“Don’t talk to my mama like that!” Rye interjected, causing Jaylen to hop off the U-Haul.
“Nah, Rye, let them talk. You back up, as long as he aint touching yall, then everything is everything,” Jaylen said, as he grabbed her hand.
“Ma and daddy, I think that yall should go in the house and talk. We don’t need to hear what’s going on with yall,” Dee offered her two cents.
“No, I don’t think ma needs to go in there by herself with him,” Rye chided, as Jaylen’s three thugged out helpers moseyed down the driveway.
Dee sucked her teeth. “It’s not about what you think. They’ve been together for over twenty years. So, they definitely don’t need you to play mediator.”
“Look,” Konya frustratingly held her head. “Both of yall just be quiet. And come on, Dewayne. Let’s go in these people house, so you can tell me whatever it is you gotta say. Then I can finally get the fuck on.”
Dewayne didn’t bother saying anything, as he stiffly traveled up the driveway, feeling completely exposed. Seemingly, everyone around knew his business, as Konya allowed total strangers to dawdle around their home. The place where they were supposed to grow old together. They’d raised children there, and now they were about to lose it all…and everyone knew it.
Stepping into his living room, Dewayne noticed all the boxes filled with Konya’s belongings. “You’re taking everything, huh? Wasn’t gonna leave me a damn thing.”
Konya rolled her eyes. “Dewayne, I’m just taking what belongs to me. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
He stared at her intensely. “And what about what belongs to me?”
“I did not touch your things. Everything should still be here---"
“I’m talking about you, Konya. You belong to me.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. Not anymore.”
Dewayne’s chest heaved up and down, as he attempted to get a handle on his emotions. “You know,” he became choked up. “All those years ago, when I promised to take care of you forever, I meant that. I’ve always been good to you. Through your lies. Cheating. All that. I bet the kids don’t know that. I bet I’m just the bad guy, and now you’re ready to throw me away, because of one incident. That tells me that you never loved me to begin with!”
Konya scowled. “You’re delusional as hell, you know that? You put up with the cheating, while I had to hide all those black eyes. Let’s not forget. It was a even fucking trade off!”
“Oh, no, let me go in there---” Rye fumed outside of the house, trying to break out of Jaylen’s grasp.
“Calm down,” Jaylen gritted. “I need you to stay out of this shit, otherwise I’ma catch a case today. I can feel it. That nigga had evil in his eyes. Just let your mama deal with him, so we can burn off.”
“And now you’re about to lay up with the nigga you’ve been fucking screwing for the last four years. Do the girls know that?!” Dewayne raged.
Konya was pissed, as she felt that he was trying to blast her. The front door was wide open, and she was sure that DeAndra and Rye weren’t too far away. “Dewayne, shut the hell up! I wouldn’t have needed the next man to fuck me, if you’d known what the hell you were doing! But you never did! You’re weak! Your love is weak! The dick was weak! And now your finances are weak! The fuck can I do with your weak, useless ass!”
“Daaaaaaaamn,” Jaylen’s jaw dropped, as he placed a fist to his mouth. “Mama is cold with it.”
Dee stood with tears sliding down her face.
Rye shook her head, while she wore a smirk on her face.
All three of them stood on the porch, awaiting Dewayne’s rebuttal. They were beginning to believe that Konya’s sharp tongue had sliced him to pieces, silencing him forever.
Jaylen lightly chuckled. “Damn, now ole buddy aint got nothing to s---”
BLOW!
“What the fuck?!”
Rye’s eyes bucked in horror.
“Daddy!” Dee shouted. “What was that?”
“Ma!” Rye screamed, as she tried to cross the threshold, but Jaylen yanked her back.
“Say, Lil’ Jaylen, check on ya people. That came from the inside of that house,” one of the movers shouted from the end of the drive. “I got my strap if shits about to get poppin!”
Hearing that, sent Rye into a panic. Therefore, she frantically broke out of Jaylen’s grasp, and raced into the house. “Noooooooo!”
Jaylen and Dee were right behind her.
