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I sat breathless while he ruminated, seething a few feet away from me. My father was processing this. I’d been warning him for years, nearly to tears at his every blocker of my feelings regarding this. Tonight was different because I’d finally told him what I planned to do versus what I wanted to. This was it, the moment that separated the grown woman from daddy’s little girl. My therapist predicted this. I’d just hoped I didn’t lose my last standing parent.
“This is sounding really Celestine’ish.” He eyed me suspiciously. “Have you spoken to her?”
That hurt. “Why would you say that?”
“Answer me!”
“She called the other day saying she’d be visiting soon, but you know there’s never much more to her than that. Please don’t accuse me of siding with a woman who doesn’t even like me.” I fought not to cry. The accusation in that tone was cruel. “You’re implying betrayal. I can’t deal with that from you, too!”
“That’s not what I’m saying. You just don’t understand, honey. You’re not a parent. My legacy is at hand right now. I builtWitherspoon Homesjust for you.”
“And Noelle,” I amended, annoyed by having to again.
My father’s eyes closed in frustration. “Don’t start that shit, Shi-Shi. You know what I mean. It feels like you don’t appreciate mysacrifice—”
“I’ve been carrying that sacrifice for most of my adult years. It’s becomemysacrifice. Killingmydreams!”
“Hey, I know you’re going through a lot with the breakup and all, but honey, I need you to focus on what’s important here. Don’t think the world as you knew it is over. Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. Now, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this thing withAustin—”
I rolled my eyes, waving off his mention with my hand. “That wassotwo months ago. Why is his name even coming up? I’ve already been forgotten how to spell it.”
I was being facetious, of course. But I needed him to not even bring my ex-boyfriend into a serious matter like this.
“No. No. No. I told him I’d talk to you. It’s just that I’ve been so busy around here.”
“First, there’s nothing to discuss about that dude. Secondly, you’ve been busy doing what? Counting your bank accounts? Speaking with your interior designer?”
His index finger on the hand holding the cigar pushed into the air. “Now, don’t you go getting flippant with me, young lady!”
“You know what?” I rolled my eyes and grabbed my glass of wine, downing it. Then I rose to my feet. “Don’t even worry about it, Daddy. Expect my resignation in your inbox. I can have it mailed out to you, too.”
I stormed out of his smoke room, heels knocking against the hardwood flooring.
Chapter 11
Part II cont’d
April | Present Day
“Yeah, man.” My cousin, Snoop, dealt cards around the table. “It’s fucked up.”
Standing over the dining room table at Tanya and Antoine’s card party, I felt a heavy sense of sadness. “And you said this was yesterday that old girl went to visit her?”
“Yup.” Snoop lifted the headband he wore each day to cover his absent ear for a scratch. “Said Teea’s whole shit was swole the fuck up.”
“And if she with themPretty Girl Slice and Dicebitches, it’s gonna be rough on ol’ girl. You feel me?”
“Word,” my cousin, Gina, agreed. “I told Tasha from Uptown to get the word out. If a hair on her mufuckin’ head is snatched, I’mma be collecting bodies all month. Straight up, yo!” She slammed the table. “Them bitches know how I move.”
The shit saddened me no matter how much I knew it was a part of the game. My cousin, Teea, was arrested for a warrant two days ago. There hadn’t been a bail set, so she’d been stuck so far. While in the jail, she had an altercation, which is expected when you have a rep on the streets and move as vicious as my female cousins who are known as stickup queens. I’d just kicked it with Teea, Gina, and Tiny recently about getting out of the game. As an O.G. in my family, I had the authority and respect of their attention. My family admired me.
Teea wasn’t even thirty years old yet, but had three grandchildren. That was how out of order her life had always been. They respected me for the heeding and even all said they’d look into some vocational training that I’d pay for. But I knew it was easier said than done. The streets was the master seducer when you had no fucking clue about just how transient freedom could be dealing with the law.
“Yo, that chick, Shi-Shi, here!” my cousin, Leo, announced to the room, skipping in with his fist over his mouth. “Let me go take this wave cap off so she know what a kid be working with. Ya heard?”
“Damn, that bitch bad!” a family friend, B-Sure, croaked at the table.
Immediately, Jug and I caught eyes. He sat up at the table. “Easy, youngin’. She’s a guest and won’t be feeling uncomfortable.”
