A Staten Island Love Letter- The Forgotten Borough

by Jahquel J.

“Split it with everybody that helped make the food. Have a good night,” I told them and pulled out the lot. I headed home. I didn’t want to leave her alone and high, so she could sleep in my bedroom and I would sleep in the guest room.

  I pulled into my driveway, grabbed my gym bag and hopped out the car. Every morning I woke up early and just because I was out last night didn’t make an exception. When I got up this morning I debated on if I should go the gym or not. In the end, I decided to head to the gym because Justice didn’t seem like she was getting up anytime soon. Kiss had called me and told me that she and the girls were doing their chores and she wanted to go to her friend’s house. I was torn with whether or not I should let her go. Even though I was angry with her about getting pregnant, now that I knew, I just wanted to protect her from everything and everybody. Everybody in that uppity ass school wouldn’t be accepting or supportive and I didn’t want Kiss to feel that.

  When I walked into the house, I heard them playing music and saw Kiki sweeping the foyer. “Hey Ro!” she beamed with this huge smile on her face. “Remember, Marisol is coming to pick us up for cheer practice.”

  “Oh yeah. Thank you for reminding me.”

  “No prob.” She winked and continued to do her chores.

  I checked in on both Love and Kiss and they were in the guest bathroom arguing with each other. “Just because you having a baby doesn’t mean you’re the fucking boss of me! Go play with your baby, not me!” Love yelled at Kiss.

  “Don’t fucking mention shit about my baby and you won’t get your face knocked in!” Kiss threatened.

  “Both of y’all need to watch your mouth,” I walked up on both, scaring them. “Love, when I’m not here your sister is the boss. Stop throwing up the fact that she’s pregnant every chance you get.”

  “Whatever,” Love scoffed.

  “Oh word? Bring your ass upstairs because you’re not going to cheer practice,” I told her. “Whatever that.”

  Her eyes widened and she stared at me to see if I was serious or joking. When she realized I was serious, she stomped up the stairs and mumbled some shit under her breathe. “Great. Now she’s going to hate me because she’s missing cheer practice,” Kiss sucked her teeth.

  “That’s not your fault. She shouldn’t have been getting smart. We need to talk about the father of the baby.”

  She looked away. “I don’t know who the father is,” she replied.

  “Damn Kiss, you been fucking around like that?” She kept pushing the knife deeper and deeper into my heart.

  “Do we really need to talk about that right now? Just know I don’t want the father involved and want to raise my baby alone.”

  “Money isn’t an issue, but why the fuck should he be able to walk around carefree while you’re raising a baby?”

  “Honestly Ro, I don’t care what he chooses to do. Long as my baby has the love from me, you and the girls, we’re straight.”

  I pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. “I hate you got yourself pulled into this, but you already know I’m gonna be here for you.”

  “I’m sorry for disappointing you,” she admitted. “I know you wanted me to go to college and stuff.”

  “You’re going to college regardless.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled and went back to cleaning the bathroom.

  I headed to my bedroom and found Justice sitting on the bed flipping through channels while eating McDonald’s from earlier this morning. When she saw me, she smiled.

  “How much do you think I eat?” she giggled.

  “I tried asking what you wanted, and you were too sleepy to answer. So, I got everything on their menu.”

  She smiled at me. “No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

  “I just ordered you McDonald’s.”

  “Still, it means a lot to me. You cared enough to order everything on the menu because you didn’t know what I liked. That means a lot to me.”

  “You’re welcome. What you watching?”

  “Some show on Netflix called You. It’s real good.” She took a bite out of the nugget she held in her hand. “I called Free this morning and she’s not answering. My sister, Liberty is at work so I’m gonna catch an Uber home or something.”

  “Damn, you rushing to get home already?”

  “I know people like their space, so I don’t want to cramp your style,” she giggled.

  “Nah, let me shower and I wanna watch this show with you.” I didn’t want to let her out of my space. If it was up to me, we could spend all day in here eating cold McDonald’s and watching Netflix.

