A Thug's Wife (Full Length Novel) (2 page)

“Get out! Get the fuck out!” Zaria screamed.

Quasym’s caramel skin was flushed with sadness. He placed his hat onto his head and simply nodded, “A’ight, you know how to get at me if you change your mind.”

Quasym turned around and walked away. He would come for his things later, but he hoped that he didn’t have to. 

Chapter 2: Mama Knows Best

"Oh, no the hell you will not!" Tammy fussed. She took a pull from her
Virginia Slim cigarette and blew a train of smoke in the air. She stood in front of the refrigerator staring at her two daughters as they sat at the table in the kitchen. "You mean to tell me that broke ass nigga got a three year old child out here with some skeezer and you been busting your ass to keep a roof over y'all head? And you still talking about marrying his no good ass! You must be still drunk! Cherie put on another pot of coffee!"
        Tammy was livid. When she'd gotten a call from her youngest daughter Cherie that Zaria had drunk too much, she never expected Quasym to be the reason behind it. She had rushed out of her home to her car, and to Zaria's house not only to find her wasted, but soaked in vomit and tears. Tears that Tammy felt were a waste of damn time, especially when she'd found out what Quasym had done.

She couldn't believe that Zaria was crying over somebody as pathetic as Quasym. The nigga was a bum. He went around blaming his wrongful
conviction on the reason he never had any money, when truth be told, Quasym was just a petty hustler even before then. The little ends he racked up wasn't anything she would spend her time bragging about.
      Out of both of her daughters, although Zaria had gone to school to be a dental assistant and held down two good jobs, she was disappointed in her the most. She had taught her daughters to use a man for all they had, not fall in love and allow them to use them instead. Thankfully, Cherie knew better.
      "Hell fuck no! You will not be marrying that broke ass clown! And I hope like hell your Uncle Wallace can get his money back. Quasym talking about he'll pay him back. To hell he will! Know damn well he can't even rub two damn nickels together if he wanted to. Broke muthafucka’! Got the nerve to be making babies when he can't afford to wash his own ass!"
        "Mama!" Cherie yelled.

It took everything in her not to laugh at her crazy mama, but she held back for the sake of her sister. She knew how Zaria felt about Quasym regardless of his f
inancial situation. He was the only man she had ever been with, so she didn't know anything different.
      "Mama nothing! Put the pot of coffee on like I told you! Hell! Let me fix myself a drink. Got me all worked up," Tammy fussed. She smoothed out the curls in her roller set and rolled her eyes at Zaria. 
        "Mama, I know you do not like Sym, but I didn't put seven years into him so that some random chick could have him. I'm not walking away from him that easily. Yes, he made a mistake, but I'm willing to forgive him for it," Zaria said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

After Quasym left her earlier, she finished off an entire bottle of Patron and was working on another one until her sister Cherie stormed in the house looking for her.
      "Tuh! That nigga's dick must be dipped in gold ‘cause we damn sure know his pockets isn't!" Tammy poured herself a huge glass of vodka and took a seat in Cherie's chair. Zaria was stressing her out when there was no need for it. “I’m not letting you marry him Zaria. No-he’s broke, and he’s a cheater. I taught you better Zaria, and you are truly disappointing your mama.”

“Mama, why does everything always have to be about money with you?” Zaria whined. She was upset that she wasn’t as drunk as she had been when
her mama first arrived. It was hard dealing with her mama with a sober mind. Money and taking men for all they had were all her mama ever talked about when she was around. Tammy didn’t care about anything, but the dollar bills and if a man didn’t have fat pockets, she wasn’t fooling with them.

“Because love don’t pay the damn bills. Shit Zaria, I don’t know why your head is so damn thick. Hell Cherie ass is only nineteen years old, and she acts like she got more sense than you!”

