Haywood Millionaire Series: Box Set Books 1-5

by Zi'ere

  “Good morning dear. We were a little worried when there was no answer this morning. We called the house, your cell phone, and Angel’s phone which is now turned off. What in the world is going on?”

  “Grandmother I’m sorry to make you worry. I didn’t answer because we were running late this morning. I’m running to my class now. I promise I will explain everything when we come over for dinner this evening.”

  51

  Tri- City encased all of our grades even though we were in different parts of the college like campus. The only time I could possibly see the kids during the day was in praise services held on Friday mornings. Attending the same Christian school my entire student life was the foundation that I needed to get the courage to do what was right by my brothers and sister. All of the kids understood that just because our home life was different from our classmates, God would still see us through our tribulations. The fact that Angel had taken our food and yet I had the money to replace it was no strike of good luck. It was God watching over us in darkness and in light. The heavenly father had been making a way out of no way for us our entire lives.

  In praise service I closed my eyes and meditated on my broken heart. My mind was stayed on Angel Stevens. All the pain she’d put me through. All of the pain I’d endured as a result of her negligence and unconcern. If Angel had resorted to taking food from her kids, who knew what her next stunt would be. I prayed for God to give me the strength to do what was right for the four of us. I asked God to guide my feet and hands in making the right decisions for their tight kid run family unit; crying out that God would continue to keep his loving arms around each of them. I also prayed that all weapons of mass destruction, belly to the ground people, and trouble makers would be easy for me to recognize.

  When I finally opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but begin to wipe away the tears that had begun to flow from my eyes. I couldn’t believe that I had begun to cry in the midst of the entire student body when I was always a private person.

  Mrs. Peterman, a counselor of the school, wrapped her arm around my shoulder. That was the closest thing to a motherly hug since I’d had since the last time I’ve seen my Grandparents. The only embraces we ever got were from their Grandmother. My parents had broken my heart and they had taken away my youth. I left service with the understanding that God was the ultimate mother to the motherless and father to the fatherless persons on earth. I knew I was on the verge of a breakthrough. Change was coming and it would be life changing.

  The man we knew to be our dad, Ryan Holmes was singing the same tune as everyone else. Ryan never mixed up his words to even suggest that Angel was being any type of mother, let alone a good mother to his four kids. We were constantly lectured by our maternal Grand-parents about keeping touch with Ryan, but we still did it anyway. He was in prison sure enough but he was thinking better than Angel had since before my birth. Ryan wanted to know about the grades, he motivated us, he praised the first place ribbons- he was plugged in the form of long letters written to each of us that arrived every Monday like clockwork.

  For years I tried to figure out how long it had taken him to figure out that Angel was not with him for love, their relationship, their kids, or to build a future that would last the long run. Of course I understood the birds and the bee’s part of reproducing life but I was also taught that a woman should be married before she should start a family. Angel had never been married. She had been engaged once, but that only lasted a couple weeks and she had already had four children.

  Out of all of Angel’s boyfriends and different “Uncles” she had introduced to her us, I knew immediately that not one of them loved Angel enough to put a ring on her finger. None of them hung around long for various reasons no matter how bad she needed them to stay. She caught big fish but you could only hide trifling ways for a matter of hours. Angel had made it impossible for any man to love, honor, and cherish her. I truly felt sorry for my own mother for that reason alone.

  52

  The main people who should have made her life worth living, her four kids, were prepared to give her all the love she was looking for on her trips all over the world. But Angel was never around for us to give it to her. Angel wasn’t even interested in giving her kids an ounce of the love a mama bird gave her freshly hatched eggs. That made all four of her kids upset with her and not long after that, they began to get angry with her.

  None of the other kids on campus knew we had this kind of dysfunctional relationship with our parents. Instead of getting and then staying in the dumps about our situation, I led the children in prayer about the situations of trials and tribulations constantly. They were determined to make the best of what God had chosen for their lives. If Angel would not give her children the love, attention, and affection they deserved- they would all get it from each other.

  I constantly praised the younger kids, determined to keep them motivated and on task. I also gave them structure and as much security as I could. One of the main structure rules that had to be set in place for the kids was to keep themselves accountable and responsible for their actions and surroundings. This type responsibility also gave the children a sense of being in control in some areas of their lives. None of them would live like an alley rat the way Angel did.

  She had beautiful, expensive clothing and jewelry but after one wear, it could never be used again. Angel pawned diamonds without a second thought. I was determined to turn all four of the parentless Steven’s children into productive citizens ready to conquer and succeed in the world when the time came. Angel was dead weight holding us all down and it was time that I made good on my threats.

