One good reason, p.28
One Good Reason, page 28
“Fucked up,” she chimed in, finishing my statement for me.
“I wasn’t going to say fucked up but different, for sure.”
“Yeah, that’s us… the Howard’s. What you see is what you get.” Her shoulders lifted passively.
“So other than what happened to you, you’ve had a rather fair life?”
“If you wanna call spending years sitting on a couch talking to a therapist fair, then I guess I have.”
“Given everything that you’ve endured, fair would be the best way to describe it. Could it have been better? Of course, however, we can’t control the mess that we’re born into.”
“And I really was born into some shit. Parts of me wished they’d let her get rid of me. Then maybe she wouldn’t hate me as much as she do.”
“She doesn’t hate. That’s easy to tell. I picked up on it the first time I saw her. She’s jealous of you, and jealousy is an ugly trait for someone to carry. That’s the reason she mistreats you.”
“Hate… Jealous. In my eyes, it’s all the same. If I was to die right now and Gema was unable to make any decisions on my behalf, I’m positive my Mama would have them folks cremate my ass and toss my ashes out on the side of the road.”
“You do know that you don’t need her.” A part of me felt like Talitha sought validation from her mom. Like deep down inside she wanted her to notice the sacrifices that she made and offer some type of appreciation. That jealousy and resentment she held toward her wouldn’t allow her to show anything remotely close to love.
“Of course, I know I don’t need her. Is it hard seeing and talking to her knowing she has this strong disdain for me, and I’ve never done anything to deserve it? You are absolutely fucking right. I don’t need anybody. I’ve long realized that, Law.” Closing the container, she tossed it in the trash before suggesting. “My need for people vanished the day she took his word over mine.”
Making her way back to the bed, she sat on the side and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. Her eyes danced across the screen a few minutes before she blew out a yawn. “I’m going to bed. I wanna be at the bank as soon as they open.”
“I’m right behind you,” I let her know and tossed my own container away.
“You got everything?”
“I sure do. Since I have no plans on coming back here after Gema is home, I decided to return the key. I won’t need it after what I have planned for them.” Talitha’s alarm went off at eight on the dot. After getting breakfast, the two of us got dressed and headed down to the bank. While she handled her business inside, I called my assistant to check on everything. I didn’t want Talitha to feel like I was hovering, so I let her do her own thing.
When she walked out of the bank, she had a few of those blue leather bags they used to pass out back in the day and her face had the biggest smile on it to date.
“Which is what?” I asked after slipping in the car beside her.
“Let’s just say they better not push me. Before we go pick Gema up for lunch, I need to run by the courthouse.”
“What you gotta do there?”
“I’m evicting the people my Mama has renting her house out.”
“Legally, can you do that?”
Tossing her head in my direction her eyes slanted. “Of course I can, the house was never supposed to be rented out in the first place. Because I’m human and I have a heart, I’m going to offer them a different option.”
“Which is?” I quizzed.
“My Mama and Joe Lee house,” she let off like it was no big deal.
Baby was feeling a way and that way had her out for blood. I’m happy I forced myself on this impromptu trip with her. Her little ass was about to wreak havoc on her people and I’m sure they couldn’t see it coming.
“Itold you to have her ready. I called you and told you I would be here in less than fifteen minutes,” Talitha snapped. We were planning on pulling up to her moms, grabbing Gema, and heading out for lunch. I chose to stay in the car. Knowing all that I knew about her stepdad, if I saw that nigga, I was going to jaw him and that was some shit that Talitha didn’t need right now.
I had the car window rolled down so I could hear the interactions between her and her mama, for safety precautions of course. Apparently, Gema wasn’t ready even though she knew we were on the way to scoop her. She did that to spite Talitha, and if she knew like I did, she would back off.
When Talitha went to file the eviction paperwork the magistrate informed her that legally she had no grounds to do so unless they had fallen behind. She tried to explain that the house was rented out without her consent, even with that they wouldn’t allow her to do it.
Initially she was pissed but I explained to her that it might be for the best. Her next angle was wanting the money her mother had received from the rental. She was planning on letting her know that if she didn’t give her everything, she’d made up to this point, she would sue her for it.
“Tali, I’m not trying to hear your shit. If you wanna come in and get her dressed, you can do just that. She ain’t ready like I said,” her mama walked back in and slammed the door shut.
Talitha stood there for a beat before jogging down the steps. Standing outside the door, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and pulled off her jacket. When she started taking off her earrings, I hopped out of the car.
“We not doing that, Talitha.”
“I’m ‘bout to slap fire out this hoe mouth. Not only did she catch an attitude with me but to shut the door in my face. Yeah… She been begging for this ass whooping.” Her hands were shaking as she stood there fussing.
Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms around her waist. “What Corrine say?” Instead of answering she squirmed and tried to get out of my grasp. “What did she say, love?”
“I know what she said, Harvey!” she snapped.
“Alright then. The quicker we get in here and get Gema dressed, the faster we can be out of her presence. You came down here to spend time with your grandmother. All this other bullshit is a ploy to get you to act out of character so she can have a reason to call the police. Stop giving in to her bullshit. That’s exactly what she wants.”
