Secrets of a Kept Chick Saga

by Ambria Davis

  “What took you so long?” I asked the minute we were back on the road, away from the gas station.

  “Kailay had to go to the bathroom, and Kayson and Kaylon forgot to get their chips.”

  “Well, why did I see you talking to them boys in blue, though?” I asked.

  “They were just making conversation, that’s all. Wasn’t nothing funny going on.”

  “Uh-huh. It better not be,” I said and turned the radio up. I didn’t want to hear shit else she had to say. All I wanted was to make sure she didn’t give me up to the people. Now that I know she hadn’t, I wanna find a place where we could chill out for the time being. As soon as the dust settled, I’m taking my kids and sending her on her merry way.

  I didn’t have time to settle down with no bitch. I had made plans to do that with Amina, but unfortunately, things turned out differently. Now I’m rocking solo. I’m going to be a bachelor for the rest of my life. If I couldn’t have Mimi, I didn’t want nobody else.

  Stacy

  Kaylin’s been acting funny ever since we left the A. I needed to know what he was thinking, because I didn’t come this far to turn back around now. All the shit I’ve been through these past few years is going to count for something. I spent a whole year keeping Mimi’s secret, only because I had to. I know people been wondering why I ain’t come out and tell Kaylin the minute he moved me and Jr. up here, but I had no choice in the matter. The shit was out of my control, but now that Mimi’s out of the picture, I wondered what his next plan was.

  I sat there wondering how I let my life get this way. I’d come from having great friends to being forced to hate them. I’d never really told anyone the truth, but I really had considered Mimi as being one of my best friends. She was always the type to have a nigga’s back, but when I found out our family secret, the shit made me start hating her. Had she’d been for anyone else, we’d have been the best of friends, but she wasn’t, and I couldn’t stand her ass.

  I sat back for years watching her get the better end of the deal. Even when she was poor and ain’t had shit, she still was living a better life than the one I was living. She was always surrounded by people who loved her, and I never had that. When she met Kaylin, I instantly got jealous of her. I secretly envied her, until one day we thought of a plot to take everything away from her. Only thing is that my plan didn’t fully work. She still had Kaylin by her side, but that’s all over now. Hopefully, I won’t have to deal with the devil himself for much longer. I wanted to enjoy my life, and now that my one and only competition is out of the way, it should be much easier to. I was even willing to accept three kids that didn’t belong to me.

  I was still a little heated after the episode at the gas station with Kaylin choking me, but I was willing to overlook it. Yeah, I know what y’all might be thinking, but I truly loved Kaylin, and that’s why I spent all this time trying to get him to be mine. I went to great lengths to get Amina out of the picture. I did shit one wouldn’t imagine me doing to someone close to me, and I ain’t ashamed of it. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat for the man that I love. One might wonder why I would trust a nigga who would kill his own girl. My answer to them is simple—I don’t know. Love makes you do some crazy-ass things. Love would make you turn ya back on your own mother and never see her again. Trust me, I know, but what I want Kaylin and everyone else to know is that if I can’t have him . . . then no one will. I’ll do the same thing to him that he did to Mimi.

  Looking back at the kids, I turned to Kaylin and said, “Kay, I think we need to find somewhere to rest at. These poor children look like they all worn out and shit. We’re far enough away from Atlanta to take a quick break from driving to wherever we’re supposed to be going.”

  “Yeah, all right,” he responded, playing with his phone. This nigga is really starting to test me and shit.

  “Kaylin,” I yelled.

  “Look, ma, I said all right, now chill. Don’t make me fuck yo’ ass up again,” he said, finally taking his eyes away from the phone.

  Rolling my eyes, I sat back and pulled my phone out of my purse. Scrolling through my text messages, I located the name Mister and prepared to send him a text.

  Me: In case you don’t know, everything is all said and done.

  Mister: Good, we still got one more thing left to handle. Then you get paid, and I’ll go my own way and leave you alone.

