by Lucinda John
Stacy didn’t know it yet, but I had no plans of letting her take my son away from me. I already picked up an application for him at the private school Jamie was attending. I even got him a spot on the basketball team that Elijah was on. He had all of his clothes, shoes and toys here so there was no need for him to go back home. Home was here with me, where he should have been the moment he was brought into this world.
“Daddy, I miss mommy,” Jamie said, breaking my heart.
It was days like this that made me hate Joie for being so selfish. She never thought of her actions before she did anything. I wanted her ass to rot in fucking jail, but the pain my daughter was going through, missing her mother, had me reconsidering.
“Remember what Daddy told you about Mommy going away for school?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Mommy needs to be in school for a little while so she can get really smart like you,” I lied. “We can talk to her when she calls.”
“Ok, Daddy. Is this our new house?” she asked.
Jamie was very observant; smart for her age. When she was little, Joie had her on all type of learning programs. She was in gymnastics, dance, piano and violin lessons. Joie was always on her when it came to her studies. I would sometimes have to remind her that Jamie is only four.
“Just for a little while.”
“Are we going to be here until Mommy comes back from school? Will my big brother live with us at our other house when Mommy comes back?” she bombarded me with questions.
“Dad, I love my room!” MJ yelled, running over to us, saving me from Jamie and her questions.
“I’m glad you do, buddy,” I replied.
“I like your room too, Jamie. Why isn’t it pink like regular girls’ room?” he asked.
“I don’t like pink,” Jamie frowned.
“Dad, I like her,” MJ smiled.
“Tag, you’re it,” Jamie said, hitting MJ and running away.
“MJ, take it easy!” I yelled out to him.
“Dad, I’m fine.” he laughed as he chased his baby sister.
“This is the Maleek I know and love. That other Maleek, the Maleek that reminds me that he’s really related to Mayhem and Ramsey, is the Maleek I don’t like,” my mother sassed, placing her hands on her hips.
“Ma, chill.”
“No, you chill. You pull another stunt like that again and that’s your ass. I really liked Joie; I really can’t believe she was behind this shit. I ought to go down to the jailhouse and beat her ass,” my mother ranted.
“Ma, you gon’ mess around and get locked up.”
“You know how I am about you boys. I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“It’s cool. I got my kids, that’s all that matters.”
“Do you still love her?” my mother asked.
“Love who? Joie? Of course I do. I can’t just stop loving her because she’s a fucked up ass person. My love for her took time to grow, but it was real,” I replied.
“Not Joie, Stacy. Do you love her?”
“She gave birth to my first born so of course there is love somewhere in me for her,” I replied.
“Don’t try to play me, Maleek, I’m your mother. I see the way you look at her. Hell, you moved her out of her hotel room and into a four bedroom, four bathroom house.”
“Ma, you know I been owned this house. I just didn’t want her living in the hotel with my son. That’s all it is.” I waved her off.
“I’mma leave it alone for now, but I got an ‘I told you so’ coming soon, mark my words. Before you make that move, make sure you get your closure from Joie. Make sure you’re really done with her,” she lectured.
“I’m done with her. I can’t be with someone so deceitful. If she could keep my child, my flesh and blood, away from me for six years, she could sell me out to some jack boys or even worse, the Feds. I can’t trust her anymore, Ma, and without trust, you don’t have shit. I keep thinking about how my son could have possibly lost his life because Joie wanted to be so sneaky. I would have never forgiven her or Stacy if God forbid, my son would’ve died.”
“I understand. Talk to Joie, you owe her that much.”
I looked down at my watch and saw that I had a few hours left to make it to the jail if I wanted to visit.
“Ma, can you watch the kids for me, please?” I asked.
“Of course,” she smiled.
Making my way into the house, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the way my mother had things laid out. The marble floors were shined to the point where I could look down to see my reflection. The beige, gold, and burgundy four piece living room set looked as if it set me back some bands. The dining room was decked out with an eight seater ivory antique dining room set that matched the crystal chandelier to perfection. The more I walked around the house, viewing each room, the more I fell in love with it. When I first purchased this house, it looked old and run down. Thanks to Ma Dukes and my team of contractors, I could make a killing renting this place out fully furnished.
Peeking my head in the master bedroom, I studied the massive white king sized sleigh bed with the crystal trimmings around the plush headboard. Making my way to the bathroom for a much-needed shower, I stripped down naked and got into the steamy water. The shower was equipped with six shower heads so there was no need for me to rotate my body. Grabbing the soap bar, I lathered a rag and washed myself clean.
