“I have no intentions to replace you and I doubt I will ever get married again. I’m not that good at it, and quite frankly, I suck at being a husband.”
He laughed and so did I. “No, you’re not that good at being a husband, but you’re so good at other things. I promise to point out those things in my book and once it’s finished, you’re going to be so proud of how it all comes together.”
“Do you have a title for it yet? And promise me, Raynetta, that you won’t go putting all my personal business out there.”
“I promise I won’t get too specific, but I do need to share some things so people will know what it’s like to live here and walk in my shoes. Some people may believe me, others will dispute what I write. There’s really no way to tell what’s true and what’s not, so you won’t have to worry about a thing. In reference to the title, I’m still thinking about it. Do you have any suggestions?”
Stephen lay silent then he turned on his back and stretched his arms again. “Why don’t you call it exactly what it is, or should I say, who it is going to be about. Title it Black President. This world will never be the same after my term is over and I have so many more things I want to accomplish.”
I snapped my finger and smiled. “I kind of like that title, but we’ll see. In the meantime, you can stay up all night thinking about all the things you want to accomplish. I’m tired and I need to get some sleep. I have another busy day tomorrow, and believe it or not, McNeil called earlier and asked me to meet with him. I don’t know what he wants. The last time I saw him, things didn’t go well.”
“I’ll let you decide how to handle your racist-ass grandfather, and I’m sure he’s upset about me signing that bill into law. He probably wants to talk to you about that, and if he says anything to you about causing me harm, I want to know about it, Raynetta. Don’t keep anything like that from me again and do not accept any money he offers you.”
“I won’t and trust me when I say I’ve learned my lesson. That man is pure evil, but when the enemy calls, sometimes, you have to find out what they’re up to. I would appreciate if you wouldn’t refer to him as my grandfather. He, along with his family has disowned me for many years. There is no love within me either. I will say that it hurts not to have a close family and the way he treated me the last time I was at his house stung. But, I still have you and I’ll always be grateful for whatever way you fit into my life.”
Stephen yawned and opened his arms for me to lay my head on his chest. I snuggled close to him, and as we both lay silent, no question we were in deep thought about many things.
The following day, I woke up only to see Stephen was gone. I was sure he’d had a busy day ahead of him too, so after my shower and breakfast, I decided to stop in at McNeil’s office, where he’d asked me to meet him. A Secret Service agent was with me, and as we made our way through the lavish lobby in the office building, many people reached out to me.
“I’m so pleased to have you as our first lady,” one woman said to me. “You and the president are so awesome. Keep up the good work.”
I shook her hand and told her I would. The Secret Service agent was so close that I barely had time to simply say hello to all the people who confronted me. All I’d heard were nice things, until I made my way to the 20th floor where McNeil’s office was. As I stood inside of the tinted glass doors, he sat behind a cherry-wood desk that stretched, at least, 12 feet long. Elegance defined the office, and it was decked out with gold accessories. A breathtaking view of Washington D.C. could be seen through the windows, and pictures of his privileged and wealthy family covered the walls, in addition to his numerous awards.
“I would ask you to sit,” he said, raking his snow white hair with his fingers. His bushy brows were scrunched inward and his evil eyes were like looking into the devil’s eyes. “But this shouldn’t take long. I’m glad you came, and for the last time, I need your help.”
A cigar dangled from the corner of his mouth, and as smoke infused the air, I just stood there staring at him.
“What’s the matter, gal?” he asked. “Cat got your tongue or did that nigger tell you to come here and not speak?”
His words got a quick reaction from me. “That nigger, as you insist on calling him, is my husband. My loving husband whom I don’t appreciate you speaking ill of. If you need my help pertaining to anything relating to him, you won’t get it. You’re wasting your time, and as I’m sure you already know, he’s on cloud nine these days. He’s been getting so many things done by rolling over any and everyone who stands in his way. I know that’s frustrating for you, but deal with it.”
He grunted and blew smoke in the air from his cigar. “He may be sitting sky high for now, but what goes up will come down. We’re behind the scenes doing lots of things to make sure he will not see a second term. There are also certain things he’s done which may be cause for impeachment. You’ll hear about those things in the near future, sweetheart, you just wait and see how we gon’ get him good. You can pretend all you want that your marriage is peaches and cream. Your nigger husband is in love with another woman and you’s just a prop he’s using to keep the American people on his side.”
I didn’t want to stand there and keep listening to him disrespect Stephen, so I interrupted him. “Get to the point. Tell me why I’m here again and make it quick.”
He chuckled and leaned far back in his chair. “I wish you would wake up and smell the coffee. If you did, I would be happy to put your name in my Will and leave you something special, provided the unthinkable happens to me. Unfortunately, the president’s cock has your mind twisted. You can’t see him for who he truly is, and all I want you to do is one thing. Divorce him and leave the White House now. Speak from your heart and tell the American people what a shitty husband he has been. You are an abused woman. He has used you, and I have watched him degrade you time and time again. The one thing America won’t do is support a bachelor president who disrespects women. I don’t care how good he is or what he has accomplished, there are certain values a president must uphold. After all the heartache he has caused you, this task should be the simplest thing. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“No, I don’t. And just so you know, the president and I will never get divorced. You can plan his demise all you want to, but Stephen is a very smart man. He’s already twenty steps ahead of you and a second term he will have. Now, if that’s all you wanted to speak to me about, I’m out of here.”
