Page 51 of Turned Out by His Hood Mentality 2

In the past, I would often leave work and be distracted in the parking garage with so many things like messing around with my phone or fumbling in my purse to find my keys. When I did those things, I wasn’t aware of the bad that could be lurking in the shadows. That moment was definitely an eye-opener for me, and it taught me not to trust a single soul, especially if I didn’t know them. I had planned to share that story tonight with my mom and my sister, but seeing my father just left a bad taste in my mouth, so I knew I probably wouldn’t even do too much talking.

I couldn’t just leave because this was my mom. However, the second he got disrespectful with me, I would just stand up and walk out because I wouldn’t want to ruin my mother’s big day with our arguing. I knew not to drop the bomb on my mom and sister about my marriage, and even the baby I had on the way. I would just wait for the next time the three of us got together.

My high heels clicked on the tile as I made my way over to the table. My mom looked up when she saw me, and she smiled. She probably thought I would not come since I was running really late. I felt my father’s eyes on me, but I didn’t bother to look in his direction. I came up to my mother from behind, hugged her, and kissed her on her cheek.

“Happy birthday, Mommy,” I said and passed her the gifts.

“Awww. Thank you, baby. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming. Your father surprised us with his presence. All week he had been saying that he wouldn’t make the dinner because of bible study, but he came and surprised me anyway,” she said.

I knew what she was doing. She was trying to spark up a conversation between my father and me, but it wasn’t going to happen. It hurt me because I knew that what my father and I were doing was hurting my mother. I gave her a fake smile, and then I stood all the way up.

“That’s good, Ma. It’s your birthday, so as long as you’re happy,” I said.

I kissed her on her cheek one last time, and then I spoke to my brother-in-law, Liam, and gave him a hug. I did the same thing to my sister and took my nephew out of her arms like he was my baby. When I took the empty chair right next to Naomi, all eyes were on me. I ignored the stares as I held my nephew in my arms, talking to him in baby talk as he gave me a toothless smile, showing me nothing but gums and those beautiful dimples.

My sister nudged me, and when she did that, I looked down at her. She was discreetly trying to point to the huge rock on my finger, but she was doing it with her eyes. I gave her a look, basically letting her know that I would tell her later. The plan would have been to tell her and my mother now, but I woul

dn’t dare speak up on that while my father was there. Not that I was scared, but I just knew that things would go left once I did.

I went back to playing with my nephew, and out the corner of my eyes, I saw my father throw his napkin onto the table that had been on his lap the whole time.

“What the hell is that on your finger?” he barked at me.

He did it so loud that my nephew started obnoxiously crying. Liam came over and took his son from me, so he could walk outside of the restaurant with him. I released a sigh and ran my hands through my curls, already knowing that everything would go left. I felt my sister put her hand on one thigh and squeeze it. I knew she was doing that to get me to calm down because she could probably see the way my leg was bouncing under the table.

“Davidson, please calm down! This is my birthday party, and we are out in public,” my mom said, calling my father by our last name like she always did.

My mom had reached out to touch my father, and when she did that, he slapped her hand off him.

“Calm down? Calm down? Are we supposed to sit here and act like there isn’t a problem here?” he barked at my mother, and then he turned his attention back to me.

“I’m asking you again, what the hell is that on your finger? Lately, you have proven to me that you are stupid, but for some reason, I didn’t think you can be that stupid?” he roared as he looked at me.

I released a sarcastic laugh and then rolled my eyes at him.

“And to think that once you were daddy of the year! How ignorant of me. I guess I’m only smart when I make decisions that you give me to make, right? Your definition of stupid is me doing something that you don’t approve of, correct? I thought you and I both agreed that we wouldn’t say anything else to each other. Didn’t you tell me that I wasn’t your child anymore? Wasn’t it you who told me that I was no longer invited to your church or you home? Wasn’t it you who slapped me in my face? Didn’t you say that you were going to turn Naomi against me, so she wouldn’t want a relationship with me, right? If you said all these hurtful things to me, then why do you care what’s on my finger?” I quizzed.

“Normani, please,” my mom said with a look of sadness in her eyes.

Not that she didn’t want me to speak up, it was just that she didn’t want me to do it there. I know I said that I would just get up and leave if things got bad, but I couldn’t take the disrespect. Since when was it okay for a father to call his child stupid?

“Mommy, no! I’m not about to sit here and let him bully me like this! So, to answer your question, this big rock that you see on my finger, this is an engagement ring. Everything happened so fast, so my wedding ring is in the process of being custom made to my liking. I know you may be wondering why I would have a wedding ring, right? Oh, that’s because I’m married. I tied the knot six days ago, to be exact. Oh, and more news for you is that I have a baby on the way. I would say congrats and that you’re getting ready to have another grandchild, but someone would have to kill me for you to be anywhere near my child.

“Speaking of killing me, that brings me back to what just happened to me while I was in Mexico. Do you know that me, you know, your stupid daughter was seconds away from being a victim of sex trafficking? Crazy, right? I was thrown into the back of a van and everything. I’m sure you wouldn’t care, though, right, Daddy?” I sarcastically asked him.

When I said the part about what happened in Mexico, I saw my mother’s hand go over her chest, and she let out a loud gasp. My sister, who was sitting right next to me, did the same thing.

“Oh my God, Normani,” my mom said, shocked by my revelation.

I sucked my teeth at my mother because I was just becoming so damn annoyed with her. I would never in my life be with a man who had me scared to speak up, even when I knew he was wrong. My father was so wrong, and she was just letting him get away with it. I loved my mother to death, but if every time I came around, she just let him speak like this, it wouldn’t be long before I had to cut her off as well.

When I finished talking, I heard my father let out a groan, and then he pushed himself back from the table.

“I really thought that this was just a silly little phase that you were going through. So, let me get this straight, the first man that comes into your life and shows you the bare minimum amount of attention, you think that it’s okay to lay on your back and open your legs for him? Normani, you are foolish, girl!” he spat.

“What do you mean, the first guy to show me the bare minimum of attention? Daddy, do you know the number of men that I turn down daily? I’ve turned down NBA players, rappers, restaurant owners, you name it! You can think whatever you want to think of Billionaire, but he has never shown me the bare minimum of attention! He’s always gone above and beyond when it comes to me. My God! Why do you have to talk about my love life every time I come around you? Just leave me the hell alone and pretend that I’m not sitting here, so we can enjoy my mother’s birthday!” I screamed.

Some of the people in the restaurant had turned around and looked at me, but I didn’t care because he was making me angry.

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