No Pain No Pleasure: Chapter 3

Andrele and his family sat in one of Grady Hospital's waiting rooms, many thoughts and emotions flood his mind. Caught up on the realization that his actions toward his father could possibly be his last were seriously attacking him. But his ill will toward his father made him numb to any hysteria. Although he was caught between emotions, seeing his family so sad made him feel for his father's situation.

 "Lord please let him be ok!" Pam said weeping.

Seeing  his mother so distraught made him question his emotions toward his father even more. He thought to himself why is she able to throw what he did out the window like nothing ever happened. How could she simply accept him back after he left her with two kids to raise on her own for years. He dabbled at the idea of asking her why but figured the time wasn't right, but the hunger of knowing wouldn’t let him ignore his anxiousness.

"Mama could I ask you a question?" he asked wiping her tears.

"What is it son?" she replied.

"How is it that you are able to accept Pat back into our lives after what he's done to us?" he asked. "All those years he wasn't there...All the things you had to endure because of him walking out...How are you able to forgive and move on?"

"Well Drele I can tell you that it definitely was no easy...Things were very hard when he left us and I even questioned him actually leaving again..." she answered. "But it was not all his fault...Me and your father had been going through a lot between the time your sister was born and when he left...We began to struggle and I became very irritated by your father's immaturity...Well I wouldn't call it immaturity...He just didn’t' really know how to do "motherly" things that I just couldn't do at the time because of my post labor...I gave him a very hard time about the smallest of things and he felt like he couldn't take it anymore."

"But just because he felt like he couldn't take it anymore that justifies him walking away?" he asked.

"No  Drele, it definitely didn't make it ok and he knew that...he tried to come back and I just would have it...I told him that he would never see his kids again..." she said. "And after a while I didn't hear from him at all and at that time I realized that I had made a big mistake but my pride wouldn't let me go back to him..." she said.

At that moment Andrele, eyes wide in amazement, sits straight up in his chair.

"Then one day he called and I swallowed my pride enough to answer the phone...He called to check on us and he apologized for everything that happened between us...We sat there and talked for hours catching and I noticed a difference in him...In his tone...in his dialogue...He was a broken man..." she added. "The way that he asked and talked about us I could tell that he had been broken by not being able to see his family...he asked to come by and visit us during the conversation and I allowed it..."

Andrele was a loss of words. "What...Wha...How..."

"That is the reason I tell you that that man is a good man...yes he has made his mistakes but we all do...When he started to be back around and you started to take a bad vibe with him I offered to him that I would tell you the whole story but he chose against it...He told me that he would bare he blame so you would still have me to confide in need be..." she continued.  "That man has always wanted to be in you and your sister's lives and I respect and support him in his endeavors..."

Thrown for a loop by the information that his mother has shared with him, Andrele is very confused about his feelings for his father. On hand he is thinking about how his father wasn't in his life so many years, but in the other he now knows that the reasons for his hatred toward Pat aren't exactly valid anymore. Yes his father left hem but it wasn't completely his fault and when he wanted to come back initially his mother didn't want Pat to.

"Honestly Pat is my soul mate...The bad times that I've shared with him are nothing compared to the wonderful times I've enjoyed with him...I'm so happy to have him back in my life and I think you should be too..." she added.

At that moment a nurse walked into the waiting room.

"Pamela Driek?"

"That's me...How is he doing?...Is he ok?" she asked nervously.

"Well ma'am he is in critical condition right now...Mr. Jones suffered a mild heart attack...he will need to stay under our care until we can be sure that his health is stable enough..." he nurse answered.

"Well can we at least see him?" Pam asked.

"He is actually sleeping but you may go see him." the nurse said.

The family all gathered together to follow the nurse to Pat’s room. With so much going through his mind, Andrele’s steps were very hesitant. All he could think about was how much he resented Pat for almost no reason at all. How could he face him after treating him so wrongly. Getting closer and closer to Pat’s room, the family grew more hopefully as Andrele himself grew more hesitant.

“Ok his room is right here…” the nurse said as she entered his room. “Let me just check everything to make sure that everything is everything.”

