I Heard It All Before

by Chenell Parker

  Asha pouted like she always did when she didn’t get her way and stomped to the other side of the truck. She didn’t have the best relationship with Camden’s mother, but he never seemed to care. Cam loved his mother more than life, and he made sure that everybody knew it. Cam was an only child, and Nora was the best mother that a boy could ask for. She was the one who threw the football with him when he was younger. She played video games with him and even accompanied him to some of the car shows that he insisted on going to. She did it all with a smile and never complained. Even when his father vacationed in Italy while she played the role of single mother, she never once made a fuss.

  “Bring me home before you go over there,” Asha said as they pulled off and got on the highway.

  After being away for over a year, Cam wasn’t in the mood to deal with Asha’s childish behavior. Asha was a twenty-five-year-old spoiled brat, but Cam already knew that when they got together. She was the youngest of her mother’s kids and the only girl. She was used to getting her way and she hated to be told no. Cam didn’t give a damn, and she already knew that.

  “Man, I’ve been gone for eighteen months and you’re still on that dumb shit. Since you feel like using your mouth, come hook a nigga up,” Cam said while pointing to his crotch area.

  “I wish the fuck I would. Tell your mama to hook you up, since she’s your girl,” Asha argued.

  “Keep saying slick shit about my mama and we gon’ have a problem. Nigga ain’t had pussy in over a year and your stupid ass doing all that bitching.” Cam frowned.

  He turned the music up high and tuned out whatever Asha was trying to say. She was too damn childish and arguing was like a sport to her. It was too early in the morning to be going through the motions. He had no problem dropping her off home and going his own way without her.

  “Did you hear me, Camden? I said I was sorry,” Asha said after a while.

  “Whatever man,” Cam said while shaking his head in disgust. Not even an hour out and she was starting up already.

  “I said I’m sorry baby. I’m not trying to stress you on your first day out,” Asha replied.

  Cam was never the arguing type. He would leave home for hours before he went back and forth with her. Asha didn’t want him to leave, so she did her best to make things right. After pulling her long weave into a tight ponytail, Asha took off her seat belt and moved closer to her man. Cam was trying to play hard, but he softened like butter when Asha pulled his erection out and started stroking him. When he felt her tongue sliding up and down his length, he grabbed the back of her head with one hand and drove with the other.

  “Shit, I forgive you,” Cam said as he shoved her head deeper into his lap and tried to concentrate on the open road ahead.

  Chapter 2

  After spending all morning and most of the evening getting reacquainted with Asha’s insides, Cam went to the barber shop and the mall to get a new phone. At his request, Asha had him a few new outfits with the shoes to match. All his clothes were still in good shape from before he left, but he wanted to update his wardrobe with a few more items. After they grabbed a bite to eat, Cam drove straight to his mother’s house. He felt bad for not going straight over, but Asha had other plans that he couldn’t turn down.

  Once he entered the code on the front gate, Cam proceeded to drive through when it opened. His father had purchased and furnished the home for his mother when Cam was only a few months old. Per Nora, once the DNA test that his father’s wife demanded came back positive, Camden purchased them a home a few weeks later. Nora lived in an apartment with one of her sisters, but he wanted better for his son. Cam didn’t remember his father visiting very often, but he always sent gifts and money through someone else. Cam didn’t remember seeing his grandparents that much either, but they always sent the best birthday and Christmas gifts too. He thought he had it made until he got older and realized that wasn’t how things were supposed to be. His father was there financially, but he needed him there physically. Nora wasn’t supposed to be playing video games with him and teaching him about his male body parts. He needed a man for that, but his father didn’t think he was important enough.

  By his teen years, Cam had developed a deep hatred for his father and his entire family. It was so bad that he started to hate the entire race of people that his father belonged to. They were all the same, in his eyes. Had Cam’s mother been a white woman, he was sure that things would have been different. They had to be embarrassed of him and he wasn’t forcing himself on anyone who didn’t want him around. Before long, Cam started running the streets heavily and it wasn’t long before he got mixed up with the wrong crowds. He didn’t want anything that his father offered, so he started getting money the only way he knew how, selling drugs. He made good money and he always made sure to save some of it. But, just like his mother warned him, death or jail were the only two things that were going to come out of his profession.

