10. Carter
CARTER
I stood waiting on the other side of the door. When it opened, I grinned at Shani. “I heard you were walking without the walker. I had to come see if for myself.”
She smiled, and I had to admit that Shani looked good. She had gained about ten pounds and while that wasn’t a whole lot, it was just enough to keep her from appearing so frail and weak. Her face was a little fuller, and her hair was in locs that reached her ear.
“Yeap. It’s the second day.” Her speech was still a little slower than normal, but Shani was slowly getting back to herself, and I knew she was happy about that.
“I’m proud of you kid.”
“Thank you. Come in,” Shani took a few steps back. “Shanese is at the grocery store. She should be on h-her way b-back.”
“Okay.”
Shani was walking slow, but she was walking. When she finally made it to the couch, she sighed like she had just walked a mile. “I heard you have a g-girlfriend.”
“I do. My kids love telling my business, huh?”
“Shanese is just shocked. She never thought she’d see t-t-the day.”
“I wasn’t that bad. I just didn’t feel the need to be tied down unless I met someone that I felt was worth it.”
“And your c-c-cheating days are over?” Shani didn’t look too convinced.
“I did stop cheating on you the last year of our marriage. You were just fed up with my shit by then, and it didn’t matter. But I am capable of being faithful. And I’m much older now.”
“T-t-there are a lot of older men still out here cheating.”
“True, but I’m not one of them. Have you talked to Dayton?
He’s mad with me, so he hasn’t been calling.
I’m hoping he changes a lot before he comes home because right now isn’t it.
He still refuses to take accountability, and he can have a terrible attitude at times.
That entitled shit doesn’t work this way, and he should know that. ”
“I haven’t heard from him in th-th-three days. He’s mad because Shanese won’t send him money. I told him she just b-b-bought this house. He said you helped her, so she didn’t have to do it alone.”
“That’s what I mean,” I shook my head. “That nigga is crazy as hell if he thinks his sister, me, or you owe him anything. How many times did I try to tell him to leave the streets alone? I have no problem putting money in his account but every time he gets mad at me, he tells me he doesn’t need my money and over this way, say the fuck less.
I’ll keep my bread. But how is he asking his sister for money when she just bought a house, and she also helps take care of you?
” I wanted my son to grow the hell up, but it didn’t seem like it was going to happen anytime soon.
“Did we fuck him up?” I questioned.
No one was perfect, but for Shanese and Dayton to have been raised in the same household for a few years and by both the same parents their entire lives they were vastly different.
Shanese was a go getter. She graduated from college, had a good career, and had a good head on her shoulders.
She liked to hang out with her friends and travel.
The most trouble she got into in her younger years was one fight and she got caught skipping school once.
Other than that, she was a daddy’s girl, and while I spoiled her for her entire life, she didn’t expect anything.
But Dayton was one of the most entitled people I’d ever seen.
I was in the streets for many years, and I used to be dope boy fresh.
I purchased new clothes and shoes every four or five days, and I never got myself anything without getting Shani and the kids something too.
Shanese was in middle school with real diamonds and designer purses.
Dayton was in high school with Cuban link chains and Gucci bookbags.
The older he got, the entitlement didn’t stop.
He was a grown ass man telling me the Benz he got for his sixteenth birthday was old, and he needed a Maybach.
I also wondered if I played a part in who he was because even though I stopped selling drugs when he was young, I still provided a life of luxury for my kids that would be hard for them to obtain as adults if they didn’t have great jobs, or if they weren’t getting illegal money.
When I stopped giving Dayton money just for the fuck of it, he jumped head first into the game, and I would always feel like that was my fault.
“We didn’t do anything except give him a good life. “D-D-Dayton has always been spoiled, and that could have been m-m-m-my fault because I babied him a lot. Either way, we weren’t perfect, but he damn sure could have h-h-had worse parents than us.”
Bobbing my head, I gave her a half grin. “You know you’re alright when you aren’t busting me upside the head with bottles.”
Shani smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes, I want to do it just for old time’s s-s-sake.”
That made me laugh hard as hell. It felt good kicking it with Shani.
There was a time when she hated me so bad no one could have paid me to believe we’d ever be cool again.
I was a great provider for her and my kids but there were plenty of times I was a trash ass boyfriend, a trash ass husband, and parenthood didn’t come with a manual.
I did the best I could and that had to be enough because we couldn’t go back.
