Glass Heart

3

"Knock knock" Kareem walked into his mom’s house and went straight to the kitchen. As he thought, she was standing over the stove cooking dinner. "Hey ma"

"Hey sweetie, what brings you by?" She smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Don't you have work in a few?"

"Yea I do, just stopped by to see wassup with you" he lifted the top to one of the pots "Chicken and dumplings. Haven't had that in a while"

"And you won't have it anytime soon. I'm having company and this is his favorite"

"Damn, already putting one of your lil friends in front of me?" He put his hand over his heart "I'm hurt"

His mom, Joyce, laughed as she playfully pushed him "Never baby, but this guest is something special to me"

Kareem walked over to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle "It's a woman, right?"

His mom stayed quiet.

"Guess I'm callin out today" he pulled out his phone to call in sick but his mom stopped him "What?"

"We've been kinda dating for a few weeks ok? He's a nice guy"

"I wanna meet him. Ain't no nigga about to be all on my momma till I say it’s ok?"

Joyce shook her head "I'm a grown woman Kareem. The last thing I need is my son standing over me likes he's God"

"Newsflash momma, you don't have the best luck in choosing men. I'm just tryna protect u"

"And I appreciate that baby, I do. But I'm grown. I can handle myself" she smiled at him "Ok?"

He nodded hesitantly, "But you better call me if anything happen. I mean, if he breathe too hard when y'all arguing, call me"

"I will. Now shoot, off too work" she kissed his cheek and walked him to the front door "And next time we talk, you better have talked to the girl from the shop. Or I'll go down there and do it myself"

"Alright ma, love u" he hopped in his car and drove off towards his job. It didn't take long for him to get there but when he did, he sat in the car awhile longer to soak up as much AC as he could.

Kareem worked as a construction worker and his job description included being able to handle heat.

The sun blazed down on him soon as he stepped out his dodge truck. His grey wife beater clung to his sweaty body and he placed his yellow hard head on.

"Wassup K, you late nigga" Tyreke said as they slapped hands "Thought you was gonna call out today"

"Man, I sure was about to. Momma got a new man now and I was bouta f**k his ass up real quick"

"Momma J? Since when? "

"Few weeks" Kareem shrugged "where Stan square ass?" He referred to their supervisor.

"Fuckin his brother wife probably" Tyreke laughed. "But um, I think I seen the girl you be talking about a few days ago. And you was right"

"Look good huh?"

"Hell yea, I was bouta go spit some lines at her real quick"

"And I woulda f****d you up on something serious. What happen to that chick Asia?"

"Dumped her clingy ass. I know the d**k good but damn, she was callin me every second askin for some. And her p***y was gettin old anyway"

Kareem laughed "you dumb as f**k. Aren't you always the one saying you wanna settle down and get married?"

"Yea but with a girl who got some tricks. All Asia did was lay there. I ain't with that boring s**t"

Tyreke nudged Kareem and nodded in the direction of their supervisor. He was hugged up on a slim white woman.

She kissed his cheek and he passed her the keys to his Mercedes before she walked off.

"She playing his ass" "Thought I was the only one who noticed"

Across town, Sage sat at her desk and continued to revise the legal case folder that sat in front of her. Being a paralegal wasn't that hard a job, but being a black woman working as a paralegal was something some people couldn't handle.

When she did finish revising it, she took it up to the man who owned the building.

Mr. Williams. He was known as the best lawyer in the state and Sage looked up to him. She wanted to be better than him one day and with all the hard work she was putting in along with the extra hours, she was well on her way.

When she made it back to her desk, her phone rang and she quickly answered. "Do you accept the charges from this call?" The automated voice asked.

She pressed one and waited for her brother to speak "Wassup Hazel" he called her by her middle name "What you doin?"

"At work, finishing up. What about you?"

"Chillin, just got out the pool now I'm eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes"

"Forreal?” she chuckled.

"Hell no I ain't forreal. They had us eating some meatloaf s**t that ain't have no type of meat in it. "

"Sorry to hear that but hey, only a few days left until you get out. Excited?"

"As a b***h. I can't wait to get outta here. “He sighed "Anyway, what's been going on?"

"Well momma called asking for bail money. Kennedy in jail"

"You gave it to her?"

"I should slap you through this phone. Why would I do that? Dumbass"

"Just chill man, it was a question" he laughed "What he do?"

"I don't know but I hope it’s something that keeps him in for a while. He's not there with you?"

"Nope and if he was, I wouldn't be gettin out in a few days. I'd be beaten his ass like he stole something"

"These calls are recorded. And making a threat is illegal"

"These people can kiss my ass man. Ain't s**t else they can do to me" he mumbled.

"Except add more time but you know, that's cool"

The lime grew quiet "Yea, lemme shut my ass up"

Sage laughed "I miss u brother. I can't wait till u get home. You staying with me?"

"No, I got my spot already. And I need you to go check it out for me tomorrow. That's cool? "

"Yea, that's fine. Call me later. I love you"

"Love you too baby girl"

The call ended and even though Jamie had only a few days left, Sage knew once he got out, things would go left very quick.