Chapter 26 #2
“Yes, he left me… left us, because I slept with the man who murdered his family. He just couldn’t get over it, kind of like I couldn’t get over him leaving us.
And hell, if Jaivion were to walk in here right now, I’d probably flatline.
That’s just how painful his presence would be.
But you see… this is all my fault, baby girl.
I did this to me, and I’ve been too focused on the bottle all these years to correct you for giving Jaivion such a hard time. ”
Yanna's breath quickened as the room seemed to shrink around her, the walls pressing closer with every second. Her eyes darted frantically, seeing the truth for the first time. Her hands trembled, memories flashing by, revealing the painful reality that her father had always been the one suffering. All these years, she’d directed her fury at him, unable to see beyond her own anger.
Now, a cold realization gripped her heart…
in her desperate attempts to avoid becoming her mother, she had unconsciously mirrored her every flaw.
The quick assumptions that lead to snap decision making not only hurt herself, but the people around her.
Using liquor to cope with even the most minuscule inconveniences in her life.
She was Janis. Finally able to uproot her feet from the spot she’d planted herself in, Yanna backed away from her mother.
“Jaiyanna---”
“No, Ma, I--- I have to get out of here.”
“Yanna, wait a minute!” Janis called for her daughter, but she ignored her, running out of the room and hospital in search of remit.
Yanna gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white as tears blurred her vision.
Half-million-dollar homes breezed past, each one looking painfully similar, yet none of them the one she was looking for.
Her heart pounded as she struggled to remember the house she’d only visited thrice in the past two decades.
Finally, she spotted the familiar 760i BMW parked in the driveway of a massive home with an immaculately manicured lawn.
So she wouldn’t block the Lexus parked in the driveway, she pulled her Jeep to the curb.
She stumbled out of the car and jogged to the door, her breath catching in her throat.
With trembling hands, she frantically pressed the doorbell.
The sound of footsteps approaching the door synchronized with the rapid beating of her heart.
Seconds later the door opened, and Yanna came face to face with her father.
Jaivion seemed temporarily stunned by the presence of his only child.
More shock set in when the daughter, who usually detested being in the same room as him crashed into his arms, sobs racking her body.
His wife, Tanya, witnessing the rare moment, slipped her feet into a pair of house shoes and subtly maneuvered out of the house to give father and daughter some privacy.
“This whole time… all these years it’s been a big lie, and she—she let me be mad.
I—I – I can’t---” Yanna’s breathing swallowed as the weight of being mad at her father for years for no reason settled on her shoulders.
The heaviness of it all sent her to her knees, Jaivion going down right along with her.
“Jaiyanna, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Janis told me everything. She told me about the man that killed your brother and Troi’s dad… about you catching her with him. It was all her fault, and I’ve been mad at you all this time, thinking you just decided to abandon her. H- how come you didn’t tell me?” She panted.
Jaivion released a heavy breath, relieved that his daughter finally knew the truth but upset at how bad she was feeling.
“I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you thinking ill of your mother.
The fact remains that I did leave, and you were there with her.
So, if not saying anything meant me being the bad guy, then I didn’t mind playing that role. ”
“But I’ve been horrible to you for years.
I’ve been trying so hard not to be like Janis, but she’s exactly who I’ve become.
” Yanna spent the next few moments on the floor of her father’s foyer, nestled in his embrace, while she explained the entire situation with Kas.
Saying it aloud, she realized it was almost identical to her mother and father’s story.
Except, instead of her being the child caught in the middle, it was going to be her own baby.
“Now, I’m sure I’ve lost him, and my baby… I don’t even know who the daddy is.”
“Oh, baby girl.” Jaivion was shocked, but not so shocked that he’d judge her.
He could only assume that Yanna coming to him meant she wanted his help, and he was going to be there for her through whatever she needed.
“I know it probably doesn’t seem like it right now, but everything is going to be okay.
Your mother will be okay; we just have to trust God.
As far as your situation, you’ll get through it, I promise.
I’ll be there for you every step of the way.
