“Yep, all for you, and when you get older you use it on starting your own business.” This wasn’t money for Titus no more. I wasn’t giving his bitch ass shit. “And look at ya head, man. Did you get you a haircut?” He looked rough, and his clothes looked dull and wrinkled.
“Naw, Mommy was supposed to take me to Uncle Titus, but we didn’t go.”
“That’s not your uncle.” He looked at me confused. “He is just one of my associates, but he isn’t family, you hear me?” He nodded holding the money as I drove.
“But you won’t be going there getting your haircut anymore.” None of my kids were going to go get cut by that nigga anymore.
“You see, son, another thing I want you to know.” I tried choosing my words so he could understand, but sometimes there is no better way to talk to your kids but being blunt. “The best way to deal with a bitch ass nigga is to stop fucking with they ass completely.” He nodded taking mental notes. “You don’t have to raise your voice or raise your hand. Just stop fucking with em. But if they push you... You always need to defend your honor as a man. You feel me?”
“Yes, sir.”
We drove off. First stop was the bank and then the barbershop, a whole new barbershop because me and Uncle Titus would be no more.
Titus
The sky was bright and sunny, but in my car shit felt real dark. I had so many things on my mind that last night I couldn’t even sleep.
In my mind I replayed my conversation with Kisha, my life, and all the fucked up decisions that I seemed to make.
I stayed up all night trying to figure out what to do about Kisha, and only one thing made sense. I wanted her in my life, and I could tell by how scared she looked that Moe was putting his hands on her. Rena told me he was a bitch ass nigga like that, but Rena said some stupid shit sometimes that made you wanna slap the shit out of her. I just tossed it up to some bullshit they had going on. But never would I have thought he would do that shit to Kisha.
Saturday afternoon couldn’t have come quick enough, and here I was outside this nigga house about to ask him about what I saw. If he wanted to fight then it was whatever, but I was going to make sure he never put his motherfucking hands on Kisha again. At the least I was going to drop off the gift for my nephew and get my money.
Walking into the backyard there were kids everywhere with MJ jumping around in a bounce house and the rest of the kids scattered around the yard. Music was blasting and the kids looked like there were having fun, but for some reason I didn’t feel right.
“Hey Un... I mean Titus.” Looking down I saw Mikel.
“Wassup, man.” I held out my hand for a five. “What you call me?”
“Titus.”
“What happened to Uncle Titus?”
“Daddy said you aren’t family. You are just an associate.” That was the crazy shit about kids. They always tell the truth.
“Aww, yeah, is that right?” He nodded.
“Where is your Dad?”
“In the house.”
“Okay, man. Go play.” Putting MJ’s present with the rest of the gifts I saw Kisha laughing and trying to fix some decorations. I watched her for a minute; seeing her laugh was way better than seeing her cry yesterday.
She had on glasses, and for a split second she bent down and I saw the glasses fall off and what was underneath them made my fists clench. Her eye wasn’t bruised yesterday. I was the only one that saw it, quickly she put the glasses back on and smiled, but I saw it and I didn’t give a fuck what she said. Today I was going to do something about it.
Kisha
* * *
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Titus came out of nowhere. I didn’t think he would even come today, and by the way Moe was talking this morning I didn’t think they were on good terms.
“Yeah... Sure.” Smiling I tried to not make this look suspicious. Walking over to the fence to get out of earshot of everybody I let Titus talk.
“I’m sorry about yesterday.” He tried. “I didn’t mean for you…” I stopped him before he could get started.
“What you do is your personal business. You fucking Rena has nothing to do with me.”
“I know that, and I want you to know that. Me and her... That was before me and you.” I looked around quick making sure no one heard.
“Don’t say that.”
“Don’t say what? Me and you. I love…” I smiled looking around, but no one was paying us any attention.
“Answer my question from yesterday.” I looked around trying to spot Moe, but he was nowhere to be found. Just a bunch of kids and our family around. “He’s hitting you, isn’t he?” I adjusted my glasses feeling self-conscious now. “We had an argument this morning. No big deal.”
“It’s a big deal if that nigga is hitting you.”
“He said someone saw a car out here the other night. Said they saw us.” His face dropped.
“Somebody like who?”
“I don’t know; he wouldn’t tell me. I just denied and... He doesn’t believe me. So…” I could still feel his hands on my face. The scarf around my neck was blocking the marks of his hands around my neck.
“I’m going to say something to his ass.”
“No... Please.”
“Fuck that. He’s going to kill you, girl. I can’t let that shit happen. Fuck that.”
“But he’s already mad at you.” Titus looked at me sideways.
“About what?”
“I don’t know. He just said he wasn’t fucking with you anymore.” I tried to keep our conversation to a minimum, but somehow whatever he was mad at Titus about spilled over to me.
Titus started cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders.
“What are you doing... Please not here.”
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I love you too much.” I hadn’t heard anyone say that in a long time. “Fuck what we have going on. Whether you wanna be with me or not.” He swallowed looking deep into my eyes. “But he isn’t going to put another hand on you after today. I mean that.” I believed every word he said. The only problem was words were a hell of a lot easier than actions.
