Chapter 13 

After Ramel left, Chanel tried to stay off drugs while living at the Harlem shelter. Soon another man captured her attention: a twenty-six-year-old barber named Supreme. He had two children: Khaliq, who was two, and Nana, who was an infant. Nana suffered from an eye condition which would eventually rob her of her sight. 

Though they had never met, Supreme and Chanel learned that they grew up in the same neighborhood and that Dasani and Khaliq had been born in the same hospital during the same week. He also told her about how his previous wife had fallen down the stairs to her death; the autopsy revealed a fatal heart condition. Khaliq had stayed with his mother’s body for an undetermined amount of time following the accident; since that day, he had struggled to speak. 

Supreme began teaching Chanel about the Five Percent Nation, a group who considered themselves among the enlightened five percent of humanity. They believed that God existed in human form and that “the Black man is God.” Formerly known as Eric, Supreme became known as “Godsupreme” and could recite verses from the Quran in Arabic. Chanel began reading and appreciated that Five Percenters referred to women as “earths” and “queens” instead of “bitches.” 

Supreme chose a new name for Chanel: Makeba, meaning “maker of babies.” Chanel began wrapping her head and stopped eating pork as a reflection of her newfound ideologies. Chanel and Supreme got married in a city clerk’s office, which represented a victory to Chanel. After all, no one she knew got married anymore. 

Chapter 14 

When Dasani was almost four, Chanel and Supreme had their first child together, a daughter they named Maya. A year later, they added another daughter, Hada. 

Chanel and Supreme were unpredictable, and their fights sometimes turned violent. Dasani learned to shepherd the children into a corner together to protect her siblings during these moments. Occasionally, Supreme would take Khaliq and Nana and leave, but eventually he would return. 

In 2006, Chanel was offered a new opportunity. The city offered to pay $1,176 a month for rent so that Chanel and Supreme could get themselves on their feet. However, the couple failed to maintain employment or to stay sober, and by 2007 Chanel was pregnant again. When Papa was born, his blood revealed evidence of maternal marijuana use. Chanel and Supreme were summoned to appear in front of child protection agency representatives.