It Is What it Is

by Ivory B.

  “What?! you can’t do anything? You don’t understand my daughter is in danger.” “No Ma’am we’re going to help you get your daughter. We have officers back at the station getting in touch with the local and state police where your daughter is. They’ll be able to escort you to pick your daughter up.” “Are you sure?” “I’m positive. My partner confirmed officers will be there at the residence before you get there.” “Thank you,” Mia said wiping tears from her eyes.

  Lucky and Ty had been in the kitchen talking for about an hour when hard banging on the front door startled them both. “Police! Open the door,” an authoritative voice boomed from behind the front door. Both women froze in utter disbelief. More banging caused the both of them to finally react. Ty jumped up and crept to the living room to take a peek out the window with Lucky following close behind. When Ty pulled back the curtains at the front window to a sea of flashing blue and red lights with both state and local cop cars outside she nearly fainted. “Oh my god what the fuck did these niggaz get into?” Ty spat under her breath taking the words right out of Lucky’s mouth too. “Carlos!” Lucky screamed. Both Ty and Lucky found themselves tripping over one another trying to alert their men downstairs “Kamaar!” Ty screamed.

  Nice grabbed the remote to turn down the surround sound when he thought he heard something. “Kamar!” Nice and Los locked eyes before jumping up at the same time hearing the commotion and alarm in both Ty and Lucky’s voices. “What?! What happened?” Nice asked with panic in his voice as he took the stairs two at a time bumping right into Ty and Lucky who were on their way downstairs.

  “There’s like 20 fuckin cop cars in front of our house you tell me what the hell is goin on! I can’t do this Kamar. You told me you promised me that you would never bring that bullshit from them streets to our doorstep!” Ty spat hysterically pointing an accusatory finger in Nice’s face. Ty felt her emotions getting away from her like she was starting to lose control and snap on him for all the drama she’d been through over the last few months.

  “Ty, I don’t know what the fuck going on. You think if it had anything to do with me them cops would be knockin and waiting patiently at the front door! Like I said I don’t know what’s going on but I’ma bout to find out,” Nice said storming towards the front door as hard banging continued to echo throughout the front of the spacious foyer. “Bae wait don’t open the door,” Ty said nervously. “What you mean don’t open the door? These mufuckas bangin on my door like I owe em money,” Nice spat angrily. Los eyed Lucky as he walked past her following Nice. He could see distress all over her face as she stood there nervously wringing her wrist.

  Nice swung his front door open angrily. “Kamar Richards?” A state trooper asked fully dressed in uniform hat and all. “Yeah that’s me,” Nice answered back with hostility. “We are here to ensure a non violent exchange of custody for Kinya Richards,” the white officer said butchering poor Ky’s name. “What?!” Nice asked knowing he had to be hearing all wrong. He knew his house being lit up by them blue and red lights wasn’t over no bullshit like this. Sure enough Mia was smack dead in the middle of a sea of cops standing at the end of his walkway with a shit eating grin on her face and plenty of back up in the form of them boys in blue.

  Both Ty and Lucky rushed to the door to stand beside their men and see what was going on. “Yup that’s right give me my muthafuckin daughter nigga! You ain’t got custody,” Mia screamed from the walkway. Nice’s caramel complexion started to look as if someone had given him a spray tan with red tanning spray. “Y’all can get the fuck off my property wit that bullshit cause I’m not turning over my daughter to that ratchet ass bitch,” Nice spat with anger. Ty knew this bad situation had the potential to go from bad to worse especially when it came to Ky.

  “Sir are you refusing to cooperate?” The officer said squaring his shoulders with annoyance in his voice. Ty stepped in before Nice had a chance to respond. “Officer please hold on a minute,” Ty pleaded pushing Nice from the doorway. “Los please grab him. Listen sir I apologize my fiancée has all intentions of cooperating. We just returned from a child support hearing and because the ruling wasn’t in her favor she’s doing this…”

  “Ma’am, Ma’am you will have to take that up with the courts. We don’t settle custody disputes the court has to do that. All we are here to do is ensure a non-violent exchange of custody to the custodial parent. Pennsylvania law states that if the parents are unwed and there is no custody order in place for joint custody then the mother has sole custody. If your fiancé can’t provide paperwork showing any type of joint custody being granted to him the child goes to the mother.”