“Yes, that is all, but I’m so disappointed in you granddaughter. I wish I could drain every ounce of my blood from your veins because your stupidity and loyalty to that nigger frustrates the heck out of me. How could you be so stupid and stay with a man who doesn’t even love you? I don’t quite understand this ride-or-die chick terminology, and it’s so sad that you intend to ride with that sloppy nigger until the wheels fall off. I’m warning you that when he goes down, you’ll go down with him. Save your reputation and get out now. If you do, there will be great rewards. This is my last and final call to you. I hope you’s listening and take action.”
I walked closer to his desk to look straight in his eyes. “I wish like hell I could drain every ounce of your blood too, because you are one sick, old racist bastard who I look forward to dying and rotting in hell. Take your rewards and shove them up your wrinkled ass. Don’t you ever call me to come here again, and the only other thing I have to say to you is this.”
I gathered spit in my mouth and released it right at his face. He jumped from his chair and reached out to grab me. I quickly backed up. The Secret Service agent who brought me there rushed into the room. He must’ve been watching us while standing outside the door.
“Get her out of here before I break her fucking neck,” Mr. McNeil shouted. He wiped my spit from his face with a handkerchief he’d pulled from his pocket.
I smiled wickedly at him as I backed out of his office. I also pushed over one of his gold statues by the door. It hit the ground and broke into multiple tiny pieces. The l
oud boom caused several members of his staff who worked in cubicles to stand up and see what was going on.
“Leave now!” he shouted and charged towards me. “Get this nigger lover out of here!”
I was already on my way out with Secret Service. He rushed me down the elevator and into the car. Without saying one word to me, he sped off. I sat on the backseat thinking about Mr. McNeil, shaking my head. Like always, his words cut deep, but I would never let him see how much damage they’d caused. I wiped a tear that had fallen down my face, and as I’d thought about what he had said about Stephen, my cell phone rang. It was him.
“How did your meeting go?” he asked. “What did Massa want?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and told Stephen everything Mr. McNeil had said. He could tell I was bothered by all of it.
“Listen, okay?” he said. “Don’t let him upset you. You can’t let an ignorant fool like him get underneath your skin. Why do you allow him to have that kind of effect on you?”
I sniffed and wiped my runny nose with a tissue. “I don’t know. Maybe because I want him to be better than he is and it pisses me off that I’m related to someone like him. I wish you had never told me. I hate him, Stephen, and I wish he would choke on his own spit and die.”
“Maybe one day he will, but until then, calm down. Everything will be okay and trust me when I say I’m not worried about him. I used to let him get to me too, but when I ignore him he is powerless. Don’t give him the satisfaction of hurting you and go have some fun today. I heard you and Emme are heading to New York today for an uplifting college fair revolving around new technology. That sounds interesting. I know you’re looking forward to it.”
“I am. Been thinking about it all week and I can’t wait to get involved. You should join us too.”
“I would, but you already know my schedule is locked in for the next two weeks or so. I have lots of things to get done before my seven day trip out of the country. I mean, wish me luck. I can only hope and pray that nothing serious happens in between.”
“Good luck with that, but you already know.”
We both chucked, and after speaking to him, I felt better. Much better, even though some Mr. McNeil’s words rang true.
President’s Mother
Teresa Jefferson
I had pursued another mission and came up empty. I couldn’t find Malik for nothing in the world, and after driving around looking for him for many days and nights, I’d wasted my time. I’d gone to his apartment, called his phone . . . everything. I even called my phone that he’d taken, but every time I’d called it went to voicemail. As for my purse, I was so lucky I’d changed my purse earlier that day and left my important things in the other purse. Yes, he’d gotten one of my credit cards and some money, but I was able to report the card as stolen so he wouldn’t be able to use it. He’d probably pawned my diamond watch. Unfortunately, it was one Stephen had purchased for me. It was definitely sentimental to me; I swore to God that whenever I saw Malik again, I would make him pay for this.
The sad thing was, Stephen had warned me. I was too embarrassed to tell him what had happened, so I avoided reaching out to him. He must’ve suspected something was wrong, because after not hearing a peep from me, he showed up at my penthouse on a Sunday morning with flowers in his hands. I looked around as he stood in the doorway, dressed in gray slacks and a money-green shirt with a smirk on his face.
“What are the flowers for?” I asked. “Did somebody else die?”
“No, but I thought by giving them to you, I could brighten your day, especially since you’ve been down in the dumps lately. Usually, that’s what happens when you drink too much, and allow a young punk to come into your home and steal from you.”
“You must have some kind of hidden cameras around here. I told you I don’t appreciate being watched, Stephen, and just so you know, I can handle Malik.”
