“I don’t know. It just hurts so bad.” I cried. At that point I knew that I was about to die.
“Oh God, let me call 911.” she ran for the phone.
I tried to stand up, but another wave of pain knocked me back down. “Oww.” I cried.
Red walked into the bathroom, speaking with a dispatcher. “Raven, tell me exactly what happened.” she instructed.
I went on to explain how the piss started coming out by itself and everything.
“Oh my God! Oh my God. I think this girl is in labor!” she screamed into the phone.
“In labor?” I repeated. This broad had to be crazy cause aint no way in hell was there a baby up in me.
“Yeah, just try to relax, Raven. The paramedics are on their way. Just breathe.”
I didn’t know why she was telling me that shit like one of those people in those movies. I was not pregnant! My stomach was just as flat as ever.
The damn paramedics arrived and came into the restroom where I was now lying on the floor. My legs were spread apart, but I didn’t have any shame. I just wanted the pain to stop.
“She’s crowning.” the young white paramedic announced.
Crowning? I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
“Okay, Raven, we need you to push for us.” he instructed. I still thought that they were all crazy, but I was willing to do anything at that point to make the pain go away. So, I pushed.
“What’s wrong with her?” I heard Jahrein’s voice ask in the hallway.
“She’s having a baby.” Red mumbled.
“A baby?” he repeated. I could detect the fear in his voice.
“Yeah, a baby.” Red snapped, clearly agitated.
“Push!” the paramedic demanded.
I pushed with all my might.
“It’s a boy! Now, come on, Raven, push one more time for me.” and just like that I pushed. Out came this little being. For a few seconds everything was on mute. A baby had just been removed from my body. It was like I was in some parallel universe.
Finally, the baby’s cries brought me back to earth. My baby, no,ourbaby was wailing. I watched Jahrein stand in the doorway with his mouth wide open as the paramedic held the baby. He probably was thinking the same thing that I was thinking. Is this some kind ofdream? I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I knew that we were definitely in trouble now.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I was sitting in the hospital bed scared as hell. My baby was in NICU. Really, I was still coming to terms with the fact that I had a child. He was born at exactly three pounds and was expected to get better. His lungs were a little weak, but other than that he was fine. Jahrein was asking the doctor a million questions about the baby. Everybody had to keep telling him that the baby would be okay. Me, I was scared shitless about telling everyone that I’d been having sex with Jahrein, and that he was the baby’s daddy. And it seemed that Jahrein didn’t give a damn as he paced back and forth, worried sick about our baby’s health.
Red had to call my mama and she brought her raggedy ass up there. Then she demanded to know who got me pregnant, right along with Red. I told them that I didn’t know. Tisha was blaming Red and my daddy for this, and that made me feel guilty. Eventually, she took her trifling ass home, but not before causing a scene. Security had to actually escort her off the premises. I could tell that the situation was stressing Red out. My daddy had trusted her to look after me, and then this happens.
I was petrified about telling the truth. I didn’t know what Red’s reaction would be. And I knew that after I’d tell her, she’d tell Ray-Ray. I could just imagine him strangling the life out of Jahrein when he gets released from jail. Still, it had to be done, so I asked to talk to Red alone. So, Shell, Jalero, my cousin Trinity, Misha, and my grandma Momo left the room. Jahrein was still lingering around. I gave him a look.
“What?”
“I need to talk to Red,alone.”
“For what?” he wanted to know.
“Jahrein, get out, boy!” Red exclaimed. Finally, he left the room. “I don’t know what’s been going through his head lately. He’s acting fucking crazy when I already got this shit to deal with.” She fumed.
I could tell that she was beyond stressed, and it caused butterflies to brew in my stomach. “Red, I want to tell you something, but I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
