The Bryson Blood Wars (17 page)

              “Hello,” Clover greeted with a yawn.

              “Aunt Clover!” Calista’s voice answered.

              “Calista baby, what’s up?” Clover asked.

              “Can I come over and stay at your house until Bray comes back from New Orleans?” Calista asked.

              “Of course you can,” Clover said. “Any particular reason why?”

              “It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you everything in person.”

              “Alright, I’ll wait up for you.”

              “Thank you so much. I’ll be right over.”

              After they hung up Clover climbed out of bed and went into her walk-in closet to find some sweatpants and a t-shirt to throw on. She put on her bedroom slippers and went downstairs in record time, because Calista was outside ringing the doorbell. Clover answered the door to let Calista in.

              “Calista baby.”

              “Aunt Clover, thanks.” Calista said with great appreciation and hugged Clover tightly.

              Clover grabbed Calista’s bags and said, “let me take your bags into the guestroom and we’ll talk in the living room.”

              Calista followed Clover into one of the spare guestrooms and put the bags near the closet. The two went back downstairs in the living room and took a seat on the couch.

              “What’s going on? You seemed upset over the phone and was kind of out of it at the meeting earlier. Is something wrong?” Clover asked with concern.

              “Yes, there is, but I don’t know how to tell you,” Calista said with a sigh.

              Clover assured her. “Calista, you know you can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

              “Yes I do,” Calista said. She knew she could confide in Clover about anything ever since she helped her thorough a very confusing time in her life.

*****

              Clover was in Lil’Sharp’s nursery getting him ready for his nap. She was a happily, married, stay-at-home mom living in her husband Sharp’s room at his brother Colton’s house. She was quietly humming a lullaby to Lil’Sharp putting him in his crib when Calista walked into the nursery.

              “Aunt Clover,” She called out.

              “Shhh! Let me put Lil’Sharp down first,” Clover said, as she made Lil’Sharp very comfortable. “There we go. He’s just like your Uncle Sharp. They get cranky when they don’t get their food and miss their naps.” They giggled. “He’s sleeping.” Clover and Calista quietly left the nursery and went into Calista’s room and sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s up?”

              “Something’s wrong and I’m scared,” Calista said with sadness.

              “What are you scared of, baby?” Clover asked.

              “It’s difficult to talk about. You might not understand,” Calista replied with shame.

              “Calista, this is Aunt Clover. Whatever it is you can tell me. I’ll understand.” Clover said. “What seems to be the problem?”

              “Today I started bleeding,” Calista admitted.

              “Bleeding where?” Clover asked with a panic.

              “That’s the problem. It’s where I’m bleeding,” Calista said. “I’m bleeding...down there.”

              When Calista said that Clover knew exactly what was going on. This is why a little girl needs her mother. Clover understands why Calista would be terrified. She didn’t have a mother to talk to about these things. Clover knew she had to step in.

              “Oh my God, listen baby. There’s nothing to be scared of. Come with me.” Clover took Calista by the hand and into the room she shared with Sharp. She went into the closet and grabbed one of the pads from after she gave birth to Lil’Sharp. She gave the pad to Calista and gave her instructions. “This is what you do. I need you to take a good shower, tape this pad inside your panties and when you’re done I want you to come back here so we can talk about this. Remember, there’s nothing to be frightened about, okay.”

              “Okay Aunt Clover,” Calista said. She was still scared but felt a little better and went on her way.

              “Shit! Shit! Shit! How the fuck am I going to do this!” Clover didn’t know how she was going to explain this to Calista, but she had to suck it up. Her thoughts were interrupted by her cellphone ringing. She found her purse to take her phone out and answered. “Hello.”

              “Hello, may I speak with Clover Bryson?” An unidentified woman asked.

              “Speaking,” Clover replied.

              “My name is Marcy White. You baked a cake for one of my coworkers for her bachelorette party. Her name is Gabby Smith,” Marcy explained.

              “Yes I did.” The cake design was a man’s nine-inch dick. There was a trail of white frosting coming from the tip representing semen. The trail of frosting spelled out: Enjoy your last ride.

              “The design was perfect and the cake was delicious,” Marcy complimented.

              “Thank you,” Clover replied with a smile.

              Marcy continued, “My best friend is having a birthday coming up. She’s been down since her husband left her for another woman and I was hoping this birthday party would cheer her up. I was wondering if you could bake a cake for the party. Of course, I’ll pay you.”

              She got my attention. Clover thought. Clover loved baking but had never considered making a career out of it. Who knows how far it will go. She might as well accept. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do for you. What’s your name again?” Clover asked getting her pen and paper ready.

              “Marcy White and my phone number is 404.....”

              “Got it and this is for a birthday cake?” Clover asked for confirmation and taking notes. Clover saw Calista standing in front of her and decided to end the call. “Listen, I have a personal matter to take care of right now but I’ll call you back to discuss the details.”

              “Thanks,” Marcy said.

              “No problem. Goodbye,” After the call ended Clover asked Calista, “You’re wearing the pad right?”

              “Yes I am,” Calista said and sat next to Clover. “What’s happening to me?”