“Ma!” Dee’s voice trembled, as she saw Konya lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
Jaylen stood there momentarily stunned. He’d seen a few people shot in his day, but this was Rye’s mama. His heart ached for her, but he couldn’t dwell on that for too long, as he went into protective mode. Noticing the patio door wide open, leading to the backyard, he wondered where Dewayne was, as he yanked his pistol out of his shorts. Hearing the loud roar of an engine, he didn’t have to wonder too long. Spinning around, he stepped outside, just in time to see Dewayne’s truck backing out of the driveway like a bat out of hell.
“Ma, if you hear me, nod your head. Ma,” Rye cried, while her hands shook uncontrollably.
Konya’s shirt was soaked with blood, making it hard to see where she’d been hit.
“Ma!” Dee dropped to her knees, kneeling over her mother. “Get up! Please, open your eyes. Please, I’m begging you. I’ll…I’ll do anything. I won’t fuss with Rye anymore. I promise. Just open your eyes,” she sobbed.
“Maaaa,” Rye bawled, holding Konya’s limp hand. “Don’t do this to us, pleaseeeeeeeee!”
Epilogue
“Rye, I’m serious when I say this. Your hands are blessed by the man up above.”
Rye gently smiled. “Thanks, Ms. Aaron. I appreciate that, girl.”
Aaron gazed at herself in the mirror. “No, thank you.” she ran her fingers through her hair.
“See, sis, I told you that she was the truth,” Jazel offered, as she sat a few feet away, awaiting her turn in Rye’s chair.
At one point, Jazel would use Keyasia as a buffer between them, but they’d surpassed the uncomfortableness a while ago. Now, Jazel would freely show up without Key, and was now bringing in new customers with her. This was her sister-in-law Aaron’s first time in her chair, and Rye was confident that it wouldn’t be the last.
Aaron was still admiring herself in the mirror. “Yeah, I know that Shan is gonna be mad at me, cause I’m only fucking with her, when you aint available. No lie.”
Jazel tittered. “Shan’s ghetto ass gon wanna fight if Rye keeps taking her customers.”
“Well, she’ll be alright. I can’t do everybody’s hair. So, she’ll still get money.”
“Right,” Aaron agreed.
Everyone lifted the door, as the door chimed, indicating that someone was entering the salon.
Rye grinned. “My baby.”
Jaylen strutted through the shop, while Jay rode the curve of his arm. “What’s up?” he politely spoke to the multiple women in the shop.
Over time, Rye had been able to rent out booths to four different stylists, which meant that the shop was swarming with women.
Jaylen paused once he realized who was currently sitting in Rye’s chair. “Ay, what’s Aaron?”
Aaron gasped. “Junior! Damn, boy you look just like your daddy. Give me a hug.” She stood up and they quickly embraced.
Rye looked Aaron’s big ghetto booty having ass up and down. “Oh,” she laughed fakely. “How do yall know each other?”
Jaylen focused on Rye. “Oh, Aaron is the young girl I told you about. The one my pops used to talk to. Remember, I told you about her?”
Rye nodded. “Yeah, I remember,” she replied coolly, although she was just seconds away from plotting Aaron’s murder.
Grabbing a chair, Jaylen drug it over to where Rye stood and sat down. By then, Jazel had taken Aaron’s place in Rye’s chair.
Rye was still enthralled with her son. “Stinka Butt, you miss me? Huh? What you a
nd daddy been doing all day?” she focused on Jaylen. “Where are yall going after yall leave here?”
“I’ma run a few errands, before I drop him off at my mama’s.”
“Oh, okay. And then what?”
He smirked. “Why?
“Cause…you know that I gotta keep that short leash on ya ass.”
He chuckled. “You funny, man.”
“I know,” she smiled, but he could tell that it wasn’t genuine.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, just above a whisper.
“Nothing,” she answered solemnly.
He shook his head. “Come on, girl. Don’t lie to me. What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “I got subpoenaed to show up in court for Dewayne’s trial today.”
“Ooh, damn. How you feel about that?”
She shrugged. “I just wished that he would’ve taken the time, instead of taking this to trial. I’m just ready for this to be over.”
