by Khadijah J
After throwing dirt over my nigga, I grabbed Tejha hand, and we stood there as people left. Dreux went to the car and grabbed two bottles of Remy, Q favorite drink. I fired up a blunt as they passed the bottle around.
“For you Q, this was yo’ shit,” Rico blurted out, and I grilled that nigga.
A few minutes later me and Tejha started toward my truck and peeled off the street. We got to the church, and they was serving this nasty ass food.
“I can cook when we get home,” Montejha softly said in my ear. I nodded.
“Let me know when you ready,” I told her.
“Whenever you are bae. I’m here with you, you the boss.” She giggled. I looked at her.
“Oh, now I’m the boss?” I asked her.
“You been the boss. Sometimes I just be you know testing to see if you still got it.” She laughed. I shook my head.
“In doing so, you be risking yo’ life,” I told her. She shrugged.
“Alright we up, I’ll get up with y’all later.” I slapped hands with my guys.
“Alright.” Dreux nodded, and I grabbed Tejha hand and headed out. Before I could go, Rico stopped me, and my trigger finger started itching. I instantly slightly pushed Tejha behind me.
“You good bro? You leaving already?” he asked, holding his hand out for dap. I looked at that bitch like it was infected. Tejha started rubbing my back.
“Yeah, I’m good. What you want?” I asked him.
“Nothing, just checking on you.” He frowned.
“I’m good.” I nodded and walked off, grabbing my girl and heading to my truck. We drove, and I pulled up to the gas station to gas up. I wanted to get out of town for the weekend. I gassed up, grabbed us some snacks for the road, and we headed home to pack a bag.
By the time we got to our suite, a nigga was exhausted. I flopped on the bed and crashed. I woke up when I felt Montejha unbuckling my pants and unzipping my zipper. When she first put it in her mouth, a nigga was wide awake. I instantly put my hand on top of her head.
“Fuck,” I grunted.
“Mhmm.” She started going crazy. Montejha knew just what to do and just when to do that shit. She was sucking the soul out a nigga, and when I nutted in the back of her throat, she kept going like ain’t shit happen. Had a nigga in here barking, I knew we was gone get a noise complaint. By the second nut, I had rolled back over and went back to fucking sleep. I woke up a few hours later with the urge to piss. I hopped up, and Montejha was in the jacuzzi sipping some wine, and I had to chuckle.
“Damn, that’s how we doing it?” I asked.
“I tried to wake you up. But ended up putting you right back to sleep.” She smiled.
“You ain’t shit,” I joked.
“Come on in, waters warm.” She kicked her leg up. I washed my hands and then took the rest of my clothes off. I put my toe in and looked at her like she was crazy.
“The fuck, you trying to fry my black ass?” I asked her. She burst out laughing.
“Oh, not big bad Khaos, scared of a little hot water. I’ll turn the cold on for you.” She turned the water on. I waited until the water cooled off before climbing in. She laughed as I sat down.
“Want some wine, baby?” she asked.
“I’m good,” I told her. She nodded and filled her glass back up. I could see it in her eyes she had been in this bitch getting drunk off wine, and I laughed.
“Don’t look like yo’ ass need another drink.” I moved closer to her. She giggled and climbed on top of me with her glass.
“And why the fuck you got all these bubbles in this bitch?” I asked her.
“I’m sorry, you come in here interrupting my relaxation time with all these complaints. First, the water was too hot, now you saying I got too many bubbles,” she said sarcastically.
“My bad,” I spoke.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m alright,” I told her.
“I’m here for you Kato.” She stared in my eyes.
“Are you really?” I asked.
“You got something you wanna get off your chest.” She sat her glass down.
“Nah, I’m good,” I told her.
“This relationship ain’t gonna work if you hold whatever is that you have to say in,” she told me. We just sat there staring at each other for a minute before I finally asked her about what that nigga Slim said. She looked me in my eyes and told me what happened.
