by Mz. Toni
“What you want?”
“Some orange Crush,” he said. Getting up, I went to the kitchen to get his soda and a few snacks that I knew he liked and would more than likely ask for. When I came back, half my sandwich was gone.
“You get on my fucking nerves!” I said pissed off.
“What I do?”
“Why would you eat my shit after I asked you if you wanted one?”
“Yours always taste better babe.”
“Fuck you Mark!” I said sitting on the other side of the couch with an attitude.
“So you really mad at daddy?” he asked while scooting closer and closer to me.
“Just leave me alone Mark damn!” I said with a smile. I swear I couldn't be mad at this man for over ten minutes and I hated that.
“Come gimme a kiss.”
“Nope!”
“Please I'm sorry,” he said looking sexy as hell. I wasted no time sitting on his lap and kissing him passionately. After making up, we watched our movie and he was preparing to leave shortly after it went off.
“Yo I just talked to my cuz, guess where he took ya friend?”
“Where?”
“The muthafucking gun range!”
“Get the fuck out of here, Imma call her!” I said not believing Mark ass.
“Yo but they asked if we wanted to hit the club tonight, you down?”
“Yeah I need to get out and put on something that doesn't smell like baby vomit.”
“I thought you would say that so I already told them yeah, so be ready by nine,” he said kissing me and a sleeping Mylee and leaving. As soon as Mark left my phone started ringing off the hook and I already knew who it was.
“Hey Alex,” I said when I answered.
“Hey daughter how’s my grandbaby?” she asked. I wanted to tell her that her grandbaby was doing the same as she was when she called me this morning but I knew how hard it was for her not to be able to see her so I was trying to be understanding.
“She’s doing fine she just went down for her nap.”
“Oh ok, what do you have planned for the weekend?”
“Nothing really, we going to the club tonight though!” I said hyped.
“Oh aight y’all gon turn up?” her old ass had the nerve to say.
“Please don't say that again!”
“What, girl please, I'm fifty and fabulous and I stay turnt up!” she said causing me to laugh.
“Who gonna have my grandbaby?”
“My mom has been taking her every weekend lately.”
“Oh alright what time y’all leaving?”
“Damn Ms. Alex is you the feds?” I asked laughing.
“Girl don't play with me, you know the Richards don't fuck wit tha popo!” she said sounding like Madea.
“We leaving around nine.”
“Well alright, kiss my baby for me,” she said before hanging up. When I went upstairs to find something to wear I heard that vibrating noise again. This time I was completely alone so I was gonna tear this bathroom apart until I found where that noise was coming from. I could hear the vibrating under the bathroom sink but each time I searched it, I came up with nothing. Checking again, I realized that the board under the sink lifted up and sure enough, I was able to pull out a burner phone. Trying to figure out the unlock code had me getting pissed off. I tried Mylee birthday, his birthday, his mom’s birthday and nothing worked. Finally, I put in my birthday and sure enough, the phone unlocked. This nigga had the nerve to have a secret phone and use my birthday as the unlock code, fucking dummy. Going through the text messages, I was getting more and more pissed. Whoever this was, he had been talking to for months and he was always seeing her on a regular basis. The last text message that were sent this morning he promised that he would come visit her today at 3pm, looking at the time it was already 2:30. Grabbing Mylee, I got her dressed with my man’s secret phone on deck. After dropping Mylee off at my mom’s house I turned on my google app that let me track phones on my plan. I didn't know where this damn GPS was taking me but I was damn sure ready to find out. I was confused when I ended up pulling up to what looked like a nursing home, I was ready to turn around and leave until I saw my man hop out his car and walk in. I was feeling like Harriet the Spy as I followed his ass around this nursing home. Why the fuck would he be hiding that he’s visiting a damn nursing home. I watched as he walked into a room and he didn't come out for over an hour. When I saw a nurse walk by I wasted no time trying to trick her into telling me what I needed to know.
“Excuse me ma’am, I wanted to go see my loved one but I think someone is in there.”
“Oh that’s her friend; he comes to visit her every day. I never seen you come though, you must be her sister that's in college.”
“Yeah, so is that her boyfriend?”
“I don't think so but he’s been around ever since her condition took a turn for the worst,” she said sadly and walked away. Before I knew what was happening, Mark walked out and saw me. I couldn’t run or hide, I was caught.
“What are you doing here?”
“I should be asking you the same thing.”
“Come on let's go outside!” he said grabbing my arm.
“If you wanted to know why I was here you could have asked me at home!”
“I'm asking you now, why are you here?”
“Remember Peaches?”
“Yeah the one that gave you the dirt on Angel’s ass.”
