by Ivory B.
Nice’s eyebrows furrowed as he stood there in deep thought. It all started making sense now. Mia had never been much of a mother that much was true, she was never going to win first place in anyone’s mother of the year contest but at least in the past it seemed as if she slightly cared about her responsibilities as a mother. Nice had unofficially became the primary custodial parent while it seemed as if Mia was the parent granted minimal visitation rights because that’s how often she actually came around. Her constant money woes started making the most sense to Nice as well. Mia was always crying broke, a shopping habit and a coke habit could prove to be too expensive for anyone. Shit there was millionaires who went broke off of drug habits and Mia ain’t even have a job, she was a career Baby Mama. Then there was Mia’s never ending cold, the cold that always had her sniffling and wiping her nose. Nice chuckled to himself throwing his head back running his hands down his face. “I should’ve seen it; it was right in my face,” Nice gritted with venom. Ty knew he was pissed when she heard him chuckle. He was weird like that, he would chuckle when he was past the point of pissed. Nice was angrier with himself that he hadn’t picked up on them warning signs of drug abuse a lot sooner. He had to even question himself on whether or not he noticed things but was in denial. He knew Mia was a lot of things a gold digger, hoe, but coke head? Nah not at all, in his opinion Mia was too much of a narcissist for that or so he thought. Mia was a party girl, Coke, X and Mollys went hand and hand with her lifestyle so it wasn’t hard to figure out how she got into coke. Mia knew how he felt about drug use around his daughter though, he didn’t play that shit for one minute. Nice could only assume Mia had to be bad off on that shit if she was stooping to the level of getting high in front of their daughter.
“Ayo I’ma fuckin murk that bitch,” Nice growled under his breath while rushing out of the kitchen. One second he was standing in the kitchen right next to Ty and the next minute he was at the front door pulling a hoodie over his head with his car keys in hand. The nigga was moving like them vamps do on True Blood. Ty went into panic mode after seeing how mad Nice was. “Kamar don’t go, please Baby wait you need to calm down before you do something stupid,” Ty pleaded. The moment he turned towards her tears welled up in her eyes because all she saw was emptiness and anger. Usually she could calm him down but tonight was totally different. “Kamar I’m pregnant! Think about Ky baby we need you, don’t go do nothing stupid.” Ty placed Ky down on the floor and made her way over to Nice while Ky stood there crying her heart out. “Nah fuck that! Ty I ain’t tryna hear that right now,” Nice spat yanking the door open and stepping out before Ty could try and talk reason into him. Ty was hysterical now screaming after Nice as he hopped in his car and sped off. She did the first thing that came to mind, she ran back into the kitchen snatched the cordless off the counter and dialed Los’ number.
“Carlos! Oh my god please go get ya brother, he gon kill Mia! Aahahaha,” Ty broke down crying. “Ty calm down, what you mean? What happened?!” Carlos asked with alarm. “Kynah go to your room baby,” Ty ordered not wanting Ky to be subjected to anymore than she already had. Once she saw Ky making her way upstairs she replayed the event that just took place as fast as she could. “Shit!” Los spat busting a U-turn in the middle of the street and heading towards the highway to Jersey. “Ty a’ight be easy I’ll handle it. I’ll go grab this dude don’t worry.” Los hung up and shook his head, He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with Mia but he couldn’t say he was surprised. “What up mah G? What’s goin on?” Meat who was riding shot gun in Los’ car asked. “Maannn Nice Baby Momz fuckin up again. Bitch been snorting yayo in front of his shorty and he just found out.” “Awwee shit!” “Yeah, my sentiments exactly,” Los said as he pressed his foot on the gas pedal sending his S-Class 600 Benz coupe flying down the highway.
Nice made it to Mia’s house in record breaking time. He was so mad he drove all up on her grass not caring if he damaged the landscaping or not. Bang! Bang! Bang! Nice banged on the front door. “Who is it?” He heard a female scream from the other side of the door. He was so pissed off he didn’t answer he continued banging. Mia’s sister Rashonda yanked the door open “Damn why the hell you bangin like you the Po…?” she stopped once she caught the look Nice gave her before he shoved his way past her. “Yo where the fuck is that cokehead bitch at? She been snortin white girl in front of my daughter? Fuck wrong wit her!” Mia’s sister was speechless; damn it seemed as if the cat was out of the bag. Rashonda had a feeling Nice would find out about Mia’s habit sooner than later. Especially, since Mia had seemed to be getting more reckless with her drug use.