  Me: Hold up, all you said I had to do was get Mimi’s casket ready and I’d be able to have Kaylin. You ain’t said shit else about whatever it is you’re trying to do. I didn’t agree to shit else.

  Mister: Doesn’t matter what you agreed to do. You’re going to do whatever I tell you to do.

  Me: I don’t have to do a damn thing else. I already did what you asked me to do.

  Mister: You’re right, you don’t have to, but you will. Or do you want me to tell Kaylin about what you did that landed them in jail? Or how, in fact, you sent Tyreek down there to stir up trouble? I’ll be in contact shortly, just be ready when I do. Talk to you later.

  Throwing my phone in my purse, I sat back and wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into. This ain’t what I signed up for. All I agreed to do was to take Mimi out of the picture. I ain’t agreed to do shit else, and I ain’t about to. Fuck that. He done been my puppet master for too long. It’s time for me to start playing right along with him.

  Jayden

  It’s funny how you can go from living a dream to living a fucking nightmare, all in a matter of hours. I don’t normally pray, but today, I asked God to hold my hand and guide me through this whole process. My mind has been clouded with thoughts of Mimi. From the first time that I saw her, to the first time that we kissed, I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. I still remember how sweet she tasted and how real she was. Yeah, I know I just met her a couple of weeks ago, but there was something about her that made me want to give her my all. Man, I’ll never see her again! Fuck! This bitch-ass nigga just don’t know how bad I’m going to do him in when I see him.

  The drive from West Virginia to Atlanta is normally about seven hours or so, but my boy Mark got us there in like five. He damn near broke every traffic law known to man. Shit, it was a good thing that we didn’t get stopped or else we would’ve been in a whole world of trouble—trouble that I didn’t have time for right now.

  I was basically quiet the whole way down. Shit, I really didn’t have much to say. All I wanted to do was pay my final respects to Mimi, get my hands on that bitch-ass nigga Kaylin, and do him something grimy, then head my ass back to West Virginia. That nigga robbed me of my future wife and shit. I don’t know the whole story, but I plan on asking that girl Troy as soon as I see her. Shit, this shit is way too deep, and some things just ain’t adding up.

  I was deep in my thoughts until Mark started calling my name.

  “Jay, nigga, you ain’t hear me calling ya name just now?” he asked.

  “Nah, man, I didn’t hear you,” I replied, looking at him.

  “Well, we here, nigga. What you wanna do now?”

  “Man, just find me a Motel 6, so I can lay low,” I replied, staring out the window. All I needed was a little spot where I could come and go without someone seeing me. I wanted to be incognito so that I could do my dirt and get the fuck on. Atlanta doesn’t have shit for me down here anymore. Oh, but please believe, they may not see me, but these bitches will feel me.

  Pulling into the parking lot of the motel, I quickly pushed all thoughts of killing to the back of my mind, for now anyway. I knew how I could be at times, and if I’m not levelheaded, I’ll do shit without thinking. My nigga Mark found us a motel with the quickness. I mean, even though it’s cheap and shit, it doesn’t look it. I told him to get a room all the way in the back. It was kind of empty and shit, but like I said, I wanted to be felt, not seen.

  After getting the keys to our rooms, we unloaded the car and settled in. I wasn’t in the mood to do anything, so my plans were to smoke and chill. Besides, I didn’t co
me down here on a vacation. I came down here on a mission.

  I was just about to get in the shower when someone came knocking at the door. I already knew that it was Mark, because he was the only one who knew we were here, so I answered the door.

  “I know you prolly wanna chill and get ya mind right, so I brought a few things over to do so,” he said, holding up a bottle of Peach Cîroc and a Ziploc bag full of loud.

  “You know me too well,” I replied, stepping aside so that he could come in. “I’m about to hop in the shower right quick, though.”

  “All right, cool, you do that and I’ma go get us something to eat from the McDonald’s up the road.” He placed the contents that he had in his hands on the little nightstand by the bed.

  “All right, then, but remember to stay out of sight for now. Don’t let anyone see you,” I reminded him.

