6. Reese
Reese
I usually stay with Jaz when it gets this late at night, but for some reason, I didn’t wanna be up under her.
What she said earlier left a foul taste in my mouth, and a nigga wasn’t feeling it at all.
Besides that, my sister called to tell me mama wasn’t doing good.
I hit up my driver to run me home. I’d take my own truck most of the time, but today I was feeling extra lazy.
My mama struggled with high blood pressure for about seven years, so I try to stay on top of it when I can. With the tours, studio time, and award shows, I ain’t been there as much as I wanna be.
When I got my first bonus from the label, I moved my family from Miami to New York.
I went out and brought a five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion in Southampton.
Since she’s in college at NYU, my sister Rayna hired a housekeeper to clean and help mama when I’m not there.
If something happens to her, she calls my sister.
I haven’t mentioned anything to Sin yet, but this gone be my last album with him.
I want to quit rapping and start up my own label.
I’m not tryna be one of them muthafuckas still on the mic pushing forty.
We made enough money throughout the years, so it’s time for me to move on.
I wanted a wife one day, but I can’t build a life with anybody if I’m on the damn road all the time.
That’s not what I want my marriage to be.
I regained focus just in time to see my driver pulling into the driveway.
After thanking him, I told him he could leave and made my way to the front door. The first person I ran into when I stepped over the threshold was Rayna.
“Re, I told you she wasn’t feeling good, but it didn’t mean you needed to come. Weren’t you at the studio? I had it handled.” She put her hands on her hips.
“Girl, you better come give me a hug. Talking all that shit,” I stated.
Mama hates it when we walk around with shoes in her house, so I took mine off by the door.
She giggled, leaping into my arms. Rayna is the oldest girl at twenty-two, so she feels she’s gotta play mama bear all the time.
That’s probably why my other sisters, Rylee and Raine, went to college out-of-state.
“I’m serious, Reese. You ain’t have to come,” she continued as I walked down the hall to mama’s room with her on my heels.
“Quit all that shit, Ray. You know I’mma come check on her. How’s she doing? Where’s Danielle at?” I asked, referring to the housekeeper.
“I sent her out to get mama some damn orange juice. I don’t see why we need her here anyway, mama has me.” I gave her a knowing look, because we both knew she couldn’t take care of mama alone, not with her schedule.
She be on the same stuff every time I mention her name. Her ass is just mad mama doesn’t need her anymore. I’m putting her through law school, so that’s all she needs to be focused on.
“Leave that damn girl alone Ray. You hired her, and now it’s a problem? She takes care of mama. That’s all that matters. You need to worry about school. I don’t pay your tuition every month for nothing.”
Rayna crossed her arms over her chest. “I made a mistake. Can’t we get somebody older? You know she likes you. It’s the only reason she’s still here.”
I peeked in the room and saw mama knocked out on the bed.
Closing the door back, I gave Rayna a stern look.
“Whether she do or don’t like me, ain’t got shit to do with her acting professional.
She cooks, cleans, and does whatever else I want her to do.
I’m paying her ass enough to get it done. Mama needs somebody to watch her 24/7.”
“Can you do it?” I pointed at her, and opened and closed her mouth. “Exactly!”
I left her standing there as I walked into the kitchen. The room was silent as I fixed a plate with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. For some reason, I was still hungry from earlier. Rayna stood in the entranceway, with her hip leaning on the wall.
“What’s up with you?” I asked, watching her moving around behind me, which she only does when she’s nervous.
“What you mean?” she replied innocently.
I put the plate in the microwave then leaned over to sit my elbows on the countertop.
“Stop beating around the bush Rayna.” I was calm, but she knew a nigga was losing patience.
“Alright, dang. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Raine gonna be here tomorrow.” She was a senior at Clark Atlanta. Sin and I just performed there for homecoming two months ago, so I see no reason for her to come home so soon.
“Why? She’s got a few more weeks left in the semester before another break.” Once the microwave beeped, I put my food on the counter and started to eat it. My sister stared at me like she wanted to speak and didn’t know how.
“What she got herself into?” I inquired. Out of the three of them, Raine was like me the most. Hotheaded, and quick to get mad.
She bit her lip, staring down at her feet.
“She’s pregnant, Reese.”
I dropped the fork on the plate. “What the fuck you just said?”