Chapter 33
“What y’all tryna eat for dinner?” I asked the boys as we headed back from the gym. Dreis wanted to work out, so I brought them along with me. The boys held their own, and I enjoyed seeing their competitive nature shining through.
“I could go for a seafood boil, if I’m being honest,” Moolah suggested. I chuckled because he always wanted to go somewhere expensive. It humored me since most kids his age preferred places like McDonald’s.
“Alright, bet.” My phone rang, and Tootie’s number flashed across the scene. I hadn’t spoken to her since the incident at her house. She had been trying her best to reach out to me, but I wasn’t ready to deal with her right now. I hated being lied to, so to know the people I trusted more than anything had hidden something so big from me left a bad taste in my mouth. I still couldn’t understand how it was even possible.
How could you give your child up like that without a care in the world and then pop up pretending to be something you weren’t? I think that was the part that upset me the most. I loved them both so much. They were the only people in my life who looked out for me when I lost my parents. How could they sit around me that whole time and allow me to live a lie?
The first call went to voicemail, but there were two more after that. I never answered any of them, but my stomach dropped when Unc texted me a 911 message. We only used that code when something really happened. When his call popped up on my line, I knew whatever he had to say wouldn’t be good. The boys were in the car with me, so I decided not to answer on speakerphone. They weren’t aware of my connection to my biological parents, and since I wasn’t sure how I wanted to handle things, I decided not to bring it up just yet.
“What do you want?”
“It’s Tootie. She’s in the hospital. The hospital has been trying to get in touch with you.” My stomach twisted, but I tried to put on a front as if the news didn’t bother me.
“Okay, what are you calling me for?”
“Tootie, Rhyann, and two of her friends were in a really bad car accident. One of the other young girls died on the scene, and everyone else is in critical condition. The doctors are saying there is a possibility—” He stopped speaking, which caused me to pull my phone back to make sure I hadn’t lost connection.
“Hello?” I could hear faint movement in the background, so I knew he was still there.
“Fuck!” Uncle Ro roared before I heard some things crash in his background. I pulled into the restaurant to get the boys their food, but my appetite disappeared. I had a feeling my night wasn’t going to go the way I planned.
“Y’all head inside and place your orders. We’re gonna get them to go.” I spoke to them. Cash had a worried expression on his face, and when I looked back, his brother wore a matching look. “Go ahead.” I handed them a hundred-dollar bill to cover the cost of their food.
“Do you want me to order for you?” Cash inquired.
“I’m not hungry. I’ll wait for y’all you out here.” I needed to keep it together while they were in my presence, so I forced a smile to reassure them. They both glanced at each other before finally getting out of the car. After they were a distance away, I focused my attention back on the call. Uncle Ro was still tearing something up in the background, and I became worried.
“Unc! Are you good?”
“I fucked up. I thought I had more time, but now my time might be up.” His voice cracked, sending me into a panic. In all the years I’d been on this earth, I’d only witnessed Uncle Ro cry one time, and that was when they poured dirt over my father’s grave. Even then, the tears only lasted for a short while.
“Where are you right now?”
“I’m on my way to my jet now. I should be there in a couple of hours. Look, I understand you’re still mad, and I’ll take that. However, I think you need to make your way up there. If Tootie doesn’t—” His words were cut off, and it sounded like he was crying.
“I need you to get there as soon as you can. I sent you the address. I’ll be in the air, so my service may not be the best, but I asked the doctor not to make any decisions until we’re both there.” I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. I had the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I prayed that I was wrong. Yes, I was upset about them keeping secrets from me, but I never even considered one of them leaving me before I got the chance to forgive them.
“I’ll be there.” I disconnected the call, resting my head against the steering wheel. Whenever I thought things were finally starting to work out, another curveball hit me. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go, and I found myself replaying our last moments in my head. Tootie had always been in my corner. When my parents died, she would sit up with me until I fell asleep. She would listen to my stories about them and tell me how proud they were of me.
She had her flaws, but nobody else in this world could replace her. I still had so many questions I needed answered, so I prayed the Lord would spare her life. I needed her, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t afraid to admit it.
“We got you some mild wings just in case you get hungry later,” Cash voiced as they got back into the car.
“Thank you.”
“Are you good?” Moolah inquired with his eyebrow raised. I never got around to telling them about my family, and I wasn’t sure how to explain things to them now. However, they were going to find out, so I guess I really had no choice.
“We have to head to my hometown.”
“Why does it sound like this isn’t a good trip?” Cash inquired.
“It isn’t. I’ll explain everything to you once we get there.”
“Okay, cool.”
Neither of them asked any questions after that, which I appreciated. They trusted me enough to know I wasn’t taking them anywhere unsafe. The two of them ate and talked among themselves for the rest of the ride while the music played in the background. I appreciated their company because it gave me somewhat of a distraction. Although I wasn’t ready to face whatever awaited me, knowing they were with me made it a little easier. If nothing else, they would be able to meet the woman who gave me life, even if it was for the last time.
“Are you okay?”
