Bodie Bo Jones
“Baby sit up for me, raise yo chest up high when you inhale, like you smelling the world,” I instructed, pressing my hand against the woman’s back as she smiled with her eyes closed. “When you breathe and yo back is crooked, them airways get distorted, lungs don’t get properly released and all that energy you taking in gets fucked up. You want it to be a straight shot,” I said, lining her spine upright before lifting her chin up. “Just like that…”
I stepped around her as I looked at the array of women sitting just off the grassy banks of the river. There were a few men getting their yoga mats adjusted while others, insecure niggas most likely, waited on the sidelines for their girl to be done.
Didn’t matter me none, no way. I tied my bandana around my head and moved on to the next body to adjust as they continued to breathe and stretch. Sun was beating down just right, soaking in that vitamin D as sweat dripped down the center of my chest.
“Release and pull back, hips high in the air,” I said as I watched bodies move back, pushing from the mat. “Yo body trembling, you hitting on a nerve that can’t handle all this energy, adjust and realign.”
Checking my phone, I peeped the new message from my wife saying that Damien stopped by.
This nigga here boi…
“Stand up…and raise yo hands high in the air… Pray to whoever belongs to you and yo peace of mind...yo God, yo ancestors, relatives… stay as long as you need for the cool down and that’s it. We done for the day,” I clapped as I watched none of the bodies move. Every eye was closed, hands still raised in the air before some brought it to their chest. Others began to mutter and whisper to themselves while some chose to sit back down to break.
“Excuse me?” a voice let out as I turned around to see three white women with their phones out. I already knew what was coming. They were interested in a yoga class with the good ol Bo.
“Yeah, I’on come out here that often and location always changes,” I went on after giving my information, “I like to keep close to the water though. Always close to the water.”
“How will we know when the next class is?”
“I send out emails for the link to sign up.”
“Do you do private lessons?” another asked as I turned around, seeing more women standing around. “The last class, you told a woman or might have mentioned you have private classes at your studio?”
I smiled, thinking about Honey attending the last class. Last few times she came, niggas was hounding her afterwards. I watched one man attempt to talk to her as she was gathering her things while another waited on the side like he was next. Normally I ain’t pay it no mind because once they found out she was deaf, niggas get tripped up and don’t know how to make a move but this nigga here started signing to her.
“Yeah, I know sign language,” he smiled as his hands moved. I could see Honey’s eyes light up, tucking her hair behind her ears as the two begin to talk.
“How did you learn?” she asked.
“My mom is a ASL teacher so I picked it up, no choice really,” he replied. “I’ve seen you come to the class a few times and I’ve been meaning to talk to you...you have got to be the most beautiful girl I’ve seen…”
Honey smiled as she thanked him and just as her eyes cut towards me, I excused myself from whoever the fuck I was talking to and pulled out a pen and paper. Honey and I made it clear not to let it be known we were married because she thought it would take away from the women coming to the class to see me shirtless. I ain’t care either way but days like this when she would show up, niggas made a move every single time. So I politely stepped over and slid her a note while talking to homeboy. I guess when she opened it up, other girls in the class peeped it and here we are…
“How much is this private lesson? I’m willing to pay now and schedule,” one of the girls said.
“Yeah uh,” I laughed. “That was just for her…”
“Okay and?” the girl said as she looked me up and down, “I want what she got. I’m a quick learner.”
“Me too,” her friend said as I laughed again.
“I’ll see what my schedule looking like,” was all I said before excusing myself to catch my ringing phone. Just in time.
“Yo?” I answered, grabbing my book bag off the ground and waving to everyone.
“Where you at? I’m outside your house. Honey won’t let me in and I need to talk.”
“She’s not there.”
“I know where Nu is at. She’s at work. I came to talk to you.”
“Give me a minute. I’m on my way now.”
I hung up and texted Honey to open the door for him but she simply replied back NO. I shook my head at her stubbornness and started for the house. Another evening of hearing marital bullshit that didn’t have nothing to do with me. Nubia was out at the gym. Why he just didn’t go bother her there?
Soon as I pulled up, I saw Damien sitting on the steps to the door as he stood up and waved. Evening sky was transitioning as the street lights popped on. The lights from inside were on, brightening the windows as I stepped up to the door with my keys to let myself in and smiled when I smelled food on the stove.
