by Tysha
“They’re family and are looking out for me. It doesn’t matter because I’m going to stay with Aunt Shy for a year or so until Jayden can leave. I already have my own room over there anyway. Aunt Shy said it was okay.”
“Shy should’ve found out if this plan is okay with me. She’s been trying to keep you from me all your life and I’m sick of it,” Tara said, throwing her hands up. “This is my fault. I let you spend too much time with them.”
Quincy struggled to understand his mother. He had substituted the twins for the brothers he never had. They were the same age and got along well. Shy often joked that she’d had triplets not twins. She never kept Quincy away from his cousins. The McGee family enjoyed having Quincy around, that’s why he had his own room in their home. Tara had allowed him to spend his time at Shy’s house. That’s why her attitude left him bewildered.
There was far too much going on around him and Quincy needed a break. He also needed to do something for Jayden. The questions of “what if” and “why not” played in Quincy’s mind like a scratched compact disk. Quincy believed he could quiet the haunting questions by being instrumental in Jayden’s recovery. He was determined to do as much as he could to get the twins healthy. His parents had to understand his plight. Quincy had approached his dad about the idea three days ago. With very little hesitation, Bruce gave Quincy his okay. He saw the helplessness in his son’s eyes. Bruce hoped Quincy would be able to heal by taking care of Prince and Jayden. The only stipulation was for Quincy to get his mother to go along with his plan.
Quincy was torn. His mind was made up; he would be moved by the end of the day. There wasn’t a thing Tara could do or say to change Quincy’s mind. While he loved his parents, Quincy just wasn’t happy with their life. He saw less of his father, who was hardly ever home. Quincy use to be embarrassed by the outward signs of affection between his parents. Lately, they barely spoke and never touched. Instead of waiting on her husband hand and foot, Tara’s time was passed by phone conversations or playing online poker. The way his parents interacted had deteriorated so that Quincy could see the breakup looming in the near future. Quincy wondered if they’d stayed together for his sake. If that were the case, Quincy didn’t want the weight on his shoulders.
“This argument is futile because your father will never approve of you living with Shy,” Tara said, feeling victorious.
“Dad gave me his permission three days ago,” Quincy countered, standing firm with his position.
She was shocked. Bruce hadn’t said anything to her about Quincy wanting to leave home. She was angry with his failure to discuss this serious issue with her. He was added to Tara’s list of untrustworthy people.
Tara wanted to embrace her son and tell him how much love she held in her heart for him. The only time she showed affection was during the honeymoon period with her husband. It was difficult to give hugs and express her love. Quincy hadn’t received many hugs, positive reinforcements, or affirmation from his mother. He’d received those things from Shy and for that, Tara was resentful. She hadn’t meant to be coldhearted; it was a defense mechanism from childhood.
“Look, Ma, Aunt Shy has always been good to me. You know how I feel about Jayden and Prince,” Quincy said.
“Why doesn’t Jayden move in here with us? I’ll take care of him and Shy can take care of Prince. That will take a huge load off Shy and you can stay here. This way, everybody will be happy,” Tara said excitedly.
Tara took pause. For a fleeting second, she was excited to believe Shy would see the logic in Jayden convalescing with her. He would be well taken care of by someone who loved him and Shy could focus on Prince. That’s the way it should’ve always been, according to Tara.
“My mind is made up. After the way you’ve treated her Aunt Shy’s not going for that. What do you have against her?”
“It’s going to work as long as Shy listens to reason. Anyway, she can’t play nursemaid to two sick kids, take care of a little girl, and work a full-time job,” Tara mindlessly uttered.
“Ma, you aren’t even speaking. Did you forget about what happened at the hospital? Aunt Shy’s not going with that. Look, Ma, I’m moving in with her so she won’t be alone.”
Quincy was tired of going back and forth on the topic. It was getting them nowhere. He picked up his over-packed duffle bag and put it on his good shoulder.
“My sister is not your responsibility. Why does everybody take care of Shy? I’m so sick of that shit. Shy is not helpless,” Tara said with aggravation in her voice.
