Daddy Taught Me Better

by Ebony

  “Man momma her name is Keisha, could you believe she came to my house, confronted Kasey about me not taking care of her, left her dirty in her car seat and all on my door step for Kasey to get her. Then to make matters worse Kasey cleaned her up, brought her to the trap house to drop her off to me and I had this little T.H.O.T. at the trap with me, Kasey caught my hand dead in the cookie jar, well it wasn’t my hand but you get my drift,”

  “What you say, hold up Babyboy, let me get my tea for this shit. Momma needs details of what happened when Kasey walked in on your ass. Laaaaawd I would’ve paid fifty dollars to be a fly on the wall in that damn trap house.”

  “Kasey was in rare form with all her rah rah bullshit. She knows she was only acting like that because she had Nic crazy ass with her. Kasey jumped on my ass like she was Ronda Rousey laying haymakers on me that had me dazed for a minute, Nic knocked the girl out that was there with me, man Ma they turned it out. Kasey then got up off me and was standing there hollering about how she was done with me. Which I’m not worried about Kasey leaving me because she can’t live without me. The part that bothered me the most is the way Apollo was acting. You would think that Kasey was his bitch. He shut the trap house down, basically telling me I’m going to lose Kasey and the clean-up man going to be able to get her.”

  “What the hell Apollo worried about you and Kasey relationship for? She a grown ass woman, she knew what she was getting into when she married your ass. If she hasn’t left your ass by now, I highly doubt that she is about to leave you now. Apollo don’t have a woman and from what I know has never been in a real relationship so how the hell he giving out advice about what you need to do. What he needs to do is find him some damn business to tend to and stay out of yours. I swear he just like his damn self.”

  “Well mom you don’t have a man either and I’m sitting my dumb ass here listening to what you have to say. I honestly don’t see the difference.”

  “You know what Jaden I have to agree with you on that because you are dumb as hell, you about as dumb as a Christmas Turkey. You sitting here sulking because your ass got punked today. You sat your dumb ass at that alter knowing good and well you wasn’t on no until death do us part shit. I don’t know what the hell made her believe you either. Then you got side chicks that you can’t even control. Now your father was smooth with his shit, he let it be known that one woman would never be able to satisfy him, either you rolled with it or you could keep it moving.”

  “Ma I don’t even know why I bothered to come talk to you about this. You sitting here talking to me like I’m just anybody in the street instead of your son. You so entertained with the drama, that you can’t even drop some knowledge on me to help me with this situation. Then what’s up with you keeping bringing up that sorry ass sperm donor you laid up with to make me. You act like he still got you sprung or something.”

  “Jaden I’m going to need you to take a step back and realize who the fuck you talking to right now. Last time I checked, I’m still your mother. The way I was brought up, disrespecting your parents is the easiest way to get your life cut short. I brought you in this world and I’ll take your ass out. By the way, I could give two-fucks about your sperm donor. I would’ve thought that since you picked up all those trifling ways from him, that you also inherited the smarts to handle your business accordingly, but I guess I was wrong.”

  “His smarts to handle business, really ma? So I guess it was smart of him to leave your ass pregnant and broke. Then dumb for me to get out in these streets and make it happen for us. I pay everything in here and give your ass an allowance every week and you can’t even be a mother for one damn night.”

  “Look Jaden it’s too late to be arguing with you. You want some motherly advice I’ll give you a hefty dose. You’re a good father and nobody can take that away from you, but you suck as a man. I don’t think Kasey is going to leave you, but if you want to be a better man and husband, you better start making choices with the head on your shoulders instead of the head between your legs. I’m sorry if you feel as though I have not been a good mother to you, but children don’t come with a manual of the do’s and don’ts. I did the best I could with the knowledge I had of this world. I will handle Apollo ass because I can’t have anybody messing up our money flow. Go ahead upstairs and get you some rest so you can go and make things with your wife right. I’ll take my grandbaby with me to my room.

  I got up to go get me some rest. I knew tomorrow would be a long day for me

  “Ummm Jaden what the hell is my grandbaby name. Damn shame I finally got a granddaughter and I don’t even know her name.”

  “Her name is Jade ma.”