“She started fucking with the wrong nigga. First, she was all in love then she started coming to work with black eyes and shit. I didn't wanna fire her but the shit was bad for business, I asked her if she needed me to talk to the nigga but she begged me not to. Soon she quit coming to work all together, a few months ago I heard the nigga had her and a bunch of other bitches tricking, now here she is months later dying of HIV.,” he said causing me to gasp.
“Oh my God that's terrible babe,” I said hugging him. I knew he was in serious pain because he told me a while back that the way Peaches loved her daughter reminded him of how his mother loved him. No matter the time, whenever Peaches would call or was in a bind Mark was there for her.
“It's cool, she’s come to terms with her illness, but I can't help but think about her daughter. You know she was finally honest with me about that expensive ass school, her daughter is nine years old and deaf,” he said shocking me yet again.
“Damn babe, where is her daughter at now?”
“That's what I was gonna talk to you about when I came home, she wants us to take her daughter in.”
“I would love to!” I replied not even having to think about it. Peaches is a good woman that made the mistake of dealing with the wrong man, she doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her. It may be too late for her, but it's not too late for her daughter. We talked a little more before we decided to go pick up Peaches daughter and stay our asses at home.
“So she can read your lips as long as you talk slow and clearly, I would suggest learning sign language,” her teacher said.
“Hey Sparkle, I'm Camille!”
“Hi!” she said surprising me. Call me ignorant, but I didn't know that deaf people could talk.
“I'm your uncle Mark, I don't know if you remember me,” he said with a smile. She nodded and smiled back.
“Mom Job,” she replied slowly.
“Yup, you're gonna be staying with us ok?” Mark explained, again she nodded with a smile. Something told me that she knew Mark was coming for her. Grabbing her bags, we headed to pick up Mylee and then home. I was excited to show her where she would be sleeping.
“You can trust me Camille, I don't like being followed, especially when a nigga on his best behavior.”
“I know and I'm sorry for that, I should've just asked you.”
“I hurt you too many times already and I would never do it again, If I’m keeping something from you then it's because that's what’s best,” he said kissing my forehead.
“Ok babe.”
“Yo Imma call Kasan and cancel,” Mark told me which gave me time to show Sparkle around. When Mark came back, we put on a movie. I felt a little bad because Sparkle couldn't hear it but we had the captions on and she seemed to be enjoying herself. It was a little after ten when I got a text message from Mark’s mom asking if I was turnt up.
Me: Nope, didn't go long story!
Alex: Didn't go, why not? Where are you, are you home!!!!
Me: We home, is everything ok???
Alex: Leaveeeeeeee the house now!!!!
Before I could react or respond our front door was being kicked in by three masked men. Kasan jumped up but was knocked back down by the butt of a gun.
“Where the fuck is the safe!”
“What safe?” Mark asked playing stupid.
“Nigga you must really want ya girl and ya seeds to see ya brain on the wall!” the masked man said hitting him again.
“Come on Des, you playing games and shit let’s get the money!” the second masked man said.
“Nigga I was trying to see if it was another safe and why the fuck you saying my name!” the masked man named Des said. These had to be about the dumbest robbers in the world and they must not have known who they were robbing. Two of the masked men ran upstairs while Des stayed with his gun trained on us.
“Can I take the kids in another room so that they don't have to see this?”
“Bitch shut the fuck up!” he said slapping me. I literally saw fire in Mark’s eyes as blood poured out my lip. The robber must have noticed it too because he trained his gun on me and the kids and dared Mark to do some dumb shit. I looked at Mark with pleading eyes begging him not to do anything that could harm these kids. Mylee was crying at the top of her lungs I was trying to do everything in my power to calm her but she sensed the danger so she wouldn't let up.
“Shut her the fuck up!”
“I can't, she’s scared!” I screamed losing my cool.
“And why is this one standing here looking around all crazy, you good little girl?” he asked Sparkle.
“Why the fuck she ain't answering?”
“She deaf, you big dummy!” I said shaking my head. Before he could respond his dummy friends came back down the stairs.
“Yoooo we got the money out the safe!” the dumb one said as he came down the stairs.
“That's all the money you have?”
“You got everything nigga!”
“You don't seem too fazed about me taking everything nigga!”
“Cuz I don't give a shit about that money, I care about my family nigga!” Mark said getting pissed.
“Aight let’s go!” the robber said before hitting Mark twice with his gun, dazing him while they fled.
“You aight babe?” I asked.
“Fuck me! Are you and the kids good?”
“Yeah we are all ok.”
