Two Sides to a Love Story: Rico & Raja's Story

by Natavia

  “You got those big ass glasses on girl and you still can’t see?” he says helping me up.

  I push them up then sneeze; it’s his cologne that I’m allergic to. I have bad allergies and I’m allergic to almost everything. I look up at Tarae and felt bubbly and I wanted to run as far as I could. I knew who he was when I first saw him. Everyone from all over knows Tarae Sanders . He has major football leagues looking to sign him next year. He is all over the internet but his attitude sucks. He has typical a football player attitude. I also know that his father hit the Mega Millions a year ago. You can google Tarae Sanders’ life.

  “Damn shorty, you okay? The way you running they need to put you on my team!” he says laughing, showing his gold diamond fronts. His isn’t like everyone else’s. He has two up top and two at the bottom. His hair is dreaded with auburn tips and his body isn’t big and bulky. He is toned with an athletic build. His skin is dark and smooth. He has nice full lips, and tattoos covered his whole neck and lower arms. Tarae is handsome but after meeting him for the first time, completely turned me off.

  I go inside of my SoHo bag getting out wet wipes, then wiped my hands off because they touched the ground when I fell. I hate germs and the smallest thing can cause my skin to break out.

  Tarae looks at me like I’m crazy. “Yo, you weird as fuck to me!” he says.

  “I have to go; it was nice seeing you!” I say trying to rush him off.

  “Wait a minute shorty! Let me grab you another frappe,” he says. I roll my eyes then headed back to Starbucks.

  After a few minutes he comes back with my frappe. I look in it making sure he didn’t slip a date rate drug in it, although I wouldn’t be able to tell anyway.

  “Yo, your ass is wild! What reason would I have to slip something in your drink?” he asks with a cocky grin. I slightly laugh a little, snorting. I hurriedly cover my hands over my mouth. I’m embarrassed as hell right now.

  Tarae burst into laughter. “Yooooo, you like a girl version of Steve Urkel,” he says.

  “I have to hurry up and go,” I say turning around bumping into an older black lady. She drops her purse and I pick it up handing it to her.

  “I’m sooooo sorry!” I say to her and she smiles.

  “It’s okay dear. A handsome young man that looks at you with admiration will do that to you,” she says walking off. I highly doubt that. I’m the last person Tarae wants to be seen with. Tarae and I are total opposites. I love Taylor Swift and I’m sure he loves Young Gangsta! Wait a minute, or is it Young Thug? I’m so not hip right about now, I thought to myself.

  “I can give you a ride home,” he says.

  “No, that’s okay! I can wait for the bus!” I tell him.

  “Lace, get your goofy ass in the car! I don’t have all night to deal with you! I have shit to do!” he says being demanding. I didn’t even ask him for a ride so I don’t know why he is bothered by giving me one. He is such an asshole; a sexy one at that!

  I walk to his car ready to open up the back door. I don’t know who Tarae messes with and I don’t want any problems. I’m trying to avoid any altercations for riding in the front seat like I’m his woman.

  “I know your four-eyed ass is not fixin’ to ride in the back seat like I’m a fucking taxi! Get your simple ass in the front! Fuck is wrong with you? And stop clutching that old timey ass bag like I’m going to rob your geek ass,” he says to me. I open up the passenger door to his dark gray Dodge Charger. As soon as I got in the smell of weed hits me. I guess since football season is over he thinks it’s okay to smoke.

  He gets in turning up his radio and I buckle my seat belt. I sipped my frappe looking out the window. We come to a red light and Tarae is looking at me grilling me. I push my glasses up and he shakes his head. “Yo, lean that damn seat back and relax! Fuck you riding like that for? You’re fucking titties touching the dashboard. Who you looking for?” he asks me.

  “It’s for good posture!” I tell him.

  “What’s your IQ shorty?” he asks me.

  “It’s Lace! And why do you wanna know?” I ask him.

  “I just think your lights off, that’s all. Shorty, you don’t seem too bright. Something is wrong with you. Look, at you. What you timid for?” he asks me.

  “I’m not timid! You are just a stranger to me,” I say going into my bag grabbing my hand sanitizer. Tarae reaches across my lap snatching it out of my hands. He puts his window down then throws it out. He is such a rude jerk. He has no class and he is an asshole!

  “Wow. That was rude!” I tell him.

  “Soap and water cleans your hands better. That shit doesn’t get all the germs,” he says.

  I was silent the rest of the ride to Raja’s house. I just want to go to bed. Once Tarae pulls up I thank him and hop out. Rico pulls up in the driveway.

  Rico and Tarae exchange words but I can’t make out what they are saying. All of a sudden Rico brushes past me, banging on the door.

  “Bitch, open up the door. How the fuck you going to get the locks changed?” he says. Now, just great! I’m locked out the house with Rico and Tarae is standing out here on the phone. If I’m not mistaken I could’ve sworn he just looked at my butt.

  “Get the fuck away from my door before I call the police on your cheating ass,” Raja shouts from other side.

