Swapped

Chapter 36

Rock

“Ebony  you look so pretty” I said to my daughter as she stood in front of me modeling her new Mini Mouse outfit. Taylor had her hair done up in pink and white beads.

“Mommy fixed my hair daddy” she said rubbing her head. “Her did good”

“She did good” I said correcting her. She reached up and kissed my cheek and than ran and curled up next to Taylor on the couch. My son Jason was outside beating a tree with his baseball bat. He was a destructive little fellow. He like destroying things, climbing things, breaking and building. I watched him drop the bat and go running through the yard only to jump in a mud puddle. “That boy stay dirty” I commented to Taylor as she watched the television. She smiled at me but said nothing. Being that bath times tended to be her thing she already knew what it was. I was on bed time stories. I watched Taylor with concern because Crystal had recently contacted us out of the blue requesting to see Ebony. She had married two years ago and married some white dude that was of course a lawyer. Now she wanted to discuss custody. I wasn’t feeling it. I wasn’t sure why either. Taylor was saying she is her mother she is better she should be able to see her. I would have agreed to this but something was telling me Rock don’t let her see your daughter. I don’t know why maybe its because at some point in her life she was not fine and she was planning on hurting my boy. That made me nervous Id rather not deal at all. I just knew that if something happen to my baby Id have to kill her ass. Ebony was my little angel. I would have to kill her. “Daddy” Ebony said to me. I had walked over to the kitchen counter to pour me some coffee.

“Yes love” I said to her.

“Where did  brother go?” She said staring at the back yard. It was fenced in so I had no concern as I walked outside calling his name. I scanned the yard. He was a boy he could be up in a tree under the porch it was hard to call with Jason. As I walked down the steps I called out his name.

“Jason” I called.

“Daddy” He called back but I still didn’t see him. The voice came from behind me. I looked behind me and there my son was huddled in a corner with a stick poking at some-

“Oh shit son that’s a snake!” I grabbed his little behind and ran up the steps. Taylor met me at the door.

“Daddy scared ma “ Jason said to Taylor. I was…I ran and got my gun and by the time I got back outside and searched the yard the snake was gone.

“That joker disappeared.” I said coming back in the house. Jason shrugged his shoulders at me and Taylor. “He probably crawled back in his house.”

“Where was his house” Taylor asked?

“Under our house ma.” He said simply. Taylor’s eyes grew large.

“Rock fix it!” she said and in less then five minutes. She had packed up her things and the kids.

“We will be at my moms call me when you get rid of that thing. I’m serious Rock!” she said hauling duffle bags

“But baby wait hold up” I said protesting

“No but baby I am not sleeping in a house with a snake under it. Now do you want me to call my dad-“ I cut her ass off quick

“Hell Nah your daddy think can’t nobody do nothing right but him. I got this I’m a man.” I said sticking my chest out. She kissed my cheek and told the kids to wave as she drove off.  Now I stood there watching the car disappear. I had know idea how to catch a snake. The buzzing from my pocket caught my attention. I answered the phone kind of hesitant because I didn’t know the number. “Hello”

“Rock” the voice said?

“Yeh it’s me  who is this” I asked.

“Couple years go by and people don’t even remember the sound of your voice” he said.

“Khalil muthaf*** Richards!” Who going to forget yo balling ass! “Whats up Boy!” I said with excitement. Khalil was my boy and I had heard from him in forever. He fell all the way off. After a while I heard rumors of drugs and a bunch of other things that I ignored because what people don’t know they make up.

‘My N**** whats been up” I said  to him.

“Man surviving, ya know, working and stuff like that. What’s good with you how is ma dukes” he said.

“She good man she good. Trinity good. Man Trinity got a set of twins now. Ma in church man everybody good”  I said. “You sound good man”

“Yea I met someone man” he said. I could tell he was smiling when he said it.

“Word! My boy!!! So tell me about her.”

“She awesome man and she know about my past she okay I know about her past and I’m okay with it. We moving real slow though ya know but she special.” Khalil said. I worried I wanted dude to find someone and to date but a lot women couldn’t get past what happen and to put the whole sleeping with a man thing on top well it usually was a deal breaker.

“Everything man” I asked.

“Yea man she know about that to. I’m not into men Rock just so yuou know because I never said it.” He said defensively.

“You never had to man. That was foul but yo it’s in the past. Plus oh girl paying for that.” I said.

“What do you mean” Khalil said sounding concerned. This dude amazed me. I wouldn’t even care about that chick. “Yo she aint been right in awhile Karma a bitch man. They say she was sitting in a restaurant with her cuz you know dude that….done that stupid ish. Somebody offed his ass walked right up on him in a Micky Dees and blew that mans head off.  Oh girl went shell after that start walking around seeing dead people man they had her committed. Trinity went to see her and she said they had her so doped up that she aint even know who she was.” Khalil was quiet and I knew he was going to ask before he did. “What hospital is she in?”

“Khalil you cant seriously be considering going to see her after what she done to you. Her own family don’t deal with her.” I said.

“Why not?” he probed.

“Yo she knew her cousin that committed suicide yo she knew she was being molested for years and never said nothing. Those people need someone to blame and I guess she was next in line” I said.

Khalil was silent then finally he said “Rock thank you man for trying to get up with me I’m sorry I aint get back at you. Its just been hard man every day a struggle for me.” He said in that honest way that Khalil could express to you and still look hard.

“Dude when we going to get up?” I asked.

“Man you think you could text me that information about Natasha? My girl love to drive says it helps her think.” He laughed “I like being next to her so I guess I love to ride but shoot me your address I’m gonna come through soon. Oh and she not officially my girl she is but she don’t know yet. She kind of like me it’s hard for her to get close to people so you know just so I don’t scare her away we just friends when y'all meet” Khalil said. I nodded even though he couldn’t see me.

“Cool Khalil be careful dealing with that girl” I said.

“Of course” he said but I know Khalil he wear his heart on his sleeve.