Once I was done with my shower, I threw on a pair of jean shorts, a fitted white V-neck that outlined my chiseled chest, with a pair of white leather Gucci sneakers that matched my Gucci belt. I didn’t have a variety of clothes here, so I just wore what was in my duffel bag. Placing my watch around my wrist and my Jesus piece around my neck, I was ready to go.
After waiting to be processed for about thirty minutes, I was seated and waiting for Joie. When she came out, I felt bad at how terrible she was looking. She was still very much beautiful, but the bags that were under her eyes let me know that she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in the plush pillow tops she was accustomed to.
She took a seat across from me, then sat there in silence. For the first five minutes of our visit, we sat there looking at each other until she broke down crying. Hearing her sobs melted my heart, making me want to burst out of this motherfucker carrying her on my back.
“I’m so sorry, Maleek,” she cried.
“Why did you do this shit?”
“I didn’t want to lose you to her. I knew how much you loved her and I knew if she came back, I would have been pushed to the side,” she sobbed.
“If you really think that I am that type of person, then you really don’t know me, Joie. My son is sick, Joie. He could have died because you were being sneaky and shit,” I snapped.
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been fucking up badly,” she wept. “I’m in so much trouble and I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m going to help you. I’ll hire you a good lawyer, put money on your books, and make sure you get to talk to Jamie.”
“Thank you, baby,” she said, giving me a weak smile. “What about us?”
“As far as I’m concerned, there is no us. I’m not leaving you because Stacy is back, so you can get that shit out your head right now. I’m choosing to walk away from this shit because I can’t trust your ass anymore.”
“I can make it up to you,” she begged. “Please don’t do this to me. Think about Jamie.”
“Were you thinking about Jamie when you decided to let off rounds in Macy? You left your DNA at the crime scene. You get into a car crash with the weapon you used sitting next to you in the passenger seat. Nah, you wasn’t thinking about Jamie because if you were, you wouldn’t have done some dumb shit like that,” I spat.
“I just need another chance.”
“You may get another chance at life outside of these walls, but as far as we go, it’s a wrap,” I said, getting up.
“You’re leaving already?” she cried.
“Yes. Jamie is doing well; I allow your parents to get her e
very other weekend. I will send you pictures of her in the mail as soon as I get home. Your books are full, and I’ll just add more money every month,” I said, preparing to leave.
“Maleek, please don’t leave me. I need you.”
“Nah, you need Jesus. You ain’t right in the head,” was the last thing I said, as I walked away.
Ma Dukes was right. The moment I walked out of the jailhouse, it was like a breath of fresh air. Jumping in my car, I sent the lawyer I hired for Joie an email to see if he could get her time reduced to the lowest it could go. Since Macy was still alive, there was no way she could argue she shot her in self-defense.
When I arrived at the house, I spotted Stacy’s rental, which told me she was here.
“Where are the kids?” I asked her, as I walked into the house.
Stacy’s apparel threw me off and had me biting my lip and shit. She was in my kitchen cooking in a pair of couching print showing spandex shorts with an old shirt that stopped above her navel. The tattoos that decorated her stomach were sexy as fuck, which was why she had a nigga in a trance.
“Your mom took them to Toys “R” Us,” she replied.
“For what?”
“To spoil them, I guess,” she shrugged.
“Put on some damn clothes. I hope you don’t be walking around my son looking like that,” I frowned.
“So what if I do? He’s my son.” she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah ok, put some clothes on. If I can see your pussy print, it is inappropriate to wear during the day.”
“Yes, daddy.” She rolled her eyes, diverting her attention back to the stove.
“What you in here burning up?” I asked, looking over her shoulder.
My body brushed up against hers and I could feel the electricity run through my body. I had to step back to avoid old feelings from returning. I would always be there for Stacy off the strength of my son, but I couldn’t fuck with her like that anymore.
“MJ’s favorite: neck bones with lima beans, white rice, cabbage and corn bread.”
“Sounds good,” I replied.
“Boy, don’t play. You know my cooking is bomb,” she giggled.
Back then, Stacy used to have a nigga eating good. She would cook for me every other day, feeding me that real deal soul food. Joie tried her best to cook soul food from the lessons she got from my mother, but it wasn’t quite the same. Girls that grew up in households with mothers who gave them no choice but to stand at the stove are the ones that grow up knowing how to burn.
“You need to start thinking about what we’re going to do about MJ. He’s not going back home. If you need to stay here until you get situated, then you can, but as far as my son leaving me, that is out of the question.”
“What about my life, business, my fiancé?” she asked, turning to face me.
“You own your own business, right?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Open a new location here,” I suggested.
“I have to speak with Dre about this first,” she replied.
“Who the fuck is Dre, your daddy?” I asked.
“Sometimes.” she smiled as I mugged the fuck out of her.