  “Please, officer I’m telling you this isn’t right. She’s doing this out of spite.” Ty’s eyes began to water. She was really begging and she had no shame in doing so, she only wanted what was best for Ky. Lucky rubbed Ty’s back standing beside her. “Ma’am my hands are tied, I’m only trying to do my job. You have to take this up with the courts. I don’t know what else to tell you I’m really sorry.” The cop had been through enough of these custody type deals to see this for what it really was. He honestly felt bad but the law was the law. “Yeah that’s right bitch. Go and get my daughter!” Mia screamed rushing towards the front door. “Ma’am you need to settle down. You’re not setting a good example for your daughter talking like that, “An officer scolded Mia. Mia responded to the officer with a roll of the eyes and neck.

  “Can you give me a few minutes? I’ll go and get my daughter. I don’t want her near my house, keep her over there,” Ty spat nastily loud enough for Mia to hear intentionally pissing her off. “She ain’t none of your daughter, I had her!” Mia fumed. “I’ll give you a few minutes. Please don’t make us have to come and forcibly remove the child,” the officer warned. Ty closed the door and turned to Nice who was going ballistic tearing shit up around the house.

  “Baby we gotta give her to Mia” Ty concluded with emotion in her voice. “Maannn them niggaz can suck my dick! I’m not handing my daughter over fuck that!” “For real? Like really? We gon handle the situation like this? You gone have them run up in here arrest you and me cause if yo ass go down they miles well slap cuffs on me too. You think that’s gonna be easier on Ky? How do you think that’s going to look for the both of us when you go to court for custody?” “Ty, I don’t wanna hear all that. I already told you I’m not handing my daughter over.”

  Ty looked at him cutting her eyes into evil slits. “See that’s exactly how she plays you, the fact that you can’t see through the bullshit is shameful. Well you and Mia can play power struggle with each other all y'all want but I’m not gonna let you do it at the expense of Ky. We already lost a child don’t make us lose another because you can’t read between the fuckin lines!” Ty didn’t like this no more than he did, god knows she didn’t but like the cop said their hands were tied as well. Nice stood there glaring at Ty her comment had hit him like a ton of bricks. It was true, they had lost a child and on the low he couldn’t help but carry a load of guilt over the loss. Feeling like his drama contributed to Ty losing that baby.

  Hard banging at the front door caused everyone to bring their attention back to the army of police who were still outside the house. Nice took a deep breath while looking up at the ceiling, it was time to fold and he knew it. Mia had won this round. Ty watched as Nice’s handsome face turned into a grimace and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m not standing around for this bullshit,” he announced taking off back towards his man cave. Ty stood there glaring at Nice’s back with resentment as he walked away leaving her to deal with this drama alone.

  Ty climbed the stairs feeling guiltier with every step she took. When she walked into Kynah’s play room Kynah was busy playing with her giant doll house. It wasn’t hard to tell that Ky had overheard snippets of the conversation from the frightened look in her eyes. “Ky baby Mia is here to pick you up.” A look of discontent spread over Ky’s little face as she shook her head in protest. “No I wann
a stay with my Daddy and play wit my dolls.” “I know you do baby but…Mia is here to pick you up and you gotta go with her for now.” Kynah’s face turned into a frown and soon after she was sporting that ugly cry face as she started bawling. Ty walked out of the room in a hurry to keep herself from crying in front of Ky. Fighting to keep her composure she rushed to Ky’s room trying to adhere the warning the cop gave about them rushing the house and taking Ky out.

  “Auntie Lucky I don’t wanna go wit Mia.” Ty overheard Ky sob as she packed up a few items of clothing and a baby doll Kynah slept with every night in Ky’s overnight bag. The banging continued to get even louder and Ty knew they had to get Ky to the front door quick. “Ky come on baby,” Ty said picking Ky up from the floor. Ky started sobbing even louder and to Ty’s shock she even started putting up a little fight. By the time Ty had made it halfway down the stairs she was falling completely apart. She knew she couldn’t hand Ky over, no matter how much she had psyched herself up to do it.

  “I want my Daddee! Mommy nooo!! I’ll be good. I want my Daddee. I want my Daddee,” Ky sobbed uncontrollably hiccupping while trying to catch her breath. “I can’t do this,” Ty cried pushing Ky right into Lucky’s arms. Lucky took Ky reluctantly she didn’t want to bear the responsibility of doing this, nor did she want Kynah to remember her as the one to hand her over to Mia. There wasn’t much Lucky could do now because Ty had passed Ky over to her before dropping Ky’s overnight bag to the floor and taking off upstairs crying.

