The Black Effect 2, page 5
“I ain't even gon’ respond to that stupid shit you just said.” I shook my head.
“Bro, why you acting like that?” Reem asked. “Don’t act like we don’t be getting money.”
“Man, you think that’s getting money?” I questioned, appalled. “Y’all gotta do better, especially since y’all be in my mom’s house and shit. I don’t want y’all bringing no heat to her crib.”
Zay waved his palm. “Fam, Auntie straight as long as we’re here. Ain't nobody gon’ run up in this bitch.”
I could’ve argued his point of view, but I wasn’t in the mood to debate with them. Instead, I made my way toward the back of the house but didn’t see my mother. I looked out the kitchen window and noticed she was watering some of the flowers in her garden. I stepped outside and snuck up on her.
“Boo!”
She jumped and turned around while laughing. “Boy, you scared the devil out of me. I can’t stand you, Canton.” She laughed.
I cackled as I kissed her cheek. If mama’s boy was an actual person, I would be the ambassador. Monica was the epitome of class and grace, and I was honored that God had chosen this woman to be my mother. Not to mention, me and her were damn near twins with brown milky skin, hazel eyes, and a birthmark that was located right under our chins.
“You were on my mind, this morning. I'm glad you stopped by,” she said, rubbing my shoulder.
I sat in the lawn chair and took in the beautiful array of flowers that were housed in her backyard. She had everything from peonies, curcuma, and cream daylilies.
“Mama, I need to talk to you about something I'm going through.”
“Uh oh, what's wrong?” she asked with a smirk. “Please, don’t tell me you got some thot pregnant.”
I chuckled. “Nah, it’s nothing that crazy.”
She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, good because we will not be stuck with any crazy baby mamas.”
Monica took a seat in the chair next to mine and turned toward me.
“So,” I began, “I lied to this girl that I like, and it doesn’t sit well with me.”
“What was the lie?”
“Well, I told her that I didn’t know who she was, when I really knew. It’s hard to explain, but she's connected to Jaide.”
She snorted. “Ugh, that heffa.”
Monica held the same disdain I held for Jaide. I think hers was probably much worse than mine.
“Yeah, so, the girl I like is married to the same man Jaide is married to.”
“She's into that polygamist bullshit!” she screeched.
“Yeah.” I laughed. “But she's leaving him. I don’t think the lifestyle was for her, so she is divorcing him. I'm kind of trippin’ because she's the first girl that I've been into since Jaide, did what she did to me. Like, I'm scared that I'm open to the idea of actually building something with her, if that makes sense.”
“That actually makes me happy because you were so broken up over Jaide for years. I prayed to God for him to release whatever hold that girl had on you. You could’ve been passing up a good wholesome girl because you were still stuck on that wench.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “But the new girl is special. I just hope she don’t pick up on the lie and not want to be around me anymore.”
“Just tell her the truth.”
“I can’t. I already lied, so I gotta ride it out.”
My mother side-eyed me. “Canton, you know I didn’t raise you to be a liar.”
I sighed. “I know Mama, but man… she's the kind of woman that would never talk to me anymore. Plus, she's going through a lot, and I don’t want to add to her stress.”
“I don’t like that explanation but do what you want. I'm just glad you're over Jaide’s ass. I told you when you first got with her that I didn’t like her spirit. There was something sneaky about her that I just couldn’t get with.”
My mother was never a fan of Jaide, but she tolerated her because of her love for me. At the time, I thought Monica had the wrong idea about Jaide because she was taking me away from her, but she had been right all along. I just wished I had listened to my mother before Jaide ripped my heart out and stepped on my shit.
“Oh, and I also got into an altercation with their husband.”
“Where at?”
“At the Timeless Lounge. I was there with Amai, and he ran up on us. He’s the one that told her that I was using her to get back at him. So, for a minute, Amai thought I was playing her.”
“Wait a minute,” Monica paused. “How did you say, you knew this girl again?”
“I saw her on Jaide’s pag…”
My voice trailed off when I realized I had said too much.
“On Jaide’s what? Page? Canton, I know you're not looking at her on your social media sites. Are you over her or what?”
“Yeah, I'm over her,” I spat defensively.
“Well, why are you on her pages and shit? That’s not what people do when they’re supposedly over someone.”
I wanted to retort, but I didn’t have a reply. I didn’t have a clear reason why I would visit Jaide’s pages. I guess, I wanted to see if she was suffering without me, if that made sense.
“Mama, why are you going so hard at me like this?”
“Because your mouth says one thing, but your actions are speaking a totally different language. I don’t know what that girl did to you, but you seem to have a hard time getting over her.”
“I don’t want her no more,” I insisted.
“Yeah, okay,” she spat sarcastically. “Did she put voodoo on you?”
I burst into a fit of laughter. “Really, Mama?”
“Yes, I'm being serious. Ain't no way you should be on her pages after years of being separated. Boy, I'm about to call my pastor over here and douse you with some holy water. We need to get that heffa out of your system.”
“I swear, she’s not in my system. Stop turning this into something that it’s not. I'm trying to tell you about Amai, but you're telling me I'm still on Jaide. You got it wrong this time.”
