm eating for two now!”

After Taz closed her door for her, he smiled and said, “I'm right behind you, Li'l Mama!”

 

 

Tazneema had just finished eating when she heard Taz's loud music thumping from his truck. She smiled and said, “Here comes your son, Mama-Mama!”

“I wish that boy would turn that damn music down. He acts like he's deaf or something,” Mama-Mama said as she came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

Taz and Sacha came inside of the house, hand in hand. Taz smiled when he saw his mother and said, “What's up, Mama-Mama?”

“What's up with you, boy? Why in the hell do you always have that music of yours up so damn loud?”

“You know I live to gets my bump on,” Taz said as he turned toward Tazneema, winked his eye at her and said, “What's up with you? You straight?”

Nodding her head yes, Tazneema said, “I'm good. A li'l bored, but good.”

“At least you're bored here at Mama-Mama's instead of that stuffy old hospital room,” Sacha said as she sat down next to Tazneema on the couch.

“I know. So, what brought you two way out here?”

“Sacha was hungry, and I knew Mama-Mama had something on the stove, so I brought her over here so she could pig out a li'l,” Taz said with a smile on his face.

“Girl, get yourself in this kitchen and come make yourself a plate. I gots plenty of food in here for your butt,” Mama-Mama said as she turned and went back inside of the kitchen.

After Sacha followed Mama-Mama into the kitchen, Taz asked Tazneema, “How do you feel about Sacha? Do you really like her?”

“Yeah, she's cool. I see you two are getting deep, huh?”

“Yeah. I've asked her to be wifey.”

“For real? That's cool, Taz!”

“She pregnant too.”

“What? You mean to tell me that after all of these years you're finally about to give me a li'l brother or sister?”

He smiled at his daughter and said, “Looks like it. I just want you to know that, no matter what, you will always be my baby.”

“I already know that, Taz.”

“And no matter what changes I make in my life, your mother's memory will forever be in my heart. I've finally found someone who I can love and honor, but the love that I have for your mother is forever.”

With her eyes watering, Tazneema said, “I know, Daddy. I know.”

“
Daddy
? Where did that come from?” he asked with a smile on his face.

“Shoot, you got me getting all emotional and stuff. It kinda just came out. What? You don't like it when I call you Daddy?”

He smiled and said, “It's been so long that it shocked me a li'l bit. You can call me whatever you like, Babygirl. You know that.”

“Since you're in such a good mood, I need to talk to you about something without you going off on the deep end on me, Daddy.”

“What's up?”

“I spoke to Cliff last night and this morning. I really need to see him. I love him, and we plan on getting back together when I get back on my feet.”

Taz's smile turned to a frown quickly when he heard Tazneema mention Cliff's name. “There is no way in hell that I'm going to allow you to fuck with that nigga, 'Neema! Do you understand me? Don't you fuck with me on this shit! That nigga ain't shit, and there is no fuckin' way that I'm going to let you be with that nigga!”

“You can't stop me! I'm a grown-ass woman! How the fuck are you gon' step in and try to play the
daddy
role now? You passed them duties to Mama-Mama when shit got too rough for you, remember? Now, just because you don't like who I've chosen as my mate, you want to act all ‘father knows best,' and shit! Fuck that! I love that man, and I am going to be with him whether you like it or not,
Daddy
!”

Before Taz could respond to Tazneema's outburst, Mama-Mama and Sacha came back into the living room. “What the hell are you two screaming about?” yelled Mama-Mama.

“Your son here thinks he can run my life and tell me who I can and can't see!” screamed Tazneema.

“Nah! Your damn granddaughter has gotten too damn fast for her li'l ass! She thinks I'm goin' to let her be with that nigga, Cliff. I'm tellin' you, Mama-Mama, you need to talk some sense into this girl before I beat some into her ass!”

“Watch your mouth in my house, Taz! Now, 'Neema, you know we don't particularly care for that man. He done wrong in my home and almost took you away from us.”

“But, Mama-Mama, it was Taz's fault! If he would have left Cliff alone, he would have never pulled that trigger!”

“So, it's my fault that the nigga shot you, 'Neema? Is that how you truly see it, baby girl?” Taz asked calmly with a hurt expression on his face.

Tazneema stared at her father, and though she knew the words she was about to speak would hurt him, at that point and time she didn't give a damn. She loved her man, and she was going to stand behind him no matter what. “You damn skippy! I don't hate you for it, so you shouldn't hate my man. You have your future wife with you, and y'all have a baby on the way. I'm happy for the both of you, so why can't you be happy for what me and Cliff plan to share with each other?”

“Baby? Wife? What the hell is she talking about, Taz?” asked Mama-Mama.

“Sacha's pregnant, and I've asked her to marry me, Mama-Mama,” Taz said quickly. He took a deep breath and told Tazneema, “You can go against the grain if you want to, but just remember, once you step over that line, you're goin' to have to live with that for the rest of your life. I left you in the loving care of my mother because I knew I couldn't give you the balance you would need in this crazy-ass world. Sometimes I regret the decisions I've made, and sometimes I know that leaving you with Mama-Mama was the best decision I've ever made. I love you, 'Neema. You're my only child. Please, don't go against me.”

Tazneema was shocked . . . shocked because she had never heard her father speak to her in this manner. Her anger overrode all rationality though. She was in love, and she had the right to be with whomever she wanted. And she wanted Cliff. It was as simple as that. “I love you too, Daddy. But I also love my man. Whether you accept it or not, I'm going to keep loving Cliff.”

Taz's voice turned stone-cold as he asked, “Are you sure you want to go against the grain, Tazneema?”

“I'm standing behind my man, Taz,” she replied just as coldly.”

Taz nodded and said, “So be it. When he dies a slow death, I hope you won't hate me.”

“If he does die, I will hate you for the rest of my life, Taz.”

“So be it.”

“You two, stop this nonsense right this minute! Taz, you are not going to do anything to that man! Do you hear me?” yelled Mama-Mama.

“Yeah, I hear you, Mama-Mama. But you and I both know that when my mind is made up, no one is goin' to change it. I'm in no way tryin' to be disrespectful, but that nigga has to die by my hand.”

Taz then turned his attention back toward his daughter and said, “I have given you all of the love and financial support any child could hope for. I know my not being around all of the time has hurt you, but it was for your own protection. You don't know me, 'Neema. You don't know what I'm really capable of. I've always sworn that I would never let you see that part of me. But you have now forced my hand, and because of that, you are about to see a part of your flesh and blood that you're going to wish you had never seen. So, warn your man. Let him know that the coldest nigga in Oklahoma City is comin' after his ass.” He grabbed Sacha's hand and said, “Come on, let's bounce, Li'l Mama.”

As they walked out of Mama-Mama's house, Tazneema cried in her grandmother's lap. “Why? Why can't he let me be happy with Cliff, Mama-Mama?”

“He's your father, baby. All he wants to do is protect you from the evils of this world.”

“But Cliff isn't evil, Mama-Mama! He's a good man!” she cried.

“Not in your daddy's eyes, baby. I know my son better than anyone in this world. When he lost your mother, he was on the verge of going crazy. To this very day, I don't know exactly what brought him back to me. I'm thankful to God that he's still here and has done so well for himself. I'm no fool, and I know that he got all of that fancy stuff from doing something illegal. He has taken care of the both of us for a very long time now. I have to respect him for that. You have to respect him for it also. If he doesn't want you to be with that man, then you should listen to your father and not be with him.”