Page 25 of Not A Homie, Lover Or Friend
When he tried to smile, it was an awkward expression. “What’s your name?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m asking.”
“It’s going to be you’re a dead nigga if you don’t leave me alone.”
He nodded. He then placed both hands on the table, slid out, and stood. “I’m Scooter. Hope to see you around,” he finished and walked off.
Right then, I knew it was time to leave. The phrase freaks come out at night was true. When I saw Zaria calling again, I knew I had to leave; otherwise, Chev would be on the streets. I quickly got up, looking behind me to see if Scooter was following me, but he was sitting in another booth as if he were waiting on someone.
I had gone to exit the diner when I saw Mali walking in. His eyes were bloodshot red as if he hadn’t slept in days. “Sup, Harvey,” he said as he continued to walk past me.
My eyes followed him as he popped his hoodie on his head and slid into the same booth as Scooter, but across from him. Mali’s eyes landed on me again as his jaws tightened before he pulled them away. Something was off. I quickly took off back to my car because the last thing I needed was Chevy pulling up and seeing Mali like that.
Harvey running wasn’t a surprise, but my mother showing up was. When Harvey walked out and my mother came strolling in, Foe’s head snapped my way. “You invited her?”
I shook my head because I had no idea how she knew where he stayed. Foe didn’t bother to say anything as he stormed past my mom outside into the dark, rainy night to chase Harvey. My mother dragged her luggage further inside, smiling. She threw one hand on her hip while she held a pack of cigarettes in the other, “Ooo, that was a long flight,” she exasperated.
Just what I needed for her to be here. There was already so much going on. To have Denna here was about to make things worse. His wet shoes squeaked against the floor. When Foe emerged from beyond the wall, his eyes darkened as if they were empty with no feelings behind them. They rolled slowly, glaring at Denna, then me. Foe pointed at me and then charged at me. He gripped me by the shoulders, swinging me, making my headget acquainted with the wall. “Ah! What’s wrong with you!” I shouted.
“No nigga!What the fuck is your problem? Kia, you’re fucked up for that shit. I should break yo fucking face!” he gritted, damn near sizzling at the mouth.
I tried pushing him off me, but his grip was tight as hell.“No!”he shouted, slamming me back. “You said some fucked up shit and you think I’m going to let it slide? Huh!”
My eyes widened because I had never seen my brother this mad over a woman before. “You’re a lonely bi—”
“Myles!”my mother shouted. “Get your hands off her like that!”
He pointed at her, “Denna, this isn’t your business.”
Almost like in a horror film, his head eased back my way. His locs hung in his face as his empty eyes landed back on me. “It’s always the ones who don’t know what love is who are quick to shit on the next person. A nigga will never love yo bitter ass. I let you in my home and you start some shit,” he huffed. “You’re my fucking sister, and you ran off the one person who had my back no matter what. Lakia, you’ve got to go. I don’t give a fuck where you go, but it won’t be here. You better pray that nigga let you in, and if y’all get into it again, don’t fucking call me, and I mean that shit. Get the fuck out!” he barked so loud my soul jumped.
My brother, my nigga, my best friend, was pushing me away for being honest. I tried to reach out to him once he let me go, “I’m sorry.”
It’s not that I was trying to run her off but trying to get him to see that nobody was perfect, including the woman he lay with every night. That maybe she wasn’t for him, but the way he was now, made me realize I was wrong. Maybe I was afraid that his love for Harvey would make him forget his family. This was bigger than sending me money; it was about our bond.
“Myles, I’m—”
He slammed his fist into his hand. “Get out! Lakia, man, the way I’m feeling I could really shoot yo ass right now. Better go ask Zu, if you can stay over there since you’re so concerned about how Harvey treated him.”
Denna stepped in front of him. “I didn’t raise y’all to be fighting each other. What happened?”
Foe chuckled hysterically before he leaned down, getting face-to-face with our mother. “You ain’t raise us, Denna. I raised us, so you don’t get to speak. You did your damage, so your best option would be to stop while you can. You know what, get out! Both of you get the fuck out of my muhfuckin house now!” he roared.
I didn’t even bother to say anything. Instead, I walked outside of his home, back into the pouring rain. Again, another door closed in my face.
“Shit!”
I turned to see my mother and her bags standing under the awning. “He will be ok. It’s my fault. I will fix it,” she shook her head as she lit a cigarette.
My mother knew the monster she created. She knew that she couldn’t say anything. Her showing up was probably her way to make amends with her son, but I had ruined that, too. I knew nobody could fix this but me, and honestly, I didn’t know where to start. What I did know was that I needed to get away from here.
MONFUA
Since Lakia left my house, I’d been sitting on the fucking couch. To see her like that fucked with me, but I knew it was for the best. Nikki and I didn’t even fuck because knowing I closed the damn door in Lakia’s face bothered me. However, I wasn’t playing with her ass. What she thought was that I was going to be some sucker ass nigga who was going to fall into her hands like putty. She needed something from me, and that was stability, which I could provide, but I wasn’t doing that for someone just because. I wanted it all. The love, the trust, the honesty, the relationship, and the pussy.
When we locked eyes, it took everything in me to pull my eyes away from her. Both of us were begging each other for a second chance. She wanted to stay, and I wanted her to, but I couldn’t. I had to turn my wife away because, instead of seeing me as her husband, she saw me as a toy. Something she could play with until she got tired, then dispose of. Lakia was hiding shit, and I knew it. I didn’t know how much Foe knew, but at the end of the day, she had to answer to that nigga, not me.
