Life After Heart Break

New Life

“Hello, can I help you?” The lady at the front desk asked. She was polite, but I was still scared she was going to turn me away because of how I looked. My hair was a mess, and the clothes I was wearing looked horrible in my eyes. It made me turn around and head for the door until she called out to me again.

“Miss…”

“You don’t have to say it. I know I don’t look like I can afford a house…”

“That never crossed my mind, but you came here for a reason, and I’d like to hear it before you walk out. Mrs. Clark is in, and she will speak with you if you’d like. We don’t discriminate here.” I nodded and took a deep breath. I understood her words, but that didn’t mean I believed them. I felt like I was nineteen again, scared and in college, getting my real estate license.

“I... I was wondering if you were hiring. I know I don’t look like—”

“Do you have your real estate license?” A woman asked, as I slowly turned to her. After I took a deep breath and prayed she wouldn’t turn me away. Anyhow I reached into my purse, pulled out my license, and handed it to her.

“I haven’t worked in a while, but I made sure I kept my license up to date. If you’re not hiring, I understand.”

“Actually, I am looking for a partner. My old one decided to go in a different direction. I’m willing to give you a chance, Ms. Roberts. I normally don’t do this, but I was taught to give everyone a chance. Don’t make me regret it. Be here Monday morning at nine, and I’ll take you with me to an open house and see how you do.”

I couldn’t believe it. She didn’t even look at me as if I was a bum. The only thing she wanted to know was if I was certified. But now I had to look the part, so I left and went straight home. I had to make a good first impression on Monday morning, but I wasn’t sure if I had anything to wear since Hendrix’s evil ass burned most of my clothes. I felt like he wanted me to fail in every way, which was why I didn’t have anything good to wear.

When I remembered the money he handed me without a thought, I pulled it from my purse and counted it, realizing he had given me over ten thousand dollars in one-hundred-dollar bills. Why would he do that when he was hellbent on not helping me? That’s when I noticed the note that had fallen to the floor.

‘Don’t call me again, but be grateful that I still care for you, since you’re the mother of my children. The next time, I’ll get a restraining order.’

He made me sick. He only did this to make himself feel better about what he had done. If I didn’t need the money, I would have taken it back and thrown it in his face. The bastard was something else, and he got off on my misery. I should never have gone into that restaurant. But if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the money to get out of this hellhole and buy what I needed for Monday morning. First, I was going to shop for what I needed. Then, after I got the job, I would start looking for a new place to live. It had to go in that order so I could secure a good place to stay.

*

*

*

Here I was, f*****g off with my boys like any other night. We were somewhere getting into some mess. It was what we did, but I was growing a little tired of it. All we ever did was hit clubs and f**k bitches. I couldn’t lie, it was fun at first when we were teens, but now, in my late twenties, this wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. I was rich, unlike most people who looked like me. You didn’t see that many Black millionaires where I stayed. They were mostly drug addicts, and we served them. That’s how my dad and his father before him stayed on top.

My grandfather started from the bottom and rose to the top of the food chain like an animal. Now we were a mafia, and every b***h wanted a part of me. Except I didn’t want any of them. They were good for a f**k, but after I was done, I left. I made sure not to get any of them pregnant, and I never slept with the same woman twice.

“Yo, Sevyn! I found us some hoes to bang tonight. Let’s hit up the hotel.”

“Nah, I’d rather go home. I’m not feeling too well, and that b***h who was sucking my d**k pissed me off. She didn’t know what she was doing and was using her teeth. Y’all can have fun. I want to go lie down.”

My homie John stared at me for a second before acting like the jackass he was and touching my forehead to see if I had a fever. Of course, I slapped his hand away. The fool knew better than to touch me, but he did it to get under my skin. He was my best friend, and we were like brothers.

“Nigga, don’t be touching me! What the hell is wrong with your crazy ass?”

“Damn, ain’t you too old to have that problem with people touching you? I was checking to see if you were okay. The Sevyn I know would never turn down getting some pussy.”

Maybe not, but tonight I wasn’t up for it and wanted to go home. I didn’t have to explain myself. I knew who I was, but tonight I didn’t feel like dealing with what they were doing. So, I left and went straight home. But as soon as I walked in, I wished I had stayed out with the boys.

