by Saundra
“It has been the same for me when I try to talk with her. I just can’t seem to connect with her anymore. I have tried several times.”
I decided to leave out what had happened at the salon the day before. Emotionally, I didn’t know if Mrs. Wynita was ready for that. The last thing I wanted to do was give her another reason to stress.
“Do you know she had the nerve to ask me if Tiny could spend the night with her? She asked me that with all them damn weirdoes laying around up in there. I told her over my dead body and until she get her life back together, she can forget about Tiny. And I meant that. She will never see Tiny again if she don’t straighten up and fly right. I raised her better. And I will not . . .” She paused as she got emotional. Placing her hand over her mouth, she tried to calm herself so that she could finish what she had to say. Patiently I waited. “I will not have my grandchild around such filth and trash. That environment ain’t safe and I don’t trust that damn Kalil as far as I can throw that heathen,” she spat after she had gathered her composure again.
“Me neither,” I agreed.
I laughed inside at the way she described Kalil as a heathen. I wasn’t exactly sure what heathen meant, but I knew it was ratchet and she meant those words to be harsh. Mrs. Wynita handed me a mug full of hot cappuccino. I licked my lips at the creamy concoction as I wrapped my hands around the mug. The warm feeling of the cup calmed me. I stayed for a while and talked with Mrs. Wynita. We both agreed that we would not give up on Rochelle, we loved her too much. I could not wait until the day that I could have a rational conversation with my best friend again while she smoked a Newport.
Chapter 15
Weeks had gone by and I had not heard a word from Rochelle. All of my calls went unanswered and messages were not returned. I had been by the apartment and banged on the door, still with no response. At some point, she had her locks changed, because I could no longer use my key. I was at my wits’ end. Hood told me that word on the streets was that Rochelle had moved in with Kalil. Just hearing that made my blood boil. Why she would move in with him was completely beyond my comprehension. I wanted to physically harm Kalil; in some ways I blamed him for some of Rochelle’s behavior. Why couldn’t he just stay away from Rochelle? There were a thousand chicks in Detroit looking to come up with a dope boy and the only one he could seem to find was Rochelle. Right now she was too vulnerable; there was not one rational bone in her body. Hurt was the only thing that she was thinking with.
I reached over and grabbed my buzzing cell phone. “What’s up, Leslie?”
I really didn’t feel up to talking, but what the heck. It had been a minute since I spoke with her anyway. I couldn’t dodge her forever. Not that I was trying to dodge her on some shady moves. I had just not been in the mood.
“You been MIA since I been back in town. Thought I would catch up to you. What’s good in the D?” she asked, referring to Detroit. I could tell that she was hype and ready to chat.
“Working and chillin’, trying to maintain.” My tone was low-spirited because that was exactly how I felt at the time.
“I hear you. Me too.”
I knew she could not wait to spill the fun about her trip so I decided not to waste any more time and ask.
“So how was Vegas?”
Maybe hearing about her trip would lift my spirits. She had recently gone to Vegas with her guy. Come to think of it, they were always traveling out of town lately. Almost every other weekend she was somewhere different. She was really feeling him. I was happy for her.
“Girl, we turned up. Vegas ain’t the same since we left. I had so much fun, I can’t wait to go back.”
“I figured that. I swear I keep hearing that from everybody who’s been so far. Hood and I need to take a trip out there,” I suggested just as my phone started to beep. Looking at the screen, I saw it was Ma trying to call.
“Aye, look, I gotta call comin’ in. I’ma hit you back.”
“Okay, I will call you later,” Leslie said before I ended the call.
“Mya,” Ma yelled my name and I instantly knew something was up.
“Hey, Ma, what’s up?” I could hear her remove the phone from her mouth as she was fussing.
“Ma,” I yelled to get her attention.
“Mya, Monica over here talking about she’s moving out. She done went crazy.”
“Ma, we already discussed this but she is going to wait. I forgot to tell you about it, that’s all.”
“No, she is moving out now. I’m talking right now.”