Tell me what you want to do, and I’m going to help you. ”
“I just don’t want to feel as pitiful as I do right now. I’m disgusted with myself, disgusted with Janis… I feel lost. I want to be okay, better, if not for me than for my baby.”
“Don’t worry, I got you. We gone get you on the right track, for my grandbaby and for you. Do you trust me?”
“I do.” Yanna nodded. “And I’m sorry for how I’ve been to you. You didn’t deserve it.”
“Baby girl, you don’t ever have to apologize for standing up for what you thought was right. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters to me. Now come on, I’ll fix you something to eat while we talk.”
Allowing her father to help her from the floor, Yanna followed him to his kitchen where they talked for hours, coming up with a plan to fix the mess she’d made of her life.
Kas stepped off the elevator onto the third floor of the Embassy Suites hotel and found room 322 at the end of the hallway. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Moments later, he was greeted by Nouri, who smiled at him brightly.
“Son, what a pleasant surprise. Come on in.” Nouri stepped aside to let Kas in.
Kas strode to the desk that sat in the far corner and took a seat in the chair. “You don’t be getting bored in this muh’fucka all day?”
“Not really. I go over and see Maya every few days to have dinner with her and her husband. Have you met Logan yet?”
“Yea, I met him in Barbados then again the night I re-met you.”
“Ah, Barbados. How was it?”
“It was cool. Nyx a sentimental ass nigga so it was romantic too, I guess.”
“Romantic, huh?” Nouri laughed. “What you know about romance, son?”
“Not a damn thing. I know how to fuck bitches, and that’s about it.”
“Oh? Onyx’s teachings didn’t rub off on you in that category?”
“Don’t let him fool you. All Onyx did was fuck bitches until he met Troi. She changed all that shit.”
“Yea, that’s what a good woman will do for you.”
“Muh’fuckas always saying shit like that but… what if that rule don’t apply for everybody?”
“Hmm, you want something? I got some Dussè chilling in the mini fridge.”
“Nah, I’m not drinking.”
“Well, do you mind if I do?”
“Nah, go ‘head.”
Nouri headed to the kitchenette and grabbed a glass, pouring himself a double shot of cognac. When he returned, he took a seat at the foot of the bed directly across from Kas.
“Alright, gone head and speak what’s on your mind.”
“Who says I got something on my mind?”
“You coming in here with your ass on your shoulders, says you do.”
“The hell does that even mean?” Kas scrunched his face. “Well… I want to know the story. What happened with you and my mumma that made you leave?”
“What did Layla tell y’all happened?”
“She didn’t tell us shit. All I ever knew was you weren’t around, that’s it.”
“That figures. Listen, I’m never gone put my absence on your mom because the shit was my fault, but…
alright, so this is what it was. Crystal, that’s Maya’s mom, I met her back in Baltimore sometime in the mid-80s.
High school sweethearts and shit. The day we both got our college acceptance letters was the same day she showed me her positive pregnancy test. We decided I would be the one to go to school.
I took a gap year and left for Virginia State University when Maya was just a few months old. ”
Nouri paused to take a sip of his drink before continuing.
“I’m not even about to tell you no lies.
I got to Virginia and lost my damn mind.
Did all kinds of crazy shit with as many women as I could.
But then... one day my boy told me he had a date to the movies, but his date needed a date for her sister.
I was more than willing. We pulled up to that house in Hopewell, and Layla fucking Garrett walked out of the door.
Crystal is pretty, most of the women I messed with at VSU were nice looking, but your mom… fucking inexplicable beauty.”
Kas paid close attention to the faraway look in Nouri’s eyes as he talked about his mother. A look that said whatever love he had for Layla was definitely still there.
“After that night at the movies, you didn’t see Layla without seeing me.
I’m talking about I started to miss classes and everything.
Everything about your mom was just so damn intoxicating, so addicting.
Layla had this ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in her life, like you could do anything. Like you were---”
“The most loved person in the world?” Kas finished, knowing exactly where Nouri was coming from. There was no love greater than his mother’s love.
“Exactly. I fell for her hard and fast, and before we knew it, she was pregnant with Onyx.”
“Damn, where was Maya’s mumma?”