Loyalty: Something Dishonest

F O R T Y - E I G H T

A N G E L A

Howard's car pulls up and I roll my eyes. I don't have time for him to try and scold me about Lewis. I do what I want cause I'm grown and divorced. I'm surprised when I see Jordan and Aniya getting out with some luggage. I storm out of the side door and wait for them to walk off. I tap my left foot on the concrete and fold my arms. Howard walks up first and laughs when he sees me. "Who pissed in your Cheerio's?"

"Where the hell have you been? Thought you were with Tierra?", I ask my 18 year old daughter. "You are not grown and I don't think you should be running off to Jamaica with some hoodlum!"

"Angela shut up", Howard tells me. "I took them to Jamaica. This young man explained to me how he wanted to take my daughter to Jamaica because he feels bad for all the stuff going on with her. I went with them so shut the hell up".

Aniya rolls her eyes and Jordan nudges her a little telling her to stop. "Well I apologize, you never know with her"

"And what's that supposed to mean?", Niya retorts like she's grown. I raise my eyebrow and look at the challenging look on her face. "I'm really not in the mood for you mom"

"Then what are you in the mood for, daughter?"

"To sleep so can you move so I can get to my room?", she snaps.

"Aniya come on now", Jordan tries to tell her.

"Yeah Jordan get her because I'm not gonna tolerate her mess"

"No one asked you too Angela!", Niya snaps back. I walk over to her but Howard gets in front of me.

"Howard move out of my way!", I yell at him. "She's getting to damn grown I don't care cause you are 18. You will not be in my home acting like a little bitch!"

Aniya gasps and moves away from Jordan. "Well mom guess what I am a bitch. I'm the fuckin monster you created! You never once in your life trusted me. I really don't care but as long as Tre is making you happy you are fine. When I am I ever gonna get my props mom? I got taken you didn't care! You just felt bad because you never had a real relationship with me". I stand here still because some of the things she said were true. Howard looks down at me and shakes his head. "See I knew you didn't care. Why respect someone that doesn't even respect me?"

"Because you don't make good decisions!", I yell back. "You date men that hurt you and leave you in the dump! You are so damn dumb and you let all of them run over you! I'm sorry that I don't trust you because of the actions you take!"

"ITS MY LIFE MOM!", she screams at me. "I gotta learn and grow. I gotta learn and know what's best for me. I'm sorry that I attract all the losers but you can't help who you love. I don't regret anything because they all taught me what to look for in a man and I think for the first time in my life I made a good choice by choosing Jordan. You never liked anyone of them, you never like Kentavious or Keyon. Hell you probably don't even like Jordan either but I don't even care. As long as I love him that's all that matters. Stop being so damn two faced. You know what... I'm gone"

She walks away with Jordan chasing after her. Howard looks at me again and I push him away from me. "Don't get pissed at me because you fucked up again. Everything she just said is true. You never wanna accept the shit Angela. I'm not saying Tre is a bad kid but you were so happy when he had the twins. Not even did you once stop and think, damn my son is 16 and a dad. All because he's your favorite. I treat my kids the same and I love them both equally. Get your shit together".