Family Lies

Treasure

“Hey my sweet babies,” Aunt Donna said with so much excitement as she stood off of her car with her arms open and I walked right past her to get in the back seat. “Oh I know her little ass didn’t,” I heard her say as I shut my door. “What’s her problem?”

“She know,” True said.

“She know she gone get her ass whooped for serving it up for me to kiss?”

True laughed as I rolled my eyes. “No. She knows that Dottie is our mom.”

“Oh my God. How did this happen?”

“Long story. Come on, let’s go home.”

True put our bags in the trunk and they both hopped in before Aunt Donna sped off. The entire ride was filled with awkward silence until Aunt Donna started playing that old Finally Karen CD I gifted her for her birthday. 

“Yesssss, he is good to me!” She sang along to the tune and I made my stankest face. I guess she called herself trying to ease her way back into my good graces. But that wasn’t gonna happen. Just sixteen hours ago, I found out that damn near everybody in my life was practically lying to my face everyday for years. As far as I was concerned I had nothing left to give anybody who had ever lived under Aunt Donna’s roof. Not love, not trust, not nothing.

When we pulled up in front of the house I grabbed my own suitcase out the back of the car and headed straight for the door without waiting for anybody. I let myself in and immediately Jam was jumping up and down in my face trying to get me to pick her up. “Tré! Up up! Up up!”

“Not right now, Jam. I’m not in the mood, okay?” I asked while picking up my bag to carry it upstairs without speaking to Summer or Kashmir. “But… I missed you sister,” she said, following behind me.

“I know. I missed you too.” I went in the room I shared with Mahzya, Kash, and Summer and left my suitcase at the foot of the bed as I went through the closet to pull out my duffel bag and at least a week’s worth of clothes.

“Are you leaving again? You just got back,” Jam whined as she watched me throw my clothes into the bag. I looked up to see her pouting with her arms crossed. I took the biggest sigh as I sat her on the bed and kneeled in front of her. “Yeah, I’m leaving. But I’m not comin’ back this time.”

“What?” Jam asked with a voice that was threatening to crack and tears I could bet were ready to roll down her small face. “Why?”

“I just can’t stay here no more. When Aunt Donna said I could stay here… she told me I could keep this key as long as I respected her and her house,” I explained as I pulled the key out of my pocket to hold it in my palm and we both looked down at it. “Well what you do? You can’t ask her to stay?” I shook my head. “That’s the thing Jam… I didn’t do nothin’. But I wanna leave before I do.”

She smacked her teeth. “But Tré… I don’t want you to leave. Who’s gonna yell at Kashmir when she’s being mean to me?”

“You will. I told you before, you gotta learn how to stick up for yourself. You’re little. But you ain’t gotta take nothin’ from nobody. You understand? That’s why I’m leaving… I know I ain’t gotta take nothin’ from nobody.”

“Please stay?” She cried and I rolled my eyes before pulling my baby sister into a hug and holding onto her.

“I’ll call to check on you. Okay? And Summer will always look out for you.” I pulled back, kissing on her hair. “I love you baby. Look on the bright side… you get to have your bed back.”

“But I don’t want it. I just want you to stay,” Jam whined.

“I’m sorry Jam. I just can’t do it. Here.” I reached in my pocket and counted out twenty dollars. “Don’t show this to nobody. Just keep it on you so when y’all go to the store you ain’t gotta ask nobody for nothin’. And don’t spend it all, save some. Ight?” I folded it up and wrapped her hand around it. I stood to my feet and finished throwing my little bit of stuff in my bag before dashing down the stairs and out the house before anybody could say anything to me. Instead of taking the bus I decided to walk even though I did have my bus pass.

I needed time to think and be by myself and I knew this long walk would give me plenty of time to do just that. I can’t say I would have expected any of this, but what really had me fucked up was the betrayal I’d experienced at the will of my own damn brother. Me and True ain’t never been perfect. We always had our bullshit. But I would have never in a million years thought my brother was capable of sitting on a secret like this— and for years. It didn’t matter what he had to say or what Dottie or Aunt Donna would have to say today, tomorrow, or yesterday. I ain’t got no patience left for any of them.

I walked and walked and walked until I found myself standing at the bottom step of Nic’s porch. I ran up the steps and knocked until somebody came to the door to answer. And when they did it was Miss Gwen. From the look on her face I was sure that my constant knocking had irritated her. But I didn’t have the energy to exercise my manners. I just wanted to lay my eyes on somebody I actually trusted.

“Tré… hey sweetheart. Everything alright?”

“Hey Miss Gwen. I’m fine, sorry for knockin’ on your door like that. Is Nic home?”

“Yeah she is. Come on in. I’ll get her for you.”

I walked in the house behind Nic’s mom and waited for her by the door as Miss Gwen called her downstairs. “Yeah ma?” Nic asked as she came running. She stopped halfway down the stairs when she saw me. “Wassup boo?”

I smiled as I approached her. “Hey.”

Nic pulled me up and to her room by the hand.

“I’m sorry for all the bullshit that’s goin’ on Tré. Real talk. You need anything?” I shook my head while rolling my eyes to the ceiling as I made myself comfortable on Nic’s bed. 

“Don’t you get tired of feelin’ sorry for me?” Nic came to sit beside me and place her hand on my knee. “It’s not that I get tired of feelin’ sorry for you. I get tired of life draggin’ you through the mud. I just wish that there was somethin’ I could do to make it all better.”

I sat up to scoot closer and put my hand over hers. “Maybe there’s a couple things you can do to make it all better.”