Now I was confused.
“Okay, what is going on?” I wanted to know.
Ma kept yelling at Monica so I knew I would never get anywhere over the phone. I was trying to get her attention, but it sounded like she had laid the phone down.
“Ma, calm down. I will be there in a minute,” I yelled through the phone.
I don’t know if she heard me or not but I ended the call. After throwing on a pair of sweats and some Jays, I grabbed the keys to the Escalade and headed out the door. That’s how my day was starting out—drama.
When I got there I found Imani lying on the living room couch watching television. And just as Ma had said, Monica was in her room packing suitcases and a few boxes. Ma was standing in the doorway yelling at her.
Calmly, I sidestepped past Ma into the room. Asking her to move was out of the question. “Monica, what is going on? Where are you going?” I pointed at her luggage.
To my surprise and horror, she said, “I’m movin’ in with Rich.” I blinked twice; it was uncontrolled. Shock was fast becoming a part of my life and I was not okay with it.
I was certain that she had lost her mind because she barely knew this fucking dude. Clearly, she was tripping or I was hard of hearing. Maybe I was tripping; if not, I was about to.
“Movin’ in with him? You only have been on one date with him.”
I gave her a look that said this was ridiculous. Maybe we were being punked.
Without missing a beat, folding clothes into her suitcase, she corrected me. “No, we have been kickin’ it for weeks and we decided—” I cut her off.
This girl thought she was grown for real. But that was bullshit to me. “You decided . . . you decided what?”
It was clear now that I was pissed. Monica knew I was not the one to upset, because I could be crazy as hell.
“Yes, Mya . . .” She stopped and looked at me for a second. She was not going to back down. “We decided that we should move in together.”
She was matter-of-fact. I hated it when she tried to force my hand.
Ma sighed loudly with frustration. “See, Mya, I told you.” Ma looked at me then back to Monica. “You are making a huge mistake.” She shook her finger at Monica. “And what about Imani?” That was a good question. I wondered if she had considered Imani or was it all about her love for Rich, a guy she didn’t even know.
“She is going with me and she is going to be fine.” Monica continued to pack. She had it all figured out. “Besides, she likes Rich.”
“Wait, so you have been takin’ her around him?” I asked in disbelief. I could not believe her. Taking my niece around some guy that she’s only known for ten damn minutes.
“Yes. We have done things together a few times.” She said it as though it was normal. Who was she right now?
I looked at her like she was crazy. The next words out of my mouth were going to be reckless if I did not calm down. I took a deep breath and tried to count to fifty. Rochelle’s words about me being too protective crossed my mind. I had to choose what I said carefully. Arguing was not the best way to handle a situation like this.
Ma was frustrated. She called my name and I knew she wanted me to say something to change Monica’s mind. But anything I said would only makes things worse.
“Mya, say something,” Ma urged. She wanted results now.
The problem was that the only result she wanted was for Monica to unpack her clothes and say that she was staying. Unfortunatel
y, at this point, that was not going to happen.
I was at a loss. I looked at Monica, who was still packing, and I saw my sister as a woman and not a child. I turn to Ma. “She grown, ain’t nothin’ else I can say.” I was done.
Those words slowed Monica’s hands. She turned and looked at Ma, whose face was covered with wet tears. Ma’s tears hurt Monica. Monica was always the one who had worried most about Ma when she had been in the streets on drugs. It was Monica who couldn’t get any sleep when she didn’t come home. Now the shoe was on the other foot. Monica was a grown woman and Ma didn’t want her to move out.
“Besides, Ma, with me gone, you and Dad can have the house alone.”
Monica tried to reason, but it would take time for Ma to understand. It would not happen overnight, regardless of what was said. She would miss Imani terribly; she had helped raise her since birth. I think Imani filled the void that she had for losing Li’l Bo.
Her eyes and heart full of hurt, Ma said, “Your dad ain’t never here for us to have this place alone. Hell, with you and Imani gone, I will be here by myself. He too damn busy runnin’ the streets. And why is this Rich rushin’ you to move in with him? What is the damn hurry? Are you pregnant?”
