Her Sweetest Revenge 3 Page 16

  The look in her eyes pleaded with me to understand. Our dad was great. He loved us and was always there. Nothing came before his family. But that all changed in an instant. I also remembered that.

  “But then, the hitting started. A push here, push there, and then next slaps to my face and jaw. Even though I considered leaving, I had fallen for him. He was gettin’ next to my heart. It was like double jeopardy, but the hittin’ was too much. I knew I could not hide that for too long. I almost resented you for accusing him of hittin’ me because I knew you were right. I knew that I could not fool you of all people. It was just the last straw. I could not take it anymore; that was as far as I could allow it to go. That’s why I called you, Mya. I needed you just like old times, my big sister always there to protect me. But then I got scared and wondered for a brief second, what if you didn’t come get me. What if you blamed me for allowing this to happen, after you told me so many times before?”

  “Monica, I would never leave you. I would never not come and get you. Regardless of what has happened in the past. I love you, you are my baby sister, my heart.”

  The tears would not stop flowing. I completely gave up on trying to wipe them away because it was no use. We hugged and cried for at least five minutes.

  “Well, on a good note, Hood will be back tomorrow and we will let him know that you and Imani will be staying with us for a while.”

  “But you still haven’t told him, right?”

  “No, I did not. All he knows is that you walked out on him.” I hated keeping this from Hood, but it was for the best. He would for sure put a hot one in Rich. “Now we just gotta hope he don’t hear about it in the streets.”

  “I doubt it. Rich has this good guy image that he likes to keep up. There is no way that he will tell anyone that he hit his precious girlfriend. Then people might know that he is not perfect and sweet,” Monica said sarcastically.

  I just wanted to end any conversation of Rich before I went out and did what I was good at, but this time I would let life deal with him. Rich would get what was coming to him eventually. I would just sit back and wait. Right now getting Monica restored to her normal life was my main concern.

  “I just want you to focus on school and Imani for now. I don’t want you trying to rush out and get a place. Okay?”

  Monica shook her head in agreement; she was still a bit emotional. Imani ran back into the kitchen and stopped in front us. “Can you guys watch SpongeBob with me?” I couldn’t do anything but smile my niece.

  “We sure can,” Monica replied.

  We went back in the den and watched SpongeBob episodes back to back for the next two hours until we all dozed off. I woke up to Hood kissing me softly on the lips.

  Chapter 38

  Monica’s name was flashing across my phone. I reached for it with my free hand. Right away I knew something was up when she started babbling. “Mya, can you call Ma and tell her that I can’t meet her for lunch today?”

  “Yeah, I can do that. What’s up?” I asked as I swept up the hair from my last client.

  “We were supposed to grab some lunch at the mall but I need to stay after school to make up some lab work. I’ve been trying to call her but something is wrong with her phone. I won’t be able to call her back until after my next class and by that time I’m sure she will be on her way to meet me. So I was trying to let her know early.”

  “She has been having trouble with that phone. I keep telling her to go replace it.”

  “I know, but you know how your momma can be,” Monica joked.

  “Oh, so now she my momma? A’ight.” I laughed. “But cool, I will keep trying to call her to let her know. Oh, and I’ll be home late tonight. Hood and I are meeting for dinner.”

  “All right. Imani and I might be in the bed when you make it in, then. I’m tired already and it ain’t nowhere near bedtime. But look, I got to go, it’s almost time for my next class.”

  As soon as I removed my cell from my ear, Trina and Rochelle came in all excited and waving a piece of paper.

  “What’s that?” I asked, wanting to know what all the extra smiles were about.

  “We got in!” Trina answered. “We going to New York for the hair show.”

  “That’s what’s up.” I smiled. “Wait . . . did you ever doubt that we would get in? I mean they do know that we are the shit.” I was being conceited on purpose.

  “Damn right they do.” Rochelle had my back. We complemented each other. That is exactly why we were best friends.

