Stripping Asjiah II (2 page)

It seemed like eternity had passed since the last time he had seen them, when in reality it had only been a month. Angel was getting so big and Asjiah was as cute as ever. Her pigtails playfully bounced up and down as she played hop scotch next to her brother.

“Quit staring and go get them.” Sandra noisily popped her gum in the passenger seat as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Sean unlocked the door and stepped out of the car just as his wife‟s cherry BMW pulled into the parking lot.
“Is that her?” Suddenly interested, Sandra sat up in her seat as she watched the kids run over and hug who appeared to be their mother.
This was her first time actually seeing Jai in person. She had seen pictures of her before but they clearly did her no justice, she was gorgeous; maybe 5‟3, petite, probably a size three at the most, with flawless, Hershey kissed skin and a body worthy of attention. Her hair lay between her shoulder blades which moved gracefully each time the wind blew.
“Yeah, that‟s Jai,” Sean watched his wife play with the kids and his anger towards her began to resurface. She was able to help them with homework, eat dinner with them, hear about all the things that had happened during school and throughout their days and he had to stand on the sidelines. She was stealing everything from him; robbing him of a family that he helped create. He gulped down the rest of his beer before slamming the door and walking towards the school.
“Hey baby girl,” Sean approached Asjiah with his arms outstretched.
Dropping her book bag, she ran into her father‟s arms, “Daddy!”
“Hey munchkin,” Sean brushed his daughter‟s curls out her face and kissed her cheek.
“I‟ve missed you so much.”
“Daddy I have a Science fair tomorrow. Are you going to come?” Asjiah placed her tiny hands on each side of her father‟s face so that he was looking directly at her.
“Now that you‟re back you can help me make my Volcano. Mommy said she would do it but I know yours would be better.” The seven-year old giggled as she looked back at her mother.
Seeing him interact with them was making her uncomfortable.
“What are you doing here Sean?”
Dusting his hands off on his jeans he looked up at his wife. “I just wanted to see my kids Jai.”
“Your kids,”
“Yes my kids.” Sean walked closer turning his attention to his son.
“Angel, how you been man? How‟s my little boy doing?”
Startled by his father‟s voice, Angelstood still.
“You‟re getting so big; you look just like your mother. What‟s wrong, you don‟t want to give your pops a hug?”
“Leave him alone Sean.”
“What Jai?” He playfully nudged Angel in the head putting his fists up pretending to spar with the young child.
“Have you been helping Mommy around the house while I was gone?”
“Yes sir. I also kicked a home run during kickball today and my class beat Mr. Miller‟s!” Angel began to ease up a little as he relived his victory during recess.
“That‟s really good. When I come home you‟ll have to show me the move you did.”
“When
are
you coming home Daddy?” Asjiah‟s blue eyes twinkled as she looked at her father and waited for him to respond.
“Well…”
“Angel, take your sister and get in the car. Mommy and Daddy have to talk now.”
“But Mom, I wanted to telldad about the frogs we got in Science class today.”
“Now Angel,”
Angel obediently did what his mother asked as he looked back at his father one last time before taking Asjiah‟s hand and leading her to the car.
Even with the window rolled down Sandra couldn‟t hear what was being said. She stepped out the car and tried to get closer to the action.
“I have no problem with you seeing your kids Sean, but not like this. They didn‟t know you were coming, you scared them and you smell like you‟ve been drinking.”
“I had one beer, but I‟m not drunk.” Sean put his hand up to his eyes and staggered backwards in an attempt to shield the sun from his face.
“You need to get yourself together, and then we can talk about you possibly coming over to see them.”
“Who the fuck are you to tell me that I can
possibly
see
my
kids?”
Jai brushed off her Donna Karan slacks and placed her hands on her hips.
“First of all, you mean
our
kids and you‟re in no condition to be around them right now. So like I said, until you get your shit together; don‟t come around them.”
“Okay, okay, look Jai, I‟m sorry. This is getting out of hand and I can understand if you are mad at me but I never meant to hurt you.” Sean placed his hands around his wife‟s waist as he tried to calm her down.
Jai stared back into his sky blue eyes and for a moment, she lost herself. He was dressedin dark blue Levi‟s, wheat Timberlands, and a crisp white v-neck t-shirt. A diamond stud kissed his left earlobe and his dog tags were hanging around his neck.
He smelled of Hugo Boss; the same fragrance that used to cover her skin after they finished making love. He resembled the Sean she fell in love with, the man she married.
Could
everything go back to normal?
Up until today, the kids thought their father was away on field duty with the Army. They were used to him going away for weeks at a time so they didn‟t question her story. Now she would have to explain to them what he was doing back and why daddy hadn‟t come home.
“Give me another chance Jai, I promise I will make everything up to you.” Sean ran his fingers through her hair and he could feel thetension between them begin to subside. “We can all get away; take the kids somewhere for the weekend, maybe drive up to Santa Monica. What do you think?”

