Petals.

Part 5

Cash stared hard across the table at Benihana, disgusted at the sight of her parents sitting next to each other. Her mother had taken her dad back once again and they felt like celebrating the good dnews with her. It wasn't that she hated her dad but she resented him for all the lies, pain, and broken promises. Ironically, she couldn't stand a man who chased after pussy. "Cashmere how you been" asked her dad with a mouth full of rice. "Fine" she stated harshly then turning her attention to her frail mother "Mommy you been okay? I've been meaning to call and check up on you, Tino's asked about you"

"Tino?" he interrupted

"Yeah Tino, my man, the only man who's ever been there for me" she said coldly, all the pain from over the years was itching to come out but she didn't want to cause a scene around the restaurant. She hated acting like the stereotypical,angry and loud black woman.

"Oh okay tell him I said hey. How's school going" her mother said trying to change the subject, she knew their conversation was bound to get heated, Cash and her father were more alike than she knew.

"Why haven't I met this man" he still pressed Cash for answers, he might not have been around for his kids but he didn't want to see his little girl get dogged out like he had done her mother and may other women, "I'm in your life now so I deserve to know who your dating" Cash's chinky eyes got wide, not believing her father had the audacity to say what he just did. Her mother knew she was about to go off at the way she arched her to the side giving him a death stare before she spoke "My nigga, you weren't there when I needed you/ Its too late to be tryin to fix what you permanetly broke a long time ago. I can't stand the sight of you and I damn sure don't want anything to do with you. You'll never admit what you did wrong and I can't respect that. And Mommy, if you had any sense you'd leave with me now"

Her mother looked down at her plate as Cash stood up and pointed at her "Like every other time, he's going to what he always does, hurt and leave you until you take him back. I can't sit around and look at you suffer, it's not healthy or fair to me that I have to see that. When you finally realize that I'm not gonna wanna be there. Ma you know you're my everything but like his sorry butt, I don't want to deal with you" Cash leaned over and kissed her mother's teary cheek and walked out. How she felt at the moment she didn't care if she ever saw either of her parents again. If it wasn't for Tino, her heart would be completely cold.

She got on the highway headed back to South Memphis, lighting up her loud blunt and started smoking out her Pontiac G6, Marsha Ambrosia playing from her speakers. She dialed Tino's number but only got the voicemail. It was a sunny afternoon and she refused to go home and sulk over her deadbeat dad or gullible mother. She needed to realize at the nail salon, who better to go with that her girls. She called both of them on her 3 way.

"Hello" Jai and Vixen said in unison

"I hope yall dressed, lets go to the nail salon"

"I'm down, I'm at the park with Rodji, we'll be there in a minute..Rodji come on so we can go get beautified"

"I wish I could go but I'm stuck doing homework" Jai said , if Cash wasn't mistaken she could have sworn it sounded Jai had been cryin

"Jai you straight" she asked

"Yeah im good, just got into it with Angel, nothing serious"

"Well what happened to yall at Juju's party"

"He was tired, he wanted to go. Yall Call me later ok"

"Aight, love you B" Vixen and Cash replied

"Love yall too B"

"Vickie, I hungry" Rodjinae said pulling on Vixen's tote as they walked out the nail salon with Cash. "Ok bay girl, what you want"