Big Girls Drama

by Tresser Henderson

  “Why now, Kegan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly that. Why now? Why are you worried about Meena’s well-being now?”

  “I’ve always cared about her well-being. You know I love that girl,” he acknowledged.

  “You have a funny way of showing it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You told her us breaking up was not going to affect you being here for her, but she hasn’t seen you since you left, Kegan.”

  Jaws clenching, he began to fumble with his hands as his shameful eyes gazed at me.

  “I know, and I’m sorry about that, Sonya. I didn’t keep my word.”

  “I don’t want your apologies. You need to save them for Meena,” I admonished.

  Kegan stood, looking as sincere as he could.

  “Sonya—”

  “Six years you played a major role in my daughter’s life. You were the father she never had, and she loved you, Kegan,” I said, getting choked up. “Do you know how many nights that girl has cried for you? Do you know how many times she’s waited on your call? But you never came by. You never called. You even missed her birthday.”

  “I said I was worry.”

  “The only thing I’ve ever asked of you was to not break my daughter’s heart, and you couldn’t even manage to do that. You crushed my baby, Kegan,” I told him as tears formed.

  “I can’t even argue with you because you are right,” he agreed.

  “Why haven’t you come before now? Did it have to take that bitch to tell you what happened for you to darken our doorstep?” I asked angrily.

  “No . . . Look . . . I don’t know,” he floundered.

  “You know, Kegan. Man up and admit it. Imani doesn’t want you playing daddy to a child that’s not yours biologically, right? Not my child anyway, but I guarantee you she has you playing daddy of the year with hers.”

  “Sonya, please.”

  This was my opportunity to get everything off my chest. The fact he showed up now acting all concerned once he found out about Meena being involved in shoplifting pissed me off. He had ample time to see what was going on with her. Hell, maybe if he hadn’t up and left my daughter like he did, she wouldn’t be doing the things she was.

  “You let a bitch come between you and your relationship with Meena,” I said, looking at him with disdain. “You know Imani is petty as hell because she automatically blamed Meena for what happened all because she’s my child. She’s petty because she kept you from my daughter. She’s petty because she took you from me. And she is petty because she sent me an invite to your wedding to rub in my face how you chose to marry her and not me.”

  Now I was visibly crying. Kegan looked at me for a long moment before lowering himself back down on my sofa, like his legs had weakened beneath him. Something was going on with him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. As mad as I was with him, I could see there was something else he was not telling me. Being with this man for over six years helped me understand him.

  “Sonya, please sit down,” he pleaded.

  I wanted to yell no, get the hell out my house and never bring your black ass back over here, but I did as he asked and lowered myself back down on the love seat.

  With his hands clasped in front of him, he looked heartbroken.

  “Kegan, what’s going on with you? Why are you really here?” I asked earnestly.

  Rubbing his hands together he said, “I really did come over here to see about Meena. I really did. Why did I come at this time, I don’t know.”

  “Does Imani know where you are?” I asked.

  “No. We had a fight.”

  Smiling slightly, I said nothing, waiting for him to continue to tell me the reason he was here. I had to admit I was inwardly happy about their squabble, but I wasn’t going to say that to him.

  “I knew Meena was not responsible for what happened, not like Imani was trying to make it seem.”

  “Is that what your argument was over? Meena?”

  “Yes. I just lost it on Imani. She had no right talking about Meena the way she was. And when she threw in my face how I shouldn’t care about her because I had a new family, I thought how I hadn’t seen her since the two of us broke up. I literally racked my mind trying to convince myself I couldn’t have failed her like that . . . only to realize I had.”

  It felt good hearing Kegan say this. Who knew Meena getting caught for shoplifting would be the pivotal moment Kegan needed to realize how he’d left her without looking back.

  “And now you are here to see her.”

  “Yes,” he said looking at me with that look that melted my heart. “I tried to have fun at this party tonight, but all I kept thinking about was how desperately I needed to see Meena and tell her how sorry I am.”