Emotionally exasperated, Tara dropped down onto the warm leather sofa. She stared out the window into her own backyard. Tara was in tune with her thoughts and emotions. Something was wrong. One by one her loved ones had pulled away from her. She was the common denominator, she was the issue. Her mood swings and bad attitude had become more relevant. For years, Tara refused to seek help to deal with the trauma she suffered as a child. Time was up. Tara admitted to herself that it was time to let go of past pains.
At the age of ten, Tara walked into her sister’s bedroom and caught the son of a family friend with his hands between Shy’s legs. Shy was five at the time and didn’t know how to react. Tara’s job was to take care of her baby sister. Sometimes that responsibility was too much for a child to handle. Hold your sister’s hand walking to the bus stop, help sissy take a bath, and watch out for Shy on the playground. Those duties were just the tip of the iceberg. It was only natural that Tara took care of Shy when she saw what the teenager was doing to her sister. The boy was startled when Tara walked into the room. He smiled at her and pushed Shy away. “I’ll let her go if you let me feel you up.” The boy smirked. Tara wanted to grab Shy and run away screaming but he had her by the arm. Tara agreed to do what he wanted. Before he let Shy go, the boy gave Tara a menacing look and threatened to shoot up their family if they ever told. Over the years, Shy had forgotten about the sexual abuse while Tara carried it with her like an expensive purse.
Tara felt as if Shy was worth saving but she wasn’t important enough to receive that same protection. No one came to save her when she needed it most. The world stopped on its axis if Shy stubbed a toe. She never told anyone about what happened. Tara knew it wasn’t Shy’s fault for not telling anyone what happened to them. She was older and should have known better. Her anger ruled everything. Tara unconsciously believed Shy was stealing the blessings meant for her. The husband, the twins, the daughter, the house, the confidence, the independence was rightfully hers. By not getting help for what happened to her as a child, resentment buried itself in Tara’s heart like a tumor. The negativity had taken control of Tara’s life without her realizing it.
A butterfly hovered over a bushel of yellow roses as Tara sat daydreaming. There it was before her, a symbol of beauty, freedom, and happiness. Tara focused on the butterfly and decided to give up the fight against the tears welled behind her eyes. Tara’s heart remained full of hate, envy, and petty anger. The fight between good and evil was rigged from the start. Negativity had become a huge part of who Tara had become. Tara felt at ease with blaming others for her unhappiness because pointing fingers meant she didn’t have to face the truth.
In that quietness Tara heard God speak to her. It was time to let go and let God work in her life and heal her heart. Tara was more than happy to release her grip on the past. For the first time since giving birth to Quincy, Tara felt a flash of an emotional peace inside of her soul. Within seconds, away went the quiet peace deep inside. Shy chose Melvin as her life partner. He was a better caliber of a man than Bruce. Tara resented Bruce for not being strong enough to give their family a better standard of living. He kept a roof over their heads, food on the table, clothes on their backs, and supplied every essential Tara cried out for. Tara always wanted more. She was never satisfied with the blessings her family received so nothing was ever good enough. Her selfish ways had worn Bruce down. Bruce had fallen out of love with Tara years ago. She refused to see her role in holding th
eir family’s progress back. Instead of supporting him as head of their household, Tara kept a tight grip on the rope she’d looped around him and eventually, Bruce ran out of strength to fight back against the beast. Quincy was what kept both Tara and Bruce from walking away. They loved their son immensely. Tara and Bruce would give him anything except a healthy home life. The hate they shared for each other outweighed their love for their son.
Chapter 35
My Brother’s Keeper
Jayden lay in his hospital bed listening to his brother update him on everything that went on after his accident. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Prince felt Jayden had a right to know. Their mother would probably be mad but Prince had no problem taking that chance. Jayden needed know who had betrayed their family.
“Raequan shot me? Are you sure about that information? You know the streets get it wrong sometimes,” Jayden asked with much skepticism.
“Bro, that nigga pulled the trigger on us. He’s a bitch nigga fo’ sho. Ain’t no more Rae as far as I’m concerned. That’s my word,” Prince said.
“Raequan was always foul and jealous of us but this is out there. Did Roberts put him up to it?” Jayden quizzed.