She waved her hand. “Baby, you know mother knows best, so don’t play me like I don’t know what I'm talking about. What I will say is, take things slow with the new girl. You don’t want to rush things, especially since she is technically married.”
“That’s the plan, Mama. I know how to play this.”
“You better because if you don’t, you're going to be heartbroken all over again.”
“And the HOA fees are around $500 a month. Do you want to see the clubhouse and the pool?”
I glanced around at the open space with the gourmet kitchen and shook my head.
“I think this is enough. Can I have an application?”
“Sure.”
The woman pulled out a piece of paper from her folder and passed it to me.
“I’ll give you some time to fill it out. I'm going to step outside to make a call.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I was finally looking at houses and settled in my mind that this was the one. It was a townhouse that was in a safe community with a mixed neighborhood. I had taken it upon myself to seek my own housing rather than go through Canton. While I appreciated his offer, I wanted to get things done on my own. This would be the first time I would be living alone, and I wanted the actual experience of obtaining my house without the help of anyone.
“I think you could do a lot with this space, Amai,” noted my dad, who was looking around.
“Yeah, me, too. I can see myself in this house. Plus, I already see myself filming a house tour video.” I laughed.
“Who are you kidding? You're probably going to go straight to the stores and shop for every room in this house.”
“Actually, I am because I already have some ideas of what I want the décor to look like.”
He smirked. “Yeah, I'm sure you do. Hey, would you mind if I looked at a place here? I don’t want to step on your toes or anything.”
I was still trying to process that my parents were divorcing. Out of all the couples in my life, I always knew that they would never break up. I never suspected my mother would be the one to step out on her marriage and practically ruin it.
“I don’t mind at all. It’ll be nice having you around.”
“You know, I'm sorry for agreeing not to contact you when you and Nadir were together. I can see how that action would lead you to think that me and your mother were sellouts. I never wanted you to think that we traded you in for some cash.”
“But you did,” I pointed out. “How did he even approach you with that offer?”
Nate sighed. “I really don’t want to get into all that. Let’s just move forward and try to create a great bond that no one would ever be able to come between again.”
I recognized his slick way of avoiding my question, but I let it slide for the sake of moving on.
“Yeah, okay.”
My phone chimed, and I realized I had an email. I quickly opened it since I worked with several different beauty brands. My eyes scanned over the email as my hands became sweaty.
“What's wrong?” Nate asked.
I must've held a look of concern for him to ask me that question. “It’s um… it’s Nadir’s lawyer. He wants us to get together, so we can dissolve the marriage contract.”
My throat was aching as I read the email, once more. The life that I once knew was about to be over and it wouldn’t include Nadir, Raye, Jaide, or the children. My eyes watered at not seeing the kids anymore. I loved them like they were my own, and the thought of not being in their lives tore me apart, but I had no control over this. Nadir and I weren’t on the same page and we probably never would be. He put his hands on me, and I couldn’t look over that fact. Nadir had caught me with Canton, and I was sure in his mind, he thought I cheated. If I knew him like I thought, he would never forgive me for something like that. This was the end and reading this email, confirmed that we had both accepted that fact.
“When does he want to meet?”
“Tomorrow at one.”
“Would you like me to go with you?”
I looked up at him. “Would you, please?”
“Of course, I will. I told you that I would be here for you, and I meant that.”
Hearing that promise meant the world to me. I needed a support system, even if it was only my father. I wasn’t going to take the meeting lightly. Me and Nadir’s chapter was closing, and I was going to need all the emotional support I could get.
The meeting…
My foot tapped profusely as I sat next to Nate on the bench. I was edgy with the thought of seeing Nadir. I adjusted the collar of my red blazer and rubbed my nude lips together. This was it. The ending of what was supposed to last forever. Was I ready? Maybe... I wasn’t too sure. Before this meeting, I was mentally prepared to move on with my life and without Nadir. Now, I didn’t know. I was feeling some kind of way, and I didn’t know how to express it because I was truly confused.
“How are you feeling?” asked my father.
I shrugged and looked toward the door. I was secretly waiting for Nadir to walk through the threshold of the office. I felt like once I saw his face, it would be confirmation for me to feel like this was the right thing to do.
“I just want to get this over with.”
“I know, but I really wish you would’ve found an attorney. You shouldn’t go in that room with him and his lawyer alone.”
Because the meeting was announced to me on such a short notice, I didn’t have time to seek an attorney on my behalf. I didn’t want anything from Nadir, and I knew he wouldn’t require much from me. So, in my mind, I felt like me not having any representation would be safe.
“It’ll be fine, Dad.”
“Are you sure? Divorces bring out the worse in people. You don’t know what kind of mindset Nadir is going to come in here with.”
I knew what he was saying was true, but I had no way to change the circumstances. All I could do at this point was pray and hope for the best.