  Lucky looked to Los who was still standing by the front door. He scratched the back of his neck with a strained expression on his face. The closer Lucky got to the door the more of a tantrum Kynah threw flaring her arms and throwing her head back knocking Lucky in the mouth with her head. Despite the pain from a busted lip Lucky held onto Ky tighter. Los opened the door and Kynah’s anxiety levels spiked. She grabbed onto Lucky tight and screamed. The whole scene would’ve traumatized any child. The state trooper who was standing at the door held his arms out to take her from Lucky. Kynah leaned her body away from the stranger she didn’t know, crying profusely and screaming for Nice. “Can I at least hand her over to her mother? She doesn’t know you.” Lucky pleaded, the cop practically snatched Ky right out of Lucky’s arms. His patience had long worn out after waiting at the front door for as long as he had.

  Lucky stepped out on the front porch watching the scene unfold as Mia grabbed hold of Kynah popping shit the whole time. Los stepped out on the porch behind Lucky. Mia noticed the slight smirk on his face as he stood behind Lucky with hands buried deep inside his pant pockets nodding his head up and down, like yeah bitch. “Now y’all can kiss my ass! Checkmate!” Mia screamed before strapping Ky in her carseat, hopping in her rental car and pulling off.

  Mia floored it all the way home. She knew from the look on Los’ face that she had just opened up a huge can of worms. Ky cried until she could cry no more and fell off to sleep. “Kyyy! Kyyy! Wake up,” Mia screamed shaking Kynah out of her sleep. Kynah opened her eyes and the tears started all over again. Mia ignored the cries as she rushed into the house to pack her and Ky some things. She needed to get some things and lay low for a second; she knew she had started some shit for sure with this last stunt. Ky wouldn’t shut up and she was working Mia’s last nerves as Mia yanked clothes from drawers packing them in an overnight bag. Within 10 minutes she had three bags packed and was ready to hit the road. Kynah’s constant crying was killing her high. “I want my Daddee,” Ky whimpered. “Ky shut up,” when Ky wouldn’t stop crying Mia snapped. “Kynah I said shut the fuck up!” Mia screamed snatching Kynah by her long ponytail and yanking her hair hard. “Don’t play with me, I will beat yo ass.” “Unh, unh Mia, what the hell is your problem?” Mia’s sister interjected. “Kynah is too fuckin spoiled. Every time she go over there with them people I gotta put up with this mess. This is all her fault anyways she talk too fuckin much. Goin over there tellin my damn business, got all this shit started,” Mia fussed staring at Ky with accusing eyes. She knew it had to be Ky who opened her mouth about her drug use. “Whateva just don’t be hitting on her like that, you know if her father knew he would put his foot in yo ass,” Mia’s sister shot back while rocking Ky back and forth trying to comfort her. “Bitch this is my house and Ky’s my daughter if you don’t like it you can bounce,” Mia snapped making her way back to her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Ky fell off to sleep whimpering and trembling shortly before Mia emerged from her room on her coked up steez, glassy eyes and the whole nine. She scooped Ky out of her sister’s arms and left out the front door without looking back.

  “Oh my god! Oh my god!” “Bitch shut the fuck up, “a masked man gritted pointing a gun in Mia’s sister’s face. She could hear commotion coming from the living room as she came to. Her heart was beating so hard it felt as if it would burst. Thinking fast on her feet she remembered talking on her cell phone right before she went to sleep. Looking at the nightstand she spotted her HTC android. Three words invaded her thoughts “Don’t be stupid,” the masked man said as if he could read her mind. “Get up, c’mon let’s go,” he ordered snatching her up from the bed.

  The severity of the situation kicked in when she was shoved into the living room to find her sister and two of their friends that were staying over that night lying on the floor hog tied. The fear in their eyes confirmed how real this situation was. Her wrists were tied with a zip tie and she was gagged and forced to the floor with everyone else. She could hear faint cries of a child coming from Mia’s room, it didn’t take long for her to realize all of the kids had been placed in that one room while all of the adults were being placed in the living room. All sorts of things began to run through her mind. Was everyone in the house going to be murked? She prayed harder than she ever had in her life as she watched two masked men go into another bedroom where her sister and baby father were sleeping.

  Jah and Real entered the room with caution, they knew whomever was in the room probably already heard what was going on and could be lying in wait. They found Mia’s sister balled up under the covers pretending to be sleeping. “C’mon wit that fake shit we know you up, let’s go sleeping beauty,” Real said sarcastically as he watched Mia’s sister’s fat ass jiggle in her Vicky secret pink sleep shorts as she slid from the bed.

