Let Me Say This, Again

by B. Swangin Webster

  Dee rose from the table and blew out a breath, “That girl has everything that she could ever want, and you are kissing her ass.”

  Cheryl turned quickly “OK, now wait a minute. I am not kissing anything, I’m just trying to make sure that she knows that I am always…”

  “You might not be kissing it, but you sure as hell are licking all around it. You are sending her the message that you don’t care if she treats you like Kevin did, and nothing will happen to her, again, just like Kevin. I thought you were in counseling?”

  “I am.”

  “What does your counselor say about this?” Dee took another breath, “you didn’t tell her, did you? Jesus Christ…look, you better not let this girl get away with that…do you hear me? I love you and I don’t want you to think you are in this alone. I am here, no matter what. Ok?” she said as she gave her friend a hug.

  Matthew was handcuffed and placed in the back of the police cruiser. Sherrie was left standing in front of the restaurant and Malcolm was being put on a stretcher.

  He arrived at the detention center and went through the process he had just endured less than two weeks before.

  “Back again.” Said the female officer with too much makeup on.

  He was led to a holding cell, was told that he would see the magistrate in about an hour.

  After looking at his papers a few more times, the magistrate decided he would let Matthew go on a fifteen thousand dollar cash bond.

  Matthew was able to call his lawyer and have the money in less than an hour but it still took three hours to get him released.

  He was released and went to Cheryl’s house. Just as he was about to knock on the door, it came flying open and Kayla was in full trot.

  “I told you that you could not go!” Cheryl called out behind her daughter.

  “And I said that I had already planned on going over there to finish my project. Dang, I’m only going to be gone for a couple of hours”.

  “Kayla, I’m serious…” she said as her daughter continued walking down the street.

  Matthew walked up, gave a look and a quick kiss.

  “What in the hell? Why is Kayla running out of here like the house is on fire?”

  Cheryl collapsed into his arms in tears.

  Her words came rushing out as if a faucet had been turned on and she couldn’t hold them back.

  Matthew led her into the house, kicking the door shut and guiding her to the sofa, “Slow down and calm yourself down before your asthma kicks in.”

  “She is getting out of control.” She was gulping in air as if she had just surfaced from underwater. “I try and give her everything…”

  “Maybe that’s the problem. I am not the expert on parenting by any means, but I do know that Tamia will never, ever talk to me the way that Kayla talks to you.”

  She jumped from sofa, “Well, I am not going to spank her like she is a baby.”

  “I’m not telling you to do that, I’m suggesting that you give her consequences. There is no way in hell she would have been leaving this house after what she did. Do you know where she went?”

  “No, she didn’t say.” Cheryl said as she held her head down.

  “That’s another thing, she is not twenty five, she is fifteen, and she needs to tell you where she goes when she leaves this house. Cheryl, let’s try and think where she would go and then you need to go and get your daughter.”

  Kayla called her dad.

  “Dad can you come and get me?”

  “For what?” he asked very annoyed that his nap was interrupted.

  “Mom is tripping.”

  “Talk English.”

  “Mom hit me.” She said with as much emotion as she could muster.

  “What? I’m on my way.” He said as the torrent of curse words flooded the air.

  He barely allowed Cheryl to open the door before he began speaking.

  “I came to get my daughter.”

  Cheryl walked behind him.

  “Oh, so now she is your daughter. Well, I think you were the one who said you didn’t want to, and let me use your exact words, want that little bitch around you. I do believe that was less than a month ago. So she gets grounded and now she comes running to you.”

  Kevin took a step towards her, “Don’t you fucking…”

  “Slow your roll, “Matthew said as Kevin advanced around the coffee table towards Cheryl. “I would hate to have to deal with you again.”

  Cheryl stood and held her hand up, “I’ll will handle this.”

  Matthew stopped short, turned and went to the front door. He spoke over his shoulder, “Call me when you need me.” He said as he opened the front door and let it slam behind him.

  Chapter 37

  Sherrie looked at her phone.

  “I have to take this call.”

  “Not while you are sitting here with me, you won’t.” Malcolm said.

  “Look, it might be something wrong with Tamia.” she said while picking it up and texting. She turned the phone off after sending the text and dropped it into her purse then ordered rum and coke. She thought this night was turning out to be more headache than it was worth.

  She turned on her phone and it came alive with the texts from Matthew. She called him and he asked her where she was.

  “None of your business.” She practically yelled into the phone

  “Look, I need you to tell me where you are. You might be in danger.”

  “Whatever. Look, do you want me to come and pick up Tamia?”

  Matthew raised his voice “No. Look, I can’t go into it over the phone, but you need to tell me where the hell you are.”

  She hung up, her mood was in the toilet because of her date and now her ex. She cursed out loud and as she exited the stall her phone rang again.

  “Matthew, what do you want?”

  “Tell me where you are. I think you are in danger.”

  “Whatever…”

  “Sherrie. Listen to me. The man you are on a date with, I think I know him.”

