19. Ryland #2
I appreciated that her over ambitious ass cared enough to at least try to learn Somee’s language.
Makari and Omiri were my family and I would never take that for granted.
While Somee and Makari were engaged in a conversation, with Makari fucking up signs, Omiri stepped to me. “You cool, you need anything?”
My eyes went right to the reason I was going to survive the day before I focused on my boy. “Nah, I’m straight.”
He glanced at Somee and laughed. “She got your ass, didn’t she? I knew she was gonna take you down.”
“Yeah, she got me, but she didn’t take shit. I willingly walked right into this, ready to hand it all over.”
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about.” He extended a closed fist that I met.
I lifted my hand, smoothed my waves, and glanced at the casket waiting on me. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
He tossed his chin and the four of us were moving.
Somee at my side, Makari at his. I couldn’t even lie, everything the funeral home prepared for today was nice.
The flowers, the casket, the picture they had of Felicia in a gold frame on a stand.
That was all my mother’s doing because I hadn’t provided them with a damn thing.
She and my father were already waiting. When we made it to the area where everything was set up, I hugged my mother, kissed her cheek, and told her thank you.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good, Ma. Your baby got me together.
” I smirked after referencing my mother mentioning that Somee was her baby to me a while back.
My eyes drifted to my left where Somee was standing and my mother’s smile damn near spilled off the side of her face because it was so damn wide.
I was no longer relevant at that point. She left me quick as hell and was all over Somee with a new motivation.
Grandchildren…
After my pops finished speaking to Omiri and Makari, he had me in a hug that reminded me of how this man loved me more than my own blood.
“I’m proud of you for this, Land.”
“Thanks, Pop.”
Everyone moved to their spaces and we got started.
Dexter made sure a pastor was there to proceed over the service even though I had declined.
All he did was say a quick prayer and bless Felicia’s life here on earth and her existence after death.
He prayed that she now had peace and that those who loved her would find it in their hearts to forgive the mistakes she made and wrongs she wasn’t able to make right.
I didn’t know if I could ever get to a space of forgiveness but knew I wasn’t carrying the weight of the past anymore.
Things were quick, which I was grateful for.
My parents checked on me one last time, and after I assured them I was good, they left.
We walked back toward our cars and while Makari was doing the most, showing Somee everything she‘d learned since the last time we saw her, I kicked it with Omiri.
“When did you fly in?”
“This morning?”
“Sov hit you up?”
“Yeah but she thought I knew, so don’t give her shit. When she let it slip, I asked for details, booked a flight, and told Kari we had to be here.”
I nodded. “I’m cool on Sov telling you what I was into. I wasn’t keeping it from you. Shit just happened so fast.”
“Muthafucker, you know how to use a phone. How many times you been there for me when I was dealing with my own demons?”
“Enough.”
“Aight then, you should have hit my line.” Omiri’s expression was tight but only because he was truly my brother and cared.
“You’re right. When y’all heading out?”
“In the morning. Figured we’d kick it with y’all in the Chi for a night.”
“We can do that…”
He tossed his chin then motioned behind me. “That’s some of your people?”
I turned to see a man heading our way. He had a phone in hand which he kept dropping his eyes to before he looked at us.
“Nah, I don’t know who the fuck that is.”
“He keeps looking at you and he’s coming this way.”
Des and Rich noticed too because they were both out of the SUV by the time he reached the back. A smile spread across ol’ boy’s face right before he spoke.
“Ryland?”
I grilled the hell out of him because I had no clue who he was or why he knew my name. “Who’s asking?”
“Me, Gavin, your father.”
Every muscle in my body locked tightly at the way he spoke so proudly, like he had just said something profound.
“What the fuck you doing here?”
“I saw in the paper about your mama. Figured you were the only one who cared enough to bury her like this. It’s real nice. Real nice. More than she deserved. I wanted to come see you, maybe talk to you since you were in town.”
The only one who cared enough about her…
No matter how I felt about Felicia, hearing his words about her struck a nerve. This muthafucker had two kids with the woman he was speaking ill of. He should have cared enough. I had never seen him enough in my life to recognize his face, so that said a lot.
“What you need to talk to me about?”
