Side Chic 3 (The Ratchetness Continues)

by West, La'Tonya

  “Oh that’s how you feel?” I called after him. I didn’t know what else to say.

  “That’s exactly how I feel!” He yelled over his shoulder as he continued to march towards the entrance of the hospital.

  I was right behind him but when we got to the door the tall security guard that had made Rakita leave stopped me at the door. “Ma’am, you need to leave off of the premises.”

  “But…”

  He held up his hand. “Either you can leave or I can call the police and have you escorted off of the premises.” He threatened. “Honestly, I was supposed to have been called the police but I am trying to be nice under the circumstances. I know that sometimes in situations like this we can get hot-headed and misplace our anger but I can’t have you causing a disturbance on the premises. There are a lot of sick people here, not just your family members.” His tone wasn’t harsh but that still didn’t make him asking me to leave any better.

  I took my cell from my pocket and called my mama’s cell. I was riding with her so I needed the keys from her so that I could leave. She answered on the second ring.

  “Yes…”

  “Ma, I need the keys because I have to leave.”

  She hung up. I knew that she was upset but at this point I didn’t care. Everyone was acting as if I was wrong for feeling the way that I did. No one had any idea the amount of pain that I was in. After being with someone for eight years and then finding out the things that I’d found out over the past month really hurt. I knew that Tre had done a lot of triflin shit and yes I’d taken him back a million and one times after learning of the shit that he’d done. That still didn’t make this any easier. I’d taken him back all of those times in the past because I loved him and I wanted to believe that he could and would change. I thought after seeing how strong my love was for him that he would change eventually, not continue to do the same shit! I didn’t deserve the things that had been done behind my back! I don’t care what Skeet said, I didn’t deserve that shit!

  I looked up and saw my mama walking out of the hospital with Quan and Shaun walking beside her holding hands. She handed me the keys when she was right in front of me. “Take these children home and put them to bed. It’s late and I know that they are tired.” She snapped. She wore an agitated expression on her face.

  “How are you going to get home?”

  “I’ll ride back with Skeet. I’m not going to leave until I know what is going on with Tre.” She rolled her eyes at me.

  “Ma…”

  “Kisha take the kids home. We will talk tomorrow. I don’t feel like it right now. I have a headache.” She turned and walked back towards the entrance.

  The first thing I did when I got in the car was look at my face to see how much damage Lala had done. My right eye was slightly swollen and I had a long nasty scratch beneath it. My lip was also bleeding. I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes. She hadn’t done too much damage but I hadn’t planned for her to do that much. It was alright because I’d see her ass again. On the way back to Boykins, I had some time to calm down and think. I started to realize that even though I was upset after learning that Casper had shot Tre because he’d found out that he’d been fucking Tamika behind his back. I should’ve handled it differently. Damn…I fucked up! I thought to myself while shaking my head.

  When I got home, I put the boys to bed and then went into the bathroom to take a shower. Before I got in the shower I looked at my face again in the mirror. “Fuck, I am going to have a black eye by morning!” I mumbled shaking my head at my reflection. I couldn’t look at my face another second because if I did, I would’ve been driving over to Tre’s house and dragging Lala’s fat ass out by her nappy ass hair!

  When I got out of the shower, I looked in the medicine cabinet and got out the tube of Cocoa Butter and put some on the scratch beneath my eye. I took some comfort in knowing that she had some scars on her face as well because I’d dug my nails in her face as deep as I could while she was on top of me. I went back in my bedroom and got dressed and then I went down the hall back into the living room. I sat down on the sofa and began flipping through the channels on the TV. I didn’t really feel like watching TV but I needed to do something to keep my mind off of Tre. The reality that he may not make it had started to set in and I’d become a little nervous. I was upset about what he’d done but I didn’t want him to die. The thought of him dying caused waves of fear to run throughout my entire body. Though shit was bad now, it hadn’t always been that way. We’d shared a lot of good times too.

  My cell rang causing me to jump. My hand went up over my chest. I reached over with my other hand and picked up my phone from the coffee table. I looked at the screen to see who it was and saw Skeet’s number flashing across the screen. I still hadn’t programmed his name in my phone. I pressed send to answer.

  “Hey, I was just calling to let you know Tre made it through surgery but he’s in ICU in critical condition. They said that he’s lucky to even be alive because he’s lost a lot of blood.”

  I let out a breath of relief. “That’s good.”

  “Yeah but Mika didn’t make it though.”

  I can’t lie and say that I was sad hearing that Mika hadn’t made it but I did feel bad for wishing that she didn’t make it. Regardless of what she’d done she was still somebody’s child. “Thanks for calling and letting me know.”

  “Yeah, no problem.” I could tell that he was still upset with me. “I’ll hit you up tomorrow.”

  “Alright…good night.”

  “Yeah…” With that he disconnected the call.

  I laid the phone back down on the coffee table and looked up towards the ceiling. “Thank you, Lord…I know that this doesn’t mean that he’s going to make it but at least now I know there’s a chance that he could. You’ve brought him through surgery so I know that you can bring him all the way through this…amen.” I let out a sigh and then stretched out on the sofa. I looked at the TV. A repeat of The Parkers was on. I watched that until I fell asleep.

