Chapter 31
One full day in Eastover had been the cure to all the angst she was feeling prior to boarding the private flight. She left Erys sound asleep in the bed, let the aide know she could handle the night shift with Ernie, and proceeded out to the deck where Ernie was chomping on a bag of baked chips.
“Hey, Cherie,” he called, moving the blanket off the back of the chair and motioned her over. “Want some chips?”
Remedy swayed her head. “The barbecue from earlier was enough. You okay?”
She took a seat and let him drape the blanket over her.
“Too cold out here for you in your situation.”
“My situation?” Remedy posed, raising her brow. “What’s my situation, Ernie?”
Ernie let a smile cover his face and placed a hand on her knee. “You let me knock you up, Cherie. After talking all that shit about you couldn’t have no babies and my baby wouldn’t be the one God let make it. Now look at you. All that shit you ran from just to end up right here with me.”
Remedy smiled softly. “You excited?”
“Hell yeah, I’m excited. You got to know a muhfucka like me was never supposed to be nothing.
I’m still not nothing if we’re being honest. I was a preemie born to an addicted whore mother.
In this house. The whores raised me. They taught me the game.
They made me check the Johns before they performed for them.
I was the only nigga in that house. I saw too much shit to be so young.
But they gave me the best they had. When I was old enough and Madam Honey was dying, she handed me the keys and told me to handle business.
I was seventeen and pimpin’. In and out of jail for a minute, but I was still handling business.
“Not a hoe moved through the Trae without coming through the Honey House. Not without getting a nod of approval from Sweet Lick Ernie. Poppi was running shit then. I couldn’t hurt them and they couldn’t be on no shit.
It was fine until it wasn’t. She came back.
She staggered back in, seventeen years later.
A life on the street letting niggas do whatever to her.
That AIDS was eating her from the inside out.
I thought I could save her. I wasn’t a match for it.
I couldn’t save her. I prayed for a chance to make up for not being able to protect her. Now look at us, having a little boy.”
“How do you know it’s a boy?” Remedy posed.
“‘Cause God wouldn’t give my crazy ass no girl. He wouldn’t do me like that.
I got enough blood on my hands, he wouldn’t add more niggas to kill behind my little girl,” Ernie shared, moving his hand to Remedy’s bloated stomach.
“I want you to name him Heir. So he can reap all the good in life. Much more than we’ve had. ”
“I can do that,” Remedy agreed. “Any other requests?”
“Help me to bed. I’m tired.”
Remedy assisted him to bed, back into their routine, she rubbed his back and hummed. The view of the ocean serving as the backdrop, the moon shining brightly serving as the night light. Remedy swiped a few tears from her face, her eyes fixed on the moon.
“I’m just learning how to pray for real.
But You’ve proven that you hear me because everything these last couple of months has been You.
I’m not going to ask You for much. I just need him here to hold his grandson.
I need him to see his redemption. After that You can have him.
Just give me a little while longer, please.
He’s the only father I’ve had for real. Just let him hold this baby, please. ”