  “Yeah, I know, man. I ain’t new to this. I’m true to this,” he replied, walking to the door.

  “Bet.”

  After Mark left, I proceeded to the bathroom to shower. I was stressed out and tense as a motherfucker. Stepping into the shower, I allowed the hot water to caress my skin. I could actually feel the tension leaving my body as the water beat against it. I used this time to clear my mind, because only God knows how heavy the shit really is. Between the beef at home and the shit that’s done gone down with Mimi, I’m just too beat. At times, it feels like I got the weight of the world on my shoulders, and all I wanna do is say fuck it, because there’s only so much a person could really take. I know they say a man ain’t supposed to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but by now, people should know I’m not like most men. I actually have a heart, and I’m one of the few men left who honestly gives a fuck. Putting all my issues in West Virginia in the back of my mind, I decided to focus on the issue in Atlanta.

  After almost an hour of just standing under the water, I grabbed the soap and washcloth and scrubbed my body clean. By that time, the water was damn near cold, so I quickly rinsed off and got out. Walking into the front of the room, I grabbed a wife beater, some sweatpants, a pair of socks, and my red and white Jordans. When I was done getting dressed, I grabbed the Ziploc bag and the box of cigars to start rolling up, but a knock at the door stopped me once again. Grabbing my gun from the nightstand drawer, I went to open it. Looking through the peephole, I saw that it was Mark.

  “Man, why you ain’t take one of them keys off the nightstand?” I asked as I opened the door.

  “Man, I forgot, and I’m glad, ’cause you prolly would’ve started shooting or some shit if I just walked in the door like that,” he replied. Motioning to the gun in my hand, he stated, “You better be careful with that.”

  “Yeah, nigga, you prolly right. Besides, we can’t be too careful, especially when we came down here to get our hands dirty in the first place,” I warned as I took a seat on the bed and resumed what I was doing before he came knocking.

  “Yeah, true that,” he replied, placing the McDonald’s bag on the desk by the wall.

  “We’re about to have a fucking smoke session in this bitch,” I exclaimed as I tried to spark up a conversation. The silence was too uncomfortable for me.

  “Yeah, I could use me a nice high right about now,” he replied from across the room.

  We sat in silence as we both were lost in our thoughts. My mind was on Amina and this situation at hand. I still hadn’t come up with a plan, but I planned to drop by Troy’s house later on today. I needed her to give me the 411 on that fool and all his hangout spots.

  “So did you come up with a plan yet?” Mark asked once we put the joint in rotation.

  “Nah, man, I plan on going to see Troy later today, but right now, all I wanna do is chill.”

  “Cool, but you do know ya can’t sit on this too long. The longer you wait, the farther you’re letting him get away.”

  “Yeah, man, I know. That’s why I wanna talk with ya girl. After I get the whole backstory, I’m going to come up with a plan then.”

  “Yeah, that would be a good choice,” he agreed, passing me the blunt. “Yo, when is the funeral, though? You know we need to go shopping and shit.”

  “Man, I have no idea, but fuck it. Let’s roll to the mall then,” I replied, passing back the blunt to him.

  “For sure, but lemme go hop in the shower right quick. I know you ain’t think I was going somewhere without getting fresh, huh?” he laughed.

  “Nah, nigga, I know you. You’re a pretty boy. Ain’t no way you was going to leave without getting fresh on me, man,” I replied, laughing because I knew what I said was true. No matter where we went, his pretty ass was always trying to get fresh. I guess since he was poor all his life. Now that he’s got something, he wanna floss it, and I don’t blame him, ’cause I’m the same way. It was hard growing up without having enough of this or that, and now that we have it, it’s too hard not to want to showcase our newfound wealth. Don’t get me wrong . . . We’re not the kind of niggas who think they’re too much for the next one, because we ain’t. Just like we got it, the next person could get it. We don’t mind giving back to our community or those in need, because like I said, we were once poor ourselves.

  “All right, man, just holla at me when you’re done then.”

