10. Mercy
MERCY
“Madea!” I called out to my grandmother as I looked around the living room. Judah and Deuce’s toys were thrown around the room, and I shook my head. There was no way she would’ve allowed her house to look like this when we were kids. “Mary DeCorte, I know you hear me calling you.”
“I do, and I chose to ignore you,” she said as she entered the living room. I giggled softly and shook my head. One thing Madea did not do was bite her tongue, and I loved it even if I were on the receiving end. “Now, what the hell are you yelling about?”
“Is the first lady supposed to say hell?” I questioned, and she waved me off. “Oh, she isn’t, is she?”
“Mercy, do you want me to go upside your damn head?” she asked, and I shrugged. “Don’t think for one second that you’re not too grown for it to happen.”
“Please don’t make me call the people on you,” I said as I started to straighten up. “I’m already side-eyeing you because of how this living room looks. You let Judah and Deuce have free range, didn’t you?”
“That’s Krude and Judge’s shit,” she said, shaking her head. “Judah and Krude’s stuff is over there.” she pointed to two Switches on the table.
“What?” I laughed as I looked at the toys again. It made sense now that I was looking at it. The toys were stackable blocks and other hand-eye coordination toys for young children. “Why the hell are they playing with this stuff?”
“Krude swears that Praise is far more advanced than her three months, and Judge swears that Thyra will be a genius.”
“He’s putting a lot of pressure on a baby that isn’t even here yet.”
“I thought the same thing, but I didn’t feel like dealing with his lecture that would follow if I did,” she said, nodding. “While Praise napped, Judge and Krude pulled out their toys and set them up.”
“And you let them?” I questioned as I put away the last of the blocks. “Why exactly?”
“Because Judge needed this,” she answered as she sat. “He’s nervous about Sasha going into labor and becoming a daddy. Krude calmed him down.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how, but he did, so I let them lay their big ass in the middle of my floor and play with those toys.”
“Is it just me, or is it weird seeing Krude mature?” I asked as I sat beside her on the couch. I rested my head on her shoulder and took in the moment of being alone with my favorite person. “Every time I see him with Praise, I just know that his mama and daddy are smiling down at him.”
“I always knew he had it in him,” she replied softly.
“Really?”
“Hell no,” Madea laughed. “I spent plenty of nights on my knees and not in front of your grandfather, to his dismay.”
“Oh, you nasty.” I pretended to throw up, and Madea laughed. “I am a child, don’t say anything else around me like that ever again.”
“You haven’t been a child in a long ass time,” she said, waving me off. “And I know for a fact that you’ve been fucking for a while.”
“I could be a virgin for all you know,” I laughed, and she playfully rolled her eyes. “Legit, Madea, you think I’m out there fucking and sucking on niggas?”
“You like girls?” she asked in surprise.
“No!” I yelled and laughed. “I have nothing against the ones who do, but I’m not one.”
“Then you’ve been out there fucking and sucking on somebody’s son,” she answered with a shrug. She pulled my legs into her lap and patted them like she did when I was little and sore from practicing all day. “And if Krude is right, it’s the NBA boy that I keep seeing on the news. What’s his name?”
“Givens,” I answered.
“Yeah, that’s him,” she smiled. “He’s cute, not what I would’ve pictured you with, but then again, I’m starting to realize that I don’t know any of your types.” She playfully rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I’m good with that because you all have picked right.”
“Madea, I haven’t picked anyone,” I denied, shaking my head. “I’m single.”
“Krude said otherwise.” She quickly glanced at me and smirked. “And if I know nothing else, I know that once Krupid has decided someone is a couple, they are a couple.” She smiled sweetly, and I rolled my eyes. “What does he call him?”
“Light skin thug,” I answered with a laugh.
“Well, there you have it; if Krude has named him, then he’s family,” she said, nodding. “Call him and tell him to come to church Sunday.”
“Madea,” I groaned and shook my head. “It's not like that.”
“It’s whatever I say it is,” she said as she pushed my legs off her. “We are having dinner after church, too.”
“Madea, he may say no,” I whined, and she waved me off. “For real, he might.”
“He won’t,” she said as she stood. “Make sure y’all are on time, too.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. I was a grown-ass woman who made her own decisions daily, but if Mary DeCorte said to bring Givens to church and then to dinner afterward, that’s what I would be doing.
“How many times have you seen this movie?” I asked Givens when I entered his living room. He looked up from his plate of food and shook his head. “And before you ask how I got in, don’t. “
“This shit is illegal,” he said with a laugh. “You know that, right?”
“What?” I kicked off my slides and put them in the corner of the room.