  “Okay well, me and Ms. Jade going to go upstairs and go to bed, leave me some money so I can take her little behind shopping tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER 9 – NIC

  I woke up to my house sounding like it was ten kids in my home instead of the three that I knew for a fact were in there. I totally blocked them out and just laid there in my bed thinking about last night events, I felt so bad for Kasey. Lord knows Kasey was stronger than I was because I probably would still be wreaking havoc. That’s what I admired the most about Kasey, her strength. When Jaden was running around here living as if he didn’t have a wife at home you would not have never known. Kasey always wore a smile on her face, dressed to the ten’s, walked and poke with so much confidence all the while holding in so much pain from her husband infidelities. From the outside looking in you would think Kasey had the perfect life. Making her the envy of the town; this is why so many women pursued Jaden. They were all after the prize, but only if they knew the emotional and mental abuse that Kasey actually suffered by standing by her husband and staying true to her vows. I got up to take care of my hygiene to get my day started with the favorite men in my life. I had just start using these all natural products from Whole Foods for my face and I swear it was giving my skin a glow like I was 6 months pregnant. I threw on my Chanel sweatpants a Chanel wife beater tank top along with my Chanel flip-flops. I headed down the stairs to see what the boys had been getting into since they had been making so much noise they could have woke up the dead. When I made it downstairs, you would think a hurricane had went through my living room and kitchen. There were blankets sprawled around the floor. My decorative pillows from my couch were sprawled out as well. I looked to the left and seen the milk and cereal boxes still on sitting on top of the counters with their dirty dishes in the sink.

  “Tim you know damn well I don’t play this shit, why is my house looking like this. Turn off that game, get yawl asses up and get to cleaning.”

  “Ma why you yelling at me like that? It was Jaden and Kaden having a pillow fight earlier. I just fixed us breakfast earlier since you was sleep. I thought you would be happy that I babysat them while you were sleeping in.”

  “So let me get this right Tim. You are the oldest correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You know the house rules correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I don’t play you lounging on my pillows when you sit on my couch so what the hell would make you think it was okay for you to sit here and let the twins have a pillow fight with them? Oh, so you don’t have nothing to say now Tim huh? You also know when you use a dish you clean a dish so it shouldn’t be no damn dishes in my sink. Jaden and Kaden get yawl asses up and get to cleaning up too. Both of you come here enough to know I don’t play this shit either. Yawl little asses tried it today, you don’t do this foolishness at your momma and sure not going to do it here.”

  I stood there with my arms folded like a drill sergeant watching as they huffed, puffed and stomped around picking up their mess.

  “I advise all three of you to fix those attitudes; if anybody should be pissed in here, it should be me. Disrespecting my damn house like one of you have a dollar to pay towards the rent.”

  I retreated to my room to calm my nerves before I hurt one of these damn children this morning knowing my
nerves were already bad. I grabbed my cellphone to call Kasey and check on her. As soon as I started to dial the number my phone beeped with an incoming call from Kasey.

  “Hey sissy how you feeling today?” I asked her as soon as I answered the phone.

  “I’ve had better days, but life must go on. I hate that I had to come out of character, but it is what it is. There is no since in crying over spilled milk.”

  “Yeah I hear ya girl. Kasey, you’re a good person and I only want what’s best for you. So if that means leaving Jaden, then I’m with you one hundred percent.”

  “I have to think about more than myself. I know he is no good for me; however he is a great dad or so I thought. I was thinking about this all morning too and if he was such a great dad, his ass would not have put me in a predicament where it would appear that it is me that made the choice to break-up our family when in all actuality he left me no choice.”

  “So are you still going to leave him? Do you have a plan?”

  “Damn Nic one question at a time please, I have no intentions on staying married to that damn dog. He around here was just bare-backing it with every Keisha, Sally, and Mary. You lay down with a dog and you get up with fleas. That shit for the birds. I got two boys that I have to be here. Fucking around with him will have me serving twenty to life and he just not worth it to me.”

  “So what’s your next move then sis?”

  “Not sure, I’m going to give it some thought and come up with something. I’m sure once we all put our heads together I’ll have a solid plan.”

  “Who the hell are we?”

  “Oh, girl I forgot to tell you I called my daddy last night and told him everything that has been going on.”

  “Girl shut the front door; I know your daddy was pissed. What he said Kasey?”

  “Yeah, his ass was hotter than fish grease. You probably could have fried some chicken on his forehead,” I told Nic as the thought of it had me laughing so hard.

