“Girl, if you could just see what I see. I don’t care about you being pregnant. You too good for that nigga. I can take care of you like a real man is supposed to. He got y’all living at his mama’s house. You need to step up in life and get with a real nigga.”
“Look, please don’t call here again. I just can’t handle the drama that comes along with this.” I said as I hung up the phone.
After that conversation I was on edge thinking that Jahrein would figure things out. Then Red blew my mind when she announced that she got a hook up on a low income apartment for us. The apartment would be in her mama’s name that lived on a fixed income. That would basically leave us paying about a hundred dollars a month in rent. Jah was excited, because he was ready for us to move out. I, on the other hand, felt indifferent. I would be on my own in a sense, but he was going to be there trying to run every damn thing and there would be no parent there to level the playing field.
A week after Red told us about the apartment we were moving in it. The
Cunney Homes were hood, right in the heart of 3rdWard. We had a two story two bedroom apartment. It was okay on the inside, but after I was finished withit, it was actually nice. I pulled out my stash to make that happen. I bought a living room and dining room suit. The furniture was all black and leather. We took our bedroom furniture from Red’s house. Jahrein was surprised that I paid for that all by myself. I told him to keep his money and save it for the baby.
Just a few days later I found a wad of cash on the kitchen’s counter top. He came home and told me to keep it, and that it was reimbursement for the furniture.
“All that shit is my job.” he laid down the law, as he headed back out the door.
We had a completely furnished apartment and things didn’t seem so bad. Jahrein even began letting me use his car; here and there. I think that he was giving me so much freedom, because I was getting further along in my pregnancy and probably figured that I would less likely do anything with a big round belly.
Shortly after moving into our own place Red threw me a baby shower. It turned out very nice. All my friends came along with my family from both sides as well as Jahrein’s. It was so big that we had to have it at a rented hall. That was where I met Jahrein’s older brother Jaylen for the first time. He was handsome just like the rest of his brothers. So, the baby shower kind of turned into a welcome home party as well. That meant that there were plenty of niggas in attendance. I wasn’t even tripping because my unborn child ended up with more gifts than one child could use.
After staying in the Cunney Homes for three months, I gave birth to Jhyrah Ty Braxton. She was seven and a half pounds, and looked just like her olderbrother. She was so beautiful to me. That experience was quite different from my first, because I’d expected her arrival. I was overjoyed to meet her and at that moment I realized that I didn’t regret making her.
Jahrein was beaming with pride and even gave me the biggest surprise. He asked me to be his wife in front of our entire family. I was a little caught off guard, because I thought that marriage was so far away. Hell, I still had two years and some change before I’d even be legal. Still, I took his engagement ring; happily.
Chapter 7
(Down for You/JaRule & Murder Inc.)
“I’d ride for you. Die for you. Do anything you want me to.”
2000
I was sitting in my bed with the kids waiting for Jahrein to come home. It was three in the morning and I hadn’t heard from him. I was pissed because he knew that I had to be to school in the morning. It was his responsibility to keep the kids during the day.
I somehow managed to keep up in school even with two children. I was in the tenth grade and still in the gifted classes. I loved the thought that I could still possibly do something with myself despite all the adversity I faced. I didn’t play when it came to school and he knew that.
Finally, at five in the morning I heard the front door slam shut. I was ready to go off until I heard, “Raven, baby, those niggas got me.” Jahrein said in a strained voice.
“What?” I asked him as I jumped out of the bed. I hurried down the stairs to find him holding his bleeding head.
“Some niggas got me.” he said again.
“Who got you, baby?” I asked him as I moved in closer to get a better look. He had a busted lip and a huge gash in his forehead. I was boiling hot.
“Some niggas. I couldn’t see their faces cause they had bandanas tied over their faces. They took the work and my money. I had just rescored. That was at least a two G lost.” he said exasperated.
That was so fucked up. To some that may not have seemed like a major loss, but to most niggas in Houston, Texas in 2000 that wasmajor. I knew that we were set back. We had bills to pay and Jahrein was a man with pride that didn’t like to ask people for shit. So, asking our parents for help was out of the question.
“Baby, it’s going to be okay.” I attempted to assure as I gave him a hug.
He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. “Yeah, you damn right. Because I’m a do whatever to feed mine. If I gotta kick down some doors or take a nigga to a back room, we gonna eat.” I didn’t like the sound of that. He was talking about taking too many risks. I hated that he sold drugs to provide for us, and I didn’t want to even imagine him doing things worse than that.
“Baby, you won’t have to go to those extremes. I can get you the money to rescore.”
“What?” he looked at me like I was crazy. “Raven, your ass aint gon do shit but take care of my kids. That’s the only thing that you need to concern yourself with.”
“Baby, just let me help you this one time, please.” I begged him.
“No, Raven. I got this.” my man claimed, although I saw the uncertainty in his eyes.
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