"Listen, bro, what's this I'm hearin' about you puttin' hands on my cousin and threatening to shoot up the place where I lay my head?" Derron asked, applying the pressure.
"WHO THE F**K IS THIS ANSWERING MY GIRL'S PHONE?" Jeremy said talkin' tough.
"Depends on how you answer my question. I can be Mr. Nice Guy, or Mr. End Your Life With One Phone Call. Now, whoever you want me to be is up to you, Killa."
"FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND MY GIRL! MATTER FACT, F**K YOU! PUT HER ON THE PHONE!" Jeremy demanded.
"NAH, NAH, NAH, I AM NOT YOUR GIRL!" I shouted, making things unmistakably clear.
"Shauna, what type of game are you playin'? I was only calling to let you know that I'm about to pick our son up from daycare, that's it!"
"NO THE HELL YOU'RE NOT!" I screamed into the receiver.
"No, he wasn't! He initially came with a completely different type of energy. I heard it with my own ears," Esha confirmed in a whisper to the group.
At that moment, Cam gave Derron a simple nod, then Derron put his hand up as if to silence Esha and me.
"Check it out bro, since I don't like the way you addressed me...you now have less than 30 seconds to get the f**k off my block with that blue ass Malibu. If they catch you the (redacted street gang) is on their way to exterminate you how they see fit." Derron stated smoothly then hung up. "Ahhh, another day in the life." He said feeling accomplished.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT MY DAMN BABY!" I said, feeling even more unsettled. "He just said he was going to pick him up without my permission!"
"No worries, call the daycare to give them a heads-up. We'll get you there and back home," Esha said reassuringly. "...and for future reference, stop letting your boyfriends know so much about your every movement and personal business. Keep it light until you REALLY get to know them, especially when it comes to your son, okay."
"I've already notified the daycare, but lesson learned!" I said, giving her a tearful hug and thanking everyone in the room.
I was forever grateful for my family at that moment, even though I knew they would probably talk about me like a dog later. At the end of the day, when it mattered, they were there unconditionally. All pride was out the window, and even better, all calls had miraculously stopped.
* * * * * *
Less than an hour after the event, I was safely walking through the front door of my house with Jamal securely in my arms. The feeling was so amazing, no words could ever be ample enough to describe it. On the other hand, coming to terms with the reality that only a few hours prior, my life was almost taken was overwhelming. Despite all of this, I happily made my way into the kitchen and saw Aunt Tionna cooking while Abiana, Leah, and my 11-year-old cousin Jameson were playing a game at the table.
"Hey, Y'all, what's everybody up to?" I said, secretly trying to see whether the news from my grandmother's house had made its way here yet. Thankfully it hadn't.
"Nothin', just fixing some spaghetti for Y'all before I head to work tonight. By the way, I'll need you to stay here with the kids...now, lemme see my baby!" She said with a huge grin, grabbing baby Jamal from my arms.
"Thank God, cause he was getting way too heavy!" I said appreciatively, making my way out the kitchen.
"Hold on, where you goin'?"
"I'm about to take a quick shower since you have him."
"Well hurry up! Now that you're here, I'm gonna leave a little early cause I need to run a couple of errands before work," she shouted behind me. I was cool with that.
After taking what felt like the best shower in the world, I made my way to the room. Tionna was so thirsty to leave out that she barely gave me time to get myself together.
"Umm Shi Shi, I'm gettin' ready to leave out. I turned the food on a low temperature, so when you're done gettin' dressed come out and keep an eye on the stove for me," She yelled through the closed door.
"WAIT! Where's my Jammy Jam? With Leah?" I yelled back asking about Jamal.
"No, he's in the kitchen with your company."
"Company? I asked completely confused. "What are you talkin' about?"
"WITH JEREMY, DUMMY! He came while you were in the shower. He said you knew he was coming so I let him in! Anyway, I'm gone!"
That was the last thing I heard before the door slammed shut. I damn near broke my neck running out the room half naked, only to find Jeremy sitting in the kitchen smiling from ear to ear with my son peacefully in his lap...
YOU ARE READING
Fault
Non-Fiction"If you leave me, I will kill you," he said. This is how my story started. I left him 7 months ago, he'll swear we never parted. Recollections of such memories just brings my eyes to tears, it's the most pain I've ever experienced in my 21 years...t...
