by Ambria Davis
“Excuse me, sir?” I heard a voice say from behind me. When I turned around, I was face-to-face with Ms. Cannon, the lady from down the hall. “Oh, Dontie, it’s you.”
“Hey, Ms. Cannon. Yes, it’s me. Have you seen Nay today?” I asked her. I knew her from the several times before when I’d been over to see Brinay. I’d helped her with her groceries and things around her apartment. She was also one of those nosy neighbors that everyone had, so I know that she’d tell me what was up and why Brinay wasn’t answering the door.
“Son, Nay left this morning,” she replied.
“Huh?” I asked, not sure if I heard her right. I know she didn’t just say that Brinay left this morning.
“She and her friend Kourtney left this morning. I think they were going on a trip,” she repeated herself.
“Well, did they say where they were going?” I asked, hopeful. I needed to see her that bad.
“No, I’m afraid not,” she said, looking sympathetic. Now I knew why she wasn’t answering the door. She wasn’t there.
“Okay, thank you,” I replied, feeling like a fool. “I have to go. I’ll see you later.” With that being said, I took one last look at her door and left. When I got back in the car, I pulled my phone out and dialed her number, but like all the other times before, it went straight to voice mail.
“Fuck,” I yelled, banging my hand against the steering wheel. I sat there not knowing what to do. I’d come all the way from Miami to see her, only for her not to be here. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was getting late. I started up the car and headed over to my auntie’s house. Hopefully, Chance would be there when I get there, because he was the only one who’d be able to get the answers that I needed.
Chapter Seven
Brinay
We’ve been on the road since nine o’clock this morning, and I was all too happy when we made it to Miami. It was almost five o’clock that evening, but I was just happy not to be cooped up in a car no more. We ended up renting a room at a hotel out in Miami, because I wasn’t trying to be staying at my father’s house. Shoot, I barely wanted to be here for Sky’s little “announcement,” let alone be staying under one roof with those people. I knew for a fact that something was bound to happen, especially since my father’s wife, Veronica, couldn’t stand my guts, and the feeling was mutual. I wasn’t in no rush to see her or my father’s face. I still don’t know why in the hell they wanted me to be there, because as far as Sky and I were concerned, we weren’t sisters at all. I mean, we had the same blood flowing through our veins, but that was about it.
You see, my sister was one of those uppity, sadity-ass chicks. Yeah, she was basically born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but that still didn’t give her any right to think that she was better than me, or the next person, for that matter. That’s why I never got along with her . . . well, for that reason and every time that I’d go over there, she and her mother would use me and abuse me. They’d do things like call me all kinds of names, pull my hair, make me take cold baths, and make me eat their scraps. Hell, half of the time, I’d go without eating. That went on for about a year, until I finally got the nerve to tell my father, but that didn’t go too well, because he accused me of lying and whooped me. He also threatened me and told me that if I told my mother, I’d be sorry. Needless to say, I didn’t tell, because I was too scared to.
Things changed one weekend when I went home after visiting my father’s house. I had a couple of bruises on my back, and I was extremely hungry. My mother asked me what had happened, but I didn’t tell her for fear that my father was going to do something to me. It wasn’t until I went to school and one of my teachers saw the bruises and threatened to call CPS that I finally decided to tell the truth. My mother wasn’t happy with me at all, and I’m more than sure that day my father wished that he never made me, because my mother went in on all of them. She whooped Veronica’s ass so bad that she had to go to a hospital.
My mother ended up beating me after that. She said that I should’ve told her sooner. Even though I told her that my father had threatened me, she said that I should’ve still said something to her. Needless to say, that was the day that I disowned my father. It wasn’t until after my mother died that I decided to let him back into my life. I was grown now, and no one could bring any harm to me without me harming them back, so like I said, I wasn’t too thrilled about seeing them. The only person who I planned to see today was my grandma, and that was going to be after I took myself a little catnap.