Nice moved through the house like he lived there, he paid for it so he felt entitled to do so. He walked into what was once his daughter’s room but was now apparently being used as Mia’s sister’s room. He spotted a large pair of crusty Timberland boots lying against Ky’s pink dresser. The once pretty pink and purple room with colorful polka dotted painted walls was now junky with grown peoples clothing and dirty dishware all around. Nice couldn’t do anything but shake his head as he spotted a plate with old chicken bones that had already turned white sitting on top of the dresser. He shook his head with disgust and shut the door. Nasty ass muthafuckas, room smell like ass and corn chips fuck is goin on? He wondered how anyone could find anything in that room through all the clutter. His next stop was Mia’s room and it was just as nasty. It was also apparent that she had a nigga staying there with her too from the abundance of men’s clothing scattered throughout the room. Nice’s eyes zeroed in on a white spot on her dresser. He stepped closer to get a better look at the residue already knowing what it was at first glance. A part of him held out hope that it was something as innocent as baby powder; he still didn’t want to believe she would be so reckless. Nice dabbed the spot with his pinky finger then quickly placed his finger to the tip of his tongue. Within seconds the entire tip of his tongue went numb and his mouth watered. Fury flowed through his veins like blood clouding his better judgment because right now the only thing he was thinking about was killing Mia. She had really fell off; here she had enough yayo residue for his daughter to be exposed to and possibly even get high off. Nice began inspecting the room like a detective going through her handbags and dresser trying to find a clue to where she was at. He stopped suddenly when he heard loud commotion coming from the front of the house. Nice pulled his burner out and cocked it back hoping it was Mia and some nigga.
Meanwhile, back at the front door Mia’s sister was getting shoved out of the doorway yet again but this time by Los and Meat. “Unh, unh y’all muthafuckas can’t be running up in here like y’all live here!” No one paid her any mind as they proceeded in the house taking their heat out not knowing who was in the house. “Ayo Nice! Nice!” Los called. Nice swung Mia’s bedroom door open and stepped out looking vexed. “You see this bullshit yo?! You see how she got my fucking daughter livin?” Nice spat. Los let his eyes roam around the living room they were standing in and he had to admit the condition of the house had deteriorated from the last time he saw its insides years ago. Ky was always dropped off or picked up in front of the house where there was no reason for anyone to venture inside until now. Nice looked around in utter disgust. He wondered where everyone in the house even slept, most importantly where his daughter slept. Los walked around the lower level of the house with his face all turnt up. He felt the same way his brother did the place was a mess and his niece had no business living like this. This was embarrassing especially with them being who they were.
“Fuck it Bruh, she ain’t here let’s just dip. Ky good she at ya crib safe where she belong,” Los said trying to talk reason into Nice. Nice stood there in the middle of the living room looking as if he was dead set at waiting it out until Mia got back. “C’mon, Ty blowin me up right now,” Los said looking down at his vibrating phone. “She stressin crazy, she don’t need to be stressin like this in her condition. Let this shit ride out for tonight.” Nice sighed deeply in defeat knowing
Los was absolutely right.
Dean sat across the street watching all the drama unfold on the low. They were on their way to Mia’s house when they pulled onto the top of the street and saw Nice barge into her house. Mia told Dean to pull over in a panic not daring to go inside knowing something serious was going on if Nice had ran up in her house like he did. Mia was bidding her time waiting to call her sister to find out what was poppin off when she saw Los’ Benz zoom down the street and park in front of her house. Her heart immediately started beating like she was going into cardiac arrest this didn’t look good at all. She slid from the passenger seat down to the floor wedging herself between the seat and dashboard hoping and praying they left soon. “Oh my god, what the fuck is goin on? Why all them niggaz in my house?” Mia asked anxiously to no one in particular. Dean watched as two men exited the Benz and went into the house. Looking at that big boy 600 Benz and the Aston Martin in front of the house all Dean saw was money and all Mia saw was trouble.
