Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
KENDRALL
“ H ello?”
“Is this Kendrall?”
“Who’s asking?”
“Mesani. Yeah, I’m sure you know exactly who I am. Stay away from Cassie. That’s my fucking fiancée. I’m going to talk to her when I get home, because I know she’s acting out of hurt. You mean nothing to her.”
“Hold it right there, bitch. You don’t know who the fuck you speaking to. I know what you look like. I know where you live. You don’t want these kinds of problems.”
“Neither do you. You care about her? Stay away from her.”
He ended the call and when I tried to call back, he didn’t answer. “Fuck!”
I glanced over at Karima, and her eyes were wide. “What’s going on? That sounded intense.”
“Somehow, Cassie’s fiancé knows about us. That was him.”
“Oh shit.”
I slid my hand over my face. While I wanted to text Cassie, I knew that would only make things worse. He had to have gotten ahold of her phone. I stood from my seat and paced as Karima asked, “What are you going to do?”
I stopped pacing and looked at her. “I don’t know, but I can’t give up. Karima, I love her. I can’t just let this be the end of it.”
I began pacing again until my phone chimed. Quickly going to it, I saw it was a message from Cassie. I’m sorry. I fucked up. I have to block you.
I only responded with the words, I know.
I dropped my phone to the floor as my sister stared on. We were supposed to be chilling out tonight, watching movies, eating Frito pies, and drinking. We always got fucked up before either of us competed, if we were in town at the same time. She was a hell of a barrel racer and would be going to Nationals next year if she continued fucking shit up at these rodeos.
Anger was consuming me, and I didn’t know how to stop it. I wanted to drive to Beaumont and go fuck him up. He had to have some kind of hold on her. That was her opportunity to just say fuck it and leave. Why was she staying after he knew the truth?
I turned to Karima and said, “I’m sorry, sis. I need time to myself.”
She stood from the couch and walked over to me, hugging me tightly. “Please don’t do anything crazy, Kendrall. Talk to Daddy if you need to. You look like he did that last time he came to San Antonio before he demanded Mama come back to Nome. I don’t like that look. It means you’re about to snap.”
I turned away from her because I knew she was right. I was just that angry. She grabbed my face and said, “Look at me. He’s not worth it. If you go fuck him up, he’s going to call the police. Then you still won’t have Cassie. Who all knows y’all were messing around besides me?”
“Dad and Christian. She said she hadn’t told anyone.”
“Okay. I’m gonna give you that time you need. Please, if you feel yourself slipping or wanting to do something crazy, call me. I’ll walk right back over here. Okay?”
I nodded and followed her to the door. When she got to it, she turned back to me and kissed my cheek. “You knew this was a possibility though, right?”
“Yeah. I just didn’t think it would happen this soon.”
She caressed my cheek with her hand, and I watched her walk to her house. When I went back inside, I turned the TV off and just sat on the couch, trying to figure out what to do. Just that quickly, my life was beginning to revolve around her. This was some fuck shit. Somehow, someway, I would have to get her out of this. She belonged with me, and I refused to take no for an answer.
“Kendrall, what are you doing here?”
“You thought I was just gonna accept that bullshit? You’re still sharing your location with me. As much as we talk while you’re here, I know when you have a break. What the fuck is going on? There’s no way you would lead me on like this. Tell me that ain’t what you did, Cassie.”
I sat in front of her desk while she tried to eat a sandwich. She was struggling. She wasn’t wearing makeup, and she had bags under her eyes. She looked as worn as I did. I barely got any sleep last night because she was all I could think about. When I saw a tear fall down her cheek, my heart softened. I hated that shit. If she was about to tell me some fuck shit about loving her fiancé, I’d probably choke her ass.
“I figured out that he’d mirrored my phone. He must have done it while I was in the bathroom. That was the only time I left my phone unattended. He left the house because he knew I would contact you. I suppose my attitude had changed, and it made him suspicious. I love you, Kendrall. I would never lead you on or lie to you.”
I swallowed hard as I watched her fidget. “So what’s going on? Why didn’t you just leave when he revealed to you that he knew?”
“He threatened to take me to court. It’s what has been keeping me there. I love him, and at first, I did want to try to make it work. After a month or so, I realized things just wouldn’t be the same. I couldn’t get over what I’d seen. Then, I had a feeling that he would do something like this if I tried to leave, but he had never come out and said it. He said it last night. If I leave him, he will press charges.”
“He can do that? It’s been seven months.”
“Yes. The statute of limitations is three years for felony assault.”
“How do you know it would be considered a felony and not a misdemeanor?”
“I used a weapon. That makes it a felony. I would lose my career… my future. I worked so hard. I can’t lose everything I worked for.”