  “I haven’t seen my son in four days bitch! Open this fucking door so I can see my son!” Rico shouts. Raja is really losing her mind.

  “Lace, get your ass up here and convince this bitch to open up the door,” he barks at me. I hurriedly walk to the door.

  “Raja, I’m standing outside. Can you let me in?” I ask her.

  “Come around the back. Hurry up and run. I’m ready to open up the door,” she says. I can’t believe what I’m going through right now.

  “Fuck this shit,” Rico says going into his truck. He grabs a screwdriver, pliers and some other kind of tool.

  “Lace, stay out here until I leave,” he says to me. I start getting scared because I don’t know what he is capable of doing.

  In less than twenty seconds, Rico had popped the lock. He pushes the door open and all you hear is arguing.

  “That’s a damn shame. I’m happy as hell I don’t have a baby mama,” Tarae says getting into his car and pulling off.

  Ten minutes later, Rico storms out the house with Zy in his arms. He buckles him up in his car seat, b then peels off. I run into the house and Raja is screaming and crying but I don’t see her. I run up the steps and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  “Lace, get me down. I can’t breathe,” she says. Raja is hanging from a thick metal bar that is in her bedroom doorway. I have seen Rico do pull-ups on it a few times. He has Raja shirt wrapped around some kind of way and it’s almost choking her. Her breasts are coming out of her bra and she is just swinging. She tries reaching for the bar and the shirt chokes her even more. How the hell did he do that? I wondered.

  “Lace, please get me down, I can’t breathe,” she says with tears falling out of her eyes. I go into the bathroom getting a pair of scissors. I come back and start cutting her shirt. She is hanging upside down now like a bat. I hold her with one hand while I cut with the other. She all of the sudden falls onto the floor hitting her head.

  She catches her breath. “He tried killing me! He fucking tried killing me!” she said overreacting. I don’t think that was his intentions but I’m keeping that to myself.

  “You tried keeping him away from his son? Why would you do that? He is a good father,” I says not believing she would go this far.

  “I’m just trying to hurt him like he hurt me,” she cries on my shoulder.

  “You’re hurting your son too! Didn’t your friend Cam tell you to cut the foolishness?” I ask her.

  “I know she did but all I can see is Rico and that bitch Fashion in my mind,” she says getting up. She grabs her phone then dials out.

  “Who are you calling?” I asked her.

  “The police,” she says. I sna
tch her phone.

  “Go to bed Raja! You are not thinking clearly. That is Zy’s daddy. Why would you hurt him like that? Don’t you think you acted a fool enough?” I ask her. I’m also fed up with her too. I have only been here for three weeks and know that Raja is the problem. Everyone sees it but her, and it’s affecting everyone around her. She is moody, cranky, and miserable and I’m sick of it. This is not the Raja that I’m used to.

  “He took my son,” she says.

  “So what? He isn’t going to hurt him. I’m going to bed,” I tell her, getting up then going to my room locking the door. I should’ve stayed in South Carolina!

  My cell phone rings. I look at it then ignore it. I was not going back to South Carolina although I feel I should’ve stayed. If Raja finds out the real reason why I’m here she will never talk to me again. I hope she never finds out one day.

  Raja

  Rico had Zy for three days. Three fucking days and he has not been answering the phone. He hasn’t even been taking Zy to daycare. I decided to go to his aunt house because I heard that’s where he has been crashing at. I take Tataliscious with me because we are going to the mall afterwards. I just want to sit down and talk to Rico about the days he can get Zy. I want to handle this like an adult.

  I pull up to Tarae’s mama house and gets out, ringing the doorbell. She opens the door grilling me with her evil face. Tarae’s mama doesn’t like me and I don’t give a fuck. I don’t like her big ass either. She weighs about three hundred pounds. She is brown-skinned with a beautiful face. She dresses very nicely and she is bourgeois as hell! I have no idea why she is this way. This bitch is just as hood as me and her retarded ass son!

  “Don’t be bringing this hood-rat ass mess to my door! What the fuck do you want? You know Rico just ought to get custody of his son. You unfit any damn way, fighting and carrying on at home around that baby. You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” she says to me.

  “Look Janice, no disrespect, but you need to mind your business. Now where is Rico’s ass at?” I ask her.

  “Don’t you see that his truck is not here,” she says.

  “I know he isn’t here. I wanna know where the hell he is at! If he was here I wouldn’t be talking to you, trust me,” I snap back at her.

  “Little girl, who are you talking to?” she asks me.

  Tataliscious gets out of the truck slamming my door.

  “Look here sir, where is this girl baby daddy at? I need to catch the damn mall before it closes and you holding us up!” Tataliscious snaps rudely. Tarae’s fucking him up and I don’t want no parts of it. I told Tataliscious to stay his ass in the truck.

  “What the fuck are you doing at my house?” Janice shouts at Tataliscious.

  “Excuse me?” Tataliscious ask with his hands on his hips. Janice must know something about Tataliscious that I doesn’t and neither does he.

