2. What We Share
What We Share
Six months later- Angie
I knew exactly where the fuck Karma was.
She was the first person I sought out, and she didn't make it particularly difficult either.
She loved colors so all I had to do was look for a head full of hair and a neon purse.
Today she had on a patterned orange halter sundress and a coordinating flower in her hair.
The hem was tasteful, but it still had them c-cups sitting.
I was definitely gonna be sucking them muthafuckas later.
“Ok, cool. I got somebody I want her to meet,” Rob whispered before turning back to face me.
“By the way, why do you call her Karma instead of Lesandra?” Because that was her name.
Or at least it used to be until she was five.
Around the time of her fourth birthday, her dad became one of them faux Black excellence ass niggas, so he convinced her mama to change her name so she'd have an easier time applying to jobs.
Karma became her middle name while Lesandra became her legal first name.
Personally, I'd always hated that shit and I refused to call her Lesandra even as a child.
Names were powerful, and picking one in cowardice to make your daughter more digestible never sat right with me.
“Her daddy named her that shit to kiss them white people's ass.
Before that though she was named after her Grandma.
I don't acknowledge that new shit, so to me she's still Karma.” “Her daddy?
Nigga, don't you mean your uncle!?” Rob chuckled. “I guess.”
My face instantly dropped into an irritated frown with the reminder.
I couldn't stand that nigga, and not for nothing.
Most of everyone else in the family couldn't stand William’s bitch ass either.
He couldn't hold down a job, have a productive conversation, or be an engaged parent. He was decent to Stephen I guess, but he was especially bad to Karma. “Uncle or not though, it’s still fuck that nigga.”Ok, so Karma's daddy was my uncle.
Which meant I was fucking my cousin. However, to be fair, she was fucking me back.
Real good too. Also, if anyone did the math, they would see that we were only half cousins.
Our parents didn't share a dad. We each had our own grandpa. That counted for something, right?
“Damn, Ang. You hold grudges something terrible. Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Rob sighed, pulling me back to reality.
Unfortunately I couldn't live from between Karma's legs so I guess I had to rejoin that ghetto muhfucka eventually.
“Speaking of getting on my bad side, who is this man you tryna have in my cousin's face? He got a job?” “Yes, Darryl has a job. I know y'all Davidson’s run a tight ship.”“Sholl the fuck do. Does he fall under either category of cheater or beater? Cause if so, abort mission. I got enough money to get away with my alleged crimes now.” “Jesus, Ang!
Look, Darryl is employed. He comes from a good family, he has a master's in computer science, his own crib, and his own car. No kids, no divorces, no DV cases. Aight?”
My frown relaxed slightly. There was a part of me that knew this thing between me and Karma couldn't last forever.
Our relationship was already complicated before I started churning her guts into butter.
Long term, this wasn't healthy, and I knew she'd eventually need a reliable partner to build a life with.
One that she could have a couple kids by without running the risk of them coming out with fingers on their earlobe or some shit.
Unfortunately, I wasn't that. Even if I wanted to be.
So if she had the opportunity to meet a good man who could give her a good life, who was I to stop her?
According to Rob he met all the preliminaries.
“Aight, I'll introduce them,” I sighed. “Where dude at?” Rob smiled like he had just closed the biggest deal of his life before pointing across the field, crooked ass finger landing on the ugliest man I've ever had the displeasure of spotting.
For a second I thought I was going blind, but nope.
I was really seeing him. “Hmmmggg,” I grumbled.
I was acutely aware that it sounded like someone had punched right through my stomach, but that was better than letting out the scream that was clawing up from my throat.
No kids? No divorces? Now I understood exactly why.
If I took some crayons and line paper over to the kids table and asked them to draw Shrek from memory, I guarantee at least two of them would draw this nigga.
The longer I stared at him, the more irritated I became.
My baby was kind, educated, and had some of the best pussy God ever gifted us mortals, and this is what Rob thought she deserved! ?
