29. Lawton #2
For some reason, the closer I got, the more my nerves started to set in. The last conversation she and I shared wasn’t a pleasant one. In fact, it was so volatile I promised myself I wouldn’t say shit else to her.
And I had made damn good on my promise. If she needed anything and couldn’t get it from me via Preme, she reached out to my personal banker.
Being that I covered all of her expenses, she really didn’t want for shit but every so often she would ask for a trip or two. Instead of hitting Preme’s pockets, she reached for mine. As long as it kept her out of my face, I pretty much gave the okay for it.
According to Sincere, she’s been asking about me, claiming she wants to sit down with me so the two of us could clear the air. I thought the air was cleared after my pops passed, at least it was on my end. Whatever she needed to get off her conscience, I wasn’t pressed to hear it.
Before pushing the door to her room open, I released a few deep breaths. I only planned to stick around long enough to make sure she was okay and get her prognosis.
When I finally opened the door, she sat up in bed and did a double take before visibly gulping. “Lawton…” she breathed. “You came,” she said in more of a questioning tone.
Supremes big, burly body was stretched out on the couch that sat in the corner of the room. She was up and alert and his ass were lying there snoring like a damn bear.
“Of course, I did.” Closing the door, I stood by it and took her in. The middle of her forehead had a bandage on it and there was a small strip above her left eyebrow.
“The airbag deployed,” she shared when she noticed what had my attention.
“Where were you going?”
“I was leaving Publix. The light had just turned green for me to go. I swear I checked both ways before pulling out.
You know they run those lights so much, I always check. He came out of nowhere and before I had the chance to brace myself, my car was spinning around the intersection.”
“Did the police get his information? Did he get a ticket?”
“Honey, he drove off.”
“Sincere ain’t say shit about a hit and run.”
“It must’ve slipped his mind. Come in Lawton, you can have a seat.” She patted the side of the bed.
Instead of sitting there, I went over the couch and jabbed Preme in the stomach. “Wake up, nigga.”
His eyes popped open for a second before he looked around the room in confusion then shook his head. “Ma, Dutch punched me in the stomach.”
“Still a fucking mama’s boy,” I spat. “Scoot over nigga.”
“I got yo’ mama’s boy,” Preme yawned. “When you get here?”
“Just now,” I let him know. “When the doctor supposed to come?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Shift change was at seven, so I presume it won’t be too much longer,” my mama added.
“You had breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“You wanna eat this or you need me to order something for you?”
“Depends. Are you going to stick around long enough to eat with me?”
I knew what she was doing and because of her current situation, I would appease her. “I’ll be here long enough for them to tell me that you’re okay.”
“In that case, you can order something.” She smiled.
“I need to run by the crib so I can shower and shit. I’ll stop on my way back and bring food.”
“Nawl,” I protested. “You will take all day.”
“I promise I won’t. That’ll give y’all time to talk anyway.” Preme shrugged and stood up.
“Don’t fucking play with me, Sincere,” I gritted.
“Talk to her!” he whispered harshly.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, my nostrils flared. “Yeah aight.”
“Mama have Law text me your order and I’ll grab it.”
“Are you sure? Law, is that okay?”
She was probably feeling uncomfortable just like I was.
We hadn’t been in the same room alone in a minute.
The longer she sat there staring at me waiting for me to answer, the more awkward this shit was starting to get.
I didn’t know what the hell to say and was happy when Preme decided to intervene.
“He good, Mama.”
“Okay,” she relented as Preme kissed her on the forehead and promised not to be gone long.
The room grew cold the second he walked out of the door. I was sitting there staring at the wall trying not to look at her.
It’s easy as hell to despise somebody when you don’t have to see them. Sitting in the same room with her in this instance was making me feel shit I hadn’t felt in years.
“Sincere said you been trying to reach out,” I drawled, putting an end to the deadening silence.
“I um...” she cleared her throat. “Yes, I have. This battle between us has gone on long enough. I thought we could—”
“Thought we could do what?” I spat, cutting her off. “Make amends, clear the air, be this one big happy family.”
“Talk Lawton. I thought we could talk.”
“About what? How I lived in the same house as you and felt abandoned? How I have attachment issues because I never received love from my mother?”
“I don’t want to rehash the past, Lawton. I want us to move on and try to have some sort of a relationship. I’m getting older, I want to be able to have a relationship with you so I can possibly have one with my future grandkids. God knows Sincere won’t have any before I leave this Earth.”
“It’s just like you to want to skip past the bullshit that happened. We can’t erase history, Valerie, no matter how dressed up the future is.”