10. Jai
CHAPTER TEN
JAI
I pulled up to my house after leaving the hospital and visiting my grandfather. When I saw Maleek’s car in the driveway, I blew out a breath of exasperation. We hadn’t really talked since our argument the previous day because I ended up staying the night with my grandfather, so I braced myself for an uncomfortable confrontation. I could almost hear the tension in the air as I locked the car and stepped out.
Upon entering the house, I was taken aback by an unexpected visitor and scene. The usually quiet and still space was alive with the sounds of pots clanging and the soft background noise of something simmering on the stove, and there, moving around my kitchen, full of energy, was none other than Maleek’s mom, Angela.
“Angela… what are you doing here?” I asked after setting my purse and overnight bag on the nearby table, bewilderment hanging in my voice.
“Jai! Hey, sweetie! You’re just in time for dinner!” She rushed over to me with excitement, seemingly oblivious to my clearly puzzled reaction.
“Dinner, huh? That’s nice, but um, where is Leek?” I probed, hoping to make sense of the sudden family gathering.
“ Maleek ,” Angela sharply corrected me, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stressed the full name, a hint of displeasure lurking beneath her cheerful facade.
Angela always had a way of expressing her frustration through the smallest of gestures, and it irked me to no end. If that wasn’t bad enough, she had a unique set of eyes. Angela possessed a rare condition known as heterochromia, which meant her irises were two different colors—one glimmered with a soft gray reminiscent of a cloudy sky. In contrast, her other eye was a warm light brown, resembling the rich, earthy tones of sun-kissed caramel. I had seen that condition in babies and younger kids who wore their uniqueness like a badge of honor, even among people my age who didn’t seem to mind it as much. But Angela was different. Her eyes were framed by sharp features, and she often wore a scowl that seemed permanently etched onto her face. It wasn't just the unusual eye color that set her apart; it was the way she carried herself, exuding an intimidating presence that made anyone nearby feel as though they were stepping into her territory.
Upon meeting her, I told Maleek that I thought Angela had an appearance reminiscent of a witch, though I made sure to phrase it respectfully since she was, after all, his mom. I found it surprising that neither Maleek nor his brother had inherited her striking eyes; hell, neither did anyone in their family whom I had met. Knowing my luck, it was likely that our future child would inherit those very same eyes, giving him or her a closer bond with Angela.
“Maleek isn’t here. We met at Walmart so he could take my car to the dealership to get serviced,” she answered.
It took all my might not to ask the million-dollar question. Why the fuck couldn’t you take your own car to get it serviced?
The relationship between Angela and her sons often struck me as odd. She treated them less like children and more like her personal assistants or her man, always having them at her beck and call. That was not the part of her comment that gnawed at me the most, though. It was her mentioning that they met up somewhere other than the house.
“Okay, so Leek must’ve given you his key?” I assumed.
“His key?” Angela scoffed, a hint of indignation in her voice as if my question had crossed an unspoken line. “Oh, no, sweetie. I have my own.” With that, Angela reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys. She then separated one from the rest and held it up. “See!” she confirmed while letting it dangle tantalizingly before my eyes.
Realization hit me: This woman really has a key to our house! I couldn’t bring myself to voice my shock and anger. Instead, I let my expression betray both of those emotions.
“Based on your expression, I take it you didn’t know,” Angela remarked, her smirk widening as she observed my reaction.
I looked away for a moment, needing to compose myself as a surge of anger overcame me. Then, turning back to her, I plastered on a rehearsed smile.
“No, I wasn’t aware of that, but I am now. Just out of curiosity, how long have you had a key to our house?”
Angela stepped a bit closer, invading my personal space.
“Don’t you mean our house, as in yours, Maleek’s, and mine? But if we’re being technical, it’s mine, ” she revealed, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk.
“Come again?” I frowned, confused.
“Jai, I’m not sure what my son has told you or hasn’t told you, but... it’s my name that is on the lease of this house, not yours or even his.”
Angela delivered that statement with the confidence of someone who had either stated it many times before or was eagerly waiting for the moment to do so.
I blinked repeatedly, trying to process her words. Surely, I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.
“Are you serious?” I finally managed to ask.
“Why yes! But I thought this was something my son would’ve been brought to your attention!”
I searched Angela's face for any sign of dishonesty, but her expression was sincere, with a blend of amusement and pride dancing across her features.
“Nope! I guess that’s a detail that just happened to slip his mind these last four years. No worries. I’ll make sure to refresh his memory today .”
“Well, since we’re talking, I think you should know the other reason I’m here.”
“Which is?” I sassed.
“Maleek told me about the financial problems that y’all are having.”
Why doesn’t that surprise me? A thought that I kept to myself.
