by Khadijah J
“And I’m talking to you, motherfucker.” He spat, and I looked at that nigga like he was crazy.
“Where my baby girl car seat at? I would blow yo head off, nigga, and you know that. But just for you trying to act cool in front of this broad, I’m beating the fuck outta you when I see you out in the hood.” I told him.
“Lucci!” Nik yelled.
“Fuck that nigga, put yo baby down, and let’s get it right now!” He took his shirt off. I chuckled.
“Where my baby car seat? I’ll bring her back in a few days.”
“Where you taking her to? Are you even capable of taking care of her?” She screamed at me, and it stung to hear her say that, cause in a way she was right. But she had a lot of fucking nerve.
“I can do a better job then what the fuck you doing.” I snapped at her.
“You come in this bitch being disrespectful. Nigga, this my house!” Mike spat.
“You keep huffing, and I’ma show you who the fuck the big bad wolf is, when I blow yo fucking head off, nigga. Now, you better relax.” I snapped. Nik stood there staring at me.
“What is you looking at me for? GET MY BABY CAR SEAT!” I barked.
“I ain’t giving you shit.” She started. I just shook my head and walked outside with my baby girl in my arms.
I buckled her in the backseat as best as I could, heading to Walmart. I headed to the kid’s department, with my baby girl just staring at me. I ain’t know what the fuck I was doing, and it was obvious, because Lani’s sister, Niatia, walked up to me laughing. She had her Walmart uniform on.
“Sir, do you need some help?” She smirked.
“Actually, I fucking do.” I told her.
“How can I help you? Hi, cutie. What’s her name?” She smiled at my baby.
“E’mauni. But I need everything possible for my baby girl. She’s moving in with me.” I told her.
After getting two carts full of shit, a nigga was able to carry most of the shit in with my baby girl. I lived in a three bedroom crib that I got when I was eighteen. I was almost twenty one now, with a child, so I ain’t have no choice but to upgrade my life. I had to get my shit together, it was no other way around it. My baby girl was in the tub, while I sat on the toilet trying to figure out how I was gon’ do this shit. I was smacking the shit out of Mike when I saw him, off rip. But Nik had changed, and not for the better. I just hoped she ain’t make this co-parenting difficult, cause I had no problem taking my baby girl full time. She hadn’t cried once since being with me. She just kept looking at me like she was in disbelief or some shit.
“You all done, baby girl?” I asked. She smiled and nodded. I washed her up before wrapping her in a towel and putting a pull up on her. After her bath, lotioning her up, and putting on her PJ’s, my baby was out like a light on my chest. I had to go get her a bed tomorrow, but I didn’t mind it. She was snuggled up against her dad, and it made my chest swell. This was my first and only baby, man, and I promised her I was gon’ be the best father I could be.
Five~ Niatia
I had been through a lot of shit these past few months. I had to move back with my mother, because shit went haywire with Shyne and I. I almost went to prison and everything. I couldn’t believe he did me the way that he did, and for a while, I was heartbroken. I had been through so much shit, I couldn’t believe how everything went down.
“Come on, bae. Get dressed, make this run with me.” He stressed.
“I don’t feel like it, bae.” I whined. He popped me on my ass hard as hell intentionally, and I hopped up in his face.
“Get dressed, and don’t make me knock yo little ass out.” He joked. I rolled my eyes and got dressed. I grabbed my Kindle, because I knew we were going to be awhile. The whole way there, I was reading all of Ashley Artis’ books. She was one of my favorite authors out here, and I was re-reading my favorite book, Worth the Wait of a Savage. But lights flashing in the rearview mirror threw me all the way off.
“Shit.” Shyne grunted. I looked back and frowned.
“What the hell, Shyne?” I asked.
“Just chill, alright?” He told me, as he pulled over on the freeway. Suddenly, a couple of unmarked squad cars pulled up, and I knew then this shit was about to hit the fan. This nigga tried to convince me to take the wrap, and I looked at him like he was stupid. He had to be to say some shit like that.
“Just don’t say shit, alright?” He spat.