  “You two are crazy.” Trina laughed. “But you are right. We are going to go there and kick some ass, on that major!”

  “Man, we gone turn up, just us girls. I simply cannot wait,” Rochelle said.

  When Rochelle said “just us girls,” I got an idea. “I’m going to take Monica. A girls’ getaway would be good for her. She would really enjoy it.”

  She had gone through a lot with Rich and now she was back on her real life stuff, trying to figure it all out. Nothing would be better for her than getting away and turning up with her friends and sister. I would tell her about it tomorrow. I’m sure she would not give me any hassle.

  “Yep, I think so, too,” Rochelle agreed, and Trina followed.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Hood spoke as he stepped inside the room.

  Trina and Rochelle turned and spoke at the same time, “Hey, Hood.”

  I, on the other hand, had a surprised look on my face. I had no idea he was coming by. We were supposed to meet up for dinner. If it weren’t for the huge grin he was wearing, I would have thought something was wrong. I met him halfway and we hugged and kissed just like always. We never had any problems being affectionate; we didn’t care who was around.

  “Whewww,” Rochelle and Trina said at the same time as they exited.

  “Babe, I thought we were supposed to be meeting at the restaurant.”

  “I know, but I couldn’t wait another minute to see you. So I figured I would just pick you up and we can drive there together.”

  My man was so sweet and thoughtful; that was just one of the reasons why I loved him. If I had to write out a list, I could sit down and write a thousand things. I still had my arms wrapped around his neck, so I lifted back up on my tiptoes and kissed him again. He squeezed me extra tight. I wanted to say forget eating, let’s go straight home and jump in bed, but I chilled because tonight I had him all to myself. The streets would wait.

  “Okay, let me grab my stuff.”

  I was walking over to the cabinet where I kept my purse when Pam walked up.

  “Mya, your dad’s parole officer is out front again.”

  “Ahh, shit.” I popped my lips. Whatever reason he was here was probably not good and I simply did not have the time. “Did he say what he wanted?”

  “Nope. Just that he wanted to speak with you.”

  “A’ight, send him back,” I told her. “Babe, it’ll just be a minute.”

  “Cool. I’ma go back here and chill.”

  “Can I help you?” I didn’t have any time to waste so I got straight to the point when the parole officer rounded the corner.

  “Well, for starters, your father did not show up for his appointment today. Is he here?”

  I hated this fucking guy. If he wanted to know if he was here, why didn’t he ask Pam for him instead of me? He was so full of shit. He knew very well that my father wasn’t here. I rolled my eyes.

  “No, he is not here. He was off today.” My attitude was apparent.

  “Hmmm.” He gave me a suspicious look and I seriously considered telling him to get his ass out of my salon. Instead I remained calm.

  “If you see him or when you see him, tell him he needs to contact my office tomorrow or I’m going to violate him. This is his second time missing his appointment date. That type of behavior is not tolerated.” He talked as if he was reprimanding me.

  I gave him a forced smile with only half of my teeth showing and said, “I sure will.”

  The gu
y disgusted me. He weighed about three-fifty and he was no taller than five foot four. His skin looked like it had been bleached two-toned and he had all these baby moles all over his face. And to top it off, he wore some gold-rimmed glasses with huge bifocal lenses. He was a real creep.

  As soon as he left my area, I grabbed my things and told Hood that I was ready to go. I filled him in on what was going during the ride to the restaurant.

  “I just can’t believe he missed another appointment,” I said angrily.

  “Maybe he got tied up,” Hood said, but he knew better.

  Dad just seemed to have a knack for doing him, but that shit was not going to fly. If he kept doing him, he would find himself behind bars again. I pulled my cell out of my purse and dialed his number. To my dismay, it went straight to his voicemail.

  “Ugh. Then he has the nerve to have his damn phone turned off. He is really trying my patience today. I don’t have time for this shit!” I yelled and tossed my cell phone back inside my purse.

  “Babe, calm down.” Hood glanced at me as he drove. “I tell you what. We will just swing by the condo when we finish with dinner.”

