Side Chic 3 (The Ratchetness Continues) (3 page)

After three
weeks of being in ICU, Tre was moved to a regular room. He was doing a lot better and looking forward to coming home. I’d been going to see him maybe twice a week. Lala was up there every day like she was his wife or something. I tried to avoid seeing her as much as possible because every time that I did see her all I wanted to do was beat the shit out of her. So to avoid catching a case. I kept my distance. Also, I didn’t feel like I owed it to Tre to be by his bedside every day. I hadn’t forgotten at all the reason that he was in the condition that he was in.

Today I was taking the boys to see him for the first time because they hadn’t seen him since everything had gone down. We walked into the room to find Tre sitting propped up in bed watching TV. I was surprised to see there was no one there with him because normally his parents were there around the clock or LaQuela.

“Daddy!” Quan and Shaun squealed running towards the bed. They’d been hype the entire drive to the hospital. They were extremely
happy to see him.

“Y’all be careful now your daddy is still in a lot of pain!” I called to them.

They both stopped next to the bed and stared up at Tre like they were afraid that getting to close might hurt him.

“Are you coming home with us?” Shaun wanted to know.

Tre looked weak but that didn’t stop him from smiling at the boys. “Nah, daddy can’t go home with y’all today but I’ll be going home soon.”

“Why you got to stay here?” Quan asked looking sad.
The smile that he’d been wearing only seconds ago was now gone after hearing that Tre wouldn’t be going home. They weren’t used to being away from him. It’d been worse enough that before this happened they’d been separated from him because of what was going on between us. “I want you to come home with us.”

“I know lil man but I will be home soon.”
Tre reached over and rubbed him on his head. I saw him grimace in pain.

I was about to ask him if he was okay but before I could say anything. Quan yelled.
“I hate that man who shot you!” He folded his arms over his chest.

“When I get big, I’m going to buy a gun and shoot him back!” Shaun blurted obviously upset at the fact that his daddy couldn’t come home. They didn’t really understand the situation all they knew is that someone had hurt their daddy.

“Shaun!” I grabbed him by his arm and turned him around so that he was facing me! “Don’t you ever let me hear you say anything about buying a gun again or shooting anyone? Do you understand me?”

“But…he shot my daddy!” He didn’t back down.

“Exactly, he did something bad but that doesn’t mean that you should do something bad too! Guns kill people! Do you want to be responsible for killing someone?” He shrugged his shoulders.

“S
haun, come here.” Tre interrupted patting the spot on the bed next to him. Shaun crawled up on the bed next to him and so did Quan. “Listen, I know that all of this is a lot for y’all but I don’t want y’all talking about guns or killing people. That’s not a good look, okay?” The boys nodded their heads.

“But daddy…he hurt you first!” Shaun
wasn’t trying to hear any of what Tre or I was saying. He wanted to hurt whoever was responsible for his daddy being hurt!

Tre shook his head looking away. I saw
tears in his eyes. “Nah, he didn’t hurt me first.” He let out a sigh and then turned his attention back to the boys. “Your daddy did something really bad and hurt him first.”

“You shot him too?” Quan asked wearing a confused expression.

Tre reached up and wiped his eyes. “No, I didn’t shoot him first but I did something just as bad. I hurt his feelings because I was a bad friend and I made some bad decisions. He did what he did out of anger because he was hurt but he’s not a bad guy. He’s actually a really good guy who made a bad decision because he was hurt.”

“I don’t understand.” Quan admitted. “How is he good if he shot you?”

“Shooting me was bad, that was a mistake. Good people make mistakes too. Nobody’s perfect.” Tre explained looking up at me. I looked away because I knew that those words were directed at me.

The boys sat on side of the bed and continued talking to Tre for the next hour while I sat in the chair reading the book that I’d bought with me.

There was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Tre called.

I looked up thinking that it may be one of the nurses coming to check his vitals or give him his medicine.
The door opened and LaQuela walked in pushing a stroller with the babies inside. “Hey…” She looked around. “Oh I’m sorry, we can come back later.” She apologized.

By now the boys were both off the bed and leaning over the stroller cooing at the babies.

“Ma, these are my sisters.” Quan announced proudly.

I rolled my eyes getting up from my seat. I stuffed my book back inside of my pocketbook. “Tre, I’ll bring the boys back tomorrow!” I snapped.

“Ma, do we have to leave?” Shaun whined. “I want to hold the babies.”

“Shaun, don’t start.” I shot him a serious look.

“No, I’ll leave.” LaQuela said backing out of the room. “Y’all were here first.”

I looked at her. “
It didn’t seem to matter to you before that we were here first! Now did it?” I tossed my pocketbook on my shoulder. “Come on boys so your daddy can spend time with his other family!”

“But ma…” They both cried.

“Kisha…don’t…” Tre pleaded. “Please stay for a little while. Today is the first day that I’ve seen them in a while. No one has to leave.”

LaQuela had already left out. I looked at him. “Do you honestly think that I am going to sit up in here with you and that bitch like
everything is cool and all is forgiven?” I let out a chuckle. “Are you sure that you don’t have a bullet lodged in your brain?”

He shook his head. “Kisha this isn’t about her. I want to spend a little more time with my children.”

“Nigga this has everything to do with her! It has everything to do with the fact that you been fucking everything moving behind my back!” I lost it! “Have you forgotten why you are lying up in here in the first place?” He looked away. “Oh, you ain’t got shit to say now huh?”

“Kisha…” His eyes went to the boys. “Chill out. Don’t talk like that in front of them.”

