“You do need somebody to help you. Now go call Mia and tell her to take you to the bathroom,” he repeated.
“Aww man,” Anika pouted as she stomped off in search of her big sister. Tre saw her, and Mia go back and forth before Mia finally got up from where she was seated. He hurriedly ran down the hall to one of the rooms and waited for them to come in.
“Since when do you need somebody to come with you to the bathroom Anika?” Mia fussed. “Go ahead and use it and make sure you wash your hands. Come right back outside when you’re done and don’t touch nothing on your way out.”
Mia closed the door behind her sister and started walking down the hall. She didn’t get very far before she was being pulled into one of the spare bedrooms forcefully by her arm.
“What’s wrong with you Tre? You scared the shit out of me,” Mia said grabbing her chest. He closed and locked the door and stood in front of it before he started going in on her.
“I need you to help me understand a few things if you don’t mind,” he said while towering over her short and sexy frame. “We were together for over a year, and nobody knew, but you’ve been with ole boy for a few months, and you introduce him to Von and everybody else. And if that’s not bad enough, you bring the nigga to my house like it’s all good. You can’t be that fucking stupid.”
“First of all, me and Ricky are not together. He’s just my friend, the same as you are. And I didn’t want him to come over here. Von asked me to invite him when he called me. I don’t owe you an explanation and I damn sure don’t have to respect you. Did you respect me when you fucked London in the same bed that we’ve been in a million times? Were you respecting me when you were smiling in my face knowing that you were screwing her behind my back? Where was the respect when I caught that bitch coming out of your bedroom?” Mia snapped.
“I keep telling you that I never slept with that girl before that day,” Tre swore.
“And I keep telling you that I don’t give a fuck! I was hurt, I cried, and now I’m over it. I suggest you get over it too,” Mia said.
She pushed him out of her way and rejoined her friends in the backyard. Needless to say her good mood was ruined thanks to Trevon. When Von told her to invite Ricky over, she tried to protest, but it was too late. He’d already heard what Von had said, and he looked forward to the visit. She knew that Tre would be there, and she didn’t feel right having company over at his house. She expected him to confront her, but she didn’t think he would do it before everybody went home. Three whole months of being separated and Mia hated the love that she still had for him. She knew that it wouldn’t go away overnight, but she was starting to doubt if it ever would. Just being in his presence was a challenge, but Mia did it without fail. She had to let him see that she was serious, but she didn’t want to come off as bitter. He kept trying to work things out with her, but the trust that they once shared was gone. He ruined their relationship and had the nerve to be mad about it. Just thinking about their past together was making her depressed. But for the sake of her company she plastered a fake smile on her face and tried to get through the rest of her day.
***
It was after nine that night when Ricky finally left. Mia was happy that Tre stayed in his room for most of the day so she wouldn’t have to look in his face. After cleaning up and showering everyone retired to the living room to watch TV while Von went to bring Mia’s sisters, Lamar and Nina home. Tre seemed to be in a better mood, so he decided to join them and watch a movie. Mia could feel him staring at her every now and then, but she kept her focus on the TV and nothing else. Every now and then she would text back and forth with Ricky and another dude that she’d met on her job. His name was Chad, and he’d been damn near begging Mia to take her out. She almost agreed until she found out that he had a girlfriend. They were still cool, but knowing that he had somebody was an instant turn off. Mia was cheated on, and she swore to never knowingly do it to somebody else. When Chad saw that Mia was serious, he gave up trying to date her and decided that she was still worth having as a friend. Most chicks would have fallen for him for his looks alone, but Mia wasn’t one of them. She’d even met Chad’s girlfriend to ensure her that nothing out of the ordinary was going on between them.
“Who the hell is ringing the doorbell this time of night?” Tre asked to no one in particular.
It was almost ten at night, and that was rare. Just about everyone who visited were already there anyway. The thought of Mia’s new friend coming back, crossed Tre’s mind, but he doubted that very seriously. Since Tanya was closer, she got up to see who wanted to come in so badly. When she opened it and saw Cheryl and London, she wanted to slam it shut again. She knew who they were, but she pretended like she didn’t just to mess with Cheryl.
“Can I help you?” Tanya asked with a smile.
“No, you can’t, I’m looking for Von,” Cheryl replied with her arms folded across her chest.
When Tre heard her voice, he jumped up from the sofa and stood behind Tanya. He was sorry that he did when he locked eyes with London. She was looking at him like he owed her something even though he told her what the deal was months ago. Although Rainey gave her the heads up after she slept with Tre, London never thought he would be that cold hearted and cut her off like he did. Her first and last time sleeping with him and it was over before it really got started. He was honest and told her that it was a wrap, but she was still holding on to the little hope that she did have. She still came over with her mother hoping that he would have a change of heart, but it never did happen. At least Von was still dealing with Cheryl, so one of them was happy. She saw Rainey sitting on the sofa, but they barely talked anymore. It looked like she was back on Mia’s good side, but Mia was a fool if she trusted her.
“Von is not here right now, but you can call him if you want to,” Tanya replied nicely.
“Is your father home Tank?” Cheryl asked completely ignoring what Tanya said.