I was not prepared for that question. I looked at Monica.
“Heck no.” Monica grinned. “Don’t worry, Ma, I won’t be having any more children anytime soon.”
“You better not be,” I chimed in.
I loved Imani to pieces, but Monica was not ready for any more babies anytime soon. She had goals. Hell, to be honest, Rich was not a part of them, but what could we do but move on? This conversation was done and I was literally drained.
“I’m out.” I turned to leave but stopped and looked at Monica. “But that nigga betta know whose sista he fuckin’ with. You betta make sure he knows that.”
That was all I had to say. She wanted to be grown, she had it. Rochelle helped me understand that sometimes you just have to let people experience life and grow up. It hurt, but I had to. Hopefully, Ma would get over it soon, but at this point what choice did she have?
I needed to find out what Dad’s fucking problem was, though. He was never around when he needed to be. Those fucking streets were constantly eating people alive and he understood that better than most. So why couldn’t he stay out of them?
Chapter 16
I knew just where to my find old Daddy Dearest. I headed straight to Big Nick’s crib. He would be there if he was anywhere. Those two ran the streets together night and day; that had not changed. Once inside his building, I went up to the clerk and gave her the information needed to get to his penthouse suite. They were familiar with me so it was not hard. After one call, Big Nick agreed to let them bring me up.
As soon as Big Nick swung the door open, I marched in.
“Where is he?”
Before Big Nick could say a word, I saw my dad chilling, cradling a glass of cognac, one of his favorite drinks. I wanted it to be no mistake that I was pissed.
“What are you doing? Why are you here and your daughter and granddaughter are at home moving out to live with some smooth talkin’ ass nigga?”
For some reason as I fussed, my eyes left Dad and gazed at the floor, which was covered with guns and pounds of cocaine. The sight caused me to stumble back in shock.
Slowly my eyes roamed from Big Nick to my father. Dad saw the worry all over my face and stood up.
“Mya, sweetheart, it is not what you think,” he tried to explain. He reached out to touch me but I backed up and threw up my right hand to break contact.
“I think I should leave” were the only words that crept out of my mouth.
I was losing him again. It would not be long before he was back behind bars. I was sure of it. I backed all the way up to the door. All the while Big Nick and Dad were chanting different things at me and trying to convince me to stay. But it was like I was in a movie moving in slow motion with no sound. I could hear nothing they said.
When I finally reached the door, I turned around and walked out without saying a word. I rushed to the elevator, where the waiting attendant took me down to the lobby. Once outside, I felt free. My lungs finally opened. I got in my truck, started it, but I didn’t leave because I was unable to drive. I sat in a daze for minute. Eventually I pulled off and headed for the interstate. My cell phone was ringing nonstop. All calls were from Dad. I turned my cell phone off.
When I made it home, Hood was there and that was exactly who I needed. I told him about what happened at Big Nick’s house and about Monica moving in with Rich. He was in awe at all the information. He suggested that I get some rest. After drawing me a hot bath and bringing me up a glass of wine, he pulled back the covers and I climbed into bed, closed my eyes, and went to sleep.
Chapter 17
Dad blew my phone up for days before I finally decided to take his call. He may as well have been on block because I ignored the hell out of him. But I couldn’t do that forever, so I agreed to meet up with him to talk. I wanted to look him in the face when he told me whatever it was he had to say. I expected him to give me excuses. I just hoped they were the truth.
We sat down to lunch at Panera Bread and discussed the issue over soup and sandwiches. Just as I thought, he promised me that he was not involved in anything illegal. Reluctantly, I decided to let it go. There was just too much going on and it was stressing me out. But I made sure to remind him that it did not matter if he was physically involved, he was on papers, and just being around it was enough to throw him back inside for life.
After lunch with Dad, I headed to the salon because Monica was supposed to be stopping by. I could not wait to chop it with my sister. She had officially been living with Rich for almost two weeks.