I sat back and glanced at the phone. The meeting was set to start in the next five minutes. We sat in silence until the door swung open. A black man with a low taper walked through the door, wearing a blue suit and carrying a briefcase. My eyes drifted behind him, my heart pounding fiercely in my chest. Nadir entered with his usual confidence that used to make me melt at a second’s notice. His face was stone, but that hair and beard were cut to perfection. He wasn’t even in close proximity to me and I could smell the scent of his cologne. He was polished, donning a deep red suit and white shirt.
I'm shocked his ass isn't wearing black…
I looked at my attire and then back at his, not believing we were clad in the same color. Nadir’s eyes suddenly fell on me. My breath paused for a moment as his unreadable orbs consumed me. He quickly looked away, which prompted me to exhale deeply.
“You must be Amai,” said the man, who I assumed was his attorney.
“I am.”
He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Avery Mack. Do you want to step into the conference room, so we can get started?”
I nodded, rising from my seat. “Sure.”
“Amai, would you like me to go in with you?” Nate offered.
“No, I'm fine.”
I stepped inside the room first and took a seat in the middle of the long, mahogany table. Nadir and his lawyer sat on the other side as I tried to keep my heart rate from skyrocketing. My eyes continued to wander to him without my permission. I hated him, but still held a deep love for this man. I didn’t expect my adoration for him to fade anytime soon, but I didn’t want my eyes to devour him like they were.
“So, Mrs. Black, I was looking over the contract that was signed three years ago and there are some stipulations that we must go over. My client had a clause that if you guys didn’t make it past five years, both parties must agree to end the marriage. I have to ask; do you want to terminate the union?”
I licked my lips for what felt like the twentieth time that day. “I do.”
I glanced at Nadir, who was pulling at the hairs on his beard. He was looking at me, but I still couldn’t read him.
“Okay, and Nadir would you like to end the marriage?”
He leaned forward, eyes still on me. “Yep… can’t have a cheater on my team.”
That comment made me suck my teeth. “Really, Nadir? So, you just know for a fact that I'm a cheater?”
“What do you mean really? As if I'm making up some shit on you. You’ve been creeping on me and don’t lie and say that you haven’t.”
“I have not,” I countered. “I've never cheated on you.”
He twisted his lips. “I don’t believe that. You’ve been sneaking around for a while. I just finally caught you in the act.”
“What act?”
“Guys let’s just stick to what we were doing,” suggested Avery.
“Oh, so, you weren’t all up on ol’ boy when you were at the lounge?” Nadir asked. “So, you're telling me he didn’t have his hand wrapped around your waist? You weren’t about to kiss that man, Amai? Are you telling me that my eyes ain't worth shit?”
I swallowed hard, taking time to gather my words. If I was guilty of anything, it was almost kissing Canton that night. My behavior did project me in a light that seemed as though I was up to no good. I couldn’t fault anyone for that except myself.
“It wasn’t like that, Nadir,” was all I could say.
“Yeah whatever.” He waved his hand. “My mama had warned me about you, Amai, and I ignored it because I thought you were solid. Now, I'm regretting even putting you in a position to be next to me.”
The mention of his mother had me enraged. “Your incubator ain't shit. She's a disgusting human being, who likes to go around spitting on people. I never gave her a reason not to like me and you know that. Don’t mention her ass to me as if she hasn’t made my life hell for the last three years.”
He shrugged. “Aye, she be knowing what she's talking about. She said you were never good enough for me and that ended up being the truth.”
Damn, those words stung and not because they were honest. It was because Nadir truly believed that he was better than me, and I was nothing to him. I had given him all of me without hesitation. In fact, I had emptied so much of myself that I didn’t think I had anything left of me.
“You're going to regret saying that to me,” I muttered.
Nadir chuckled. “Oh, yeah? How so?”
“Because I will fucking ruin your abusive ass.” I looked at his attorney. “Did he tell you how he put his hands on me and choked me? He’s a man that doesn’t have a problem putting his hands on women.”
Avery glanced at Nadir before chuckling nervously. “Uh, no, I wasn’t aware of that, but we can get right back to figuring out the stipulations to the contract.”
“Oh, so you want to brush over that part, huh?” I snorted. “Your client is a controlling piece of shit, who I regret marrying. He made my life hell and would try to make up for it by showering me with gifts.”
“Wow? So, now I'm a piece of shit? And you regret marrying me?” Nadir asked, stunned.
“Absolutely,” I hissed. “Do you think you were this great man? Well, let me break it down for you; you weren’t. You controlled everything, you didn’t show much love, and you closed yourself off to the point where I don’t really know who you are. You weren’t affectionate and when you did show some, it was during sex. I had to be around you, Raye, and Jaide all the time, and I hated that shit.”
Nadir’s brows hiked as if he was hearing something heinous. “Are you serious right now?”
“I'm very serious. We didn’t spend any alone time together. You made me be around your mother, who hated me, and you never protected me from her. I mean, you would try your best to check her, but every week you would subject me to her verbal abuse and deep down, I hated your ass for that. You were a husband, who only provided money and dick to me. I couldn’t come to you when I was going through something. I could never tell you my secrets and the reason why is because I didn’t trust you. Newsflash, you weren’t the man you thought you were to me. You actually ain't shit.”