“I just told you that he’s not here,” Tanya spoke up again before Tre had a chance to.
“But I wasn’t talking to you,” Cheryl yelled.
“What’s all the yelling for? It doesn’t matter if I tell you or Tank tells you. The results will remain the same. He’s not here,” Tanya replied with an annoyed shrug.
“Do me a huge favor and shut up talking to me. I’m not in the best mood, and I would hate for you to be on the receiving end of my anger,” Cheryl threatened.
“Sweetie I’m forty years old with a very successful business. I would be a damn fool to get out here and fight you over a man. The same man that has made it clear more than one time that you are not his woman. The same man who I know for a fact ignored all of your calls today,” Tanya smirked.
“Don’t flatter yourself honey. I was right where you are just a few weeks ago. Knowing Von, somebody else will be here next week,” Cheryl shot back.
“But I’m here now, that’s all that matters. And this petty argument wouldn’t be happening if Von would have kept you on the curb with the rest of his trash like I told him to,” Tanya remarked before walking away.
Tre wanted to laugh, but he held his composure and stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
“Von went to bring Lamar and Nina home, Cheryl. I’ll tell him to call you when he gets back,” he offered.
“Okay, but he better tell his bitch to stay in her place. She don’t know me like that,” Cheryl fumed while walking back to her car. Tre went back inside just in time to see Tanya grabbing her keys and purse.
“Are you leaving ma?” Duke asked her.
“Yes, I’m going to my own house before I be going to jail up in here,” Tanya replied.
That was the main reason why she and Von weren’t exclusive. It’s not that she didn’t want to be, but she didn’t have time to play games. Von was a good man, and there was no denying that. His lack of commitment and multiple women is what kept Tanya from giving him her all. She’d already had her heart broken by Duke’s father,
Durrell Sr., and she couldn’t take going through that again. That’s why she only came around when it was convenient for her. Von wanted them to be in a relationship, but he wasn’t ready to give up his other women. Tanya knew that it was about that time for her to stay away again. Von had the power to break her down to her lowest term, but she refused to let it go that far. Duke got up and walked his mother to her car before rejoining everyone else in the living room. He wished that she and Von would get it together, but there was nothing that he could do about it. Aside from him and Brandis, everybody around him seemed to be having relationship issues.
“Looks like everybody is breaking up,” Tre said loudly while turning his gaze towards Mia.
“Looks like everybody is cheating too,” she replied unbothered by his lingering stare.
Tre wanted to grab her from the sofa and drag her to his room so bad. If he didn’t think Von would be home soon, that’s exactly what he would have done. This was the longest that they’d ever been apart, and he was tired of suffering. He learned his lesson, but she wasn’t trying to hear it. The longer they stayed apart, the harder it would be for them to get back together. She swore that she was never getting back with him, but Tre wasn’t buying that. She would be single for the rest of her life before he allowed her to be happy with anybody else.
C hapter 5
“The first thing I need you to do is give up the cigarettes,” Dr. Modena said sternly. He couldn’t seem to get his patient to understand that she was only making her condition worse by continuing to smoke. He’d been telling her that for months, but his pleas seemed to be falling on deaf ears. He tried to get his patients to understand that he was only trying to help them to help themselves. At the end of the day they were all adults, so he couldn’t force them to do anything.
“I’ve been trying to stop, but that’s a hard habit to break overnight,” Terri said honestly.
She’d been smoking since she was sixteen years old, and this was her first time actually trying to quit. She knew that her health was more important than her nicotine, but she also had to be realistic.
“I know it’s hard, but you have to do it. Smoking in your condition weakens your immune system faster. You run a higher risk of getting infections and emphysema. Your body is not strong enough to fight off anything. I was a smoker for years, so I know how addictive it can be,” Terri’s doctor informed her.
“I understand, and I promise you that I’m going to try,” Terri swore.
“You need to do more than try Terri,” Tre chimed in. “He’s basically telling you that you have no choice. Your condition can’t get any worse, but you can do your part to ensure that you live longer.”
Tre didn’t want to accompany her to the back to see the doctor, but she’d basically begged him to come. She said she wanted him to know what was going on just in case he ever needed to speak on her behalf. He felt like shit when he found out that she’d been catching the bus to her appointments, so he started bringing her himself. Even when they were on speaking terms again she never bothered to ask him for a ride, but he offered anyway. He felt even worse when he found out that she didn’t have a working phone in the house. Anything could happen to her and nobody would know. Most times she would use a neighbor’s phone which explained why she never called from the same number. Even when he called her they would always say that she wasn’t around, but they would tell her to call him back. That problem was quickly solved when he took her to the mall and got her a phone of her own. It was only a pre-paid plan, but she had unlimited minutes, so she could talk as much as she wanted to. It broke Tre’s heart when Terri told him not to get a two-year contract for the phone because she would probably be dead before it expired. She’d basically given up the fight to live and accepted the fact that she was going to die. Most times Tre didn’t know what to say when she talked like that, so he remained quiet.