Morris
* * *
“Whaddup, P.” I answered the door for my boy Paul. I needed to get a better understanding of the shit he told me the other day. Once and for all I needed to know if this bitch was fucking somebody. If she was I was going to do way more than slap her ass.
“Wassup, my dude.” I stepped outside on the front porch so we could have some privacy.
“Man, I got my son’s party going on, but I needed to look you in ya face, man.” I need to hear this shit for real.
“Wassup, man... Anything.” I’d done so much for Paul that I knew this nigga wasn’t going to lie to me.
“So you said you saw my wife kissing somebody.” He nodded and ran it all down to me again.
“Look, man. I was at the club, and I saw her leave in a car.”
“So you said the car was like my brother’s car, right?”
“Yeah. Then I swung past ya crib to see if you was cool, and I saw the same car outside and her in the doorway. I thought it was you, tho.” I didn’t say a word, thinking of every person I knew with a Monte Carlo.
“So he had a Monte like my brother?”
“Naw, man. Your other brother.” Now that’s where the nigga lost me.
“Paul, dude. My only brother died, you know that.”
“Man, quit talking to me like I just met you. I know that.”
“So what brother are you talking about then, man? My brother had a Monte Carlo.” Paul shook his head at me, putting his hand on my shoulder.
“Naw, man. Your other brother. The nigga that cuts hair.” My head started pounding.
“You talking about Titus?”
“Yeah, man… I couldn’t remember his name. I was gonna say Midas or some shit.” Paul laughed, but wasn’t shit funny to me.
“What color was it?”
“Black… Shit,
just like that car.” He pointed down my driveway, and there it was. “Shit, as a matter of fact that looks just like it. I think that is it because that motherfucka had them same rims.” I felt my stomach start to boil.
“You aight, dude?”
“Naw man... I’m nothing close to being alright.” Going in the house I went straight towards the kitchen. Looking out I saw that nigga by the fence talking to my wife having a close ass conversation.
Keep your friends and your enemies close… I heard that repeating in my head, but what the fuck was Titus supposed to be.
“MORRIS!” I heard my momma yell my name.
“YEAH!” I yelled back.
“Bring out a knife. We about to cut the cake.” Looking on the table I looked at the shiny steel knife, and all I could see was red. I was about to bring out the knife alright.
Titus
* * *
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MJ…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!” The kids screamed and clapped, but my eyes were on Morris walking out the door.
Everybody was singing but me. I was watching that nigga, and he was watching me as he got closer to the table.
“Morris, baby, hand me that knife.” I looked down seeing the steel in his hand, but his eyes never left me.
I couldn’t hold back. I wasn’t going to wait until later or a better time. I needed to know right now.
“You hit her, nigga?” I screamed at him in front of everybody.
“You fuck her?”
“Whoa, boys….” Moe’s momma tried to interject, but we were way past that. I stepped towards him.
“Get back, Momma.”
“What, you wanna fight, nigga?”
“I’m not fighting. I’m gonna kill yo ass.” Moe lunged at me like we were doing fencing in the Olympics, but I jumped out the way.
“This ain’t no Catholic school yard, fight boy.” I jumped around him, slapping him with my fist just like I knew he had done Kisha. The kids were crying, and the women were yelling for us to stop, but I was gonna show his ass what it was like to fight a real man.
“So, you hitting women now?”
“So, you fucking my wife now?” He charged at me out of breath punching me in the stomach, but I got him good in the jaw. I pushed him back squaring up, and as he came to me I hit his ass with a mean uppercut that made him fold back and hit the ground.
“Oh my God…” I heard them screaming. I knocked his ass out.
“TITUS... TITUS, YOU’RE BLEEDING.” I heard someone say, but I wasn’t sure where. He barely touched, but that’s when I felt the burning. Looking down the knife handle was sticking out of my shirt.
I heard someone screaming “Somebody call an ambulance.” As I pulled out the knife I saw blood everywhere, and my body went weak, but it was all worth it.
Lord, if this is it I just couldn’t let her go through it. Have mercy on me, Lord.
Kisha
Covered in blood and with a bruised face I waited at the police station answering the same questions.
“So, you didn’t know there was an issue?”
“No, sir.”
The officer typed away on the computer until I heard someone screaming my name.
“KISHA.” Looking up I saw Morris in handcuffs. “I loved you, Kisha, but you fucked over me. I’m gonna kill you, bitch!” He screamed through the police precinct. I didn’t move. I just watched him, the rage in his eyes and the blood on his clothes.
“Get his ass out of here.” The officer screamed, and in no time there were a few uniforms dragging Morris down the hallway to a room.
“I’m sorry about that.” The officer apologized, but there was nothing for him to apologize for. It wasn’t his fault that I married a maniac. It wasn’t his fault that my husband cared more about bitches than he did me. It wasn’t his fault that I married the wrong man, and the only man that ever stood up for me might be dead.