  “I kind of need to go home. I’m in yesterday’s clothes.”

  I went into my dresser and tossed her a T-shirt and a pair of sweats. “Here, you could wear these.”

  “You really trying to get me to stay, huh?”

  “Word.”

  “What would my boyfriend think?”

  “I mean, I don’t give a damn about your nigga. You clearly don’t either because you’re considering staying.”

  “I am. I hate being alone in my apartment,” she revealed. “It feels so… homey here,” she laughed.

  “So, stay.”

  “It’s not crazy that I’m your niece’s teacher and I’m laid up in her uncle’s bed watching Netflix?”

  “Nah. I’m grown and want you here. You gonna make me beg?”

  “It’s tempting.”

  “You dead ass?”

  “Yep.” I laughed and went over to the laundry basket to drop my clothes from the gym in there. “I’m waiting…” she sang.

  “Justice, can you please stay and chill with me today?”

  She put her finger on her chin like she was thinking. “I guess my schedule is clear.”

  “You fronting like you didn’t want to chill with me anyway.”

  She grabbed the clothes and headed to the bathroom. “I guess you’ll never know,” she smirked as she went into the bathroom and shut the door.

  A nigga was on cloud nine knowing that I was going to spending the day with Justice. Kiss was going out with her friend and Kiki was going to cheer practice. I usually caved when it came to the girls, yet this time I couldn’t look the other way. Love was out of pocket for cursing and being disrespectful to her older sister. Kiss should have watched her mouth too, but when you had your little sister cursing at you, shit I would curse back too. On my way to the guest bathroom to shower, I heard the door chime and saw Marisol walk into the crib. She spotted me holding my towel and clothes and laughed.

  “Your bathroom broken or something?”

  “Nah. You early. The girls don’t have practice for another three hours.”

  “I know. You were on my mind and I feel like we haven’t kicked it since we came back from the Poconos,” she touched my shoulder gently.

  “Yeah, I been busy and shit.”

  “You too busy to have a quickie in the bathroom real quick?”

  If I didn’t have Justice in my bathroom, I would have taken Marisol up on her offer. Yet, I had respect for Justice, so I wasn’t about to do her like that. “Nah, I have company over and don’t want to do her like that.”

  Marisol’s face screwed up and her entire attitude changed. “You have company?” she asked like I didn’t just tell her.

  “Yeah.”

  “You know what… fuck you, Priest! I knew it had to be somebody else. You’ve been acting real different. What was the point of taking me to the Poconos?”

  I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with Marisol. She didn’t even know that Kiss was pregnant. Usually, she would have been the first person to know. The truth was that I needed a break from Marisol. I thought the trip would be cool for us to chill and take a break from life, but I see that it made her think this was more than what it was.

  “We were chilling, Mari. I never told you it was anything more than us chilling.”

  “Chilling? We fucked all over that cabin that weekend. You call that chilling?”

 
; I sighed and sat my stuff down on the counter. “Love isn’t going to practice. She got fly out the mouth and she’s now on punishment.”

  “I’m good enough to chauffer your kids around and fuck, but not to be your girlfriend?” The tears were threatening to fall. I could tell she wanted to yell, scream and curse, but knew I didn’t do that shit around the girls.

  “Who said that, Marisol? I’m just saying right now we’re chilling and we’re free to date or chill with other people, feel me? Why you getting so damn emotional?” She was starting to piss me off. I understood why she may have felt hurt, but in the end neither of us was tied down and could do whatever we wanted.

  “Hey Marisol! I guess you get to see the news now,” Kiss came into the kitchen carrying that swollen stomach of hers.

  Marisol looked as if she wanted to pass out in the kitchen. “W…what?”

  “Yeah, she’s pregnant. I found out last week,” I informed her. Marisol was shocked and then a the look of hurt came across her face. I could tell she was hurt that she was just now finding out about something she would usually have known as soon as it happened.

