Page 21 of Don't Kross Me
Kross knew it wouldn’t serve Aniyis anything if he turned the hospital out and demanded answers now, so as painful as it was, he agreed. He watched as Nurse Moriah jetted down the hall in pursuit of Aniyis and the rest of his medical team. Seeing the doors close behind her had Kross feeling like he had just gotten the wind knocked out of him.
He was praying that his last image of his son wouldn’t be what he had just seen. Raquel made her way over to her son, still in distress and in tears since she witnessed the situation from beginning to end. As weak as he felt, Kross knew he had to have strength for his mother. He opened his arms for her, and Raquel convulsed in heavy cries right into her son’s chest. He held her tight and consoled her until her strength was restored, something he wished Cassie was around to do for him right now.
“What happened, Ma?” he asked as his hand stroked her long dreads. Her cries had finally subsided, so he figured she hadenough strength to give him the details on what happened while he was gone.
Raquel lifted her head from his chest and looked up at Kross. “I don’t know. I dozed off a bit after the nurse came and checked up on him. Then, an hour or so later, I woke up to the sound of all his monitors going off. Before they could rush me out the room, I heard them say something about his lung collapsing,” she advised.
Kross could feel his chest tighten. What did that mean for his son? Aniyis was strong, but how strong could he expect a six-year-old little boy to be? He’d witnessed the death of his mother, then survived two gunshot wounds, and was now suffering from a collapsed lung. If Aniyis didn’t make it out of this, Kross had no choice but to understand that little man tried his best.
Eventually, he and his mother were ushered to the waiting room to wait for an update. Kross sat with his head in his hands. It was times like these when he missed Cassie the most. She always had her shit together and knew exactly what the fuck to do in these situations. He could recall when she went in to get induced to give birth to Aniyis. Despite it being her first time in labor, she was so calm and easy-going about everything. When he did get the chance to call, he expected to have to coach her to breathe and relax. He ended up being the one losing his shit on the other side of the phone. Cassie held everything down like a beast. Kross knew he had some big-ass shoes to fill when it came to being the best parent he could be to Aniyis.
“Kross, c’mon,” Raquel called for her son’s attention. He lifted his head from his hands and turned to his mother. He was surprised to see her on her knees for prayer in the designated waiting room that was occupied by other families who were in distress over their loved ones.
“Ma, this not the time. Get up.” He shook his head, declining her request for him to join her in prayer.
Through her eyes that were puffy and bloodshot from crying, she shot him a stern look. After all these years of not speaking to him, he still managed to be as hardheaded as ever.
“Kross, c’mon, and I’m not gonna tell you again,” she ordered him.
It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his faith in God. He just didn’t think it was normal to bust out in full prayer on his knees in front of everybody. He always thought prayer was something that was to be done in private just to share an intimate moment with God, away from any monitoring spirits. Raquel would get on her knees and pray anywhere, no matter who she was around, where she was, or the time. Right now, there wasn’t anything Aniyis needed more than a prayer, and she was going to provide that for her grandbaby.
Putting his son first, Kross opted out of fighting with his mother and joined her on his knees. It was so humbling to do this since he always felt like he had to resolve all his problems alone. Gearing up to share the load with God and deliver all his issues to the altar was so refreshing.
Raquel took her son’s hand into hers, prompting him to close his eyes and bow his head. “Dear Heavenly Father, we come to You today to express our gratitude for all that You’ve done for Aniyis. You have brought him through situations that others weren’t fortunate to get out of. Lord, we ask You to cover Aniyis in that operating room and serve him the strength he needs to survive this. God, bless the hands of every surgeon and nurse in that operating room and allow their skill to reflect through my grandson’s good health. During this time, cover and protect my son. Lord, I ask You to keep Kross’ mind sound as he stands in strength for his son. We trust You and have full faith that this will not be the end of Aniyis. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”
“Amen,” Kross let out, hoping his mother’s prayers would guarantee his son’s life. Turning to his mother, he embraced her with a tight hug. “I can’t lose him, Ma. He’s all I got.”
“I know, Kross, and you won’t. God will see us through.”
“Ma, I done did a lot of shit. You think God listening to me and willing to bless me with what I need?” He shook his head, full of doubt.
Raquel got up from her knees and reclaimed her seat, and Kross followed. She reached over and cupped her hands around his handsome face. He was a carbon copy of his father, Christian Hunter, from the rich chocolate skin and the dark tender lips to the full brown eyes that reflected every emotion he felt in his soul. Raquel knew her son was broken. Most of his trauma stemmed from his early childhood when she used to put her wants and desires over his needs as her child. It didn’t make it any better that he lost his father at a young age and grew up in the vicious streets of Miami that turned him cold. Unlike her, he had yet to fully commit himself to the Lord and seek salvation.
“You don’t worry about that. Our God is a forgiving God, and He will give you all the grace you need.”
Her words were encouraging enough to wash away all his doubt. For the hours they remained in the waiting room, Kross was full of faith that God would answer his prayers and see his baby boy through. As the doors of the waiting room were pushed open, he sat up in full anticipation, only to see that it was Ezekiel coming in, followed by his father, Andres. Kross smacked his lips at the sight of his brother wading toward him.
“Why you called him?” he turned to his mother and asked.
“Because Aniyis needs all the support he can get right now,” she said to him before rising from her seat to greet both Ezekiel and Andres with a hug.
Kross followed and stood up only to greet Andres. The two men shared a hug, one that was needed on both parts. Lasttime they saw each other was when Andres made a visit at the beginning of Kross’ sentence, and he had to break the harsh news to Kross about Raquel refusing to visit. Before he went to jail, his and Raquel’s relationship was already strained due to him being so deep in the streets, but he was hoping his mother would have some sympathy for him and at least come visit. Andres was always there to soften the blow whenever Raquel stood on her beliefs, and Kross appreciated that.
“I’m here if you need anything, son,” Andres assured him once they parted from the hug.
Kross thanked him before reclaiming his seat, which happened to be opposite of Ezekiel. “What happened with little man? He was just doing good.” Ezekiel shook his head while directing his question to his mother.
Raquel sighed deeply before responding. “His lung collapsed, but he’ll be fine by the grace of God.”
“Shit,” he stressed while holding his head in his hands. “This shit shouldn’t be happening to him. He just a kid, man.”
Kross cut his eyes at his baby brother before he released a scoff. “You told them how my son ended up here in the first place?”
Quickly, Ezekiel snapped his head up from his hands and shot daggers at Kross. “Nigga, you ain’t about to put this shit on me,” he spat while shaking his head.
“Them Chicago niggas was beefing with you, and now my lady in a casket and my son fighting for his life,” Kross gritted in a hushed tone to keep the conversation from being heard by the other families who were in the waiting room.
“We don’t even fucking know if it was really them niggas who spun on Cassie and Aniyis.”