Andrele was he last member to walk into the room. As Pat lay in bed motionless, it was immediately noticeable that he was in awful condition. Pam began to cry seeing him in such bad shape. Andrele was in a state of shock. He just couldn’t believe that all this time he had wrongly accused his father and now he is about o potential lose one of the people that he wanted in his life the most, his father.

“Nurse, how long do you think he will have to be here…like an estimate time frame?” Pam asked.

“I honestly wouldn’t be able to answer that question for you right now…it’s going to depend solely on how fast his health level increases.” The nurse answered.

Andrele just stood this quietly as if he wasn’t even there. Then the nurse begins again.

“Umm excuse me ma’am, I know it may not be the right time but I have some paperwork that needs to be signed…financial purposes…”

“Ok…thank you for everything…” Pam replied.

As he nurse hands the pen and clipboard to Pam Andrele grabs it from this mother’s hands.

”I got it mama…don’t worry bout…” he said to her.

This shocks Pam and as Andrele begins to fill out the paperwork she begins to smile.

 Andrele completes the paperwork and followed he nurse into he the hall way. But before he could get too far out into the hall, Big Mama comes behind him and stops him.

”Drele you did a good thing back there…I know things have been rough between you and your father but your mother was right...” she said. “He has been trying to do everything he can to make sure things could be made right….I know things made be hard to understand right now but give him a chance… I don’t think you will regret it suga...”

     "I hear ya Big Mama..." Andrele replied.

     Andrele wasn't very sure what would transpire between him and Pat but what he was sure of is that he had to at least try to make things right. Or at least make something of the situation.

     Andrele's phone begins to rings.

     "Hello?"

     "Yea Drele what happened to you calling me back?" Tanya said.

     "Mercy I had some family issues today...I apologize." he said.

     "Nigga don’t lie to me...you probably been somewhere frappin' off." she said.

    "No really I did have family issues...no flex...my father had a heart attack...I been at the hospital since like 11." he replied.

     "Oh I'm sorry to hear that...he ok?" she asked.

     "At the moment yes...I don’t know how long he will be here though." he said.

     "Oh ok...well are you ok?...Are you even feeling up for this appearance tomorrow?" she asked.

     "I don’t know how to feel right now honestly but I'ma be aight...I need to make this appearance cause I'ma take care of the expenses." he said.

    "Well aight...what time do you wanna meet up tomorrow?" Tanya asked.

    "Just give me the normal wake up call." Andrele replied.

     "Ok...Try to get some rest...I'll talk to you later on..." she said.

     Andrele then walks back in the room.

     "Mama I gotta go...Got an appearance to make in the morning...Call me if y'all need anything..." he said.

     "Ok I'll call U...Be careful on the way home." Pam said.

    "Ok...I love y'all...Later..."

     His day was definitely not supposed to unfold like it did but he would get some rest and try to sleep it off. Another day gone, another day to start anew.

Darkness/Free Flow 7

Y do I feel like this
Y do I feel so much pain
Y am I losing so bad caught up in this game
This game of love and hate
See one minute I'm straight then the next I'm straight losing it
See my fate is proving to be a dark one
Stripped of the sun that once shun
Now filled with coldness I can't seem 2 get away from
Y can't I just be happy
Am I not deserving
Its like a car swerving all over my heart
As I start 2 slump further into the darkness I can feel the old me slip
It takes over me 2 the core
I'm "Me" no more

Borderline/Free Flow 6

In deep...my mind creeps on the insanity borderline...suspended in time...searching for that silver lining...and what I'm finding is myself continuing 2 come up short...Joy short lived as I down this tall glass of failure...I face the facts of not being good enough...Will this EVER end? I pray for better days...

