Chapter 12
Mercedees
Weeks passed since I left my best friend at the gate of our private road.
Hearing that she just randomly drugged people had me utterly disgusted.
I knew the bitch lived a wild life, but damn.
I thought we was on strictly ganja, not pills, too.
Talk about a bitch being disappointed. Nevertheless, she did that shit away from me, so I really didn’t have a reason to hate her.
Ain’t nobody tell me to go in that lady office and have the time of my life.
There was no denying how good I felt when I was around Arion. Underneath all that rudeness he possessed, I actually felt a sense of security. Fearing for my life would come and go in small waves. However, protection never wavered. I felt that from the moment his dominance kicked in.
He’d given me twenty-four hours to get my things and return to his home.
Imagine me doing anything a nigga tell me to do.
Tuh. He got to know I ain’t never been a bitch to follow orders.
I did whatever the fuck I pleased when I pleased.
To think just because we were married he had a say so was crazy work to me.
Our marriage was a drunken mistake, and I’d die on that hill.
Inserting my key into the door, I turned until I was granted access.
I walked into my father’s home hoping to get a piece of mind.
Closing the door behind me, I followed the smell of food straight to the kitchen.
My father was a soul food kind of guy, so I knew to expect something along the line of that.
As I turned the corner, my eyes landed on the most unsettling thing.
I turned around so damn fast you would’ve thought I was Prince in Purple Rain.
My stomach began to turn as well sending me to the nearest bathroom.
I ran down the hall clutching the toilet as soon as I entered.
The contents I had for breakfast was filling it.
“Oh my God, Cedees. We are so sorry. Why didn’t you call and say you were on the way?” my mama questioned.
Castina please with yo’ nasty ass.
All I could do was look at her with disgust in between me puking every few seconds. Seeing her and my father go at it like they ain’t have shit better else to do was really keeping me on my knees. I didn’t want to witness that ever the fuck again.
“My bad baby girl. I ain’t know you was dropping by. Me and yo’ mama was talking for a minute,” my father lied.
“That wasn’t talking Daddy. And did you have to do it over the food? You got a seven-bedroom house, why not go to one of them? Jesus Christ!” I fussed.
Chuckling, he said, “We wanted to talk in the kitchen. This my house Cedees, I can talk wherever the hell I please. What you doing here?”
“I came to spend time with you, but I see you’re already entertained.” Gagging, I clutched the toilet even tighter. “Why y’all fuckin’ anyway? Y’all back together now?”
My mother looked at my father with uncertain eyes, and he at her with the same ones. Clearly, they were doing them but didn’t know where they stood. It was almost like one didn’t say yes and the other no. Shaking my head, I pulled myself up from the floor.
“We’re sorting things out,” my mama finally answered.
“Yeah, I see the nasty shit.” Washing my hands, I tried my best to shake those disturbing images out my mind.
Was I happy they finally put their differences to the side and decided to love one another again? Hell yeah. They were the only parents I knew. Did I want to witness them sorting things out? Fuck no! My entire day was ruined by that shit.
“Hey, watch that mouth of yours. You hungry?” my mama asked with a small laugh.
“I was, but now I’m scared y’all tainted it. I’ll pass. I got some snacks in the car. I been craving salty and sour things anyway,” I said declining the meal.
Leaving out the bathroom, we entered the family room. I made sure to distance myself from them. I low key wanted to leave altogether and just go home. After all, I rarely did that to begin with.
Kicking my feet up, I looked at my parents with every ounce of dislike.
They truly ruined my day with that bullshit.
They sat across from me holding hands and I almost vomited again.
I wasn’t used to this, and I didn’t think I’d ever be.
They were broken up for so long, seeing them get along was foreign.
“Baby girl, what is the problem? Me and your father have been dealing with each other your whole life,” my mama commented.
Ryan and Castina are all I know, that is true. However, she knew good and goddamn well this wasn’t normal. “Mama please,” I said rolling my eyes.
“What is it, Cedees?” she asked again still amused. “I’ve given him hell long enough. Why is it so hard for you to accept us?”
“You and this man don’t even like each other for real. As many times as you told him to kiss yo’ ass, I didn’t think the man was really doing it. When were y’all gon’ let me know this was the type of timing y’all was on?” I inquired.