“So how do you like playing wifey?” I asked.
“Oh, Mya, ain’t nobody playing wifey, but I do like being in my own place.”
“Hmmph, well I guess that is a perk.”
We laughed as Leslie came in. “Hey, Leslie,” Monica spoke.
“What’s up? It’s been a minute, Monica. What have you been up to?”
“Same thing, school and Imani. Oh, and I moved in with my new man, Rich.”
Leslie’s eyes popped out of her head. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about Monica and Rich yet. “Wait, Rich from the club?”
“Yep.”
“You go, girl. You know he fine as hell and his pockets are fat.” Leslie was all hyped. “And why didn’t you tell me, Mya? You holdin’ out on your girl.” Leslie played offended.
“Girl, it slipped my mind. Besides, it’s better you heard from Monica anyway,” I said as Nora entered the room.
“So, anyway, I was wondering if you ladies wanted to hit the club all on Rich. I’m talkin’ VIP, the whole nine. Just like you used to, Mya, but this time you and Hood won’t have to spend a dime.”
“Shit, I’m cool with that.” Leslie wasted no time.
“Yeah, I guess so. Why not?” I shrugged my shoulders.
“You can come too, Nora, we gone party. And, Mya, don’t forget to tell Trina and Pam if they want to come out.”
“All right, bet.”
True to Monica’s word, Rich set it out. VIP was on point. Everybody was there. Hood, Lonzo, and their clique were poppin’ mad bottles. Drinks were flowing and everyone was having a good time. And of course the DJ was on fire. Rich was smiling ear to ear and being the perfect host. I still was not happy about Monica moving in with him, but it was club night and I wanted to have fun, so I tried not to give him the evil eye. But I did keep an eye on him.
I watched him treat Monica like a queen, showering her with everything she asked for. Leslie was sitting next to me taking small shots of Patrón and she had her eyes wide open. Sometimes she seemed to be in her own zone, like maybe something was bothering her. But she kept a smile on her face, so I assumed that she was cool. She must have noticed Quad heading to another VIP room that was below the one we had reserved, because she leaned i
nto my ear and asked me, “Have you ever met Quad, that new bitch that is running that squad?”
“No.”
Without warning, she pointed her out to me. I was shocked, though, because when I pictured this chick running a crew, I pictured this tomboy looking chick. But laying eyes on Quad for the first time it was clear that she was quite the opposite. She looked to be about five foot eight, slim in the waist, and she was rocking a bad-ass shoulder-length wrap. Just as I took her in fully, she gazed upward in my direction and we made eye contact.
The night went on and we continued to turn up, but I started to get tired and decided I was ready to leave. The club would be closing soon and I did not feel like being stuck in the after-the-club traffic. I wanted to make a smooth exit in my thousand-dollar red bottoms. Monica said that she was going to wait on Rich. I almost hated to hear her say that, but it did make sense, since they lived together now. So after telling her good night, I grabbed Hood by the arm and headed out.
As we made our way past the dance floor, I saw Rochelle dancing all wild on Kalil. My heart sped up because I was happy to see her. It had been two months at least since I had last laid eyes on her. Without any hesitation, I walked up to her.
“What’s up, Rochelle?” I smiled.
Rochelle stopped dancing and never said one word. We just looked at each other. All of a sudden, she started dancing again like I wasn’t even standing there. I turned around and looked at Hood in disbelief. I wondered if he saw what had just happened. He just looked at me. I knew that he, too, was probably at a loss for words. How dare she be so rude to me? I was not a stranger. Stepping up to her, I silently grabbed her by her right arm.
Rochelle forcefully yanked away from my grasp. “What? What, Mya?”
She yelled so loud, you could hear her over the music. People stopped dancing. I looked around slowly as I noticed people watching.
“Why the hell can’t you leave me alone? Can’t you see a bitch is tryin’ to have a good time?” Her rage filled eyes were glued only to me.