18. Kayori
Chapter Eighteen
KAYORI
It was about to be eleven at night, I just got off the phone with Meshalay.
She was so ecstatic about her man finally waking up and doing okay.
Her being happy made me happy, but in the pit of my stomach sat fear for what was to come with Praise and me.
On top of that, I worried about whatever he was up to in the streets.
This is what I didn’t want to go through.
Being involved with a man like Praise meant sleepless nights and stress added.
I felt like I was in too deep to even back out.
Here I sat comfortably in a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house.
Praise home put the L in total luxury. Even though I didn’t live here, I felt like I was the queen of this house.
I made a big dinner to show my appreciation to all the shopping I did earlier.
I finally bought me some nice high-end clothes, perfumes, and expensive body butters.
I hadn’t felt this good about spending money without worrying about a budget in all my time of living.
I even bought Praise a couple of things like boxers and his favorite designer Celine.
I cleaned up his huge room, washed and folded up his clothes, and cooked chicken enchiladas for him.
I already ate and had thrown up the food, still feeling sick from earlier.
I had eaten a Subway sandwich at work and knew whatever was on the sandwich still had me sick.
Hearing the front door beep from the alarm system, I slipped my feet in Praise Gucci sandals and made my way to the front of the house to greet him and warm his food.
I was so eager to finally see him after not talking to him all day.
He dropped me off at work and sent a driver to pick me up.
When we weren’t talking for those three weeks, he would text me all throughout the day.
I took today as him trying to catch up on business.
When I neared the front room, I heard Mattea’s voice and stopped in my tracks to gather my thoughts.
I know he had said Laquanna had been keeping Mattea away from him.
I didn’t want to be around nobody’s child if they didn’t agree to it.
Finally continuing my walk, I greeted Praise and Mattea as she jumped out of his arms and ran into mine.
I was so happy to see her, yet concerned.
Her pretty curly hair was matted down, she had bruises on her arms and legs.
Anger consumed me; I couldn’t wait to have a long conversation with Praise about what had taken place with this beautiful little girl.
Right now, all I wanted to do was get her in the tub, wash her hair, and grease her up.
I walked up to Praise with Mattea on my hip.
She held my neck super tight as if she were scared, I’d let her go.
That almost made me cry, it was no telling what she had been through those three weeks without her dad being involved.
Taking her princess backpack from Praise’s hand, I notice blood on his Timberland boots.
Swallowing down hard, I told him dinner was in the oven.
I wouldn’t pry hard on what he did to get blood on his shoes.
To be totally honest, I really didn’t want to know.
“Me miss you, Yori!”
This little girl really warmed my heart, with her beautiful big gray eyes.
I started her bath water and ran it until it was warm enough.
Going through her backpack she had a couple of toys and clothes inside.
I threw some of her toys in the tub as I started to undress her, only to discover more bruises on her little body.
“Imissed you so much, my Tea baby. Who hurt you?” I asked as Praise stood at the door with sad eyes.
To witness his daughter bruised up like that, had to be a lot on him.
Another trigger, I was now used to dealing with Beast when he did come to the forefront.
Praise was more patient and kinder, and Beast was the total opposite.
Lately, Praise had been using terminology saying that him and Beast were one.
He wanted to merge them together. His thoughts were that if he united them as one, the voices would stop.
I went along with his logic because deep down I knew he didn’t want to be or appear crazy.
I researched his mental illness and sad to say even if he did merge him and Beast as one, the voices would still remain.
“Gran Gran go pop pop on me butt, like this!” She started demonstrating.
“Then mommy go bam bam!” She bawled her tiny fist up and I could see Praise’s eyes grow wild.
“Me no want mommy no more! Only daddy!” her voice sounded sad, so I hugged her tight and placed her in the tub. That’s when her pretty gray eyes lit up again and she started to play with her Barbie dolls.
“You will never see mommy again, Tea,” Praise assured her and walked away, leaving a million questions running through my head.
I washed her up good, including her hair.
