I knew that he was right but I wasn’t sure if I could promise him that I wouldn’t flip out and whoop her ass. “I’ll try.” I decided to keep it one hundred with him.
“Don’t try. Keep your hands to yourself.” He said as we both got out of the car. “I know you don’t want to hear this but Ms. Lizzy was right. You are the only one who can determine whether shit gets better or worse for you. If you find out she did it, let the bitch go and keep it moving. Don’t make shit worse.” He warned.
I didn’t respond. I just headed towards the house.
Tre
I used my key to let myself in. Kisha and Tyson followed me inside. “Y’all can have a seat. I’ll be right back. I’m going to get Mina.”
“Tre, that bitch better not come out here and try to lie. I’m not playing.” Kisha warned. “I know what I heard.”
“Calm down and have a seat.” I told her. “I didn’t call you here to fight. I called you here because I want to know the truth and find out what type of person I’ve been having round my kids. So no matter what I need you to try and keep your temper under control.”
She smacked her lips, folding her arms over her chest. “I’m going to try but I can’t promise you anything.”
“Alright.”
They both took a seat on the sofa and I went down the hall to the bedroom. I pushed the door opened and found Mina stretched out across the bed in her bra and panties messing with her phone. “Put some clothes on and come in the living room. I need to holla at you about something.” I told her.
“Why can’t you holla at me in here?” She asked never taking her eyes off the phone. She giggled at something on her phone. “I don’t feel like getting up or putting any clothes on. And why do I need to put clothes on anyways.”
“Because Tyson is in the living room.” I didn’t mention Kisha on purpose.
“Tyson?” She finally looked up wearing a confused expression but still didn’t bother to move. “What could you possibly want to holla at me about in front of Tyson?”
“Mina stop asking so many damn questions and put some clothes on.” I snapped. “I’m not in the mood.”
She tossed the phone onto the bed and sat up. “Uh-uhhh don’t come up in here with no fuckin’ attitude with me for no damn reason because I haven’t done shit to you. I was laying in here minding my own fuckin’ business. Now I don’t know who done pissed you off or got on your bad side but whoever it was you need to go right back out in the streets and take that shit up with them!”
I momentarily visualized myself wrapping my hands around her little neck and choking the life out of her but I managed to remain calm. “Mina get dressed and come in the living room or don’t get dressed, it doesn’t matter but I am going to holla at you about what I need to holla at you about in the next few minutes whether you are dressed or not.”
“Ugggh…” She huffed and jumped up off the bed grabbing her pants off the chair and slipping them on. “What in the fuck is so gotdamn important that you can’t just say that shit in here? Why we got to be in front of Tyson? I don’t even know that nigga like that so I can’t begin to think of what the fuck could possibly be going on concerning him and me both!” She continued to bitch while getting dressed. Little did she know the whole reason for having Tyson present was for her benefit, to keep me from losing it and stomping a hole in her ass if she confirmed that what Kisha was saying was true.
“I’ll be in the living room.” I told her.
“Whatever…” She pulled her shirt on over her head.
I walked out of the room leaving the door opened and went back into the living room. Kisha and Tyson were both sitting on the long sofa, neither of them saying a word. It was getting dark so I walked over and turned on the lamp that sat in the corner and then took a seat in the recliner that sat across from the sofa.
About a minute passed before I heard Mina stomping down the hallway mumbling. She walked into the living. “What is so damn import…” Her eyes landed on Kisha. “Um-um…what’s going on?” She looked around nervously still standing in the doorway. I could tell that all sorts of things were racing through her mind trying to figure out why Kisha was there.
“Come on in and have a seat.” I told her. This time she didn’t get slick at the mouth she just did as she was told and took a seat on the loveseat. “In the room, I told you that I needed to holla at you about something. Well Kisha called me a little while ago and told me something that she overheard earlier and I am praying to God that she heard wrong because if not, you and me are going to have a serious problem.”
“Well Tre, you know how folks lie around here in Boykins…”
“Bitch shut up!” Kisha cut her off slipping to the edge of the sofa. “This ain’t nothing that somebody told me! This is something that I heard come directly out of your mouth.” Mina looked at me nervously still wearing a confused expression. “Don’t look stupid now. You weren’t looking stupid earlier today when you were up in Walmart bragging to your cousin about how you pinched and shook Laila and Lola!” Mina’s mouth dropped opened. She looked at me like she wanted to speak, her mouth even moved but nothing came out. “I dare you to sit here and say that you didn’t say it! I will bust you right in yo’ damn mouth! I was standing right behind the two of y’all in the checkout line. Y’all were so busy laughing about the fucked up shit that you’d done to those babies that you didn’t even take notice of your surroundings. If you had you would’ve seen me.”
I sat there watching Mina, waiting for her to at least deny it. Even though Kisha had threatened her if the shit wasn’t true then she still should’ve said it but she didn’t. Instead tears fell from her eyes and her lips trembled.
“Well Mina is it true? Did you really do some fucked up shit like that to my kids?” I asked looking over at her chewing on my bottom lips. With each second that passed I could feel my anger building.
