Feenin': The Ballad of DeVante and Serafina

Chapter Twenty-Eight: "Do You Know What You've Done!?"

DEVANTE POV

I was eating some of my Mom's lasagna with the boys. We were just chilling, looking for something good to watch on TV when I got a call from my nigga Treach.

Treach: Bro, ya bidness is being put all OUT in the streets by ya ex, dawg.

Me: What the fuck do you mean, nigga? 

Treach: Shorty baby girl done told the whole world about you giving her the Hail Mary, my nigga.

Me: STOP DOUBLE TALKING ME, MAN!!! What are you saying to me, dawg?

Treach: Turn to channel nine, man.

Dalvin turned to channel 9 and I....saw....this:

SERAFINA'S PSA:

"Hello, my name is Serafina Phillippe. In my 22 short years on this earth, I've experienced love, attraction, infauation, fear, anxiety, insanity, abuse, isolation, and paranoia....all by a man who told me he loved me. Six years ago in 1991, I was a bright-eyed 17-year-old who met a seemingly normal 21-year-old man who swept me off my feet with his sweet, caring, and polite nature. Little did I know that this was merely a ruse. As we progressed into a serious relationship, his tenderness turned to violence. His gentle hands were replaced with fists, choking, slapping, and occasional biting. Time and time again, I convinced myself that this new man was not the man I fell in love with. It couldn't be my baby. When I left him each time, I didn't know that it was my ticket to freedom. He seduced his way back into my life and we ended up married. The marriage lasted only NINE MONTHS! I came to the realization that my selfish decision for love was a very poor choice in judgment. What you want isn't always what you need. Abuse can come in many shapes and forms......the husband who mows the lawn, the clean shaven head honcho at Wall Street, or even a multi-talented singer-songwriter who I was married to. I had several names: Serafina Phillippe-DeGrate, Serafina Swing, the list goes on and on. Lamborghinis, Maseratis, access to all the hottest clubs, Prada and Fendi bags were the tip of my iceberg.....A man will only do what you allow him to. And for the longest I allowed DeVante to do the most heinous, painful and scarring things to me. Well, now I can open my eyes without feeling any swelling. My name is Serafina Phillippe, and I am a survivor of domestic violence at the hands of my ex-husband, Donald DeGrate. But he's better known as DeVante Swing. 

Take care, and call us because we do." 

I was BEYOND PISSED!!! It's bad enough my circle of friends know this shit, but for her to put the shit out there and the whole WORLD knows? Oh no, she's fucked up if she thinks that she can run her mouth and not feel the repercussions. 

Me: Ya'll knew about this shit!?

Dalvin: Hell yeah, we did. It's been all over the paper for the past week! You've been so busy that you had no time to notice anything else! 

Me: I'm going to kill this bitch, man! The fuck does she think this is!?

JoJo: Calm down, man. 

I turned the news and sure enough Dalvin was right! Serafina's PSA made headlines everywhere!

Newsanchor on TV: Good evening, today we have been recieving a flood of phone calls regarding a public service announcement made by domestic violence advocate Serafina Phillippe. The 22-year-old made a bold move when she discussed her abusive relationship with her former husband, Jodeci member/founder DeVante Swing. The couple met in 1991 when Phillippe was 17 and Swing, whose real name is Donald DeGrate, was 22. Initially, she was swept away by his "polite, sweet, and caring nature." However, as Jodeci became household names, Phillippe contends that Swing felt immense pressure from the group's label Uptown Records to maintain their success, and took the pressure out on her with physical, emotional, mental, and psychological abuse. The couple married in July 1996, but divorced this past April, with Phillippe citing "irreconcilable differences". Andre Harrell, head of Uptown Records nor Jodeci has yet to respond to Phillippe's PSA.

THE NEXT DAY....

Andre responded to Serafina's PSA yesterday. I wanted to go on TV and respond myself, but everyone decided against it. This is what he said.

ANDRE'S RESPONSE

"I am along with the rest of the music world, shocked, appalled, and devastated by this unbelievable portrayal of DeVante. We are all under pressure to keep the general public happy with quality music, but to say that you were abused by a kind, loving, gentle, and hardworking man is a stretch. Whilst I am aware that the couple did argue, I am unsure as to if DeVante was abusive to Ms. Phillippe because I was hardly present. However, if Ms. Phillippe was battered, I am sure that she would have notified other group members, DeVante is hurt and saddened that his reputation is being tarnished by a former spouse. In spite of this, he still loves his ex-wife a great deal, and would like to speak to her privately so that they can resolve their conflict in a civil and respectful fashion."

Everywhere I went, people would call me names such as "Womanbeater," "Wifebeater," "Punk," "Coward," or "B.A.N." (Bitch Ass Nigga). I did rough her up a few times, but she didn't have to put my name out there like that. 

SERAFINA POV

I was at home, snuggled warm in my bed when I heard my phone ringing. I groaned, smacked my lips and answered it.

Me: Hello?

Dalvin: Do you know what you've done!?

Me: Dalvin?

Dalvin: Yes! I'm not saying you didn't have the right to speak on the shit DeVante did to you, but you could have at least sat down, talked to us instead of going on tv. Not only does DeVante look like shit, we all look bad too! 

Me: You didn't just MEET DeVante, Dalvin! Talk!? There ain't no talkin' to that man. Plus, I would never talk bad about you guys. I didn't make DeVante hurt me, he chose to do it himself. You may be his brother, and his keeper, but Dalvin you know what he's capable of. Family or not, you need to figure out what is best for you: living with DeVante's behavior, or living with yourself. 

Dalvin: Why didn't you at least talk to me!? We're still family, me and you.

Me: And have your brother knowing what's up? I can't take that chance. And you took the chance of even CALLING me like this. 

Dalvin: I know. But I'm worried about you. 

Me: DeVante's the one you need to be worried about!

Dalvin: Look sis, just be careful. I'll always be here for you, but this is heavy...I mean---

Then, I heard some arguing in the background. 

Me: Dalvin....Dalvin....DALVIN!? WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON!?

I know the line didn't go dead, because I heard hella noise.

Me: Dalvin! Dalvin, you better quit playing and answer me!!! 

DEVANTE POV

I grabbed the phone from Dalvin, because everytime he was on the phone, he would peek over at me. 

Me: WHO THE FUCK IS THIS!?

Dalvin: Man stop D! S.Philly, don't hang up!

SERAFINA POV

I froze. I knew it was DeVante. I cleared my throat and stayed on the line. 

Me: Dalvin....?

DeVante: Wrong brother. BITCH.

Me: Can I speak to Dalvin?

DeVante: No. You wanna talk to him, speak to me and I'll relay whatever the fuck it is you have to say.

Me: Since you're on the line, I'll talk to you, DeVante. Just you and me, man and woman. Like we should be. I'm not scared anymore. You can't beat me, break me, hit or hurt me anymore. I tried reasoning with you, but you're just too irrational. You call me, I'll call the police. You send me any more notes, I'll call the police, you come for me, and I'll kill you myself. From here on out, you better forget about me and act like I don't exist. Either you're as smart as you think you are and step off, or else you're going to make things a lot harder than they have to be. 

DeVante: Are you threatening me!? 

Me: No, I'm stating facts. 

I hung up the phone and drifted back to sleep. Who knew that having the upper hand could be so liberating?