No Pain No Pleasure: Chapter 2

    Taken aback after his completely unexpected morning soiree, Andrele falls under curiosity of what the rest of his day had to bring. Originally believing that it would be a day of solitude, his day definitely doesn't seem to be following through with that idea.
    As he sat back on the couch he thought to himself, "Man that girl crazy..."
    He and Lea had a decorated past. They once dated when he initially moved into his loft. Within a brief infatuation period,  the couple fell victim of a steamy physical relationship. But with Andrele being a writer and was frequently away from her on business, complication set in on them. They both chose to opt out of the relationship before it turned for the worst. But although they were not together their physical fixation for each other would not let them completely be done with one another. Many days and nights of their sexual encounters went by, but as he was away more often the bigger her appetite grew and eventually urged her to move on.
    This caused no ill will between the two. Andrele was totally understanding of Lea's drift. He was even happy to know that she would have an opportunity to gain a real relationship and real bond with someone instead of their simple sex games. But she never entered a relationship and this morning encounter was the first time that they've come in contact with one either in months. It was surely an act that implied that there was certainly no lust lost.
    "I'm glad she aight though."
    With nothing scheduled as of yet Andrele decides to just start his day like normal and see where things would go from there. He gets up, takes a shower and cooks himself brunch. Lyrics of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Wale and many more echo as he moves throughout the place.
    "Aight let me check these voicemails."
    Beeeep...Message One!
       Ahh yes, Mr. Driek, this is
       Jason Cross, a representative
       from Smooth 99.2...We just
       wanna thank you again for
       the appearance and would
       like to extend our...
    "Next..."
    Message Deleted! Message Two!
       Drele I ain't playin wit you...
       we really need to talk about
       tomorrow! We ain't on the
       road but we still need to gon
       'head and make this quick
       money. You need it and I
       know I need it. Call me back
       Drele! Later...
    "Mercy is hilarious..."
    Message Saved! Message Three!
       Hey dere Sugarfoot...Just
       calling tryna check up on
       you. Ain't heard from you in
       a while. I hope you get a
       chance to visit soon. Me and
       yo mama miss you so much.
       Pat misses you too but he so
       damn stubborn. I told him to
       call you but it go in one ear
       and right out the other. But
       anyway, just know that Big
       Mama loves you and we are
       so anxious to see you. Talk
       to you later. Bye Bye...
    Message Saved! Ended Of Messages!
    And just like that his day was set up. It had been a while since he had a chance to spend time with his family and with his schedule clear this was a perfect opportunity to do so.
    Living in Atlanta all of his life, moving away is something he just could not allow himself to do. This was not only because of his personal preference not to leave but also because of his family. Andrele grew up very close knit to his family and could not see himself completely leaving them. Being away from them promoting and selling his books was enough but to actually not be able to visit and care for them at all was a totally different ball game.
    When Andrele first began to make good revenue from his writings, he offered to move his family into a bigger and nicer house than the one they were currently living in but his Big Mama wasn't having it. Big Mama, his grandmother, thought it better to stay in the house because not only was the house paid for but because of all the memories that the house concealed. No matter how much pleading he did, there was no way she was moving from that house.
    One of the great things about them living in the house was that it wasn't far from his place. He jumped in his Camaro and was on his way.
    Riding through his neighborhood always brought back great memories. This trip was did nothing less.
    As he turned on his street he even runs across his childhood friends Krik and Paul. Andrele, Paul and Krik grew up through grade school together. They were like brothers to one another. They looked out for each other and although Krik and Paul never really left the neighborhood after graduating high school, they always supported Andrele through all of his success.
    "Brah what happened to you earlier?" Kirk said as Andrele pulled up on them.
    "Man Lea came over..." he replied.
    "Aww man, you still talk to her?" Paul asked. "I thought y'all had don split up..."
    "Yea cause I told you that she had don tried to get at me..." Krik said.
    "Nawl brah, we don't talk no mo and I asked her bout that and she told me me she ain't messin witcha!" Andrele said.
