Family Lies

Treasure

"Tré!" Jam pulled me down to hug me so so so tight as I walked into the door of my Aunt Donna's house behind Marilyn. I hadn't been here since I was ten years old, but everything still looked the exact same. "Hey Jam," I said on the same note as her. It had been months since I'd seen my little sisters, and though I was grateful for a break, I missed them like crazy. Especially this little one right here. 

"You gettin' big on me," I said in a chuckle as I picked her up and she laughed. "I been eatin' everyday! Aunt Donna can cooooook! She said you comin' to stay with us. Is you?" I took a deep breath. "It looks that way, Jam."

"Aye, Tré. Come upstairs there's somebody who wants to talk to you." Marilyn waved me over and I followed her up the stairs and into a bedroom where I found my aunt sitting up and folding some towels. "Mama. Look who I found," Marilyn said. Mama? Talk about needing to fill a void. Aunt Donna looked up and her face lit up like she'd seen Jesus or something. "Oh my God! Treasure is that you? You done growed up on me! Look at you, you so precious!" She laughed as she got up to hug me and I could only smile. "Hey Aunt Donna."

"Marilyn, gimme a minute to talk to your sister. And please go get those kids from the park for me if you can." My sister left saying, "Yes ma'am." Aunt Donna invited me to have a seat beside her as she went back to her task. 

"So how have you been, baby? You know, I been try'na get in touch with that Mama of yours but every time I call over there the phone is off." I shook my head and folded my hands between my legs. "Well I won't complain. Marilyn said that you were gonna let me stay here for a lil while so I just wanna say thank you." I watched her nod. "Of course. My door will always be open for you and any of your siblings. How old are you now? It's been years since I seen you! I hear you workin' now." I nodded. "Yeah. It's a part time thing at a hair store near my school. I wouldn't even have this job but the parents of a friend of mine own the store. And I'll be sixteen in a couple weeks."

"Wow. Speakin' of school, I heard you been missin' a lot of it. Listen, I don't got too many rules. But everybody who live in my house got to get they education. So you gone have to get that attendance back up. And if you havin' a hard time Mahzya can help you study. There's an empty bed in Mahzya, Summer, and Kash's room. And I cook dinner every night around about seven o'clock. You need to be here for that. I go to church twice a week. Wednesday night and Sunday morning. You gone have to make time for that in between your studies and that job you got. That sound easy enough to you?"

It sounds like a lot, actually. I nodded without saying anything. "It might seem like a lot but I promise once you get used to being here you'll see that I ain't askin' you for much. Some of your siblings have taken to callin' me Mama. But you can call me whatever is comfortable for you. So... what should I call you?" I shrugged. "Most folks call me Tré. Um... is True staying here?" I watched her sigh and nod slowly. "True might be out until dinner. I saw him last night but not this mornin'. If I'm bein' honest witchu Tré it's just as hard to keep tabs on True as it was to keep tabs on Dollie when we was comin' up. And I've talked to him and talked to him and talked to him but it seems like I just can't get through. I don't wanna lose him in plain sight like I did my sister... but havin' you around might help. Do me a favor and talk to him for me when you get a chance?" I nodded. "I will."

Aunt Donna smiled. "Thanks Tré. Summer should be in y'all's room. Why don't you go say hey and get settled in? I had the girls make room for your clothes in their closet so put everything away."

I stood to my feet and looked her over one last time.

"Thanks again. For letting me stay."

"Don't worry about it sweetheart."

Late That Night

I was laying in bed in the dark staring up at the ceiling when I heard my beeper go off. I picked my pants up from the floor to see that it was exactly who I thought it was— Ray. I snuck out of bed and downstairs into the dining room where I'd seen a phone earlier. I was trying not to make a sound because I knew my older sisters was sleeping in the living room and somebody was definitely sleeping in the basement. I dialed his number and stood there with my back to the wall. "Yo. This Tré?"

"Yeah, it's Tré. What the fuck you want Ray?"

"Calm the fuck down. I been pagin' yo ass all day, the hell you been doin'? Dollie told me you moved out and into your Auntie's house. Come outside, I came to see you." I rolled my eyes as I hung up the phone. I tiptoed across the floor and out the front door to see him sitting parked in that broke down ass truck of his. I approached and knocked on the window of the passenger seat. He reached over to wind it down and I leaned on it. "I ain't finna go no where witchu."

He scrunched his face up in confusion. "Just get in. Why you bein' like that?"

I huffed before climbing inside and crossing my arms as I sat there not sure of what to say.

 "What's goin' on witchu Treasure? I missed you baby." He started to slide his hand up my bare thigh as he leaned over to try and kiss up my neck. But just feeling him touch me made me so muthafuckin' mad and I punched his ass dead in the eye.

"Bitch what the fuck you do that for?" He punched on my shoulder as I sat up in my seat hitting him again.

"Don't put yo fuckin' hands on me bitch. You slept with my sister?!"

"What? It's you and me, you know I ain't do that shit. Who told you that bullshit?"

"Marilyn. You really fucked on her ass ain't you?!"

"Man that bitch lyin' I ain't touch her! You really wanna sit up here and go back and forth 'bout this?"

"I ain't finna go back and forth about shit! I just came out here to let you know I'm done! You can't get shit from me and I sure as hell don't want shit from you." I threw the pager he gave me at his forehead before getting out of the truck and slamming the door behind me. I fumed as I walked the short path to the door.

To my surprise, when I got in the house I saw Aunt Donna sitting at the bottom of the steps. 

"What was you doin' out there like that?" Aunt Donna asked quietly. I looked down at my body which was wrapped in a pair of the shortest night shorts I had, a big white tee, and some white socks. "Oh sorry... I just needed some air." She sighed while looking over me. "Come talk to me," she stood up and held out her hand for me to take. I hesitated but took it anyway. She took me upstairs and into her bedroom where Jam was asleep at the foot of her bed. She pulled me down to sit at the edge of the bed with her. "I heard you on that phone downstairs and I saw you get in that car. Was that your father out there?"

I took a deep breath and just nodded. "You don't talk much do you?" I simply shook my head no. "Why is that?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't wanna say the wrong thing I guess."

She smiled the smallest smile. "Well you should trust yourself to represent who you are at heart. You and your dad close?" I shook my head. "We used to be. Not no more."

"Why's that?"

I looked to my feet. "I don't really wanna talk about that."

"Okay, that's fine. But it's no leaving this house in the middle of the night for any reason. And Raymond Grimes ain't welcome nowhere in or around this house. You understand?" I nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Ight, get to bed. You got school in the mornin'. I'll have some bus fare for you before you leave."