by Candi B
“Shut up, dummy!” I laughed. “Sometimes, I felt like I didn’t, because I knew he wasn’t no good for me, and I stayed. But fuck that now. Ain’t no nigga gon’ waste my time, or treat me like shit no more. Not even you, nigga.”
“Whoa, damn, ease up. I get that the nigga did you wrong, but let’s keep it one thousand. I got the pussy almost two weeks ago, and if that’s all I wanted, then you wouldn’t be here now. Recognize a real nigga when you see one. I got a daughter, and I ain’t trying to be out here fucking over women. I don’t want my karma to fall on her. So, get that shit out that big ass head of yours.”
“Don’t talk about my head, like you ain’t carrying around a big ass spaceship.”
Zane laughed. “So, what’s your reason?”
"Reason for what?" I asked him.
"Leaving your ex-husband?"
"He fucked my cousin." I stated, unpleasantly.
"Damn, that's cold! Please tell me you beat that hoe’s ass."
"Yeah, I did." I lied.
I couldn't tell him right now that she was pregnant with his second child, and how I just walked away from her. I can't tell him how, I just couldn't tell him nothing when it came to Sharaya. I had just got rid of the pain she caused in my heart, and I couldn't fathom letting any of it back in. He was good with what I told him.
"Man, I know you tried to kill that girl, have you talked to her after that?"
I didn't want to talk about that bitch. I never wanted to speak her name ever! "No, I told her to stay clear of me, or else." Please change the subject, I thought.
"Something like that would fuck with my mental, but it just goes to show how much of a boss you are. You ain't let that shit stop you from doing nothing. That shit is a turn on like a motherfucker."
I laughed. "Everything turns your horny ass on."
Zane turned into the parking lot and told me we were going bowling. He got out the car and opened my door to let me out. He paid for us to bowl, and we put on our bowling shoes. Zane was already talking noise about how he was about to beat me in bowling.
"Boy, please! You must don't know who you’re talking to. I was the bowling queen, you better call Berg and ask him about me. I’ve handed him a few ass whoopings in my career."
"I ain't got to call nobody, just lace your shoes up, and get ready for this ass whooping I’m about to hand you, young lady." He kissed the side of my face, and then walked to get a bowling ball.
The bowling alley was the only place my mama would let me come without her being here. It used to be lit back then, unlike it was now. The old school jukebox was gone, and there wasn't any music playing. Zane pulled his pants up and got into a funny looking position. He looked back at me and laughed, and the rolled the ball down the lane.
"Strike!" He yelled. "You better bring your a-game! This shit about to be epic, I’m telling you. Don’t cry either!" He boasted.
“You talk a lot of shit, but let me shut yo ass up really quick.”
I picked a red bowling ball, and got into the correct stance. Zane came up from behind me, and started tickling me right when I threw the ball down the lane.
"Strike!" I jumped up and down. "Didn't ya mama teach you cheaters never win?" I joked.
"Yea, watch this." He picked up another bowling ball.
He got ready to throw it, and I yelled out, "There goes Timeka!"
Zane's ball missed the lane and went on the side towards the frame. I jumped up and down, while teasing him. Zane came over to me and started tickling me even harder. I didn’t want to leave out of him embrace, I felt comfortable there. Zane stopped tickling me, and it got serious for a moment. Zane looked into my eyes and I got lost in them. I couldn’t lie, I was scared as hell, because I was falling hard for Zane. Life after a divorce wasn’t supposed to be this easy. I thought I would be doing some soul searching, and trying to find myself, but Zane made me feel like the person I was now, was good enough. He playfully tickled me again, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
"You dirty, man, but I got you. It's your turn, gone on." He told me.
"You better not do anything stupid."
"Oh, baby, stupid is my middle name." We laughed.
I picked up a ball, while eyeing Zane. He sat in the seat, but I didn't trust him at all. I know he had a trick up his sleeve. I pulled my arms back to bring the ball forward, and Zane grabbed another ball and threw it down the lane before I could throw mine.
"Zane! That's what yo ass get!” I was holding my side, because I was laughing so hard.
