4. Blessing
“Siahhhh,” I sang, pushing his front door open, with Sage hoisted up on my hip. Messiah poked his head out of his kitchen and threw his head back at me.
“What you doin’ here?” He asked, taking Sage from my arms. He peppered her face with kisses before setting her down in the playpen he had for her in his living room.
“I can’t come see my favorite brother?”
“Girl, I’m your only brother. I know you want something. Just go ahead and ask.”
“Okay, you got me.” I laughed, taking a seat on his couch. “So, you know my friend Kaia? She lost her job a few months ago, and she’s been having trouble finding one. I was wondering if she can work for you. Like maybe she can be your assistant or something?”
“Blessing.. I’m a fucking drug dealer. What the fuck do I need an assistant for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know Siah. She needs a job. She’s behind on bills, and she doesn’t want to take any handouts. So just let her work for you or something. Pleaseeee.” I begged, poking my bottom lip out, pouting.
“Aight, Bless. She better not be on no bullshit either. I was thinking about hiring a housekeeper and chef to come a few times a week. She can do grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking. Give her my number, and we can discuss payment and her work schedule. If she fucks up, that’s your ass.”
“Thank you so much. She really needs this. I promise she won’t disappoint you. That’s the perfect job for her. She’s in law school, too. So, you’ll have to work around her class schedule.”
“How that nigga Moo doin’? He straight?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. You know he’s in good hands.” I smirked.
“You bet not be over there doing shit but working.”
“Siah, shut up. Don’t nobody want that man. He has an entire girlfriend.”
“Man, I don’t even know why he cuffed that tramp.
You know she used to fuck with that nigga Adonis.
He used to play for the Pirates ‘til he got locked up. Nigga threw away his whole career cause he couldn’t leave the street shit alone.
Anyway, this broad I was fucking with out in Brindleton Bay used to kick it with Mariah.
Apparently, before Adonis got locked up, he caught her messing around with Manny, the owner of the team.
That shit never got out to the public, though. ”
“Oh, that’s tea for meee.” I laughed. “I heard Adonis is about to get a retrial and might get out soon. I didn’t know he dated Mariah. She loves athletes, huh.”
“She likes anything with some money. I get it, though. When you come from nothing, you gone do whatever to never be broke again. I can’t knock her hustle.”
I stayed at Messiah’s house for a few more hours before heading to pick Journey up. She volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club a couple of days out of the week to earn community service hours.
“You feel the vibe, it’s contagious, look in your eyes, shit is dangerous,” I sang, standing over the pot of water I’d been boiling.
I placed a glass bowl on top of it, putting a few chunks of raw shea butter and mango butter into it.
It was a little past midnight, and I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to make a batch of butter to infuse with herbs so I could make some of my special cream.
I use the cream for pain, burns, cuts, and even bruises.
The herbs in the cream have healing properties.
All of the herbs come from my grandmother’s garden.
After the butter was melted down, I grabbed an already portioned bag of herbs and poured it into the bowl.
I slowly stirred it, making sure they were fully submerged in the oil.
Once everything was mixed in, I turned the burner on low so the herbs and butter could simmer.
The smell of the mixture filled the kitchen.
I smiled, feeling like I was a child again, watching my mother follow these same steps.
It was crazy how certain smells can trigger certain memories.
After infusing the herbs into the butter, I strained out all the herbs.
I transferred the butter into my stand mixer and turned it on low.
When the butter became a whipped consistency, I turned off the mixer.
I then poured the whipped butter into containers, labeled them, and cleaned the kitchen.
Leaving the mess overnight wasn’t an option; the hardened oily mixture would be more difficult to clean later.
By the time I’d showered and gotten comfortable in bed, it was almost 3 am. Sleep still hadn’t found me. I hated when I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t do anything but get lost in my thoughts. My mind drifted off to a memory I often tried to suppress.
Flashback (Trigger Warning – Domestic Violence)
Seven’s snores filled the bedroom as I watched him peacefully sleep.
Meanwhile, I was wide awake, trying to calm myself down.
It was almost 3 am, and Seven had slid his trifling ass into our bed like he hadn’t been out all night doing God knows what.
He didn’t even have the decency to wash the bitch’s scent off of him.
I glanced around the room, trying to locate his phone.
Earlier that day, I watched him enter his passcode.
Tonight was the night I planned on going through that phone he kept glued to his hands.