I smirked, as this was Moolah’s fourth time asking in the last hour. We were in the waiting room waiting for an update on Tootie and Ryann. I hadn’t been in this hospital since my parents were shot. The memories weren’t as clear, but I would never forget. One minute, we were leaving the movies, laughing and planning the rest of the night. The next thing I knew, there were bullets flying everywhere.
I still remembered the sounds my mother made as the bullets entered her body. She called out to me and told me to get on the ground. My father beat her to it as he pushed me behind a truck in the parking lot. He demanded I stay down while I watched him retrieve two guns. The smell of gunpowder and blood permeated the air.
“I love you, Son. Don’t you ever fucking forget that! You hear me?” My body was underneath the truck with my hands over my ears because the sound of the guns was too loud.
“Yes, sir. I-I love you too. Is Mommy okay?” Silence. The sound of tires screeching scared me, but my father always told me that we Sutton men had to be strong no matter what was going on.
“Dad?”
Bow. Bow. Bow.
There were no words or exchanges made when my father shot his last bullet and fell to the ground. I wanted it to be a bad nightmare, but I still hadn’t managed to wake up from it.
“How long has he been like this?” I heard a soft voice ask, breaking me from my thoughts.
“About an hour or so. He was fine when we first got here, but he’s been zoning out ever since.”
I knew they were discussing me, but I couldn’t seem to get out of my own head to address them. I wasn’t a church-going man, but I dropped my head and prayed for a miracle. I’d already lost one set of parents. There was no way I would be able to handle the loss of another.
My head rested in my hands when I felt someone place their hand on my knee. When I lifted my head, I saw Sunny squatting down in front of me. It took a moment to process things because I hadn’t expected her to be here. I had been so focused on getting here that I never reached out to tell her where we were.
“What are you doing here?” Her eyes bore into mine with love and sympathy.
“Where else would I be? My family is here.” She stood to her feet, causing my eyes to zero in on her belly. I palmed her belly as she ran her fingers over my waves. After a few moments, she took a seat next to me, taking my hand in hers. When I looked to my right and saw my boys sitting there, it made me realize just how much my life had changed in such a short time. I always wanted to have a family, and now I could finally say that I had one.
We sat there in silence, with the sound of the television in the background. I felt a sense of strength I hadn’t felt before, and I was grateful to be surrounded by the people I loved most.
“I didn’t miss anything, did I?” Uncle Ro raced into the waiting room with red eyes and bags under his eyes. I’d never seen him so disheveled and unkept in my life. Unc took great pride in the way he looked, so he never stepped out of the house unless he looked his best. The man standing before me was not the man who had raised me. I stood up to greet him, and he pulled me into a hug. I froze for a moment before reciprocating the hug.
“There haven’t been any updates since we got here. They said the doctor would be coming out to tell us what was going on, but we’ve been here for over an hour. What took you so long?”
“There were a few setbacks with the jet, but I’m here now.” His eyes peered over to the boys and Sunny before coming back to me.
“Is this your family?”
“Yeah.”
“I remember her from somewhere. Is that the girl that was staying with you? The one who threatened me over the phone?” A weak smile flashed across his face.
“The one and only.” I glanced over, looking at my family. The twins were watching videos on their phones while Sunny had dozed off to sleep.
“I’m gonna see if I can get some answers, but when I come back, I want to meet your family officially.” I nodded as he walked away. I stood there with my hands in my pockets, thinking about everything that had transpired in the last few hours. The boys and I were supposed to have a relaxing weekend together, but things had taken a turn.
“Are you good, Pops?” Moolah inquired. Ever since he started calling me that, I’d felt a sense of pride in my heart. Our relationship had changed so much in such a short period of time, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
“Yeah, I’m straight.” I headed over in their direction to be with my family. I explained everything on the ride over so they wouldn’t be left in the dark. They asked a few questions, but they seemed to understand.
“Are you okay?” I turned to see Sunny stretching in her seat. She held her hands out for me to help her up. I sighed, feeling helpless and defeated.
“The doctor and nurses are taking their time with the updates, but I’m hoping that’s a good sign. If she were dead, we would know by now, right?” I looked to her for reassurance. Her hands reached up to my face as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. I leaned down to meet her halfway, wrapping my arms around her.
“I know you’re worried, and that’s okay. Right now, Tootie needs you to believe in her. You have to pray and believe she will be okay. There is no room for any negative thoughts, okay?”
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?” Her nose wrinkled as she waited for me to clarify.
“You always have such a positive outlook on things. No matter what is going on, you always find a way to make things better.”
“I wouldn’t give myself that much credit. I just know there is no point in worrying when we can’t do anything to change the situation. Tootie would want us to fight and have faith. She’s been through so much in life, and it hasn’t knocked her down yet. It’s our duty as her family to be her strength when she can’t be strong for herself. Not only for her but for Rhyann too.”
My heart dropped once again, remembering that Tootie wasn’t the only one who was in this situation. Rhyann had been injured, and she had also lost someone close to her.
We’d always been close, but after the secret about my parents came out, I distanced myself from everyone. Guilt ate away at me because I hadn’t been there for them the way I was supposed to be. Uncle Ro came back into view with an unreadable expression on his face.
“What are they saying?”
