Chapter 19 #2
“You can’t be serious.” Tyra cried like a newborn baby. “That bitch mean that much to you that you would just walk out of your own child’s life?”
Jahrein took a deep breath. “She means more to me than anything. You knew this since day one. Somehow in your crazy ass mind you thought that you could change that. That’s your bad, so deal with it.” he said as he hung up the phone.
As selfish as it may sound I was content with the conversation.
The bitch could say what she wanted about me.
I was so happy to be on her mind like that.
She was an ignorant bitch. I guess I was the supposed to be the bad guy in the situation.
I mean, why should he be tied down with her child when he did everything within his power to prevent her pregnancy?
She knew the consequences when she decided to fuck with someone else’s husband.
More the anything the child is left suffering but is that my fault?
Tyra put her son in that predicament. Why should I have to endure discomfort because she chose to make a baby with my husband?
I didn’t want any parts of that child and if Jahrein wanted to keep me; he wouldn’t either.
After Jahrein got off the phone he snuggled against me.
I was wondering what he was thinking. The entire conversation could’ve been just a front for my benefit.
He could possibly go call that chick the minute my back was turned.
I knew how Jahrein felt about his children so I wasn’t so sure that he’d really stay completely out of that little boy’s life.
“Jah, are you sure that this is what you want to do?” I asked him.
He took a second to reply. “Raven, I know you. And because I know you I know that this is what has to be done. I’m tired of the drama and if it means that I have to stay away from JJ then that’s what I’ll do.
It’s a simple choice when you look at it.
We have five kids together and we’re married, so I would lose much more going the other route.
I know that I can’t go on without you. So, yes this is what I want. ”
“Okay, well I was just asking, because if you decide that this is just something that you can’t do; let me know. Cause Jahrein, if you lie to me, I’m gone.” I warned him.
“Baby, I got you. This time away from you put everything in perspective for me. You aint got nothing to worry about. Aint shit out here in these streets for me. All these hoes want to talk about is my cars and what kind of money I got. With you I never have to wonder.”
“Oh, really?” I smiled.
“Yep.” he chuckled as he kissed me softly on the lips.
All that day we lied around and played with our kids.
I couldn’t have asked for a better day. The only other interruption we had was when Lucky called Jahrein.
He claimed that he really needed to talk to Jah in person.
So, my man decided to take us out on a family outing and met up with Lucky right outside of Celebration Station’s.
I knew that Lucky wasn’t a huge baller but he did his thing. So, I was a little surprised with his appearance. His braids were shabby and it looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. He was really looking rough around the edges.
“What’s up, Raven?” He spoke to me as he and Jahrein talked outside of his new Range Rover.
“Nothing too heavy. Where my girl at?” I asked.
“Her ass at home.” He smiled and gave me this weird look that made me uncomfortable.
For a few seconds it seemed like Lucky was staring at me and Jahrein quickly caught on. His antennas were always up when it came to me. “Damn, nigga, you like what you see or something?”
“Huh? Nah, man. My mind had just drifted off for a second.” Lucky shook his head.
“You sure? Cause it seemed like my woman had your attention.” Jahrein said not trying to let it go.
“My nigga, come on. I don’t look at your wife like that. I got too much respect for you, dog.”
“Yeah, okay. So, what you wanted to talk to me about?” Jahrein asked.
It turns out that Lucky’s broke ass needed a front.
He didn’t even have enough money to cop his work up front.
What a damn loser. Jahrein never liked asking the next nigga for favors.
Lucky was in his damn thirties and was asking my much younger man to help him out.
Hustling wasn’t for everybody. If you’ve been in the game for fifteen years plus and all you have is two cars and still renting then you need a new profession.
At least play for keeps. Living from score to score is risky and just plain old dumb.
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“You need me to do what?” I asked my son’s teacher.
“I need you to come to the school. Some important officials need to meet up with you.” she repeated.
“Is Jahrein okay?” I asked her in full panic mode.
“Yes, he’s fine, but we need you to come here immediately.”
As I drove to little Jahrein and Jhyrah’s elementary school I didn’t know what to think. Jahrein was in the first grade and I’d never had a problem with him before. Besides, I didn’t even think that this was related to his behavior, because that dumb ass teacher could’ve said that over the phone.
