by Nikki Brown
“Maybe if she would have raised me then I wouldn’t have had to go through what I went through.” Siya grabbed her chest and gasped at his words. They didn’t sound malicious or harsh but the meaning behind them hurt Siya more than AD would ever know. “Why me man, damn?” he choked up.
Siya felt like she couldn’t even swallow the lump in her throat, it was like it was stuck there. All she wanted to do was to snap her fingers and make everything okay. She didn’t want any of this, she just wanted everything to be alright.
“You were where you were meant to be baby, you were meant to be with me. If you just tell me what happened I swear I will do whatever I can to make this right.”
“How?” He finally raised his head and Siya saw the emptiness that she saw that day when he was a little boy, that same hurt and sorrow. It scared her.
“Whatever it takes I will be there,” Siya said. She felt like this was the moment that he was going to let out whatever it was that he was holding on to.
AD shook his head, he couldn’t. It seemed like every time he got up the courage to say something, something stopped him. He couldn’t find the words to let his mother know the shit that he had been through.
“You couldn’t even tell me that you weren’t my biological mother, how can you help me? You didn’t even have the courage to tell me.” He beat his chest, and a fresh stream of tears fell down his face.
“I am your mother AD! I always have been!” Siya found it difficult to breathe with all of the different emotions trying to make their way up. She felt like there was a weight on her chest and she couldn’t free herself from the agony that surrounded her. She just needed him to see that she was his mother and nothing could change that, not even DNA.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“Because my heart wouldn’t let me tell you.” Siya said taking a seat beside her son. “In my heart I birthed you, I grew you and you were 100% mine.” She sniffed back a few tears. “If I had to say it out loud, then my world would have come crashing down. It was selfish but I just couldn’t.”
“Y’all didn’t think I had a right to know that I’m not really a Maler?” His handsome face scrunched up; she could see the betrayal lying in his blood shot red eyes. The people that were supposed to be there no matter what had let him down and he didn’t know how to handle it.
“You are a Maler son, Mega is your biological father.” AD tried to recollect the conversation that they all had with Ziva, he remembered bits and pieces but he didn’t remember the whole thing. His mind had shut down when the words I am your mother came out of her mouth so nothing was clear. “After I had Kahleno-”
Adoreé listened intently as Siya relayed the same story to him as she did his brothers. The tears that escaped his eyes were for not only himself but the pain and anguish that his mother felt. He knew that through her words that she only did what she had to do for him and their family.
“Adoreé you are my son, nothing, not even blood changes that. A mother is someone who loves you and nurtures you, helps you grow and teaches you lessons in life. That’s what I have been to all of my boys. Was I perfect? No, and never claimed to be, but you were made for me and I don’t care what Ziva says, that’s the truth,” Siya said with finality.
“I feel like I don’t know who I am,” he answered truthfully.
Listening to Siya tell him about what happened to her with losing all the babies and her almost dying had his head messed up. He was conflicted with how he wanted to feel, he wanted to be angry but his love for his mother wouldn’t allow that even when he tried.
“You are Adoreé Maler, the minute I laid eyes on you I knew that was your name.” Siya looked out at the ocean and sighed. “I didn’t even have to think about it, I just knew.” She shook her head. “I should have known when your father brought me a baby out of nowhere that something fishy was with that. I just think that the minute I laid eyes on you I knew that you were mine so I didn’t ask questions. Everything lined up for me the minute I smelled your little baby feet. My future flashed before my eyes and it was then that I knew my family was complete.”
AD took in everything that she said, he hung his head down and attempted to process her words. His mind was going a mile a minute, “So why is she back? Why now?”
“She blames me and your father for everything bad that happened to her. That’s the only thing that I can come up with.” Siya took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If you feel the need to speak with her do that, but be careful, Ziva is sneaky and conniving. I don’t trust her and if anything happens to you, I swear she’s gonna see a side of me that she’s gonna hate she ever encountered and I put that on all of my kids,” Siya said with a load of passion, AD nodded his head.
“I can’t deal with this right now.” His hands went to the back of his neck as he let his head hang. Siya rubbed his back.
“I’ll let you go but I thought you would want to know, Kahleno got shot and-”
“What!” He yelled jumping up.
“We’ve been trying to call you but we didn’t get an answer. He’s okay, he’s at the farm house with Sutton.”
“Fuck!” He yelled out. He took off towards the house and Siya didn’t try and stop him. Her boys were close, and she knew exactly where he was going. She took a minute to release all the pain that she was feeling at the moment.
“Dear Lord, I come to you as humble as I know how. Please give my son the strength and the heart to forgive me and his father for our transgressions. Everything we did, we did with a pure heart. We may not have been the best parents, but we love our kids more than we love ourselves. I need you to fix my family Lord, we need each other.” She allowed the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. The warmth of them brought a sense of tranquility around her as she looked to the sky and finished her prayer. “Whatever you do please give him the courage to release whatever demon he’s living with. He needs to be free from it. Watch over my family and have mercy on those against us. Amen!”
