“Okay, then, well you just told him now because he just heard every word you said. I got you on speaker,” I responded then hung up the phone.
Walking up to the side of Justin’s bed as he laid there with a look of horror in his eyes, I smacked him as hard as I could across his face.
Turning around to leave, Tate was standing there glaring at Justin while Dawn was digging in her purse. I was hoping that she wasn’t going to pull out a weapon because I didn’t want to catch a charge for abusing a patient. Pulling out a familiar looking paper, she handed them to Justin.
“Oh, and by the way, sign these divorce papers before we leave before I have to whip your ass again up in this bitch!” Dawn spat as I looked at her like she was crazy.
No wonder it took her forever to get her shoes back at the house. She was in my room looking through my shit for my divorce papers.
I couldn’t even be mad at her though. I needed those papers signed like yesterday. Dawn handed Justin a pen so that he could sign the papers, then I snatched them off of the bedside table she placed them on and left.
It felt good to get all of that off my chest. The look on Justin’s face would be one that I would never forget. Leaving the hospital that day, I never felt better. I felt free, vindicated, and finally happy.
AVA
“I’m so excited for you, but I’m also sad at the same time,” my sister Dawn said as she helped me pack the last of my boxes into the back of the moving truck.
“Why you sad? You act like I’m moving to another state. I’m literally moving across the street and six houses down.” I heaved placing the heavy box that I was carrying into the back of the truck.
“I know, I just got used to you staying with me is all,” Dawn whined. She was standing there waiting for Kevin and his cousin to finish loading the rest of my furniture from his basement into the back of the moving truck.
“What was that saying Momma used to always say?Every woman needs their own kitchen, I believe. You and I both know that we require our own space.”
“I agree, every woman does need their own kitchen, but we’re sisters. That saying doesn’t apply to us,” Dawn countered.
“I disagree. I did have fun staying with you for three whole long months, and I appreciate you for being supportive as I went through all that shit with my soon to be ex and Shane. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about having my own.”
“I get it, and no thanks needed, sis. I’d do it all again if it ever comes down to it. Speaking of those two devils, what’s the word on them? Have you heard from either one of those fools?” Dawn asked, rolling her eyes at the mention of Justin and Shane.
“Unfortunately, I’ve heard from both of them. Shane hasn’t been doing too well health wise, and Justin finally revealed his test results to me.”
“Oh, you been holdin’ out on the tea, honey!” Dawn screeched, causing me to bust out laughing.
“Not exactly. I’ve just been more focused on closing on my townhouse and moving. Ain’t nobody worried about them two idiots to be honest.”
“I get that. So, what’s the tea, boo?”
“Like I said, Shane hasn’t been doing too well?—”
“Hell, the way I see it is that’s his issue! Ain’t no telling how long he’s been walking around HIV positive, spreading that shit to all those dudes he was fucking around with,” Dawn interrupted.
“That’s so true. I hate to even think or imagine the magnitude of his recklessness. I hope he kept it real with all of his sex partners so that they all can get tested and tell all of their other sex partners to do the same. Can you imagine?” I asked, shaking my head as Dawn gave me a look of disgust. “You know he only messes around with men on the DL, let him tell it.”
“Straight facts, with his sick ass! I don’t want to imagine that shit. So, what did Justin’s disrespectful, nasty ass have to say?” Dawn probed for more information.
“He ended up getting tested while he was in the hospital recovering from his hip surgery. His results came back positive for the virus. He has been calling me damn near daily crying me a river about his indiscretions. He and Tate are no longer talking from what he told me. Tate’s test came back negative, but at the same time, he’s pissed about the whole situation, especiallyhaving to get tested in the first place. And I get it, I totally understand exactly how he feels.”
“My goodness! It’s a HIV pandemic with them fools. You let your doctor know about his results, right?”
“I did and since my results were negative, we discussed how to move forward with future tests that I will have to get.”
“Thank God for that! It would have been really jacked up if you had tested positive.”
“Tell me about it. I probably would’ve gone on a killing spree had that happened. According to my doctor though, I’m not completely out of the woods just yet. Even though my results were negative, my doctor said that I should get tested at least four times a year or every three months. That’s just to be cautious because I most definitely don’t want to be walking with that shit and not know like Shane was.”
“No bullshit!” Dawn agreed.
“So, I get why Tate is upset even though he tested negative as well. Hell, HIV is something you don’t really think about until it hits you or someone close to you. This was a little too close to home for me and it has definitely been an eye opener if nothing else. I keep thinking that although my first set of results were negative, what if I’m that small percentage of people who end up testing positive later on down the line.”