I sat across from her, stunned. He was a punk ass bitch to threaten her with assault charges, knowing that he was fucking around on her. I stood from my seat and walked around her desk. Pulling her from her seat, I held her in my arms. When she broke, it nearly killed me inside. She was crying so hard.
Pulling away from her, I wiped her tears. “Baby, I’m going to do whatever I can to figure a way out of this. There is no way that nigga can hold you hostage in that fucking relationship for another two years. There has to be something that can be done… legally or illegally. Ain’t shit off limits.”
I’m Kenny Henderson’s son! That muthafucka fucked with the wrong one this time. Seeing Cassie like this had my temper boiling. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the phone I’d bought. Extending it to her, I said, “I bought this for you. I need to be able to talk to you until I can figure something out. Baby, I told you before that there is nothing I won’t do for you. You believe that?”
“Yeah, but I can’t have you fucking up your career for me. You have a lot going?—”
“Fuck that shit. I don’t give a damn about none of that. I need you to be good… to be safe… to be with me. I will fucking kill that nigga and make his body disa-fucking-pear. When it comes to you, I don’t give a shit about nobody else. Just tell me you wit’ me, Cassie. Tell me you love me, baby.”
My heart was wide open, but I felt deadly all at the same time. I didn’t know so much love and hate could pour out of the same heart simultaneously. I supposed there was a first time for everything.
“I love you. You know that. I’m thinking about taking a break from school after this summer session is done. Kendrall, I’m so overwhelmed. I can’t function. I just want to be a good person, an educator that takes her responsibilities to her students seriously. I can’t do that if my life is in shambles. I can’t be with you or talk to you when I want to. It’s tearing me apart. I should’ve handled this better. All this shit is my fault.”
I closed my eyes and pulled her to me again, holding her tightly. Her body trembled in my arms. I hadn’t seen her so fragile since that bullshit with her biological mother when we were fifteen. With all the shit Cassie had been through, she deserved the world. She suffered from abandonment, an accident that almost took her life, then found out the man that was raising her wasn’t really her biological father… That shit was a lot. Technically, she wasn’t related to any of the people she called family.
“Baby, this isn’t your fault. His actions started all this shit. You hear me?” I asked as I pulled away from her and held her face in my hands. I stared into her weary eyes for a moment then kissed her lips.
“Just… don’t give up. If you need a break, take it. Just don’t quit. We gon’ figure out something. In the meantime, Mister Price needs to know. I know you don’t want to tell him, but that man will destroy the whole fucking earth for you. You his baby and always will be. If you want me to tell him, I’ll find him when I leave here.”
She closed her eyes and rested her face against one of my palms. I wanted to just scoop her up and take her home, shielding her from the world and loving her beyond her comprehension. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going right now, and that shit had me nervous. I had a whole competition that I was thinking about pulling out of this weekend. Cassie needed me.
“Can you talk to him? I can’t bear seeing him angry. I fucked up, Kendrall. I never should have thrown that vase at him. What did I do?”
“Look at me.” Her head was hanging, and her body was still trembling. She was getting herself even more worked up than she already was. “Look at me!”
She finally lifted her head to stare into my eyes. “Stop that shit! I need you to summon Cassie the fighter. I need you to have that type of strength! The strength of a little girl that got hit by a pickup truck driving thirty miles per hour. That shit broke nearly every bone in your body and had you bleeding in places that should have destroyed you or had you brain dead. Look at the strength it took to pull you out of that! Come on, baby. I need you to keep it together for me. Seeing you this way makes me feel unhinged. I don’t wanna kill nobody, but I will. That’s real shit, and that’s how much I cut for you.”
She sniffed and did her best to compose herself. After wiping her face, she looked up at me with so much love in her eyes. Damn, this woman could get whatever she wanted from me.
“Thank you, Kendrall. You’re right. I can handle this. I was built for this. Whatever path I have to take to get to where God wants me to go, I’ll just have to take it. I don’t want to lose my career over this, but I have to have faith that He will work it out.”
I placed my hands on each side of her face. “That’s my girl. Your class is starting in a little while, so I’m gonna go. Keep that phone out of sight. I need you to come to me tomorrow. Leave that other phone at home.”
She nodded and swallowed hard then puckered her lips. I gave her my lips and spilled every ounce of love I had into her. I knew how my dad felt for my mama now. That shit was powerful, and in a way, I felt like my life… my trials were somewhat mimicking his. I planned to talk to him today too. Hopefully, he could come with me when I talked to Mr. Price.
“Okay. I love you so much,” Cassie said after pulling away.
“I love you too.”