They cuffed me and took me into custody, trying the good cop bad cop thing. I said nothing. They didn’t have anything on me, and I honestly, was clueless. When I told them that, this pig got in my face, and said he was going to lock my clueless ass up. I was over it, and they kept me overnight, in a holding cell. I was praying to God the entire time that I got out this mess, because I would rather die, than stay in this pissy ass place. The next day, around noon, I was released, and they told me they would be in touch. I caught a taxi back to my place, because I didn’t want to hear, my sister’s mouth. When I turned my phone on, my sister was instantly calling. I answered.
“Oh, thank GOD! Are you okay?” She asked.
“No! They just held me for no reason, at all. They say Shyne trying to put it all on me.” I shook my head.
“Listen, they probably told him the same thing, but as long as you stayed solid, you’re fine. Where you at?”
“I’m pulling up to my townhouse now.” I saw my front door wide open.
“What the fuck?” I hopped out the cab before paying him.
“What’s wrong?” My sister yelled.
“Girl, my door is wide the fuck open.” I yelled through the phone. She smacked her lips.
“Wait, me and Vash will be there in like five!” She yelled. I hung up the phone and the cab man was behind me.
“You owe me twenty dollars!” He yelled.
“What? Here! You hollering about twenty dollars!” I screamed and took out a fifty. He had me fucked up. I looked around, noticing all Shyne and I’s clothes and shit were bleached, cut, and scattered all over the place. I frowned, wondering what the fuck was going on. I walked in my house, and it was like four bitches in here. All my furniture was gone, and so were all my decorations and shit. It was like they were moving me out of my own home.
“Excuse me! Are y’all bitches high or something? Where the fuck is my furniture? And why the fuck is my man’s clothes on the front lawn?!” I screamed. They immediately stopped what they were doing, looking at me. One brown skinned, thick bitch came from my room with two trash bags full of my stuff.
“Your man? Your man is my husband, bitch!” She spat at me, dropping the handles.
“Nah, you just another crazy bitch that wants Rashyne. Him being married is impossible, when he just proposed to me.” I spat. She smirked and handed me a marriage certificate from off my cabinet. I was stuck on stupid as a thousand thoughts ran through my mind.
“Yeah, yo young ass got to be the dumbest broad of all the side chicks he’s had. Bitch, this is my old place, in my name! You in this bitch like it’s yours, when my name is on it. Just like I’m the owner of your car. You’re pathetic, and I don’t respect bitches like you. You at the bottom of the totem poll.” She spat at me.
“No, he wouldn’t lie to me like that. Bitch, you’re lying!” I screamed at her. She shrugged and walked passed me, throwing my shit outside. I pushed her big ass.
“Bitch, don’t fucking throw my shit like that!” I snapped. She looked at me with fire in her eyes and pounced on me like a lion. I didn’t know how I ended up outside face first in the grass, but I was pissed the hell off.
“Get the fuck off my sister, bitch!” I heard, and her big ass was pushed off me as my cousin helped me up.
“Oh, y’all jumping?” One of her girls asked.
“I wish your big ass would. I’ll knock yo fat ass on yo back!” Vash threatened.
“This yo sister, Lani? You knew she was fucking my husband?” She spat.
“I didn’t know Shyne was married, b
itch.” My sister yelled back at her.
“Bitch, you a lie.” Shyne’s wife screamed.
“If I am, what’s up?” Lani shrugged. I wasn’t the best fighter out the crew, honestly, Vash was the beast of the crew, then Lani, and then little ol me.
“I don’t want you. I want yo sister, one on one!” She yelled. Lani pushed me forward.
“RAG THAT HOE!” Vash spat. She ran up on me, and I tried to flip her big ass, but she didn’t budge. She had a handful of my hair and started swinging me around.
“Rush that hoe, bitch. If you lose, I’m on yo ass, Tia, you know that. Beat that hoe! She got yo shit all on the lawn! Fuck that bitch up!” Lani barked, and it was like a fire went off. She was right. I rushed her ass and she fell on her back. I quickly climbed on top and kicked her head back onto the concrete. Before I could raise my foot again, Precious’ little sister socked the shit out of me, and I hit the ground.