              “Oh baby,” Clover said and put her arms around Calista. “What’s going on is a very natural thing. Calista, what you’re having is a period. It’s one of the first steps of a girl’s body developing into a woman.” Clover went into a dresser drawer and got a spare calendar Laliyka gave her from the beauty academy she attends and gave it to Calista. “You need a calendar to mark for twenty-eight days from the day your period starts. On the twenty-eighth day your period is supposed to start back. Your period will last about five days and to control the flow and not mess up your clothes you need to change out your pads. We’re going to Wal-Mart after this talk and get you some.”

              “Okay,” Calista replied.

              “If you have any questions about this, I’m here okay,” Clover said.

              “Okay,” Calista said letting go of her fears.

              Clover sighed before asking Calista this next question. It was difficult but Calista needed to know everything. “What do you know about sex?”

              Calista blushed before giving her answer. “The Jody and Yvette scene from Baby Boy and without birth control or a condom you can have a baby or STDs.”

              “Good girl,” Clover was impressed with Calista’s knowledge at such a young age. “There’s something else you need to know about sex.”

              “What’s that?”

              “Now that you’re having periods, you can now get pregnant with a baby. That’s why keeping up with the dates is very important. If your period doesn’t come when it’s supposed to and you’ve had unprotected sex with a boy, chances are you’re pregnant,” Clover said.

              “Wow.”

              Clover reflected back to what Kayson did to her in Opal’s car. Things between her and Opal are still strained especially after Kayson’s murder. “What do you know about rape?” Clover struggled to ask.

              “It’s when a man makes a woman have sex with him but she doesn’t want to. He hurts her very badly. He even hits her.” Calista explained.

              “Do you remember Kayson?” Clover asked.

              “Yes.” Calista answered with gloom.

              “What’s wrong?”

              “He was cute, but scary.”

              Clover pulled Calista in her arms. This little girl is very bright and an excellent judge of character. She needed protection and a motherly bond and Clover was determined to be the surrogate mother Calista needs in her life right now. “He’s dead now. He won’t be scaring anybody anymore. You remember when I was in the hospital a few years back?”

              “Yes,” Calista said, “Daddy said you were hurt but didn’t say how.”

              “I was in the hospital because Kayson raped me.” Clover confessed.

              Calista was shocked and horrified, “I’m sorry, Aunt Clover.”

              “It’s okay, baby,” Clover said. “It was terrible and I don’t ever want you to experience anything like that, okay? Don’t ever let anyone do anything to you that you don’t want. You fight as hard as you can. If they end up hurting you, do not let them get away with it. Do you understand me?”

              “Yes Aunt Clover,” Calista said. It devastated Clover of the thought of history repeating itself with Calista.

              “Calista,” Colton walked in the room and called out.

              “Hi Daddy,” Calista greeted with a big smile and rushed into her father’s arms and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

              “Hey Colton. I need to take Calista to the store for something. Can you watch over Lil’Sharp until I get back and here’s his baby monitor?” Clover said and handed Colton the baby monitor.

              “Sure thing Clover,” Colton said.

              “Calista, I need to talk to your father for a moment. You go and get ready.” Clover said.

              “Alright,” Calista said.

              Before she left, Colton stopped Calista and said to her, “Calista always remember you can talk to me about anything.”

              No words were shared but Clover and Calista knew Colton overheard their conversation. “Yes daddy,” Calista replied.

              After Calista left, Colton stared at Clover and tears started to fall from his eyes. He pulled Clover into a big hug. “Thank you so much, Clover,” Colton said with deep gratitude.

              “Anytime Colton. Anytime.” Colton replied.

*****

              “What’s the problem?” Clover asked Calista after they reminisced about how Clover helped Calista get through her first period.

              “Here it goes,” Calista said. “For some time I had a feeling I was being watched and followed. I even felt like they were times when Bray and I were being intimate he was right there watching us. I thought it was all a figment of my imagination, but now I know for sure someone is stalking me.”

              “Stalking you?”

              Calista continued, “Before I came here for the meeting I thought I heard someone moaning while I was taking my shower. Afterwards, Bray called and we talked. The phone rang again and it was him.”

              “He called you?”

              “Yes,” Calista answered, “I thought it was only Bray calling me back but it was him. He told me Bray couldn’t fuck me like he will and hung up. I was so scared. I had to get as far away from that house as possible. That’s why I was shaken up at the meeting. I couldn’t get that call out of my mind. After I left here I went over to my friend Richard’s house, told him what was going on and he escorted me home and he stayed with me and checked the house. Nothing was disturbed, but when I went into the laundry room to wash clothes and found a couple of my thongs scattered on the floor. It looked like the sick fuck was using them to jack his dick off with. I saw semen all over them. I burned those thongs. That’s when I called you and started packing my bags.”

              Clover was highly disgusted by this story. “Calista, this is serious. Clearly, this guy is deranged and dangerous. You have to report this. Have you told Bray?”

              “No, I haven’t, and please don’t tell him that goes double for daddy and Uncle Sharp,” Calista pleaded.

              Clover didn’t feel right about keeping quiet about this situation, but she decided to go along with it for confidential reasons. “Okay, I won’t tell them for now, but if you don’t tell anybody else you have to tell Bray. This man broke into the home you share with Bray. He’s your husband and wants you and the home he shares with you to be safe. He has to be notified.” Clover explained.

              Calista thought about what Clover was saying and she made a lot of sense. “I’ll tell him when he gets back,” She said.

              “In the meantime, if it’ll make you feel better you can stay here when Bray has his away games,” Clover offered.