Zane slipped on the slippery floor, and the ball he threw still went down the lane, and I got a strike. I couldn't stop laughing at Zane laying on the floor and watching the ball go down the lane. He got up and chased me around our area. He caught me, and carried me bridal style back to the seating area.
"You cheating, girl. You ain't supposed to have that much luck."
I straddled his lap. "Don't call it luck, I'm just good with bowling. Say I'm the bowling Queen!"
"Hell nah, man, I want a rematch!" He put his hand under my shirt.
"How about we do something that you can actually ‘beat’ me at?" I rubbed my hand up and down his pants.
Zane picked me up and I stood to my feet. We turned the shoes in and walked towards Zane’s car.
"I had so much fun with your cheating ass tonight."
"Me too. Zanaya is going to kill me if she finds out I didn't take her with us. I'm glad you had a good time though."
"Are you good? Does your old ass knees hurt?" I laughed.
"I see you got jokes, but we gon’ see who needs a chiropractor later, when I blow your back out."
"Whatever, loser! You hungry? Let's stop to get something to eat."
Zane drove over to Spudz, and we got our food to go. On the way home, me and Zane held hands, and we listened to some ol school slow jams. We pulled up to our condos, and I notice Zane had an uneasy feeling.
"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.
"Your blinds look different. They weren't that way when you left."
I know I should have been a little freaked out, but I was turned on by the way he observed things when it came to me. Who the fuck looks at how a person’s blinds are? He reached under the seat and retrieved his gun.
"Give me your house key and stay in the car," he instructed me.
"Hell no, fuck that! What if it's two or more people in my shit? We going in together." I told him. I took my gun out my purse, and prayed I didn't have to shoot me a bitch tonight.
"You got a hard head, girl. Stay in this car, until I tell you to come out, if I'm not out in five minutes-"
"Me and my gun are coming in!"
Zane rolled his eyes, and got out the car. I was counting down the minutes on my watch, until I saw Zane turn on my lights, and signal for me to come up. I got out the car, leaving the food behind, and entered my apartment. Everything was in a disarray, and my room was a mess. On my living room wall, the words, “I Will Always Love You,” were spray painted all over. The sick motherfucker had even left a pair of panties on my bed, with his semen all over it. I ran to my closet and moved some of my shoe boxes that hid my safe, and it was gone.
"Fuck, he took my safe."
"Who the fuck broke into your house and took your shit?"
"Xavier, he's the only person who knows I have a safe, the bastard brought it for me."
“You sure it was that nigga? If I knew you had a safe, I would just take the motherfucker, all this other shit was a waste of time.”
“I’m positive, who else could it have been? He’s desperate, and he’s unraveling.”
"That nigga gon’ see me, on Zanaya, he is, but for now, get some of your shit, you staying with me tonight."
"Zane, I'll be fine."
"Fuck! I know you'll be fine, because I ain't gon’ let nothing happen to you. What if that nigga come back? I'm not about to be up all night wondering if that whack ass nigga is in here. Grab yo shit and let's go! I don't want to hear another f
ucking word, Ivy."
Zane left out my room and went to his place to check it out. I gathered some of my things, turned off the light, and went over to Zane. Xavier left me no choice but to call my brothers, Xavier just came up on twenty g's.
Zane
Ivy had stayed at my house for a couple days, and I still had a bad feeling about her going back to her place, but she insisted she would be ok. I changed her door for a better one, and installed a hidden camera, that captured both of our front doors. Xavier might have been a mark ass nigga, but he wasn’t stupid, by a long shot. If he did decide to come after Ivy again, he wouldn’t come here. A nigga like Xavier was dangerous, especially since he didn’t have shit to loose. With my daughter staying with me more now, I had to watch out for her safety too. Ivy told me he got her for twenty g’s, and that was more than enough to buy a brick. I made a few calls and asked my homies if they saw him around trying to buy some work to call me. It was about to me some smoke in Detroit, because Ivy’s brothers wanted Xavier’s head. I got his address and rode over to his house, but the house was vacant, and there was a for sale sign on the front lawn.
“Daddy! Yay, you made it. I’m ready to go, Daddy.” Zanaya ran to her room, and came back with her backpack and overnight bag.
