SYMPHONY
“Hi, Daddy,” I said as I kissed his forehead.
I decided to come and check on him today after having that conversation with Mison. To know your parents were no longer around made my heart ache, and the thought of me losing my mother or father terrified me. I mean, Daddy wasn’t the same, but at this point, I would accept any condition he was in.
Samantha moved around his room gathering things for his bath as I sat beside him.
She was his daytime nurse. He needed around-the-clock care, so when my mother or I were too busy, we always made sure someone was there.
Luckily, Daddy had invested his money well, so we had enough to pay for the best nurses in the city.
My father’s ability to do anything was barely there. The most he did was gaze around the room, twiddle his good fingers, and stroke his salt and pepper hair from time to time.
Seeing him was a constant reminder of that night.
I grabbed his hand to get him to look at me.
When he did, his eyes landed on my neck, and I knew that night replayed in his head as well.
I gave him a weak smile as I touched the space my necklace used to be.
“I know, Daddy, I miss it too. Grandma spared us. She was our angel that night,” I muttered. “So, we should be grateful.”
I could see a tear slide down his face. I didn’t want to get emotional in front of him, so I did my best to keep it together.
Kareem fucked up our world, and I hated him for it.
I hated him so much that I wanted to go to jail just to spit in his fucking face.
I shot up from the chair, causing my father to jump.
I kissed my daddy’s forehead. I had someone I needed to see.
***
The drive wasn’t long from my house to my destination.
When I pulled up in the driveway, I saw his car, so I knew he was home.
I got out, slammed my car door, and banged on his front door.
It took a minute before I heard London’s ashy bark and the locks click.
When the door opened, my eyes widened. “Hey, Symphony,” Indigo smiled.
I had forgotten that she was still here. “Hey, girl, is Bop here?”
She backed up to let me inside. I glanced over her as she wore an oversized shirt, and her hair was all over the place.
She pulled her eyes away like she didn’t want anyone to know that she and Bop had just finished fucking.
I couldn’t care less about what they were doing and more about this Kareem issue.
Before my lips could say Girl, please the sound of Bop echoed in the foyer. “What are you doing here?”
I turned to see him coming down the stairs without a shirt.
I had forgotten that underneath all those suits he wore, he was covered in tattoos.
Bishop was one of those niggas that would surprise you.
Hood nigga with expensive taste and debonair demeanor.
Once he was at the bottom of the steps, he glanced at me curiously, then at Indigo.
“Come on, Lulu, let’s eat, Mommy,” she said to London as she walked into the kitchen with London prancing behind her like she understood.
As soon as they disappeared beyond the walls, I turned to Bishop, “I want you to take me to see Kareem!” I spat.
Bishop flicked his nose as something in his eyes changed. “I can’t.”
My head swung. “What do you mean you can’t? But you can take in the nigga’s brother?”
He ran his hand over the back of his neck. I’ve been knowing Bop long enough to know something I didn’t want to hear was about to come out of his mouth. He rubbed his hands together as he lifted his head slowly. “Kareem is out. I-I did it for Keith.”
I felt fucking sick. I didn’t know if I wanted to punch Bop in his face, cry because I knew he didn’t have bad intentions doing what he did, or be afraid because I didn’t know if Kareem would come back to finish the job.
When I glanced back up at him, I could see the guilt in his eyes.
I had nothing to say because in this moment, I felt betrayed by my best fucking friend.