“Aye, I feel you, but I wouldn’t trip. It’s fuck that nigga. We both know that them white folks aint letting him back out onto the streets.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, as she began to thread the needle to sew Jazel’s tracks in. “I hope you’re right.”
A braider had already braided her hair down. Therefore, Rye went right into sewing in the hair.
Jaylen sat back watching her in her element. As always, she kept it simple while working, therefore she wore Adidas’ leggings with the matching tee. Her natural hair was pulled up into a bun, making her feel plain. Since having the baby, she would still get dressed up for him, but there was more of a balance. She kept it simple while she worked, so that she could go home in the evenings and tend to her mommy duties.
Overtime, Jaylen decided that he loved the simpler Rye just a tad bit more. She took less time to get ready. She had more time for him and the baby…and she was always down to fuck. Then she’d let him fuck her any way he wanted, while he pulled her hair. Also, the less glammed up she was, the more her awesome physique stood out.
“Look at all that ass,” he mumbled, as he popped her booty.
“Jaylen, stop!” she screeched. “And stop staring at me!”
“For what? I can’t look at you?”
“Why do you wanna look at me?”
“Cause you so damn fine. What you mean?”
“Boy, please. Aint nothing fine about me, right now.”
“Shit, that’s what you say. You must don’t see what I see.”
Before she could respond, her cell went off. “Hold up, right quick,” she told Jazel, before answering the facetime call. “Uh huh?”
“Hey, what you doing over there?”
“Working.”
“Oh, I see. And what’s the matter? You can’t call nobody?”
Rye cracked a smile. “My bad, ma. I was just working. You know that I was gonna get around to calling you.”
“Yeah, right, little girl.”
“I’m serious. What are you and Calvin over there doing?”
“He’s trying to stuff me like a damn turkey. I’m gaining weight left and right.”
“Well, that’s good. You lost so much weight when you were in the hospital. You can stand to gain a few pounds.”
“Girl, please. The devil is a liar. Now, tell me when are yall coming to see me again,” Konya pressed.
Rye sighed. “We’re coming over tonight, ma. I promise.”
“All three of yall, right? Not just you and Jaylen. I need to see my grandbaby. It’s bad enough that he’s always with Chantel, and barely knows me. So, I need to see everybody tonight.”
“Okay, ma. We’ll be there.”
“No, I don’t know if I believe you. Let me call Jaylen.”
“You don’t have to call him. He’s right here.”
“Okay, well put the camera on him.”
Rye giggled, as she panned the camera on Jaylen and the baby.
“Hey, how you doing, mama?” Jaylen smiled. “You feeling alright?”
“I’m doing fine,” Konya replied. “Are yall coming by the house tonight?”
“Yes, we are.”
“And you’re gonna have Jay with you, right?”
“Umm---”
“No, don’t umm. Answer me. You’re gonna bring Jay by here too, right?”
“Yeah, mama,” he breathed, as she’d twisted his arm. “Jay is gonna stop by too.”
“Okay, good,” Konya smiled in satisfaction. “See yall later tonight. Love yall.”
He smiled. “We love you too.”
“Okay, bye-bye,” Konya ended the call.
Rye shook her head with a smirk on her face, while she sewed another track into Jazel’s head. Although, she rarely verbalized it, she absolutely adored the relationship Jaylen had with her mama.
“Damn, it’s packed in here.”
Rye lifted her head to see Randi and her girl Kina strutting through the building. Unconsciously, Rye rolled her eyes. Instinctively, Jazel grabbed her hand, halting her sewing.
“What’s wrong?” Rye asked confusingly.
Without responding, Jazel shot to her feet. “Bitch, I been waiting to see your dog ass!”
Randi placed her hands on her hips. “Girl, if you don’t shut that lame shit up. I’m not about to stand here and argue over some old shit that I could care less about, now.”
“Nah, aint nothing old, hoe,” Jazel growled, as she closed in on Randi. “You’ve done too much to let it pass. I’d be less of a woman to let you walk out of here without a few knots.”