  Thankfully, he was still above soil, but he’d been to jail more times than he could count. Every judge in every parish knew him and they knew his father as well. Cam hated that he was always referred to as the son of the great Camden Blaire. He hated even more that they shared the same name. His mother giving him the same first name as his father was stupid in his opinion, especially since it was the last name that mattered most. His father didn’t even witness his birth, nor did he sign his birth certificate, even after the paternity test came back.

  “Baby?” Asha called out, pulling him away from his thoughts.

  “What’s up?” Cam asked.

  “I talked to Lo a few days ago,” Asha replied while looking at him to see his reaction.

  “And?” Cam asked calmly as he drove around his mother’s subdivision.

  “He asked about you, and I told him that you were on your way out. He said for you to get at him, so y’all can get back to business,” Asha replied.

  “That ain’t happening. I’m done with all that. Sometimes, you gotta know when to walk away. Fuck around and them people gon’ lose me in the system. I got a job and we got some money saved up,” Cam replied.

  “A job? That lil shit with Randy is cool, but that ain’t no real money Camden. And how long do you expect that money to last? We gotta think about the future,” Asha argued.

  “Who the fuck is we? You ain’t had a job since we met. I was out there all day and night risking my life and freedom, to keep you in Gucci and red bottoms!” Cam yelled.

  “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy some of the perks too. You wear just as many labels as I do. And stop acting like you did so much time in jail. Those eighteen months was the longest that you’ve ever done. You probably wouldn’t have done that if your stubborn ass would have let your daddy help you.”

  “You’re selfish as fuck man. Nigga ain’t been out for a whole day yet and you’re trying to send me right back,” Cam said, shaking his head in disgust.

  “Wow, so I’m selfish for wanting us to have money? I’m used to living a certain way and you know that Camden.”

  “Cool, if you think it’s so easy, then you do it. You ain’t never been to jail and you don’t have no record. You go risk your life and freedom, so you can keep up with the lifestyle that you’re used to.” Cam shrugged like it was simple.

  “If I knew how, I would,” Asha snapped.

  “I can show you. Hell, you got brothers and cousins that can show you too,” Cam noted.

  “Whatever Camden,” Asha said while rolling her eyes.

  “That’s what I thought. You don’t give a fuck about nobody else, as long as you get your way. Those days are over with me. I’m working for what I want or I just won’t get it,” Cam said as he pulled up to his mother’s house and parked in her circular driveway.

  When he saw the NOPD patrol car parked at the curb, he already knew that it was about to be some shit.

  “How long are we gonna be here? This is your first night home and I don’t wanna spend it looking up in this bitch face all night,” As
ha spat angrily.

  “I know muthafucking well you ain’t calling my mama no bitch,” Cam said as he cast an angry glare in her direction.

  “You know damn well who I’m talking about. I’m talking about your ex-bitch, Courtney. I don’t understand why she’s always over here anyway,” Asha replied.

  “This ain’t my house, so I don’t know the answer to that. You can drop me off and leave if you want to, but I’m not rushing my visit with my mama,” Cam replied.

  “Drop you off? You must be crazy if you think I’m leaving you here with that desperate hoe. Bitch got a husband and still chasing after another nigga,” Asha snapped.

  “Don’t bother me with that dumb shit Asha. I’m not in the mood,” Cam replied as he got out of his truck and walked up to the big two-story home that he grew up in.

  Asha powerwalked to catch up with him and grabbed his hand. She needed Courtney to see that she was there and she wasn’t going anywhere. Courtney and Alton got married while Cam was locked up, but she still wrote him faithfully every week. She wanted to visit him, but Asha was always there.

  “My baby!” Nora screamed when Cam opened the front door and walked inside. “I was going crazy wondering where you were. I hope you got another phone.”