“Man, I ain’t a hundred percent sure but it all adds up. He flipped the script on me behind bars then dat nigga shot my shit up. Rae had to know I’d come after him for opening fire on us. He doesn’t have it in him to even come up with a plot against me. Roberts had to be pumping dat nigga head up with false dreams,” Prince replied.
“Did he know he’s our brother all along? How could Cherise do that to Mommy and still be smiling in her face?” Jayden asked but was really making a statement.
“Oh, she’s gon’ get it, too. True dat. Mommy been acting like it ain’t bothering her because of us being down but she’s going through it,” Prince sympathetically explained.
“You know how Mommy is. She won’t let us see it but her heart has to be broken. How can she deal with the hurt and pain Daddy caused her and he’s dead? There’s more to it than just Daddy getting with Cherise. I bet any money there’s a story behind it all.”
“Whatever, it was fucked up fo’ him to do Mommy like that. I don’t give a fuck, Raequan ain’t nothin’ ta me no more. Let that bitch eat shit and live,” Prince said angrily.
The twins both sat in deep thought. They both had questions for their father that would forever go unanswered. Their father was bigger than life to Prince. Jayden had equated his father to every superhero rolled into one. Finding out that he played their mother was difficult. Neither of them knew how to deal with the pain, but for now, it didn’t matter. Getting their mother through it was mandatory.
Brianna and Monica walked in smelling like flowers. Their arrival interrupted the twins’ conversation. It was a welcomed distraction for the sorrow they were feeling.
“Good morning, Prince, how are you feeling this morning?” Brianna spoke as she passed his bed.
“What up,” Prince replied and turned his attention to Monica. “Girl, you better come give me one before I go off,” Prince joked with Monica. She had been by his side almost as much as his mother had. He loved her for that. Monica gave Prince the sloppy kiss he wanted.
“Hi Prince! Hey Jayden!” Princess sang. She was in a playful mood and excited to see the twins.
“Hey, Baby Girl!” Prince and Jayden responded simultaneously with surprise.
Princess climbed onto Prince’s bed and planted a kiss on his cheek. In a split second, Jayden received the same show of affection. The caffeine from the Pepsi she’d talked Monica into letting her drink had Princess jittery and hyper. Princess raced over to the chair she and her mother had slept in, and began playing with the television remote and experimenting with the various positions on the La-Z-Boy. Brianna stood between the huge window and Jayden’s bed. She stroked the top of his head and laughed at his need for a haircut.
“How’s my baby feeling?” Brianna asked in a playful voice.
“I’m good now. It’s about time you got here. Me and Prince were shocked when we woke up and found nobody here. Where’s our mother?” Jayden reached for Brianna’s hand.
“She’s at home fussing over everything. Princess was helping her so she asked us to come in her place and bring Baby Girl with us,” Brianna explained.
“What’s there to fuss over? The house is always spotless so she can’t be cleaning.” Prince joined Jayden and Brianna’s conversation.
“Y’all know everything has to be perfect for your homecoming,” Monica added.
“How does she know when that will be?” Jayden asked.
“Yeah, doc ain’t said shit ’bout us gettin’ up out of here,” Prince spoke.
“Until now.” Dr. Fitzgerald made his presence known. “How do you boys feel about going home today?” He made his way to the middle of the room. His attention was focused on the charts hanging on the foot of the hospital beds.
“Are you serious?” the twins said excitedly
“I think you both will do fine at home. You’ll probably heal faster being in your own environment. There’s one condition: take it easy. Don’t do anything strenuous, eat right, and make every doctor’s appointment. I’m letting you go home but that doesn’t mean you’re healed. You both had major surgeries and your bodies need rest,” Dr. Fitzgerald explained.
“Yes, sir. We hear you,” Jayden said happily.
“You got dat, doc. My momma’s gon’ be a drill sergeant, trust dat,” Prince joked.
“I know she will. That’s the only reason I’m releasing you guys. I’ve witnessed your mother in action myself. You’ll be in good hands.” Dr. Fitzgerald laughed.