After that, I cut up the chicken enchiladas, I made for her and let her eat.
Although it was late at night and a kid should have already been fed, Mattea ate like she was being starved wherever she was at.
After I had Praise bring her Princess bed in his room, he had disappeared somewhere in the house.
I read a story to her and rocked her to sleep in my arms while she rubbed my face.
Those cute little dimples and pretty eyes was a sight for sore eyes.
Putting her in the bed, I went to each room looking for Praise and I came up empty.
I checked his backyard and his tall frame stood over his lit-up pool.
I listened to him talk and curse and my heart went out to him.
“I’m going to kill and torture that bitch, Beast! I swear I am!” His voice sounded broken, which indicated that he had been crying and my heart broke just by hearing the hurt in each word he spoke.
“If I did it your way, Beast, everybody would be dead! I can’t kill my mom. I love her and if I kill Teflon, she will never speak to me again!”
He started pacing and rubbing his temples extra hard. I jumped when I saw him slap the shit out of himself. I wanted to run out there right away and hold him, but I held myself back because I didn’t know what specific element that he was in.
“Just shut the fuck up! Stop talking to me right now! I have a headache, and I don’t want to scare her away!
You don’t want her to leave us, right? I can’t do this shit with you tonight!
FUCK!” I could hear him sniffle and that’s when I decided to open the glass sliding door up and let myself be heard.
Hearing me approach him, he turned around to face me. I felt like taking on all his battles when I saw his red rimmed eyes. Cleaning his face from residual tears, what he said next caused my own set of tears.
“Ifailed my baby girl…Beast wants me to- never mind. I’m trying, Kayori.
This shit is just too much. I can’t merge us even if I tried!
All this therapy shit is a waste of my time and money!
I can’t be fixed, so if you want to leave me, do it now.
I won’t allow you to stick around, then myself, Beast, and whoever else is inside of me gets too attached.
Mattea also, I just don’t want to hurt you or anyone else. ”
Tugging at his beard, I could see the battle in his eyes he looked so weary and exhausted. Usually, his whole aura screamed dominance and in control. Right now, he was simply tired and stressed out to the max, I wanted to make it better for him.
“I’m not leaving you, Praise. I understand it’s not easy. I care for you and I am willing to stick by you. We just need to take things slow as far as a relationship goes, but I’m not going anywhere, and no other man will have me but you.”
I saw his shoulders relax as I made my way to him and hugged him as tight as I could.
I decided not to question anything else.
I wanted him to feel comfortable telling me whatever it was that he battled hard with his mind.
I continued to try to give him soothing words as I rubbed his back and talked low and his ear.
I could feel his energy change, Praise was relaxing himself and hanging onto each word I spoke. He needed this.
“You didn’t fail her, Praise. At least you were able to get her. Now you can protect her and make sure this don’t happen to her again… She needs a solid foundation; you have to be that for her. Also, you need to start taking your meds since she’s going to be here with you most of the time.”
He nodded his head, then placed his nose in the crook of my neck. I was relieved that he agreed with me when it came to him taking his medicine.
“Yori… you my medicine, baby.”
Without any words, he placed his hand under my gown and between my meaty thighs.
Inhaling sharply, he traced his thick thumb over my clit, strumming it.
A look came over his face that I couldn’t make out.
He snatched his hand from between my thighs and looked at his hand in horror.
When he realized his hand had pussy juices and not blood, he placed his hand right back between my thighs.
“You lied to me, Yori? I thought your sickness was on?”
Looking at him confused I asked, “My sickness? You mean my period? No, I wouldn’t lie. Sometimes it starts then stop.”
He smiled, letting his shoulders relax again. He pulled me close to him while cupping my ass.
“Well let me get in that juicy pussy before it starts again.”
All I could do was laugh, Praise had me right where he needed me to be. As bad as I wanted to decline him, I couldn’t. He always stressed how I was his medicine not realizing that he was mine as well. He was my cure, my antidote, I felt so connected to him it was sickening.