“I don’t have to show him sheeit! He came at me first! I defended myself! Ain’t no other story bout’ it! I want to see my daughter!”
“When you had the chance to have her, you tossed her to your sisters, and became too busy fighting Dre to see your daughter. Who knows what will happen to her or how you’ll mess up my personal life if I let you have her for a damn weekend----.”
“Keep mothafucking playing with me Pia!” He snapped. “I ain’t gon spare yo lil feelings like everybody else in yo life. I’ma tell you about yo self----.”
I nearly slammed on the brakes as a green Honda cut what little room there was, in front of me before I slammed my fist into the horn with a loud blow.
“You need to watch where you’re going idiot!” I screamed wildly. Only to suddenly regret the move when I heard Violet’s soft whines fill the car. I tried to reach back, gripping her tiny foot to keep her calm, but the damage was done.
“Boi I swear,” Homer suddenly laughed softly. “Never thought the lil fat girl I met sitting on the bench that day would turn out to be a bitch. Not like this man….You lied. You said she wasn’t with you---.”
“I have to go. I’ll be home as soon as I can Homer---.”
“Don’t worry about it. Take yo fucking time. I tried to do it your way. You ain’t wanna budge so now I’ma do it my way. I’m gone. I’ll have Violet back safe, and sound this Sunday afternoon. Go find some shit to get into this weekend, she’ll be aight with me---.”
“Is that a threat?” I asked, hearing him laugh.
“How I’ma threaten you with my own kid, Pia?”
“You’re not taking her---.”
“I am, sweetheart, and you gon’ be the one to give her to me. Enjoy yo kid free weekend Pia Milton.”
The phone hung up as I sat still in the car, thinking. Replaying every word that was exchanged between us. Didn’t care if I was being petty or not. I was going to take my time getting home, but it seems like luck was on my side when my phone started to ring. I glanced at the dashboard seeing the familiar number, and smiled. A little thrown off, and confused but I answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey Pia,” Dre sighed as I licked my dry lips. Just the sound of his voice calmed me down, and reminded me of old times. The good times. When Homer wasn’t in the picture. “You busy?”
“Just… You know. Fighting traffic. I just picked Violet up from school.”
“Ahh. What you two doing later on tonight? I found this book I know she would like, and it got me started on missing her----.”
“You haven’t seen her in almost---.”
“I know, but can you blame me? Can you really blame me Pia? I haven’t been there for either of you because I don’t know where I stand.”
“I told you Dre. I told you, you’re the only one I want to be with. Nobody else. I can’t,” shaking my head. “I can’t tell you how much I hate this man. I wish he didn’t exist, but to erase him would be to erase Violet. All I know is, you’re the only man I know I’m meant to be with. Violet is always asking about you, and I tell her you’re off playing basketball. She misses you. I miss you.”
“Come over. I’m at the house now with her book. If you can’t, I understand but---.”
“I’ll be there,” I said without thinking.
Except when I got off the phone with him, my mind went back to Homer with guilt. I could not afford to miss the chance to salvage whatever relationship I had left with Dre. Homer was going to have to come back, because I knew that if I was going to see my ex? Chances of me leaving his house were slim to none unless it was early the next morning.
Michael Skye
“Mmmph,” my youngest sister Siren said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I told you she wasn’t shit,” Caroline said.
“What exactly did you do to her Homer?” Ominaya asked as Trinity kicked back in the back seat of the car, lighting up the only blunt in the car. Frizzy hair wild around her face as she tugged at her black sweats.
“Tell that bitch we don’t need her permission to see Violet,” she snapped. “We don’t need permission to see family---.”
“All of y'all be quiet,” I cut in before looking at my brother in the front seat. Seeing he was staring at the phone.
We sat in the parking lot of Pia’s building. Just a little under two hours in the fall air, waiting on Pia to show up with Violet. We had bags filled with toys, and books that we figured she would like from each of us. As a gesture of her aunties and uncle wanting to get to know her better, but Pia was making it hard.
