Family Lies

Treasure

August

I had just finished packing my bag to go back home to Cali. Me and True's flight was leaving early tomorrow morning and although I had really enjoyed my time getting to know my family, I still missed my siblings and Aunt Donna and I was damn sure missing my Baby. Me and Nic had talked almost everyday but still it was nothing like looking in those hazel eyes and getting lost in them. Just as I sat up I looked up to see Muffin Top still sitting on my bed and I got up to grab her. Even though I hadn't seen this thing in years and had unusually vague memories of playing with it, sleeping with it brought me so much comfort. I don't know if it was because I literally had nothing else to hold onto from my childhood or if knowing that Aunt Dot kept it all these years had me feeling a little special inside. But truthfully I didn't want to let it go.

I left my room to go look for her to ask if I could keep it. But after looking in the living room and the studio and not finding her I figured she'd probably gone to sleep early. I bumped into Divine on my way back to my room. "Hey girl. You know I'm gone miss you! It's been like having a big sister around here," she said with a pout on her face and I chuckled as she pulled me into a hug. "I know, I'm gone miss you too. But hey... we can talk on the phone and Aunt Dot was even talkin' about comin' to Cali for Christmas." Divine nodded while holding her arm. "Yeah. It was just really nice to have another girl around all the time. Did you finish packing yet?" I nodded.

"I did. I was actually just lookin' for ya mom but I guess she went to bed."

Divine laughed. "Girl you must not know my mom. I know she be up early but the lady stays up until the middle of the night. If anything she probably in her room lookin' at her clothes since she know she gotta take y'all to the airport tomorrow. Go knock on her door."

"Ight thanks. I'll come say goodnight before I go to bed since I probably won't get to see you in the mornin'."

"Ard cool."

With that I walked down the longest hallway before I finally reached Aunt Dot and Uncle Irving's bedroom door. And I started to knock but just before my knuckle slapped the wooden door I could have sworn I heard Aunt Dot talking like she had a frog in her throat or something. I was usually the type to mind my business and keep it pushing. But I would be lying if I were to say Aunt Dot's nosey spirit hadn't rubbed off on me over the summer. I put my hand down and stood as still as possible as I put my ear to the door. Turns out her and Uncle Irving was in there talking.

"What can I do bae?" My uncle asked. But Aunt Dot didn't answer right away. I heard sniffles and gasps and realized Aunt Dot was sounding like something really had her fucked up. I started to feel bad once I realized I was probably listening in on something that had nothing to do with me so I decided to give them their privacy. "You can't do nothin' Irving. I wanna keep 'em... I wanna keep 'em so bad but how do I do that when they got a whole life out there?" Oop, what the fuck? I know they ain't talking about me and my brother. My mind was telling me that I should probably be going back to my room but my feet felt like they was glued to the floor. I put my ear back to the door. "How do you know Donna wouldn't help you get them back? Baby that's your sister. Those your kids. We all want the same thing— for those kids to be safe and to not want for nothing."

Her kids?! Wait one damn minute. I burst through the door without knocking. I stood there mad and confused with my chest heaving up and down as I dropped Muffin Top at my feet. "Fuck you talm bout 'they her kids'?!" I snapped as Aunt Dot's face went so pale you could have thought she turned into a ghost. Neither one of them said anything so I was on the brink of clicking the fuck out. Since being here over the summer I'd experienced a whirlwind of emotions that I never expected to encounter. I had allowed Aunt Dot to get close to me faster than I'd ever let anybody in. I'd told this lady about things I was too afraid to tell God because I felt like I was honestly just getting to know Him. And it was starting to look like I had become best friends with a bold face lie. "I just know I'm not talkin' to myself!" I clapped my hands as I looked between the two of them and Aunt Dot just sat there shaking her head as tears continued to run down her face.

"Treasure, why don't you just take a second to calm down, okay? There's a very logical explanation to whatever it is that you think you heard," Uncle Irving said while holding his hand out and I looked at him like there was something foul in the air. "Calm down? I'm as calm as I'm gone be so don't waste yo time tellin' me to calm down. I know what I heard and it was very suspicious so whatever the fuck it is that y'all got goin' on— I need to know about it!"

"You might have the right to be upset. But you don't have the right to disrespect anybody in this room," Uncle Irving said as he stood up.

"Tell me what the fuck I heard!" I snapped again while stomping my foot and ignoring the bullshit that came out of his mouth.

Aunt Dottie stood to her feet and approached me slowly, so shaken with tears. She took a deep breath while staring into my eyes. "I'm sorry Treasure," she managed to say while shaking her head. "Why you sorry?" I asked with my fists clenched so tightly I just knew my nails had pierced the skin on my palms.

"Because... Dollie's not your mother Treasure... I am."

My mouth fell open as silence filled my ears and all kindsa shit flooded my head. In a fraction of a second it was like somebody had taken a hammer and banged it over my chest and my whole body shattered like glass. I wanted somebody to shake me awake and tell me I was just having one of my bad dreams. But I stood there piecing shit together that made all the things I had just been thinking were weird make so much sense. "Treasure say somethin'," she pleaded and when my attention fell back on her it was like fire ran through my veins as I saw every bit of myself in her.

"You lyin' bitch!" I snarled while pushing her and drawing my fist back to sock her but Irving stepped in between us trying to hold me back. But I was determined to put my hands on somebody and if it wasn't Dottie then Irving was just gone have to catch this work since he wanted to be in the way. "Yo, what the hell is wrong Tré?" True spun me to face him and held onto my arms and I swear it was like my tears burned my skin as they slid down my cheeks. "She's sayin' she's our mom!" I yelled while pointing at Dottie without looking at her.

True took a deep breath. "Ight well... let's just talk about it," he suggested, like what he'd just heard me say didn't change literally everything. "Whatchu mean let's just talk about it?! True! She's sayin' Dollie's not our mom!" He huffed. "I know." I snatched my arm away. "Fuck you mean you know?! You know or you knew?!"

"I knew. I always knew."

"You knew?!" And in an instance there I was stealing off on my brother, throwing punch after punch after punch until Dottie and Irving pulled us apart. "Get the fuck off of me!" I raged, breaking out of his arms and storming off to my room and slamming the door behind me.

"What the fuck dawg?!" I kicked the shit out of my suitcase before falling to my ass and bawling in my hands.