“He’s absolutely right,” the doctor agreed breaking Tre away from his thoughts. “Your T-cells numbers haven’t gone down, but they haven’t increased either. We need those numbers to be as high as possible. I want you to continue eating healthy and avoid as much stress as you possibly can. Other than that we’ll just continue to pray that the medicine works. When you come back I want to be able to give you some good news.”
Terri only nodded her head once he finished talking to her. The report that he gave her wasn’t good, but it wasn’t all that bad either. She’d been taking her medicine and eating healthy meals like she was supposed to. She was at least hoping that her cell count would have gone up just a little bit, but that didn’t happen. The thought of her continuing to smoke being the reason that she wasn’t getting better played heavily on her mind. She’d unsuccessfully tried to stop smoking several times, but she always gave in to her cravings. The thought of her possibly only having a few more months to live was enough to make her smoke a pack a day. Her doctor kept telling her to remain stress free, but that was easier said than done. He wasn’t the one walking around with the grim reaper hot on his heels.
“Are you hungry?” Tre asked Terri as they drove away from the doctor’s office.
“Yeah, but I’ll probably eat a sandwich or something when I get home. Thanks for buying all that food for me too. That’s probably enough to last me for the next two months,” Terri laughed.
“It’s not that much, but you’re welcome,” Tre replied.
Instead of going straight to Terri’s house he went a different route to get her something to eat. She loved the grilled chicken salads from a restaurant that wasn’t too far from her doctor’s office. She remained silent until Tre pulled up in the restaurant’s parking lot and turned his car off. She’d told him about how good the salads were there and she was happy to know that he was paying attention. Her heart was so full at the moment that she burst out crying, nearly scaring Tre half to death.
“What’s wrong Terri?” Tre asked in a panic. He jumped out on the driver’s side and rushed over to her. After opening the passenger’s door, he pulled her out of the car and looked her over. “Are you in pain or something?”
“No, I feel fine,” Terri said wiping her eyes. “I just appreciate you so much. I was a terrible mother, and I really don’t deserve everything that you’re doing for me. If it weren’t for you, I would be all alone. Nobody else wants to be around me, including your brother and sister. I have no one else to blame, but myself.”
“It’s cool Terri. I hate that your sickness was the thing that made us closer, but that’s how it happens sometimes. I won’t lie and say that I didn’t hate you for a long time because I did. Von was damn good to me and he still is. Even though he made sure I didn’t want for anything growing up it still couldn’t take the place of me not having a mother around. It’s not like you were dead or locked up. You were twenty minutes away and you still never came to see about me. After a while I stopped caring or at least that what I made myself believe. I still loved you in spite of everything that you didn’t do. Thanks to Von I never felt alone or neglected. He gave me enough love to last me a lifetime,” Tre said honestly.
“I just pray that you find it in your heart to forgive me one day even though I don’t deserve it,” Terri replied.
“I already forgive you, Terri. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t. My brother and sister are hurting, and I understand how they feel. I can’t say how long it’ll take for them to come around. I don’t even know if they ever will. If it weren’t for Von, I would probably be the same way.”
“Von is a good man and he always has been. Even when he was out in the streets he wasn’t as ruthless as some of the other ones. I know he gave you the world, but I should have done my part as well,” Terri replied solemnly.
She felt bad that Tre didn’t have good things to say about her like he said about his father. She didn’t give him any good memories and that was her own fault. Even though she wasn’t in her children’s lives she was thankful that they all had great fathers who stepped up to the plate and gav
e them a good life. Unlike Von, her other children’s father hated her and he made sure that they felt the same way.
“Speaking of the devil,” Tre said when he saw Von calling him. “Go get a table and I’ll be in when I take this call.”
“Okay,” Terri replied before she walked off and entered the restaurant.
“What’s up Von,” Tre answered his phone.
“Hey, are you still out with Terri?”
“Yeah, we’re about to grab something to eat. What’s up?”
“Let me ask you a question and you better tell me the truth,” Von said in his no nonsense tone.
“Okay,” Tre replied. He didn’t know what Von was talking about, but he was curious as hell to find out. He’d kept his promise to Mia and stopped selling weed, so he didn’t know what was going on.
“Have you been paying your probation officer?” Von asked seriously.
Tre moved the phone from his ear and frowned at it like Von could see him. That was a dumb question that he probably wouldn’t have answered for anybody else. His probation fees were only eighty dollars for the month. An amount that small wasn’t even worth him going back to jail for. He blew more than that on food and other nonsense every week.
“I pay my probation officer faithfully every month. I still have all of my money order stubs to prove it. Why, what happened?”
“Nothing happened, but I just got the mail, and he sent you a letter. I didn’t open it, but I just wanted to be sure that you were handling your business.”
“Open it and see what it says. I haven’t missed any payments, and I’ve been doing that online survey every month like he told me to.”
“Alright, give me a minute to read it,” Von requested. Tre heard him fumbling with something and then he started reading to himself.
“What does it say?”
“You’re good, but you have to go see him day after tomorrow at nine. Looks like he’s finally doing what he’s getting paid to do. You haven’t seen him in months.”
Creepin' 2: A New Orleans Love Story Page 5