Lil Mama From The Projects 2: Love In The Ghetto

by Mz. Toni

  “They are adorable Cherish!” she gushed.

  “Thank you, they are a handful though,” I said laughing. As they bounced the babies around, Jason’s ass stood watching while passing out hand sanitizer, I thought it was the cutest thing ever. When we all sat down to eat, we laughed and talked about everything under the sun from relationships, to parenthood, to politics and weed. We had a good time and it felt good to do something other than change shitty diapers and burp babies.

  “We going out to smoke,” Jason said before heading out with the boys, with Kaliah following them.

  “Who is that bitch and why she going with them,” Shana said.

  “I introduced you already, that’s Kaliah, and she went because she smokes,” I said laughing.

  “I don't trust bitches around my man,” Queesha said rolling her eyes.

  “Girl, don't nobody want Chris crazy ass but you!” Camille said, causing us all to laugh.

  “Fuck all y'all!” she said while laughing.

  “Naw but foreal, she cool as shit.”

  “Well, do you know Mega and her came together?” Queesha said.

  “They friends Queesha, hell I met her through him.”

  “I'm just saying; you can't trust these bitches.”

  “I don't trust her, I trust Mega, he wouldn't do no shit like that. Plus he already told me he’s dating someone, but I know it ain't her.”

  “Oh shit, he told you he was dating?” Camille asked.

  “Yup, he did and I was a little upset, but not as upset as I thought I would have been. Now that I know he’s seeing someone, imma have me some fun,” I said seriously.

  “I know that's the fuck right!” Shana said.

  “I'm gonna be eighteen in a couple months, I'm tryna go out of state and turn up.”

  “Hell yeah!” Camille said laughing. When the men came back, we ended our conversation and everyone started getting ready to head out.

  “Thank you all for coming, I had so much fun,” I said happily.

  “Yeah we need to do this more often,” Queesha said hugging me. After hugging all the women, they left and I was by myself again. Going into the kitchen, I started cleaning up. I had my music on and I was in my cleaning zone while the babies slept. When I was just about done, I heard a knock on the door. Opening the door, no one was there but an envelope was hanging out of my mailbox. Grabbing it, I walked inside and sat on my couch. Ripping the envelope open, I found a DVD of some sort with the words watch me on it. I stuck it into my DVD player and pressed play, as I watched it, tears fell from my eyes. I never felt so betrayed and played in my whole fucking life, I wanted to turn it off, but my body wouldn't move and my eyes refused to leave the screen. I felt like my heart had literally been ripped out of my chest. I would expect something like this from anybody, but not him. Calling Camille, I waited for her to answer.

  “Hey boo,” Camille answered. I tried to reply, but I couldn't stop crying.

  “Cherish, what’s wrong?”

  “Somebody just sent me a DVD of Kaliah and Mega fucking,” I said through tears.

  “Wait, what?” she said in shock.

  “I'm going over there and if she’s there, I'm killing the bitch!”

  “Cherish no, she ain't worth it!” she screamed before I hung up. Grabbing the twins, I packed them into the car, making sure to put the DVD into my purse. I was gonna get answers whether he liked or not. Pulling up to Jason’s house, I jumped out of the car with both car seats in hand. Ringing the doorbell and banging on the door, I waited for him to open it.

  “What you doing here this late?” he asked nervously.

  “Are you gonna let me and your kids in?” I asked.

  “Yeah my bad, come in,” he said grabbing the car seats and walking into the living room.

  “So I just got the craziest thing put in my mailbox,” I said with a smile.

  “What did you get?”

  “Imma show you, are you here alone?”

  “Uh yeah, why you ask me that?”

  “Just curious,” I said getting up and walking around the house.

  “What you doing Cherish, fuck is going on with you?”

  “Do you know how much I love you Mega?”

  “Yeah and I love you too, tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I was ok with us not being together, shit, I was planning trips and everything and you know who I wanted to invite?”

  “Who?” he asked.

  “Kaliah. You know I thought she was cool as hell, maybe even a friend,” I said before walking into the bedroom we used to share. Pulling the DVD out of my purse, I put it into the DVD player in the bedroom, but didn't press play.

  “What’s that?”

  “Where is she Jason?”

  “Where is who?”

  “Kaliah, where is she?” I asked calmly.

  “She must be at her house, it’s late, why would she be here?” he lied.

  “You know, you may think this is about you, and me not knowing how to move on, but this is about betrayal. Another bitch I almost considered a friend who gave me their ass to kiss, another bitch that said fuck me, I had that bitch around my fucking kids, she held my children all while fucking their dad!” I said, pulling out a gun.

  “Cherish, this ain't even you right now, put that shit away!”

  “That bitch need to come out of wherever she hiding at Mega!”

  “Aight, you right, we been fucking around. I didn't wanna hurt you, I didn't know y'all would even become friends,” he explained.

  “This ain't about you; this is about her smiling in my fucking face while fucking you behind my back!”

  “But we ain't together, you left me, this is what I mean by you need to grow the fuck up!”

  “Fuck you, grow up my ass, where she at?” I screamed. I had no clue how to really use a gun, but my blood was boiling. I felt so hurt that I could care less right now.

  “I'm right here,” she said, walking out of the closet.

  “So you came in my house, came to family functions, held my babies, and you didn't think I would want to know that you were fucking their dad. I had to find out like this!” I said pressing play on the DVD player. They watched shocked, hands over mouth as the video showed them fucking wild and crazy in numerous positions in the bed we use to share, the bed we bought together, the bed his fucking daughter has slept in. Pointing the gun at Kaliah, I tuned out her cries and apologies; I couldn't give two shits about what she had to say. As I stood there, I heard Camille’s voice. I turned around and she was standing behind me.

  “Don't do this shit Cherish, if this nigga got you like this, you don't need to be with him anyways.”

  “It ain't about him, it’s about her, Tyree, Meeka and everybody else that said fuck me, everybody I considered a friend that said fuck Cherish!”

  “You got ya babies downstairs while you up here doing this,” Camille said shaking her head. Training my gun on Kaliah, my hand began to shake. It was like déjà vu. Maybe the dream I had about Meeka was really warning me about this shit. I refused to be the Cherish everyone hurt, the Cherish people walked all over. Cocking the gun, I knew what I needed to do.

  To Be Continued