“Before I was with you, I was with a boy. An overgrown ass boy and he used me, mind fucked me into a bunch of shit that my young ass wasn’t ready for. Yes, I helped him set him up, yes, I used to traffic drugs for him. I knowingly set that man up, and he ran into me and my friend at the movies. I got beat unconscious, lost my first child, and my boyfriend was nowhere to be found. I’ve been locked up behind that nigga, held guns, drugs, and money for him only to find out he was married the entire time. So, when I ran into him after taking my client her bag she left at my house, I ran into him. She worked at the clinic, I was walking to my car, and he stopped me to tell me that you were into a whole bunch of shit and blasé blasé about how I needed to leave you alone.” She frowned and rolled her eyes.
“That’s what you did, you left me alone,” I pointed out to her.
“Not by choice Kato. At first, I was held at gunpoint to get in a black suburban. Soon as she put the gun away, I fought for my damn life only for another lady to get out the car and shoot past my ear. I got in the car, and it was my father’s twin sister, Montaej,” she explained. I frowned at her.
“Wait, I thought yo’ pops was Monte, and he was the only child,” I told her. Her eyes got big.
“Me too. But she’s actually pretty dope Kato. I can’t wait for y’all to meet one day.”
“So, let me get this right. You were gone for a month, with your auntie who you’ve never met or heard of?” I asked her in disbelief.
“Yes. I have no reason to lie to you. I’ve never lied to you, never mind.” She stood to get out the jacuzzi and got in the shower to rinse off. I believed her I just had a lot of other questions about some other shit that had nothing to do with her. Like who was her auntie connected to and how did she know what all was about to take place.
I washed off and dried off, wrapping the towel around my waist I walked in the room. Someone was knocking at the door, and she hurriedly hopped up. She grabbed the pizza boxes and signed the receipt.
“Thank you.” I heard her say.
“Damn, thank you shorty. You all alone in this hotel room. You want some company?” the dude asked. I stood behind her grabbed the pizzas. He just looked crazy as fuck, it was comical.
“She good bruh,” I told him, slamming the door in his face. She took the top box off and went to sit on the bed.
“You didn’t have to be so rude.” She sighed. I sat the other box down and before she could open the box she had I laid on her.
“Come on Kato, stop. I’m hungry,” she whined.
“You love me?” I asked her.
“Stop playing, I’m hungry.” She rolled her eyes.
“That’s the only way you gone eat if you say you love me,” I told her.
“I love you, gosh now move. yo’ heavy self,” she said as I rolled to the left of her.
“I love yo’ mean ass too,” I told her.
“And thank you,” I added.
“For what?” she asked.
“For being you,” I told her as she popped a slice in her mouth and smiled.
“Love you, baby.” She tried to kiss me with pizza sauce on her lips.
I ate and sat there with my baby in my arms, and I was contemplating my next move. Massaging Montejha’s scalp while she just stared up at me, shit was relaxing. I needed this time with her ‘cause shit was about to get hectic out here. After it was all said in done, I hoped I was still standing afterward ‘cause a nigga was about to go to war.
MONTEJHA | NEW BEGINNINGS
“I’m glad you like them. Now here’s a post ca
re instructions. Stick it to the refrigerator if you have to. Just don’t mess up them brows,” I told my last client of the day. It was going on six o clock, and I was getting ready to close shop.
“I got you and thank you so much Montejha.” She hugged me again. I let her out and locked my door. I let Rosco out my room since he was supposed to be my security. I barely was at home anymore. I was either at Dreux’s house or at Momma Britney’s. I rarely saw Kato because he was running the streets like a madman. It was a funeral every week, and it was sad. I didn’t know exactly what or who he was looking for. But I just kept my mouth closed. My phone rang while I was packing my bag and it was my mother.
“Hello mother,” I answered.
“Montejha I’ve been calling you all day. I need to talk to you,” she spat in the nastiest voice.
“Um, okay.” I frowned.
“In person,” she said.
“Okay, well, are you at home?” I asked.