When I stepped into the principal’s office I saw two white women standing in the waiting area.
“Are you Mrs. Braxton?” one of the gray haired women asked me.
“Yes.” I replied.
“Okay, we need to talk to you in private.” the younger woman gestured towards a side office.
I followed behind them.
“Okay, Mrs. Braxton you can take a seat.” the older woman told me.
“Well, Mrs. Braxton my name is Mrs. White and this is Mrs. Anderson and we work for Child Protective Services.”
“Okay, what is this about?” I questioned confused.
“Well, we received a complaint about you neglecting your son.”
“What? What were the allegations?” I asked them pulling out my educated tone.
“Well, someone claims that you leave your son alone at home for hours at a time to keep his siblings.”
“What? Who told you this?”
“We can’t release that information.”
“Well, y’all do what y’all gotta do to find out the truth, because whoever said this is a liar.
” I was pissed that someone had called CPS but I knew the drill.
When I was like eleven somebody called in on my mama.
We never figured out who did it. At the end of the day it didn’t matter because any accusations had to be proven.
I knew that this bullshit was a complete lie, so I wasn’t worried.
“Oh, rest assured that we will.” The younger white bitch said tartly.
I left out of that office boiling hot. Who the fuck would make up such a lie? My children can’t even use the bathroom alone, less along stay at home alone. I knew that it wasn’t one of those teachers because they didn’t have a reason to say such a thing.
I took Jahrein Jr., Jhyrah, and Jahrae home early. As we drove to Red’s house I called Jahrein.
“Hello.” he spoke deeply into the phone.
“Jahrein, where you at?”
“Shit, in the hood.”
“Oh well, you aint gon believe what just went down.”
“What’s up?”
“The damn school called me to come up there. And when I get there muthafuckin CPS workers wanted to talk to me.”
“For what?!” Jahrein shouted.
“They said that somebody claimed that we’d been leaving the kids at home by themselves.”
“Who the fuck told them that bullshit?” he asked.
“They wouldn’t tell me.”
“Main, you think that bitch ass nigga did this shit?”
“I don’t know. I mean, this sounds like something that a bitch would do.”
“Yeah, maybe he had a bitch do it for him.”
“Aint no telling. I aint putting shit pass nobody.”
“Let me find out who the fuck did this shit. I’ma fuck that muthafucka up.” he vented.
“Don’t even worry about it. CPS aint got no case.”
“It don’t even matter. I aint playing when it comes to my kids.”
“I feel you on that, but chill out until we figure this shit out. No need to get hot headed and do something stupid.”
Jahrein didn’t reply immediately and I knew that he was thinking about doing some fucked up shit.
“Jahrein, you heard me?”
“Yeah, where y’all at right now?”
“We’re on the way to Red’s house. Are you going to go pick up the rest of the kids or do I have to?”
“No, I’m going to get them right now. I’ma meet you at my mama house.”
“Okay.” I replied.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
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We all sat at Red’s house talking about our situations. I wanted to know who called CPS on my ass. Red felt that it may have been one of Jah’s hoes and so did I. But Jahrein swore that none of those bitches even had enough information about him and the kids to do that.
“Main, I know that Killah’s ass did this shit.” Jahrein seethed.
Red shook her head. “Well, Jahrein I know that you don’t want to hear this, but let that shit ride.
Whoever did this is a pathetic soul. Why waste your time and energy on this?
Focus on your wife and kids. For the past few months you and Raven both have stringed other people along.
That’s the reason this shit is so fucked up.
We kept trying to tell y’all to handle y’all issues before you drag other people into this shit.
You played with a few people’s feelings and she for damn sure played with Killah’s.
That’s what happens when you deal with matters of the heart.
That’s why I’m telling you and Raven to just let the shit ride. It will all eventually die down.”
I had to agree with Red on that. We were both being selfish and I was wise enough to realize that. So, I saw things a little differently than Jahrein. He wanted to fuck up whoever wronged him even if he brought on their actions.
“Mama, I feel you but you have to look at it like this. If I let shit like this slide things could get deeper. You can’t let anybody in the streets think that you’re weak.
So, if a broad did this I’ll say my piece and let it go, but if that nigga Khalil is behind this I will kill his ass. ” Jahrein fumed.