URBAN 2

THIRTY FOUR

Ashanti

"Wake up, dummy," I said softly as I gently tapped Tyrese.

"Yooo," he muttered. "Let man sleep,"

I smiled a little and held his hand. "You've been sleeping all day, you're supposed to be up on your feet by now,"

He looked at me. "I'm tired. Yo, man had a bullet through his lung." he sat up and coughed a little. "Let me live,"

I sat on his bed and looked at him. "I'm so happy you're better now. They said they're gonna discharge you in a couple days,"

He nodded. "What are you saying, though? Eli told me you've been off the radar for a couple weeks,"

"Ahh," I didn't wanna tell him how I almost killed myself and how Azeria isn't with us just yet. Don't want him to stress and blame Keem and get angry and all that. "Just baby blues. But I'm fine now,"

"Mad how you ain't brought your babies to see man yet," he frowned. "I'm their blood uncle you know,"

"I knowww," I stood up. If he knew Azeria was kidnapped he would get so mad. "They're just so little, I don't wanna be bringing them to the hospital like that, with covid still about and that,"

He didn't look convinced. "You don't want them to see me like this, ennit,"

I shrugged. "Did you want Kanu seeing you like this?"

"Nah, wish Eli hadn't brought him here that much. When I woke up and carried him he was crying so much... nah, it was unreal," he shook his head. "That's them kinda things that traumatise kids,"

"So... do you think this is a sign to stop with the gang life?" I asked.

"You can't just 'stop the gang life'. It follows you wherever you go," he laughed and coughed a little.

"Okay. But what if you died?" I asked.

"Died tryna help your man?" he laughed harder. "That's when I'd be pissed. Don't even rate Keem like that, don't know why I even stepped out to help him that night,"

I rolled my eyes. "You care about him, don't even do that,"

He shrugged and looked at his phone. "Yo, wagwan with Eli, though?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She's been moving weird," he continued. "Bare arguing with me for no reason like I didn't just come back from the dead,"

I stayed quiet.

"It's like she's tryna start a problem between us." Ty continued.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I saw her yesterday, she seemed fine, I can't lie,"

"I must've mentioned you and Keem then she freaked and acted like she had somewhere to be and left man,"

That's weird. You know when you're putting things together but at the same time, you don't know what it means.

The way Eli was at Keem yesterday. Hm. The way Keem was chatting the most about her the other day. Hmm.

And I know it's deep cos Keem doesn't like mix up. Before Keem and I got serious he sat me down one day and told me that I'm not a good friend to Eli and that I either need to cut her off or do better. So I listened and did better.

What happened?

A nurse came in. "Oh, sorry, I didn't you had a visitor." she stood by the door.

"No, no, it's okay, I just wanted to check on him, I'm not stopping." I squeezed Ty's hand. "Okay, I'll be back maybe tomorrow, yeah? I wanna see you standing up at least, don't be a lazy shit," I joked as I left.