  Nora wanted to tell him that she called Asha’s phone several times to talk to him, but she never got an answer. She didn’t want them arguing, so she just left it alone. She knew how Asha felt about her, but she never entertained her foolishness. She remained cordial with her for the sake of her son.

  “Yeah, I got a new number to give you,” Cam replied as he let go of Asha’s hand and grabbed his mother into a bear hug.

  Nora squealed when her over six-foot-tall baby boy lifted her off her feet and spun her around. She ignored the sour look on Asha’s face because that was nothing new. Asha hated Cam’s ex-girlfriend. She especially hated when Courtney was at Nora’s house, but that was her problem. Nora tried to explain it all to her son’s girlfriend a few times before, but she was too stubborn to listen.

  Courtney was more than just Camden’s ex. She was the only child of Nora’s deceased best friend. Courtney’s mother, Sandra, and Nora met over twenty years ago, when they both were admitted into the hospital giving birth to their kids. They became fast friends soon after and they had a lot in common. Just like Nora, Sandra was alone, since Courtney’s father decided that keeping his wife happy was more important than acknowledging their daughter. Nora had financial help from the Blaire family, but Sandra wasn’t as fortunate. She worked two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet and Nora always helped by babysitting.

  None of them anticipated their kids hooking up when they were teenagers and starting a relationship. They shared the same birthday, so they always celebrated together. When Asha came into the picture, she quickly put a stop to that. Courtney was always a good girl and she tried to keep Cam on track. He was always strong willed, so her attempts were in vain. He was in and out of jail too much, and she got sick of it. They remained friends but decided that a relationship wasn’t going to work. When Courtney’s mother died of breast cancer four years prior, she still came around and kept in contact with Nora and Cam, the same as she’d always done. She respected Cam’s relationship, but Asha always thought that they were still messing around behind her back. Nora didn’t know if they did or not, and she refused to get in the middle of it. Courtney had a good husband at home and she would be a fool to risk her marriage for Cam. Nora made sure to always tell her that too.

  “Hey stranger,” Courtney said as she stood off to the side and smiled while playing with her braids.

  Their last sexual encounter at the club had her blushing and licking her lips, like it had just happened. She didn’t care about her husband at home or his girl who was standing there. Courtney wanted Cam in the worse way.

  “What are you doing with the police in here?” Cam joked with his mother, as he eyed Courtney in her navy and powder blue police uniform.

  He knew that Asha was fuming mad when he gave Courtney a friendly one-armed hug, but he didn’t care. He’d known Courtney all his life and they were always going to be friends, with or without the added benefits. He was guilty of dealing with them both at the same time, but that was over a year ago. Asha was doing a lot of assuming, but she didn’t have any solid proof.

  “Hey Asha. How are you?” Nora said while smiling at her son’s girlfriend.

  “Hey,” Asha said dryly with a forced smiled.

  She grabbed Cam’s arm, letting Courtney know what was up. Asha was ready to go, but she sat on the sofa with her man while he played catch up with his mother and his ex bitch, who was drooling over him like he was a steak. Nora was so happy to see her baby and she couldn’t stop smiling. Cam was all smiles too, until the conversation shifted to his father.

  “Man, I don’t want to talk about that dude, Ma. You’ve been my mama and my daddy for as long as I can remember and I’m good with that,” Cam said, waving her off.

  “He just wants to see you, Camden. I’m only passing the messages that were given to me. A lot has changed over the years. You really need to talk to him,” Nora replied.

  “I don’t hate him or nothing, but I’m good on that,” Cam said with finality.

  “Forgiveness is not always something that we do for other people Cam. Sometimes, you have to do it for yourself, in order to move on,” Nora lectured.

  “I understand, but my feelings haven’t changed,” Cam acknowledged.

  “Okay, I just wanted to keep my promise to him and tell you what he said. Now, come on to the back and see all these new clothes and stuff that we got for you,” Nora said as she jumped up and walked down the hall to one of the bedrooms.

  “Who is we?” Cam asked as he and Asha followed her.