  “Huuuunty you know your dad don’t play no games, especially when it comes to you.”

  “To be honest, he had every right to be upset because he taught me better than that. Allowing a man to treat me any kind of way, stomping all over my heart and the blatant disrespect I accepted from Jaden. No, ma'am, that was never supposed to be in the cards for me. However I made my bed and it’s time for me to change the sheets and make it back up because I damn sure won’t be lying in it anymore.”

  I begin laughing so hard at Kasey crazy ass I started choking. Man, Kasey you be killing me with those damn analogies.

  “Girl, I’m so serious right now, I started to call that jackass and start singing “I Bet” by Ciara. I’m going to break that nigga down to his knees and the sad part about it is I don’t even have to try. Jut leaving his ass going to make that nigga have PTSD. Where my bad ass boys at?”

  “Yes, they are bad having pillow fights in my living room. Girl all they ass almost got hurt this morning playing with my emotions like that.”

  “Please don’t hurt my babies, give them a hug and a kiss for me. I’ll be by there to pick them up around noon tomorrow so we can go to my parents’ house.”

  “Okay, I’ll have them ready for you, let me get off this phone and go check on these kids. It was too loud this morning and now it’s too quiet for me. No telling what they have got into now. I’ll call you later and check on you. Get some rest.”

  “Alright, sis thanks for everything. We will talk later.”

  I peeped in Tim’s room and didn’t see the boys in there so I proceeded down the stairs again to see what they were up to. To my surprise the downstairs was immaculate. They had done a good job cleaning up.

  “Hey, mom can we go to the park? I promise I’ll keep an eye on the twins.”

  “Please Goddie,” the twins joined in pleading to go to the park.

  “Okay yawl can go, take some Gatorade with you because it’s hot out there today. Call me when yawl ready to come home and I’ll come pick all of you up.”

  The park was right around the corner so I didn’t have a problem with them going. I was going to get on my couch and snuggle up with my covers and watch the Law & Order SVU marathon. Into my third episode, I heard someone lying on my damn doorbell. All I could think was it better not be one of these damn Jehovah Witness ringing my damn doorbell like they had Jehovah with them. I don’t have anything against Jehovah Witness but they seemed to come at the most inopportune time. I get off my couch and peep through the peephole to see no other than Jaden standing on my doorstep. I stood there and counted to ten just so I can calm myself down. I can’t believe he had the audacity to bring his ass over my house after last night shenanigans. I opened my eyes and couldn’t believe that he was standing there fresh to deaf like he wasn’t about to lose his wife.

  “What’s up Nic? I was seeing if you heard from Kasey. I have been trying to call her all morning and her phone going straight to the voicemail. I went by the house and it don’t look like she been home since yesterday.”

  “You can’t be serious right now. You got all the nerve in the world. Why would she be there, just because you brought her a house, that doesn’t make it a home? Especially when you got baby mommas popping up leaving babies on doorsteps, you need to get your life.”

  “Whatever goes on between me and my wife is none of your damn business. You need to stay in your lane and try to get your baby daddy back so he can tame your ass.”

  “It’s none of my business but yet and still you standing on my doorstep asking where your wife at. If you wasn’t so busy weaving in and out of different lanes on the highway, you would know where your wife at. Oh, and, by the way, I don’t need any man to tame me. I do just fine by myself. That way I don’t have to worry about dealing with the B.S. that my friend dealing with now.”

  “Yo Nic your mouth real motherfucking reckless that’s why I never liked your ratchet ass. I only put up with your ass all these years because you’re my wife bestie, sissy and that other shit yawl bitches like to call each other.”

  “Touché motherfucker, the feeling is mutual. So get the fuck from in front of my door before I put some hot shit in your ass. I’m not your wife, I don’t have no love for your ass so I don’t mind laying your ass down. You better go find somebody to play with because this not what you looking for.”

  “Oh, you threatening me Nic?”

  “Nawl I don’t make threats. I promise you that and I put that on everything I love. I don’t write checks that I can’t cash. You can take that to the bank. Now get the fuck off my property and tell lil Ms. Jade I said hey.”

  I backed away from my door and slammed it in his face. I couldn’t help but to laugh at myself. I needed a drink and I didn’t even feel bad about it because somewhere in the world it’s happy hour right now. I heard his dumb ass burning rubber out my driveway.

