Chapter 30
Mona
I’ve always known the importance of knowing your family, even if you didn’t deal with them.
Being at August’s paternal family reunion wasn’t a hard decision to make.
They needed to see Azaria and Angelette’s faces.
I needed to know what kind of individuals were in their paternal bloodline.
Most importantly, I needed to know all the surnames so they would know their kinfolk.
When I arrived at the big park filled with happy kids running and adults having a good time, Azaria and Kingsa had a ball, clapping and hollering for me to go faster. That was code for me to hurry to park.
Before I could get my foot out of the door well enough, King was in my face, asking to help with the girls. I didn’t detest or act like a superwoman. I had a sucky mouth, eight-week-and-three-day-old baby girl in the second row, guarded like a baby pitbull by her sister and cousin.
Along the way to the pavilion marked “adults only,” I was indecisive about where to sit.
I knew the adults-only pavilion was where the weed smoke floated, and nasty talks existed.
So, I flopped my folding chair in the grass not far from the adults’ only and children’s pavilions.
Auntie Clara and Uncle Silas chuckled while flopping their chairs and coolers next to mine.
Even though I was okay with being a loner, I was thankful for their presence.
Once the earth became warmer, Min tried her best to rekindle our kinship.
One slap of my Glock on my leg, she left well enough alone.
Out of the Kings’ siblings, Kingdon was the only one that I gave more than two sentences, a warm smile, and a hug.
He understood that was all he could get from me and moved along.
“We in this bitch!” Thiago howled, making me close my eyes.
“My, my, my. He doesn’t take ‘leave me alone’ with caution, huh?” Auntie Clara giggled as Uncle Silas looked at me disapprovingly, fired a cigar, and shook his head.
“A man acts like that when he’s gotten something damn great,” Uncle Silas fussed before putting the cigar to his mouth.
“It was a one-time thing. Caught me off guard,” I answered as King swirled in front of me, not paying me any attention. He was dancing with Angelette.
“That must’ve been a mighty gotdamn good one time,” Uncle Silas replied, causing Auntie Clara to clap, cross her legs, and messily look at me.
“Whew, what a beautiful day to be at a family reunion an’ unmedicated!” Thiago laughed as Tiberius, Thames, and Tobias sighed heavily. Thiago had been pissing me off so badly that I wanted to shoot his ass in the feet.
“Hello, young men. How are y’all today?” Auntie Clara grinned, looking behind us as I didn’t bother to turn around.
I raised my arm, waved, and said, “Hey, Quad Ts.”
“Damn, it’s back to Quad Ts, nih?” Thiago chuckled sarcastically as King stopped dancing and looked curiously behind me.
Looking ahead, I replied, “It’s always been Quad Ts when y’all are together, Thiago.”
Zit. Zit. Zit.
While Thiago asked to speak with me, I rushed to retrieve my phone and shook my head.
Seeing a text message from The Enforcer, I tapped on the message icon and said, “Thiago, there’s nothing to talk about.
You had a perfect marriage to Francesca.
You were quick to snap me into your world.
Two irrational ass moves. Anyways, I told you that nothing would become of us and why.
I told you that I felt you kept me at a point where I wouldn’t get over what happened, so I could be stuck in limbo or become bitter and choose you.
You weren’t all for me clearing my head, so I could breathe easier.
Honestly, you should’ve known how this would’ve turn out.
Since I feel you need to hear my voice more, I’ll go further.
After our lunch date at the Italian restaurant in January, you know, the day that I tossed a plate at your cousin’s head and told you not to show up at m place of peace because I needed to be alone?
Right, that day. On my float, I started to think heavily about why you were so gung-ho about being in my face, making me your final wife.
Then, I started comparing you and August Senior’s actions toward me.
For weeks, I did that. I still couldn’t find a solid answer as to why you moved so irrationally.
Then, last night on a three-way call, I received word about a little something-something that had me tickled to my little soul.
I wasn’t spiteful or jealous about the information.