Givens’ house was spacious and beautifully decorated.
It was an open floor plan with a dark blue velvet sofa, gold accent decor, and black walls that gave off the vibe of sophistication.
Every time I came over, I fell in love with the comfortable feel his home gave me.
“It’s B I should’ve known. ”
“Your baby mama was here?” I questioned, slightly annoyed. The thought of him entertaining his baby mama didn’t sit right with me. We didn’t have a title and had only had sex one time, but instantly, I had an attitude at the thought of his baby mama being here.
“Yeah,” he answered and nodded. “Shai ass always on some fuck shit.” I stood as he continued to rant, walked over to my slides, and put them on. “Every time I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, she proves me wrong.”
“Later, Givens,” I said as I headed to the front door.
“Where are you going?” he asked as he followed me. “DeCorte.” He grabbed my arm just as I was about to open the door. “Where are you going?”
“Home,” I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. I looked everywhere but at him so he wouldn’t see that I was annoyed.
“For what? I thought you came over to kick it for a little while.”
“I came to invite you to church this Sunday, but now I see that’s a mistake,” I said as I side-stepped him and opened the front door.
“You go to church, DeCorte?” he questioned as he followed me to my car.
“My granddaddy is a pastor.” I unlocked my car door and reached for the door handle. “What the fuck?” He lifted me off the ground, and carried me back to the house. “Givens, put me down.”
“I will once we discuss what we are wearing to church,” he said as he stepped back inside the house. He pushed the door closed with his foot, and we went to his room. “And before you start, Faylin won’t be home until later; she and some girls went to the movies.”
“I wasn’t worried about her,” I said as he dropped me on the bed and stared down at me. The thought of Faylin or anyone else knowing about us hadn’t crossed my mind.
“Alright, so tell me about church,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Is it a come as you are vibe, or I gotta dress up?”
“Granddaddy doesn’t care,” I said, shaking my head. “But it doesn’t matter because I’m not asking you to come.”
“Who asked for me to come, then?” he questioned, and I rolled my eyes. “Legit, DeCorte, who asked?”
“Madea,” I answered.
“Alright, call her,” he said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I hesitated, and Givens kissed his teeth in annoyance. “Call her, DeCorte.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Alright, bet,” he nodded, then put his phone back into his pocket. “So, tell me what the problem is.”
“I don’t have a problem,” I denied. “I told you why I came but then changed my mind and decided to leave.”
“Why?”
“Because I can,” I answered and stood. Givens pushed me back onto the bed, and I kissed my teeth. “Stop pushing me.”
“Then answer my question,” he said, shaking his head. “Look, I don’t like the miscommunication shit that folks do. If you have a problem, say it so I can fix it, and we can always be on the same page.”
I stared at Givens for a few seconds before nodding. I couldn’t help but respect that he was big on communication; I just hoped he was receptive to knowing I wasn’t one to play with.
“You said your baby mama was here yesterday, right?” I asked, and he nodded. “It pissed me off.”
“Okay,” he said, walking to the closet and opening the doors. “What else?”
“I don’t share,” I answered. It sounded childish out loud, especially since I was the one who kept saying he would fall first.
“What else?” he asked as he looked through his clothes. “I mean, since you’re telling me what you do or don’t do.” He looked over at me and smirked. “What else is there?”
“You’re pissing me off, Givens,” I sighed.
“That’s fine,” he said as he shrugged. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you feeling a certain way. As a grown-ass man, I need to know what my woman does or doesn’t like.”
“Your woman?” I laughed, and he nodded. “How the hell did you decide that?”
“What else do you call what we are doing?” he asked, rearing back as if my question annoyed him.
“I mean, you break into my house, take my bullets from my gun, which, by the way, you haven’t returned.
You took advantage of me, slutted me out, and then had me following behind you like a lost puppy.
What else do you call what we are doing? ”
“Enjoying each other’s company?” I suggested, and he shook his head.
“How many people have you taken to church with you?” he questioned, and I rolled my eyes. “Or better yet, how many have you brought around your people?”
“Just one,” I answered. “And that didn’t work out well.”
“Yeah, well, that nigga was a fuck nigga,” he said as he went back to looking at clothes. “But don’t worry, though, we are different.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, now tell me what color you are wearing to church, so I can match,” he said, and I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I’ma wear some fly shit, and you’ll look second best.”
“You wish,” I laughed. “And we always wear black to church.”
“Why?” he looked over at me and shook his head. “You know what? Don’t even answer that because I know it’s gonna be some crazy-ass answer that’ll leave me confused.”