Another Rumble

by Skyy, Rayven

“Can you tell me what you remember that night?”

  “I don’t remember nothing.” I never looked his way.

  “Did you get a look at the shooter?”

  “Nope.”

  “Both of the guns we recovered from the scene were both registered to your ex-wife. Now, I understand that you acted in self- defense, but were you carrying either one of the weapons on you before the shooting started?”

  “Nope.”

  “We also recovered multiple shell casings from the scene. The casings from your wife’s guns are accounted for, and so were the bullets you and the deceased were shot with.”

  “So,” I looked at the detective.

  “There was also a forth casing found at the scene.”

  “So,” I repeated.

  “So, that tells me there may have been another shooter out there.”

  “Sorry, Detective Warren,” I shook my head. “I don’t remember anything that happened that night.”

  “I find that hard to believe that you don’t remember anything.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you then. You the detective. Go detect.”

  “Why don’t I just come back in a few days when you are feeling better. Maybe then you will remember something.”

  “I doubt it, but do you.”

  Family Reunion!

  “What, Peaches?” I answered my phone.

  “Well, hello to you too, daughter. How are you doing today?”

  “I’m busy,” I rolled my eyes. “What do you want?”

  “Nicole, you really don’t have to talk to me like that. I may be the one to pass you your…”

  I let out a deep sigh. “You have two seconds to tell me what you want,” I cut her off.

  “Guess who I saw today?” she said in a whisper.

  “I don’t care,” I whispered back. “I don’t have time to play guess what with you today.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you then. I think I saw your brother Shawn.”

  “So.”

  “So? Do you know how long it’s been since I have seen him?”

  “Don’t know, don’t care. Is that all?”

  “Last time I saw him, he was still in pampers.”

  “And then you were on to the next baby.”

  “He was with his Aunt Jean,” she ignored my comment, “and do you know she had the nerve to act like she didn’t want to speak to me? Bitch. I ain’t never liked her ass anyway.”

  “I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t speak to you either.”

  “Shawn looks just like his daddy too. God rest his soul.”

  “Peaches, please. I know you did the Harlem Shake when his daddy committed suicide.”

  “That’s not true, Nicole. I loved all my baby daddies. Butch just had a mean streak in him and he was too possessive. I sure hope Shawn didn’t inherit that from him.”

  “I have to go.”

  “I’m going to find out where he lives. You think I should, Nicole?”

  “What are you asking me for?”

  “He is your younger brother. You should want to know him, too. You should have seen the truck he was driving. It was real nice. Maybe we could all get together the next time you come home.”

  “Which will be no time soon.”

  “You shouldn’t act like that, Nicole. You’re the oldest.”

  “Why don‘t we all get together and have a family reunion then?”

  “That’s a good idea,” she sounded excited. “When are you coming home?”

  “Oh my gosh, you can’t be serious,” I started laughing. “I was just joking. I could care less if I ever meet any of your kids Peaches. Good day.”

  “Wait, Nicole,” she yelled through the phone.

  “What!” I screamed.

  “Can you send me a few dollars…”

  “Hell no.”

  Click.

  Hood Love!

  It’s been two weeks since Milk was released from the hospital and I am convinced that his new purpose in life was to make mine a living hell. After the shooting at Quikshop I never wanted to see another cigarette, but now that Milk is home I have turned into a chain smoker.

  “You want something to eat?” I asked Milk.

  “Nope.”

  “Aunt Neicy made some baked chicken and some collard greens for you. Don’t make me call and tell her you won’t eat it.” I laughed at thought of her cussing Milk out.

  “If I get hungry I know how to fix a plate. You don’t have to do shit for me,” he said, changing the channel on the TV. I sucked in some air through my nose and blew it out. Just ignore his ass Sabrina.

  “Okay, well I’m getting ready to go wake the baby up to give her a bath. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Wake her up for what?” Milk turned around and acknowledged me for the first time.

  “I’m trying to get her on a better schedule. Her days and nights are mixed up.”