I welcomed it with open arms because all it took was for me to remember everything August Senior taught me to do when it was my ‘me’ time.
That’s why he always recommended me to have at least two days out of the week to focus on myself.
So, I could think. Something that you never suggested because you knew I would kick your ass out of my face. Anyways. Marianne Tucker.”
“Shit,” Tobias, Thames, and Tiberius held out.
King smiled and rubbed Angelette’s back.
Kingdon grinned and looked at the sky.
Kingsley laughed. “Ouch.”
“Oh, I’m lost for sure,” Min admitted, looking at me while stepping in front of King.
Seeing a flock of birds flying over the pavilion filled with adults, I warmly smiled.
“Your first crush, who had a thing for August Abbott Senior. Your first crush got down, hot and heavy with August Senior, who didn’t know she was sucking your dick and kissing you in the mouth.
She played the two of you all summer long.
She bounced from dick to dick. Telling one boy she was in love with him while telling the other she loved him.
The one she told that she was in love with, laughed her out of his face, said love left him a long time ago, and all she could get was his dick and fingers, no kissing at all.
She flipped the script and lied as if August knew about you and her.
That started a fucking war between the two of you, which involved King, Kingdon, Tiberius, Thames, and Tobias.
Even though the shit was supposed to have been squashed, you mouthed to August, ‘one day, I’mma get my lick back.
I feel like you knew. You know everything else.
’ The funny thing is … Thiago, you came for the wrong bitch to get your lick back.
Look at you, looking and sounding like a dehydrated cat because this pussy got you gone.
You only got this wet-ass monster with no throat transaction once.
I have you running around town behind me as if I owe you money.
The joke’s on you, not me. Another thing, therapy is doing me great.
My mind is open to receiving everything around me, and it’s very forgiving as long as you don’t try to use me as payback.
I don’t mind putting you in a shitbag … for … life. Just ask my ex-husband.”
Not a sound was made as I relaxed in the chair, smiling.
Last night, Auntie Clara called. King was on her line.
He wanted to know if Kingsa could ride with me to the family reunion.
King dropped the girl history between Thiago and August’s into my lap.
I wanted to cuss his ass out again; yet I let King be.
I wasn’t Kingsley or Kingdon for him to tell shit to right away.
Yet, I was thankful for the knowledge because it was how I would get Thiago out of my face and ear.
“Wow,” Tiberius and Tobias held out as my phone vibrated hard in my hand, reminding me that a text needed to be seen.
“Bruh, I know you ain’t mouth no shit to a nigga who practiced readin’ lips ‘cause of his environment,” Thames hissed as I rushed to tune them out and read August’s text message.
Let me flick my tongue across that pussy, in yo’ truck.
Smiling at the man who indeed surprised me on Angelette’s birthday. Playfully, I rolled my eyes and responded: Sorry, you have the wrong person.
“How the hell can y’all call each other friends?” Uncle Silas inquired curiously as my phone vibrated, showing August’s response.
Do I now?
The children’s happy laughter was all that could be heard amongst us. I laughed at the quiet men while responding to the guy whose sticky note I carried proudly in my wallet as if it were a credit card.
You do. Goodbye.
Shortly afterward, my phone vibrated, leaving me to see: Goodbye.
In seconds of letting my phone drop, I looked at the sky and grinned. “Goodbye, old August and Mona. It was nice knowing y’all until it wasn’t. To be clear, I’m going to keep the good memories. They will always outweigh the bad.”
“Huh?” Uncle Silas and Auntie Clara asked, confused, as I sat in the chair, feeling whole, not afraid of shit, but dying before my daughters were eighteen.
Alicia Keys’ “No One” Instrumental blasted from our left.
My heart skipped so many beats that I couldn’t breathe properly.
As everyone looked in that direction, I leaned forward so fast that I almost fell out of the chair.
Kids stopped moving as August’s truck slowly drove on the grass, traveling in our direction.
Immediately, I rehashed the conversation with X, two weeks after I had Angelette.