  Jah looked at his boy getting an eye full of Mia sister’s goods. Hell he even took in the image too that’s as far as it would go though. The song poison came to mind, never trust a big butt and smile. He was about to warn his boy to stay away from anything that shared the same bloodline as Mia when a noise coming from the closet caught their attention. They made eye contact through their ski masks. Real grabbed Mia’s sister from behind placing a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming out as Jah crept over to the closet.

  The closet was a mess, dirty clothing and shoes strewn on the closet floor along with a blanket and one big crusty, ashy ass foot sticking out from underneath the mountain of mess. “Bruh I should shoot you in ya big crusty ass foot for being so stupid, fuck outta the closet. Keep ya hands where I can see em or you’ll be tellin the mortician hi,” The heap of clothes moved slowly and out came a nigga with nothing on but a pair of boxers that looked one size too small. “Fuck is goin on? Y’all got niggaz trapped in the closet like R Kelly up in here?” A third masked man said appearing in the doorway. All three masked men snickered at the joke but you could hear the callous tone in their laughs.

  Now that everyone was in the living room the masked men had full control over the house. This took only a matter of minutes, they moved like a secret black ops squad disciplined and precise. Nothing could be heard but the muffled cries from everyone on the floor. No one had any idea what was going on Mia’s sister assumed this was a robbery until the gag was taken out of her mouth and the million dollar question was asked,

  “Where Kynah at?” “Ha?” Her sister asked more out of shock. “Don’t play games where the fuck is Mia at?” The masked man repeated. “I…I do
n’t know, I swear I don’t know. She left a coupla days ago she never said where she was going.” “Yo that bitch lying,” another masked man interjected.” “Are you lying? You don’t wanna know what I’ll do to liars,” Real threatened. “No I swear on everything! I swear on my kids! I don’t know,” Rashonda said with fear. Click clack was the sound that ripped through the room. The murmurs and muffled cries got louder and more frantic from the gagged people lying on the floor once they heard that sound. Out of nowhere the dude that was hiding in the closet hopped up charging full force at Real who was standing in the way of the front door. Real tumbled backwards but caught his balance. The boxer clad man went frantic once he heard the hammer being cocked back he went into panic mode. He couldn’t die here, it would kill his wife and kids he had at home. And if he was injured but lived how the hell would he explain how he got caught up with his bustdown? He only made it as far as a few feet before Jah bashed the butt of his glock into the back of his head sending him crashing to the floor. Both Jah and Real attacked like two vicious Pit bulls. Stomping, kicking, and even picking up an iron that was sitting on the floor and beating him with it. If it weren’t for the third masked man convincing them to stop they would’ve beat him to death. Blacka didn’t care about ole boy; what he did care about was info. Beating him to death wouldn’t get anything out of him if he did know something. “Fuck wrong wit you?!” Real barked before stomping him one last time. The murmured cries that filled the room were almost deafening. Blacka turned his attention back on Mia’s sister, the one whose baby father was laid out on the floor lumped up and bleeding. He took out her gag and asked the million dollar question again. “Where did Mia take Ky?” he asked with irritation. She refused to say anything but “Baby I love you,” through tears. Blacka laughed and replaced her gag. “Y’all know what time it is, grill cheese time,” he stated with a sinister snicker. Both Real and Jah looked at each other catching on quick. The iron was plugged up and they waited till it got extra hot. Jah forced the dude down stomach first then placed his foot on his back to hold him down. Real pushed the steam button over and over again sending steam spewing from the iron showing exactly how scorching hot the iron was. Without hesitation Real put the iron on the man’s back sending him flapping like a fish out of water. He was trying to get up but he was unable to because of Jah’s weight was holding him down. Real snatched the iron up from the man’s back with bloody flesh sticking to it. Mia’s sister looked visibly sick as she cried hysterically. “Okay now we gon try this again,” Blacka said before taking the gag out of her mouth. “Now where did you say Mia and Ky went? “She went to a chick name Celeste house that live in Newark, I got the address in my phone,” Mia’s sister blurted out in a rush. “Damn bitch that’s all you had to say in the first place. You about to get a nigga bodied in here for nothin,” Real hissed placing the iron down. Blacka grabbed the address and warned everyone about calling the police before heading to the door to follow up on the info. “Tell that bitch Mia all we want is what’s ours” Jah spat angrily. The three left as swiftly as they came leaving everyone in the house shook.