Maler Blood
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about my nephew?” Meka walked into the house with a full-blown attitude. She was pissed that she had to hear from the streets that Kahleno was shot and had just got out of the hospital. Even though her and her brother Mega’s relationship was somewhat strained she still went over and beyond for her nephews.
“Well hello to you too Meka,” Mega said looking up from the TV.
He couldn’t lie to himself and say that he didn’t miss his baby sister because he did, but his disdain for her husband kept Meka away a lot. Mega tried his hardest to accept the two into his family but it was always something about them that turned his stomach.
Mega loved his sister but her choice in men was something that he hated. It was like she always wanted to make it her business to fix people even when they didn’t deserve it. That trait alone is what landed her with Senior and Menz. In his eyes, they were never good enough for his sister.
“The doctor told you not to be up trying to walk, Pop will you talk to your hardheaded son?” Sutton said when she came into view. She didn’t realize that anyone was in the house. She was just trying to make sure that Kahleno got to where he needed to be safely.
“Oh my god, what happened to you?” His aunt’s voice caused him to look up while a smile formed on his face. He loved his aunt Meka, they all did they just weren’t too pleased with who she spent her life with. “What’s wrong, are you in pain?” Meka ran to her nephew. She loved her nephews more than anything, but she knew that her family didn’t get along with her husband and stepson like she would have wanted them to.
Senior had his shit about him but Meka loved him and he had never shown her any reason why she should turn her back on him. She just kept her distance to keep the peace because she didn’t want to choose. In her heart she wished that her brother would see the good in Senior like she did but there was no getting through to him. They tolerated each other for her.
“I’m good auntie, thanks for checki
ng on me.” He nodded his head and looked behind her. “Where’s your husband and son?” The way Kahleno asked put Meka on alarm. She knew how her nephew thought because he was just like his father and she didn’t want to hear no parts of what they were trying to insinuate.
“Why do you want to know where they are? They have nothing to do with this. They are family and would never do anything to hurt you.” Meka became defensive almost immediately.
“They are not my family,” Mega said through clenched teeth.
For his sister’s sake he chose to keep Senior close to make sure that he was able to provide for his sister, so he gave him a job in his organization and kept a close eye on him but when he retired, Senior thought he was going to take over for him, and he had a rude awakening. Ever since there had been tension between the two to the point that Mega chooses not to be around him.
“No, little miss thing right there ain’t family.” Kahleno immediately reached for Sutton and pulled her close while delivering the most hateful scowl that he could give. “Word on the street is that the bullet you took was for her.”
“Yeah people on the street are ignorant and just as dumb as the muthafuckas who thought it was a good idea to blast off and they will be dealt with accordingly,” Kahleno’s voice was even, yet the threat was evident.
Meka scoffed and shook her head and headed out the same way she walked in. On her way out she ran right into AD who noticed the look on her face. He wasn’t as close to her as his other brothers were and he had his reasons. So, he wasn’t trying to figure out why she was upset.
Meka stopped before she walked out on to the front porch, “Oh and I would appreciate it if you keep your hands off my son.” She pointed at AD, he glared at her and chuckled evilly.
“Or what?” He slipped his hands in his pocket and stood with his legs shoulder width apart, awaiting an answer from his aunt but she never gave him one. She just stood there with tears in her eyes.
All she wanted was for her family to get along, how could they ever think that Senior or Menz would have anything to do with Kahleno getting shot? Whether Mega wanted to believe it or not, they actually cared about them.
“AD?” Kahleno took a step towards his brother and snapped him out of the evil thoughts he was having about Menz and Senior.
AD turned towards his brother and looked at where his hand was on his side, he could see the bandage on his side and it pissed him off that he wasn’t there when that shit went down. He closed the gap and pulled his brother in for a brotherly hug. The two embraced for a while before Kahleno pulled back but grabbed the back of AD’s head bringing their foreheads together.
“I’m glad you good,” AD said quietly.
“I’m sorry bro,” Kahleno whispered hooking his arm around his neck and pulling him back in for a hug.
Mega sat back and watched his boys, he wished that it was something that he could do to take all the pain away. He knew that his son needed time to heal and he would be there for him as much as Adoreé would let him.
“Shits fucked up man, damn.” On the ride from his beach house he vowed that he wouldn’t shed any more tears over this situation, it is what it is. Shit happened but it didn’t take away from the love that he had for his mother and father. He was still a bit conflicted because he felt like they could have told him either way.
His mind was taking him through a roller coaster ride, a part of him wanted to be angry that he was lied to his whole life but then the love that he had for his parents wouldn’t allow him to be. He felt like he was going crazy and there was nothing that he could do about it. He needed to talk to someone, someone that was unbiased in the situation.
Icelynn crossed his mind and he was so eager to see her. This little time away from her and Isis made him realize that he wanted her in his world. He’s felt so lost without her and so alone. He felt like he couldn’t really trust anyone right now except for her, he didn’t know why but that’s where his heart was leading him.