They shared that dumbass look once again before my mama put on this big smile. It stretched from ear to ear, so it must’ve been something that made her happy. Standing in their way of love wasn’t something I’d ever do; it was just weird to witness again.
Holding up her hand, she said, “After I basked in this.” On her finger sat a ring that was blinding. The stone on that bitch was huge and my father wore a proud look on his face. “He finally got it together and asked me to marry him!”
Jumping to my feet, I screamed with joy for her. Despite all the bullshit I walked in on, I wanted them to enjoy their relationship and marriage. I’d have to adjust to seeing them together more often, but it was worth it.
“Oh my God! Are y’all serious? It’s ‘bout fuckin’ time!” I yelled.
“That’s what I said. It took him thirty-five years but we’re here. Are you truly excited for us? I mean, we still value your opinion.”
I couldn’t even enjoy the celebration. A sudden wave of queasiness washed over me.
I didn’t know if it was caused from me jumping up too fast or what, but I had to call earl once more.
With my hand covering my mouth, I bolted out the room to the nearest bathroom.
I was clutching the toilet puking my guts out.
“What’s wrong with her baby?” I heard my father ask down the hall.
“Dammit Ryan, I just got in here. Hold on. Baby girl, what’s wrong? Do you got a virus or was seeing us that bad? Yo’ mama still in shape, and I still got what it takes to make these niggas drop to they knees,” she boasted.
“What niggas?” my father shouted.
“Oh, hush, Ryan!” she threw back.
“Yeah, aight. Play with it.”
Shaking my head, I continued giving the toilet the contents of my stomach. I didn’t think I had more to give. I had a simple breakfast. A lil’ sausage, egg and cheese, grits bowl from Waffle House with a few pickles on the side satisfied me. Now I was regretting it.
Finally gaining some composure moments later, I sat up against the wall feeling like shit.
I was weak as fuck feeling like I was between a rock and a hard place.
She walked over to me and placed the back of her hand to my forehead then neck.
She wore a look of worry as she assessed me.
I had my hair out in its natural state, so she picked through that as well.
Stepping back, her look of worry was replaced with another look of joy. I was thoroughly confused as to why she kept smiling at me.
“What Ma? You starting to freak me out.”
“Cedees, I think you’re pregnant,” she whispered.
“I’m what?” I screeched. I was on my feet quicker than she could blink. I looked for any clues that I was pregnant in the mirror giving myself several onceovers.
She started laughing saying, “What are you expecting to find baby girl?”
“The same thing you did that could give you that dumbass idea that I was pregnant,” I replied.
“First off, you already have the signs, Cedees. You’re after anything salty or sour, you are a victim of morning sickness, and your hair texture are both oily and dry with the oily being near the ends.
I don’t have any kids to show for it, but I’ve been through enough pregnancies to know the symptoms. Plus, you have the glow,” she explained.
“Baby, what’s wrong with her?” my father questioned for a second time.
She eyed me before poking her head out the door hollering, “She’s pregnant, Ryan!”
Throwing her a hell of a glare, I said, “Jesus Christ. Why would you tell him that, Mama? You’re the only one thinking that. Now I got to hear his mouth.”
Before I could finish my sentence good, my father was standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
With his hands in his pocket, he went from head to toe with a blank expression.
I didn’t know what to expect. This was the one thing I didn’t want him to get wind of.
I wanted to avoid any kind of conversation regarding my love life.
However, this was going to bring it to the forefront.
“It’s been thirty days Mercedees, and you ain’t brought me back nothing.
Not only have you got yo’self caught up in a marriage but now you pregnant.
Is this what y’all call living life on the edge?
I mean goddamn, do y’all even got traditionalism in you anymore?
Or you one of them pan things that don’t see gender but personality bullshit,” he ranted.
I had two choices. I could either tell him the truth about Arion or keep him waiting until I figured out what the hell was going on with my life as a whole.
“Them wheels turning so let me make something clear. If you lie to me, that’s it.
Ain’t no coming back or cleaning it up.”
Bracing myself on the sink counter, I released several deep breaths with my eyes closed. I had to accept whatever was coming my way. I glanced over at my mama, and she gave me a nod of approval. These were my parents after all, they would have to support me, right?