“Stop running in my house, lil girl, and there better not be any new clothes I bought you in that bag. Let your daddy’s new whore buy you some new clothes.” Timeka told Zanaya. Zanaya went to take the bag back to her room, and I stopped her. I told her to sit on her bed, and wait ‘til I told her to come out.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you tell her some shit like that, knowing damn well I’m the one who bought the shit? You know what? That don’t even matter, we need to talk.”
“We don’t have shit to talk about. Take your daughter and go play house with that bitch.”
“You must want a nigga to go upside your head, or slap you around a few times, don’t you? I thought about doing that shit, I ain’t gon’ lie, but I ain’t no pussy ass nigga, and deep down, you want me to lay hands on you. You need to grow the fuck up, real fast, Timeka. Our daughter is about to be eight years old, and she’s knows what the fuck goes on now. What the hell are you showing her? I’ll answer for you- shit, no wait, you are showing her how to be an old, bitter ass, can’t move on, stuck in the past, bitch!”
“Zane, get the fuck out my house.”
“Bitch, this my fucking house, and you can get the fuck out. I’ve tried to be nice to you, and treat you with some respect, but you don’t understand that. Listen to me, and listen good. I don’t, nor will I ever, want to be with you again. The only thing that ties us together is that little girl in that room back there. You need to move the fuck on with your life, and find someone that will make you happy and drop some dick in you, because that’s all it is. You unhappy, and because you unhappy, you want me to be, and that shit ain’t happening. You should be happy I have her around a woman like Ivy, and not some hoe, who don’t give a fuck about her. Zanaya, come on, baby.”
“Bye, Mama.” Zanaya hugged her mama and ran out the door.
“Whoever got you pregnant, try and work it out with that man. I hope you ain’t around here fucking niggas to make me mad. I know you still have some good in you, because our daughter loves your ass.”
I turned and walked out of the house I used to live in. All the things I said back there, I hoped it got through to Timeka, because outside of killing her, I was out of options.
“Daddy, can we go see G-ma, pleasssee?”
“Yeah, baby, we can go see G-ma, and then we got to go to the shop, so Daddy can finish working, ok? Tangie is there waiting on you.”
“Ok.”
A visit to my mama’s house was long overdue. As soon as I walked through the door, I know she was about to cuss my black ass out. My mama had to hear my voice every day, and when she didn’t, she swears I was acting funny. My mama lived in the hood, and no matter how much I tried to get her to move, she wasn’t moving. I could see her from down the street, sitting on her swing, that was on the porch, her and her messy ass friend, Mrs. Joyce.
"Granny!" Zanaya shouted. She jumped out my car and ran up he stairs to meet my mama.
"Hey, Granny’s big girl. Look at you, you look so cute! Who did your hair?"
"My mama, you like my purple braids?"
"Yes, love bug, they are so cute. You hungry?"
"No, ma'am, Daddy is taking me to McDonald’s later."
"Well, that sounds like fun. Guess who's inside and has been asking about you?"
"Who, Grandma?" Zanaya cheesed.
"Go in and find out."
Zanaya went in the house, and when she yelled out my niece, Bianca’s name, I knew I was going to be here longer than I wanted to be. I gave my mama a hug and a kiss, thinking it would make her forget that I hadn't call her all week, but I was wrong.
"You know, I can never get enough of my baby boy’s hugs and kisses, but I'm still on yo ass. Why haven't I heard from you this week? You didn't even call to see how my doctor appointment went."
"That's because he been shacking up with his neighbor." My oldest sister, Tasie, came outside. She had a plate of food, and I had to get me a plate before I left, Mama was a fool with the oxtails.
"Girl, shut up, and stop telling my business, ol hungry ass." I told her.
"Nice to see you too, brother." She pushed me in my head, and sat next to Mama.
"What are you talking about, Tasie? I know damn well you ain't shacking up with a woman you haven't let your mama meet yet! Is this break ya mama heart day? Because I'm so broken." My mama put her hand over her heart.
"Man, Mama, stop it. Don't listen to Tasie, she needs to be worried about her own baby daddy."