  “I’m showered and ready for our Netflix marathon. Can I heat the…” Justice’s voice trailed off as she came into the kitchen.

  “Justice!” Kiss ran over and hugged a confused Justice. “Oh, McDonald’s, can I have some?”

  “Hey baby girl… sure, your uncle ordered me the whole restaurant because he didn’t know what I liked,” she giggled. “It’s cold though.”

  If Marisol wasn’t hurt already, she was really hurt. The expression on her face told me everything she was feeling. The hurt was etched all over her face as she stared at me and then Justice.

  “I…I have to run a quick errand. Tell Kiki I’ll be back to pick her up for cheer practice,” Marisol said quickly and then headed out the door without another word.

  “Why did she come so early anyway?” Kiss shrugged as she grabbed the bag from Justice and went to put it on the counter.

  “Priest, did I interrupt something?” Justice asked.

  “Nah, you’re good. Marisol is my homie who helps me out with the girls,” I explained.

  “Oh okay,” she replied and went into the kitchen to heat the McDonald’s up.

  While they were heating food up, I went outside and found Marisol sitting in the driveway crying. She had her mirror flipped down as she tried to wipe away the tears. When she saw me emerge from the house, she rolled her eyes and started the car.

  “Mari, talk me real quick,” I demanded.

  She rolled her window down. “There’s nothing left to discuss. You let me know how you were feeling the moment she walked out of that room. No one ever stays over your house, but she’s in your clothes and coming out the room like she lives there. You still make me get up and go home in the middle of the night, but she’s special. I know where we stand, and I’ll play my role.”

  “Why you bein—”

  “There’s nothing left for me to say. We’re good. I know what it is between the both of us, you don’t need to explain shit to me.” She took the car out of park and pulled out of the driveway.

  I shook my head and went back inside to shower. After I finished showering, Kiss had somehow convinced Justice to put Netflix on in the living room. They had the food spread out on the coffee table, popcorn along with Love and Kiki.

  “Your nieces are too cute to tell no,” Justice giggled as I plopped down next to her. This shit felt like I was in a dream or something. I didn’t think going to Reese’s party that I would end up with Justice McGurry waking up in my bed and then spending the day with me and my nieces.

  “Why y’all cock blocking?” I joked.

  “You not cool, so don’t be trying to use those terms,” Kiss laughed. “We want to watch too.” She rubbed her stomach.

  “You happy you able to rub your stomach publicly now?”

  “A little. He used to be kicking like crazy when you were around, and I had to hold it in,” she told us.

  “Make sure you’re taking your medicine and those online assignments that I sent you over too.”

  “I will,” she promised as Justice put the show on.

  I leaned over and laid my head on her. She smiled and continued to watch the TV. Yeah, I knew she had a nigga, but according to her, her man wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing, so I was about to slide in and show her how a real man is supposed to be doing it for a real ass woman.

  7

  Freedom

  I could lay here all day if time would have allowed me, except I had to head to Ghost’s house to oversee everything that was going on. Every time I spoke with Shakira, she was adding more and more shit on. It didn’t matter to me because the more she added, the more I added to her final bill. The twins were with my mother for the week. She knew that I had a bunch of things lined up with work and wanted to give me a small break. The twins didn’t mind because they loved going over their grandmother’s house. The time away from them made me miss them, then again, it felt good to get up and go without having to worry about getting the kids to school and packing lunches. Women did it all and we never complained about it. We made the money, made the house home and bared the children. Every once in a while, we needed a small break to just be women. I couldn’t stand when someone saw me and asked me where my kids were. It pissed me off because they never asked men where they kids were. I was allowed to go into a store or to the spa without having my kids.

  “Ma, you better not be getting ready to get up and dip,” Zoe rolled over and wrapped his arms around me. I melted into his arms and smiled at his voice being the first thing I heard.

  “I have to get ready to head to a client’s house. You know my business never stops.”

