Page 110 of Anything Necessary for Her
Rolling my eyes, I responded, “I will be willing to mend things when they can agree to apologize to me as well for theirbehavior. It wasn’t right for me to do anything in secret, but I did it for my own reasons. And regardless, I am grown. What I choose to do in secrecy or out in the open is my business. They don’t think they’re wrong, but they are because, for one, I shouldn’t have to hide shit, and two, they acted like hooligans at that charity event in front of all those people, their wives, and kids.”
“So I heard.” She sucked her teeth. “Why didn’t you tell them?”
“Because I knew they would be angry, and I figured if they were gonna be upset, I wanted it to at least be worth it. I wasn’t going to be dealing with this shit, like I am now, and be broken up from Low. It had to be worth this riff.”
“You think a relationship, good or bad, is worth having conflict with your brothers?”
“I do, because it’s a form of control that they’re trying to pass off as caring for my well-being. And had I told them not to be with their wives, or I wouldn’t talk to their asses, we’d be estranged.”
“True.” She laughed. “I agree with you. I think, like your father at one point, they forget how smart and intentional you are. If Low was a bad man, you wouldn’t have given him the time of day, and he especially wouldn’t be your boyfriend. You’re a beautiful girl, so I know men have been trying, but we have yet to meet a boyfriend of any kind. That shows you have strict discernment.”
“Exactly.” I huffed, happy my mama saw me in the correct light. “I’m not some flighty, misguided little girl chasing behind hood niggas.”
“No, you’re not. I’m proud of you. When I was your age, I had Khari, Lequay, and Bashar, plus I was pregnant with Cemone.”
I grunted, making her giggle.
“I love my brothers, but I do wish you got to enjoy your younger years,” I admitted, hating that for my mother. I couldn’t imagine having three sons and one on the way at my age.
“Well, don’t feel bad. I was raised to be a wife and mother, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out—at least not until I was older. I was fulfilled, and then by the time I wanted more, I’d met your father. That was something that made me fall in love with him; he was mature, but he was also spontaneous and fun, so I could kind of live out what I missed with him while also having a real man.”
“My daddy? Fun? Can’t see it.”
The two of us tittered at my statement.
“He was and still is, believe it or not. One of our dates was at a strip club. Can you believe that?”
My jaw fell as I tried to imagine my stern, about his business father in a strip club.
“Did he just stand there glowering like he does now?” I grinned when my mother fell into a fit of chortles.
“No, he did not, Banks St. Thomas.” Her giggles continued a bit. “We had fun. I’m telling you, your dad is not just your dad. That’s my man, and he’s a good time.”
“Hmm, well that’s cute, but I love my daddy, and I like to think of him as a frowning old man and not a YN at the strip club.”
“Makes sense.” She snickered. “I just want you to know from what I’ve seen of Low, he seems to be a respectable young man.”
“He is, and you can tell your sons that I only have one father, so until they are willing to meet me halfway with the apologies, we have nothing to talk about.”
“I will.”
“Sif is the only one who pulled me aside to speak to me like a grown-up,” I fussed further.
“Well, give your other brothers some slack. Asif knows Low a little better, whereas your other brothers don’t. Had Sif not known him, he probably would’ve dropped him where he stood,” she spoke facts. “They will come around, and if they don’t, I will make their asses. They’re still scared of me, plus I got my daughters-in-law as backup.”
“Okay, Ma.” I smirked. “Tell Daddy that Low will be coming by for the four of us to have dinner since he didn’t even extend the invitation like he did for everyone else.”
“You want me to say it exactly like that?”
“I do.”
Chuckling, she said, “You surely know you got your daddy wrapped around your finger. The same man who used to plead with me not to spank you, while keeping your little body shielded behind him.”
I giggled because she was right. My father had never spanked me, and as I got older and more coherent, I would run to him when my mother tried. The few times she didn’t listen and hit me, he would be devastated.
“You know what, never mind. I will tell him myself.”
“Okay, Miss Thang. Text me what Low likes to eat so I will have it ready.”