  On the way to her next class she began to think of her grandparents. Deidra and Allen Stevens were getting up there in age even though they probably wouldn’t admit it. Amaya knew that grandpa was seventy- five years old, but had no clue about grandma’s age which was the way she liked it. They had more money than they could spend in their lifetime and had always spoiled their only child, Angel. After years of disappointment and being drained of cash with nothing to show for it, they had cut Angel off financially. They lived in a fancy condominium community for senior citizens with a lot of money and wanted to be surrounded with other persons in their same position. Their health wasn’t the best and I knew that there was no way they could take on four school aged children. It would be such a big task for them, so all of the kids kept quiet about Angel whenever they were around them.

  That very day Amaya had finally decided to come clean about their home life. She would plead with her grandparents to have a house built for her and the kids. Once she pointed out the fact that only she had been the one tending to the kids anyway, she was sure they would help their only grandchildren. Amaya knew that she needed to keep the other money to maintain the house and have some left over for emergencies. If there was any way she could get around spending it, she was willing to give it a try.

  Worst case scenario, their grandparents would have to move them all in with them. But, there was no way we could all fit in their home. Even if there was room for us all, their homeowner’s association had a strict no kid stay policy, end of story. The elder Stevens’ had to get a signed letter from the president of the HOA to have the children stay longer than a weekend in the community. Amaya was certain that with all the money they had put into their property, they would flat out refuse to sell it. A house or apartment for the children alone would be the only answer.

  53

  Angel had tried to sever all ties with anyone who could ruin her partying ways. She had messed up her relationship with our God-mom and tried all she could to keep us from our grandparents without a second thought. When she had completely run through her trust fund money, she realized that she was the only candidate for the Stevens fortune when her parents passed on. In her slick thinking she decided that her children needed to become close to her parents should they decide to leave the bulk of the fortune to their grand-kids.

  Since all her children were mino
rs, she also counted on being the executor of our trust funds as well. Angel foolishly assumed all of her parent’s assets, stocks, bonds, and money would be handed to her at the time of inheritance. As long as I had breath in my body, it would not happen. She had already spent over three million of her own trust fund. She did not deserve another dime of the Stevens’ fortune. She had brought too much shame and scandal to the family name. Grandpa was not going to be happy to find out that Angel was still up to her old tricks even though she had four kids. He would not be happy about finding out our dad was still in prison either.

  Angel had told everyone that he had walked out on her without a word. He would not be pleased that our dad had been consistently attempting to have a relationship with his four kids while he was in prison as well. Tonight was going to be just as good as a fireworks show on the 4th of July. Amaya prayed the fragile senior citizens would be stocked on their favorite Brandy and red wine.

  After a short drive they made it to the condo units of the rich and elderly. Amaya let them all in with her key and without knocking. Her grandparents were all about being on time, there was no doubt in her mind that they had timed them from the school to the condo. She loved to prove to them how responsible she was. The first person Amaya saw was her Caucasian grandmother. She was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the dinner she would serve for tonight. Our African American granddad was in his most prized position, his oversized lazy boy chair, laid all the way back. His sock covered feet were pointed toward the ceiling.

  Our grand- parents were a bi-racial couple and I was certain you would probably never put the two together if you saw them apart, even though they had been married over fifty years. They complimented each other and were a hoot to be around. They also had patience for their grandchildren, they loved them something fierce and they would not hesitate to show it. The four of us always felt love from them and they were generous to give it us. Amaya only wished they were younger in age, which would solve everybody’s current problem.

  After receiving hugs and kisses from grandma, I made my way to grandpa for the same treatment. He was the one to speak first.

  “Amaya, we need to talk.”

  Amaya would never disrespect my grand- parents but she could not control the deep breathe she was forced let out. The way her grandpa said it meant that he was not pleased. The plan was for me to talk to them first. Starting off laying down the law for her first wasn’t a good sign.

  “Baby girl, whatever it is you know we are going to battle it together. I know you have the faith, trust in God sweetheart.” My grandma looked at me sweetly as she spoke.

  “We have finally figured out what Angel has been up to. We are no longer concerned with the things Angel does. If we react to everything she does on a daily basis, we would all be insane. We are both sad that you didn’t come to us in the beginning. But now that we know, we have to take care of the situation.” My grandpa’s words were becoming a little sharp.

  Amaya sat quietly, afraid of how the situation would end. It was clear that her grandpa was ready to make a move and she had no idea how the situation would end. By her grandpa’s tone, she assumed the worst. Her palms were sweating and it suddenly got very hot in the room. She felt as if she was having a panic attack. Her grandparents could not send them to some kind of foster home or group home. She knew they couldn’t all live in the condo.

  What if they decided to send them all off to boarding school somewhere in the United States? She was not going to be able to make it through a day without her babies with her. The suggestion of the four of them being separated would not work either. Amaya began to think about them scattered all over the state, the thoughts were making her sick to her stomach. She began to think about where she could take the children and start their lives over on her own. She may have to work at McDonald’s to provide a soft cushion so that they wouldn’t have to be use too much of the money they had. She didn’t know how, but she was going to be victorious in her plans.