“Tre…I-I…it ain’t like you think. I was only…I didn’t pinch them hard. I just…” She didn’t get the rest of the sentence out of her mouth before I dived over on the loveseat where she was and slapped her ass so hard that she flipped over the back. I jumped right over the back and snatched her up by her hair and slapped the shit out of her again.
“You raggedy bitch! I trusted your no good ass around my kids and this is what you do?” I slapped her again! She put her hands up and tried to shield her face from the blows.
“Stop Tre before that dirty bitch has you locked up! She ain’t worth it!” I heard Kisha yell as she tugged on my arm. “Tre, let her go!” She tried with all of her strength to free Mina from my grasp but it was impossible.
Tyson grabbed me from behind and tried pulling me away from her but I still had her by the hair. I thought about yanking her fuckin’ hair so hard that it popped her neck! “Tre let go of her man! I told you not to put your hands on her! Let her go!”
For some reason Ms. Lizzy’s voice popped in my head and I could hear her saying. “Before you do anything stupid think about whether or not you want to make things harder than what they are. Sometimes the best decision we can make is to walk away from it all.”
I reluctantly let go of Mina’s hair. As soon as I let go she took off running down the hall to the bedroom and I heard the door slam. “I want that bitch out of my crib yo!” I yelled loud enough for her to hear. “Get yo’ shit and get the fuck out bitch! You ain’t shit! You gone mistreat my motherfuckin’ kids and then have the audacity to brag about that shit! Really bitch? After all that I’ve done for your funky ass and your daughter? I treat your baby like she’s my own and this is how you repay me? I see why Mello was beating yo’ ass! You deserved it! It’s obvious that a nigga can’t be good to you! You don’t know how to accept kindness! You are just like most motherfuckas out here, you take that shit as a sign weakness! You got me good though because normally I am the one doing some foul shit to a bitch. This time around though, I guess I met my fuckin’ match. You was laughing in my face, fuckin’ me and mistreat
ing my kids behind my back every chance you got while I was helping to take care of yours! Yeah you got me good. Made me look like a pure motherfuckin fool!”
“Tre calm down.” Kisha told me. “She’s not going to come out of that room with you acting like that. You need to calm down and go back there and make sure she ain’t calling the cops on your ass!”
The mention of the cops only infuriated me even more. “I wouldn’t give a flying fuck who she calls!” I snatched away from Tyson and charged down the hallway towards the bedroom door. I tried to open it but it was locked. I banged on the door with my fists. “Open this damn door! Are you in there calling the cops bitch? Huh? Call them! You can use my gotdamn phone to call them if you want and I will whoop your motherfuckin ass again when they get here!” I yelled through the door.
“I’m not calling the police.” Mina sobbed loudly. “I just want to leave…please just let me go. I promise I won’t call the police.”
“Bitch, you can leave! Ain’t nobody holding you hostage! I want your ass to go!”
“You are going to hit me again if I open the door.” She accused and to be perfectly honest she was right. I had every intention of knocking fire from her ass no sooner than she cracked that door open. I was beyond pissed, not just at her but also at myself for trusting her.
“Tre, man come away from the door and let her get her shit and leave.” Tyson told me. “Come on let’s go outside and get some air.”
“Hurry up and get your shit and get the fuck out of my house before I change my mind about not whooping your ass again.” I yelled through the door. “You’ve got ten minutes to gather everything that you have here and kick rocks!” With that being said I followed Tyson outside onto the porch. When we got out there I took my cigarettes out of my pocket and lit one up. I took a long pull and inhaled the smoke into my lungs. With the way that I was feeling. I needed something much stronger than a cigarette. I began pacing back and forth shaking my head. I’d really fucked up this time and I didn’t have anyone to blame but myself.
Kisha came outside onto the porch. “I’m about to go.” She told me and then turned to look at Tyson. “Make sure that he doesn’t put his hands on that girl and end up in jail. I have to get home and put my children to bed. I don’t want to get a phone call saying that he’s locked up.”
“You won’t.” Tyson assured her. “I got him.”
“Alright now, if he gets into trouble I am coming for you.” She laughed as she walked down the steps.
No matter how fucked up I’d treated her throughout the years, when push came to shove, she’d always had my back. Niggas never realize how good they have it until what they had is gone. “Kisha…” I called after her.
She stopped walking and turned around. “Yes.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you letting me know what the deal was. If I’d listened to you from the start none of this would ever have happened.”
She shrugged her shoulder. “Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t have but it is what it is now. Good night.”
She turned and started walking again. “Hey Kisha…”
She looked back but this time she didn’t bother to stop walking. “I already know Tre, you’re sorry. You always are.” She reached her car, got inside and left.
“I fucked up, Tyson.” I told the only friend that I had left. “I really fucked up.”
“Man don’t be so hard on yourself. We all make mistakes. That’s what life is all about, living and learning.”
