"I should wear your ass out like I did when you call ya' self sneaking out this house all them years ago."
Malia sighed. "Nana. I'm fine."
"You ain't fine." Her grandmother shot back. "Boy beat you black and blue. You call the cops?"
"Yes."
"Good." Nana stood from her chair. "Come on here. Let me get you something to eat."
After putting it off for about a week, Malia and Brooklyn went to the Sheriffs office this morning and decided to attempt to press charges against Devon. Brook had to almost force her but she got it done, and now she was at her grandma's house explaining to her why she hadn't contacted her in a week.
"I should get my gun and use every bullet on him." Nana complained, slamming pots around. "Beatin' on a damn woman."
"I'm okay."
"Shut the hell up."
Malia hid her smile, knowing it wasn't funny but unable to hold back. Her grandma was funny without even meaning to be. "Okay."
"You a better woman than me because I would've threw a pot of grits on him faster than he ca' throw a punch."
The young woman sighed, getting serious. "I couldn't do much. He's bigger than me. Stronger than I was."
"What about your man candy?"
"Nana. He's not my boyfriend." Malia said, referring to Ja. "And he already knows. Which is why he won't be at my apartment complex because he's gonna kill him."
"Well, he need to die." Nana says. "Chile, if he ain't lucky I can't throw these hands like I used to..."
"Sure, Nana." She says. "I'm just afraid to go anywhere."
Her grandmother turned around from the stove. "I ain't hand you that gun for no reason all them many years ago."
"Nana. I'm not licensed to carry that so I can't just be flaunting it around."
"You think I was licensed to carry it?" She turned back around. "Child, please."
Much like Malia's parents, her grandmother had a very troubled past. She just didn't let it take over over her entire life. Her grandmother also made sure she raised Malia correctly, not wanting her to live a similar lifestyle to her parents.
"I'm not gonna shoot anyone."
"You must like getting yo' ass beat, then."
"Nana!"
"I'm calling it like I see it." She said. "And he's lucky if he goes to prison because he don't want me to put hand on him."
Malia sighed. "I just want to be left alone. I didn't do anything to be bothered so the showing up and everything else is unnecessary."
"I hear you."
She leaned on her hand. "I think I'm going to see Dad."
"Mm."
The relationship Nana had with Malia's daughter wasn't an easy one to decipher. She respected David as a father because of what he always did for Malia. But, when he was using and selling drugs even after Malia's mother died, Malia's grandmother began to question whether or not he had something to do with her overdose.
That was a crazy thought because David loved Tiffany, but he was very into drugs as well.
"I'm not sure when, though."
"Tell him I said I hope he doing well."
Malia laughed as her grandma sat that plate in front of her. "Sure, Nana. What are you doing for the rest of the day?"