Zaria rolled her eyes and looked over at her little sister as she waited for the coffee to finish brewing. Cherie was young, fresh out of high school, and full of life. She was 5’5, 135 pounds with radiant light brown skin, and small round brown eyes. She always wore a fresh weave and rocked expensive threads, threads that she had various men buying for her. Cherie had a figure to die for, and she definitely used it to her advantage.

On the other hand, Zaria was dark-skinned, only five feet in height, weighed 145 pounds, with a slee
k pair of brown eyes, and full lips. Zaria was gorgeous, but the fact that she kept her hair pulled back in a ponytail always took away from her beauty and Tammy was always sure to let her know that.

“I know because you dark-skinned that you feel like you
have to marry this boy because you think there is no one else that wants you, but that’s not true. You don’t have to marry him. There are plenty of men with money that love dark skinned women.”

“Why do you always have to talk about my skin? I know that I’
m dark and that don’t have anything to do with why I’m marrying Quasym.”

“Because, I know-“

“Mama it’s final. There’s nothing more to say and I don’t care what anyone says about it, I’m marrying Quasym tomorrow,” Zaria said.

“Final my ass. I won’t be ther
e and if I did come, soon as the pastor asks if there is anyone that objects to this couple getting married, I’m a damn sure raise my hand and tell everybody what a broke, cheating bastard he is. Hmmph!”

“Cherie, can you call Yessenia and tell her to come
here to do my hair for the wedding?” Zaria asked her sister as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. She hated that her little sister called her mama over of all people. She knew that this was something that her mama wasn’t gonna let her live down for as long as she lived. But she didn’t care; she was gonna walk down that aisle with Quasym tomorrow. As much as she felt betrayed by what he had done to her, she felt that she loved him too much to let this come between them.

Chapter 3: Holy Matrimony

The church was beautifully decorated with white roses at the end of each pew, tall, beautiful white candles in each corner of the room, and pretty white and pastel pink ribbons on the walls, ceilings, and seats.

Dressed in a pearl white tuxedo, with a pastel pink shirt tucked underneath, Quasym stood at the altar with sweat pouring from every pore in his body. His head was pounding, and he felt sick to his stomach. His body movements were minimal in fear that he would fall over from the semi-drunken state that he was in. Zaria texted him at four a.m. this morning to tell him that the wedding was still on and that afterwards they had plenty to talk about.

Before that text, he’d gone through a bottle of straight Crown Royal and smoked blunt
after blunt trying to get himself right after the hurtful blow that Zaria delivered in the heat of the moment. To say the least, he had no plans of doing anything, but sleeping the day away. But now as he stood at the altar feeling like shit, he was happy to be exactly where he was at.

One minute he felt like his life line had been completely snatched from under him and in the next; he felt like the luckiest man alive. A warm smile appeared across his face and then quickly disappeared when a bout of nause
a crept within his stomach.

“Man, just hold it together. It’ll be over with before you know it, “Devon, Quasym’s best friend and best man said as he spoke to Quasym in a low tone. He was standing only two feet away from him in case Quasym had passed out.

“Bruh, see if somebody can get me some Alka-Seltzer. Aye, I’m a fucking vomit up in here,” Quasym said with his words slurred.

“Hmm Uhh,” the pastor cleared his throat and fixed his tie. He looked at Quasym over the top of his glasses and shot him an unw
avering glance.

“Dang, I’m sorry Pastor Thomas. I’m just nervous, and I feel like I’m about to pass out.”

Quasym took in a deep breath and let it out just as the organist began to play the instrumental to
Here Comes the Bride.
He could feel his pulse quickening, and his headache intensified as an uneasy feeling washed over him. Everyone in the church stood to their feet as the doors to the building swung open. 

“Show time bruh, no turning back,” Devon whispered to Quasym.

“No turning back for me. I’m tryna be like you.”

Quasym turned his attention to the end of the aisle as he waited for what he knew was going to be the most beautiful bride ever. Unfortunately for him, what appeared in the doorway was not what he had been expecting. Dressed in a cream-c
olored silk like gown, with a beautiful bouquet in her hand was not Zaria, but Tianna.