  54

  “Kids can you all go into the spare bedroom and watch TV for a minute while I talk to Grandma and Grandpa?” I tried to keep my tone reassuring. I needed then to know that everything would be okay. We all knew anyone finding out about our life was not going to be a good thing for any of us but this time would be different.

  “No problem Nana.” They all ushered out of the living room quietly.

  “Grandpa, I have a legitimate reason why I didn’t tell you and Grandma about the things Angel has been doing. I didn’t want you guys to be worried or stressed more than already are. I know it upsets you to think of how your only daughter turned out the way that she has, I’ve heard the talks you’ve had with her. You guys are not proud of the things she has done or the things she has failed to do. I was able to pick up her slack and I have been doing well for a long time now. And now that you all know, I have to be honest and say that I would do it all again if I had a chance.”

  “You are very honest, Amaya. Deidra and I talked about how well you had to have been handling things for no one at the school to notice and we certainly haven’t noticed anything whenever we have seen you all. We have to admit that you have been doing exceptionally well. We appreciate all of your hard work, we appreciate all of your sacrifices, and we appreciate your ability to keep the family name clean. We respect you for that more than we ever have with Angel.” Grandpa looked directly through me as he talked.

  “Even we couldn’t tell the difference. That blows my mind every time I think about it.” Grandma spoke up again. I had my suspicions that Grandma was beginning to show signs of Alzheimer’s. “But sweetheart, tell us exactly how long has this been going on?” My grandmother came and sat beside me on the couch.

  Her voice was calm at the moment but I didn’t know how long it would stay that way if they kept asking for information I knew was only going to upset her when I told the truth.

  “Well, ever since she got of the hospital she has been in and out the house. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen her standing up with her eyes open. Usually we see her passed out somewhere in the house. When she leaves we have no idea how to get in contact with her or when she would decide to come back. Oh, and she just got back from Paris last night and none of us have seen her. When I got up this morning, I saw her luggage and that she had taken all of our food.”

  Even though I was only a kid, I could see the anger and hurt boiling up in my grandparent’s faces.

  “Sweetheart how long was she in Paris?” My granddad took the pressure off my grandma for a minute.

  “She has been gone for five weeks.” I stated as a matter of fact.

  “Five weeks! May the Lord have mercy on your soul. You’ve been holding and hiding that secret for five weeks? I thought Angel was doing better with you all. You have been so mild mannered here lately and it turns out she hasn’t had anything to do with anything!”

  “Since we are all putting everything on the table. I have had it with waking up every morning inside of a home the most irresponsible person I know can roam in and out of. I have to hide my car keys. I have to hide money. If something really happened, I would have to hit so many points before we could leave safely there is no telling what will happen while I’m hunting keys, my purse, money, and important papers for us all. When she is at the house often times she has these strange men walking around the house that she may or may not even introduce us to. It’s like she totally forgets she has two daughters she needs to protect or even set an example for. Then with the way this world is now a days, it’s more wicked than ever, there is no telling if these people would do something to us girls or even the boys.

  My grandma stood to her feet.

  “Allen, this situation cannot go on another day! I don’t care what we have to do, but my grandchildren have to be kept safe. I will not sit back and let them fail at life the way Angel has.”

  “I agree Deidra, but what can we do right now in this moment?”

  “You coul
d go find your daughter so I can wrap my hands around her neck! She chose to live a street life. She chose to drop out of high school. She chose to not even pursue a GED. She chose to take millions of our money. She chose to blow that money. And we find out today nothing that she has possession of is really paid for! I will not sit around in silence again, like you begged me to do with Angel. You kept believing her lies and had mercy because she was the twinkle of your eyes! Now who holds the twinkle now? These four babies is who I’m telling you! They will grow up to be responsible and deserving of the fruits of our hard work for generations to come!”

  “Deidra, calm down!” I looked back and forth between them like I was watching a tennis match.

  I had never heard my grandma raise her voice to anyone, let alone her husband. The three of us sat in complete silence for what seemed like thirty minutes before my grand-dad spoke again.

  55

  “Amaya you have shown great dedication to the family. Your trustworthy practices from the beginning are remarkable. You are far more responsible than Angel has ever been at your age. It boils my blood that your mother doesn’t know how much of a blessing you are to this family.”

  My grandmother moved closer to me on the couch. She grabbed both of my hands and held them in her smaller, thinner, older hands.

  “I think the best thing to do is to get you all somewhere to live that is not dependent on Angel to keep it up for you. I got a call from the neighbors just the other day complaining about the mess in the yard and her not keeping the lawn up. She cannot be responsible for herself, her kids, or the roof over head. When I do this, the point will be to keep her as far away from you all as possible. You kids should not have to see her drunk. You don’t deserve to see her whenever she feels like it either. We would love to have you all here with us but it is not an option at this time. Do you think you can handle living alone with the kids, just you and the kids yourselves?” Grandpa was expecting a truthful answer.