  “All right, man,” he said, dapping me off. After he left, I sat back on the bed to think about my life. Hell, if it ain’t one thing, it’s another. Whenever I’d try to get my life in a more positive position, trouble would always come and find me. But this time, I planned to come out on top instead of being defeated and at the bottom.

  Troy

  Instead of going straight to the mall, I decided to stop by McDonald’s on the way. We never got the chance to go and eat out like we had planned to, thanks to that episode at the salon earlier. I decided that something quick would do. Besides, I have to stop by the funeral home later on. I had put the task off for a whole week, but now it was time that I laid my girl to rest peacefully. I wish this shit was all one big-ass dream, but it isn’t, and I’m willing to accept the fact that she’s gone and she ain’t coming back. Pushing all that other shit to the side until later, I decided to focus on Kayla right now.

  “Kayla, baby, what do you want to eat?” I asked, turning to her.

  “I want some chicken nuggets, fries, and some juice,” she replied, with her eyes still focused on whatever she was doing on that iPad.

  “Is that all?” I asked her, but she wasn’t paying me no mind. She was more interested in what was on the screen than what I had to say.

  “Kayla, baby, is that all you want?” I asked, repeating myself.

  “Yes, Auntie Troy,” she quickly replied, finally.

  I chuckled a bit, and then placed our order. We decided that we were going to eat in, so we went ahead and found us a table to sit at. Once Kayla was seated, I went to fill up our cups.

  Returning to the table, I placed both drinks on it and went to retrieve our food. After getting our meals, I went back to the table and sat down.

  I was taking the food out of the bag when my phone started ringing. I already knew that it was Mark, because the ringtone that I had assigned for him was playing.

  “Hey, could you hold on right quick?” I asked when I answered.

  “Okay,” he replied.

  I set the phone down and fished the rest of Kayla’s meal out of the bag, leaving everything except my fries inside. I began eating them as I said, “Hello,” bringing the phone up to my ear.

  “Yeah, I thought you had done forgot about me,” Mark replied, with a light chuckle.

  “No, baby, it ain’t even like that. I was getting Kayla’s food out of the bag,” I replied laughing.

  “Kayla? Who’s Kayla?”

  “Kayla is Mimi’s oldest daughter.”

  “But I thought you said that ole boy took all of his kids when he killed ya girl that night,” he stated, obviously confused.

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what I told you,” I said in an annoyed tone. I wanted him t
o drop the shit; I really don’t know why he trying to elaborate and rehash this shit. I told you what I told you. End of story, I thought to myself.

  “Well, why shorty over there with you, if she had supposedly left with dude then? Shit, I’m not getting this. It don’t make no sense.”

  “Can you hold on for a minute please?” I asked in an irritated tone. “Kayla, baby, Auntie’s gonna step away from the table right quick. I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “Okay,” she replied, still playing with that damn iPad.

  “And put that iPad away so you can eat your food,” I demanded before I got up. Getting up from the table, I moved to a spot right outside the door, but close enough where I could still keep a close eye on Kayla.

  “Hello,” I said, bringing the phone back to my ear.

  “Yeah, ma, I’m still here.”

  “Remember when I told you that Mimi had four kids? Two sets of twins, one was a set of girls and the other one a set of boys?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, three of the four kids belong to Kaylin, the twin boys and one of the twin girls.”

  “But wait, that shit don’t make no sense. How could she have two sets of twins, but only three of the kids are for ole boy? That shit just ain’t possible!”

  I said nothing as he tried to figure the shit out. I wasn’t trying to air out all of my girl’s dirty laundry. Hell, that was her business. I mean, I already been through the shit before and I was just like he was, but DNA proved that shit to me. I didn’t think it’s my place to try to prove that shit to nobody. It’s Mimi’s, and now that she is dead, her secret should be too. Hell, I ain’t want to tell his ass that much, but he kept asking, and I already regret telling him the shit. I didn’t want anyone judging my girl, because everyone makes mistakes, and she’s already paid for her mistakes with her life.

  Then as if a lightbulb went off in his head, he exclaimed, “Hold up, you mean to tell me that—”