  “Man, let my baby sleep,” he turned back around. “I know she tired of you fuckin’ with her every five minutes. That’s why her days and nights are mixed up ‘cause you won’t let her sleep. You change her clothes fifty times a day. You gon’ brush all the damn hair out her head. I know she can’t breathe with all that fuckin’ disinfectant shit you wipe her room down with every hour on the hour. Leave her alone and let her sleep.” he said all in one breath. It took everything in me not to respond to Milk. I just silently repeated in my head the same thing I had been telling myself ever since he came been home from the hospital. Just ignore his ass Sabrina.

  * * *

  “I know, I know, that mean ol’ water. Mommy almost finished… mommy almost done.” I reached for a Q-tip to clean around her ears. “Then mommy gon’ feed her punkin’ and it will be lights out, Irene.”

  I turned around when I heard the bathroom door open. “Whatchu’ in here doing to my baby?” Milk walked up behind me.

  “Giving her a bath.”

  “Man, move.” I was bent down on my knees and Milk almost knocked me over reaching for Saysha. When he picked her up she stopped crying.

  “I still need to wash her hair,” I stood up. “Give her back to me please.” Milk wrapped her up in a towel and walked out of the bathroom into Saysha’s adjoining room, and then he layed her down on the changing table.

  “Milk, did you hear what I said?” I was getting pissed off now.

  “Yeah, I heard you, but did you hear me when I told you to leave her alone and let her sleep,” he asked with his back to me. “You see she stopped crying.”

  “Saysha cries like that every time she gets a bath.” I walked over and stood beside him.

  “Move man, I got this.” Milk nudged me with his elbow. I took another long deep breath and blew it out. Just ignore his ass, Sabrina.

  An hour later I went downstairs to clean up the kitchen and make up some bottles for the baby. I was in a world of my own, signing Hood Love along with the Queen and Trey Songz, but I stopped singing when I realized they were no longer singing along with me.

  “You and Mary both shut the fuck up,” Milk said as he abruptly turned off the radio. “The baby sleep.”

  “Uh, excuse you?” I threw the bottle washer into the sink. “I have her monitor. I’ll be able to hear her when she wakes up.” I reached over and turned the radio back on, and then Milk immediately turned it off.

  “How can you hear anything over this loud ass music?” he barked back.

  “Milk don’t come down here fucking with me.” I reached for the radio and then Milk snatched the plug out of the wall. I reached over to plug it back in, but then he picked it up. I stood on the tip of my toes and reached for the radio, but it was now in the air. He had me. I am 5’7 and Milk is 6’3. If he wasn’t recovering from a gunshot wound I would punch him in his stomach.

  “Whatchu’ in here doing, reminiscing ‘bout yo’ old boyfriend?”

  “Fuck you!” I turned around and walked back over to the sink. I have had just about all I can take from Milk.

  “Th
at, you ain’t ever got to worry ‘bout. I don’t want you or no more of your tainted ass pussy.” Milk put the radio back down on the counter and then opened the refrigerator door.

  “And mothafucka I don’t want none of your diseased ass dick either.” I went back to washing the baby’s bottles.

  “You the one probably gave the diseases to me. By the way, you ain’t fuckin’ no other niggas out here in the streets and trying to kill me is you?”

  Milk opened a bottle of Gatorade and swallowed it down in one gulp. I started to throw the bottle washer at him.

  “Hmmm…” I looked up at the ceiling. “Are there any more of my cousins you fucking that I should know about?” I turned around and looked at Milk. He slammed the refrigerator door shut.

  “Kiss my ass Sabrina!”

  “You can kiss your own ass. If you think I’m going to just let you keep talking shit to me and I don’t say anything back you in for a rude awakening.” I dried my hands with a paper towel.

  “I say what the fuck I want to say in my got damn house. You don’t like it, put two eggs in yo’ shoes and beat it,” he waved his arm.

  “Nigga, you ain’t said shit. The only reason why I moved back into this house was to help your black ass out. I can pack my baby up and we can leave out this mothafucka’ today.” I walked around to the other side of the island to leave out the kitchen.