  After three weeks of being in ICU, Tre was moved to a regular room. He was doing a lot better and looking forward to coming home. I’d been going to see him maybe twice a week. Lala was up there every day like she was his wife or something. I tried to avoid seeing her as much as possible because every time that I did see her all I wanted to do was beat the shit out of her. So to avoid catching a case. I kept my distance. Also, I didn’t feel like I owed it to Tre to be by his bedside every day. I hadn’t forgotten at all the reason that he was in the condition that he was in.

  Today I was taking the boys to see him for the first time because they hadn’t seen him since everything had gone down. We walked into the room to find Tre sitting propped up in bed watching TV. I was surprised to see there was no one there with him because normally his parents were there around the clock or LaQuela.

  “Daddy!” Quan and Shaun squealed running towards the bed. They’d been hype the entire drive to the hospital. They were extremely happy to see him.

  “Y’all be careful now your daddy is still in a lot of pain!” I called to them.

  They both stopped next to the bed and stared up at Tre like they were afraid that getting to close might hurt him.

  “Are you coming home with us?” Shaun wanted to know.

  Tre looked weak but that didn’t stop him from smiling at the boys. “Nah, daddy can’t go home with y’all today but I’ll be going home soon.”

  “Why you got to stay here?” Quan asked looking sad. The smile that he’d been wearing only seconds ago was now gone after hearing that Tre wouldn’t be going home. They weren’t used to being away from him. It’d been worse enough that before this happened they’d been separated from him because of what was going on between us. “I want you to come home with us.”

  “I know lil man but I will be home soon.” Tre reached over and rubbed him on his head. I saw him grimace in pain.

  I was about to ask him if he was okay but before I could say anything. Quan ye
lled. “I hate that man who shot you!” He folded his arms over his chest.

  “When I get big, I’m going to buy a gun and shoot him back!” Shaun blurted obviously upset at the fact that his daddy couldn’t come home. They didn’t really understand the situation all they knew is that someone had hurt their daddy.

  “Shaun!” I grabbed him by his arm and turned him around so that he was facing me! “Don’t you ever let me hear you say anything about buying a gun again or shooting anyone? Do you understand me?”

  “But…he shot my daddy!” He didn’t back down.

  “Exactly, he did something bad but that doesn’t mean that you should do something bad too! Guns kill people! Do you want to be responsible for killing someone?” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Shaun, come here.” Tre interrupted patting the spot on the bed next to him. Shaun crawled up on the bed next to him and so did Quan. “Listen, I know that all of this is a lot for y’all but I don’t want y’all talking about guns or killing people. That’s not a good look, okay?” The boys nodded their heads.

  “But daddy…he hurt you first!” Shaun wasn’t trying to hear any of what Tre or I was saying. He wanted to hurt whoever was responsible for his daddy being hurt!

  Tre shook his head looking away. I saw tears in his eyes. “Nah, he didn’t hurt me first.” He let out a sigh and then turned his attention back to the boys. “Your daddy did something really bad and hurt him first.”

  “You shot him too?” Quan asked wearing a confused expression.

  Tre reached up and wiped his eyes. “No, I didn’t shoot him first but I did something just as bad. I hurt his feelings because I was a bad friend and I made some bad decisions. He did what he did out of anger because he was hurt but he’s not a bad guy. He’s actually a really good guy who made a bad decision because he was hurt.”

  “I don’t understand.” Quan admitted. “How is he good if he shot you?”

  “Shooting me was bad, that was a mistake. Good people make mistakes too. Nobody’s perfect.” Tre explained looking up at me. I looked away because I knew that those words were directed at me.

  The boys sat on side of the bed and continued talking to Tre for the next hour while I sat in the chair reading the book that I’d bought with me.

  There was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Tre called.

  I looked up thinking that it may be one of the nurses coming to check his vitals or give him his medicine. The door opened and LaQuela walked in pushing a stroller with the babies inside. “Hey…” She looked around. “Oh I’m sorry, we can come back later.” She apologized.

  By now the boys were both off the bed and leaning over the stroller cooing at the babies.

  “Ma, these are my sisters.” Quan announced proudly.

  I rolled my eyes getting up from my seat. I stuffed my book back inside of my pocketbook. “Tre, I’ll bring the boys back tomorrow!” I snapped.

  “Ma, do we have to leave?” Shaun whined. “I want to hold the babies.”

  “Shaun, don’t start.” I shot him a serious look.

  “No, I’ll leave.” LaQuela said backing out of the room. “Y’all were here first.”

  I looked at her. “It didn’t seem to matter to you before that we were here first! Now did it?” I tossed my pocketbook on my shoulder. “Come on boys so your daddy can spend time with his other family!”

  “But ma…” They both cried.

  “Kisha…don’t…” Tre pleaded. “Please stay for a little while. Today is the first day that I’ve seen them in a while. No one has to leave.”

  LaQuela had already left out. I looked at him. “Do you honestly think that I am going to sit up in here with you and that bitch like everything is cool and all is forgiven?” I let out a chuckle. “Are you sure that you don’t have a bullet lodged in your brain?”