  I shifted uncomfortably as I clutched my robe tighter around me.

  “Kegan, Meena is not here.”

  Frowning, he asked, “Where is she?”

  “She’s at Kellie’s house. Kellie wanted to spend some time with Meena and talk to her about what’s been going on with her. As much as I wanted to ground her behind this shoplifting incident, I thought talking with Kellie was what she needed. You know Meena doesn’t talk to me like that. If anything, she’d come to you.”

  He nodded with a chuckle before saying, “I remember. We had a lot of conversations you still don’t know about.”

  “It used to tick me off, because I felt like my daughter should be able to come to me about everything, but now I realize I’m not as approachable as I should be. Having you here with me made it easier to deal with Meena because when she felt like she couldn’t come to me, you were that rock she leaned on when she needed a listening ear.”

  “Well, I’m glad Kellie can be there for you. But I’m not going to lie . . . I was quick to believe you let her go with Kellie so you could have some alone time with old boy.”

  Damn, this man knew me as well as I knew him. His knowing gaze unnerved me, but I would never admit it to him. What type of mother would I be?

  “Please, leave old boy out of our conversation. Remember, you left me.”

  Again he nodded.

  “Is it too late to tell you I made a mistake?”

  Sonya

  27

  Was I hearing this man correctly? Was Kegan telling me he made a mistake? Nine months broken up and now he realizes he made a mistake? I truly didn’t know how to receive this epiphany from him. I wanted to gloat. I wanted to laugh and rub it in his face he lost a good woman . . . but I couldn’t. I was even mad I couldn’t. What in the hell was wrong with me? I remember a time I would be whooping up on his ass just for the simple fact he had the audacity to show up at my house this time with some BS Imani told him, but I guess I was becoming a big girl. I’d matured, if only a little.

  “Kegan, you are saying this to say what?” I asked for clarification.

  He stood and began to cautiously approach me. I watched him as he towered over me and instantly my eyes fell to his crotch, remembering the dick this man use to lay down on me. He smirked before lowering himself next to me on the love seat. Being this close to him caused my center to quiver with desire. I hadn’t been this close to him in what seemed like an eternity, and now he was inches away from me.

  With a softened expression, Kegan stared pointedly at me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Something I should have done months ago.”

  Kegan reached over and gripped the back of my neck, pulling me into him. He kissed me passionately. My body arched forward, aroused by his lips being on mine again. Bliss filled me as my breathing thickened from the pure exhilaration of this man being here with me. I didn’t know what was happening or why it was happening, but I was definitely enjoying the moment. That was . . . until the sound of broken glass brought us back to reality.

  Both of us disengaged, looking at each other with passion and confusion. The sound of more glass breaking caused us to both stand t
o our feet. I rushed over to the window to see Imani in my driveway taking a bat to my car.

  “No, this bitch didn’t!” I said hurrying to the door and jerking it open.

  Kegan ran out behind me and saw what his fiancée was doing and yelled, “Imani, no!” before the clattering of another window being broken sounded as she swung the bat again into my ride.

  “Bitch, get the hell off my property,” I screamed. As pissed as I was, my first instinct was to rush out and grab that bat away from her. But I knew if she swung that bat and hit me, I would take that bat from her and beat her to death with it.

  “So this is how we doing things now, Kegan?” Imani said swinging again and putting a dent in the hood of my car. “The first person you run to is this fat bitch?”

  “Imani, put the bat down,” Kegan demanded.

  Ignoring his command, Imani swung again . . . and again, adding more dents in my ride.

  I decided to call the police. She wanted to destroy my property—then she was going to deal with the repercussions from it. When I rushed back into my house to get my cell, Dempsey was standing in the living room looking at me with a hurtful expression on his face. I forgot he was even here.

  “Where’s my cell?” I asked frantically.

  “It’s on the nightstand in your room.”