    "Yea...well...I ain't even like her like that no way...she ain't bout nothin...her frappin ass..." Krik said.
    "Brah you good...dont sweat it brody...you'll find someone someday." Andrele said.
    "Man whatever...what you doin round here anyway?" Krik asked. "You know you don't be in the hood no mo."
    "Yea I know...I'm fallin through tryna visit the fam before I get busy again." Andrele said.
    "I went over there the other day...I think last Sunday...Big Mama invited us to dinner...you know I threw down..." Paul said.
    "Oh aight...well let me get through there and I'ma catch back up wit y'all before I head back to the criNib..." Andrele said.
    "Aight brah...hit us up foo..." Paul said.
    Andrele then leaves them and continues down the street.
    As he pulls up to the house he sees his niece and nephew playing basketball in the yard and it immediately brings a smile to his face. He blows the horn as he enters the driveway.
    "Aye y'all be'not hit my car wit that ball!" he says jokingly.
    "Yea whatever Unc..." his nephew Ryan answers. "You need to come and get yo pockets ran..."
    "Aye if I had some shorts I'd school you right now youngin'" he replies.
    "Man you running from this ass whippin'." Ryan said.
    "Aight...we gon see next time I'm here and I'm tell yo mama you cussin'." Andrele said walking away.
    "No man...I'm already in trouble...brah c'mon." Ryan said grabbing his uncle's arm.
    "I'm just playin...And how are you Ms. Alise?"
    "I'm fine but yo sister won't let me go out wit my friends." Alise said.
    "Are there gonna be boys there?" he asked.
    "Maybe..."
    "Well I wouldn't let yo ass go either!" he said laughing.
    "OMG...Can you please talk to her Unc?" she asked.
    "I'll see what I can do!"
    "Yay...thank you so much!" she said attacking him with a hug.
    "Where erybody at?" he asked.
    "They probably all in the living room...Big Mama talkin to Mama...you know Pat and Ken got into it the other day." Alise said.
    "Thanks...let me go see what they got goin..."
    Andrele walks through the house and as he usually does yells, "Where y'all at?...I'm home..."
    "Hey there, my grandson coming to visit his dear old Big Mama...how you doin baby?" Big Mama said.
    "I'm aight Big Mama...how you doin?"
    "I'm doing jus fine now that you here sugar...I'm glad you could visit...I got yo message from when you were in New York...You don made it big ain't 'cha boy?" she said.
    "I'm doin aight right now...I still got a ways to go but I'ma get there." he said.
    "Well you are a star to me baby..." she said as she hugged him and kiss him on the cheek.
    "Yea I know Big Mama...thats my lil star." A voice said from behind him. It was his mother and the rest of the family, his sister Kita and his father Pat.
    "Hey Mama, hey Kita...Pat..." Andrele said.
    The relationship between Andrele and his father had been tense since Pat walked out on them when Andrele was younger. Although he returned back to the family and tried to make amends, the situation never sat right with Andrele.
    Noticing the awkwardness Big Mama interrupts.
    "Come on in here and get you something to eat...we need to catch up anyway bout how things been...c'mon here."
    The rest of the afternoon went swiftly as the family, with the exception of Andrele and Pat, enjoyed time with one another. Chicken, black eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, string beans, collard greens and cornbread cover the table as they eat. Pat starts to cough hard.
    "Honey are you alright?" Andrele's mother Pam asks.
    "Yea I think something went down wrong." Pat answers
    "Have you taken yo medicine today...if not than you really need to..." she said.
    "I gotta get them from the bedroom...I'll be right back..." he said.
    "Or not..." Andrele mutters under his breath.
    There is a brief silence and then Pat starts for the door.
    "Congrats on your success son..." he said.
    "Oh so now I'm yo son?" Andrele said back
    "You've always been my son...but you haven't always accepted it." Pat said.
    "You haven't always accepted me either or us either..." Andrele replies.
    "Son..."
    "Just stop Pat...Just forget it..." Andrele said.
    Pat pauses, begins to talk but not to and continues out of the dining room.
    "What is wrong wit you Drele?" Pam asks.
    "Mama please don't start this..." he replies.
    "Boy you gon listen to me...Now that man may have made his mistakes but he has worked his ass off to not only support this family but to better his relationship wit us...especially you...he can't do that if you continue to blow him off...whether you like it or not that is still your father and you need to show him some respect." Pam stated.
    "Ok mama..." Andrele said.
    "Girl you know that is going through one ear and out the other...the boy is just hurt...he will..." Big Mama was saying before she was interrupted by faint coughing and a thud.
    "Pat...honey...are you ok?" Pam said rushing out of the dining room.
    Following were shrieks and screaming.
    "PATRICK...GOD NO NO NO...PATRICK..."

