Desperately #2
“You don’t think I know that?” Jakia sucked her teeth.
“I don’t believe any of it. The point is, he ain’t here to prove them wrong or set them straight.
I don’t want to deal with any of this shit, Henni.
Especially not alone. So, Twon gon’ stay around until I feel like I don’t need him anymore.
If Hussein has a problem with that then he gon have to check me when he gets home.
After he checks these bitches before I be locked up next. ”
“Well, you’re not alone. You got me.” Henni nudged Jakia’s shoulder. “And I got you.” Henni raised her eyebrows.
“Not the way you got up at Tina’s demand.” Jakia burst into laughter.
“I ain’t said I have a death wish now.” Henni laughed. “I think that was the last gift.” Henni was looking at an obviously tired Carmell.
He looked around wildly until he laid eyes on his TT Jah. He could hardly move his legs fast enough to get to her. She met him where he was and pulled him from his walker.
“You ready to go, big man?” Jakia kissed his cheeks before letting him rest his head against her chest. “Khyell, time to go.”
“The fuck do this bitch want?” Henni mumbled, making Jah glance behind her.
Nisha was walking towards them with a black gift bag and a smile that Jakia wanted to slap off her face.
“Hey, so, you’ve made it clear that you have no interest in us getting to know one another. I understand that, but I’m still carrying the boys’ sister. I want to keep all lines of communication open for when they’re old enough to decide that they want to know their little sister.”
“That’s for me?” Khyell walked over, noticing his name on the tag of the bag.
“Yeah.” She handed it to him.
“We don’t want that shit.”
“I ain’t even get to see what it is yet, TT.”
“Khy, give her that shit back. And let’s go.”
“But, I want it,” he argued. “Carmell got a bunch of gifts today and I can’t have this one?”
“Because it’s his birthday, not yours!” she yelled, then immediately regretted and explained herself. “You’re not going to get gifts every year on his birthday,” Jakia explained.
It was too late because once again all eyes were on her. The DJ had gone as far as to turn the music down.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even consider that.”
“Exactly, because you don’t know shit about being a mother.
I know that because you don’t know shit about being a woman.
Being a willing side chick is as low as it gets.
You couldn’t show your face at his funeral, and I know you didn’t because someone would’ve mentioned you by now.
Now you think you get to have a piece of him through his boys.
One that he didn’t want you to have, or we wouldn’t all just be meeting you.
You might be carrying his baby, but that don’t grant you access to my nephews.
You want them to know you and that bastard ass baby you’re carrying, go down to the graveyard and ask Boom and Keyona how they feel and get back to me with their answer.
Until then, stay your ass far away from them.
Please, don’t make me have to say that shit again. ”
“That’s my daddy’s baby in there?” Khyell asked Nisha.
“Yeah. Your sister.” She smiled.
“Don’t talk to him. Khy let’s go.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I said let’s fucking go!” Jakia screamed, pointing at the gate of the backyard.
“Is it necessary to talk to him like that?” Prissy asked, phone in hand, recording everything.
“Mind your business. This is very much a family moment and you ain’t that,” Henni snapped.
“Khy!” Jakia yelled again. “Let’s go now!”
“Go on with her, Khyell,” Tina instructed. “TT will come get you in a few days.”
“No, you won’t. I don’t want you nowhere near my boys. If I see you anywhere near my shit, I’ma take it as a threat on my life. And I will blow you about mine, bitch.”
Tina was too angry to do anything but laugh. “You can try your hardest, but they will always be Turners. It’s in their bones.”
“You’re right. Ain’t shit I can do about whose blood is running through them.
But I can damn sure change where that blood lead.
They will not be gangstas, criminals, or murderers.
” Jakia and Tina were standing face to face.
“Khy, say goodbye to your aunt, because the next time you see her, she’ll be on her death bed.
” Jakia switched off with a sleeping Carmell on her chest and his diaper bag on her arm.
Tears fell from his eyes, but he didn’t make a sound. He gave Prissy a hug, then Tina.
“Stop all that crying. She ain’t got that much power. I’ll see you soon, ok, baby boy?” Khyell nodded his head.
“See you soon, Khyell,” Nisha slid in.