She grabbed her satchel as I opened the door and followed me out. When she wrapped her arms around my waist from the side, I kissed her head. This was my baby. When we got to the end of the hallway, one of her students said, “Hey, Miss Daniels. I see you, boo.”
She giggled as I smiled slightly. The young lady kept walking as Cassie wished her a great day. Releasing me from her grasp, she said, “I have to go this way. Thank you for everything. I’ll make sure this phone is on me at all times.”
“A’ight, baby. Text me when you can.”
I kissed her lips and headed out of the building, mentally preparing for war. I didn’t bother waiting until I got to my truck to call my dad. I needed someone to talk me down and give me clarity because I wanted to run in and solve shit before it got out of hand.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dad. You busy?”
“Yeah, somewhat. I have inventory going on at the truck stop, and I’m heading to Missus Jones house in China. They called for an ambulance.”
Soon after, I heard the sirens come on. I swore, my dad was smart as hell. There was nothing he couldn’t do. If he wanted it done, he didn’t rest until it was. He and the twins were already talking about building a facility in Nome, along with their doctors’ offices. They had a couple more years of medical school and an internship they had to complete, but they already knew how they wanted shit to go. Noni and Bali were on their shit, and Uncle Storm didn’t dare let us forget it.
“Okay. Call me when you’re done. It’s really important.”
“You got my word.”
I ended the call and headed back to Nome. Karima was having her last practice before she left for Chicago, so I didn’t want to call and interrupt her. Christian was busy with his new baby, and so was Rylan. I found myself driving straight to the diner. I was starving, and I knew that somebody would be able to calm me down over there.
When I walked in, I noticed my brothers, Kingsley and Kane, seated over to my left with SS, Ryder J, Ace, Royal, Crew, and Jacob. I didn’t know why Jacob was hanging with their rowdy asses. Those niggas were the Hendersons unleashed. They didn’t take no shit, and a lot of times, they were the ones dishing the shit out.
As I approached the counter, Aunt Chrissy smiled. “Hey, baby. How’s your day going?”
“Hey, Auntie. It’s going okay.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Well, I’ll pray that it gets better, because just okay isn’t acceptable.”
I smiled. This was why everyone loved her. I loved my mama, but Aunt Chrissy was the standard. That woman just seemed perfect. While I knew no one was, I had yet to see her fuck up. She treated people right and went above and beyond for her family… not just her kids, but all of us.
“Thanks, Aunt Chrissy.”
“Of course, baby. You want your usual?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled big and began fixing my plate of stuffed fried chicken, rice dressing, candied yams, and green beans. Most of us ate the same thing every time we came. It was crazy with all the food they cooked that we got stuck on one thing.
“Where the fuck he at?”
My eyebrows lifted, and I turned to see Jameka. Everybody frowned. She was fucking insane if she thought she was going to come up in my aunts’ place of business and wreck shit. Jacob stood, and when I saw his lip twitching, I quickly grabbed that loud ass girl and escorted her outside.
“Take your fucking hands off me, KJ!”
“You got to be out your fucking mind to roll on our turf like that!”
She jerked away from me but ran right into Jacob. That nigga was mild until he wasn’t. “What the fuck I told you last time?” he said in an eerily calm voice.
“You gon’ fucking hear me, nigga! This yo’ fucking baby, and you gon’ take care of your responsibilities!”
My eyes widened. I thought those muthafuckas were gonna fall out of the sockets. “I know you fucking lying,” I said to Jacob.
“That bitch is lying. Her and her raggedy ass cousin just tryna make a come up. She don’t realize that if she make me snap, ain’t gon’ be no stopping me until she no longer breathing.”
“Oh, so now you threatening me? You gon’ kill me and our unborn baby?”
When I saw the cop car pull up, I was beyond grateful. None of my female cousins were at the diner, and neither Aunt Chrissy nor Aunt Jen were about to try to handle her. Now, had Aunt Tiff been here, that ho would’ve been on her back.
“That ain’t my fucking baby, and you probably ain’t even pregnant.”
When the police approached us, I took a step back, but I didn’t venture far until Uncle Storm pulled up. When he came over, that was my cue to go inside and get my food. I knew he had Jacob’s back. While he didn’t express having favorites, I knew he was partial to Jacob. Jacob had been under his wing since he was a teenager, learning the ins and outs of mechanics.
Aunt Jen was standing at the glass door watching everything. She stepped aside to allow me to come in. “You okay, Aunt Jen?”
“I wanna choke that ho. That’s why I called the police and stayed inside. I’m not tryna be on the altar Sunday with my old ass knees. Carter and Jess are out of town, so I called Storm. I don’t know if that’s better or worse.”