“Yeah, come on by.” She hung up. I was so lost as to why she had so much animosity toward me, but it was nothing new. Me and Rosco walked outside and headed to my car. I opened the back door and let him in while putting my bag in the trunk. I laughed out loud thinking of how Kato said Rosco was getting territorial of me and that I treated him like a little lap dog instead of a full breed pit.
I headed to my mother’s house, and while I was en route, of course, my guard dog called. I connected him to my car speaker. I answered and instantly started asking me a million and two questions.
“Where the fuck you on your way to?” he asked.
“My mother’s why?” I asked.
“I was about to say,” he started.
“You were about to say what Kato? I’m tired, and I just want a hot shower and my bed,” told him.
“When you leave there come home,” he told me.
“Oh, lucky me. I get to see my man for the first time in forty-eight hours,” I spat sarcastically. He chuckled.
“I don’t gotta come home if you gone be bitching as soon as I get there,” he snapped.
“And I don’t gotta come home either if you’re going to continue to have this fucked up attitude toward me. I don’t feel like arguing with you, so I’ma stay at Yani’s tonight. Love you.” I hung up the phone rolling my eyes. Rosco came and laid his head on my console. I rubbed his head as I pulled up in front of my mother’s house. I hopped out, leaving Rosco in the car with the windows cracked. Before I could knock on the door good, she opened it, and I don’t think my mother ever mugged me so hard. I chuckled.
“What did I do now?” I asked, stepping up into the house.
“Have a seat,” she snapped. I quickly sat down, my damn feet were killing me.
“Montejha. You got anything you wanna tell me.” She stood right over me. I frowned in confusion.
“Umm. No, not that I can think of,” I told her.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing you can think of?” she asked. I shook my head no again.
“So, you gone sit here and lie to my face. Not only are you lying, but you been down to Memphis with that whore of an auntie of yours,” she growled.
“Mom, that was like two months or so ago,” I argued.
“You didn’t feel the need to tell me?” she asked.
“Not really, I mean you haven’t really cared much about me my entire life especially my adult life,” I stated honestly.
“Oh, fucking really?” she asked.
“Momma, can we not do this.” I exhaled.
“Do what?” she asked.
“This fake caring mother act you’re about to put on,” I started. She shook her head.
“Fake caring mother act?” She got in my face, and I stood up quickly.
“Yeah this fake caring mother act. I don’t know why you worried about me connecting with family that you kept me away from,” I yelled at her.
“Because she’s a backstabbing WHORE. That’s why I kept you away from her,” she spat.
“Well that may be what she was to you, but auntie Mo seems pretty cool to me,” I argued.
“I see what she’s doing, she’s trying to take my child away from me since her rotten pussy ass can’t have none,” she yelled
“Really? You care about her communicating with me because you’re afraid you might lose me? Newsflash, I’ve been gone. You practically gave me away, I had no hope,” I yelled at her, and she stood there looking at me like I was crazy.
“Montejha, I don’t understand where all this attitude comes from. Why are you so angry with me, what the fuck did I do as a mother that was so bad? I kept you in nice clothes, I kept a roof over your head, I did what I could,” she yelled
“You did what a guardian is supposed to do. I didn’t want just a supervisor as a parent.” My voice cracked as I paused, I started to just walk out, but something in me was telling me to get this out, let my pain out.
“I wanted my mother. I wanted my mother to be there for me through my first crush, my first period, my first heartbreak, my first car, I wanted my mother to tell me I was beautiful despite what society or the kids at school thought. I wanted my mother to love and protect me from anyone who meant me any harm, I needed you my entire life but every time you weren’t there for me,” I screamed at her as the tears flowed freely. She smacked fire outta my ass, as her tears flowed as well.