For weeks now.
Homer slowly nodded, dragging his hand down his jaw with the she-devils in the backseat. All four of em talking shit in this nigga’s ear. Filling his head with every negative thought to sway his perception of Pia. Pia didn’t make the shit any better with these lil baby mama games she was playing at.
“You heard Violet in the background. Course she lied about having her, my question is why?” Ominaya kept on, hearing her bracelets jingle against her arms. “Why would she lie about something like that? If she doesn’t want you to see Violet, she needs to have a better reason---.”
“Fuck a reason!” Siren snapped. “It doesn’t matter! She’s petty because he’s not falling to his knees in front of her begging! She obviously likes him!”
“I’on think that’s it,” I said, shaking my head as I looked out the window of the small visitor parking lot.
“I keep…” Homer started, turning his red fitted forward as he pulled it over his brows to shield his face. He shook his head in deep thought before looking out the window. “I keep thinking about that night we messed around. What did I do to deserve all this shit? What did I do to Delilah for her to keep this big of a secret from me? Did I owe Pia a phone call? It was just a night of fucking. That’s it! One night stand, one time only! What the FUCK!?” He screamed with his hand slamming against the wheel. “Did I do to deserve this shit?!”
“You didn’t do a damn thing Homer! It’s her!” Caroline added, leaning forward between the media with her hand on his shoulder. “Listen to me, women are petty. We never admit when we’re wrong. We don’t like to be made a fool of, and we don’t like being told what to do. It’s obvious she likes you or has feelings for you. She felt some type of way---.”
“That ain’t it,” I repeated. “That’s far from it.”
“Tell me I’m lying!”
“You lying!” I laughed, looking back at my four sisters. All of them identical with dark brown skin and small beady eyes except for Trinity who looked like she was mixed with white. Nobody could explain her features or how she came about, but she was taking this better than anybody as she pulled back on the blunt. Only to hand it off to me, holding it between her thumb and pointer finger.
“So she won’t let Violet come with us this weekend?” She asked, inhaling the smoke before releasing it with a soft blow of her breath. “Like I said, we don’t need her permission to take Violet. We can just take the lil girl. That’s a Skye woman through, and through, and one of the stronger ones that are being born. You can tell she’s unique.”
“Nevaeh says she’s very smart for her age, and pays attention to detail. I can already see her being a medicine woman like me,” Omni boasted.
“Nah, she ain’t none of that. She’s a lil totem like her daddy. Can smell that wild dog in her. Alpha female at that.”
“Homer listen to me,” Caroline tried again. “I know you’re trying to blame yourself, but this has nothing to do with you. She’s a bitch. Point blank period. Can’t touch her because she’s going to threaten the cops on us, but there are other ways to get to her, and you know what I’m talking about.”
“I can think of several,” Siren said with a suck of her teeth. Flipping her hair back with a pout of her lip.
“Delilah said she’s staying out of it,” Trinity coughed as I closed my eyes to take another pull. Only to reach back without looking to pass it back to Trin
ity who rolled the window down. “She said she’s done so Pia don’t have Delilah backing her no more. They fell out bad, and Ben told her to stay away from her.”
“They what?” I coughed, looking back at my sister, confused. “What you mean?”
“They fell out. Delilah said fuck her. She’s over it with both Homer, and Pia. I said, sheeeit. Say no more cuzo,” Trinity laughed, eyes bright red as she leaned back in the seat.
“I’m telling you, it's because Pia likes Homer or wants him to like her. That’s why. It has nothing to do with Violet, and everything to do with how Homer reacts around her. Like she ain’t shit because she isn’t!” Caroline stated as I shook my head for the last damn time.
“That ain’t it! I keep telling you that ain’t it. Neither one of them can stand one another. You know how much money Pia got? Her parents? That girl swimming in money. She don’t need Homer. Ain’t never needed him----.”
“Money doesn’t make up for being a parent,” he said, looking at me with a tight face. “I don’t care how much money she has, that has nothing to do with me being that girl’s father.”
