Page 44 of Just Listen
I smirked, while shaking my head. My daddy was always claiming that we were stressing him out. Meanwhile, the man didn’t have a wrinkle in sight. My friends would always jokingly say that they’d gladly be my step-mama if Raven ever fumbled him. Then people who didn’t know us would always think that I’m lying when I’d say that he was my daddy, because if he told anybody that he was twenty-five, they wouldn’t bat an eye.
Jahrein was about 6’4, with reddish brown skin, a cut physique, wavy hair, and extreme bowlegs. He was still in pristine shape, due to him regularly participating in amateur sports.
So, long story short, for a man that was always stressed, according to him, then there was no physical evidence of the claim.
“Stressed about what, daddy?” I questioned.
He turned to face me. “Cause I’m not liking what I’m hearing.”
I sighed. “What did you hear?”
“That Zae is moving dope,” he revealed. “Now, I’m pissed that I hadn’t been keeping up. Otherwise, I would’ve been shut this situation down. That nigga clearly got beef. Nobody knows who pulled the triggers, yet. But still…you aint about to be caught up in his bullshit. So, I’ma need you to put some distance between you and him.”
For a second, I said nothing, as I thought about it. I then cleared my throat. “You know what, daddy? The conversation that you came to have…aint even necessary. I promise. Now, I’ma keep going to visit him, until he’s out of the hospital. Might even check on him when he’s out. But our relationship? It’s on ice, for now. He needs to work out whatever drama he got going on in the streets. And as long as hestaysin the streets…then there’ll be nothing between us.”
Instantly, my daddy cracked the biggest smile. “Okay. That’s what I wanna hear. My baby is using the good sense God gave her.”
“I know, right?” I lightly giggled.
“But you know what?” He grew serious. “The fact that it was so easy for you to make this decision…tells me that you really don’t love that nigga.”
“Well, damn.” I leaned my head back.
He chuckled. “Aye. I’m just saying. I know when y’all in love. Especially my daughters. We can’t pry y’all off them niggas. Meanwhile, you aint got no fight in you, baby girl. What’s up with that?”
I shrugged. “It’s your fault.”
He hooded his eyes. “And how is that?”
I tucked my lips into my mouth. “I want love with intensity. Something undeniable. The way thatyoulove my mama.”
He whistled. “Nah…Ion think you want that, for real. Hell, I’m not sure ifIwant that for you. Even with therapy and everything else…I know that my love for your mama is unhealthy. I love her asstoomuch. I know it. But I just can’t help it.” He opened his arms.
I tittered. “I know, daddy. Weallknow. As long as you’re mature enough to regulate your emotions now. It’s cool.”
He chuckled. “Yeah…you talking that shit cause you don’t understand it. Your mama jokes about the shit now…and that’s because she grew up too. She learned to stop testing the waters. Cause we can trigger each other like a muthafucka…but between me and you, baby girl…I don’t think that there’s nothing that your mama can do to make me stop loving her the way that I do. It’s jail or hell ‘bout her.”
I cracked a gigantic smile, before singing. “Mobbin’, schemin’, lootin’, hide your bodies type of love, huh?”
Wearing a grin, he nodded. “You already know.” He stood up. “Now, let me head up to the penthouse,” he referred to his and my mama’s master suite. It was the damn size of a three-bedroom apartment, equipped with a living room and kitchen. “Love you, baby.”
I nodded. “Love you too.”
***
The past three days had been nothing but a blur. From spending most of my day at the hospital with Zae, to traveling way out to my parents’ to crash and burn nightly, I was exhausted. So much so that I had decided to visit Zae for a short while that day, before heading in early. So, I was now kicking it, as it felt like a damn family reunion was happening.
I don’t know if my mama had sent out the bat signal or what, but all my siblings had pulled up, along with their spouses. Then there were my cousins and their spouses. Then my aunties, uncles, and play aunties had come through too. And everybody made sure to stop and hug me, showing a whole lot of love. Offering words of encouragement.
No lie, I was caught off guard, but was pleased to be surrounded by family. To know that I’d just seen Claro and had warned him before his death was haunting. I questioned if the dream was coincidental or was there more to it. My mama often talked about having dreams and knowing things…and it made me wonder. Perhaps there was something spiritual about it. I don’t know. There was just too much swirling around in my head, and I was grateful to have some alone time with some of my closest people.
Sitting poolside, separated from most of the other guests, it was me, my sisters Jhyrah, and Jahreiah, my cousin Keyasia, my aunt Rye…who was closer to my age than my mama’s, and my sister-in-law Josairah. With them…conversations got deep, and there wasn’t much that we didn’t share amongst each other. So, when we were alone, we talked freely about things that other family members more than likely weren’t privy to.
Naturally, we had the perfect set-up, because there was absolutely nothing that my parents didn’t have at that house. So, we had individual hookahs, handcrafted mixed drinks, while music played softly from the wireless speakers that were installed into the extensive and extravagant pergola we were sitting underneath.
“So, I was thinking,” Keyasia spoke, as she crossed one leg over the other, halting all the chatter amongst us. “Jaylah, you might need to go to sleep tonight and see if you can dream about me and some lottery numbers. I aint like Zae nem. Bet I fucking listen.”
Hearing that, everybody laughed.