  “Whatever.” She said as she sucked her teeth.

  Matthews’s voice was so loud that the woman next to her raised her eyebrows. Her eyes got big and she gave him her location.

  She walked back to the table and Malcolm was already gone. She felt someone grab her from behind.

  “Ugh, you scared me.” she said when she saw Malcolm.

  “I thought you had fallen in since you took so long.”

  “Do you want to sit at the bar for a couple of drinks or something?” she said, trying to keep her voice from sounding shaky.

  “No, I’m ready to get out of here, for dessert.” he said while pulling her close to him.

  “Well, let me grab something for dessert to take home for later.” she said while moving away from him.

  “Come on. I want to get out of here.”

  “Damn, can I at least get something for later? Don’t worry, I have money for it.”

  He grabbed her quickly by the arm, “what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, and don’t be causing no scene. I was just saying I wanted to take something home for Tamia because I told her I would. It won’t take too long.”

  The commotion caught his attention immediately. He heard his ex-wife telling someone to take their hands off of her. He exited his truck and walked with a purpose towards the commotion. Matthew addressed Malcolm as he approached.

  “Well, up to your old tricks I see.” Matthew as the man held onto his ex-wife’s arm.

  Malcolm gave him a mischievous stare.

  “Malcolm, so that’s the name you are going by these days?” Matthew said as he walked closer.

  Finally Malcolm spoke, “You are slipping my friend. I thought for sure you would have figured it out before now.”

  Matthew stepped closer to Malcolm and spoke just above a whisper, “Oh, how soon we forget. Tell you what, I’ll give you a head start.”

  “As you can see I have a date.” Malcolm said
towards Sherrie.

  “I’m surprised you see her, you know, with only one good eye.”

  “I seem to do ok, with this one eye. I snagged her didn’t I?”

  “They say that a dog is man’s best friend.”

  The crowd grew bigger and bigger around them.

  Malcolm was calm as he spoke “You can’t seem to keep your women happy. If you weren’t always working, you would have never left your momma alone and now, well you can see how much she is digging me.”

  Matthew pushed Malcolm away from Sherrie, “I’m not telling you again.”

  “Like I said, I’m on a date. Come on Sherrie.” He said, grabbing her arm again.

  Matthew dropped him with a blow to the side of the head. He walked away leaving the people gasping and yelling to call the police.

  Dee had practically knocked the door down before Donnell came to the door.

  “Where is your sister?” she said as she blew in like a hurricane.

  “Upstairs.” Donnell said stepping to the side.

  She slammed open Kayla’s door while yelling. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”

  Hi Dee.” She said as she got up from her bed.

  “Have you lost your fucking mind?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t give me that shit! You know exactly what I am talking about. Why in the hell are you hitting your mother?”

  “She hit me.”

  She walked towards her dresser while Dee stood there with her hands on her hips.

  Dee was shocked by the nonchalant attitude, “What did you just say?”

  Dee’s hard stare was met by Kayla’s

  “You better get it together missy, or unlike what your mother did, you will get your ass dealt with, now sit your ass down!”

  Cheryl came into the room, “Dee, what are you doing?”

  “Getting this Perra` straight.”

  “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

  “No you didn’t, but somebody has too. Obviously you all are walking around here letting this girl run wild. Where the hell have you been?” she said while pointing to Donnell.

  “Look, you ain’t got problems with me, it’s Kayla in this mess. I’m out of it. See you later mom.” he said while making a quick retreat from the room.

  “Dee, this is not necessary, I have spoken…”

  “Oh, you have spoken to her. Are you fucking serious? You need to handle this before she does it again.”

  “If she hits me again, I’m hitting her back.” Kayla announced.

  Dee snatched her up from her seat and slapped her upside her head.

  “Don’t you ever let me hear that shit come out of your mouth again…”

  Kayla snatched away from her and yelled, “But…but she didn’t have any right…”

  “Young lady, she has every right, she is your mother.”

  “I wish she wasn’t!”

  Dee gasped and Cheryl turned and left the room. Kayla sat on the bed, inserted her ear plugs, and picked up her phone.

  Chapter 38

  “Why in the hell are you putting your hands on Kayla?” Kevin shouted before Cheryl had made her way back into the living room.

  “Why are you yelling?” she said in almost a whisper.

  “Because I can, answer the fucking question!” He shouted back at her.

  “For the same reason you put your hands on me while we were married.”

  “Don’t get cute with me!”

  “This is my house and I will get cute when I want to!” Cheryl shouted to his back as he approached the steps leading to the bedrooms.

  “You are such a piece of work! Kayla get down here!” Kevin said from the bottom of the steps.

  “You just remember that she is still in my custody.” Cheryl said standing behind him.

  “Look, I am so sick of your smart ass!” he said as he spun around and grabbed her hair.

  “Get your hands off of me, or I swear, I will call the police!”

  The sting of his hand meeting her face was incredible. She pulled her cell from her pocket and hit the emergency key.