“It got everything to do with it. She don’t need you. You like...uh uh…” Snapping my fingers trying to find the word. “You like an extra...Like one of those niggas that just be there on the sidelines. You can sit there all day long but you ain’t gon ever be called to the game because it can be won without you. Pia probably so used to doing it on her own, ain’t never had to struggle a day in her life. I’on think she got a good relationship with her own daddy, or her parents. Otherwise, she would see how important it is to be an active parent in a kid’s life. You, on the other hand? You got it in yo mind that women need men, and you gotta be the one to provide, and protect them. Now you done came across this girl who don’t need that. You tryna figure out what you did wrong, ain’t shit you did wrong. You just not bringing nothing to the table in her eyes. She’s the type to want a man because she wants him. Not that she need em, never needed a nigga in her life, and that’s the problem. She don’t need or want Homer----.”
“I’M THAT GIRL’S FATHER! I don’t give a FUCK!” He screamed as I jumped back, eyes wide, damn near gripped the door like he was finna come at me. “I DON’T GIVE A FUCK IF THAT BITCH SHIT GOLD! I’M THAT GIRL’S FATHER! VIOLET NEEDS ME! I DESERVE TO BE IN HER LIFE! PIA CAN DO WHAT SHE WANT, BUT THAT CHILD IS OF MY BLOOD! OF MY FACE! OF MY SEED! MY TRIBE! THAT’S MINE! YOU HEAR ME?!”
“I hear you---!”
“NAH NIGGA DO YOU HEAR ME?!” He barked. “I’on think you do or else you wouldn’t be talking to me like I ain’t shit, but some broke ass side nigga begging to see this bitch! I’m that girl’s father! You gon give me my seed! One way or another! Two years is up!”
“Hello?” A deep voice came through as Homer sat back in his seat while I sat up. Mad I even jumped at his punk ass.
“Daddy, can you hear me?” Caroline asked. I could hear the rustling sound of the phone with Mama’s voice in the background before she spoke again. “Daddy?”
“I’m here baby girl, what’s up?”
“So Pia lied about Homer being able to see her today,” she started with a roll of her neck.
“I thought he drove all the way down there to see her---.”
“I know, and we’re sitting in the car outside her building waiting for almost three damn hours. Waiting on her, but she hasn’t shown up. She knew the time, she knew the place and lied talking about, oh...I’m stuck in traffic. I haven’t picked her up yet. I haven’t this, and that---.”
“Alright so what you need to do is take it to the courts at this point.” Mama cut in. Voice strong, accent still felt like she was up north with a certain southern drawl to it. “Ain’t nothing Homer can do but file for custody, get a DNA test to confirm that’s your daughter and----.”
“Nah, nah...We not moving like that. Homer what the fuck are you doing?” Daddy asked. “Huh? You sitting here letting this woman walk all over you? You always talking about you got control, you got the upperhand----.”
“What did she say about bringing her this weekend to the Moon Run? She’s apart of it, ain’t she?” Mama asked.
“She still saying no,” Omni let out. “She won’t let her stay the night. Only lets Homer see her for a few hours. He drives down here just to see her for a few hours.”
“Are y'all still sleeping with each other or----.”
“Mama no,” Homer let out with a groan, dragging his hand down his face. “I’on wanna touch that bitch. I just want...I just want to see my daughter again. Every time I see her, I feel like everything is right in the world. Seeing her, and seeing her look like me. Laugh, and smile at me. Like the better part of myself. A better reflection...I miss her every day, and she’s all I think about,” he started, pinching the bridge of his nose as he held his head down low. “All I think about, and I can’t even…. I gotta get permission to see her. I didn’t even know about----.”
“Aye, cut it out!” Daddy snapped. “You don’t need permission to see no damn body, especially not something you created. All she did was push her out, but that’s all you. From these pictures, that’s all you which means that’s all me, and my daddy. You better bring that lil girl up here. If we need to come down there to talk to her or her parents, we will. If she gotta come up to South Carolina with the child, that’s fine. Just get her up here. Everybody getting sick of just seeing pictures.”