Honey was around the corner in the open kitchen facing the living room with a sports bra on and one of my basketball shorts. Her hair was pulled up as she stared Damien down while chopping beef ribs in half. The TV was on with the subtitles trailing at the bottom of the screen as I sat my things down and came up beside her, wrapping my arm around her stomach and kissed her side of her ear.
“Honey, you don’t have to give me the evil eye, I know you don’t like who my sister married,” Damien said with his hands in the air with surrender. He sat down at the stool, facing my wife as she slammed the knife down on the raw meat again, not missing a beat.
“What do we owe this visit to then?” I asked, checking the pots on the stove as I cut the rice off. I pulled the oven back to see the sizzling meat just about finished.
“I just need some advice...someone to talk to,” he admitted.
I motioned for him to meet me out back as I ran upstairs to shower and change. By the time I came back down, Honey was fixing my plate and Damien was sitting out on the balcony smoking. I grabbed two beer bottles, ignored my wife’s glare because I know she didn’t want this nigga in our house but Damien and I go way back. Nigga was dumb but he was willing to learn, always willing to improve and better himself. That’s why I liked him.
“Aight,” I sighed, sitting down in the chair as I handed him a bottle. We looked out into the open friend of trees from the woods behind my house and stretched our legs out. “What the fuck is going on with you and Nu now? Is it your sister? Did you marry her off to another nigga without TJ or Nubia knowing?”
Damien looked like he wanted to jump across this table and hit me and I couldn’t do nothing but laugh.
“I think she’s up to something,” he said.
“What’chu mean?”
“They all are...the women...they’re up to something,” he whispered just as the patio door opened. I smiled when I saw the two plates. Even Damien looked surprised.
“Thank you baby,” I said, letting her sit it down before me before she nearly slammed Damien’s plate down to the point where the food splattered against his chest and lap. Without another word, she turned and walked off, closing the sliding door behind her and sat down on the couch to watch the game.
“Your wife is a trip,” Damien muttered, wiping himself free of rice, “she had me sitting outside in the hot ass sun waiting on you instead of letting me in and now this, slamming the food down in front of me.”
“She’s loyal is what she is,” I reminded him, handing him a paper towel, “she ain’t had to give you nothing but she did so be grateful and stop complaining. Now tell me what you talking about...what makes you think the women are up to something and why is that any of my business?”
I was so busy eating, separating the rice from the mac that I didn’t notice Damien shifting through his phone until he held it out for me to read.
“Your wife is planning on leaving with the rest of the women in a few days,” he said in a low voice. “They’re all packing up their things and leaving everything and everyone behind and I think it's going down tonight.”
I grabbed the phone to look at the screen, reading through the texts between Damien and another man who probably heard from his wife.
“Nobody can know this. I could get in trouble for telling you but Honey and Nubia are going with them too. They’re all leaving. I’ve seen the bags packed and made Melonie tell me what the fuck is going on, and that’s when she let it out.”
I took a hard swallow as I looked through the patio door to stare at my wife watching TV before back at Damien.
“I’m not saying she’s not coming back but they’re all planning on leaving and taking the kids with them. Why would Honey be a part of that? Why would Nu...Why would she do that without her kids? Without saying goodbye? Hmm? This has been in the works for months…Reason why Honey doesn’t want me in here because she probably thinks I know and doesn’t want me to tell you. You said so yourself, your wife is sneaky.”
I looked back into the house as Damien continued talking.
“Right now, Evie is out. I haven’t heard from her all day but when I texted her to check in on her, she just responded she’s fine and that’s it. TJ said he hasn’t seen her since this morning. You know Nu’s been working at that gym...I don’t know...something just don’t sit right with me. If Honey leaves in the middle of the night, you’ll know something is up.”
“I’ll see if I can find out what I know,” I nodded.
Honey Jones
I looked back at the men as they stood by the front door talking. Damien kept sneaking side glances at me and I could just tell from Bodie’s stance that he was upset about something but he was trying to hide it. This was the night we were supposed to get Evie out of here and away from her abusive husband, TJ. Everything was already set in motion for it to happen.
I pulled out my phone after feeling a gust of wind breeze against my neck and looked back to see Bodie walking upstairs without another word as I immediately sent Nubia a warning text.
Take Evie home.
They know we were planning on running tonight.
Somebody told Damien.