Rolling her eyes, she sucked in a deep breath. “I should’ve left you home.”
“And I would’ve still had to come out here. Somebody would’ve had to bail your hot-headed ass out of jail.”
“She pushes me to that point all the time.”
“Stop giving her that much control and you wouldn’t have to worry about it. Never let the next person see you sweat. They’ll use that shit against you every time. You giving her exactly what she wants.”
“She wants an ass whooping. I ain’t gave her that yet,” she rasped.
“And as long as I’m around, you’re not. Her and her antics are beneath you. Your grandparents raised you better than that. Act like it.” Kissing the back of her head, I let her go.
“I’m good.” She did this little move like she was shaking her anger off. “Come on so I can get my baby dressed and take her to Waffle House.”
CHAPTER 28
Talitha
“Come on, Gema. I guess this will have to do.” I frowned my face up at the outfit my mama had thrown across the bed for Gema to put on. Had I known her ass was going to be this petty, I would’ve stopped and bought her something to wear. Just yesterday she looked presentable and today she gon’ pull out this bullshit.
The black velour track suit was full of lint and looked like some shit that Gema had for a couple of years. Hell, I had never seen it so clearly it was some shit she kept at her house for her.
“Law out there?” Gema asked.
“Ummhmm. I tried to get him to stay in the car, but he thought I was gon’ sock yo’ child in the eye.”
“Knowing you, he prolly right.” Gema laughed. “What we eating?”
“Your favorite, of course,” I gushed.
“As long as I can add the blueberries to my waffle, I’ll take it.”
“Gema.” I laughed. “You know those aren’t actual blueberries.”
“Ummhmm I’m knowing it,” she acknowledged.
Diabetes and all, my girl pushed it every time. She knew she wasn’t supposed to have a bunch of sweet shit, but I let her indulge from time to time. Only because I made sure her levels were checked three times a day. If at any point they started reading high, we would lay off the sweets. My mama n’em on the other hand ain’t give her shit. Gema knew all of the indicators to determine if her sugar was high or not, but they’d rather treat her like an invalid instead of listening to her.
“They been giving you those pills I packed.”
“Litha have. She took me to the Walmarts and got ‘em transferred back down here.”
“And I’mma transfer ‘em the fuck back when I get home. Those were ninety-day supplies, by the time you need a refill, you will be back at home.”
“How Jessie doing?”
“As good as can be expected. Worried about you.”
“Yo’ mama… I swear.” Gema shook her head.
Tying the string on her shoe, I stood. “She was your daughter first. You ready to go Bertha Mae?”
“Ready for that waffle.” Stepping past me, Gema slowly walked out of her room. I grabbed her purse off the dresser and tossed her pill case in it. Following her out of the door, I told her to head to the living room where Law was and tell him they could go to the car. I needed to get that phone from my mama. Her ass had been hiding in the back since I walked through the door.
“Jalitha!” I yelled as I walked down the hall toward her room.
“What?” she shouted back.
“Girl,” I groused, swiping at my nose. I laughed it off. “I need that phone.”
I stood at her room door and waited for her to open it up. I wasn’t playing when I said she wasn’t ‘bout to have my granny round here without any way to communicate with me. Thank God Corrine was able to make the few strides that she did. The way my mama was acting, who knew when I was gon’ be able to see Gema if she hadn’t gotten the judge to sign off on it.
The sound of her unlocking the door had my eyes turning to slits. Scary ass did all of that talking to turn around and lock herself up in the damn room.
“Here.” She shoved her arm through a small crack and handed me the phone.
I snatched it out of her hand. “I’ll bring Gema back later on.”
“What time cause I gotta give her meds at a specific time?”
“Don’t play with me. I got her and her meds. I been doing this longer than you have,” I spat and slid the phone in my back pocket. “I’ll call you when we’re on the way back.”
I turned to walk away, but before I could make it down the hall I spun around. “Matter fact, I’mma bring her to her house. It would be wise of you and the rest of ‘em to meet me there. The tenants included.” Without giving her time to offer a rebuttal, I walked away.
“Why y’all not eating?” Gema asked and forked a piece of blueberry waffle that was drenched with sugar free syrup into her mouth. The three of us was smooshed in one of those tiny ass booths at Waffle House talking while Gema enjoyed her all-star breakfast.
“We ate earlier. We gon’ go for dinner before I drop you back off.”
“You handle that?”
“I did. I got all of the paperwork in the car. I can’t evict the folks living in your house but I’m meeting with them later and I’ll have them deposit the rent money into your account.”
“Litha ain’t got access to it do she?”
“I wouldn’t give your daughter access to my piggy bank,” I rasped, making her and Law laugh.
“Gema, your baby has been on one since we touched down. She tried to fight her mama earlier.”
“She ‘bout need to. I should’ve whooped her ass a long time ago.”
“Somebody should’ve. And where she get this too little outfit from,” I fussed. “She knew to pick you something better out.”
“She claims she ain’t want me to ruin my good clothes. Tuh,” Gema scoffed. “I told her all my good clothes back at yo’ house.”
