Blindly #4
“I’m willing to give up every other weekend. You can do school pick up on Fridays, and I’ll pick up from you Sunday morning,” Jakia offered.
“I want Sunday dinners,” Rashida argued.
“That’s not realistic when school is back in session on Mondays.” She looked to Ny. “This is not a short drive. Even if you had dinner at five, you wouldn’t get back to the city before 8,” Jakia argued. “This only works if the schedule and routine remain intact.”
“No argument from me on that. Which is why I’m volunteering to drop them off at school, home, whatever have you, on Monday morning.”
“That works for me,” Jakia said to Ny, nodding.
“I want every weekend,” Rashida fought harder.
“No.” Jakia’s lips twisted. “That makes me the bad guy. I want the opportunity to be the fun auntie still. I need weekends, too.”
“I understand that, but there’s no way we walk away from this and I get less than you. I have the upper hand. I have the video of you threatening to kill people.”
“And I meant it.” Jakia stood from the table. “I’ll kill that bitch and you when it comes to my nephew. I’m here doing a courtesy not out of desperation.”
“Talking to me like that in my own house,” Rashida scoffed. “I never thought I’d say this, but you are a real piece of work.”
“Fuck this. See you in court, bitch.” Jakia grabbed her purse.
“Ladies.” Ny stood. “Nothing would make either of you happier than coming to an agreement behind Tina’s back, right?” Ny looked between them. “So, let’s figure this out. What if Jakia does the every other weekend, but in return, Rashida gets every other major holiday?”
“I can work with that,” Jakia said humbled.
“And I get birthdays,” Rashida added.
“No!” Jakia argued. “You don’t think I want birthdays?”
“I live in Grand Onyx Hills, I can clearly throw the better party. If you throw the party, you’ll exclude me.”
“Why can’t we throw our own parties?” Jakia asked.
“Do you want me to outdo you every year?” Rashida smushed her lips together. “Look, if you let me have the birthday parties here in Onyx, I’ll make sure you’re invited to every one. I will never exclude you in anything I do for the boys. I’m only asking that you include me, too.”
“Me and whoever I want?” Jakia asked.
“Every year,” Rashida held her hand up like she was swearing on the bible.
“Bet.” Jakia said, watching Ny type it all up. “What do you do hear?” Jakia asked.
“I manage the trusts and estates of all the wealthy families in Onyx. Here I get the rate that I’m worth without the hassle. Some people know where the bodies are buried, I know where the money is hiding,” Rashida snickered.
“So, it’s it true that you all have an insane amount of power like to make the impossible happen?” Jakia asked.
“Grand Onyx is almost like a sorority or fraternity so to speak. Like black wall street but an entire community. We spend money with each other first. Some of us work outside of Onyx, not me because it doesn’t pay enough.
But for others their contribution to Onyx is the pull they have outside of here. ”
“And if I needed a favor, what would you want from me in return?” Jakia asked.
“Depends on how big this favor is.”
“I want you to get Hussein out of jail.”
“Summers. I want summers.”
Ny paused her typing. Both her and Rashida stared at Jakia like her answer would change the world.
In a way it would. She wanted him home to put a leash on his aunt.
On the flip side, him being out felt like pressure.
It was easier to fake like she was done with him when he was locked in a cage.
He was going to demand that she make a decision and stand on it.
She wasn’t ready to confirm or deny him. She nodded her head anyway.
Nyelle began typing at a rapid speed before one of them could change their minds. For her, it was easier to go against Tina when Hussein was here to back her up. With him behind bars she had to play nice with Tina. It was exhausting.
“I’ll go get those,” Rashida said hearing the printer going off.
She glanced over the warm white papers of black ink. Everything looked good. She didn’t hesitate to sign her name on the dotted line. She slid the paper across the table to Jakia before taking her seat. Jakia looked at the paper for two seconds.
“We’re going to have to do this over.” She pushed the paper back to Nyelle.
“What’d I miss?” Ny asked, looking over her work.
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine. Well, Keyona’s fault. The visitation arrangements can only be made for Khyell because Carmell isn’t Boom’s son,” Jakia confessed.
Rashida and Ny’s mouth fell open. Jakia planned to announce that like the bomb it was, but the circumstances had changed.
Seeing the sadness in Rashida’s eyes, knocked the gloating off of her face.
Jakia was sitting in a similar situation herself.
It wasn’t a laughing matter. It was fucked up that the adults were making fucked up choices that the kids had to live with.
“Do you want me to move forward?” Ny asked a teary-eyed Rashida.
She nodded her head.