  “I said you can carry yo’ ass. Saysha ain’t going nowhere,” he grabbed my arm.

  “Get off of me,” I screamed, while pulling away. “Don’t touch me!” I yelled.

  “You think I want to touch you?” Milk laughed. “I can’t stand to look at you, let alone touch you. Why don’t you take yo’ ass down south with the rest of the Byrds.”

  “You know what, I just might do that. The trip would do me and Saysha some good.” I flinched. Milk threw the radio over top of my head up against the wall.

  “Bitch, I’ll kill you,” he walked towards me. “Sabrina, don’t fuck with me when it comes to my daughter. I don’t give a fuck what you do, but let me find out you had my baby ‘round that nigga and see what happens.”

  “Whatever,” I waved.

  “You think that shit cute, huh?”

  “I think what is cute?”

  “You know what, never mind. Fuck you, Sabrina.” At that point he walked out of the kitchen.

  “Don’t stop now, baby boy.” I folded my arms across my chest. Milk hated when I called him that.

  “Like you told me, say what you got to say.”

  “Oh, don’t act like you giving me permission to say a got damn thing,” he responded, walking back into the kitchen. “Shit, we ain’t together no more, and now I know why. You threw all these years we had together away for a coward, and that nigga left you for dead.”

  “Oh, and all the shit you have done over the years didn’t contribute to us breaking up?”

  “Hell nawl,” he shook his head.

  “Of course you would say that, let you tell it.”

  “Man, every time I turned around you had yo’ fuckin’ lips poked out for no damn reason. A nigga couldn’t come home without hearing, ‘where you been, who you fuck, did you get ya’ dick sucked today?’ and all that bullshit.”

  “Go ahead,” I smiled. “Get it all off your chest, Milk.” I pulled out a bar stool and sat down.

  “You see, that’s another one of your problems,” he growled while he pointed in my face. “You don’t know when to shut the fuck up and listen.”

  “And what exactly am I supposed to be listening to? Milk, you had been cheating on me since before the war in Iraq started,” I stood back up and laughed.

  “Whatchu’ expect me to do, Sabrina?” Milk yelled in my face. “You ‘round this mothafucka’ with an attitude, and yo’ pussy on lock all day every day. But my fucking ‘round ain’t never stop you from spending my mothafuckin’ money. that’s for damn sure. Talk all the shit you want.”

  “Why the fuck would I continue to allow you to climb across me coming in here at night with your breath smelling like wolf pussy?” I calmly stated. “So because my pussy was on lock you decided you would go fuck my cousin, huh?”

  “Yeah, it was fucked up what I did with yo’ peoples. I’ll admit that, but one thing I will say about Asia was that she was a world class ride or die bitch.” He walked out of the kitchen again.

  “She sure was, because she rode your back all the way to the bank. Had your ass around this mothafucka’ playing daddy. But you found out, what? I smiled. “You are not the father!” I yelled out, Imitating Maury Povich. Milk walked back into the kitchen.

  “You real funny, you know that?” Milk grinned. “ Yeah, yo’ cousin got me, but shit you was gon’ do the same damn thing. That must be the Wright women’s steelo, putting babies on niggas that don’t belong to them. Oh, but never again. I had a blood test done on Saysha before I left the hospital, so no Maury show appearances for you this go ‘round.”

  “You had a blood test done on who? My baby?” I pointed to myself. I knew Milk only said that just to piss me off.

  “You got damn right I did.” He walked out of the kitchen again. I pushed the bar stool back under the table. I needed to set the stage for this rumble.

  “Hold on there partner, don’t go nowhere yet.” I held my hand up signaling for Milk to come back. “Let’s recollect shall we. Who was it that came up to Mecklenburg every fucking weekend to see your black ass for two fucking years straight? Me!” Milk walked back into the kitchen.

  “You was supposed to bid with me!” he screamed. “I ain’t spend my money on my got damn self. I was taking care of you and yo’ mothafuckin’ family! That ain’t no mothafuckin’ Volvo parked out there in the driveway! You take it when its good, so take it when its bad!”