Khyell waved bye as he joined Henni at the gate. He left with her. There was so much anger built up in his tiny little chest, he could punch a wall. Getting in the car, Henni started the engine once everyone had their seatbelts on.
It was a quiet ride to drop them off at home.
Jakia said all she had to say in Tina’s backyard.
Henni didn’t want to say anything that would make her go off all over again.
She said enough. She didn’t agree with the way Jakia handled things once Khyell was involved but now wasn’t the time to tell her. She had a lot going on.
When they parked in front of the house, things only got worse.
Jakia got out of the car, then unhooked Carmell from his car seat. Khyell hadn’t moved from his seat to so much as blink.
“Come on,” Jah told him.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want to stay with you no more. I want to stay with TT Henni.”
“I don’t care what you want Khy. I’m exhausted. I want to go in the house, shower and sleep. Now get out of the car before I drag you out.”
“I hate you!”
“I don’t care. Let’s go.”
“Jah,” Henni interjected. “Let him stay with me for the night. I’ll bring him home in the morning.”
“Fine.”
Jakia had no more fight left in her. Between the drama, the pain and the baby, life was wearing her out. With one kid gone for the night, she dropped the other one off to his daddy for a night alone.
TINA’S HOUSE | 4:27 P.M.
“War!” Tina called out.
Warlock rushed to her side. She led them to the front yard.
“Senior told me that Hussein’s holding Keyona’s car down the junkyard. I want you to crush it. I mean make sure there’s nothing left to that motherfucker. You hear me?”
“Got you.” Warlock nodded, though he didn’t want to do it. Hussein wasn’t there to stop Tina, so it was her world until Hussein touched down on this side of the jail.
Tina stood there fuming as War walked to his whip.
It’d been a long time since she’d been so upset that she couldn’t regulate her breathing.
That’s because in most situations, regardless of the outcome, she was in control.
Jakia flew off the handle and there was nothing she could do but watch it.
The only way to rectify shit was to take her power back.
Jakia thought she could run with Tina but that’s only because she didn’t know her.
Tina was about to show her exactly who she was. ”
“And why would you be walking up to my doorstep when I don’t know you?’ Tina asked the stranger walking up her driveway.
“Excuse me, it’s Tina, right?” Teddy stopped in front of her.
“Yeah, and you are?”
“Dr. Teddy Johnson. I work with Priscilla. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He smiled extending his hand.
“Same.” Tina smiled. “Prissy didn’t mention you were stopping by.”
“She doesn’t know. We know your family has been through a lot and we just wanted to do something nice for you all.”
“We?” Tina asked, curiously.
“The graveyard shift down at the hospital. We’re really a family. It’s not going to be the same without her.
The gate opened and Nyelle showed. “Tina I’m going to get out of here. Thanks for the invite.”
“Stop and see my nephew on the way home?”
“Yeah, sure. Anything in particular you want me to find out?”
“Fill him in on the party, see where his head is.” Tina nodded unable to say more in front of her guest.
Nyelle walked off, giving Teddy a small smile.
“You’re a little late to the party, but there’s still some cake and ice cream out back.”
“I’d love some.”
Nisha was at one of the snack tables, piling dip onto her paper plate.
“Nene, you still eating girl.”
“I was just fitna come check on you, TT. You ard?” Nisha turned around to see her brother standing there. Her plate fell from her hands. She rushed to try and clean it up.
“Girl, don’t worry about that, I scheduled some cleaners, they’ll take care of it. Come here, I want to meet, Dr. Johnson.”
“Oh, ma’am, you can call me Teddy.”
“Well, Teddy this is the newest addition to our family, Nene. Nene this is Dr. Teddy Johnson. He works down at GBMC with Prissy. Ooh, you know what? You should deliver her baby.”
“Prissy’s told me so much about him and the first thing she said was how busy you are.”
“She was telling the truth about that. I’m very busy. I have to be strategic in the way I pick my patients. I take three patients at a time in different stages of pregnancy. I just took on a new mother just six weeks into her pregnancy.”
“Sounds like I just missed the opportunity.”
“Actually, you just lucked up. I’m late today because I just delivered two healthy twin boys. So, it looks like you have yourself a new doctor. I mean if you’re open of course.”