I located his phone on his side of the bed, close to the edge.
I slowly slid out of bed, getting on the floor to crawl to his side of the bed.
Carefully grabbing his phone, I sat up, using the code to unlock it.
The screen was still on a text message thread.
Mya: You promised me you’d leave her if I got the abortion Seven. It’s been two fucking months and you’re still with her! She’s walking around pregnant as fuck and I have to sit around like I’m not bothered by it. I can’t do this anymore.
Seven: Look bae just be patient. I promise I’m leaving once the baby is born. I’m taking my daughter and we can raise her together.
Mya: You have until that baby is born to figure this shit out or you’re going to lose me.
Before I could read the next message, the phone was snatched from my hands. “What the fuck you in my phone for? Stupid ass done hurt your own feelings. Get the fuck up and get back in bed.” Seven spat.
“Fuck you Seven! You’re so fucking disgusting!
Why the fuck do you keep doing this shit to me?
Then you’re out here selling bitches dreams, talking about you’re going to take my baby from me and raise it with her?
! I swear to God I’ll have my brother put you in a fucking body bag.
GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!” I screamed, tears streaming down my face.
He stood up, towering over me as I still sat on the floor.
He raised his hand back, slapping me across the face.
The impact of the slap caused my bottom lip to split.
“Bitch, your brother will die before he can even think about killing me. This ain’t yo fucking house. Now get the fuck up like I said.”
I stood from the floor, cupping my lip as blood dripped from it.
“I hate you, Seven. I promise you’re going to get your karma.
” I looked at him in disgust. Without thinking, I spit the blood from my mouth, right into his face.
Before I knew it, his hand was wrapped around my throat, squeezing it.
I gasped for air as I dug my nails into his arm, trying to pry his hands off of me.
That didn’t stop him; it only made him squeeze harder.
He lifted his other hand, balled it into a fist, and punched me in the face twice.
Blood poured from my nose. I lifted my leg, kneeing him in the balls.
His hand left my throat as he crouched down, groaning in pain.
I immediately took off running out of the room.
I ran down the steps and didn’t stop until I was at the garage door.
I grabbed my keys and hurried into the garage as I heard his footsteps coming down the steps.
As soon as I got into my car, the garage door swung open. I locked the doors, starting the car.
“Get the fuck out the car!” Seven yelled, beating on the window of my car.
I felt my baby begin to kick repeatedly.
I rubbed my stomach, shaking my head. “No! Get away from my car!” I screamed, pressing the button to open the garage.
It seemed like the more the door opened, the harder his fist hit the window.
The window shattered just as the garage door slid completely up.
I put the car in reverse, backing out of the garage, speeding off towards the only place I knew I was safe.
Chanel opened her front door as soon as my car pulled into her driveway.
I didn’t have my phone to call her to let her know I was coming.
I had to type the code into her gate to enter the community she lived in.
She ran towards my car, face full of worry.
I opened the door, climbing out of the car.
I had on nothing but socks and pajamas. The glass from the shattered window fell to the ground.
I heard her gasp after seeing my face. The blood from my lip and nose had dried up, and my left eye had begun to swell.
“What the fuck, Blessing?!” She shrieked, pulling me into her arms. “You have to leave him, Mama. Look at what he did to you! You’re five months pregnant.
He could’ve hurt the fucking baby!” I knew she was right, but I also knew that there was no way Seven was going to let me leave him alive.
“You have to tell Messiah. You can’t keep letting that nigga do this to you.
He’s going to kill you, Blessing.” Chanel said as she gently cleaned my face.
I was seated on the edge of her bathtub while she stood in front of me.
Her eyes were red from crying. I could tell she was scared for me.
This wasn’t the first time I’d come to her after Seven had whooped my ass.
“I can’t tell Messiah. He threatened to kill him if I did. I already lost my parents. I can’t lose my only brother, too.” I sighed, wiping the tears that had fallen.
“Look at your fucking face! You gotta think about this baby, sis. If you don’t want Messiah to handle him, then you need to do it.”
The sound of Sage’s cries through the baby monitor shook me from my thoughts.
I climbed out of bed, heading into her bedroom.
I scooped her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
Tears filled my eyes as I rubbed her back, soothing her.
Having her in my arms brought me so much comfort.
I knew that if I didn’t have her, I’d probably still be in that abusive relationship with her father, or worse, dead.