  “I don’t give a fuck about your money!” I yelled back. “I have my own got damn money!”

  “Yeah, I bet you do,” Milk shook his head up and down. “You out in the street with yo’ pussy on layaway then got nerve to nag me about a bitch.”

  Pussy on layaway? Good one. Now it is gut punch time. “If you can recall, the nagging stopped around what time?” I looked up to the ceiling again

  as if I were thinking. “When Byrd infiltrated your ass on your own turf,” I winked at Milk. I could see the veins popping in his neck. “Pussy was on lock you say?” I licked my lips. “Well, I couldn’t do the both of y’all at the same time, now could I? That would put me in the category with one of your whores. Byrd hit me off so good that I could buy you out this house, but won’t be a need for that because all this shit is in my name,” I waved my hands around. Milk looked like a raging bull. “You see that your game ain’t so tight now is it huh, baby boy? Nigga came up to your neck of the woods and shut shit down. Now look at you,” I looked Milk up and down, “all shot the fuck up. Wait until that newsflash hit the streets. Your name gon’ be Mud instead of Milk. ”

  “Sabrina you better shut the fuck up,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Oh now its Sabrina shut the fuck up.” I laughed.

  “Yeah, that’s what it is,” he said, moving closer to my face. “You should try sucking some cock ‘round this mothafucka’ sometime. Don’t act as if you played your position to the fullest. I got bitches standing in line, waiting to take yo’ place.”

  I started walking out of the kitchen, but I stopped and then turned back around. “Just let me share one more thing with you before I go, baby boy.”

  “Keep on, here,” Milk had a smirk on his face, still nodding his head up and down.

  “You and Asia weren’t the only ones to christen our bed,” I smiled. “Our bed, your barber-shops, and your truck. Put that on layaway!” Milk grabbed me by my arm and started pulling me towards the front door. “Let me go,” I screamed, as I struggled to break free from him. I purposely let myself fall down to the floor, but then Milk started to drag me by my leg.

  “Naw, go find that mothafucka’,” he said still pulling on my leg. “You
getting the fuck out of here before I kill yo’ ass in this mothafucka’ tonight.” Milk dragged me out of the house onto the front porch. He went back inside and slammed the door behind him.

  A half an hour later after banging and kicking at the front door like my mind was bad, Milk finally unlocked the door and let me in. I went upstairs to check on Saysha. She had slept through all the noise and commotion going on between her daddy and me. I heard the garage door open and a car start up. I looked out the window and saw Milk backing out of the driveway. I went into my bedroom, got my cigarettes out of my top drawer, and then I went out on the balcony. I don’t think I am going to be able to co-habitat in the same house as Milk.

  Sadatay!

  It may have been a little too soon for me to be out, but I had to leave the house before I made Saysha a motherless child. I was lying when I told Sabrina I had a blood test done on my baby. Shit, Saysha looked more like me than I did my damn self. The only thing she inherited from Sabrina was her light skin. I can see my momma and daddy features in her too. She is definitely a Woodhouse. I drove around for a while and I ended up at the middle school I used to go too when I lived out in Tidewater Park.

  Now I am sitting in my truck, sipping on some Grey Goose, and contemplating whether or not I was going to go back to the house tonight. I am so fucked up in the head right now that I do not know what to do with myself. I would never admit it to Sabrina, but she was right. Byrd did infiltrate me in the worst possible way. Not only did he get in between her legs, but he got in her head. I may have won the battle, but Byrd won the war.

  I noticed a white Cutlass coming down Tidewater Drive. I started up my truck, pulled out of the school parking lot, drove over the median, and then flashed my lights off and on to get the driver’s attention. The Cutlass turned right on Charlotte Street, pulled over, and then parked. I reached over and got my gun from the passenger seat just in case it was not who I thought it was. When he opened his car door, I could hear the music he was blasting.

  “I’mma king in my own way… I’m in the hood hollerin’ Sadatay… I’mma king in my own way… I’m in the hood hollerin’ Sadatay…”