Later that night, I was shooting pool with E. When he invited me out, I almost declined because I was tired, but I knew he was going through. He could act like a tough guy, and he could also have sex with a different woman every night. I knew he was missing Nicole.
“You think Alise would hook me up with one of her friends?” he asked while taking his shot.
“Hell no nigga,” I frowned, and he looked over at me and sucked his teeth.
“Fuck you making that face for?”
“You do know her friends are over thirty, right? They’re not going to put up with your shit.
Plus, I think only one of them that I know of is single, and she just filed for divorce.
Leave that lady alone.” I wasn’t a hater, but E was toxic.
Alise would never forgive me if he dogged out one of her friends.
“Yeah, I’ll stick with the twenty-five- to thirty-year-olds. They want to be City Girls. They don’t give a damn if I play games, they’ll just try and match my energy.”
With a chuckle, I shook my head. “You gotta grow up one day, bro.”
“It won’t be today.”
“I can’t go with you. I don’t even know you.” A drunken giggle fell off someone’s lips as I was preparing to leave.
Looking to my left, I did a double take when I saw Shanese’s friend, Jessica. They had been friends for many years, and I had met Jessica numerous times. She had came to family gatherings and gone on trips with Shanese.
She was barely able to stand and some thirsty, sleezy looking nigga, was holding her up trying to convince her to leave with him.
My blood boiled as he whispered in her ear.
I wasn’t sure if Jessica had gotten drunk on her own or if she had been drugged, but that lil’ nigga was about to get knocked the fuck out if he didn’t back up.
“Jessica,” the baritone in my voice made ole boy jump.
They both looked over at me. His face scrunched while her eyes widened. “Hey, Mr. Whitfield.”
The guy that was holding onto Jessica abruptly let her go, and she almost fell, so I reached out and caught her. “You had a lil’ too much to drink. You drove?”
“I did,” she nodded and giggled while her eyes damn near closed. “I only had two drinks.”
With that, ole boy eased away. That bitch ass nigga probably put something in her drink because there was no way she was that gone off two drinks.
“We gotta get you to the hospital. You have way more than alcohol in your system. Did you take anything?”
“No. I just had two drinks,” she leaned her entire body against me, and shorty was heavier than she appeared because of the dead weight.
“Okay hold on. Let me get you out to the car.”
While holding her up, I confirmed with the bartender that she only had two drinks.
“Yeah. After the second one, I saw the guy that just left sitting beside her whispering in her ear. She went from sober to sloppy real fast, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions because she could have taken something on her own.”
“Right,” I sighed. “Okay thanks.”
This wasn’t how I had planned on spending my night, but I wouldn’t ever have let Jessica leave with ole boy or drive herself home. Since I didn’t know what he’d given her, I wasn’t going to take her home and leave her alone. The hospital was the only option.
“You’re taking me home with you?” she cooed with a lazy smile as I pulled the seatbelt across her body.
“Nah, we’re not going to my house. Sit back for me.”
“You smell good. Ummmm,” she moaned, and I ignored her. “I have to pee daddy,” she slurred, and my face contorted into a grimace. That shit was cringe as fuck seeing as how she was my daughter’s friend. I knew if I told Jessica what she said when she was sober, she’d die from embarrassment.
She tried to sit up and take the seatbelt off, and at that point I was irritated because she could barely walk.
“Don’t take this seatbelt off, Jessica. Give me one second, I got you.”
“Okay.”
I got in the car, started the engine, and drove like a bat out of hell to the nearest hospital all while praying she didn’t pee in my car.
On the way there, I called Shanese to let her know what was up and to see if she could get a hold of Jessica’s parents or someone that could come to the hospital and get her.
When I unlocked the phone to call my daughter, I saw a call from Alise, but it wasn’t a missed call.
Confused, I tapped her name, and it had been an outgoing call that lasted for fifteen seconds.
I must have accidentally called her while I was trying to get Jessica in the car.
By the time I got Jessica checked into the ER and explained everything to the nurses, my daughter was arriving.
She said Jessica’s parents were on a cruise and that she’d stay with her until they discharged her.
In the car, I tried to call Alise back, and the call went straight to voicemail.
I waited two minutes then tried her again. Same thing.
Either her phone was off, dead, or she had me blocked. I almost went to her house, but I tossed my phone in the passenger seat and headed home. I was too tired for the bullshit.