“Mia what you wanna do ma? Its whateva, them niggaz ain’t gon do you nothing; I got you if you wanna go up in there we can go. I love you, I ain’t gon let no one hurt you.” Dean was straight talking out his ass; real recognized real and you could tell the three niggaz that ran up in that house was on some killa shit. He had to make it sound good for Mia. “Unh, unh I don’t know what type of shit my Baby Daddy and his brother on, let them niggaz go about they business,” Mia replied nervously from the floor.
“And tell that cokehead bitch she ain’t never seeing my daughter again!” Nice roared storming to the front door tucking his hammer back into his waist band. “You can’t tell my sister she ain’t seeing her own daughter nigga please,” Rashonda snapped getting close to Nice’s face rolling her neck. “First off bitch don’t you eva in ya whole muthafuckin life disrespect me by hoppin in my face wit ya grill piece smellin like that. Fuck wrong wit you? That shit is straight disrespectful.” Nice spat with an incredulous look on his face as if he were really offended by the foul stench of her breath. Meat was on his way down the stairs when he heard Nice and nearly fell down the last two front steps laughing. “Y’all nasty bitches need to clean up in here,” Nice seethed. Mia’s sister stood there with her mouth agape, before she could think of a good come back. Los chuckled as he walked out the front door pulling Nice along with him. Nice was the type of nigga who didn’t care to slap the fire out of a chick so Los needed to grab ahold of him. Mia’s sister stood at the front door neck rolling cursing as the men made their exit.
Nice peeled off angrily taking off up the street. As Los was following behind Nice he noticed a black 750 Beamer sitting on the side of the road with its headlights off. It wasn’t as if seeing a 750 Beamer in Mia’s neighborhood was uncommon because it wasn’t. The neighborhood was middle class so a luxury car was common place. This car however stood out to Los because it was a black Beamer tinted out with illegal black tents, sitting on black and chrome Asanti 20 inch rims. The car screamed nigga; hood nigga at that. None of Mia’s neighbors who were majority white would kit their car out like that. “Los you peeped that?” Meat asked looking out the side view mirror at the Beamer they had just passed. “Yup I sure did.” “NY plates on that bitch too, what you wanna do? You wanna put Nice on? He so heated he drove right by,” Meat stated. “Nah let that shit ride out, this nigga mad enough to clap something up on-sight. We can’t catch a body out here these white people will have the cops come quicker than a nigga busting his first nut.” Los said while eyeing the car through his rearview mirror filing it in his memory bank.
Los’ cell phone rang interrupting his thoughts, “Carlos! did you get him? Please tell me he didn’t do something crazy,” Ty rambled off. “Ty I got him. He on his way home ma and no he ain’t do nothing stupid,” “Uhhh,” Ty sighed hard like she’d been holding her breath for awhile. “I owe you Carlos.” “Nah you don’t owe me, as a matter of fact what you can do for me is go relax. You got my niece or nephew in you, you gotta take it easy,” Los advised. “Okay, I know, I’ll calm down,” “A’ight kiss Ky for me, for real Ty go sit down somewhere. Nice should be there in a sec,” Los assured before hanging up.
Ty sat up anxiously waiting for Nice, here it was a little after 2am and he still hadn’t made it in. Movement downstairs in the house caused her to turn down the television. She sat and waited for him to enter the bedroom her anger building by the second. Nice strolled into their bedroom looking tired and stressed his head hung as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Where have you been all night? Do you know how scared I was? Do you know it took me hours to put Ky to sleep assuring her that you would be back home when I wasn’t even sure. Here I’m thinking the next time I see the man I love will be at his arraignment. You can’t do this to me; you can’t do this to us! You gotta understand that the choices you make don’t only effect you they effect Kynah, me, and this baby I’m carrying,” Ty snapped as her body trembled with emotion. It was as if she was talking to a brick wall. Nice continued to sit there at the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees looking at the floor. Ty got out of bed and stood in front of him.