“Oh, I was waiting on you to do that.” I heard Vash scream, and next thing I knew, it was a brawl. Five on three. I was on top of Shyne’s wife, beating her face in, while her friend was beating me in the head. A few locals broke up the fight before the police was called. I got in Vash’s car and had a mental breakdown. Just that fast, everything was taken from me. They grabbed the two bags of stuff that she tossed outside, but other than that, I had nothing but the clothes on my back.
I literally, had nothing to fall back on. I couldn’t believe Shyne did me like this, I was so hurt. But as sad as I was for two weeks, I had to get back on my grind. It took for my cousin to finally come to my mom’s and get me together. I was hurt, and I just felt lost. At twenty, I didn’t have shit going for myself, and I didn’t know what to say, or do, about it. I was laid on my mother’s couch when Lani let Vash in. Lani went back to her room with her boo.
“What’s up, pooh? How you feeling?” She sat on the couch.
“I’m alright. Just tired.” I told her. She walked to the window and opened the blinds.
“What the hell, Vash?” I asked her.
“Girl, get yo grown ass up off my auntie couch.” She yelled, before sitting down on the couch, and opening her bag of hot Cheetos.
“You such a hood rat. What do you want?” I sat up on the couch.
“I want for you to get up off this couch, acting like it’s the end of the world over some ain’t shit ass nigga.” She snapped.
“I don’t have shit but those two bags of clothes. I have nothing, Vash, that bitch literally, was the owner of my townhouse and car, and I didn’t even know it. How could I be so stupid? Then, this nigga gon’ sit up here and try and convince me to take a charge for him! When you got a whole wife? NIGGA, FUCK YOU!” I huffed. Vash sat there looking at me with sympathy.
“Then, I got to sit here in this house.” My voice cracked, and she raised an eyebrow, before scooting next to me and consoling me as I started to cry my eyes out.
“Listen to me, baby cousin. That materialistic shit is replaceable. A sorry ass nigga like Shyne is also replaceable, shit, they come a dime a dozen. You being heartbroken is fucked up, and no one deserves to ever feel that way. But you’re young, twenty, baby girl, you got your whole life ahead of you. Pick up the pieces and keep it pushing. The best revenge is success. But once you reach that point of success, self love, and happiness, you won’t even be worried about the people who did you wrong in the past. You’ll be too occupied with being great.” She preached to me. I nodded, and she picked my head up to look me square in the eyes.
“Fuck him. You young, beautiful, and smart as fuck. You must desire more for yourself, Niatia. You see where you went wrong in this relationship, and you grow from it!” She continued.
“You right, Vash, you’re so right.” I nodded.
I was so glad my cousin talked some sense into me. I got myself together, and because I had never had a job before, I started at the local supermarket, Walmart. I couldn’t stand it, bitches I knew from the hood would come and try and pick with me. I was so focused on stacking to get my own whip and house. I was tired of my momma and sister tripping on me about having they car too long or leaving a piece of receipt paper in their car. I needed to get my own shit, on my own. I was thinking about doing nails again. I was scared though, because I had burnt quite a few customer’s back in the day. But I was trying to do better, and I was doing good at controlling my temper. I had to figure something out.
I had seen the finest dude in my life yesterday. He said his name was Lucci, and if it was the infamous Lucci that terrorized the city, then I was steering clear of him. Some girls were always fighting over him, and from what I heard, he was hung like a horse, and had a mean stroke game that drove these bitches insane. I wasn’t trying to be admitted to the nuthouse, so when I saw him, I waved him off.
I went to work the next day and was stocking the kid’s department, when I saw Lucci’s fine self looking lost, with a beautiful little girl, whose hair was all over head. Lucci was extremely tall, just enough muscle, he walked like he was Superman. He had on all black, and his hair was in four braids to the back. I loved dark skin men, but Lucci made me think differently. He stood tall, long legs and arms, and his back, damn, he was just fine as fuck. I sat watching him looking frustrated, while the little girl stared up at him with wide eyes. I made my way over there and helped him get everything he needed.
“She’s so cute. Hi, munchkin.” I smiled. She smiled hugely back, before waving.
