I Waited, He Never Came

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I Waited, He Never Came

Flash Fiction

You talkin’ ’bout Tony, right? That dude never came — had me waitin’ on the corner for him for like two hours. No show, man. A straight-up no show. I missed my mom’s-n-’nem homemade spaghetti for that dude, too. I don’t usually put anyone before a good meal and I did for that guy.

I thought he was real, ya’know? Thought I could hang tight for’em up there, make the exchange, get the money, then go home.

I bet you think I’m talkin’ bout drugs, dontcha? Yeah. Nah, pahtna. Me and the homie had a deal. I got a closet full of Jordans, some I ain’t even wore yet — still chillin’ in the boxes they came in — he wanted two pairs; some Retro 11s and a pair of Dub Zeros. Yo, that’s $375.00 I expected from Ole Boy!

I ain’t mad, though. I got two other cats hittin’ me up for a few more. But, I would’ve liked to have that extra $375, ya’know? I found me a nice spot over on 5th Avenue; 2 bedroom/1 bath, patio, hardwood floors. It’s time to get outta my mom’s place — been thinkin’ ’bout this for a while. I’m 25 now.

I thought he was real, ya’know? Thought I could hang tight for’em up there, make the exchange, get the money, then go home.

She all sad and whatnot. Shufflin’ ’round the apartment playin’ those bluesy, heartache tunes. I can’t take that shit, man. So I work, come home, make a few calls, and try to close these deals with some legit folk.

I got two sisters and a brother. My brother and one of my sisters, they’re twins. My other sister, she’s right under me — 23 and if she even thinks about tryna move, Moms on her like white on rice.

It’s time to get outta my mom’s place — been thinkin’ ‘bout this for a while. I’m 25 now.

She’s afraid of an empty nest. Afraid to hear her breath as the only one amongst the echoes and shit of a child-free home.

I told her, “You gotta let us go. Loosen your grip. We’re grown. We’re meant to leave.” She ain’t tryna hear that. The twins are 17. I feel for them when they get ready to make moves. My mom’s holdin’ on to these parts of her, you see . . .

My dad died 6 years ago — lupus. He had some type of relapse and couldn’t get back on track. Nothing helped. None of those damn meds they pumped into his body pumped him back into our lives.

He died right there at Mercy Medical Memorial Hospital and my mom been searchin’ for bits and pieces of him to hang on to since then. I don’t know what it feels like to be a widow but I know pain. I miss him as much as she misses him, but I know my missin’ him and her missin’ him are two different things.

“You gotta let us go. Loosen your grip. We’re grown. We’re meant to leave.”

But back to that dude Tony . . . No, I haven’t seen’em. Trust me, if I had, I’d be smilin’ right now from ear to ear. I’ve got 3 more weeks until the big move and I’m gathering up funds and saving as much as I can.

My gig — I’m a DJ, is enough to pay the rent and a couple utilities each month, but I need rainy day and play all day money, ya’know?

But, listen . . . if you see’em, tell Ole Boy, I waited and he never came. But if he still wanna get at me ’bout them Jordans, I got him. He knows how to reach me.

Originally published in P.S. I Love You via Medium.