“Are you even paying me any attention? I had to hold Ky while she cried telling her that she would be able to come back over to Daddy’s house because she’s convinced Mia won’t let her come over anymore cause she told her business and where were you?” Ty said mushing him in the head. Nice sighed hard, reached up and grabbed Ty around her waist pressing his head to her stomach. She could feel how tense his body was. “Ty I’m not tryna fight with you right now. You don’t even wanna know how this bitch got my daughter livin. I’m feeling guilty as fuck; I shoulda known how Ky was living. I want my daughter. I know she don’t need to be living the way she is but I’m worried about what the courts might say. I’m in and out of state all the time. I know they might say my schedule ain’t ideal to be a single father. I’m stressin Ty for real.”
Ty reached down and cradled his chin in her hand forcing him to look up at her. “What you think I’m here for? I’ll go with you to court. I’ll say anything I have to; sign any papers I have to. We’ll let them know that we’re raising her together and I’m taking care of her while you’re away on business. I love Ky as much as you do and I want what’s best for her too. But we gotta do this the right way Bae. If you go and hurt Mia what do you think that’ll do to Kynah? And you can’t really think any court will give you custody after that. Damn ain’t you the one who said we supposed to be like partners in a poker game, so how is it you ain’t tryin to use ya Ace?” Nice stared in her eyes and a smile spread on his face. He placed a kiss on her stomach then pulled her down on the bed with him. “I love you Pebbles,” he whispered in her ear as she was getting settled in his arms. “You better,” she said before falling off to sleep.
This Can’t Be Life
A few weeks later Ty was jolted out of her sleep by a sharp pain ripping through her stomach. She sat up in the dark for a split second before she felt a second wave of pain tear through her side. Alarm set in when she felt something wet between her legs. She yanked the blanket back and placed her hand in between her thighs. Ty brought her hand up and placed it in front of her face staring at it in shock. She didn’t have to turn the lights on to know what it was the faint smell of iron told her exactly what it was, blood! Another pain hit her causing her to grunt and kick her leg in agony. Ty groaned in pain and kicked again this time kicking Nice out of his sleep. Nice was still deep in a sleep stupor when he went to reach out for Ty. “Damn Ty what you do spill something in the bed?” he asked with his eyes still closed half asleep. He heard Ty’s labored breathing through light cries. Nice sat up urgently and flicked the lamp on. What he saw damn near broke him on sight. There was a huge pool of blood between Ty’s legs; damn near the entire bottom of her nightgown was covered in blood. Ty looked at her bloody palm and began to sob hysterically. “Fuck!” Nice spat pulling the covers from himself that were blood stained as well.
“Don’t look down,
don’t look down ma,” he said franticly as he scooped her up from the bed rushing her to the master bathroom. Ty’s body was trembling and she began to cry harder. “Uhhh, awww!” Ty cried as her body tensed up while he was holding her. “I gotta use the bathroom, I gotta use the bathroom,” Ty cried. She had the sudden urge to pee badly. Nice sat her down on the toilet where Ty gave nothing but a mere push to pee and her heart sank when she felt herself first urinate then pass large clots that she could feel passing through her vagina. The clots hit the toilet with a splash sprinkling Ty’s butt. Ty stood up on wobbly legs to look down in the toilet. Nice was there standing in front of her spotting her in case she fell. Both of them looked in the toilet to see huge blood clots and tissue from their unborn baby. Ty flopped back down on the toilet “No! No! No! Ty sobbed shaking her head no and pressing her legs together. Ty tried desperately to stop the inevitable knowing with every clot she passed she was leaving a piece of her baby in that toilet.
Nice sighed hard and looked up to the ceiling wiping his hand over his face before a tear could even escape. The situation plus Ty’s screams had him feeling weak at the moment. Ty dug the heels of her feet into the tiled floor as she felt another painful cramp rip through her sending her folding over. “A’ight ma, a’ight I gotta get you to a hospital,” Nice said nervously trying to hide his tears. He’d never been through anything like this before, it was hard for him but he knew it had to be harder for her. He was going to have to be her rock right now and hold her down and deal with his hurt later. He bent down to hug her then place a kiss on her forehead.