“I am grown! I will say what I want when I want!”

“I know that you are grown.” I could see in his face that he was becoming upset but he remained calm. “Why are you being like this? I’m not asking you to hold a conversation with her or to like her. I just want to spend a little bit more time with my kids. That’s all.”

I sucked my teeth. I’d been trying to be understanding and put my feelings aside. I’d been coming by the hospital to check on him and make sure that he was fine, knowing that I probably shouldn’t even give a damn considering the reason for him being in the condition that he was in, in the first place. I’d been trying to keep in mind that regardless of everything that had transpired he was still Shaun and Quan’s daddy. I even thought to myself that if the situation was reverse he would probably put his differences aside and be there for me but enough was enough! “Tre cut the bullshit! You know why I won’t sit here in the room with you, her and y’all children! You shouldn’t even ask me to do that, regardless of the reason! That bitch destroyed my home…my family! Hell no, I will not sit up in here with you and her! I’m sorry but I just can’t do that!” I paused and then asked. “Could you sit in a room with me and Skeet and act like everything is cool?” He didn’t reply he just looked the other way. He didn’t have to respond because I already knew the answer. “Exactly!”

I grabbed both boys by their hands and headed for the door. “Bye daddy.” They said looking back at
Tre waving.

“See y’all later. I love y’all.”

When we got out in the hallway, LaQuela was sitting in the waiting area across from Tre’s room. I turned my head.

“Kisha…hold up!” She called.

I spun around and looked at the bitch that’d destroyed my family. What could she possibly have to say to me? “Bitch, I know damn well you ain’t talking to me! Do you know that I will mop the halls of the hospital with your ass?”

“Kisha, I don’t want any trouble.” She explained. “I was just letting you know that I don’t mind waiting out here until you and the boys are done.
It’s really no problem. I know how badly Tre has missed them. If I had known that y’all were coming I wouldn’t even have come. Like I said I don't ’ant any trouble. I am trying but you have to meet me have way…”

“Bitch, I don’t have to do shit!” I roared. The nerve of this no good bitch standing in my face talking about meet her halfway!
“How come you didn’t meet me halfway by keeping your fuckin’ legs closed and not sleeping with my man?”

She looked around I assume to see if anyone was watching and indeed half of the nursing staff was and some of the patients. “Okay Kisha, I see that we can’t be adults about this.”

“You’re right, we can’t be shit.”

She threw up her hands. “Okay…fine. I am not going to argue with you in front of the kids.”

“Girl…mmph…mmph…mmph…whew!” I was trying to calm myself down because all I wanted to do was punch her in her hoe ass mouth! I did the best thing that I could at that moment. I turned and walked
away down the hall without saying anything else.

 
Tre

             
One month later…

             
Finally I was being discharged from the hospital. My parents had come to pick me up.

             
“I am so glad that you are out of that hospital.” My mama shared as we drove home. “I don’t think that I could’ve taken seeing you in that place another second.”

             
“I’m glad to be out of there as well.” I replied. “I can’t wait to get home to my babies. I’m going to try and get Kisha to let me get the boys for a few days. I just want all four of my kids together with me at the same time. Even though, I’ve seen them all almost every day that hasn’t been enough. I’ve still missed them like crazy.”

“One thing I can say about you. You may have a lot of flaws but you are a good dad.” My mama commented.

“I guess but I plan on trying to be better at it. Nearly losing your life makes you start to look at life a lot differently.” I rested my head back against the seat. The rest of the drive we talked about the kids, the weather, and the news…just a lot of general conversation.

             
When we arrived at my house, my dad took my things out of the car and took them in for me. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the smell of food that radiated throughout the house. I made my way to the kitchen. When I walked into the kitchen Lala spent around wearing a huge smile and holding a spoon in her hand.

             
“Hey you!” She squealed excitedly putting down the spoon and racing over to hug me. She wrapped her arms around me gently. “I am so glad that you’re home!”

             
I hugged her back. I was really thankful for how she’d been sticking by me. I appreciated it a lot. I was a little hurt that Kisha hadn’t been there more but I couldn’t blame her. Over the past few weeks I’d been doing a lot of thinking and I understood why Kisha felt the way that she did. I understood her pain more now. She’d had my back through so much and to find out that I’d betrayed her on so many different levels had to hurt more than anyone could ever imagine. Seeing Lala couldn’t have made things any easier for her. Seeing her was like a constant reminder of my betrayal. I could even understand why she may be upset about Lala being at my crib because from the outside looking in it did appear that I’d moved her in as if she never existed. I knew it wasn’t like that but I could understand why she may feel that way.

             
“I cooked dinner for you because I figured that you’d want a good home cooked meal after being cooped up in the hospital for so long eating all of that nasty hospital food.” Lala giggled.

             
“Thank you.” I smiled and then left out to go and see the babies. They were in the living room sitting in their swings asleep. I walked over and kissed them both on their chubby little cheeks. They looked as if they were sleeping so peacefully and they smelled so good. I had to give Lala credit she was an excellent mother. I stood there and just stared at my little princesses for a minute. Just appreciating the fact that I’d been given a second chance to do better by them and I wasn’t going to let them down…them or my boys.

             
My dad walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa. I walked over and took a seat down the opposite end.

             
“I took your bags into the bedroom.” He told me.

             
“Thanks pops.”

             
“No problem.” He looked over at the girls and smiled proudly. “They are so beautiful. Boy, you sure make some beautiful children. You get that from your old man.” He chuckled.