  “Dad, come on.” she heard Kayla say in a rushed voice as she bumped against her mother.

  The doorbell rang and Cheryl rushed to open it. Two police officers stood on her stoop.

  “Is there a problem here ma’am?” the woman officer asked.

  “Yes there is officer. My ex-husband came here to pick up my daughter…”

  “Our daughter.” he responded.

  “And he assaulted me. I want him arrested.” She continued.

  The officer asked him to step outside.

  “Not without my daughter.” Kevin said.

  “Sir, I am not going to ask you again.” The female officer said.

  Kevin immediately went into an explanation, “Look, I came over here, because she called me…”

  “Who called you?” the second officer asked.

  “My daughter.”

  “Why did she call you?”

  “Her mother hit her and she has no right putting her hands on my daughter.”

  “So you came over here to do what?”

  Kevin spoke quickly, “Not that it is any of your business, but I came over here to pick her up and take her to my house. My ex-wife was being difficult as I tried to take her, and I might add she has been drinking, and when we tried leaving she tried to prevent me from taking her.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “Nothing, I told Kayla to come on and then you all showed up.”

  The female officer walked inside and motioned for Cheryl to follow her while Officer Colton waited with Kevin on the porch.

  The officer looked at Cheryl and then turned her face to the side.

  “Did he do that?”

  Cheryl hesitated before answering yes and the officer walked away.

  Matthew walked to the refrigerator and took out a PowerAde and headed to his bedroom to change into his workout clothes. As he headed downstairs his cell phone rang that familiar tone, which he ignored.

  After twenty minutes of cardio and another hour weightlifting, he felt exhilarated. He walked into the shower, off of the workout room, and let the water slide down his body. He heard the doorbell, jumped from the shower and threw a towel around his waist to head upstairs.

  “What in the hell is wrong? Is Tamia ok?” he said while ushering his ex-wife inside.

  “Yes, it’s just….”

  “Look, calm down and let me get some clothes on, feel free to get yourself something to drink.” he said as he stepped away from her. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom to put some clothes on. He came from his closet and saw Sherrie standing in his room

  “Why are you in my room?” he asked her.

  “I was…”

  “Let’s head back downstairs.” he said while starting to walk by her.

  “Matthew, can I have a hug?”

  “Sure.” he said as he pulled her close to him.

  “I just want to say thank you for what you did for me today. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t so pushy.”

  “Who me, pushy, no way.” he said into the top of her head.

  “Uh, look. We shouldn’t be doing this.” he said while pushing her away.

  “Don’t you still want me?” she asked sadly.

  “Look, let’s sit…” before he could finish she had pressed her lips against his. As he pulled away, she gave him a pleading look and ran her hand under his t-shirt.

  “Matthew, please. I just want you to hold me, is that too much to ask?”

  “No, but I don’t want you to get the wrong…”

  “I know, I just needed to feel your touch. I’m sorry.” she said as she moved towards the stairs and descended them.

  Cheryl called one more person. When she didn’t answer, she left a message and was led back to the cell.

  Four hours went by and finally she was free to go. She walked out and Dee was there waiting for her.

  De
e rushed up to Cheryl and wrapped her arms around her, “Please don’t tell me you were in there crying like a damn baby.”

  “Well excuse me for being emotional. I’m not used to being locked up like a common criminal.”

  “Oh, like I am?” Dee said.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Look, now is not the time for us to be arguing. What in the hell are you in jail for?”

  “Kevin had me arrested.”

  Dee stopped in her tracks and was rear-ended by a cute cop.

  “Sorry miss.” He said in his baritone voice.

  “No apologies necessary.” she said with a wink.

  “Can you stop flirting long enough to hear my story?” Cheryl said with attitude.

  “Well, little miss jail bird, don’t get flip with me, you the one locked up.” she said with her hand on her hips.

  After hearing the story, Dee thought it was in injustice for them to arrest Cheryl for disciplining her child.

  “They can if you leave marks on them. I didn’t mean to. I guess my nails scratched her face and neck, so they arrested me on charges of child abuse. Then they said that social services would be contacting me and then they gave her to Kevin.” The tears slid down faster.

  “Cheryl, don’t worry. It will be alright. You should have whooped that ass a long time ago, but don’t beat yourself up about it. They will find out that you are a good mother and she will be home before you know it.”

  “You think so?”

  “Sure, why not. You are not the one that has the anger issues. Why didn’t you call Matthew?”

  “I did, but he didn’t answer. I guess he is mad with me too.”

  “What did you do now?”

  “Why do you assume I did something to him?”

  “He doesn’t seem the type to walk out on you, especially after seeing you arrested.”

  They continued to Dee’s car and got inside.

  Cheryl continued talking after Dee got in.

  “He didn’t see me arrested. After Kevin got there and started acting all shitty towards me, Matthew got mad.”

  “Because you told him to mind his business?” she said to Cheryl while raising her eyebrow.

  “I didn’t tell him in those words, but he always wants to create a conflict when all I want is to let the situation die down.”