“Oh, you believe me now?”
“I believe you now, Legend! You used to lie so much and start so much trouble that I—”
“The details are no longer important. All you need to know is that your boyfriend at the time was the ringleader. You brought the devil in our house, and he did what devils do. Now, I’m a devil, too. It’s hot in here, ain’t it? This is a sample of the living hell I was in while growin’ up under your care. Church.” He took another toke of his cigarette.
“Why are you doin’ this to me? What do you want from me? I didn’t know Luis was abusing you! You know that if I knew that for a fact, I would have gotten rid of him and called the cops. How can you be so cold?!”
“Baby, this ain’t cold, this is amnesty. Cold woulda been a much different response… believe me.” His eyes narrowed on her. “You only ova here because you don’t want the money train to stop.”
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“I know Melanie told you ’bout that land I bought, and construction plans are already underway. She’s proud of me, so she’s been runnin’ off at the mouth. I’m opening up my own restaurant, Kentucky style with a bit of fanciness, all the bells and whistles, and my ol’ lady is gonna run the business portion, while I take care of everything else. We about to be a dream team, and you know whatever I put my mind to, I get it done. I’m a leader. A boss. Nothin’ is going to stop me. Now listen, you ain’t gettin’ a dime outta me no time soon. I thank you for your services though.” He smirked as she stood there crying.
“So, everything I did for you as a kid don’t count now? I don’t want your money, Legend! I’ve told you that. You can’t say anything good about me as a mother?! Not one? What bullshit!”
“Well, let’s see now. I thank you for not beatin’ the shit outta me, like what happened to some of my other friends.” He pointed his finger in her direction. “It’s a little hard to think of things you did that were helpful or devoted, when they were few and far between. You’d be angry, too, if you were in my shoes! I hold Luis and his friends accountable, but they wouldn’t have felt so bold to not only do it, but do it in the house me and Mel were in, if he didn’t believe in his heart of hearts that you cared about us. THESE SICKOS KNOW A NEGLECTED KID WHEN THEY SEE ONE!”
She began stomping and falling apart. “I’m not here for no money! And if I saw Luis right now, I’d tear his eyes out! I’m here ’cause I wanna have a relationship wit’ my son! Melaniedidtell me about the land, but she also said you asked ’er to go out wit’ you and look at weddin’ rings. That you were thinkin’ about proposin’ to your girlfriend.”
“Yeah? So what? What’s that got to do with you?’
“You told me your whole life that you was never gettin’ married. You’re changin’, and I am so happy for you! I wantour family to grow. I don’t wanna not have nobody! I want grandchildren. Birthday parties. Christmas dinners. I don’t wanna be alone!”
“You’ve got Melanie, and I told you that I don’t want any children of my own. My girlfriend has a daughter, and that’s perfect for me. I’ll be in her life—help love and raise her. Show her how a man is supposed to act. You’ll be straight, Mama.” He tapped the cigarette over an ashtray on the hallway table.
“Melanie likes girls, too. She’s one of those bicurious folks.” Mama rolled her eyes, as if disgusted. “She might not even have no babies or get married because of her lifestyle.”
He cracked up at that. “Bisexual and gay people get married and have babies all the time, Mama. In case you didn’t know, same sex marriage is legal now, as it should be, so you don’t know what the future holds for my sister. She might marry a man, she might marry a woman, she might not get married at all. It’s her decision. And don’t tell me about being alone. I felt all alone, curled up in my bed, cryin’ my eyes out night after night while you were at work or asleep across the hall. I knew I was on my own when I came to you and said, ‘Mama, Luis is touchin’ me on my private… ‘member that, Mama? I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Another tear fell from her eyes.
“You didn’t believe me. You didn’t care. You didn’t even confront him about it. That empowered him even more.” He shrugged. “Even today, you started off sounding like you still didn’t believe me after all this time. Like I’d get somethin’ outta keeping a lie going on this long. One that caused me embarrassment, and almost ruined my life. When you turned your back on me back then, I was officially alone. Involuntary solitude. In a dark hole… My big brother was dead. Daddy gone. Little sister couldn’t do shit to help me—she was a baby. So join the club, Mama. Loneliness is real. It sucks, don’t it?”
And with that, he stepped back inside and slammed the door in her face…
…Several days later
“Mama, why youalways say that?” Kaylee placed her sweater in her small leopard print suitcase. “I know you love me, and I’ll be careful.”
“True, but I have to say it. Just to make sure.” Desiree sat down on her daughter’s bed as she packed to fly with and spend time with her dad. It was only the second time Kaylee had been on an airplane, and she was excited to go to the airport with her father. Her doorbell rang, and she got ready to stand up to answer it, but then, Legend hollered from the kitchen.
“I got it, baby!”
“Okay!”
“Daddy’s here,” Kaylee said with excitement. “He’s on time, too.”
Desiree mustered a smile and ran her hand up and down her daughter’s back. “Seems that way.” She could hear talking, but not make out the words. “Make sure to pack your bonnet, and your argan oil.”
“Mama… I got it.” Kaylee rolled her eyes then reached for her favorite light pink teddy bear. Desiree couldn’t help but smile. The girl was starting to get interested in boys, but still refused to go to sleep without Ms. Hiccups. She relished the innocence that still remained in her child, for she knew some day, it would be gone.
She then stood and crept towards her daughter’s slightly opened bedroom door, listening to Jacob, Kaylee’s father, and Legend speak.
“Yeah… for sure,” Legend said. “So how long you plan on livin’ in Texas, man?”
“I’m tryna stay for a minute, really. The job I got now is good money and I got way more goin’ on for me there than here. I’ll miss my kids, but if I can see ’em more, like I’m doing now, then it’s worth it. I’ll just keep flying out and getting them every now and again. Next month, I’m gettin’ my son, Devin. You got any kids, man?”
“Nah… just Kaylee.”