  “You fucking home-wrecker!” Janice says lunging towards Tataliscious. I was in the way because she knocked me and Tataliscious over. She rolled on top of us and I’m in the middle sinking into her stomach. I get light headed from the pressure. I’m going to die and I haven’t even had the chance to see my son one last time. I said a silent prayer as I closed my eyes. All of the sudden the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders and I do mean literally! That prayer was everything.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Tarae’s daddy shouts. I didn’t even hear a car pull up.

  “What the fuck are you doing here Rick?” Tataliscious asked him. What the fuck is going on?

  “I’m his wife bitch,” Janice screams.

  “You are fucking married?” Tataliscious asks him clocking him upside the head. He ducks around Janice and she swings trying to hit Tataliscious but hits me instead.

  “You stole my damn man, you fucking faggot ass bitch,” she says to Tataliscious.

  “Get your filthy hands off of me,” she snatches away from Rick.

  “Does your son knows you are fucking men Rick?” Janice asks him.

  “No he doesn’t, but you been fucking knew I was gay! I told you I was gay when you got pregnant, but you stayed around hoping I would change. I stuck around to be there for Tarae. He is older now and I can live my life how I want to,” he says to her. A smile spreads across my face because I’m finally getting to meet Tataliscious new boo and I must say Rick is a FIONE motherfucker! He has chocolate smooth skin, nice kissable lips and muscular physique. Tarae looks just like his daddy. I see why Janice’s ass is mad. Her man left her for some dick. Tarae better not say anything else about my height either. I got something for his behind.

  “Ummmm Janice, can you let Rico know I stopped by?” I asked easing my way to the truck. I don’t want any parts of this. She wasn’t paying me any mind. She was arguing with Tataliscious. Next thing I know, she charges into him again. Tataliscious pulls Janice’s wig off then runs to my truck. He gets in and I back out the driveway. Janice tried running behind my truck but she tripped and fell. Tataliscious throws her wig out the window.

  We look at each other then burst out laughing. That was the funniest shit I have ever seen. Janice can be a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens.

  “Bitch, Tarae is fucking you up!” I tell Tataliscious.

  “Tarae better knuck if he buck, bitch! I will come out these pumps real quick. I bet you I will give him a run for his damn money! Hunntyyyyyy, you will see!” he says and I laugh even harder.

  “I needed this laugh. When Janice fell on top of me I was like Michael Jackson, bitch! I was like ’This is It!’ I say and he laughs.

  “I was scared when she fell on you! I’m like ohhhh noooo not my baby! She hasn’t even got out of pull-ups yet!” Tataliscious says about me.

  “Pull-ups Tata?” I ask ready to cuss him out for making one of his many baby jokes.

  “You know all that ass comes from your pull-up having too much piss and shit,” he says laughing then pinching my cheek. I smacked his hand away as hard as I could. I swing by the post office to pick Lace up. I’m taking her to the mall, too, so she can get something to wear to Cam and Royal’s cookout.

  This will be Tataliscious’ first time meeting her. “Tata, be good, I know you! Don’t say shit to her but hi and bye!” I tell him.

  “Well, damn bitch! Can I even look at her?” he asks me and I roll my eyes. I text Lace telling her I’m around front. A few moments later she comes to the truck getting in the back seat.

  Tataliscious turns around. “I think you have the wrong vehicle sir!” he says getting his mace out.

  I punch his arm. “That’s my cousin Lace fool!” I tell him.

  “Is this a prank? That girl back there is not your damn cousin! Look at her! She looks like her nose is snotty and she collects frogs by the pond,” he fusses and I shake my head.

  “She’s not one of those suicidal bombers, is she? I don’t trust any bitch that carries those type of bags,” he whispers to me.

  “Will you shut the fuck up? That’s my cousin Lace!” Tataliscious turns around taking Lace’s glasses off.

  “I see it now in a way,” he says putting her glasses in his purse.

  “I can’t see without those,” Lace says in her white-girl voice.

  “Hunnttyyyyyy, you are going to have to get some contacts when we get inside of the mall. You must not love yourself walking around here like you need to be in someone’s lab testing monkeys! Get rid of that bag too! It reminds me of homeless people,” Tataliscious says.

  “Lace, I’m sorry but he is an asshole! He can’t help it so bear with him please. He gets checks. He is a little special and grandma always told us we have to be nice to them kind of people!” I tell her.

  “Lace, what you need to do is whip Raja’s little ass! If she loved you she wouldn’t have you coming out here looking like a rocket scientist,” he says turning around, facing the road. “Ass probably dumb as a bag of bricks,” he mumbles to himself. Tataliscious phone rings.

  “It’s six callers ahead of us Jimmy!�
�� he says answering the phone. Someone needs to slap his ass one good time.

  “Rick, what the hell do you want? I didn’t know you were married to Baby Huey! How long y’all been separated? Well, don’t you think you should’ve told me? No wonder I can’t come to your house. You don’t want your son to know you are gay! I don’t know what time I’ll be home! You pop up at my house and watch what I do to you!” Tataliscious says hanging up.

  “Tata is in looovvveeeee,” I sang and he blushes for the first time ever.