“ Are mommy and daddy fighting again?”
“It‟s okay A‟, they‟re just talking.” Angel didn‟t know whatwas going on either but he knew that he couldn‟t allow his sister to see that he was just as confused as she was.
“So what are you going to make for the Science fair?”
“Huh?”
“The Science fair silly, it starts tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah…”
Angel listened as she began to ramble about the volcano that she was planning to build. He was glad that he was able to distract her even though his thoughts still remained outside with their mother.

S andra was staring at Jai with daggers in her eyes. She felt used, like a pawn in this chess game he was playing to get his queen back. She was the reason they had split in the first place, she was the other woman. He told her that his marriage was over; that he would leave Jai for her and until she saw her, she thought he was being truthful.

Looking at them together now, there was no way he was going to leave her. You had to be a fool to leave a woman like that.

Sandra wasn‟t ugly but she knew she couldn‟t hold a candle to Jai, not even on her bad days. Jai was small and in shape; Sandra was heavier and average. It wasn‟t only her looks but they were a family, they had two beautiful children, what could she offer him to compete with that?

He was going to leave her, throw her out with the garbage because that‟s what she was to him; trash. Unless…unless she could convince him that she had something just as valuable to offer.

It wasn‟t like they hadn‟t been having unprotected sex so her claiming to be pregnant wouldn‟t be too far fetched. She only needed to pretend long enough to get him to leave Jai then right at the moment he would start asking questions; she would begin to complain of cramps, headaches, fatigue, and fake a miscarriage.

She had allowed Sean to sell her a dream that she couldn‟t afford to buy. She just had to figure out a way to get rid of Cinderella so she could have her happily ever after.

“ Idon‟t know Sean, I mean I don‟t want to agree to this and then something happens again. I don‟t want to mislead the children. If you are going to be in our lives then you need to leave all that other shit alone and make sure that we are really what you want.”

“But you are baby,” Sean tilted Jai‟s chin and softly kissed her on the lips. He had forgotten what it was like to feel her, to hold her; this was the way things were supposed to be.

The entire time they had been talking Jai didn‟t notice the woman standing by her husband‟s car. She backed away from him and turned her attention towards the female who was yelling his name.