I chuckled. “One thing we know for sure is that he has Jacob’s back. So that’s better.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
I walked past her and went back to the counter to get my food. Aunt Chrissy kissed my cheek then headed toward the door and put her arm around Aunt Jen. I sat at a table next to my brothers and cousins. Before I could even say my grace, I heard SS say, “Oh, he too good to sit with us and shit.”
I swore if that nigga wasn’t his father’s son, I didn’t know who he was. I wanted to be petty and ask how his case was coming, but that would have been below the belt. After thanking God for this fire meal I was about to eat, I turned to him. “I got a lot on my mind, and I need to figure some shit out. Y’all gon’ distract me.”
Kingsley and Kane came over and slapped my hand. I was thirteen, almost fourteen when King was born and fifteen when Kane was born. It was like they represented the updated and improved versions of Kenny and Keisha. They were conceived after we moved back from San Antonio and my parents had gotten remarried.
Ignoring my previous statement, they both sat at the table with me and left the other fools to themselves. “You ready for tomorrow?” King asked.
“I guess. As ready as I’ll be. I heard you going to the rodeo with Rylan and Milana.”
“Yeah. I’m thinking about getting into saddle bronc.”
“That’s what’s up. I know you can ride a bucking horse for sure.”
He was always doing that shit. It was like he didn’t have enough excitement in his life. I could think of other things to do with my time than getting bucked off a horse or bull. “What about you, Kane?” I asked.
“Well, whenever King stop being a bitch, we might try our hand at team roping. If not, then I’ll probably follow behind Rylan and do tie-down roping.”
“Y’all gon’ keep going to school though, right?”
“If we want to live with Kenny and Keisha Henderson, we will.”
I chuckled at Kane’s comment. The Hendersons didn’t play about education. If they expected to have a vital part in the business, they needed to have extensive training or a degree. Having both didn’t hurt. While I didn’t go to school right after high school, I still went and so did Karima. We knew what was expected of us, and as we got older, we knew it would only benefit us later. I got a degree in marketing, and she got hers in business administration.
On top of that, we had to keep up with the example set for us. While our mother didn’t have a degree, our dad had enough of them for all of us. He literally had five bachelor’s degrees, three or four certifications, and two master’s degrees. He didn’t keep his mistakes and bad decisions from us, but he used them as tools to teach us with.
My mama taught us the importance of hygiene, cleaning after ourselves, and taking care of our houses. I obviously got lost in those cooking lessons. She taught us to be responsible as well. I remember she and I had a heart to heart one time, and she came clean about everything she was doing to our dad behind his back, thinking she was getting away with it. I only loved her more for telling me all that shit, because she didn’t have to. Of course, she’d waited until I was in my twenties for that conversation.
Their lessons also taught me patience. My brothers didn’t see it just yet because they were only twenty-one and twenty, but they would understand it soon enough. I was probably twenty-five or so before I really started understanding it. Our family had plenty of money, but we needed to understand how to maintain and build that wealth. They didn’t want us to be spoiled, lazy bums, who didn’t give a shit about anything.
“Well, bruh, we gon’ leave you to your thoughts. We here if you need us,” King said then slapped my hand.
I did the same with Kane, then they walked off and went back to their table. As I started eating my food, Jacob walked back in. He went to where he was sitting and snatched his baseball cap off the table. “Yo, man. Everything cool?”
He looked over and made his way to me. I could tell he was still pissed. That nigga’s temper could be uncontained at times. He was laid-back until somebody fucked with him. That ho had been fucking with him for a good ten months. She had better be glad he hadn’t snatched her ass up by now.
“If the police wouldn’t have showed up when they did, I was prepared to go to jail for slamming her fucking head on that concrete. I’m sick of her shit.”
“Did they arrest her?”
“Yeah, because I filed a restraining order on that bitch. She don’t realize how much danger she’s in. That order is to protect her ass. I don’t need protection. I swear, I’m not trying to go down for murder, especially not for killing a woman, but maaaaaan, she keep poking the bear, I’m gon’ bite her fucking head off.”
“Have you fucked her since the incident when Jess beat her ass?”
“Hell naw! That’s why I can tell you she ain’t pregnant with my baby. Her high ass probably don’t even remember who she fucking now. I think Courtney done got her ass on that shit. She gon’ fuck around and be her cellmate, or her family gon’ have her fucking picture on a shirt. I gotta go, man. Somehow, I gotta go fix this damn tractor before Uncle WJ be on my ass.”
“A’ight, man. Go talk to your mama before you leave. She was upset.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m going back there before I go. I swear it’s because of her and everything she went through with Joseph that I haven’t fucked Jameka up yet.”
He walked off, and at this point, I knew Jameka had better count her fucking days.