  I hurried in my room with Dempsey following behind me. I called the cops to report the incident as he stood near listening. When I hung up, I attempted to leave my room and go back outside when he stopped me.

  “What?” I asked in frustration.

  “I know we’re not that serious, but you don’t have to do a brother like this, Sonya,” he said, glaring accusingly.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, pissed that he had the nerve to come at me like this now.

  “I’m still in your house and you making out with dude.”

  “So?”

  “So, you just finished fucking me. Now, you eager to hop on this man’s dick too?”

  I couldn’t believe this. I didn’t have time for this. Imani was outside my house yelling like she’d lost her damn mind, and I had Dempsey in my face playing the role of a wounded animal and questioning me about my kiss with Kegan. Didn’t he know we weren’t an item like that?

  “You do remember, we are not an item, Dempsey. You are just something to do to pass the time away.”

  I knew what I said sounded insensitive, but it was what it was. He knew it was just sex between us. Why he was acting like I hadn’t told him this before was beyond me.

  “Now, can you get out of my way? I need to be outside when the cops get here.”

  He didn’t budge. He stood blocking my path with his eyes narrowed in anger.

  “Move, Dempsey. Better yet, get your clothes on and leave my house. How about that?”

  “I’m not going anywhere so you can slide this man in my place.”

  “You don’t have a place. Not here, and not anywhere else because you still live with your mama.”

  I knew I went too far with that statement, but he was getting on my nerves. Damn, I had turmoil outside and drama inside. This was too much.

  “You can’t talk to me like that,” he said inching forward like he was going to do something to me. Had everybody lost their minds tonight?

  “Did you forget the cops are on their way? Now, I called them for Imani’s crazy ass, but if you want charges brought up on you too, then go ahead and do something stupid,” I threatened.

  He halted as his scowl deepened. But my words were enough for him to move the hell out of my way. I ran past him to get back outside, hoping Dempsey would gather his belongings to get the hell out of Dodge.

  Imani was too dumb to leave. When the cops arrived, she was still arguing with Kegan, swinging the bat at him and my car until the cops detained her crazy ass. To my dismay, one of the officers that showed up was none other than Officer Damon Ward. Damn, this is a small world, I thought.

  Our eyes locked, and I felt embarrassed he was here to witness this travesty. My car was destroyed by a crazy woman, a man was standing in my front yard in a tux, I was in my robe damn near naked, and I had another man in my home getting ready to exit at any moment. Not to mention we met with charges being filed against my shoplifting daughter. Talk about a hot-ass mess.

  “You going to let them arrest me, Kegan?” Imani yelled in a panic.

  “You got yourself arrested, Imani.”

  “Really? You choosing this fat bitch over me?”

  “Imani, please.”

  “I saw you, Kegan. I saw you kissing her. We suppose to get married in a few weeks, and you’re over here cheating on me.”

  “You lose him how you get him, honey,” I yelled.

  “Bitch, you don’t know me.”

  “Nor do I want to get to know your ghetto behind. Come over here again and see what happens.”

  Imani turned to Damon, who had her in handcuffs and said, “Arrest her. She just threatened me.”

  “That wasn’t a threat. That was a warning. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have called the police. I would have handled it myself,” I stated, catching a glimpse of Damon watching me, but I tried to ignore his look of concern.

  “Kegan, are you going to let her talk to me like this?” she said, bursting into tears.

  To my dismay, this is when Dempsey decided to exit my home. He was fully dressed and still appeared angry about the conversation we had in the bedroom. Kegan and Damon noticed him as he made his way to his car to leave.

  “You see. I knew this bitch was a whore,” Imani yelled. “Look, she has another man in her house.”

  Leave it to Imani to put me on blast and bring attention to Dempsey and my torrid situation. Neither Kegan nor Damon commented as they watched Dempsey start his car and drive away. I was glad he was gone, but I wasn’t glad Damon saw him leaving.