“I know that pissed her off,” I tittered. “Prolly the reason she sent you out with them high waters on. Then the socks so long they damn hear touching the hem of them pants.”
“You know that girl ain’t got good fashion sense.” That made Law laugh so hard.
“I can’t wait for you to come home, Gema. I ain’t been back to work since you left.”
“You can’t do that, Tali. If it wasn’t for him–” She tossed her head at Law. “Being your boss, you would’ve been fired. Perks of laying under the boss I reckon,” she whispered the last part, but I heard her clearly.
“Bertha Mae, if you don’t cut it out.”
“I’m just saying.” She laughed.
“I wouldn’t have fired her, Gema. I understand life doesn’t began and end with work. All of my employees know I understand if their mind isn’t on the job, I can’t expect them to perform at their best. I would’ve still given her the time off.”
Giving him a pointed stare, she asked, “Who you tryna convince Law?”
“Keep me on my toes then Gema,” he teased.
“Before you drop me back off Tali, I want you to call Jessie so I can check on her.”
Her saying that reminded me that I still had her phone. Pulling it out of my purse, I sat it on the table beside her. “Don’t let her take it again, or me and you gon’ have a problem.”
“I ain’t know she had it to begin with. I went looking for it the other day and couldn’t find it.”
“Well, this time make sure you keep it on you. I’ll get you another charger cause I’on know what she did with the one you had.”
“Threw it away knowing her.”
“You ‘bout right. Hurry up and finish your food so we can go.”
After breakfast, Law and I took Gema to Walmart and got her a few more jogging suits. I made sure to grab her another phone charger. I even went as far as grabbing her a few of her favorite snacks. While she rode around the store in the motorized scooter, Law and I filled up the basket with everything we figured she would need.
We’d stayed out long enough for us to have dinner and when Gema told me she was ready to take it in, I called my mama and told her to meet me at the house.
When I pulled up, everybody car was in the driveway along with a few cars that I’d never seen before, I assumed they belonged to the people renting the house. My mama was damn lucky the outside of the house looked like it did when I moved. The inside better match as well.
Tapping my hand on the screen door, I waited for somebody to come to the door. When my cousin, Patrice, stepped into view, I knew like hell my eyes was playing tricks on me.
“Patrice, what you doing here?”
“Yo’ mama ain’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I’m renting the house from her.”
“This bitch,” I mumbled. “Come on Law.” I waved for him and Gema to come inside.
“What this ‘bout Tali?” Willearl asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” When Law helped Gema sit down on the couch, I stood in front of the TV with the bank envelopes tucked under my arms. “When I left here, I thought we had an understanding on how things were supposed to work. My Mama rented this house out and to her without my knowledge and hasn’t sent a dime of it to Gema. Going forward Patrice, whatever you pay her a month needs to be sent via money gram to me or you can deposit in Gema account.”
“I use that money to keep up the house,” my mama blurted.
“Shouldn’t be no upkeep. And if it is, that’s the tenants responsibility unless something breaks. And if that’s the case, Patrice got my number and know how to reach out to me.”
“This my mama house, Tali. You can’t tell me what to do with it.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Grabbing the envelope, I pulled the deed out and handed it to her. “This is my house. Not only do I own this property, but I own y’alls as well.”
“Wait a minute… what you mean you own ours?” Willearl asked.
“Papa Joe signed over every property that he owned to me.”
“You don’t own my house,” my mama popped.
“Actually, I do.” Pulling out her deed and the paperwork from the quick sale, I passed it to her. “Your husband fell behind on the property taxes. I bought it before the bank foreclosed on it. Ask Joe Lee, he will tell you.”
“This some bullshit. Mama, you let Daddy do this?” Louise asked in that shaky ass voice that pissed me off.
“I ain’t let Joe do nothing. He did that all on his own.”
“Correct. Gema had no idea. I don’t have no issues with none of y’all… my only issue is with that one.” I pointed at my mama. “I don’t want y’all house and y’all don’t owe me shit. I’m willing to sign all of them over to y’all if y’all sister drop this bullshit ass abuse claim against Mrs. Jessie and bring Gema back home.”
“Litha!”
“Willearl don’t call my name. Y’all ain’t see that purple bruise on Mama. Ain’t no way a fall in the shower caused that.”
“Gema is clumsy. She has to be watched at all times. You ain’t never seen me just let her walk around freely. The few times I do, I’m always close by. She don’t get around like she used to so a slip and fall is common. Why the fuck you think she wears that necklace around her neck.”
“What necklace?” she asked and looked over at Gema.
“You mean to tell me you ain’t paid no attention to the necklace around Gema neck.”
“We thought it was a regular necklace,” Betty Jo countered.
“It’s a fucking dog tag for crying out loud. Ugh! That’s neither here nor there. I gave y’all my terms and since I know how pigheaded y’all sister is, I’ll let her think on it. I’m going home tonight. You have a week from today to make your final decision.
Drop the claims and I’ll sign everything over. If not, then I’ll keep my name on the deeds. Everybody understand?” Everyone with the exception of my mama nodded their head. She didn’t have to agree, I knew they would be on her ass until she gave in. “Patrice, do I need to give you Gema account number or….”
