CLUELESS HATE

XXXVII

Gini was in the kitchen on Saturday morning trying to make up for last night. Juwon didn't hide how much her words hurt him. She'd said it because she didn't want him to think the sex was going to automatically fix their troubles. Why had he even been hurt? It was only a cuddle for crying out loud.

She placed the egg gently on the plate and got some juice from the fridge. She placed both plate and glass on a tray and carried it to the dining table. She went up the stairs and opened the door to the masters.

"J, breakfast is ready."

Juwon, who was sitting on the sofa beside the balcony looked up from his laptop. "It's one in the afternoon."

"And you haven't had breakfast yet."

"Yea. You wanna sit?"

"Sure." He scooted and she went in and sat beside him.

"The boys asked for pets."

"Did they?" She wasn't surprised.

"Yea. A cat and a dog."

"I can't take care of three kids and three more animals, it's too much responsibility."

"I'll hire a nanny."

"No, no, no. I don't want someone else taking care of my kids, especially when I have nothing doing right now."

"So I shouldn't bother with the pets?"

Gini chewed on her nails as she thought about it. "Can you get potty trained pets?"

"Sure and if I can't, I'll find someone to train them."

"I think this is a bad idea."

"Look on the bright side, it'd make them responsible."

"Three pets though."

"Two actually, for Taye and Idowu."

"Kenny didn't want?"

"He wanted a basketball court."

"Ugh! Did you ask them or they just suggested all of this?"

"I asked. Shouldn't I have?"

"I mean it's cool but don't do it too often, they'll ask for the moon next."

"I just love them so much already. You did such an amazing job raising them."

"Thanks."

He caressed her face. "Thank you."

"Are you still mad at me about yesterday?" She had to ask.

"Not at all, women have been using men for sex since forever. Who am I to complain?"

"Hmm, okay." That was the last response she was expecting. "About breakfast..."

Juwon stood and placed his laptop on the stool beside the sofa. "What did you cook?"

"Eggs."

"Okay, thanks."

Gini went with him to the dinning table and watched him eat.

"I'm going out with the boys today, my friends I mean."

"It's okay."

Juwon pecked her and took the tray to the kitchen. Gini went to the living room and fell on the sofa. There was nothing to do and there was no one to talk to. She called her sister immediately Juwon left the house.

"Hey, Mama."

"The kids are fine, Gini."

"That's not why I'm calling. Mama, can I come over?"

"Of course, is something wrong?"

"Yea."

"Come then."

Gini got dressed and drove one of the cars to her old place. Her kids were with the neighbors when Mama opened the door.

"Are you okay, Gini?" she asked in concern.

Gini dropped her bag on the floor and sighed as she sat on one of the sofas. "I don't want you to hate Juwon after I tell you what's going on."

"You can't tell me how to feel. Start talking."

"Do you know what dad did after I ran away?" Gini didn't wait for her sister to guess before continuing. "He went after J. Did I tell you he wanted me to lie that I was raped?"

"Yea."

"He still went along with the lie. He accused J of raping me then cut him on the face."

"What? Don't tell me that's how he got that hideous scar on his face."

"Dad did that."

"That man," Mama said with hatred laced in her voice.

"Then he somehow thought it was a great opportunity to get their land. They lived close to our house and I guess dad had always wanted more property in the area so he bought theirs."

"No."

"Yes. Juwon wrote that he set fire to their house then came later to offer them money for the property. He knew the father was a drunk and dad somehow found a way to make him sell his property for half the market value."

"You can't be serious."

"Shocking, right?"

"This is insane. Is that why he never looked for you? He was so busy using your situation to exploit that family."

"I guess."

"Does Juwon resent you for this?"

"Dad told him I was in on it."

"You were fourteen, how could you have been involved?"

Gini toyed with her nails. "There's something else..."

"Go on."

"Juwon got, ahem," she cleared her throat before continuing. "He wanted revenge so he took dad out of business."

"Are you serious?"

"I didn't want to believe it at first but it came from him. The store that opened in town giving out freebies was his."

"That was smart. He got him where he would hurt the most. Wasn't that the reason he went broke?"

"Yes, he was trying to keep up."

"This is hilarious."

Gini looked at her sister and saw her smiling. "Aren't you mad?"

"For what?"

"Dad died trying to get his business back."

"Are you angry?"

"I am. He took it too far, he basically killed dad."

"Just when I was starting to believe karma didn't exist. I can sleep well at night knowing he got what he deserved," Mama mused.

"Don't you even feel anything for him? He was your father."

"Spare me, please. Gini, you keep acting like a novice, I thought this was going to make you see his true color but you keep sticking up for him. Are you okay at all?"

"We are meant to be better."

"Okay, Ms Goody Two Shoes."

"That isn't the only reason I'm pissed anyway. Juwon had it out for me also."

Mama sat upright. "What exactly did the idiot do?"

"You were on his side just moments ago," Gini pointed out.

"Not if he hurt you."

"Not physically. You were right to be suspicious of the hasty marriage, it was all in his revenge plan."

"What exactly was the plan about? Marrying you for revenge seems a little bit off, what was he expecting to get out of it?"

"I really don't know."

"And did you ask?"

"I've been angry. I trusted him and he took advantage of my naivety."

"To what end though? I thought he loves you."

"He doesn't. He probably just wanted me in a loveless marriage."

"How does he feel about the kids?"

"He said he loves them."

"Come to think of it, no twenty-six-year-old male marries for revenge. It seems stupid."

"I don't know what to do anymore. We really don't talk except it has to do with the kids and we're slowly becoming awkward around each other."

"You always have the most complicated problems."

"Do you think I should tell him why I left town? He thinks it was because dad was trying to steal his land."

"Tell him if it'll change things."

Gini noticed Mama was looking drained and quickly said, "I'll deal with it. I'm too old to be bringing my problems to you."

"You're still my little sister and you're all I've got."

"I need to leave before the boys see me here."

"And I need to catch a quick nap before they get back from the neighbor's."

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow."

Gini hugged her sister and drove home. Since she was fourteen, she'd saddled her sister with her self inflicted problems. She knew it was getting old, she'd find a way to take care of her problems without always involving Mama.

Gini needed to get herself busy. She couldn't go back to selling groceries and didn't have the money for a dance studio yet but she could find something else to do. She took a mental note to call her father's lawyer later that day. He had to have gotten offers for the properties.

When she got home, she started on dinner. Juwon should be home soon and she was going to finally tell him why she left town. She was desperate for a normal marriage filled with love and not the strained relationship she had with the father of her kids that had her exhausted and unhappy.