Shut Up & Listen

2. get back

April 13-16, 2022

| jemaika, 21|

[]
The elevator opened to reveal something out of a true crime show. It was astonishing. Chairs strewn about, glass, shattered, on the porcelain tiled floors. He walked further in, anger filling his gut as he ventured about. The television had been bashed in and couches flipped. What he saw next made his heart drop and his ears hot. He grit his teeth walking into the living room. He reached his hand out as he got closer to the green fabric that had been cut and ripped from Cecil sr.'s chair. He stopped, standing still with his eyes closed and his fits at his side in an attempt to calm himself.

As he gathered himself, his mind ran to the reason he was there. Cole. He went through the loft searching for him only to find no one home. Defeated, he sat on the floor in Cole's room. He picked up the blanket that was on the floor beside him and started to fold it up then looked at the bed that was bare. In the linen closet, he found still neatly folded sheets and grabbed a fitted one and a top sheet and took them back to Cole's room. After making the bed, he sat on it, laid on it, looking up at the ceiling with his arm thrown across his chest. Reflecting on the days events.

His morning started with a pounding headache that forced him from slumber. He could barely open his eyes because of the brightness of the morning sun. His body aching, he trekked across the room to close the curtains in his bedroom at his parents' house. Not even having the energy to get back in bed, he slid down the wall and sat on the floor beside the window. That's when he finally saw his room in entirety. It was basically empty. There were no clothes in the closet which was slightly ajar. His shoe boxes were empty. He stood, opening drawers finding only socks who lacked matches and and random silica packets.

He rushed to the hallway to find the bathroom which had also been cleared of his things. He sat on the closed toilet lid and was joined by the presence of Jah who was standing in the threshold of the bathroom door.

"Where's all my shit?" Lonnie asked. He didn't look up at his brother, rather his feet or his hands as he looked down.

Jah was quiet. It wasn't unusual, Jah wasn't always that talkative.

"Jah, where the fuck is all my things?"

"I'm sorry, Black." Jah said softly.

Lonnie finally picked his head up to see a solemn face standing across the room from him. His chest began to rise and fall with depth as energy began to surge through his body rapidly.

"Maverik said you can stay with him though. Until daddy figure everything out."

"Is it because Maki getting out? What? He got a room."

"Nah, it ain't about Mak."

"Then what? What did I do?" He begged, his worst fear coming to life. "Why is he giving me back?"

Jah took a deep breath, avoiding making wye contact with his adopted brother. "It's not like that. I swear. Just. Just keep cool and don't ask too many questions. Okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't overreact when Daddy come to pick you up, aight? You'll be back soon. We still a family. That's all that matters. We're family. Forever."

Lonnie only watched, in silence, as his brother left him in the dark bathroom only lit by the morning sun. He focused on the rhythm of  the water dripping from the shower head to stay calm. The beat of his heart was loud in his ears just as it is now as he's laying flat on his back in Cole's bed. 

He looked around to find a clock, searching for the time of day but only found mess and clutter from the break in. He picked up the side table that had been knocked over hoping to find the remote to the tv that was mounted on the wall of the bedroom. This began a series of picking things up and putting them where they belong until he found the remote which was strewn in an obscure landing.

After turning the TV on to check the time, he looked around and realized he'd cleaned the whole room. He scrunched his face then laughed at himself. It was nearly four in the evening. Around three hours later, he returned to the room to check the time after putting the rest of the loft back together. He felt accomplished, taking a rest in the California king sized bed, he heard a grumble in his belly. With no money on him and no phone, he knew he couldn't order anything and wouldn't dare leave with that new guard on his ass, he went to the kitchen.

The time had gone from three hours to three days and still no one had come to the apartment. Specifically, he was waiting for Cole. He'd settle for Dame. Some moments he even thought that he should've gone there first. He sat in the kitchen having a drink when he heard keys jingling at the front door. He paused, skeptically, waiting for another sound. Click! The door opened. He waited for someone to make themselves known but there was no sound but the door being shut. Silence. He wanted to go see what was happening but he also didn't want to startle whomever it was because they didn't know anyone would be there. How would he explain his presence if it was anyone but Cole who had just entered.

After a long few seconds, he heard a bag drop and mumbling. "Cole?" He asked, preparing to get up from his seat. "It's me." He said, coming through the threshold of the kitchen into the living room.

He turned the corner to a stunned Colin, staring at him in disbelief which startled him. He walked over to him, taking his hand into his. His other hand was placed on Cole's cheek, wiping a tear that had rolled down.

Cole couldn't speak. He touched Lonnie all over and then hugged him, grabbing him and holding his body against his, feeling his heartbeat and his breath on his neck. "It's really you." Cole whispered to himself.

Both men had been through certain types of hell in their couple of weeks apart and this hug nearly healed them each. "I thought you were dead." Cole told him, still not letting go. Lonnie held him tighter.

"Never dude." He said softly, caressing the back of Cole's head.

Just moments into their reunion, the door opened again, right behind them. Lonnie looked up.

"Who is this?" The woman asked, looking the six foot caramel skinned man up and down with discretion.

Cole finally let go of Lonnie to introduce him to his girlfriend.

"Baby," Cole started, earning a jerk of the neck from Lonnie, "this is my friend Lonnie." He looked back at Lonnie and said, "Lonnie this is-"

"Jemaika." Lonnie cut him off.

Cole nodded. "My girlfriend." Emphasizing the last word to the man.

"Can I give you a hug?" Lonnie asked, walking towards her.

"Bring it in." She smiled widely and they hugged. "I thought you said it would be a mess in here." She called to Cole as she finally got a chance to take in the room.

"It was when I left."

"It was. I got it together though. But, what happened?"

"I don't know." Cole sighed as he walked over to his father's green easy chair which was ripped in the center, cut by a knife. He took a blanket from the basket beside it and curled up on the large chair. Within seconds, he was out, leaving his two most recent love interests in the loft nearly alone.

May 26 2023
Arie