Chapter 28
Afew days had passed since the incident at the house.
Lyric had finally calmed down enough to let me out of her sight after holding me hostage in the house.
Well, I wouldn’t say hostage because I loved being with my family, but little mama wouldn’t let me piss without her sitting on the counter while she talked to me.
I let her have her moment because I understood she was triggered.
She cried for days after we were released from jail, and I had to reassure her everything was going to be okay.
Honestly, she was the reason Keynauri and I weren’t looking at jail time.
She went to that disgusting pervert and threatened to expose him and file charges.
Whatever she told him was enough to get him to drop all of the charges.
The state still could have picked up the case, but Gunna stepped in and was able to get everything thrown out.
He had been schooling me on the benefits of having state officials in my back pocket, but I saw firsthand what it could do.
Lyric had been behind on content, so she was recording batch videos.
I told her I needed to make a couple of runs, and I would be right back.
Truthfully, I needed to lay eyes on my grandmother and see how she was doing.
Things between us hadn’t been the same since her daughter crashed the restaurant opening.
I could admit that I kept my distance out of hurt.
While I understood she loved my mother, I didn’t understand how she could be around her knowing how she treated me.
It felt like she was betraying me by consorting with the enemy.
Maybe I was wrong, but those were my feelings.
We struggled most of my childhood, and Enoka never stepped in to help us.
There were times when I would hear about her being with ballers and hustlers, wearing designer, and living the good life, but she never thought it was necessary to come and help her own family.
All she ever cared about was herself, and Granny did nothing except make excuses for her.
Granny swore I needed to heal and forgive my mother, but what for?
Why would I forgive a mothafucka who refused to acknowledge they did anything wrong?
When I pulled up to the house, I noticed a Benz parked in the driveway. It wasn’t a car I recognized, which struck me as odd. Granny sold dinners, so people came from all over, but something about the car seemed off to me.
The moment I stepped out of the car, I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I thought about leaving, but I decided I would at least lay eyes on my granny, even if I didn’t stay long.
My gun was tucked in the waistband of my sweats because no matter how many years I spent in this neighborhood, I would never let my guard down.
I opened the front door and stepped inside like I always did, inhaling the familiar aroma of soul food. Then I heard a familiar voice and instantly got upset.
“I don’t understand what the big deal is. All you have to do is give me the money, and my man is going to flip it, and I’ll pay you right back. You’re acting like you aren’t gonna get the money back,” Enoka fussed.
“Enoka, please. You must have forgotten that I pushed you out of my cooter cat. You always come here asking for money, and once I give it to you, I don’t hear anything from you until it’s time for you to beg for something else.
Now I don’t mind helping with a couple of hundred every now and then, but twenty thousand dollars isn’t a small amount of money.
I don’t work, so I don’t know where you think I would be getting that kind of money from,” Granny replied.
“Oh, please. Just because you choose to live in this beat-up-ass house doesn’t mean you’re broke.
I may not have raised him, but I know him well enough to know if East is doing well financially, he’s breaking you off as well.
Hell, call his ass up and tell him you need the money.
I’m sure he’ll give it to you,” Enoka urged.
“No, I will not. Thanks to you, my grandson has barely spoken to me. I will not involve him in your mess. He made it clear, he didn’t want me to give you any money he provided to me, and I already messed up by helping you for all of these years.
You’re gonna have to figure out another way to get the money. ”
My jaw flexed as I eavesdropped on their conversation.
I shouldn’t have been surprised she was giving her money because, for some reason, she had a soft spot for her oldest daughter.
Granny wanted to see the good in her, but the reality was there was no good.
Enoka only cared about herself, and it would never change.
Since I only came to make sure she was okay, I thought about turning around and leaving, but something told me to make my presence known.
After all, there were still some questions I had for my mother.
“Granny, you in the kitchen?” I yelled out. There was some shuffling before she finally answered.
“Yes, baby. I’m in here.”
Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the bullshit. When I stepped into the kitchen, I saw both my grandmother and Enoka sitting at the table. Enoka sat there dressed in Prada with a Louis Vuitton purse on the table.
The fact that she was in her mother’s kitchen begging for money, when it was clear she wasn’t hurting for any, made no sense to me. Nothing about her did.
“Well, hello, Son. It’s nice to see you again,” Enoka greeted me.
“Too bad I can’t say the same. What are you doing here? As far as I was aware, you forgot this address when you dropped me off and never came back.”
Enoka’s eyes bulged in shock, but she recovered quickly.
“You’ve always been a little dramatic. I needed some time to get my life together, and my mother stepped in to help.
I don’t understand why you hate me so much.
You act like I left you on the side of the road or something.
Look at you. You’re a successful businessman.
You have a nice car, a house, and a family.
If you ask me, I would say I did you a favor.
” Enoka waved her manicured hand in my direction.
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing no one asked you,” I shot back.
It was time to get the hell out of there before I ended up going off on her. She wasn’t worth my energy, and I didn’t want my mood fucked up behind someone who never wasted her energy on being a mother.
“I’m about to head out, Granny. I only stopped by to check on you and tell you Lyric and I are having another baby.
She’s been traveling with her brother, which is why Noodle hasn’t been over here like she used to be.
I guess everything happens for a reason because I don’t approve of my child being around your daughter,” I informed her.
“A baby? Oh, Essie, I’m so happy for you. I told Lyric it would only be a matter of time before she ended up knocked up. Tell her when she needs a break, I’m always here for her and my gran-girl. I miss my baby, but she calls me every day.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised because since Symphonee learned how to work a phone and her iPad, she made sure to call or message me whenever we were away from each other.
While Granny and I may not have been seeing eye to eye, I was happy to know the relationship between her and my daughter was still intact.
“What the hell do you mean, you don’t want your child around me?
Hell, if it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t exist. Although from the pictures I’ve seen of the little girl, you might want to get her swabbed.
I’m sick of you trying to throw shade or punish me because you’re bitter.
I left you with my mother to raise, oh well.
Get over it, and let that hurt go, boo. You want to be a victim so bad, but you were bad as fuck as a little boy.
If I had kept you, you would probably have ended up dead anyway. Be thankful,” Enoka ranted.
“Enoka! Chile, what has gotten into you? You have no business talking to him like that!” Granny hissed.
“Oh, please. You’re the reason why he feels like it’s okay to disrespect me. You coddled him instead of giving him the same tough love you gave me. He’s a grown man, still crying about shit from the past. Boohoo. Everyone has a past, and you’re not the only person who has had a rough childhood.”
“I don’t give a fuck about you and your childhood. The way I feel, I hope it was horrible because a bitch like you deserves the worst,” I spat.
“That’s enough, Essex. You know better than to be cursing in front of me like this, and you’re being disrespectful. At the end of the day, she is your mother, and right or wrong, you only get one.”
“I apologize for being disrespectful in your house, but I don’t think that’s the only thing I’m sorry about.
You’re still making excuses for her and trying to get me to show respect to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
You’re saying I only have one mother, but what kind of mother was she?
Even when I lived with her, she was never around.
“If she wasn’t in the clubs and bars getting sloppy drunk while I was at home starving, she was chasing behind some man who only wanted to use her as a cum rag.
For years, you have gone behind my back to help someone who never cared about you or me.
You have a lot of nerve giving her the money I worked hard for when I’m the one who has been taking care of you since I was a youngin.