“Did he now? Did he also include in his little disclosure that he wants me to find a job? Or maybe sell my car? Perhaps even seek out a loan? All to help relieve some of the financial burden on the household? Since he seems to be sharing everything else, I just want to make sure those crucial details didn’t get left out,” I simpered.
On the outer surface, I maintained a calm demeanor, as it was essential not to reveal how upset I truly was because she wasn’t the person I wanted to feel my wrath. Inside, however, my emotions were churning. I felt an intense wave of anger swelling within me.
“Actually, yes. He mentioned all of that,” she confirmed. “And I have to say, I agree with him... about the getting a job part. Not because I perceive you as someone who takes advantage of others, but Jai, you always look so well put together, with your hair perfectly styled and your outfits on point. Not to mention, your closet is overflowing with designer clothes and an impressive collection of shoes…. heels as well as sneakers. It’s clear that my son takes exceptional care of you. So, it wouldn’t be too much to ask for you to reciprocate that kindness by contributing to the household, right ?”
It became clear to me that she had taken the liberty of going through my personal belongings, which only fueled my silent fury.
“Also, if you’re one of those females who is stuck in that mindset that you don’t believe in going 50/50 with a man, well, I’ll have you know that relationships aren’t always 100/0 or 50/50. Some days, a person will struggle. You suck it up and pick up that 80/20 ’cause they need you. That’s love,” she continued. “Now, I know getting a job while you’re in school may be a bit of a struggle, but oftentimes, we as women have to step beyond our comfort zones and make sacrifices.”
All I could think about was the intrusion and judgment I was facing in that moment.
I wanted to confront Angela about the ‘sacrifices’ she claimed to have made in her life, particularly those beyond the perhaps dubious choices of marrying and discarding wealthy husbands for their fortunes. Angela had a track record of three marriages to men whose financial clout was undeniable. Yet, strangely enough, all of them either vanished without a trace or met untimely deaths, raising more than a few eyebrows.
Gathering my courage, I approached Angela with purpose. “Angela,” I began, wanting to set the record straight, “I genuinely appreciate all that your son has done for me, and we’ve already established that once I start working, I’d gladly start helping out around here with the bills, but I need to clarify something. The clothes you saw while you were, let’s be honest, snooping around are not new. In fact, they’re quite old. If I think hard, I can’t even recall the last time your son took me on a shopping spree or when we’ve even been on a proper date together! As for my hair, it’s styled for free, thanks to my cousin, who works wonders. So, in reality, your son contributes nothing to my appearance or beauty standards. If it were entirely up to him, I’d be a natural beauty—though I’d like to think I am!”
Angela’s expression hardened, and she glared at me indignantly.
“Hmph!” she scoffed, clearly taken aback by the boldness of my words.
Just then, Maleek stepped through the door, his presence instantly shifting the mood in the room.
“Oh, hey, son! We were just talking about you!” Angela exclaimed, her face lighting up as she caught sight of him.
Fake ass!
Maleek glanced over at me. “Oh, yeah? Good things, I hope,” he added, a hint of apprehension in his voice.
“Let’s talk in the back,” I demanded, already making my way toward the bedroom.
“I’ll be back, Ma,” I heard him tell Angela.
I took a few hurried steps into our en suite bathroom, pacing like a caged animal as I awaited his arrival. When he finally stepped inside, I turned to face him with my arms crossed tightly over my chest.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“What’s wrong?!” I shot back, unable to hide my annoyance. “First of all, why is your mom parading around our, well, my kitchen since I’m the one who usually occupies that space, cooking away as if she has every right to be here? It’s as if we’ve turned into some sort of big, happy family, and I missed the memo! I mean, I didn’t get so much as a forewarning, nor did you get approval from me!”
“Jai, I told Ma that she could come to the crib and wait for me while I got her an oil change and shit. I meant to call you to let you know. That’s my bad.”
“Mm-hmm. So, she didn’t mention cooking anything?”
“Hell no! Jai, I know you cook damn near every day, so I would’ve shut that shit down or ran it by you first before I gave her permission to do that.”
“Well, she did , which brings me to my next question. why the hell does she have a key to the house, Leek?!” I demanded, my voice rising in pitch. “Oh, that’s right, maybe because it’s her name that is on the lease, and hers alone!” I couldn’t help but reveal my knowledge of that uncomfortable truth.
Maleek sighed, then leaned against the counter.
“Jai, I was going to tell you.”
“When, Leek?! We’ve been staying here for four years, and I don’t remember you ever attempting to even tell me no shit like that!” My voice was getting louder, filled with hurt and anger.
“Baby,” he began, reaching out to gently touch me, but I instinctively pulled back.
“Don’t touch me or call me baby right now, Leek! I need you to explain why her name is on the lease and not ours!”