“She’s coming up with us,” Caroline stated with a firm nod. “Take me back to my house. Daddy we’ll call you back,” hanging up the phone as I looked back at my sisters. Seeing them exchange identical glances.
“What?” I asked, pushing my glasses up. “What y'all got planned?”
Wrong question to ask when four out of five sisters believed in no limits or boundaries when it came to people they didn’t like. We stood in Caroline’s bright living room. Decorated in her girly style with a vanity set up in the corner with cameras, and a green screen for her Youtube channel. Nail polish, makeup, and packages sprawled about on the floor, she dug through her drawers before pulling out a small baby comb.
“You’re about to put a root on this baby?” I asked in shock. “Hold up now, you can’t----.”
“Forget Me Knot?” Homer asked, walking over towards his sister with a grin. “You need me to do it?”
“No, you have a heavy hand like Daddy. You might end up killing her. Something only a woman or mother can do,” walking towards the kitchen with Homer following her. “Grab a strand of Violet’s hair from the root, and tie them together around a cinnamon stick. Can be anything really just to tie the knot, but cinnamon adds extra spice to it.”
I walked into the kitchen seeing Caroline was digging in her cabinets before pulling out a small jar of cinnamon sticks. With the comb having light clumps of baby hair stuck in it, she began to pick it out, and go through finding the perfect strands. Homer stood over her watching closely with a growing smile while I shook my head.
“This ain’t right,” I said. “You know this ain’t right----.”
“Well neither is what she’s doing,” Caroline countered as Siren let out a loud gasping shriek.
“NO SHE DIDN’T! HOMER?! HOMER?!” She screamed, looking at her phone like it was made of fire as she jumped in place. “Look at this! Look at where she is!”
“Where who is?!” I shouted as everyone crowded around the phone.
“I told you she ain’t shit! What I say?!” Siren laughed. “Bury that bitch to the ground! Bind that bitch root straight to the ground! Six feet under!”
“Lemme see! Lemme look!” Taking the phone as Homer walked off, trying to control his anger along with Caroline. I looked at the Instagram picture from Dre’s account. Seeing he posted a picture with Violet in his arms. Caption reading, Happy to see this little one again.
Welp.
I tried. Pia is a dead woman walking at this point. There was no point in defending her anymore.
“We already putting one on Pia
too so this is nothing,” Caroline yelled from the kitchen before looking at Homer with her hands on her hip. “What are your intentions? What do you want to happen big brother? You see what type of bitch we’re dealing with, and how far she’ll go to prove she doesn’t want you in her life. Let’s handle it the way we know how when somebody has done us wrong. What do you want to happen?”
“I want my daughter in my life. That’s it. I wanna be able to have a relationship with her. Need Pia to work with me. Stop giving me all this fucking pushback when she gets upset. Let Violet be around my family, and me without issue. All I want. I’on want nothing to do with Pia personally. We don’t even have to talk on that level. So I don’t care if she’s with that nigga, but I don’t want him around my child. I want all personal feelings detached from Pia, and I. No emotion whatsoever so we can cut the bullshit. If it ain’t about Violet, I don’t care.”
“Mmm hmm, mmm hmm,” Caroline hummed as she reached in the cabinets for something else. “We want Violet in our lives, not Pia. We can arrange that as well. Take all the emotions out of Pia when it comes to you so she can focus on her child. We can make that happen, definitely.”
“All that I ask,” he said as I gripped my head, looking back from my sisters on the couch to the two demons in the kitchen cooking.
“Aye, wet them hairs first Caroline!” Trinity yelled from the living room. “Wet the hairs then tie it. Let that shit soak on the sti---.”
“I know how to do a Forget Me Knot, Trinity!” She snapped.
“You a lil rusty last time I checked!”
Caroline rolled her eyes as she snatched the sink level on to damp the comb before going back to picking out the strands. Finding the ones that were pulled straight from the root only to hand them to Homer.
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