  CHAPTER 10 – JADEN

  I tried to get some sleep, but I was so restless. I tossed and turned all night thinking about everything that happened yesterday. I didn’t decide to get up out of the bed until my ma came in the room with Jade hanging on her hip telling me that they were headed out to get Jade wardrobe and her other needs together. I looked at Jade cooing at me looking so beautiful and it made me feel like shit. She was one of the cutest little girls I had ever seen. She was my twin and I been living reckless by denying her and not affording her the same things that I had given to my twin boys. I should have been man enough to love my children equally instead of turning my back on her because she was not conceived between me and my wife and I didn’t want to break up my home.

  “Ma let me see her before you go,” I told my mother.

  I held my baby in my arms and for the first time, I felt a connection to her. She began to slobber all over my face and stuck her tiny fingers in my mouth. We were enjoying each other until my mother had to speak up and say something.

  “Oh, so I see you want to play the family man now. So while you in such the family mood you might as well g
et up and go find her mother or make things right with your wife. I love my grandbabies and all, but I’m not setup to be no full-time granny. I am going to having my own shit to do and I can’t do that with a baby on my hip all day, every day.” My mother stated.

  I kissed Jade on the cheeks and handed her back to my mother.

  “Nobody asked you to be a full-time granny, I just asked you to look after her until I get things straightened out with her mother or my wife. Whichever one comes first. You would think you would be happy to help out with your first granddaughter since you don’t do anything for the twins. My boys don’t even have a bond with you. Now that I sit here and think about it, they probably don’t like you anymore than I do. I bet they feel the same way I do. I respect and love you because of your status within our lives and you can cook like no other, but not one of us are stressing if we don’t talk to you from day to day. My boys never ask to call you or to come stay over your house. So why don’t you think of this as a fresh start with your granddaughter so you will have someone to take care of your when you get old and gray.” I chuckled after saying it. I knew that would get her riled up.

  “Jaden damn you and your twin boys. I came in this world by myself and will die by myself.”

  “I’m just playing ma, you know me and my boys love you, but do you love us.” I chuckled to myself.

  “Whatever Jaden, I had you and the boys are a part of you, let me go before I curse you out early this morning and I have to stop and get this child a stroller because I will be damned if I will be walking through the mall holding a baby on my hip while I shop.”

  “Alright mom, I’ll call and check on you two later.”

  I grabbed my cell phone to see if I had any calls or text messages from Kasey and to my surprise there wasn’t any. I guess she was really pissed with me. I didn’t even bother to call her, I figured I would just go home, get this argument out the way, dick her down real proper and we can get back to our lives. I knew this incident was going to put a dent in my pocket. Whenever I messed up, I always had to splurge on my wife and twins to get that smile back on her face. I went into the restroom to handle my morning hygiene, letting the steaming hot waters beat on my shoulders and back to release some of the pressure I was feeling. Once I got dressed, I was headed to my own house to get my wife in order. I didn’t have my mother’s door key on this key ring so all I could do was set the alarm and lock the bottom lock. When I pulled up in my driveway, I didn’t see Kasey’s car out-front. She rarely parked in the garage so I figured she must have gone somewhere. I got out my car and let myself into our house. I inspected the house and saw a couple of cups that were still left in the sink and the twins’ rooms nor was our bedroom immaculately cleaned. I began to feel the heat rising up in my body. She knew better than to stay out all night. I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and tried to call her phone, it went straight to the voicemail. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door. Kasey was very reserved, so she didn’t talk to many people. It was only two different places she could be and that would be either at her parents’ house or Nic’s bitch ass. I knew she wasn’t at her parents’ house because she never put them in our business. I made my way over to Nic’s house and tried to get some information out of her. As always Nic was on ten threatening a motherfucker and being ratchet. I swear somebody needed to put some dick in her life so she could act right. By the time Nic got done cursing me out, I was at the end of my rope with this bullshit. I sped out of her driveway headed to my next stop which was Keisha’s house. I knew that bitch didn’t have any means to go nowhere or relocate because she didn’t have shit to begin with. I pulled up to her house in the Monroe Heights Projects so I could see what the hell her problem was, leaving our baby on my doorstep last night. She had her beat-up Toyota Tercel in her driveway so I knew she was home. I got out of my car and began to beat on her door.