  I knew Hood was just trying to ease my mind, but I could not wait that long. I needed to see my dad immediately.

  “No, go now.” I sat back in my seat and folded my arms.

  Hood turned the car around and headed in that direction without asking me one question. As soon as we pulled up, I noticed Ma’s car outside in the parking lot but Dad’s car was nowhere in sight. Sometimes he parked it in the garage, so I assumed that it was there. Hood knocked on the door when we made to their condo. After a round of extensive knocking, we concluded that they must be out.

  “Ma’s probably in the car with him.”

  “Did you try her phone?” Hood asked.

  “Something is wrong with her phone. Monica was trying to reach her earlier and couldn’t. Let’s just go. We can stop back by after dinner.”

  “Whatever you want to do,” Hood responded as we turned to leave. But suddenly my bladder was calling. I had to use the bathroom. I would have used before leaving the salon but that ugly parole officer had me all in my feelings.

  “Babe, wait. I need to use the bathroom.”

  I started to dig around in my purse to find my key to the condo. “I promise it will only take a minute.” I found the key and wiggled it into the keyhole.

  “Damn, your moms got it cold in here,” Hood said as he stepped inside behind me. I agreed with him: it felt like a freezer.

  “I know. I’ma make it quick.” I started down the hallway at a fast pace.

  Hood said something, but I heard nothing. I grabbed my chest as the wind blew completely out of my body and I fell to my knees on the floor. Since my legs had given out on me, my mind told me to crawl. So I did. I wanted to scream but I had no vocals.

  “Ma,” I somehow managed. Her body was covered in her own blood. “Hood!” I screamed his name.

  I heard Hood’s footsteps as he ran down the hallway, but he stopped and hit the wall with a loud thud. I looked up at him and saw that his face was full of tears; they ran freely down his cheeks. Suddenly his gaze left mine and he froze. With a heartbeat well over two hundred and hands that would not stop trembling, I followed his gaze. To my horror, there were a pair of legs on the floor leading out into the hallway from my parents’ room.

  I jumped up and ran to those legs and found that they belonged to my dad. I dropped to my knees and lifted his head. “Dad, Dad, Daddy,” I yelled. “Daddy, please get up. Please, Daddy,” I screamed over and over again.

  In the background, I heard Hood calling 911. This had to be a dream.

  Chapter 39

  I woke up in the hospital two days later. Apparently, I had been inconsolable. I kept passing out and was dehydrated. My world had balled up and crumbled right before my very eyes. I had experienced hurt in a way that I would never experience it again. I was numb. I was such a vegetable that it was left up to Hood to tell Monica that our parents, Lester and Marissa, were dead. Someone had killed them and left them lying in their own blood. Monica and I would never be the same.

  Someone had ripped us at the gut and didn’t think twice about pouring alcohol on an open wound that would never ever heal. Whoever had said that time heals all had lied. There was no amount of time that could ever make this okay and there was no convincing me otherwise.

  I had always been the rock. I was the glue that held my family together. But this had taken its toll on me and I could not find myself. In my mind, I had been pushed off Mount Everest and I physically felt every bruise. But Monica stepped up. She, Hood, and Rochelle hit the pavement and started planning the funeral services. Hood had put his business aside completely. His family was in need of him.

  On the day of the funeral, I was still weak from pure despair. I lost weight because the only thing I could manage to do was drink fluids. Hood had begged me to eat but I couldn’t. The knot in my throat was so big there was no way food could get past it. I had lost ten pounds so quickly it brought tears to Hood’s ma’s eyes when she saw me. She had come to town as soon as she had found out and was helping out around the house. I really appreciated it because I couldn’t do anything in the state I was in.

  The day of the funeral was sunny and bright. Over two thousand people had showed up. My parents had known a lot of people and they all showed up to celebrate their lives. People stood outside the temple because there was not enough room to get in. The crowd overwhelmed Monica and me because we just wanted to be alone. When it was finally over, I had Hood take me home. I was in no mood to mingle. Monica said that she would go to the repast and show a little gratitude for those who had come out. Rochelle promised me she would take care of Monica, who I knew was trying so hard to be strong for me.

