23. Lawton #2
“Yeah. Chari said to call her when you get a free moment. I stopped by the school and chopped it up with Jose. I let him know I was gon’ be stepping in for y’all until shit on the home front get straightened out.”
“Thank you for that. Shits kind of been all over the place the last few days.”
“How is she doing?”
“Not good, Drix. She won’t come out the room for shit. I can barely get a few words out of her.”
“You still ain’t said who this her is,” Preme noted and sat down on the couch.
“Nigga… I just said my lady.”
“Last time I checked, yo’ ass was single.”
“Didn’t you tell me the last time we talked about you settling down to stay out of your business?” I tossed at him.
Slanting his eyes, Preme nodded his head. “Touché.”
“Talitha, Sincere.”
“The one you’re working on with the school?”
“That’ll be the one,” I confirmed.
“Ain’t nothing my ass. I knew when you said y’all was up in New York beefed out that it was more to the story.”
“Yeah-yeah,” I waved him off. “How is shit going with Josiah?” I asked, trying to change the subject. Sincere would go on all day if I didn’t.
“So far, the nigga seems like he on the up and up so thank Poppa for that. It makes it easier to handle business with him on the team. Drix ain’t really gotta do too much and we can get the shit distributed faster.”
“If at any point the nigga start slipping, wet his ass up. I love Poppa and trust his judgement but I ain’t trying to have shit come back on either of us. If he gotta be a casualty of war, then better him than us.”
“Understood.” Both of them acknowledged.
“Other than that, everything else good?”
“It is our way. You good here?” Sincere queried.
“As good as can be. Wished shit was different but we’re going to get through it,” I alledged.
“Aite. Well, we got some shit to handle. I wanted to ride with this nigga to pull up on you just to make sure you were good. I know how you be getting all invested in other people shit. I gotta make sure you good.”
“I’m always good, Preme.”
“Bet.” Standing from the couch, he walked up on me with his hand held out.
Pulling him into my chest, I hugged him and cupped the back of his head. “Preciate you for making sure I’m straight.”
“That’s what I’m for,” he avowed when he stepped back.
“Everything is in there,” Drix confirmed and tossed his head over to the duffle he’d placed on the couch. “Since you gon’ be out of commission for a lil’ minute, I’mma have Promise to come up here so I can be available if you need me.”
“Nawl, Drix.” I shook my head. “You ain’t gotta do that.”
“I know I don’t Dutch but ain’t much you can do right now cause your mind occupied with her. Until your head clear up, I’mma be around. Call me if you need me for anything.”
“I appreciate you, man.”
“Yeah. I might kick it down here for a while,” Preme said before adding. “I’ll prolly be at the condo.”
“Don’t fuck my shit up, Sincere.”
“Chill out.” He patted my chest. “I got this.”
The smug grin on his face let me know his ass was up to no good. Wasn’t shit I could really do about it because I had Talitha to worry about. “You got it Sincere.”
“We gon’ slide. Remember what I said,” Hendrix reiterated before heading to the front door.
“I got ya’.” Slapping hands with them again, I waited for them to leave before locking up. Grabbing the duffle bag off the couch, I tossed it over my shoulders and took the stairs two at a time to get back to my baby’s side.
When I made it back to the room, Talitha was sitting on the side of the bed cradling her cellphone in the palm of her hand. She must’ve sensed my presence because before I got the chance to say anything, she spoke up.
“They turned her phone off,” she whispered, voice hoarse from all the crying she’d been doing.
“I know. I’ve called her a few times.”
“I knew she was going to do it. I’m almost positive they’ve taken the phone from her.”
“Try calling your mother.”
“Umph,” she scoffed. “She blocked my number the minute they pulled out of my driveway.
“Want to ride down there?”
“If I felt like they wouldn’t call the police on me, I would say yeah. I know my Mama, Law.”
“You try reaching out to your uncle and aunts?”
Her head shook in defeat. “No. I’m sure they’re on her side by now.”
“Doesn’t hurt to give it a shot.”
“Who was that downstairs?”
“My brother and Hendrix.”
“Why didn’t you call me down? I want to meet your brother.”
“You will one day. Just not today.” Crossing my ankles, I leaned against the door frame with my arms folded. “Stop stalling, Talitha. Call your people.”