“Who the f**k was it this time, Theo? I’m getting f*****g tired of you and your whores! Every other month there’s a new one!”

“Shannon, if you know what’s best for you, you’ll lower your f*****g voice when speaking to me.”

“Motherfucker, who the f**k do you think you are? Mr. High and Mighty? I’ll speak to you however I damn want to!” She yelled, and I sighed as I walked toward the room they were in. They fought all the time, and it always ended with my dad hitting my mom, but it wasn’t happening tonight. I was going to make sure of it.

“Dad... Oh, I’m sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“No, she was just leaving... and Shannon, you and I will talk more about this later. Don’t think you’re off the hook just because your son walked in.” In return, she rolled her eyes at him and left the room, making him turn to me while I wore a smirk on my face.

“When are you going to stop cheating on Ma? That s**t is getting real old, Dad.”

“When are you going to start minding your own business, or do I need to remind you who the dad is? It’s time for you to get your own place.” I smiled while he turned to his cup of whiskey and drank it in one sip. Then we stood eye to eye. He was waiting for me to back down, but he knew we were a lot alike, except I didn’t beat women nor cheat.

“I want you the f**k out of my house. You have two months to find yourself a place, or I’ll put your s**t on the side of the damn road myself. It makes no sense for a twenty-six-year-old to still be living with his parents.”

“You don’t scare me anymore, Theodore. So, you can stand there and huff and puff all you want, but you won’t do s**t. I’ll drag your ass all over this damn office.” I chuckled until the man punched me in the face. He knew I would hit him back, but before I could, I heard my little sister yell, “Stop!”

“Why are you always f*****g fighting? You are our Dad, and you treat my brothers like someone off the streets. I know you have to uphold this bad person routine, but you’re at home and that’s your son. So f*****g act like it!”

“You little bitch...”

“Hit her, and I promise you I’ll kill your ass,” I said as my little sister took a step back. Our dad must have thought I was playing because he raised his hand to strike her, and I pulled my gun and shot. I wanted to kill him, but I shot him in the leg, causing him to turn back and pull his gun to shoot when I heard two shots go off.

“Ma!”

“Get out of here. I don’t want them to know that you were here when I killed him.”

“I’m not leaving. I don’t care what they say. You shot him to save me, the future, Don.”

“Do you think that’s how your grandfather is going to see it? He’s going to think that you and Destiny were in on it. Leave, take your little sister with you, and don’t come back until I call. I have some things to do.” I looked at Destiny, who was crying and staring down at our dad lying lifeless on the floor. I felt nothing. I was glad he was dead, but I knew what would happen to my mom if the mafia learned that she had killed him.

“Burn it to the ground... Kiran… Quinton!” I called out as they came running into the office. Both of them looked at the floor, then back at me, without a care, since we were all treated like trash to him. The man loved his whores and illegitimate kids more than us, which was sad.

“We’re going to stage an attack. Turn off all the cameras and security, kill as many guards as are willing to die for us, and I’ll set the bombs. None of us was here when the attack happened. Do you all understand?”

“What will we do when they find out the truth? Pa will have your back rights?”

“Don’t worry about that. Sevyn get your brothers and Destiny and get out of here. Charlie will help me take care of everything else. I love you... I love you so f*****g much. Don’t either of you ever forget that.” Our mom said. Sadly, I knew what she was planning, and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t about to let her die over a piece of s**t. He didn’t love her. He was only with her because he had to be. It was an arranged marriage. Something my grandfather was trying to do with me, but I wasn’t the one for that, and he saw it quickly and stopped.

“I won’t allow you to kill yourself, Ma.”

“I am, and that’s why you’re not the one allowing it, baby. Now, leave like I told you. But before you go, I need a hug from each of you one last time.” She pulled me close and held me for at least a minute, then did the same to my siblings before she made us leave. There was nothing I could do to talk her out of it. She had made up her mind.

She and I were alike in that way, which was why it was hard to tell me when I was wrong, but we still left and ended up at a hotel two towns over. We could have gone to Quinton’s apartment, but I wanted it to seem like we were away from home when it happened. However, I couldn’t sleep that night without thinking about what my mother had done or was about to do.