“She’s so beautiful.” I told him.
“Thank you.” He said.
I walked with him and wheeled the second cart to the register. I even let him use my discount, shit, it wasn’t like I used it. He asked me about her hair, and I told him when he gave her a bath, to wash it with the shampoo I put in the cart. Beautiful baby, but she look like she hadn’t been taken care of in a few days. Her hair was even kinked up in the back. I was about to walk off, when he called out to me.
“You know how to braid?” He asked.
“Uhhh, actually, I do.” I told him. With my sister doing hair, I had to learn how to braid, I would braid her clients up, while she installed their wigs or sew ins. It would help her move quicker. We had done plenty of kid’s hair as well.
“What’s yo number? I’mma need you ASAP.” He asked. I frowned.
“You sure you not trying to just get my number?” I told him.
“Nah, shorty. You already turned a nigga down yesterday, so I’m good. But I do need some help with my baby’s head though.” He licked his juicy pink lips and my clit instantly thumped. That bitch needed to chill.
“As long as we’re clear on that.” I told him, then stored my number in his phone. I went back to work, and let the time pass me by while I bullshitted. When I got off late, I ended up having to catch a ride thru Uber, because my sister forgot to come get me when she came up here to get her keys. I needed a car like yesterday. When I got home, I stripped and showered. After putting my hair in a halo braid for the morning, I threw on my PJ’s before heading to the couch. As soon as I got comfortable, my phone chimed with a text. It was Lucci, seeing if I could come do her hair in the morning. I asked him what time and he told me.
The next morning, my mother let me use her car, thank the good Lord. I threw on some distressed jeans, and a shirt, with my Air Max. I wasn’t trying to impress his ass, since he said he was good. I pulled up to his nice ass house and parked on the street. Texting him I was outside, he opened the front door. Baby girl was standing at the screen door, with her hair all over her head. I walked up to the door and his house was fairly clean. She had toys everywhere, and it looked like he was trying to put together some of the stuff we bought last night.
“Hey, Princess E’mauni.” I smiled at her. She waved and ran away from me to her daddy. He picked her up, smothering her with kisses.
“Damn, you just walk in a nigga house and don’t take your shoes off. I can tell right now you ain’t got the sense God gave you.” He joked. I rolled my eyes at him, before taking m
y shoes off.
“Now you cooking.” He laughed.
“Nice place you got here.” I commented. He nodded.
“Thank you. Only reason we here, is cause I believe you got enough sense not to set a nigga up. You know who I am, so you know what I’m capable of.” He smirked.
“Oh really?” I chuckled.
“Yeah, plus, I know yo peoples. Vash cool people, and Lani alright.”
“Well why you ain’t have Vash do her braids? Or better yet, Lani?”
“Cause they braid too fucking tight, and they ain’t gon’ be snatching my baby girl’s edges out at a young age. Fuck that, and if I see you braiding too tight, yo ass won’t be finishing the job either.” He threatened.
“Yeah, whatever, let’s get this over with.”
It seemed like it took forever, but because she was going to be with her father for a few days, I decided on two layer braids with barrettes. He could change the colors day by day, I showed him how. He was so attractive, just watching him play the game was appealing. By the time I finished baby girl’s hair, she was knocked out in my lap. He went to lay her down, while I put all the stuff away in the box. He walked back to the living room as I was walking from the kitchen, washing my hands.
“You short as fuck.” He cracked.
“Whatever, everybody can’t be tall bully’s like you.”
“I’m only a bully in the bedroom, other than that, I be chilling.” He smirked. I walked around him to get myself together.
“Damn, you gon’ leave without yo money?” He asked. I stopped in my tracks, and this nigga handed me 5 hundred-dollar bills. I frowned.
“Umm, all this for what?” I asked.
“Looking out. Thank you.”
“I can’t take all this, for a what? Twenty dollar kid hairstyle.” I told him.
“Well, I’m not taking it back, so donate it to the homeless or some shit.” He shrugged. I nodded and walked out the door to my car. He was standing on the porch.
“Thank you, Nia.” He yelled out.