“Now go check and see what safe they hit,” he said with authority. I wasted no time running up them stairs. As soon as I saw what safe they got I remembered everything that happened before the robbery. I didn't know how I was gonna tell Mark, but I knew I would have to tell him eventually. Running back downstairs, I knew he would figure it out once I told him so I braced myself.
“Ummmm the safe in our bedroom got hit,” I said and waited for it to register. I knew he had figured it out when he started playing with his chin hair.
“That fucking bitch!” he screamed, causing Mylee to start crying all over again.
“Please calm down babe,” I begged.
“Gimme ya phone!”
“No I pay my own bill nigga!”
“Give me ya fucking phone!” he said causing me to jump. Instead of trying to save her, I saved myself and tossed him my phone.
“I told you not to fucking talk to her!” he said throwing my phone across the room.
“I'm sorry,” I said as tears rolled down my cheeks.
“Go put the kids to bed I'm sure they’re tired,” he said a little too calmly. After putting them to bed I waited for both of them to fall asleep before going into our bedroom. I knew his mother did it because nothing in the house was touched; they knew exactly where it was.
“You can't trust a druggie.”
“She’s ya mom.”
“We could all be fucking dead for ten thousand fucking dollars!” he yelled.
“I know,” I said sadly.
“Your fucking daughter that you love so much that nigga had a gun trained on her!”
“Don't you think I fucking saw that!”
“You couldn't have seen the same shit I did or else cutting her ass off wouldn't be so fucking hard, shit she my mom and you the one stressing about it!”
“You're right, I'm sorry I trusted her,” I said feeling played. Grabbing his phone, I listened all night while Mark gave his squad the name and descriptions of the dudes that robbed us. He tried to sneak out but I was having that shit. We had been through way too much tonight for him to even think about leaving me in this house without him. Curling up next to my man, I said a prayer to God thanking him for protecting my family, I even asked him to protect Alex. Even though she did wrong, I know deep down she’s a good person. She didn't even think we were gonna be there, I just hope Mark eventually forgives her for what she did.
Chapter Fourteen
(Shana)
It's been thirty days and Quesha was being released from rehab, I couldn't be happier for her. I told her that she could stay at my house until she got on her feet and I meant just that. Things with me and Raymond have been getting crazier and crazier. It seems like the more I tell him I'm done, the harder he tries to get me back. Zahniyah asked me if Destiny could come over for the weekend, I didn't want the kids to think I blamed her for what her parents did so I agreed. That had to be one of the biggest mistakes I’d ever made. Every time I see her face, I see what they did to me. Don't get me wrong I love my niece with all my heart but I can't help the pain I feel every time I look at the eyes she inherited from my husband. I don't want to be selfish and I know that God knows my heart, but I can't have her at my house, not right now, not this soon. As I sat stuck in my thoughts while waiting for Quesha to be released, I couldn't help but think about all I've been through. I went from thinking that I had everything to finding out that my whole marriage was a lie. Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up to see Quesh knocking on my window.
“Heyyyy you look so good!” I said. Getting out of my car, I hugged her tightly.
“Everything ok?” she asked.
“Yeah, you already know my life is hectic right now.”
“It will get better, I promise,” she said hugging me. When we got in the car we made small talk, but honestly, we had nothing to talk about because we talked so much while she was in rehab. The ride was spent listening to music and staring out the window, it was peaceful and calming and that was much needed in my life right now.
“How’s Shante?”
“She’s good!”
“And how’s Camille since the robbery?”
“She’s doing ok, she was a little shaken up but she’ll live,” I replied while pulling up into my driveway. When I pulled up, I saw how surprised Quesha was to see everyone standing outside holding up welcome home signs. I had everyone come over to welcome her home. I knew she didn't have anyone, so my family was now her family.
“Oh my God Shana I can't believe you did this for me!” she screamed, hugging me.
“Girl you deserve this and more, I'm so proud of you!”
“Welcome home Aunt Quesha!” R.J. said hugging her and all the other kids followed.
“Quesha this is Shante and her boyfriend Kasan,” I said.
“You’ve grown to be such a beautiful woman Shante,” Quesha said hugging her.
“Thank you,” Shante replied. I continued to introduce her to everyone, we ate laughed and talked for the rest of the evening.
“Hello everyone!” my ex-husband said from behind us.
“What’s this nigga doing here?”
Camille blurted out.
“I'm wondering the same thing,” I said confused.
“My kids told me you were having a party, why wasn't I invited?” he asked actually looking offended.
“Fuck you mean why weren't you invited, nigga y’all ain't married no more!” Kasan snapped. I was thankful that everyone had my back. They all knew what this man had put me through so to say they were a little overprotective was an understatement.