  “Kegan, baby, please . . . Tell the cops to let me go,” she begged as she began to struggle with the officers.

  The cops warned her to stop fighting them, but she was so busy concentrating on Kegan to care about what the cops were telling her.

  “Stop resisting, Imani,” Kegan told her.

  “Help me, Kegan. Make the cops let me go.”

  This woman was delusional. Did she really think Kegan had the power to tell the cops to release her after they caught her destroying my car and damn near assaulting her very own fiancé? Even if he asked, I wasn’t willing to let her go. I was pressing charges, not only for the destruction of my property but also for the destruction of my relationship with Kegan.

  “Kegan, help me,” was the last we heard Imani say as the officers placed her in the back of the squad car. And like the maniac I knew her to be, this trick lay down in the backseat and began kicking the windows to the car. The officers had to open the door and restrain her to the point she couldn’t hardly move anything. Then she tried to spit on Damon, which, to me, was a major violation. I just knew he was going to tase her ass. And I wished he did. But instead, he placed a mesh covering over her face to shield from any saliva landing on them. After doing so, they closed the door and proceeded to leave with Kegan’s distraught woman. Damon gave me one last look before getting in his cruiser and driving away.

  Kegan approached me as he looked at me sincerely.

  “I’m so sorry for all of this.”

  I shook my head as I looked at my car which looked damn near totaled, and said, “Your wedding money is going to get me another car.”

  He chuckled saying, “I promise, I got you.”

  I felt like those words meant more than Kegan making sure I had my ride repaired. The loving way he was gazing at me let me know he wanted more from me. But I wondered after everything that happened, was I willing to give him a second chance.

  Monica

  28

  With everything that’s been happening in my marriage, I thought it as a great opportunity to show up at church, hoping I would hear something that would help me figure out how I
was going to make my marriage work. I also wanted to see my mother in-law squirm when she saw me enter the sanctuary. She did not disappoint. As flawless as she portrayed herself to the congregation, I could see her uneasiness when she noticed me enter the sanctuary.

  First Lady Isabelle sat in her usual space at the front of the church, and to my surprise, Ms. Georgiana was not next to her. Oh, I knew she was in the building, but she made it a point not to sit alongside Isabelle for fear of how it would look to these good old-fashioned Baptist people. Hypocrites, I thought. Just knowing how conniving they all were ticked me off. I felt guilty thinking such unholy thoughts in church, but God knew me. Thinking badly here or outside of here was wrong, regardless. Still, I made a mental note to ask my God for forgiveness and pray for him to guide me, because right now, I knew the devil was all in me.

  I looked over and was happy my friends kept their word to come with me to church today. Not only did Sonya, Kellie, and Vivian show up, Kellie brought her brother Victor, and Sonya brought Meena. I knew Sonya was going to be looking some kind of evil because she liked to sleep in, but to my surprise, she seemed happy.

  When the assistant minister stood at the podium, he said, “It’s praise and worship time. I know everybody in here has a reason to give God praise. No testimony is better than someone else because in God’s eyes, it’s all good.”

  The church chuckled at the way he said it’s all good, which brought a smile to my face as well. It was time to say what I needed to say. Isabelle thought she was squirming when I walked up in here . . . just wait until she saw me stand to give my testimony. Rising to my feet, I looked at my friends who clapped at my bravery.

  “Now that’s what I like to see. Someone who is eager to give God praise. Amen,” the minister said.

  Amens rang out, and I watched as the first lady looked back in utter shock to see me standing. I smiled graciously at her. Then I shifted my gaze to Mr. Woods, who also seemed taken aback by me standing. Then I made it a point to smile at my enemy, Georgiana, who was sitting in the pew section to my right.

  “Now you all have a small window of time to give God praise. You know how it goes. I’m going to sit down and give you ample opportunity. Once I stand, that’s the end of praise and worship. Now, my sister, you have the floor.”