Seeing that she had angered Jai, Sandra smiled and waived at her.
“Oh hell no,” Taking her Chanel hoops out her ear, Jai began to walk towards the Mercedes.
“Jai, calm down, she‟s nobody. The kids are in the car, do you really want to do this here, in front of them?”
“Nobody; is that the bitch you‟ve been cheating on me with? You fucked up our family for that homely looking broad?” Jai couldn‟t believe she had allowed him to sweet talk her into thinking everything could be fixed, that everything could be okay.
“Jai, I know what this may look like. But I promise you babe, it‟s over. She only came up here with me because I asked her to.”
“Fuck you,” Swatting his hands off her waist she backed away from him.
“Fuck you and that bitch. You thought you were going to come up here, take my kids, and have my babies around another woman? You have got to be out of your fucking mind!” Jai spun around on her heels and began to walk towards her car.
“You let her know I‟llcatch up with her ass. Then again, never mind, she isn‟t worth it. You can have her.” Jai smoothed her hair, fixed her blouse and got inside the BMW.
“Kids, say bye to your father.”
“Bye dad.” Ignorant to what had just happened; the children complied.
“Jaiwait!”
He wanted to chase after her. He wanted to tell her that he meant everything he had just told her but there was no way she would believe him now.
He felt his heart shatter, it was as if his soul left his body and he was being forced to watch his life unravel before him.
In that moment, on that day, Sean felt as if he died right there in the parking lot of Stillwell Elementary as he looked at his baby girl wave bye to him out the back window. He was empty, defeated. He was so close; so close to having his life back.
“Jai!”
His chest was caving in, he couldn‟t breathe. It was like his ribs were forming a steel cage around his heart as it slowly turned to stone. Tears began to roll down his face as he watched helplessly while his family drove away.
“Wellthat didn‟t go as planned now did it?” A devilish grin played across Sandra‟s lips as she looked at the humility that covered Sean‟s face.
“Get out of my car.” His voice was calm and steady as the soft click of the locks gave Sandra her cue to exit.
“What?” She knew he was mad but he was over reacting by trying to kick her out of the car. They were all the way on the opposite side of town. It would take her at least two hours to get home.
The engine purred to life as he stared through the windshield. “I said get out.”
“Sean, it‟s not that serious.”
Was he crying? In all the months that she knew him, she had never seen him cry but in the brief time he was talking to Jai she was able to evoke such strong emotions out of him. She hated her. She despised Jai for making her seem so insignificant. He had never displayed these type of feelings for her; yet this hoe could prance up here in her $50,000 car, expensive jewelry, and instantly make this nigga bitch up without even trying. It was evident that he loved Jai; in a way that she knew he would never love her.
“Quit playing and let‟s go.” Trying to shake her thoughts; Sandra ignored him and continued to sit comfortably in the leather seat.
Sean‟s jaw clenched and his cheeks became flushed as he turned to her.
“Get the fuck out of my car. Don‟t make me tell you again.”
There was something about his eyes that frightened her. They were lifeless. For a moment, she stared back at him and tried to find remnants of the person that was just smiling and hugging his wife but no one was there. It was as if she was looking through an empty window. She was afraid what might happen if she continued to challenge him, so she opened the passenger door and stepped out of the car. Before she could say anything, he pulled off leaving her in a cloud of smoke.
“Okay, let‟s get inside so you guys can do your homework.” Jai gathered the groceries along with her briefcase as she followed behind her kids into the house.
“Hi Bear.” Jai affectionately greeted the Rottweiler who was waiting obediently by the patio door.
“Outside, does mommy‟s baby have to go outside?” Bear lovingly licked her hand a few times before opting to go relieve himself.
“Mommy can you make strawberry shortcake?” Angel licked his lips as if he could taste the sweet dessert already.
“Only if you two do your homework and get all of the answers correct.”
“What if I miss one question?” Angel sat down at the table and began unpacking his book bag.
“What if I miss one too?” Climbing up into her chair, Asjiah mimicked her brother.
“You two are too much. I‟llbe back; I left my bag in the car.”
Angel and Asjiah were too busy laughing and playing with each other to hear what their mother said.
Unlocking the doors on the BMW she grabbed her Louis Vuitton bag off the backseat. As she closed the door she noticed Sean‟s black Mercedes parked on the corner ofthe culde sac. Their eyes met and she replayed the things he said to her at the school and wanted desperately to believe him but how could she when he had that woman with him? He was making a mockery out of her, out of their marriage. After what seemed like hours she turned, walked back in the house, and set the alarm.
Sean‟s hands were beginning to turn red as he gripped the steering wheel.
“I should be in that house, my house; with my family. Not out here on the street like some stray dog and I would‟ve been if it wasn‟t for that bitch Sandra.”
“Sandra.”
The leather started to make grinding noises underneath his palms as he imagined his hands around her throat. He wanted her to choke on the words she had so viciously spewed from her mouth. He wanted her to know what it felt like to be hurt, to feel pain; she needed to experience the sorrow that was eating away at his heart.
Sean put the car in reverse as his house slowly faded into the rearview. He would get back what he lost no matter the cost or what he had to do to get it.

It‟s raining; hard.
The intensity of the raindrops makes it difficult to hear anything else, including her thoughts. She could almost time the lightening. The thunder rumbles through the sky, the rain pours heavily,