Page 32 of The Ninth

Tati: Hey Baby Deddy! Wait, where you at? What? Where the fuck is Eddy?

Her calling Doodas by his real name caused Kenzie and Cassie to stop talking.

Tati: You couldn’t spend thirty uninterrupted hours with your son?! I only needed you until tomorrow morning, Ed. Just until tomorrow morning! You know I’m trying to make a bag these next few days! Yeah, I’m upset because you should’ve taken your baby to the park, to see your family, to get ice cream. Instead, my son is in a fucking playpen at the rec center while you playing basketball?! While you beefing with niggas who’s waiting to catch you? Fuck you and I’m on my way to get my fucking kid. You bogus as hell G, and when I see you, I’ma punch you in yo shit!

Cassie stood with her things, rushing to the host to pay our bill. No one said anything or gave any directions. I just knew that Tati was mad, and we were moving. In seconds were back in the truck, speeding through the streets of Chicago.

Cassie braided her hair, pinning it up. As Tati drove, Cassie braided her hair, doing the same. Tati didn’t say a word, but the tears coming down her face and her hard breaths proved she was beyond upset. Honestly, who could blame her? That man couldn’t sit down for five seconds with his son?

The car skirted to a stop minutes later. I checked behind us to make sure the damn police didn’t follow us in. The four of us hopped out, rushing to go get Doodaman. Well, I thought we were going to get Doodaman.

“Aye!” Cassie yelled to a man with his back turned. He turned around as she and Tati walked up to him. “Check it out—”

WHACK!

My mouth and literally everyone else’s mouths dropped open at how hard Cassie’s little ass stole this nigga in his jaw. I mean...it was so hard, I was worried he would pull a gun out on her. He dropped to the floor, hurt and shocked. By the time he was getting back up, Tati and Cassie were wailing on him. Kenzie’s hands were shaking. I never pictured her as a fighter, but she was itching to jump in. Instead, she looked at me,

“C’mon, help me get Doodas.”

I hesitated. A piece of me was worried to leave Cassie alone, fighting this grown man. My mother told me to never fight while Aunt Tami told me to never let my cousin fight alone. But the way Cassie and Tati were stomping this man’s head? I went to go get the unprotected child instead.

We found Doodas in a playpen in the fucking vending machine room. He sat with a bag of chips and an iPhone. Those girls jumping his daddy was funny. But now I understood how fucked up the situation truly was.

Doodas looked up at Kenzie and smiled instantly. He hopped up, begging her to pick him up. She picked him up as I broke down the playpen, taking it with us. When we walked back out, they had this man pinned against the wall, wailing on him. Several men tried to stop them, but they would just beat their ass too. Kenzie walked up to Poncho, grabbing his neck.

“SMACK HIM, DOODAS!”

The baby reached forward and smacked his daddy.

With that, we just left the rec center. I literally didn’t have any words to say. We buckled him in and left for Kelisha’s house to drop him off before our shift.

There was no laughter. No celebrations. No recap. We just drove off as if that didn’t just happen. Cassie let her hair down and put her seat back, relaxing. Doodas looked visibly happier. Relieved. I let my window down, looking out at the Chicago streets as the sun set.

What a beautiful ass chaos this city is.

We pulled up and Kelisha was waiting on the porch, hands on her hip. She looked the same as she did years ago. Still beautiful and dressed nicely as always. Tati jumped out of the truck, running full speed to the porch and into her mamas arms. The sight was heartbreaking. It made me realized I’ve never cried into my mother’s arms.

The scene seemed overly intimate. Almost as if I should look away. The way she held onto her twenty-seven-year-old daughter as if she was a three-year-old child. But that’s just how my brain has been wired.

Cassie got out as well as Kenzie with Doodas. I decided to just stand at the truck, unsure if Kelisha would remember me.

I watched her speak positivity, love, and reassurance into her daughter. Cassie approached her, and she sighed. She told Cassie she could see whatever is wrong with her all over her. Cassie too collapsed into Kelisha’s arms. I watched Kelisha dry their faces and kiss their foreheads.

I always thought letting Cassie stay in Chicago with strangers was insane after her parents passed. But now I realized maybe we were the strangers.

Chapter 7: CA$$ MONEY

Cassie’s POV

Me: You know this breaks the no contact, right? He’s supposed to be giving me space, not asking you to call me.

Man-Man: No it don’t. He’s right, you are a crying ass lil girl.

I cackled.

Me: What you want, Man-Man?

Man-Man: I just wanted to see if you okay and let you know I’m bringing more groceries since your cousin in town.