Aaron was now standing, as well. “This hoe is lucky to be alive, with her informant ass. Bitch’s name is on a few niggas’ affidavits. You think that we don’t know that you’re the reason Keyon ended up on probation that time?”
Randi shook her head, as her legs shook underneath her. Kina was eerily silent, while she exchanged words with two different broads.
Jazel turned to Rye. “Girl, I’m not trying to disrespect your shop, so could you please tell your client to step outside?”
“Yeah, Randi and Kina, yall gotta hit the door with the bullshit,” Jaylen spoke up while still seated with Jay in his lap.
Kina quickly shook her head. “Nah, don’t say Kina. I don’t have shit to do with this.”
“Let’s go outside,” Jazel persisted.
“Yeah, take it outside,” Aaron gritted, as she snuck Randi, hitting her in the jaw, causing her to stagger backwards. “Take it outside, hoe.” She threw another right, popping Randi again, while inadvertently driving back to the door.
Randi knew then that she’d have to get out there and scrap. Therefore, she voluntarily stomped outside, and so did a majority of the shop. “Come on, bitch, run up,” she challenged Aaron, as she got into a boxing stance.
Briefly Jazel and Aaron locked eyes, before going in. Not fighting fair, they swung at the same time, attacking Randi from different directions.
Jaylen stood on the sidewalk with Jay in his arms. Rye was right by their side, enjoying the show. She’d known from the beginning that Randi was shady, and now she was getting that ass spanked for everybody to see.
Jazel and Aaron were quite vicious, as they stomped Randi. It was evident that the beef was personal, as Jazel hocked up and spat on her once she’d completely checked out of the fight and was curled up in fetal position.
“Okay,” Jazel raked her fingers through her half-done hair. “You can come finish my hair now, Rye.”
Rye nodded, and was about to head back into the shop, until she noticed some random man step up and assist Randi. He helped her climb to her feet, while she held her stomach. Her nose was bloodied, and her tracks were all over the ground.
“You hating ass hoes is sorry!” she belted. “Mad cause ya niggas wanted me or I had ‘em!”
Jazel shook her head. “Girl, you’re delusional. You fucked both my brothers and neither of them wanted you and Craven wouldn’t fuck you with their dicks. You ran through, love. Be real with yourself.”
“Bitc
h, you wish,” Randi argued. “And Rye I don’t know what the fuck you’re laughing at! This is your shop and you should conduct business better than this. Out here giggling and shit, like you got a prize. Your nigga just like the rest of these fools. I got a sweet tooth, and ya nigga was looking like a sucker, so he got licked. Believe that.”
“This hoe here crazy,” Jaylen fumed, expecting Rye to explode on his ass.
Rye’s smile remained. “I guess you think it’s cute to announce that you sucked somebody’s man off, huh?”
Randi’s heart skipped a beat, truly not expecting that angle from Rye. If anything, it had been her hope to sake some shit up, and play a few mind games with her.
“Yeah, hoe, don’t look stupid now. What, you thought that you was getting in my head as you tried to play me close? You ought to be ashamed to walk around here, just throwing pussy at niggas. Begging them to fuck you. To at least feel the dick. Bitch, kill yourself. Now, move around, cause I can for shit sure tell you that you aint nowhere near his type. In fact, he told your thirsty ass several times. And me…I’m so petty that I knew you secretly wanted to be me, so I let you get close enough to see how a real bitch live this life, being with a nigga that you aint woman enough to ever get.”
After getting read, Randi’s face flushed with embarrassment, as she hobbled over to her Honda. Slowly but surely all the salon’s patrons filed back into the building. Eventually, it was just Rye, Jaylen, and the baby standing out front.
“So, uh, you knew that I’d dealt with her, huh?” he questioned.
Rye simply nodded.
“For how long?”
“Since it first happened,” she stated casually.
“So, why you never said anything?”
She tucked her lips into her mouth. “Because I knew exactly what you’d done. Every detail. I also knew that you hadn’t done it before, and there’s no evidence of you doing it after. So, I chalked it up to a one-time fuck up.”
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