“So... You said you don’t want to file a restraining order, right?” I said no at first. I didn’t know if it was the shock or maybe I was afraid, but now hearing that and after what I saw today I had to do what was right for me and my family.
“No... Actually, I do want to file.” I told the officer. “You see these bruises on my face? He did this to me.” I had cried away all my make up, and with my glasses off anyone could see clearly what I had been trying to hide.
“Okay…” He opened up a few cabinets pulling out some paperwork.
“Here, fill this out, and we can get it filed.” He told me, and with shaking hands I picked up my pen trying to figure out where to start.
“Ma’am…” Looking up into the officer’s eyes he tried smiling a bit, but it was hard to smile under this situation.
“I want you to know you are very brave. If you don’t get out, he could do to you what he did to that man.” I thought about that for a moment. Morris stabbing me in front of my children. Me dying because he couldn’t control his anger.
That was all he had to say, enough was enough. First step restraining order, next stop divorce.
Titus
The pain meds were starting to wear off like the doctor said they would. I have been through some shit before, broken legs, and way too many tattoos, but this shit was like pain I had never felt.
In the hospital bed I squirmed around trying to find the call button, but I couldn’t find it.
“NURSE.” I yelled as loud as I could. “NURSE”
I heard the door open, but it wasn’t a nurse. Instead, Kisha was standing in the doorway.
“Hey... You’re awake. What do you need?”
“Pain... Press the call button.” I managed to say. She was over at my bedside pressing the button in seconds.
“Yes, sir.” The nurse came on over the speaker.
“He is in pain.” She told the nurse over the intercom.
“Okay, I will be right in.”
“Thank you…” The pain was shooting through my body, but I needed to know some things.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, T... I’m fine…I…”
“I love you. You know that.” I stopped her from talking.
“I’m sorry... I didn’t know he would.” She was crying now, but nobody knew what a coward would do until he did it.
“Baby... Don’t…” The nurse came in with a needle, and I felt like God himself was walking through the room.
“Ok, sir. Here we go. This will make the pain subside.” She shot the liquid into my IV, and in seconds I felt like I could breathe again.
“Thank you... Thank you.” I felt like this all happened for a reason, and with whatever time I had left I wanted to be happy.
“Titus I…”
“Will you marry me?” I cut her off. I was done playing and going through the back and forth bullshit.
“I’m married I…”
“Divorce him. You can’t stay with him after what he did.”
“I know...I…”
“Marry me. I love you.” I had never cried over anything, but right now in this hospital I saw the future. I needed Kisha to be my wife, and I should have asked her all those years ago. Back then I was caught up in what other people said. That I was too young and I should go out and live, but living wasn’t living if I didn’t have her.
“Yes…” She was crying, tears falling down as she hugged me. “Yes, I will marry you.” I didn’t give a damn what I would have to do. I already was ready to die for this woman, there was nothing that would keep me from being by her side. I prayed to God for help, and he let me live, and now I was going to do some real living with the woman that I loved.
One Year Later
She hated visiting jails and everything about them. From the cold grey stone walls, the guards, guns. Walking through metal detectors and having to sit on seats of steel that were uncomfortable to sit for long, but today she sat and watched as he signed her into freedom. Today she felt like a slave that was let go. She was free from Morris and he from her, but unlike their wedding day that wa
s held in a church, today’s ceremony was held in a penitentiary.
“Alright, that seems like it's it.” Said the jail notary that stood over the table. “I now pronounce you both divorced.” He said and Kisha squealed with glee grabbing the papers and stuffing them back into an envelope.
“You are still going to bring the boys to see me... Right?” He asked his face sunken and dull.
“Yes, of course. I told you I would.” Kisha stood up flipping her hair and looking down at the man she used to call her husband. He didn’t seem so scary now that he was in an orange jumpsuit and shackles.
“Can I have a moment alone to talk?” Morris asked and Kisha rolled her eyes, but she sat back down as the notary left the room.
The guard stayed in the corner ever present, but there was no negotiating that.
“So it's over, huh?”
“Yeah, it is. Truthfully, it was over before we got started.” Kisha added, and he nodded to that.
“Whose baby is that?” Morris asked pointing at her protruding stomach. She tried to hide it under a big sweater dress, but apparently she didn’t do a good enough job.
“It doesn’t matter.” She gave a coy answer, not feeling like arguing or disclosing her personal business.
“But I can ask...”
“How is your baby... The one that you ended up conceiving while we were married?” Kisha made a rebuttal like a prosecuting attorney that silenced Morris and his question.
“Fair enough.” He said finally.
“Well, I wanted to say that I’m sorry. And I wish you nothing but the best.” It pained him to say it, but he knew he had to be nice to the woman that had his children. He still wanted to see them, and a five year bid could be long or short depending on what visits and phone calls you had.
“Thank you. I wish the same for you.” She stood up grabbing her things. “I’ll bring the kids by soon and make sure they write.” With that the guard let Kisha out of the door leaving Morris with no other choice but to sit in his chains and watch his now ex-wife walk away.
Hubby Vs Bae Page 6