He smiled lazily and brushed a hand over his head. “Shit, I don’t know. You’re my son. I just thought—”
“You thought what? We could kick it over beers, talk about my season, how much you hated you missed every fucking thing about mine or my sister’s life? Tell me what you want to holler at me about because I’m confused on why you felt like pulling up on me after thirty-four years was a good idea.”
His expression dropped and his eyes darted around to everyone watching this exchange. “We can talk about that, yeah.”
I moved closer to him, getting right in his face. “We don’t have shit to talk about but I need something from you.”
“From me?” His expression shifted from uncomfortable to surprised.
“Yeah, from you.”
“What do you need, son? If I got it, it’s yours?”
“My sister?”
His eyes narrowed for a minute. “The one that can’t hear? She ain’t with me. Your mama had her. I don’t know where she is.”
My jaw clenched. “So you don’t care where she is?”
Des walked past me with Makari at his side, taking her back to the rental she and Omiri arrived in. In my periphery I noticed Rich open the back door of our SUV for Somee.
“I mean… I care but there wasn’t anything I could do for her. She isn’t right, you know, with her not being able to hear and all.”
My composure snapped and I swung, landing a blow with everything I had in me.
I hit him so hard he spun and dropped to his knees.
I took a step forward but a body blocked my path.
When I lifted my eyes, I realized it was Des.
He held his hand up like he was prepared to push me back if I kept moving.
“Not a good idea, Land,” he said, shaking his head.
“The fuck he gon’ do, sue me? Let him, I’ll pay that shit. That’s why he’s here anyway. In thirty-four fucking years I have never seen this man but he’s here now. Whatever number he asks for, he got it. It will be worth every penny to beat his ass.”
“I don’t want money. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then why the fuck are you?” Omiri stepped beside me. If I was with the shits, he was too.
“That’s my son…” he answered Omiri first and turned his focus to me, lifting from the ground, massaging his chin. “You’re my son, Ryland. I want to get to know you.”
My eyes narrowed in hate. “You want to know me but not your daughter?”
His nervous gaze bounced around before he stepped back. The look on his face had my fist balled up again because he was about to say something to piss me off. I felt that shit before the words left his mouth.
“How am I supposed to get to know her? She can’t—”
I was moving again and Des shoved me back, blocking my path, and Rich stepped beside him, caging me in.
“How much?” I growled.
“I told you I’m not here for money.”
“And I told you I need something from you. Name a price and it’s yours.
You want to get to know me, I’m gonna need you to sign away your parental rights to my sister.
I’ll pay you whatever you want for your signature on the paperwork.
Soon as I have that, we can kick it. My people are gonna pull up on you in the morning. ”
This muthafucker would never in his life know me. I put that on God, but if that’s what I needed him to believe to get what I wanted, I was more than willing to play that game.
I took a step back before turning to Omiri. “I’ll text you the address where we’re staying. We can chill at Somee’s house tonight to avoid having eyes on us. I’m really not in the mood for an audience.”
“Aight. We’re about to head back to the hotel, change, and grab some food.
We’ll get with you later.” I dapped my boy and walked back to the truck with Des shadowing me like he thought I was going to dip around him and clock that muthafucker again.
Honestly I probably would have. I was so fucking pissed that if I got my hands on him, I would choke the life from him and not feel a thing. Not one single emotion or regret.
“We’re heading back to the house,” I told him right before I got in next to Somee.
“Your father?” She signed as soon as she had eyes on me.
I nodded and turned toward the window. I sensed Somee moving next to me before she was at my side.
I lifted my arm, welcoming her into my space and she got comfortable in the spot that now belonged to her.
She brushed her fingers over my knuckles and covered my hand with hers, linking our fingers.
I didn’t want to talk, I just needed her close and nothing else mattered.
Just like I let go of Felicia, I was letting go of my father too.
My past no longer existed as long as the woman beside me was my future.
“We’re going to have to shut this down soon.
They’re drunk as hell.” I followed Omiri’s line of sight toward the living room where his wife, Somee, and her homegirl Marlee were falling all over each other trying to do some dance from social media.
I had not a damn clue what any of them were doing but it was keeping me and my boy highly amused.
“They watched about a million reels to learn the dance and are still fucking it up,” I said, shaking my head.