Quasym’s eyes grew big, and he just knew that someone had been playing a joke on him. Maybe Zaria had set him up to believe that the wedding was still on when, in fact, it wasn’t. He started to believe that Zaria wanted to make a mockery of him, make him p
ay for what he had done and what better way to do it than to embarrass him in front of his family and friends. 

Anger built up, and he got ready to storm out of the church when he saw Zaria with her arm draped into her Uncle Wallace’s. He saw a frazzled l
ook on her face and knew that she was just as taken aback as he was.

“What the hell?” Devon mumbled as he watched Tianna slowly walking down the aisle with a smile fixed on her face.

Quasym was frozen and didn’t know what to do. He sobered up quick as hell upon seeing Tianna. Chatter and all kinds of moans and groans were heard throughout the sanctuary as everyone whispered to one another trying to figure out what was taking place.

Quickly Quasym stepped out of his reverie and moved into action. He walke
d up to Tianna, stopping her before she could make it all the way down the aisle. Her smile quickly turned into a frown as tiny tears cascaded down her face.

“You’re supposed to marry me, Sym! We have a child together. We’re supposed to be a family!” Tian
na cried.

“What the fuck is this? Is this some kind of joke? Get the fuck out of here, Tianna! What are you doing?” Quasym asked her trying to keep his voice as low as possible. He couldn’t believe that this was happening to him on the most important day
of his life.

“No, I’m not going anywhere! You need to be a damn man and step up and be there for your child. You should be marrying me and not that bitch!” Tianna yelled pointing behind her. “Quita shouldn’t have to grow up without a damn father because y
ou refuse to be a man!”

“Sym, what the hell is going on?” Zaria asked as she stepped beside Quasym. She looked Tianna up and down and instantly became jealous. She was beautiful. She had naturally flawless light skin, green eyes, with long thick hair. And
to make it even worse, she didn’t even look as if she had any kids. Her body was banging, her perky chest sat up perfectly, and her flat stomach and wide hips did wonders to the gown she was wearing. Zaria had imagined that Quasym’s baby mama would be some ratchet bitch straight out of the projects, but she was wrong, and it tore her up on the inside.

“I’m Tianna, his baby mama. I’m sure he hasn’t told you anything about me since he’s been doing his best to keep Quita and I a secret.”

“Tianna, she knows all about you and Quita. Now is not the time or the place for this, you need to-“

“Oh, this bitch gonna come up here tryna start some shit!” Tammy yelled as she approached them in the middle of the aisle.

Quasym shook his head and knew that things were about to take a turn for the worse, as if it wasn’t bad enough. Tammy was die hard for her daughters, and she didn’t take any mess from anybody that she felt tried to get over on them. She already hated Quasym and was pissed that Zaria was still going through with this fuckery they called a wedding. She was ready to fuck him and Tianna up for the shit they were doing to Zaria.

“That’s why I told you not to go through with this shit Zaria! This nigga ain’t shit! Fuck him and this mutt dog he chose to make a
baby with! This wedding is over! It’s not happening! Wallace get my baby out of here. She is not about to marry this clown!”

A warm smile of satisfaction appeared on Tianna’s face as Zaria began
to walk away. She had accomplished what she had set out to do and couldn't have been happier.  Quasym brushed past Tianna and grabbed Zaria.

He pulled her outside of the church’s sanctuary and wrapped his arms around her. Her back was to his chest, and he planted his face into her neck. Zaria wanted so badly to fuc
k Tianna up for the bullshit she was pulling, but she didn't have the energy to do so. She was just emotionally drained.

“Baby, I ain't never wanted anything in my life as much as I want you to be my wife.   Please don’t let this come between us man. I ne
ed you Z-baby.”

Zaria was trembling in Quasym’s arms as she listened to the words that he was telling her. She was hurt and embarrassed. This day was supposed to be perfect. It was the day that every woman dreamed about as a little girl, and it was suddenl
y being ruined by lies and drama.