Blowing out a deep sighed, she tapped on the phone screen a few times before placing the phone on speaker.
“Tali,” a voice hummed when the call connected.
“Betty Jo, you heard from Gema. I’ve been trying to call her phone.”
“Yeah, her and Litha was just here ‘bout an hour ago. Litha said she was going to let Mama call you.”
“She hasn’t. I’ve been calling Gema all day and my Mama either blocked my number or got Gema phone cut off.”
“That damn girl,” her aunt rasped. “I tried to tell her Tali. Me and Willearl told her Mama clumsy and be trying to do shit on her own. We told her to let that shit go.”
“Funny how y’all told her that but nobody thought to reach out to me.”
“Don’t do that, Tali.”
“Do what?” she snapped. “Be pissed off with y’all? Somebody could’ve called me, Betty Jo.”
“We ain’t know what she was planning on doing. Hell, we ain’t know ‘til she pulled up to the house with Mama in the car.”
“You really expect me to believe neither of y’all had a hand in this?” her voice quaked. The longer she sat on the phone, the more she fought back her tears.
Pushing away from the door, I walked to the bed and took a seat. Grabbing her by the arm, I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“We ain’t know, Tali. I swear we didn’t. You know had I known I would’ve whooped Litha’s ass myself. I told her earlier to bring Mama back up there and drop this mess.”
“She’s not, ya’ know,” Talitha sighed and swiped fallen tears from her face.
“I know…” her aunt sighed. “She running with this whole ‘y’all up there abusing mama shit. Take her to court Tali.
Me, Meat, and Willearl with testify on your behalf. I can’t speak for Louise cause she too busy running round here being Litha ‘yes man’ but the rest of us got ya’ back.”
“That’s good to hear. I thought all of y’all were involved.”
“Ain’t no way you thought that shit!” The way her aunt said it was almost like she was offended at the notion.
“Nobody gave me a warning, Betty Jo. I was in the middle of a staff meeting when Mrs. Jessie called me frantic. I didn’t know what to believe when I pulled up at the house and the sheriff was telling me there were allegations of abuse.”
“Well, I can attest to me, Willearl, and Meat not knowing. Louise might’ve but the rest of us didn’t. When Litha said she thought Mama was getting beat on, we told her ass she was lying.
Then she filed the papers up there instead of doing it out here. That right there should let you know we ain’t have shit to do with it.”
Talitha thought about what her aunt had said for a few minutes before responding, “I’m going to get Gema back. And when I do, my Mama will never see her again.
In fact, Gema will never be allowed back in Warner Robins without me. I can’t trust it.”
“If that’s the way it gotta be, then I can’t do nothing but respect it.”
Satisfied with her answer Talitha sighed, “If you talk to Gema, have her call me. I need to hear her voice, Betty Jo. I can’t breathe without her by my side.”
“I know, Tali. I know. I’mma call Litha. Mama will be calling you at some point today so stay by the phone.”
“I will.”
“I love you, Tali,” she promised.
“I love you more,” Talitha said before hanging the phone up. Placing it over on her chest, she sucked in a few deep breaths before a sob erupted from the back of her throat.
Tightening my arms around her, I held onto her. “Shhhh baby. We gon’ get her back.”
The harder she cried, the more violently her body shook. This was all she had done the past two days. She was exhausted and that was shown all in her face.
Regardless of how many times I tried to reassure her, I felt like she was slowly giving up the fight. The last thing Gema needed was for Talitha to stop fighting for her.
Grabbing her chin, I tipped her head in my direction. “You know I got you, don’t you?” I asked. Instead of responding, Talitha nodded through her tears. “Then believe me when I say we’re going to get her back.”
“Okay,” she mumbled after finally coming down.
When my pops passed, I used a family attorney and had everything set up for my mama. She was thorough so when this issue came up, that was the person I reached out to.
If anybody could get me some solid answers, it was Corrine. Talitha had her own attorney, but I trusted mine just a little bit more.
Once I was able to get Talitha to calm down, I had her shower and get dressed so she could be ready for the meeting with Corrine. I wasn’t planning on leaving her side until this whole thing was resolved.