Graduation Day BY : Julian
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You ever had a crush on that special someone ? Someone you could always count on to have your back, someone who you can see yourself growing old with ? i do but i never thought i would. It's like one minute we were boys and the next, i was all into him but that's where it ends. If he ever suspected me of spotting his shit, my ass would have been tore up from the floor up. And that, i couldn't deal with.
Me and him go way back. Back to 1986 when we first met. Or maybe i should say when his fist first met my face. We were both in the school yard spotting the same girl (before i knew any better). This honey was the finest thing outta L.A. and she brought with her all of the Hollywood attitude you hear about. Needless to say, she wasn't into either of us but got her kicks from wathcing us rumble over her. When the dust was settled i had me a broken nose and him a scratch- a scratch ! if one thing i learned back then it was this, don't start none, won't be none. Anyway, we watched this honey we thought was fly walk out the gate and into the arms and car of a highschool senior. " Can you believe that shit man ? " holding my bloody nose i nodded. He looked at me and broke out into a smile, "I know that shit must hurt. You aigh't man, i need to go get you a nurse or something ? " " No, i'll live. " and that's how it started, how we started. He thought i was a tough guy for not crying, " I done punched alot a nigga's but you the first not to cry, i respect that, you wanna hang ? " " Sure thing man. " " there's one thing though ? " " What ? " " No more fighting over the same chick aigh't. " now he didn't have to worry about that. Shortly after that incident i switched sides and i ain't been back since. " Aigh't. ".
That day marked the beginning of what was and still is a rollercoster ride. We've had our ups and our downs but we still managed to keep our friendship alive. And that's how i wanted to keep it but as y'all know, life is just not predictable. About two weeks ago i got a call from him at about six thirty in the afternoon. " Yo man, i need to see you now, you busy ? " " For you, never. What's up ? you sound excited, what happened ? " " Nigga you ain't gonna be believing, i just got to tell you in person, you think you can skip out early and meet me somewhere. " i knew i shouldn't but as always, it was hard to say no to him. " Ok man, i'm leaving in five, you want to meet at ANDY'S ? " " Whatever you want, just hurry up. " Click.
Now i was more than just curious to know what was up. He rarely got this excited about anything. On my way to ANDY'S i thought maybe he had one the lottery or the D.A. had finally decided to drop those ridiculous breaking and entering charges from last year. Yeah yeah yeah, one of us has to be a bad seed, isn't that how it always works, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, Me and Him. Last year around Christmas he broke into his girls' house and took back all the shit he had bought her. Yeah that bitch was a tramp and i'm not saying that cause i want him for myself, though i do, i say it cause it's true. She never brought anything good to him, just her project drama- babydaddy this, welfare cheque that, homegirl's man this and on and on and on. Two volatile people like him and her don't need to be hooking up and i done told him that but he convinced he all in love with her. " she got my back B, she got my back, you'll see. " i saw alright, she got his back and shoved it right into a jail cell. But that was then. He finally got rid of that around Easter and been riding solo since. Though i coudn't tell him how i felt, i knew that i had all of him back and that's how i planned to keep it. Now here i was waiting on him and hopeing that this was good news.
" Yo Adrian, Adrain, over here man. " i turned around at the sound of my name and saw him waving to me. I couldn't help but feel my face light up like a candle. " What's up D ? " " Nothing man, just got me some great news. " " Yeah ? What ? " " Buy a brotha a drink and maybe i tell you. " " Oh, so you wanna play that game. " i said nudging him. He nudged me back replying, " it's good, your ass is definately gonna wanna hear this. " and i did so i took out my wallet and put two tens down on the bar.
As i looked at him, his back to me i wondered for what must have been like the hundreth time why i was so attracted to him. Apart from the obvious, tall, dark and handsome and the not so obvious, hispanic heritage and fluency in english, french, spanish and russian thanks to the USMC i couldn't quite guess what made him so marketable to me. Yeah if i didn't know him i would have an excuse but this was Dameon. The same foul mouth, nigga this, hoe that, knock around guy i been through hell and back with. I coulda gotten down with any other nigga i wanted but no, he was the only one i wanted to be down with. And wishing was all i would ever get out of it. I don't think there was another more True Blue Heterosexual, Machochistic brotha in all of NYC than Dameon Stephen d'Paul. He got pussy around him 24/7 and not to disrespect the ladies but if they was around Dameon, that's all they was. Turning from the bar he handed me a Heiniken and retrieved his rum and coke from the bar counter. " So what's the big news ? you done win Mega Millions or something ? " " Something like that. " now i was curious. " Come on man, tell me, please. " " Ok nigga, you don't got to be begging. " he leaned in close to me and said something i thought i would never hear in this lifetime, i never wanted to hear that shit and most importantly, i didn't need to be hearing that shit. " your boy is getting married ! " you know my reaction was something like, " Say what ? " " Yup, i done did it. I'm getting married. " and it was as if time stopped. Dameon getting married ? this was like some shit from the twilight zone. " Getting married to who ? " " Who you think ? Terry ! " that same bitch i told y'all about. " Nigga did you lose your mind ? why the fuck would you go and marry Terry ? " " Because. " " Because what ? " " Because she having my kid. " now you know when people go into shock they can't move, well that was me, frozen like a popsickle stick. " Yo Adrian, you ok. " " Yeah, listen man, i got to go. " " Say what ? " " I got to go back to work. " and i got up and walked out as fast as i could. In the parking lot i found a spot near a broken street light and sat down. Minutes later i heard footsteps and out came Dameon. " Shit ! " he cursed to himself then turned back around and walked back inside.