“On the real tho, my son staying here and no, that nigga can’t come live here either.”
“Why? You’re going to have to deal with him; we are getting married,” she stressed.
“I don’t have to get along with nobody but your dumb ass and that’s because I’m forced to. Fix my plate and put it in the oven when you’re done,” I said, making my way up to the master bedroom. Since Stacy had her and MJ’s clothes scattered all over the bed, I decided to sleep in the guest bedroom.
Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, I grabbed a piece of paper and used it to break down my weed. Joie ran through my mind as I rolled the fattest blunt my wrap would allow me to. The pained look she gave me was tattooed in my mind as I put the blunt to my lips and took a long pull. I wouldn’t wish the position she was in on you. She didn’t deserve to be locked up like a caged animal; she wasn’t built for it. Even though it was a wrap for us, I was willing to do my all to help her, just so Jamie could have her.
I was buried deep in my thoughts, inhaling some fye ass kush, when Stacy walked in the room with a tray filled with food.
“Yo’ hard headed ass still ain’t put on no clothes.” I sucked my teeth.
“Your mom just called. She said she’s keeping MJ overnight so he could chill out with Elijah.”
“That don’t mean you can walk around this bitch naked,” I spat.
Stacy purposely bent over with her ass tooted in the air as she placed the food on the dresser for me.
“Eat up, you know you like my cooking,” she smirked.
“Thot ass engaged but throwing the pussy at yo’ baby daddy,” I chuckled. “You a hoe, for real.”
“I ain’t throwing shit at you, Maleek. Don’t get mad because I done got thick and now your eyes can’t stay off me.”
“This dick got you thick,” I replied, grabbing my crotch.
“Nobody wants that small ass dick you got.” she rolled her eyes.
“I bet you ain’t had a dick this thick and long that could curve and hit your spot with each stroke,” I fucked with her.
I had no desire to take it there with Stacy, but I enjoyed watching her sweat. No matter how much she tried to front, she was still feeling me. If I wanted, I could have her ass remove that engagement ring and bust it wide open on sight.
“Nah, I’m good on you. MY MAN satisfies my every need,” she shot back.
“Yeah ok, then get the fuck out my face, tooting your flat ass and shit. Your knees still ashy. All these years and your ass still ain’t learn lotion don’t work for you. Go in the bathroom; I think I saw some baby oil in that bitch,” I laughed.
“You ain’t shit.”
“I thought you knew that already. Get out!”
“Damn, Maleek, why you gotta be so fucking mean?” she fumed.
“Why you still standing in my face? Just because you’re here, don’t mean we good. I just want my son close,” I replied, clearing the air. I didn’t want Stacy to think I allowed her to move into my house on some get back together shit.
“Let me hit,” she asked, reaching for the weed.
“Hell nah, I don’t know where them lips been.” I waved her off.
“Really, Maleek?”
“Here, with your begging ass,” I replied, passing her the blunt.
She climbed on the other side of the bed as she took a long pull from the blunt. I watched as she laid back with her eyes closed, enjoying the smoothness of the weed. Saying grace, I grabbed my fork and started going in. The neck bones were so tender that they crumbled in my mouth, bursting with flavor. Stacy’s cooking could go neck and neck with Ma Dukes.
When I finished, I got up and placed the plate in the kitchen. I searched the bar until I retrieved a bottle of Jack Daniels. With my shot cup and bag of weed in tow, I went back upstairs to ease my mind. I paid Stacy no mind as I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speakers and blasted YFN’s “Lucci”.
“I got money way before the deal
Put my bitches in new pair of heels
I might fuck your ho and pay her bills
Yeah we was taught to get it how we live, yeah
I got your ho on a leash,” I loudly sang the lyrics of the song, as I sipped on my drink.
Stacy sat up, grabbed her a cup and reached for my blunt since she finished off the other one.
“Don’t get fucked up. I hate the way you act when you drunk and shit,” I warned her.
Back then, when Stacy and I were rocking hard, we would have our chill days where we would lie back with a bottle or two and a bag of weed. Whenever we would get toasted, Stacy would start acting like she had no damn sense. She would swear that something was after her ass, walking around the house like she some type of detective and shit.
“Shut up,” she giggled. I could see her eyes were already getting low
and red, so I decided to finish off the blunt without her.
“Let me get one more cup,” she asked.
“This your last cup. I ain’t on that looney ass shit tonight. I’ll fuck around and call the crazy house on yo’ ass,” I sternly replied.
“Remember we used to do this back in the day?” she reminisced.
“The good ol days when I knew I could trust you,” I replied with a mouth filled with smoke.
“You can’t trust me?”
“Nah.”