  “Don’t ask who, just be thankful,” Nora replied.

  Cam’s eyes bulged when she opened the door and he saw all the bags that covered the bed, floor, and dresser. Everything came from Saks, so he already knew that his mother had no parts of it. Every shoe and article of clothing had a price tag attached that was way out of her budget.

  “Tell him that I said thanks. I appreciate it,” Cam replied, referring to his father, who he knew was responsible for his expensive new wardrobe.

  He was trying his best not to be difficult all the time. After all, his father was the reason why he wasn’t spending his entire life behind bars. He was grateful for that, if nothing else.

  “He’ll be happy to hear that. Here, this is yours too,” Nora said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a knot of money.

  “Nah Ma, the clothes and stuff is more than enough,” Cam said, shaking his head. He felt like a kid all over again, with his father trying to purchase his love. He was a grown man now, so that wasn’t going to work. Asha was ready to snap on him for being so stupid and not taking the money. It took everything in her not to reach for it and stick it in her designer bag.

  “He wanted you to have it Cam. Put it in the bank or something,” Nora said while still trying to give him the money.

  “Whatever happened to that cruise that you and your sisters were supposed to be going on?” Cam asked her, changing the subject.

  Every time his mother wrote him a letter, her cruise was all that she talked about. She had never been and she was looking forward to her seven days in the Bahamas.

  “Three more months and I’m out of here. I’m all paid up and ready to go,” Nora beamed.

  “Cool, well, you got some spending money now. Keep it and have fun. You deserve it,” Cam said while kissing her cheek.

  “Aww, that’s so sweet.” Courtney smiled.

  Asha sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes up to the sky to keep from screaming. She couldn’t believe how stupid Cam was being. They needed all the money they could get, and he was giving shit away like he was a baller.

  “Thanks, my baby. You never cease to amaze me,” Nora said as she gave her son a big hug and kiss.

  “And
don’t forget about what I asked you to cook. I’ll be over here to spend the day with you Sunday,” Cam said as he turned to walk away.

  Nora knew that he was headed outside to her garage to check on his prized possessions. “I’m looking forward to it,” Nora said as she followed behind him.

  Cam was like a big kid as he started up each car and played around with their features. He couldn’t wait to put them on the road again, just like he used to. After staying in the garage for a little over an hour with his cars, Cam was ready to go. He would have stayed longer, but Asha was getting on his nerves. She kept making crazy noises and blowing out frustrated breaths. He would have checked her about it, but he didn’t want to bring drama to his mother’s house. Nora and Courtney stood in the driveway and watched as they pulled off and drove away, before going back inside.

  “Why did you let her keep all that money?” Asha asked as soon as they were alone.

  “Because it was mine and I’m grown,” Cam replied nonchalantly. He already knew that was the reason for Asha’s attitude, as if he gave a damn.

  “Wow. You didn’t even count it or ask me if I needed something first,” Asha noted.

  Cam responded by turning his music up and ignoring her. He had love for Asha, but her selfish ways were starting to turn him off. She was always in competition with his mother, but that was a battle that she was guaranteed to lose. Asha knew what time of day it was, so she turned her head and looked out of the window. Cam had her fucked up if he thought she was going to adjust her lifestyle because he had a change of heart. She had mad niggas throwing money at her when he was locked up. She dropped all her side niggas a few weeks before Cam came home, and she was regretting it. Well, she’d dropped all except one, but he wasn’t as paid as Cam once was. It was better than nothing at all, but Asha needed to pick up a few more sponsors. She loved Cam too much to leave him, but he needed to get his shit together. Asha had an image to uphold and he wasn’t going to change that.

  Thankfully, her mother and brothers kept the rent paid while Cam was locked up, so Asha used that extra money to shop and keep her hair and nails done. Cam thought she used the money that he’d left to keep it paid, but that was her little secret. She just assumed that Cam would pick up where he left off, but he was on some other shit. Asha was gonna give him some time to get his mind right, or she was moving on to something or someone better.