Now two weeks later i was dodgeing him like the plague while trying to keep my dignity and not fall to pieces. D had called me no less than twice a day everyday leaving all sort of messages on my machine like : "Yo Dre what's up with you ? you all mad and shit over something you ain't gotta be mad ova. Come on man, we supposed to be boys, how you gonna treat me like this. Come on playa call me. " and this : " When i find you i'm gonna kick your ass nigga. How you gonna have me running round the place looking for yo ass. What's up wit you ? why you trippin, call me nigga ? " i admit i felt bad but anything was better than confronting him about this. Why he had to go hook up with Terry ? and after all the shit she done put him through. By week three i was tired of having to dodge my phone and clearing my answering machine so i called him up. " Yo i ain't got a fucking thing to say to you Dre. " " i deserved that man... " " Yeah right, your ass deserved that. How you gonna ignore me like we ain't even boyz. " i swear he sounded hurt when he said it. " You know i don't mean anythign by it D, i was just suprised, that's all, i mean i didn't even know you and her got back together. " " We didn't man. We been kicking it since after New Years and shit happened. I'm doing the right thing man. I gots to do this fo my kid. " and that was what i had expected him to say. Yeah he was a rough neck but he got his priorities straight. " I'm sorry D, i was just... " he cut me off, " I know man, i know. Me and you done know each other too long fo that. I know you don't like Terry but she gonna be having ma kid and i got to do right by him. " " How you know it's gonna be a him ? " " Because i know nigga. " " Ha, what if it's a girl ? " " I'll love her just the same. " and he would.
Well i made it through the wedding. A small affair at city hall with D,Terry, me and D's mom and grandmom. Afterwards we all went to a restuarant in Manahattan to celebrate. Mama Paul seemed to be in high spirits thinking of the grandbaby she was gonna be having in a few months. Terry on the other hand looked like she coulda cared less. She was too busy eyeing the waiter everytime he passed. When D went to take his mom and grandmom to the back i said my piece. " what kinda scam you running Terry ? " she turned to look at me and rolled her eyes. " Excuse me ? " " You heard me. " you no manners, weave wearing bitch. " Listen Adrian, i don't like you and you don't like me so how bout we both stay the fuck out of the others' way aigh't ! " " is that even D's baby ? " now remember i done told y'all about her projectish mentality, well here it comes, " Listen nigga, mind yo goddamn business and stay the fuck outta mine. So what if this lil nigga ain't yo boy's kid, i don't give a fuck. I got the ring and i got his cash so fuck off. " i was about to turn it up a notch when D decided to make his reappearance. From the look on his face i knew he was reading my expression. " Everything aigh't ? " " Yeah baby, everything is fine but i think i wanna go home now. This baby is actin up. " this priceless expression that i have never seen before came over his face. " Ok baby, we gonna be goin right now, yo Adrain, you think you can drop moms and grandmom off fo me ? " " Yeah D, no problem. " " Thanks man. " with that he took the hand of his, i ain't even know what to call her, and walked out. I felt my blood begin to boil and a million and one things that i would love to have seen happen to the bitch came to my mind. " So what do you think of her Adrian. " at a stoplight i turned to look at Mama Paul, " She's ok... " "Now come on Adrian, how long you been hanging around my house ? i want the truth. " " I don't like her, and i don't think that she and D shoulda gotten married. " she nodded her head, " I agree. Something about that tramp just wasn't fitting right. Trying to smile up in my face when she a damn hypocrite. I seen right through that Saint Mary act. " i had to smile, mama Paul hit the nail right on the head. " My son deserves somebody who's gonna be straight with him all the way. " and with that she turned to glare at me. Now that got me bigtime. Maybe she knew i was checking her son. " yeah, you're right. " if only she knew that there was someone who was already prepared to do all of that.
" Yo man he the must beautiful thing you ever seen. Damn, i wish i coulda showed you him Dre. He my heart man. " " I know D, i know. So when you going to bring him home ? " " A don't know, just trying to sort out some things right now, but it's gonna be real soon and you gonna be god daddy, you know that right ? " " Yeah D, i know. " and i was only too happy to be. I was already a god father to my sister's son so this was nothing new, except it was. I was gonna be a god daddy to my best friends' son. Now this was something to celebrate. I took myself down to a club somewhere in Long Island. I been there once with a friend a mine. And as i expected, place was packed with wall to wall brothas looking for the same thing i was into - some hardcore botty lovin. It's been too damn long for me. I think i finally got my head outta my ass and was thinking of my future without Dameon in it. Yeah i was sad as shit about it but i was ready to see what else was out there.