“Yo, Angie. Everything good?” he asked. Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say-“It- Rob, why the fuck does his face look like that?”How Rob knew Darryl, I wasn't entirely sure. So I tried to keep some tact about how I addressed the man. Keyword: Tried. Luckily Rob was a good sport when I failed.
“Goddamnit, Ang,” he choked as laughter spilled from behind his hand.
“That's worse than just outright calling somebody ugly!” “I'm sorry!” I fussed.
“It's just. He- Are you beefing with Karma?” That was the only reason I could think of why someone would try to hook a literal cherub up with a muhfucka who was the personification of the first pancake.
You know, the one you flip too early on too high heat so it's dry, uneven, and simultaneously undercooked? Yeah, that was him.
“Ang, chill man,” he chortled. “Darryl’s a good dude.
He has a great personality. Plus I figured if anything could save that bloodline, it'd be one of you pretty ass Davidsons.” “Ain't no personality that damn great! Karma-”“You rang?” she called as she sauntered across the field.The dappled July sun acted as a spotlight for her as it fell between the dense leaves of Grandma's oak tree.
It highlighted everything from the swivel of her hips, to her bouncing wash n go, and even the way her beauty mark quirked upward just slightly when she caught me staring.
The family was busy shimmying to Hey Ya and having a good time, but the saxophones were blaring for me.
“Lesandra! What's up beautiful?” Rob greeted as he went in for a hug.
If it wasn't for my insider knowledge of Karma's type, I may have been jealous about how tight she squeezed him.
Luckily for me though, Karma's thick ass liked her niggas cut like Bad era Michael Jackson.
Not that it was a bad thing, but Rob had a build like a DeVille.
“Hey, Rowdy. How's life?” she grinned as they separated.
“Good. We just bought a new crib, we got a son on the way, hope you can make it to the baby shower.
We're doing it over at the old Library on William and Fernview. By the way-”
As usual, my expression filled the silence I wouldn't allow my mouth to, and I produced an annoyed side eye in response to Rob's attempts to butter Karma up.
I wanted him to get this shit over so I could go back to kiking with her.
The longer he took, the more likely we were to miss getting good seats for the fireworks.
Sunset was in two and a half hours. That wasn't enough time to beat out Auntie Betty or her nerve-wracking ass step-son.
“But real quick before you and Ang get to clucking like hens, there's someone I want you to meet,” he finished, getting back on track.
Karma’s eyes cut over to mine for confirmation, but all I could do was shrug.
Sure, technically he passed the screen, but damn.
He could make onions cry. Still, I kept my mouth shut while Rob went over his “Good Man Savannah” spiel.
“Ok,” Karma nodded cautiously as she turned back to Rob's cheesing ass. “Where is he?”
Rob waved over the gargoyle with way more enthusiasm than necessary.
Really, Karma was too kind for this world.
Because I would've turned into Usain Bolt the second that ugly ass nigga came huffing across that yard looking for me.
Instead she just took a big swig of her drink, and put on a polite smile.
It was so charming that it had my stomach burning with envy, even though I knew this wouldn't get far.
“Hey,” Darryl waved between labored breaths as he approached us.
My god. I ain't even have a pussy, and yet I felt my imaginary one dry up.
The man was practically dripping from a brief walk.
I couldn't imagine what his sex was like.
I just know the room smelled like hot dog water after.
However I kept my face schooled once he got within a comfortable distance.
He dapped Rob up, gave me a polite nod, and boldly went in for a hug with Karma.
It was awkward at best. Yet unlike me, her face didn't show how annoyed she likely was.
“You must be the infamous Lesandra,” he smiled.
“You're prettier in person.”“Thank you,” she gulped.
“And you- I've heard a lot about you. Rob tells me you have a degree in computer science?”Darryl grinned and me and Karma both winced when we noticed two of his teeth were severely decayed.
He was the embodiment of a Jack ‘O lantern on Christmas morning, rotten and forgotten.
Yeah, this wouldn't be an issue for me at all.
Karma would still be bouncing on this dick later.