“You know we right here little bruh, we ain’t going nowhere. Whatever happened you got to believe that moms and pops was doing what was best for you.”
“I know man but the shit still hurts nigga.” He choked up and just like that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Mega got up out of his chair and joined his sons in an embrace. He knew that his actions were going to put a ripple in their bond but he really did do what was best for his sons.
“I know this shit don’t seem like it right now but this shit gone make us stronger. Just let me know what you need right now. I’m here for you son,” Mega pleaded with AD to just give him a sign of what he needed him to do. “Just let me know what to do.”
“We gone get through this man.” Kahleno patted him on the back. AD could feel the love, and it was real. He didn’t know what Ziva was talking about, but this was his family.
You Gotta Come Harder Than That
“Now say that shit again?” Kahleno said on the other side of the phone, Cassidy could hear the anger in his voice. He chuckled because he knew he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Trouble already so this just put the nail in the coffin.
“Yeah, the day you were supposed to meet us at the restaurant, Key and I were supposed to meet up and chill. She called me hysterical saying that she found her mother’s ring in the shop. She found it right after Trouble bitch ass pulled that hoe shit.” Cassidy parked in the school parking lot.
“That nigga dead.”
“If Vinny don’t get his ass first, it’s taking everything in him not to move on that shit bruh. He ain’t like you, he don’t want to think shit through. That man wants Trouble ass in the dirt, NOW!” Cassidy said as he climbed out of the car and looked around at all the sexy ass women walking their sons to their football game. It pissed him off that the ratio of men to women at the little league game was ten to one.
“Tell that nigga to chill and come to the house tonight.” Kahleno laughed and then said something in the background.
“The fuck you talking to?”
“Adoreé, he just walked back in the door and me, him and pops talking about some shit.”
“That’s what’s up. I stopped by to holla at Vinny about some shit he didn’t want to talk about over the phone. He here at his nephew’s football game.”
“Shut the fuck up Cassidy, you there trying to see Akiya.” Again Kahleno laughed. “You ain’t fooling nobody.”
“Shut the fuck up and mind ya damn business.” Cassidy hit the end button on the phone. He wasn’t about to admit to his brother that what he said was right.
Since he got her number him and Key been texting back and forth, Cassidy was really feeling her, but he had his guard up. She was a mystery to him and the man that he was, made him hesitate to really try and get to know her.
He had always been that way; Cassidy was cocky and he knew what he brought to the table and he wanted the woman that he dealt with to bring just as much. His woman didn’t have to be rich, he had that covered. He was more interested in her drive and ambition. It was nothing like a woman who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it.
“Got damn,” slipped from Cassidy’s mouth as he walked down the stairs of the stadium. It was at least two hundred people here for the game and the first and only person he saw was Key.
She had the physical portion of his requirements on lock, from her light skin and thick lips. The way her naturally curly hair framed her face, made her look more innocent than she was. Her body was everything that any man could want and Cassidy could see himself exploring it over and over.
“Nigga the fuck I tell you about openly eye fucking my sister.” Vinny said from behind Cassidy, he was so stuck on looking at Key that he didn’t even realize that someone was behind him.
“What the fuck I tell you about her sexy ass wearing shit like that in my presence.” Cassidy’s tongue swept across his bottom lip. His eyes were glued to Key’s ass.
She could feel someone looking at her, her eyes searched the stands and wh
en they met Cassidy’s her whole body began to heat up. She was so attracted to this man and had only really been around him a few times. She knew who he was but she didn’t know him per say, not that she wouldn’t want to get to know him.
“Girl Cassidy is nuts, be careful with that one,” Cami who was Spiff’s sister said to Key.
“Ah hell Cami, you fucked him?” Key gave Cami the ugliest look that she could muster up and it caused Cami to fold over laughing.
“No girl, after fucking with Trouble and my brother found out about it, he got in my ass and told me to stay the fuck away from the crew.” She giggled and then looked back at Vinny. They had been fucking around since he got shot and Spiff moved her to his house to pick up and do counts.
“Ummhmmm, save that for someone who ain’t heard you hollering to the roof tops.” Cami’s beautiful medium brown skin flushed pink as she rolled her eyes. “I thought so.”
“I know but Spiff don’t know about me and Vinny and I would appreciate it if you kept that between us.”
“Who the hell am I gonna tell? Only person I talk to out of the Maler empire is Cassidy.”
“Right and that nigga will joke about it and spill the beans. He’s fucking crazy and don’t give a damn what comes out of his mouth.” Cami shook her head looking back at Vinny and Cassidy who were both looking their way. Cami flipped them off and they both started laughing. “See ain’t neither one of them got no sense.”
“Don’t be talking about my brother hoe.” Key lightly shoved her in the arm and turned back to watch her son Kane practice before the game.
Times like this she wished that his father was in his life but then again, she knew that if he was that he would do whatever to make their life a living hell. Her ex was controlling as hell and she often felt suffocated when they were together.