When we pulled up to the Ramada Inn Hotel, it was already a quarter to five. There were more people at the hotel than I expected, so it was hard for us to find a parking space. We ended up having to park at the back of the hotel. I can’t lie, that was a far little walk from there to the front of the hotel, but I wasn’t complaining. We hopped out of the car, grabbed our bags, and headed for the hotel lobby.
Luckily, it took us no longer than ten minutes to check in and receive our keys. We then headed to our room, where I ran straight to the bathroom. I made it there just in time to puke up the Big Mac meal that I’d gotten from McDonald’s a few hours ago.
“I really think you should go to the hospital or at least see a doctor,” Kourt said, entering the bathroom.
“I don’t need no doctor, Kourtney. I’m fine,” I said as I rinsed my mouth out.
“You’re not fine, Nay. You’ve been in pain since yesterday, and it doesn’t look like it’s getting any better,” she said, beginning to aggravate the hell out of me.
“I told you that I was fine. I need to lie down, that’s it,” I said, walking out of the room. I began to strip out of my clothes, leaving on just my bra and panties. Pulling back the cover, I then hopped in the bed. “Can you turn the air on?”
“Yes, sure,” she said as she went to turn the thermostat down. Instantly, the air came on and began to cool the room down. “Better?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you,” I replied yawning. I could already feel myself falling asleep.
“Well, I’m about to go sightseeing while you take a nap. I’ll see you later. Call me if you need me,” she said, grabbing her purse and heading for the door.
“Okay,” I replied, and with that, she left.
Just as I began to fall asleep, my phone started to ring. Frustrated and tired, I turned over, letting the call roll over to voice mail. A few minutes later, it started ringing again, but just like the first time, I ignored it, with hopes that whoever it was would get the hint and stop calling. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the hint, because they called again. Angrily, I got up from the bed and went to retrieve my purse from off the desk that was sitting across from the bed. I fished my phone out and placed my purse back on the table. Since it had stopped ringing, I didn’t even bother to see who it was calling. I placed it on the nightstand that stood next to the bed and hopped back in. No sooner had I’d placed my head on the pillow, my phone started ringing again.
“Shit,” I said, reaching for the phone.
“Hello!” I yelled, answering the phone with an attitude. I didn’t bother to check to see who it was, because whoever it was, they were about to get the business. “This better be a matter of life and death since ya calling me like this.”
“So this is what I got to do to get you to answer the phone?” I heard a voice say, making me pause. I knew that voice all too well. But how the hell is he calling me, when I know I blocked his number, I thought to myself. I pulled the phone from my ear, and that’s when I saw that he was calling me from Chance’s phone. “Where are you?”
“What do you want, Dontie?” I asked, aggravated. I did not feel like talking to him right now, and I was in no mood to let him upset me. “I’m not in the mood for nothing right now, so you’re going to have to make this quick.”
“So that’s how you coming? That’s what we on now?” he asked, not answering my question.
I sighed, because I wasn’t trying to go there with Dontie. He always had a way of getting to me, a
nd my ass was always stupid enough to let him. Had I known that it was him calling my phone, I wouldn’t have answered it, because I knew what this man could do to me.
“Tell me where you at,” he asked again.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, boo,” I said this time, ignoring his question and playing stupid.
“Brinay, for real, ma, don’t play stupid with me right now. I’ve been calling you for days, and your phone goes straight to voice mail,” he responded. I knew he was mad, but I really didn’t give a damn.
“It don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on,” he continued. I wished his ass was in front of me right now so that I could slap the shit out of him.
“Yeah yeah yeah, and I’ve been calling your ass for weeks, and you wasn’t answering my phone calls—nor was you answering my text messages. So please explain to me why the fuck you bugging about me not answering you?” I said, getting heated. I don’t know why he was on my case when he’d been ignoring me for weeks. I know damn well he saw the message that I had sent to him, so again, I was sitting over here wondering why he was calling me.
“Ma, look! I was out of the country handling some business. I just got back today. That’s why I couldn’t answer the phone,” he had the nerve to say. I rolled my eyes in my head, because I knew damn well he wasn’t out of town on business. He must have forgotten that I knew what he did for a living.