  He sighed and leaned back on the bed as I got out of his bed. I had been at Zoe’s house all week since the twins were gone. Today I had to pick the twins up from school and it was time for me to take my ass back home. I’m not going to lie, I could get used to his maid preparing my breakfast or handing me a smoothie right as I was rushing out to meet with a client.

  “I’m not gonna front, this week was like a small glimpse of what it would be like if we lived together.”

  I went through the luggage I had packed and picked out a sweat suit. I didn’t have any meetings today. All I was doing was peeking in on what was being done, so I didn’t need to get dressed. “For me, it was like a glimpse of what a vacation would be like.”

  “You fronting.”

  “No, I can’t imagine what it would be like without my kids. My life is my kids and they weren’t here, so it was more like a vacation to me.”

  “I feel you. When you gonna introduce me to them? We been fucking around for months and I haven’t met them yet.”

  “Didn’t think you were interested in meeting them.”

  “Why the fuck wouldn’t I want to meet them? You talk about them so much that you got me wanting to meet them.”

  “Soon,” was all I said. I didn’t know when I wanted to introduce Zoe to my kids. When it came to my kids, I was always hesitant about introducing who I’m dating to them, unless I was serious.

  “When is soon? They your seeds, I get that.” He leaned up and grabbed hold of my hand to pull me near. “I’m serious about us. I want to make you mine, Free.”

  “You’re just talking,” I waved him off. Niggas always liked to say how they wanted to make you theirs and then did dumb shit that made you not want to be bothered. I was hesitant about entering a relationship with Zoe, and I didn’t know why. I guess I was scared and didn’t want things to end badly. I didn’t want to add another notch to my belt of failed relationships. My next relationship was supposed to be the one where I got married.

  He touched my face and turned my head, so I stared him directly in his eyes. “I’m dead serious. We been messing around for a little minute now, I want to make this something more than fucking around. Shit, I want to meet your kids, do that family shit and be with y
ou.”

  “I’m scared, Zoe,” I sighed.

  “Aye, let me show you that I’m not like those other niggas, ight? I’ve already showed you and we weren’t even in a relationship. Trust me.”

  I touched his face and then leaned down to kiss him on the lips. “Okay. I know you be having all those hoes around you, that shit better stop.”

  “I don’t be paying them bitches no mind. You already know I get my money and come home.”

  “Every nigga don’t be paying those bitches no mind,” I mocked him. “And don’t be out in Brooklyn wilding like you don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “I got you.”

  “Okay.” I smiled, satisfied by his answers. My phone interrupted our conversation. I sighed when I looked at my screen and saw Shakira’s name pop across my work phone. “Hey,” I changed my voice, so she didn’t hear the annoyance in my tone.

  “Hey girl, well your painters came, and I don’t like this color.”

  “Shakira, you picked all those colors and two of them are custom colors.”

  Shakira was obsessed with having stuff that no one else had. A simple pink color for the girls’ rooms wasn’t enough. She had to have some pink that was custom and designed just for her.

  “I know and I feel so bad for it, but I really need to get this ugly ass color off my baby’s wall.”

  I sighed. “I’m showering and I’ll be over there in a bit.”

  “Okay. If I’m not here, Gyson will be here,” she informed, and I rolled my eyes. I had successfully avoided Ghost at Reese’s party and now I was going to have to deal with him.

  “Okay.” I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the bed.

  “You good?” Zoe asked as he laid in bed. I wished I could climb beside him and hide for the rest of the day.

  “My client Shakira is so annoying. It doesn’t help that her fiancée is my ex-boyfriend,” I vented as I grabbed my clothes.

  “Ex-boyfriend?”

  “Yeah. It’s nothing to worry about. What we had happened years ago.” I waved it off and went into the bathroom to shower.

  Once I was done, Zoe was fast asleep in the bed. I grabbed my bags, a smoothie from his maid and headed out. As much as I wanted to lay in bed with him all day, I couldn’t. I had a business to run and a family to provide for. My business allowed me to move my mother out of the hood and help my sisters when they needed it the most. Dick was nice, but money was even better.