No Pain No Pleasure: Chapter 1

    As the morning sun rose and filled the Atlanta loft, not only did it illuminate the room but it sheds light on all the acquired dreams and accomplishments of a westside Atlanta raised poet/writer. It underlined the struggle from the bottom of bottoms to the top of the booksellers charts.
    This rags to tags story belongs to none other than Andrele Driek. Andrele, who goes by the alias "Mel Thoughts", is the writer of the top selling series, "Sensual Subject." His latest installment "Sensual Subject: Ecstacy" was recently released and in just its second week is selling better than any of his previous work. With his series selling so well, on comes his popularity boost. Andrele has made many appearances on various tv talk shows and radio shows promoting his series and his new book. With this being so, Andrele hasn't been able to completely rest in weeks. So this rare occasion of him being home in his own bed was definitely refreshing.
    But this would be short lived as his phone begins to ring and his morning calls begin.
    "I guess this means YOU are allowing me another day...Thank YOU!!" He says as he reaches for his cell phone.
    "Hello...Talk to me..."
    "I know you're not still sleep...you need to get yo ass up!" the caller said.
    "Really? Why must you call me and harass me on my day off?" He replied. "Isn't it enough that you have to deal with me any other day...but now you have to call me on my day of freedom?"
    "Boy ain't nobody worried bout you...I'm worried bout this money to be made tomorrow..." the caller said.
    "Can we talk bout this later Mercy?"
    The caller on the other end of the phone is Tanya Mercy, Andrele's assistant and publicist.
    "Yea we can but we need to talk bout this ASAP..." Tanya said.
    "Thank you...Now get off my phone and let me rest." He said. "Don't you have anything to do with yo life?"
    "Shouldn't I be telling you that...I'm the one working for you." She said.
    "And that is what you are getting paid to do isn't it...So stop complaining!" He said jokingly.
    "I'm hanging up the phone now...Goodbye!!" She said.
    "I'ma call U la..." He begins before she ends the call.
    Today is a day of rest and relaxation for Andrele but being from the city of Atlanta that hardly ever sleeps actually having some down time would be hard to do. It would definitely prove to be hard for him as he suddenly picked up his phone and begins to call his friends from his old neighborhood.
    "Yea brah...what y'all gettin into tonight...oh y'all hittin the club...which one y'all goin to..."
    At that moment his door bell rang, which was odd because he had been on the road and no one, to his knowledge, knew he was home.
    "Yo hold up...somebody at my door..." he said as he walked down to his first floor.
    As he got to the door he asked for who was there and there was no answer, jus another knock. He opens the door and to his surprise standing there was a 5'5" brown skin goddess of a woman.
    "Drele, I've been tryna get back in touch wit you for the longest...what happened?" she asked.
    "Oh well...I been on the road...you know...uh promoting." he answered.
    "Well you here now and we have a lot of catching up to do..." she said.
    Then in that instant she took off her coat revealing her black lace lingerie, and as her coat hit the floor she politely invited herself in.
    Astonished in his own right he simply picks up the coat and hangs up the phone.
    "Lea...what are you...how did you know I was here?"
    "You act like I dont live right down the way..." she answered. "I heard your tv on and and just couldn't help myself."
    "What is this really about Lea?" he asked.
    "Shh...you doin too much talking...come here." she said as she pulled him onto the couch.
    She began to kiss him deeply as she made her way on top of him. His lips, then his neck, then his chest as she worked her way further. This in turn got what she wanted out of him. As he ran his fingers through her hair he begins to open up to her. He then stops her and flips her over to her back, taking off her lingerie and penetrating her body.
    In then out, out then in as he strokes her. She grips him tight as he works her body, moaning profusely into his ear.
    "Get It...Get It...Get It...ITS YOURS!!"
    An hour of their bodies twisting and turning and it had ended.
    "Damn girl...shit..." he said.
    "Thanks for the compliment I guess..." she said laughing. "Well I have to go..."
    "Wait...you dont wanna at least stay for breakfast?" he asked.
    "Maybe some other time...see you around..." she said.
    And with that she grabbed her coat and was out the door.
    "This day can't get any crazier than that." he thought to himself.
    But what he didn't know was that he was in for a much crazier day than that. This was ONLY the beginning!