  He shook his head. “Kisha this isn’t about her. I want to spend a little more time with my children.”

  “Nigga this has everything to do with her! It has everything to do with the fact that you been fucking everything moving behind my back!” I lost it! “Have you forgotten why you are lying up in here in the first place?” He looked away. “Oh, you ain’t got shit to say now huh?”

  “Kisha…” His eyes went to the boys. “Chill out. Don’t talk like that in front of them.”

  “I am grown! I will say what I want when I want!”

  “I know that you are grown.” I could see in his face that he was becoming upset but he remained calm. “Why are you being like this? I’m not asking you to hold a conversation with her or to like her. I just want to spend a little bit more time with my kids. That’s all.”

  I sucked my teeth. I’d been trying to be understanding and put my feelings aside. I’d been coming by the hospital to check on him and make sure that he was fine, knowing that I probably shouldn’t even give a damn considering the reason for him being in the condition that he was in, in the first place. I’d been trying to keep in mind that regardless of everything that had transpired he was still Shaun and Quan’s daddy. I even thought to myself that if the situation was reverse he would probably put his differences aside and be there for me but enough was enough! “Tre cut the bullshit! You know why I won’t sit here in the room with you, her and y’all children! You shouldn’t even ask me to do that, regardless of the reason! That bitch destroyed my home…my family! Hell no, I will not sit up in here with you and her! I’m sorry but I just can’t do that!” I paused and then asked. “Could you sit in a room with me and Skeet and act like everything is cool?” He didn’t reply he just looked the other way. He didn’t have to respond because I already knew the answer. “Exactly!”

  I grabbed both boys by their hands and headed for the door. “Bye daddy.” They said looking back at Tre waving.

  “See y’all later. I love y’all.”

  When we got out in the hallway, LaQuela was sitting in the waiting area across from Tre’s room. I turned my head.

  “Kisha…hold up!” She called.

  I spun around and looked at the bitch that’d destroyed my family. What could she possibly have to say to me? “Bitch, I know damn well you ain’t talking to me! Do you know that I will mop the halls of the hospital with your ass?”

  “Kisha, I don’t want any trouble.” She explained. “I was just letting you know that I don’t mind waiting out here until you and the boys are done. It’s really no problem. I know how badly Tre has missed them. If I had known that y’all were coming I wouldn’t even have come. Like I said I don't ’ant any trouble. I am trying but you have to meet me have way…”

  “Bitch, I don’t have to do shit!” I roared. The nerve of this no good bitch standing in my face talking about meet her halfway! “How come you didn’t meet me halfway by keeping your fuckin’ legs closed and not sleeping with my man?”

  She looked around I assume to see if anyone was watching and indeed half of the nursing staff was and some of the patients. “Okay Kisha, I see that we can’t be adults about this.”

  “You’re right, we can’t be shit.”

  She threw up her hands. “Okay…fine. I am not going to argue with you in front of the kids.”

  “Girl…mmph…mmph…mmph…whew!” I was trying to calm myself down because all I wanted to do was punch her in her hoe ass mouth! I did the best thing that I could at that moment. I turned and walked away down the hall without saying anything else.

  Tre

  One month later…

  Finally I was being discharged from the hospital. My parents had come to pick me up.

  “I am so glad that you are out of that hospital.” My mama shared as we drove home. “I don’t think that I could’ve taken seeing you in that place another second.”

  “I’m glad to be out of there as well.” I replied. “I can’t wait to get home to my babies. I’m going to try and get Kisha to let me get the boys for a few days. I just want all four of my kids together with me at the same time. Even though, I’ve seen them all almost every day
that hasn’t been enough. I’ve still missed them like crazy.”

  “One thing I can say about you. You may have a lot of flaws but you are a good dad.” My mama commented.

  “I guess but I plan on trying to be better at it. Nearly losing your life makes you start to look at life a lot differently.” I rested my head back against the seat. The rest of the drive we talked about the kids, the weather, and the news…just a lot of general conversation.

  When we arrived at my house, my dad took my things out of the car and took them in for me. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the smell of food that radiated throughout the house. I made my way to the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen Lala spent around wearing a huge smile and holding a spoon in her hand.

  “Hey you!” She squealed excitedly putting down the spoon and racing over to hug me. She wrapped her arms around me gently. “I am so glad that you’re home!”

  I hugged her back. I was really thankful for how she’d been sticking by me. I appreciated it a lot. I was a little hurt that Kisha hadn’t been there more but I couldn’t blame her. Over the past few weeks I’d been doing a lot of thinking and I understood why Kisha felt the way that she did. I understood her pain more now. She’d had my back through so much and to find out that I’d betrayed her on so many different levels had to hurt more than anyone could ever imagine. Seeing Lala couldn’t have made things any easier for her. Seeing her was like a constant reminder of my betrayal. I could even understand why she may be upset about Lala being at my crib because from the outside looking in it did appear that I’d moved her in as if she never existed. I knew it wasn’t like that but I could understand why she may feel that way.