  When we got home, I undressed and climbed into bed. Hood climbed in with me and wrapped me in his arms. He held me tight as I cried until I went to sleep. I found comfort in my dreams when I saw Li’l Bo, Ma, Dad, and Monica. We were all in our old apartment in the Brewster in the living room dancing to the O’Jays’ “Love Train” just like we used to. Then I saw us out eating burgers. We laughed as we watched Li’l Bo bite off half of his in one bite. Then Ma looked at me calmly and told me that everything was going to be okay. I could feel her and it was so real, but then I opened my eyes and it was morning and that hurt so bad. The only reason that I didn’t scream out in pain was because I felt the comfort of Hood, whose arms I was still wrapped in. At that moment, I remembered that I did have a reason to live. There was Hood, Monica, and Imani. Ma was trying to tell me that.

  “Good morning sleepy head.” Hood kissed me on my cheek.

  “Hey you,” I said, still a little groggy.

  “Did you sleep well? I mean it sounded like you did. All that snoring,” Hood joked.

  “I do not snore.” I smiled for the first time in almost two weeks. “But yes, I did sleep good.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear that. Are you hungry?”

  I should have figured that he would ask me that. It had been his number one question since I got home from the hospital.

  “Yes, I think I’ll eat something. Can you make me some eggs and toast?”

  “Sure thing.” Hood jumped up so fast that he scared me.

  “Dang, babe, you okay?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. I just want to make the food before you change your mind.”

  Again, I smiled. “Hood, just go and make the breakfast. I promise not to change my mind. I’m going to take a quick shower and I will be down.”

  “A’ight.”

  He hurried out of the room. I knew he was going to tell his mom to make it. And I was right: by the time I climbed out of the shower he was in the bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth.

  I got a surprise visit from Big Nick after I finished eating breakfast. I had not gotten a chance to see or talk to him at the service so I was glad to see him.

  “I thought that I would come
out to check on you. The crowd was so thick yesterday it was hard to reach you.” Big Nick walked over and hugged me.

  “I know. I swear all of Detroit was there.”

  “Yeah, your mom and dad were well known. So I wasn’t surprised,” he confirmed. “How you are you and Monica doing?”

  “We cool, just glad that part is over with. Monica still sleeping, she’s been handling a lot lately.”

  “I know. I came by to see you when you were in the hospital. You better?”

  “Yeah, I am, I just need to eat and stuff. And I am now, so I’m good.”

  “Okay.” He half smiled but the look on his face told me that he had a lot on his mind. “I just want you to know that I’m gone take care of this. I vow with every inch of life I have in me that I’m going to find out who is responsible for this. And I swear whoever it is gone pay dearly with their life. I promise you that. So you rest easy and don’t worry. If you or Monica need anything, you know how to get in contact with me. I’ll be by in a couple of days to check on you two. Okay.”

  “A’ight.” I had to wipe tears away.

  Big Nick came over and hugged me again. “I love you and Monica, all right. You tell her that when she wakes up, okay.”

  “I will.”

  “And I’ll be back.”

  “Okay.” I sniffed. I knew he would be out pounding the pavement looking for who was responsible, but Hood was also already on that same job. I could not allow whoever had done this to continue to walk the earth. That was the ultimate no-no. Whoever they were would find out they had fucked up.

  A short two days later, Hood came home and told me that Big Nick had just been killed. Someone had shot him up in IHOP’s parking lot. I simply could not believe it. Was Detroit really this fucking crazy? This town had to be cursed or I was cursed; either way this mess was insane. Who wanted Big Nick dead? My head was spinning on my shoulders. I started to wonder what Dad and Big Nick had been up to. Were the deaths related? I mean, what were the chances they would be killed so close to each other?