Stephen walked further into the room, laid the flowers on a table then picked up a red juicy apple that was in a bowl. He bit into the apple and chewed while looking at me.
“I’m sure you can handle him, but you have to find him first. After all, you have been looking for him, haven’t you? I don’t think you’ve had much success.”
“I’ve asked around. I’m waiting on a few people to call me back and give me the scoop on where he is. I don’t need your help, so you can mosey on back out of here with those cheap flowers that aren’t even pretty.”
Stephen bit into the apple again and picked up the flowers. He put them in a vase and filled it with water. After he sat the vase in the center of the table, he looked at me again.
“Have you learned your lesson about drinking too much yet? The only reason he was able to take advantage of you was because you were highly intoxicated. And yes, Secret Service has been watching you. Thankfully, they were watching Malik too.”
“What is so wrong with me drinking alcohol in the privacy of my own home? Nothing at all and it’s good to know they were watching Malik. Where is he?”
“Do you really want to know or would you prefer to see him for yourself?”
I wasn’t sure if Stephen knew where he was or not, but he sure as hell pretended like he did know.
“Of course I want to see him. I also want my stuff back, but I’m sure my money is long gone.”
Stephen walked casually to the door and opened it. He walked out; a few minutes later he returned with two Secret Service agents and Malik. I almost couldn’t believe it was him. I gasped at the sight of the right side of his swollen face and one of his eyes was nearly shut. His two front teeth had been knocked out and the T-shirt he wore had been ripped.
I held my chest with my mouth wide open. “Oh my God, Stephen, what did you do to him? Don’t you know it’s Sunday? You didn’t have to beat him like this. The items he took weren’t even worth it.”
“Come on, Mama. You know I wouldn’t do anything like this to anybody. He’s the one who slipped, fell and bumped his head. You can thank my agents for saving his life and for getting your items back.”
One of the agents reached out to give me my purse and watch. I didn’t even get a chance to look inside and see if my money was still there, before Malik spoke up. His words didn’t come out right with missing teeth.
“I apolothize for thaking your thuff, but you pissed me off about that thwenty bucks. I never wouldt’ve done this, had you not thisrespected me that day I ran out of gas.”
I rolled my eyes and fired back at his explanation. “Yes you would have and you got what you deserved. I have no sympathy for you. You are lucky that you lived to see another day.”
With his mouth in the condition it was in, he had the audacity to talk slick.
“Everythody in here lucky thoo, because I could go to the police and thell them what these jokers did to me. The prez is gangstha and you don’t have no business running this country with a menthality like the one you got.”
Stephen chucked and raised his hands in the air. “One of the qualifications for being president is to make gangsta moves, you idiot. And for the record, I didn’t lay one hand on you. You’re too petty for me to waste my time on, and if you feel a need to call the police, please do. Just call them after I do this.”
Catching me off guard, I was shocked when I saw Stephen swing his fists around and slam it into the right side of Malik’s face. The punch was so hard it caused the side of my face to sting. Malik’s head snapped so fast to the side, I thought his neck was broken. He hit the floor, hard, and while lying flat on his stomach, he struggled to get up.
“Stephen, that’s enough,” I said, pushing him away from Malik. Secret Service stood there unfazed by all of this. Then again, I wasn’t even sure if the two men were Secret Service. All of this made me nervous—I didn’t want this fool to die on my living room floor.
Malik groaned and moaned as he struggled to get on his knees. He shot Stephen an evil glare and had the nerve to threaten him.
“You’d better kill me
now, because you know I’m thuming for you later. For you and for your bitch-thass mother. None of this would’ve happened if it wasn’t for her.”
His words touched a nerve. And this time when Stephen stepped forward, I didn’t even stop him. I stood behind him and reached out to smack Malik across the back of his head with my purse.
“Get him, baby,” I said to Stephen. “Go ahead and finish him off. We don’t need this mess. I tried to spare this fool from getting what he clearly deserves, but he thinks this is a joke.”
Stephen grabbed Malik by the back of his neck and lifted him from the ground. He shoved Malik towards the two men who held him up b his arms.
“Get this punk out of here. I don’t care what the two of you decide to do to him, the choice is yours. Malik, I never want to see your face again. If you’re lucky enough to live, you’d better not ever bring your ass to my mother’s place again. Secret Service will be watching her, and if you come anywhere near her again, you and your family will be dealt with. As your president, I don’t make threats. I only make promises.”
Malik could barely stand as the two men drug him out of my penthouse. I wasn’t sure what else they would do to him, but I figured after that ass kicking, I would never see him again. I held my chest and released a deep breath.
“I thank you for looking out for me, but you do owe me for all—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mama. I don’t owe you anything, but what he did was wrong. I don’t like to get involved in mess like this and I’ve been trying to stay on a straight and narrow path lately. Shit like this gets me off track, and the next time I warn you about someone, please listen. Now, I have to go. I thought we might have time for breakfast, but unfortunately, I need to go deal with another headache.”
“I’m not even going to ask who that may be, but be careful. I’m proud of you, you know and I apologize for putting you in a predicament like this. Next time, just let me handle it.”
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