Tears Of A Priority

Chapter 27

Tears Of A Priority

I'm steady tryna find a motive,
Why do what I do?,
Freedom ain't gettin' no closer,
No matter how far I go,
My car is stolen, no registration,
Cops patrollin', and now they done stop me,
And I get locked up,
They won't let me out, they won't let me out, (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out no, they won't let me out, (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out, they won't let me out, (I'm locked up)
They won't let me out no, they won't let me out
Headin' up town to re-up
Back with a couple of keys
Corner blocks on fire,
Under covers dressed as fiends,
Makin' so much money,
Ride up smooth and fast,
Put away the stash,
And as I sold the last bag fucked around and got locked up

Akon - locked up .

Ja laid on his cell bed , & looked up at the ceiling of the cell he was being held in . All he could think about was how much he missed Mercedes . Her smell , her soft skin , the dimples that sunk into her cheeks when she smiled , her smart ass mouth & her beautiful personality .

Ja knew he could've gotten himself off by simply killing the officers who arrested him but he decided to stick the two years he received - out . He was happy that he hadn't received any other charges prior to getting pulled over or else he would've had longer .

Every night Mercedes and Ja spoke , she cried on the phone about how much she missed him & how she would hold him down while he was in jail . If that wasn't a wakeup call for Ja to get his shit together  ... He didn't know what else would do the trick . After all he'd done to her , she was still down to rock with him & that showed him a lot about her character .

Ja just hated that he couldn't be there to make sure Mercedes made good on her word . He knew Mercedes was every niggas dream girl ...  Who was to say that she wouldn't find better and move on ? To say that would hurt Ja would be a understatement , he didn't want to experience that kind of pain that's why he hoped she kept her word . It was selfish of him after all he put her through but it was the nigga in him .

She kept money on his books , sent him care packages even though the prison gave her a hard time every time , she sent briefs , sweats , T-shirts and socks & even wrote to him and sent him pics sometimes . He had been down for only 2 months but those months had dragged on as Mercedes did what she had to do to make sure Ja was good .

Running herself ragged , she lost about 20 pounds and the shaped that Ja was so familiar with was just a memory . Yes , she was still healthy but Ja knew his absence was taking its toll on her .

Often times Ja spoke with her parents over the phone and they would tell him she wasn't herself , and that she was making herself sick from stressing out . Ja just shook his head & dropped it in guilt . As much as she had fronted when they had broken up , he didn't think she cared about his well being that much .

                                 •••

Mercedes sat at the dining room table with Ja's parents and watched them eat dinner . They were engaging in small talk with each other but Mercedes wasn't too interested . She just wanted to sleep , her body was behaving weirdly & always felt sick . The weight loss had her not being able to fit her clothes & wearing nothing but leggings and T-shirts .

" Cedes , we are worried about you ? What's going on sweet heart "? Tyra asked solemnly .

" Nothing Ma , just tired is all ". Mercedes responded waving her off to take the attention off of her . " Have you guys spoke to Jazir "?