“How could you say that to me?” Her voice cracked. For the first time in my life, I watched my mother sob in front of me. I quickly wiped my tears and hurriedly walked out her house. Driving off in my car, I had no plans on ever returning to that woman’s house. I drove to the grocery store grabbing me some white cheddar popcorn, ice cream, and cookie dough. I kept having to wipe my tears because I was torn up that my mother slapped the shit outta me and that she never really gave a fuck about me. It seemed like all the shit I was keeping bottled up was pouring out. I didn’t wanna be around nobody right now, fuck what Kato had to say and right now, how I was feeling it was fuck him too. I was going home, turning off my phone and eating my pain away.
Me and Rosco were in my bed snuggled up watching movies. I tried to watch Kevin Hart, I watched Deray Davis, hell Mike Epps one of my favorite, but they couldn’t stop the pain I was feeling. I hadn’t cried this much in my life, but now I was thinking really hard about it. Why was I feeling extra emotional today and then a thought clicked in my head.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. No.” I started crying even more. I jumped out the bed scaring the hell outta Rosco and searched my bathroom cabinet. I found two sticks and quickly opened them popping a squat on the toilet. After reading the instructions once again, I peed on the sticks and sat them on the counter setting my timer for three minutes just to be sure. That was the longest three minutes of my life. But from the results, my life was about to change drastically. I took the test to the kitchen trash can and crawled in the bed crying my fucking self to sleep. I hated Kato right now, it was all his fault.
~~~
Leaving my OBGYN, they confirmed what I already knew. I had lost my security at the mall so they wouldn’t run their big mouths to Kato. I caught an Uber back to the mall and quickly walked in the nail salon, telling them I wanted a pedicure. As soon as my phone powered on, I got so many notifications. I couldn’t even go through them because Kato was calling me.
“What?” I answered.
“Montejha, I’m in the mall they said they lost you at, where the fuck is you at?” he asked, his voice sounded so concerned. But I was pissed off at him right now.
“I’m at the nail shop. Maybe you should hire better people.” I hung up the phone.
“Your husband?” the lady next to me asked.
“My stupid boyfriend,” I answered, rolling my eyes.
“Oh, I’ve had a few of those.” She laughed. It wasn’t long before dufus came looking through the nail salon window. He walked in, and all the ladies were fucking drooling. Shit, they could have his bald-headed ass right now. He looked at me and smirked.
“What’s u
p.” He went to kiss me on the lips, and I turned my head, causing him to kiss my check. He instantly tensed up.
“I can’t even shop in piece,” I told him.
“Don’t look like you’ve been doing much shopping.” He stood there with his hands behind his back, towering over my chair.
“What happened to your face.” He examined my right cheek. I told y’all my mother slapped the shit out of me, she had to have a ring on or something ‘cause my face had a slight bruise on it. I moved my head out his hand.
“Move, I don’t wanna talk about it,” I told him. He frowned up.
“Who the fuck put they hands on you?” he asked.
“I’m getting my feet done, either have a seat or leave. But get from over me asking fifty thousand questions,” I told him. He snatched my phone out my lap, and I grabbed him.
“Dude give me my phone,” I snapped.
“You don’t need it no way, since you don’t answer it. But I’m about to find out who put they fucking hands on my wife.” He walked out, to two dudes that was standing outside the nail salon. I was so embarrassed, watching him slap one dude in the head as they walked off.
Before long, the lady was done, and Kato was sitting right in front of the nail shop. I paid her, and we walked out hand and hand. He hadn’t said shit the entire walk out the mall. He seemed to ignore me and my slow walking, he just walked alongside of me. This family of four stuck out to me. Two busy little ones and the parents were smiling, just as happy. Kato tugged on my arm, and I got the memo to keep trucking. As we walked outside, we climbed in my car, and he peeled out the lot.
We got home, and he was eerily quiet. Like his mind was in overdrive but mine was too shit. I had got some life-changing news, and I didn’t know how to let the words fall from my mouth. We ate dinner together for the first time in weeks, but it was different. Kato was different, he was battling something or someone I didn’t know about. I don’t how to get him to open up to me, I’ve tried hovering him, it worked temporarily. I’ve gave him his space and let him move how he wanted to, and now it’s like I didn’t even know him.