Family Lies

Donna

“Hello?” Dottie answered the phone.

“Dot, the kids just got home. What the hell happened with Tré?” I asked while leaning against the counter.

My sister sighed and I could tell she was sitting up from the sound of what seemed like blankets and pillows ruffling in the background. “I know you not still in bed, girl. What’s wrong witchu?” Dottie didn’t talk and I just knew she was over there crying. “Aw Dot… tell me what happened baby.”

She continued sniffling before she finally started to talk, “I don’t even know, Donna… it’s like I got one of ‘em back and lost one all in the same damn day. True finally came around. He even started callin’ me Mama again. But yesterday I just felt so down in the dumps because I knew they had to go home but I wanted them to stay. And I couldn’t get myself together so I just came in my room and cried. Irving came up here try’na be there for me and for the first time in forever I ain’t even give him a hard time. I just let him be there for me. And we was talkin’ about how I was feelin’ and the next thing I knew Treasure burst through the door. She was so mad… I lost her for good didn’t I, Donna?”

“No,” I tried to assure Dottie but she cut in again, “I did, Donna… I know I did. After everything she’s been through… and at my hand… ain’t no way Tré will forgive me,” she cried. “Now Tré has been through a lot. But it wasn’t at your hand. Raymond is gone. And Dollie is getting hers every day. But regardless of what he did to you, nobody could have known that they would hurt that little girl like that. Nobody.”

“I should have just left his ass,” Dottie cried and I stood there silently, giving her an opportunity to get herself together and myself an opportunity to figure out where we were all supposed to go from here.

“When do you think you can fly out here?”

Dot took a second to answer. “I don’t know. Maybe next week. I’ll have to ask Irving for some money.”

“Well do that and call me as soon as you book your flight. I think we all need to just sit down and talk this out. Give the twins the space to get everything off they chest and just go from there. We’ll figure this out Dot. It might take time. But God’s gonna work it out. Ight?”

“Okay.”

“Take care of yourself, Dot. I love you. I’m gonna go talk to Tré now.”

“I love you too.”

I hung up and took a well needed deep breath. I’m gonna need a joint and a bottle of Crown when this is all over, I thought on my way up the stairs. When I reached the top of the steps I knocked on the girls’ door before entering to find Jam laying in her sister’s bed. “Jam. Where’s Tré?” She sat up shrugging with tears streaming down her face and immediately I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. “Did she say anything to you?” I asked as I walked further inside. “She said she had to leave before she did something bad. She said she can’t stay here no more.”

“Oh hell no, come on.” I put Jam on my hip before running downstairs to go yell down the basement steps.

“True! True, get up here!” I called and he came running upstairs. “Wassup?”

“Wassup? Your sister ran away, that’s wassup.” I pushed his shoulder as his face fell flat. “I’m still here. I ain’t the one who ran away, why you actin’ like this to me?” I sighed hard while shaking my head. “I’m sorry, True. It’s just so fuckin’ much for one day. Where would she go?”

“I don’t know…” True scratched the back of his head and I slapped it, causing him to jump. “Don’t fuck with me boy! Where would she go?”