Dr. Fitzgerald said his good-byes to the twins and left the room. By the time Brianna and Monica helped Jayden and Prince get dressed, Nurse Gordon was reading off their aftercare instructions. Brianna and Monica followed every word while Jayden and Prince only heard half of what she said. All they cared about was going home.
For the past few weeks, the only thing on Dwayne’s mind was death. Fear that someone was out to end his life had him operating on fumes. Every bump in the night had him horrified. His nerves were frayed. It was all too much for him. Dwayne had a gut feeling that Roberts’s death was no accidental overdose. If his suspicions were right, he and Raequan were living on borrowed time. Dwayne had tried to warn Raequan only to be dismissed as being paranoid. Raequan thought Dwayne was being insensible. He failed to recognize his own acts as destructible. Raequan continued to live on the edge as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Dwayne found it impossible to do the same. That’s why he’d been casing out the McGee household for three weeks.
Dwayne knew Prince had been hospitalized but he figured they had to release him sooner or later. When that day came, Dwayne would be ready to attack. He was tired of waiting for the bogeyman to find him in the middle of the night. The plan was to do what Roberts had been afraid to do. Kill Prince. Prince was going to find out how it felt being a sitting duck. Shy was a good woman and under different circumstances, Dwayne would’ve tried to build a life with her. She had been married to the villain who ended his brother’s life. Unlike Roberts, he had no desire to avenge his brother’s death by punishing Melvin’s offspring. He did, however, want to preserve his own. The twins had humiliated him and for that, Dwayne wanted payback. Being beaten and left for dead was humiliating. Roberts and Raequan took every opportunity to remind him of the beat down the McGee boys had put on him. Their taunting made it impossible for Dwayne to let it go. Instead, Dwayne’s manhood had been reduced to rubble. He felt the only way to get it back was by retaliation. That’s why Dwayne took pleasure in driving the car when Raequan pulled the drive-by on the twins. Dwayne pumped his chest at his involvement but continued to be belittled by Raequan and Roberts. Just the thought of it all made Dwayne’s chest tight.
He left his painful thought behind when he noticed two teenage girls exit the house with little Princess tagging along. They were carrying duffle b
ags and smiling from ear to ear. Dwayne’s gut told him they would lead him to his prey. Dwayne watched as they practically skipped to Prince’s newly renovated candy-apple painted ’83 Bonneville. This is it. They’re going to get that punk-ass Prince from the hospital. Why else would they drive his car? It ain’t moved in weeks, thought Dwayne. He followed them at a safe distance, trying not to be noticed. Dwayne was so excited that his substandard-sized penis became erect.
Both Prince and Jayden were wheeled out of the hospital. Dwayne felt like a kid on Christmas morning when he saw confirmation that his instincts were correct. They were assisted into the car by the nurses. From Dwayne’s view, they looked healthy. Unfortunately, they also looked exactly alike. Dwayne had no way to tell Prince from Jayden. “Fuck it. I’ll just have to put them both down. Prince is dying today. I like breathing,” Dwayne said aloud as if he weren’t alone. He kept close watch on his prey. One twin got into the front passenger seat’s the other was assisted into the rear driver side. Princess hopped into the back, with the girls filling the remaining seats. Dwayne figured it was Prince in the front since they were riding in his car. He assumed the girls had to be the twins’ girlfriends. His need for self-preservation prevented Dwayne from calling off his plan until a time when his target was alone. It was now or never. Should a bullet find Jayden or one of the girls, they would be considered casualties of war.
Dwayne had driven Raequan’s hoopty for a couple of weeks. Raequan was clueless to Dwayne’s plan. He assumed Dwayne needed wheels to get around. Since he’d just bought a new ride, Raequan told Dwayne he could keep the car for as long as he needed. The Bonneville pulled away from the hospital with a gray 1993 Cavalier on its back bumper. Now that the time had come, Dwayne started sweating profusely. His heart felt like it was going to pump out of his chest. Fear was sinking in but Dwayne didn’t care. Nothing would stop him from seeing another day. Dwayne picked up the 9 mm automatic from the passenger seat and prepared to take aim.