Mama's Little Girls

three

Beyoncé Knowles
4 May 2019
Cemetery

I fixed the bottom on Raiya's dress as she clung onto me. Her legs were tightly wrapped around my waist with her head in the crook of my neck.

Akira sulked to my left as Jadah sniffled to my right.

Everything had happened so fast. Miss Kat only told me about her cancer last week and she died the following day. I didn't know how to feel about it.

On one hand, I was appreciative of how well she provided and cared for my girls. On the other hand, I resented her for not telling me of her illness sooner. I could've gotten myself together way quicker, so I could look after my girls.

We all watched the coffin be lowered into the ground. I had yet to shed a tear. My daughters were crying enough for me.

As soon as the burial was over, I placed Raiya back on the ground.

"Bye, grandma." Akira waved as we walked back towards the car.

Some people stayed behind to mourn a little longer, but my girls and I didn't have that luxury. I had to get them settled with me as soon as possible.

Maya walked by, placing a gently hand on my forearm before walking over to Rita and Willie.

"Watch your step right here." I quietly said to my daughters as we approached a step.

They all successfully walked over it without tripping.

As we got closer to the car, a beaten up car pulled up. When I spotted Keri in the driver seat, I made my daughters walk faster.

"Why didn't y'all call me?!" Keri hopped out the second the car was parked. All that yelling startled Akira, who got behind me in an instance, as my other girls looked over.

"Come on, get in the car." I directed them. Akira was the first one in.

"Mommy!" Raiya screamed out. She was clearly conflicted.

Jadah wrapped an arm around her little sister, turning the both of them towards my car. "Don't look at her." My eldest daughter murmured.

Keri saw that and scurried over, causing a ruckus. "Wait, where do you think you're goin?!"

"These are my kids, Keri!" I swatted her hand when she aggressively tried to grab Raiya. "Stop!"

"Get outta here!" Jadah pushed her mother when she tried to grab her too.

Before Keri could lay a hand on her, I stepped up to her, looking over my shoulder. "Get in the car, baby."

Jadah couldn't get through with both her mother and I blocking the way.

"Keri, stop. Quit it!"

"No, you get off me!" She pushed on my chest.

"Stop it, Keri! Stop it. For real." I moved, allowing room for my last daughter to get in the car.

Keri clenched her jaw, and balled her fist, like she was going to hit me for real.

"Everything all right, baby?" Her bum ass boyfriend, Joe, asked.

Ignoring his question, she directed her attention to me. "You get my kids out of this car!" She reached into the back, trying to grab Raiya again.

"No!" My baby screamed, jolting her body to avoid being taken.

"Keri, stop. You haven't been to see these kids in months. You wanna come take 'em now? Huh?!" I yanked her from my car.

"Get yo hands off me!"

"You gotta be crazy." I bitterly chuckled, shaking my head. "Get outta here."

Her bum of a man spoke directly to me as he leaned off of his car, walking towards us. "Nah, you need to back up!" He said.

"Yo, do me a favour. Shut up." I dismissed him, whilst still blocking Keri from my car.

He kept walking over, like he was about to do something. So I started approaching him too.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Rita walked between us all. Rita turned to fully face Keri. "This is your mother's funeral and you know she wanted these girls to go with Bey."

"What?!"

"Keri, you know it!" Rita waved her off. "You out whoring around with these thugs, she didn't want these girls around all of this foolishness!"

Keri stepped to her, pointing a finger in her face. "Lemme tell you sum', Aunt Rita, all right? These are MY kids! Do you hear me?"

"K-"

"You ain't just gon' take 'em from me!"

I rolled my eyes, climbing into my car. As I was about to shut the door, she held it open and I just deadpanned her.

"And let me tell you—go make your mechanic money. You save it, 'cause we're goin to court, you hear me?!" She shouted and I managed to shut the door.

She continued shouting loudly, which was scaring my daughters, so I sped off. I didn't need them around that type of mess.

—*—

"Momma, you know this place is too small for all of us." Jadah spoke up the second we entered my place.

"Well, we don't have anywhere else to go." Akira remarked, struggling to hold her backpack.

"We can go live wid mommy!" Raiya chirped.

Jadah huffed at her baby sister. "Yaya, mom don't want us. She never did."

"That's not true!" Raiya sassed with a hand on her hip.

I just stood with my back to the front door, watching them go back and forth.

"It is true!" Akira spoke up.

They all went silent, looking my way. "That true, momma?" Raiya asked.

I cracked a smile. "I'll tell you what is true." I paused, making sure they were listening. "I want y'all to come stay with me. Hmm?"

I pulled Jadah in and pecked her forehead, bringing a smile to her face too.

Raiya got bored of standing around and started walking towards the bedroom. We all trailed behind her.

"Where we gon' sleep?" She asked, as we entered the room.

"Well, I'm gonna sleep on the couch, and you guys- I mean girls, will sleep in the bedroom." I gestured to my room. "I fixed it up..."

Akira folded her arms and scrunched her face. "How bad was it before?"

I sighed walking closer to the bed, so I was in front of all of them.

I caught how Raiya swiped the dresser, with her finger, to check for dust.

"Momma, Yaya pees the bed." Akira exposed.

"And I ain't sleeping with her." Jadah chimed in.

"I do not!" Raiya defended herself. "Why you gotta put all my bidness out like dat? What's wrong witchu?" She kissed her teeth and sat herself up on the dresser.

"Whatever." Akira rolled her eyes and took off her backpack. "We need some separate beds or some bunk beds or sum', 'cause this ain't gon' work."

I leaned my body against another dresser in my room. "Well, I'll work on it, ok?"

"Well, while you work on it, how about feeding us and getting all three of us some food?" My youngest daughter requested. "'Cause all three of us are hungry."

"You know what? You got a mouth like your mommy. You need to put your clothes in them drawers right here, thank you." I instructed. "And, like this bedroom!"

I did a little dance, to make them all smile.

They giggled and started unpacking. As they did, I left to try whip something up in the kitchen. "Lord, how am I going to do this?" I shook my head.

🖤🖤🖤

Short and cute.