“Yeah, you’re right but it’s like my ass don’t ever learn. Kisha tried her best to warn me about that bitch in there.” I pointed towards the house referring to Mina who was still inside. “I wouldn’t listen, now look. Then look at how I treated Lala.” The thought of how I’d treated Lala nearly caused me to breakdown and cry. Images of the terrified look in her eyes that night when I’d drawn the gun on her after finding out about Reggie played in my mind and it broke my heart. What kind of nigga does that to his own babymama? At that moment, I realized just how fucked up I really was and the things that Ms. Lizzy had said earlier started to make more sense. I couldn’t help but get back bad energy because that was all I ever put out. That shit that I’d done to Lala was downright unforgivable. Especially now after finding out the type of bitch that Mina was and realizing that I’d done the same exact thing as she had. I’d left my children with someone, whom I trusted. I ran my hand over my face and pulled on the hair beneath my chin. “I’ve got to call Lala and apologize. I know that it probably won’t make too much of a difference but I have to call her anyways.”
“She knows that you were upset when you said and did the things that you did. Everybody who knows you, knows how you are when it comes down to your children so I am sure that she will accept your apology.” I think that he was only trying to make me feel better but I was hoping that he was right. “I wouldn’t tell her about what ol’ girl did though. That right there will only make shit worse before it gets better…believe that. I can already see how that will turn out. Lala ain’t going to stop until she beats the brakes off of Mina. You saw all of the blood on the floor at her crib from how she fucked ol’ boy up for touching Lil’ Mama. I can tell she don’t play when it comes down to them babies either. She may have made a fucked up decision by leaving them with dude but she wore his ass out for fucking with her baby.”
“Yeah…she did.” I let out a sigh and looked out across the yard. I heard the door open and looked backed. Mina walked slowly out onto the porch sniffling, carrying a bag on each shoulder and an armful of clothes. She didn’t say anything as she crept past us and made her way down the steps. “Where is my key?” I asked causing her to jump.
She stopped walking and looked up at me on the porch. “I left it on the dresser in the room.”
“It better be up there too.”
“It is.” She started to walk off but then stopped again. “Tre…I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt them, I swear.”
“Bitch kick rocks before I fuck you up out here!”
She turned back around and rushed to her car. I stood there and watched her back out of the driveway before walking back into the house. I went into the kitchen, opened the cabinet beneath the sink and took out the half bottle of Paul Mason that I had under there. I sat it on the counter and took down a glass from the cabinet. I pour myself a nice drink and stood there next to the counter sipping it and staring off into space thinking.
Tyson walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. “You good?”
“Nah man.” I answered truthfully, tears filling my eyes. “But I plan to drink until I am.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Grab a glass out of the cabinet.”
Lala
My mama, Nisey, and I were seated in the living room talking and watching the girls play on the floor.
“I have really enjoyed you girls this week.” My mama told us patting me on my leg. “I can’t even sit here and lie. I am going to miss the devil out of y’all when you go back. I’m going to miss my grandbabies too.” She looked over at me. “I sure wish you would consider moving back down here so that I could be closer to them and you.”
I looked over at her and smiled because little did she know the thought had crossed my mind quite a few times. I loved having both sets of the girl’s grandparents around to help me with them and I kind of missed living in the country too. Minus the drama with Tre and Kisha, I hadn’t ever had any problems with anyone in Boykins because I stayed to myself and didn’t bother anyone.
“You know mama, I’ve been doing some thinking and I have to admit that moving back home has crossed my mind a lot after what happened recently with Reggie. I honestly don’t think that I can continue to stay in that house in Danville because every day that I’ve spent in that house since that bastard touched my baby, when I walk into the living room I see him touching her all over again.” I saw Nisey hang her head and shake it from the corner of my eye. I’d shared this with her before we’d left.
“Not only that but when I left Boykins, I left for all of the wrong reasons. I left because I was running from a problem that I’d been woman enough to create but not woman enough to face. I left because I was trying to protect a man who I thought cared something for me when truthfully all he ever cared about was himself. I thought that if I left, it would prove my love for him and show him my loyalty to him. All it showed was my weakness for him but that was then and this is now. A lot of things have changed since then, I’ve learned so many things over the past year. I’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks. I’m tired of running but I am more tired of chasing…tired of chasing temporary happiness. After all that has happened with Tre and Reggie, I’ve learned that no man will ever be able to truly make me happy. First I have to be happy with me…me and only me. True happiness comes from within, it’s not out there in those streets and when you go out there seeking it and chasing it like I did, you end up with some bullshit just like I did. Tre and Reggie both were my seasonal men, they weren’t meant to be in my life forever…only for a season. That’s why in both cases things turned out the way that they did. They were both placed in my life to teach me lessons and they did. Very valuable lessons that I will never forget. I should’ve known that there could never be anything real between Tre and I. Look at how that man came into my life…all wrong. I fought hard though to be the woman that he chose in the end.” I smiled through my tears. “It’s a good thing he chose Mina though because this woman that sits before you now is too good for him and I know that I deserve better. I was playing the game trying to win a prize when there never was one.”
Nisey wiped her face with both of her hands because she had tears meeting beneath her chin. “Awww shoot now, listen at my best friend. This is definitely not the same girl that I first met in the doctor’s office. Hell this ain’t even the same girl from a month ago.”
Side Chic 4 (Forever Ratchet) Page 12