“I want to see you, baby. Tell me where you at,” he pleaded.
“You must really think that I’m stupid, Tae,” I told him, “You don’t need to be worrying about where I’m at. You wasn’t worrying about me when you kept ignoring me.”
“No, I don’t think that you’re stupid, but I’m telling you the truth. Nay, stop all that playing and tell me where you at.”
“Look, Dontie, I’m not about to go back and forth with you. You can’t reach me, so that should tell you something. Stop calling my phone, because I’m not trying to be bothered with your ass no more. Go back to whatever bitch you took on a vacation with you, because I know for a fact that you wasn’t out there handling no ‘business’!” I yelled.
“Ma, just tell me where you’re at so I can come and see you.”
“Dontie, what part of I’m not trying to be bothered with you don’t you understand? I’m good on you. I know you got a woman, and I’m not trying to go down that road. I ain’t trying to be no nigga’s side bitch, bottom bitch, or other bitch. So you can go back to your woman and leave me alone, because we’re done, and I mean that,” I said and hung up.
I then powered my phone off, because I knew that he was going to call me back, and I wasn’t in the mood for that. All I wanted to do is take a nap, but I couldn’t even do that, so instead of taking a nap like I had planned, I got up and went to take a bath. Maybe that would relieve some of the tension and stress from my body.
I got my body wash, my iPod, my speaker, and my vanilla-scented candles and headed for the bathroom. When I got in there, I placed everything on the sink and went to start my bath, making sure that the water was at a nice temperature. I then spread the candles around and lit them. Next, I grabbed my iPod, chose my slow mix playlist, and hooked it to the speaker. I then removed my bra and panties and slid down in the tub. I swear, the minute I sat down in the tub, I felt some tension leaving.
As I sat there, listening to Pandora, I couldn’t help but to think about Dontie and the conversation that we had earlier. I knew for sure that he had a woman. Hell, he didn’t even deny it when I said it. Well, I know that I hung up on him, but still, he could’ve interrupted me and said that it wasn’t true, but he didn’t. I shook my head and chuckled. I’m in love with someone else’s man, and I’m having his baby. Ain’t that some shit, I thought.
I don’t know why I was so surprised. I’d only seen him on weekends since we started dating. I never thought much of it, because I was busy with school and whatnot, and he had to work, but the signs were there, and they’ve been there. I just turned a blind eye to them. Don’t get me wrong, though, I’m far from being one of those bird, bum project chicks. I never needed a man for anything. Seeing Kourtney with her little boyfriends made me want one, so when Tae came along, it was perfect timing. For the most part, I think I was just lonely. My mother was dead, my brother was in jail, and my father was in a whole ’nother state, not that I’d mess with him like that. I only had Kourtney, and at times, she’d be with her man, and I’d be left alone on weekends with nothing to do.
That’s why I didn’t think anything of Tae only being around mostly on the weekends . . . until about a couple of months ago, when I caught him on the phone. He was whispering, which was something that he never did when he was around me. He never did that no matter what, even when he was conducting his illegal business. I’d be right there, and he would go on and act like it was nothing, so when I rolled up on him and he was whispering, I knew it had to be some chick that he was talking to.
I wanted to chew him out, but I didn’t. I left it at that, because I knew that time would tell. Whatever it was that was going on, I’d soon find out. I just didn’t think that I’d end up pregnant and about to have this man’s baby. Before I knew it, my eyelids were getting heavy, and I fell asleep right in the tub.
* * *
An hour later, I was awakened by someone knocking on the bathroom door. I jumped up, splashing water all over the floor. I was so disorientated that I’d forgotten about where I was.
“You okay in there?” I heard Kourtney ask. I took a look around and remembered where I was.