“Rhyann is going to pull through just fine. She broke her leg in three places and suffered a few cracked ribs, but there is no internal bleeding.” I noticed he didn’t make any mention of Tootie at all. Before I could press him about it, Sunny spoke up for me. Unc’s shoulders dropped, telling me whatever news he had wasn’t going to be good.
“Tootie suffered numerous injuries, and the doctors had to take her into surgery to repair the internal bleeding. They said she coded a few times on the table, but they were able to find the source of the bleed. However, she slipped into a coma while they were operating. She has a broken arm and severe damage to her neck, back, and spine. They aren’t sure if she’ll be able to walk if she does wake up.”
“If?”
He took a deep breath, and I could tell he was holding something from me.
“Tootie may not make it, Money. On top of all of her other injuries, she has swelling in her brain. The doctors are advising that we prepare for the worst-case scenario. They will continue to monitor her, but right now, it’s all on her and her body.” It felt like a dagger to the heart, listening to his explanation. The doctors were giving up hope, which meant that there wasn’t much hope to go off of.
Sunny wrapped her around me as I stood there, processing the news. My head shook in disbelief. There was no way this was the way things were going to end. How cruel could life be to strip her away from me like this, as if I hadn’t been through enough? I placed my hands on top of my head to try and collect my thoughts.
“They aren’t allowing any visitors tonight, but the house isn’t too far from here. I’ve contacted her family, so they know what’s going on. I say we head over to the house, try to get some rest, and then you and I can come up here and check on them first thing in the morning. Tootie has you and Rhyann listed as power of attorney, which means all decision-making would be in your hands.”
“I can’t?—”
“Let’s worry about all of that tomorrow. Right now, your family is probably exhausted. We will handle everything tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, still trying to understand all of this.
Nothing was making sense to me anymore, and I wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. Tootie had me fill out some paperwork years ago because she wasn’t very close to her family. She told me that she wanted to make sure the girls were taken care of if anything ever happened to her. Being her power of attorney meant that I was supposed to make decisions in the event she couldn’t, but I guess I never thought there would come a day when I would have to do it.
“I’m going to get the boys,” Sunny explained before walking off to where they were sitting.
“Do you still have your keys? I have mine, but I can get you a spare,” Uncle Ro questioned.
“Umm, yeah. I still have my keys. I just haven’t been there in a while.”
“It’s all good. The housekeeper still comes by once a month to check the appliances and make sure everything works. I stayed there the last time I came home.”
“Are you going straight there, or do you have somewhere else you need to be?” I inquired.
“I need to visit a few individuals, but I’ll be there within two hours. I’ll have some food delivered for tonight and for breakfast in the morning.”
“You don’t need to?—”
“I wasn’t asking for your permission. It’s my job to take care of my family. I’ve already fucked up enough. Let me do this.” His eyes were full of regret. I couldn’t imagine what this was doing to him.
“Alright, I’ll see you at the house.” I turned to see my family standing on the side of me. Moolah was observing Uncle Ro with hard eyes. I chuckled as the two of them did a complete read on one another.
“If you have a question, ask it.” Uncle Ro spoke directly to Moolah.
“I don’t have to ask very much. You and my dad have the same face and build. I guess my only question is why I’m just now meeting you. Are you a deadbeat, or did you rise from the dead?”
Uncle Ro smirked and then made eye contact with him.
“You’re an inquisitive one; it runs in the family. I’m your grandfather, Roman. As far as being a deadbeat, I guess you would have to ask your father about that one. As I’ve told your father, I’ll be seeing you all a little later. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.” With that, he nodded and headed in the opposite direction.
My family and I headed to the house. It was only five minutes from the hospital, so it took no time for us to get there. Since Sunny drove here, Moolah rode back with her while Cash stayed with me.
“You know it’s okay not to be okay?”
I looked his way when I heard his voice. “What do you mean by that?”
“Coach tells us that it’s okay to feel. Just because we’re men doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings or that we don’t get hurt. I know your mom being in the hospital hurts you. I just want you to know that you don’t have to be strong for us. We’re family. We won’t judge you if you cry. I would be ready to destroy everyone in my path if it were my mama.” Cash patted me on my back as we sat there in silence. My jaw flexed as the tears fell.
Uncle Ro taught me never to show my emotions because it would give my enemy leverage against me. It was crazy that my sons were so much better than me at such a young age. They weren’t some thugs on the street or damaged young boys trying to find love in the wrong places. They carried more wisdom than I ever had.
Sunny knocked on my window, so I went ahead and opened the door. She grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the car. Well, I allowed her to because she wasn’t strong enough to pull a damn thing. I got ready to retrieve my key, but she snatched them out of my hands. Being here brought back so many memories. We hadn’t been to this house together in so many years, but the moment I stepped into the house, it gave me a sense of peace.
As we stepped through the doors, the house smelled like air fresheners and cleaning solutions. The boys talked loudly as they gave themselves a tour around the house.
“It looks the same as it always has. Isn’t it crazy?” Our hands were still intertwined as she spoke.
“Yeah, it’s wild. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were here trying to figure out the next steps in our lives, and now here we are.” We headed upstairs to the bedrooms because I wanted to see if everything was still the same up there as well.