"Boy, fuck that nigga!"
"Tasie, watch your mouth, before I come up out this seat on your ass. Now, back to you mister, who is this girl? And why haven't I met her?"
"Mama, I've only known her for about two weeks now. We just getting to know each other, but she's cool, and I like her." A smile came on my face, thinking about Ivy’s crazy ass.
"Aww shit, look at him, he got a smile a mile long. How you been doing, Zane?" Mrs. Joyce asked.
"Oh, my bad, Mrs. Joyce, I'm good, and you? You looking good as ever." I playfully flirted. Mrs. Joyce was always flirting with me, and if I was into old ass women, I'd fuck the shit out of Mrs. Joyce and get all her ex-husband’s benefits.
"Well, I try, you looking good as ever yourself."
"Joyce, leave my baby alone, before he puts your old ass in a nursing home. I then told you about messing with my baby." We all laughed. "Now, back to you Zane. I don't care that you've only known her for two weeks. She gots to be something special, because I ain't never seen you smile like that in years."
"I'm just happy you finally getting passed Timeka’s slut ass." Tasie chimed in. "That girl had a strong hold on my brother, ol bald headed ass bitch, and I heard she was pregnant again." Tasie was spilling all the tea right in front of Mama.
"Girl, stop lying! She don't even work to take care of Zanaya, so how the hell she gon’ take care of, you know what? That ain't my damn business, and I don't care. I'm just happy that you moved on, and found you somebody. I don't even understand why she acts the way she do, and got the nerve to get pregnant by somebody else." My mama shook her head.
"Who is her baby daddy?" Mrs. Joyce asked. Everyone turned around and looked at me.
"Why y’all looking at me? I don't know, and I didn't ask. I don't care what that girl do, and neither should y’all. And for the record, Timeka has never had a hold on me, I just chose to keep nosy mamas and messy sisters out my business. Zanaya, let's go!" I yelled through the screen door.
She came running to the door out of breath. "But, Daddy, I want to stay here with Bianca! Please, Daddy, please!" She begged.
"Boy, go on and leave my niece here. You can come back tomorrow and pick her up. You know once she saw Bianca she was going to want to stay.
"
"I'm cool with that, but you better be good and listen, Zanaya." I looked at Zanaya.
"Oh, she know Granny will put that leather on her ass, but my baby is sweet, just like me." My mama kissed her on her chubby cheeks.
I kissed Zanaya and told her I would be back to get her tomorrow, she made sure she got a few dollars out of me and ran back in the house. I headed back across town to my shop, to check in on things and finish up an engine I was working on for a couple of days now. My mama and sister was so messy, but I guess I do need to find out who was Timeka’s baby daddy, because I needed to know what nigga was going to be around my daughter. I didn't trust no other nigga but me around my seed. Whoever he was, hadn't met Zanaya yet, or else she would have spilled the beans to me.
"It's just eleven o'clock, and y’all niggas on lunch break already?" I asked Berg and Tangie.
"Nigga, we been here since six this morning. Shut your grumpy ass up! Where you been? And where is Zanaya?" Tangie asked.
"Over at my mama's."
"You know Mama don't play about her grandkids. Did she cook?" Tangie asked.
"Tasie was over there." I answered.
"Well, I guess that's a yes. That's the only time she bring her ass around, is when food is involved."
"Oh yea, that nigga, Big Rick, came by too. Said that nigga, X, meeting up with one of his dealers in a few days, told me to tell you he will get at you with the time and location."
"That's the news I've been waiting on, thank you for hitting up Big Rick. Tangie, where the fuck you been? Missing for three days and shit, you know we don’t pay for sick time."
"Nigga, you know she was boo'd up with some nigga. Anytime a woman miss work like that, she getting that pipe laid to her." Berg joked. Me and Tangie both side eyed him.
"Shut up, Berg. I swear, I can't stand yo ass sometimes, don’t nobody say nothing when you leave work to go fuck with these hoes." Tangie said, getting up and going back in the shop.
"Tangie! I'mma find out, so you might as well tell me." I shouted. Tangie looked back and told me and Berg to kiss her ass.