11. Shante #2
Grandma shot off the bed. “Jesus, take the wheel, the tires, the transmission, and the whole damn car!”
“Grandma!”
“What the fuck is wrong with y’all?” She started pacing. “Every last one of y’all needs counseling.”
I cried harder. “Grandma, please.”
She pointed at my stomach. “You let Deuce talk you into carrying babies for his side bitch?”
“It wasn’t like—”
“Don’t you dare say it wasn’t like that, because that’s exactly what the fuck you just told me!”
I shut up.
She threw both hands in the air. “Lord, I knew Deuce was touched.”
I looked at her. “Touched?”
“Yes! Touched in his damn head!”
A laugh tried to come out through my tears but Grandma wasn’t finished.
“And apparently it’s hereditary because your dumb ass agreed!”
“Grandma!”
“What?” She pointed at me. “You want me to tell you this shit was smart?”
“No.”
“Good, because I’d be lying.”
I wiped my face. “I was trying to help him.”
“Help him do what? Destroy everybody’s life?”
I looked down.
Grandma stared at me. “Does Alisha know?”
My stomach dropped. “No.”
Grandma closed her eyes. “Jesus.”
“She thinks they’re mine and Malik’s.”
Her eyes popped back open. “Shante!”
“I know!”
“That’s your best friend!”
“I know!”
“That girl has been buying shit for these babies!”
“I KNOW!” My voice cracked. “I know, Grandma.” I broke down. “I sit in her face knowing I’m lying to her. She talks to me about Deuce playing in her face, and the whole time I’m doing the same damn thing.”
Grandma stopped fussing. I covered my face.
“I fucked up, I lost Malik and Alisha’s gonna hate me. Deuce sitting in jail. And now I’m about to have these babies, and I don’t even know what the fuck is supposed to happen anymore.”
Grandma sat beside me again. She didn’t say anything for a minute then she rubbed my back. “You did some stupid shit.”
I laughed through my tears. “Thank you.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“I know.”
“Stupid as hell.”
“Grandma!”
“But…”She sighed. “…you still mine.”
I leaned against her and it made me cry even harder. After a minute, I sat up. “Grandma?”
“What?”
“You can’t tell Alisha.”
Her face changed.
“Please.” I grabbed her hand. “Please don’t tell her.”
Grandma pulled her hand away. “I ain’t telling that girl shit.”
I blinked. “You’re not?”
“Nope.”
Relief rushed through me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” She pointed at me. “I’m not keeping this secret to protect you.”
My smile disappeared.
“That’s you and Deuce’s mess.” She shook her head. “Y’all made it. Y’all clean it up.”
I swallowed. “Grandma—”
“Alisha deserves the truth, but it ain’t coming from me.” She stood up. “One of y’all better tell that girl before the babies get here.”
I looked down.
“And Deuce better pray I’m too old to climb across a county visitation table.”
I busted out laughing.
Grandma grabbed her purse. “Because I might pull something, but I’m willing to risk it.”
“Grandma you’re crazy!”
“What? That boy got everybody’s life fucked up.” She looked around the apartment again then shook her head. “And Malik is petty as hell.”
I laughed harder. “He took my towels.”
“All of them?”
“Left me one bath towel and one face towel.”
Grandma stared at me for a second then burst out laughing. “Now see, that’s some Detroit shit.”
“You ain’t lying!”
“I’m sorry, baby.” She wiped her eyes. “But that nigga said you can dry one body part at a time.”
I couldn’t stop laughing. For the first time in weeks, I was crying for a reason that didn’t hurt. Grandma opened the grocery bag she’d brought. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” I asked
“Target.”
I frowned. “For what?”
“To get you some shit for this empty ass apartment.”
I smiled. “You buying me a TV?”
She grabbed her purse. “Hell no.”
I sucked my teeth. “Then what are we going for?”
“Towels.”
I stared at her while she headed toward the door. “And maybe a fork.” She laughed all the way into the hallway. By the time we made it to Target, Grandma Lorraine had already made it clear she wasn’t furnishing shit.
“Get a cart,” she said as soon as we walked through the doors.
I grabbed one. “What are we getting?”
“Necessities.”
“Like a TV?”
She stopped walking and looked at me. “Shante, if you ask me about a TV one more time, I’m taking your ass back home to stare at the wall.”
I rolled my eyes. “Damn.”
“Don’t damn me damn Malik. He’s the one who took the shit.”
I pushed the cart behind her. We made it over to the towels, and Grandma started grabbing stuff. “Two bath towels.” I frowned. “Two?”
She looked at me. “You had one when I got there. Now you’ll have three, that's growth.”
“Grandma, please.”
She tossed two face towels in. “There, look at God.”
I laughed. “You get on my nerves.”
“And you’re expensive.” She grabbed a pack of washcloths. “These too.”
I looked at the cart. “I need dishes, pots and pans and silverware.
Grandma looked over her glasses at me. “I especially know that. Your man took the forks like he was collecting evidence.”
I busted out laughing. “Why do you keep talking about them damn forks?”
“Because I’ve seen men take TVs. I’ve seen men take couches. I’ve even seen a nigga take a refrigerator.” She shook her head. “But silverware? Malik wanted your ass to feel that breakup every time you tried to eat.”
I was laughing so hard I had to stop pushing the cart. “Grandma, shut up!”
“Nope.” We made our way toward the kitchen section. Grandma picked up a cheap box of silverware. “Here.”
I looked at it. “These ugly.”
“Then eat with your fingers.”
I tossed them into the cart.
“Exactly,” she said.
We had just turned toward the cookware when I stopped dead in my tracks. My stomach dropped and Grandma almost ran into the back of me. “Why are you stopping?”
I didn’t answer because my eyes were locked straight ahead.
Malik was standing near the end of the aisle and he wasn’t alone.
Some bitch was standing beside him. Cute too, that pissed me off even more.
She had on leggings, some little cropped jacket, and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun.
And this bitch was smiling at my man. Well…
my ex-man. Whatever the point was she was smiling too damn hard.
“Oh, hell no.”
Grandma looked around me. “What?” Then she saw him. “Oh.”
I started walking and grandma grabbed my arm. “Shante.”
I pulled away. “Nah.”
“Baby,” Grandma said, trying to stop me from embarrassing myself.
“Nah, because this nigga got me fucked up.” I snapped.
Malik looked up and the second he saw me coming, his whole face changed. He was clearly annoyed. I stopped in front of him. “Damn this, what are we doing?” I spat.
Malik stared at me. “What the fuck are you talking about Shante?”
“You moved on fast as hell.”
The woman looked between us and Malik sucked his teeth. “Shante, go on about your business.”
“My business?” I laughed. “Oh, I’m definitely in my business.”
Grandma came walking up behind me with the cart. “Lord, don’t let me have to leave this cart. I got coupons.”
I ignored her and I looked at the woman. “So he ain’t telling you?”
Malik’s eyes narrowed. “Shante.”
“Tell me what?” she asked.
I smiled. “We got twins on the way.”
Her smile disappeared and Malik closed his eyes. “Man…”