Niecey. . .
I hated when Hakeem left me all alone. Ever since he got this job promotion I admit the money was better but the hours seemed to triple. I missed having my Baby in bed with me every night.
After I dropped him off at the airport I got a call from my mother. I had totally forgot that it was a Monday. I called her back but it went straight to voicemail. I figured that she was just calling to make sure I was on my way. I made my way over to my mother’s house taking the backstreets instead of the freeway.
When I pulled up I noticed her car wasn’t in the driveway. Some days Derrick would take my mother’s car so I didn’t pay any mind to it. I used my key to get in the house and walked straight in.
“Mommy.” She didn’t answer so she must have been upstairs. I made my way upstairs. “Mom?”
I heard a noise coming from her room. I went and opened the door. On the bed was Derrick watching a porn and jacking off. Oh hell naah. “Where’s my mother?”
“She had to drive downtown for an emergency meeting with the stock holders this morning.” He never let go of himself. I thought I would throw up. It finally hit me. This was the first time I’d seen Derrick in four years. Then a bigger reality set in. I remembered the reason why. I quickly tried to make my way down the hall but I heard Derrick’s heavy foot steps behind me. I began to run but I was too late.
I felt my hair being pulled and my back was slammed against the wall. He had me by my neck and I was on my tippy toes. “Where did you think you were going Deniece?”
“Derrick let me go!” I tried clawing at his hands but it was no use. I felt the same fear as I did when I was a teen. He wouldn’t let go of me and I felt his grip tighten.
“You were so lucky when you were younger. You got away. You even gave what belonged to me away to that bastard of a child, Hakeem. But, now it’s time to pay up. Daddy wants what’s his.” He dropped me to the floor and I grabbed my neck. I could barely breathe. I tried to crawl away but it was a failed attempt. He grabbed one of my wrists and a handful of my hair and began dragging me to the bedroom.
The first person who came to my mind was Hakeem. If I gave up and let Derrick take it, would Hakeem hate me for it? I needed to fight harder. I used all the strength I had to kick my leg above my head. With luck my foot landed right in his crotch with full force.
“You bitch!” He fell to the floor and I used this opportunity to run. I ran down the stairs and all the way to my car. I hauled ass all the way back to the condo. When I got to my bedroom all I could do was thank God. I cried myself to sleep. I woke up to the sound of the door opening to my bedroom. Who the hell was that? It was dark and I prayed it wasn’t Derrick coming to “get what was his”. The lights cut on and I was so glad to see it was my mother.
“Baby, are you ok?”
“What do you mean Mom?” How was I going to tell her that her husband, my foster father had been trying to molest me for years. I just couldn’t find it inside of me to break her heart. She broke down in tears and ran to my bedside getting on her knees.
“Baby, I know what happened today. Mr. Davids called me while I was in my meeting and told me that he’d heard screaming coming from the house. Then he’d explained that he saw you run out of the house in fear.”
“I’m fine Mom.”
“Your blouse is ripped. Hair wild and makeup smeared and you’re going to tell me you’re fine? I had security cameras installed in the house last year when I thought Derrick was cheating on me again. I replayed the tapes and saw the whole thing.” She reached in her purse and pulled out a flash drive, throwing it on the night stand. “I kicked him out. I would have killed him if he weren’t so strong.” At that moment I realized her black eye. She cried harder. “We’re going to the police Deniece. How long has this been going on?” I explained everything to my mother from the time I was 16 and it all started.
“Mommy, we can’t go to the police. Hakeem will hate me. He told me to never go to your house again without talking to you for confirmation. I messed up Mommy.” I began to cry like a frightened child.
“Baby, if you don’t want to I can’t make you. But, we need to get justice.”
“He will get what’s coming to him. Let God handle him.”
“Deniece, you know my motto in these situations. Raise hell and preach Heaven later.” I laughed at my mother.
“I’m sure about this Mommy. This is our secret.”
“Ok Baby.”
The next day my mother had a restraining order put in place for protection, for me and herself, from Derrick. I hoped that would keep him away. I had nightmares for the rest of the week. Thursday night I had Amelia stay with me for company. I felt so alone without Hakeem.