“Yes, I’ll be out in a minute,” I said, sitting up. I pulled the plug and started to let the water drain out. I stood up, cut on the shower, grabbed a washcloth, and began to scrub myself. When I was done, I stood under the running water and rinsed my body off. I then lathered the washcloth with more body wash and repeated the process. When I was done, I turned the water off and got out. I grabbed a towel from the counter and began to dry off. When I was done, I threw on a shirt and some shorts, blew the candles out, grabbed my iPod and speaker, and headed into the bedroom. When I walked in the room, Kourtney was sitting on the bed waiting on me.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, taking off her shoes.
“I feel great. How was the sightseeing?” I asked, placing the iPod and speaker on the nightstand.
“It was great. I love the weather out here. We should hit up a beach before we leave this weekend,” she said, heading over to where her suitcase was. She grabbed it and placed it on the bed, opening it.
“We could do that,” I replied, taking a seat on the bed. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost eight o’clock,” she replied as she gathered her clothes. I guess she was about to go take a shower. “You still want to go and see your grandmother?”
“Nah, it’s kind of late. I’ll just wait to see her tomorrow,” I said, reaching for the remote and turning the TV on.
“Okay.”
“Guess who called me today,” I said as I flipped through the channels, trying to find something to put on. I settled on reruns of Martin, which used to be my favorite show when I was a kid.
“Who?” she asked, looking at me.
“Dontie.”
“What? I thought you put him on the block list. How was he able to call you?” she asked, taking a seat on the bed.
“I did. He called me off of Chance’s phone. I guess he’s in South Carolina,” I replied.
“Well, what did he want?”
“He came at me on some bullshit, asking me why I wasn’t answering the phone for him and wanting to know where I was, talking ’bout he was coming see me.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told his ass that I wasn’t trying to be bothered with him, and for him to stop calling me because we was done,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“Girl, you lying,” she said.
“No, I’m not. I meant what I said. I’m done with Tae. He wasn’t answering t
he phone for me them weeks when I was calling him, so I gave him his walking papers,” I said to her.
“Well, what are you going to do about the baby? Are you going to tell him?” she asked.
“Nah, I don’t plan on tellin’ his ass shit. I’m good on Tae. I’m going to raise my child by myself without him,” I said, serious as a heart attack. I’d made up my mind. When he said that bullshit about him being out of the country on business, I knew for a fact that that wasn’t the case, and I wasn’t about to play myself or my child for a man who already had a woman. Me and my child will be good, and I know that. Nigga had the nerve to say something about him being out of the country, talking ’bout that’s why he wasn’t answering the phone. I ain’t stupid. I know his ass was out of the country with some chick, and I’m not about to even play them games with him.
“Well, that’s on you, but I still think that you should have at least told him about the baby,” she had the nerve to say.
“You ain’t just heard what I said? I’m good, and my baby will be good. We don’t need Tae’s ass, and I’m going to show him that,” I said, side eyeing her.
“Okay then,” she said, getting up from the bed and walking into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, I heard the water running. I got up from the bed and went to look out of the window. As I stood there, I couldn’t help but to think about my mother and what she’d want me to do. Nine times out of ten, she’d say the same thing Kourtney was saying. She’d want me to tell Dontie about the baby. She wouldn’t be worrying about if he had a woman or not.
“Ma, I miss you so much. I wish you was here with me now. Continue to watch over me and my baby. I love you,” I said, looking into the sky. I then looked out at all of the people walking and riding around the city. Miami was my hometown before I moved to South Carolina, and to be honest, I was missing home. Many nights I found myself thinking about moving back, but then I thought about my mother dying and thought, why come back? There was nothing good here for me. Yes, I had boo-coo memories of my mother here, but she wasn’t here anymore. Just as much as I was missing here, I wanted to stay far away from here, not to mention that my father and his family were here, and Lord knows how much I didn’t want to be around them. The only thing that I actually wanted to be here for was my brother. He had a little over a year left, and I wanted to be here when he got out. Because of him, I was thinking really hard about coming back. I never told anyone, but I still had the house that my mother used to stay in, so it wouldn’t be like I didn’t have a place to stay if I did decide to come back. Hopefully, I’d decide before I had my baby.