Maleek hastily lifted his body from the counter. “Because she’s the only one who could get approved for this house! You didn’t have any income, and my credit wasn’t good enough at the time—hell, it still isn’t!”
I could see the burden it placed on him, but that didn’t ease the sting of betrayal I felt.
“Which, again, brings me back to what I said yesterday! You only got this house because your mama wanted it! It all makes sense now! Leek, I didn’t care if we had to move to the hood. If it meant we’d have our names on a lease, I would have been fine with it! But knowing this—knowing that she chose this place for us, and her name is the only name on the lease—makes it feel like she has some kind of hold over us! Honestly, she practically does! She could kick us out whenever she wants!”
“You know Mama won’t do no shit like that, Jai.”
“Yeah, maybe not to you because you’re her precious cargo , but that woman doesn’t care for me, and you know it!”
“She’s just here to help, Jai,” Leek calmly replied, attempting to defuse the situation.
“Help, how?! By reminding us that we’re living under her roof? That’s not help. That’s control!”
“I talked to her about what we discussed yesterday, and she’s willing to give us some money.”
I blinked erratically.
“Hell no! And why would you do that without talking to me first?!”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal, and she was my last option.”
“Still, that’s something you should’ve run by me, Leek! Being in a relationship means whatever you do, consider your partner’s feelings or opinions, especially when you know how I already feel about your mom interfering in our relationship at times! Now, I don’t know how much debt you’re in, but you will not take any money from that woman! I’ll find a job and help out around here, but if we accept her charity, it’s just going to give her more leverage over us!”
“Not us , Jai. This is my problem,” Maleek insisted, trying to take ownership of the situation.
“Oh, but it was our problem yesterday morning! And I also just so happen to stay in this muthafucka with you, so yeah, it is kind of an us problem!” I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, the sound strained and disbelieving.
“You know what I’m saying, Jai.”
“Honestly, I don’t! Then, she’s going through all our clothes and shit! Like, what the fuck, Leek?!”
“Whoa, whoa! What do you mean by that?”
“In so many words, she let that be known by describing all the designer clothes and shoes I’ve accumulated over the years. It’s one thing to be in the house, doing something considerate like cooking, but to go digging through our belongings? Where’s the fuckin' respect for privacy?!”
“Aight. Calm down, baby. I’ma talk to her about that because that shit ain’t cool.”
“You’re damn right it’s not! Her name may be on this lease, but we made this house what it is! Had I not used your card to purchase some of the items online, and we hadn’t gone together to pick out furniture for the house, I would’ve thought all this shit was in her name too.”
“Jai, I said I’ll talk to her.”
“You need to do more than talk to her, Leek. You need to get that key from her!”
“And how do you expect me to do that, huh? Her name is on the lease, Jai! And knowing my mama, she’s not going to willingly give up the key, and who’s to say she doesn’t already have a spare hidden away somewhere?”
I let out a heavy sigh, feeling thoroughly exhausted by the entire situation.
“Listen, Leek,” I said, my voice calm but laced with frustration, “I can’t stress this enough. Until you manage to get that key back from her, consider your hand to be your best friend when it comes to sexual pleasure over the next few days—or even weeks. Who knows how long this might drag on?” I paused, letting my words sink in before continuing. “Oh, but if it takes too long for you to resolve this, you might just have to face the reality that you’re officially a single man.”
“Say what?”
“Leek, it’s all too clear that I can’t compete with your mother. She’ll always have the final say and the upper hand in this relationship. And I’m almost at my breaking point of trying to compete where I obviously don’t fuckin’ compare!”
“Jai,” he started to interject, but I held up my hand, signaling that I wasn’t finished. I had more thoughts swirling in my mind, and it was important to me that I expressed them fully.
“I also refuse to continue living in a space where that woman has free, unrestricted access to our home whenever she feels like it! Who knows how often she’s slipped in here when we weren’t around? For all we know, she could even have hidden cameras set up, spying on us and watching us during our most intimate moments,” I murmured.
“Come on, Jai,” he tried to reason, yet steadily defending her.
“You never know! Get those keys from her, Leek, and you need to handle that today ! Now, let’s go eat. I wouldn’t want to upset Mommy Dearest.”
“Jai, you’re making this situation bigger than it needs to be.”
I jumped in Maleek’s face. “No, Leek, I’m not making it bigger than it needs to be! I’m being realistic here, unlike you, who seems to turn a blind eye to all these red flags!” I paused, inhaling deeply to regain my composure. “Leek, if you want to keep this relationship intact, take this little advice. Don’t let your family ruin your family. In this case, don’t let your mama jeopardize what we have!”
With that, I turned to walk away.
Maleek had another thing coming up if he thought I was going to be continuously dealing with him and his mama’s bullshit. That following day couldn’t get there fast enough. I couldn’t wait to talk to Cali.