Unfaithful Ties (37 page)

“You do have a point.” She agreed. “If the test proves that the lump is cancerous, how on earth am I going to tell my children that their mommy is battling cancer?” Brandi sprang up from the bed. “Oh shoot! I forgot to call the school and let them know that you’d be picking up Trent” She was searching for her mobile. “You need to get a move on it, they’ll be closing in a bit. I’ll text you the address.”

Raymond pulled to his feet. “What about the twins?”

“We live in
ColdWater Creek on Sommerset Drive. The address is 5432. They should be there by now.”

“Okay I’ll be back shortly
” He said walking towards the door.

“Thanks Raymond, for insisting that I come here today and for everything that you’ve done today.”

He turned to her before opening the door. “My pleasure” He smiled.

****

Signing Trent out of Childcare didn’t go as smoothly as he’d expected but after having his prints taken, and answering a series of questions Trent was released into his care. Now the wheels of his SUV were coasting down Sommerset Drive. His eyes were searching for the numbers 5432.

“That’s our house right there. Turn right there” Trent said from the backseat.

Raymond whipped his vehicle into the driveway, rolling to a stop right in front of the garage. ColdWater Creek was an elegant upscale neighborhood community and the house in front him was definitely one of the most charming houses in the neighborhood. Raymond shut the engine off and turned to Trent, who was busy unbuckling the straps of his car seat.

Tremaine
opened the door seconds after the doorbell chimed. “Who are you and what are you doing with my brother?” He asked. “What’ up Trent”

Trent smiled bashfully at his big brother.

“I’m a friend of your mother”

“And? That doesn’t explain why you’re here and she isn’t”

“Your mother had an emergency and she asked me to stop by and check on things. You guys okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”

“Listen ahhh, Trent says he’s hungry we’re going to go and grab a bite to eat, you and your brother want to come?”

“As long as you’re buying.”

“Well let’s get going.”

“
Yo Trevon.” Tremaine yelled over his shoulders.

Trevon
came jogging down the staircase. “What are you yelling for?”

“This man right here says that he’s mom’s friend and he wants to take us to grab something to eat.”

“Where is mom?”

“Your mother had an emergency.” Raymond explained.

“What type of emergency?” Trevon quizzed.

“She’ll talk to you guys about it. In the meantime I’m starving.”

“Well I don’t know about you Trevon but I’m starving so I’m going to roll with them” Tremaine joked.

“Don’t count me out I’m hungry too.”

“Ya-ay-y we’re going to McDonalds” Trent shouted with joy.

“McDonalds”
Tremaine hissed. “You look like you can at least afford Applebee’s, Carraba’s Italian Grill or something.”

“I know right
” Trevon agreed.

As the four of them headed to the car
Trae headed over from next-door, looking and walking like a mad man.

“Nigga what the fuck are you doing at my house?”

“Excuse me?” Raymond asked a little bamboozled.

“You heard what I asked Nigga! What in the hell are you doing at my house?”

“Look I didn’t know this was your house I’m just doing a favor for a friend.”

“It’s not his house anymore”
Trevon blurted out.

“Shut your mouth you dick loving son of a bitch”
Trae shouted.

“Man watch your mouth” Raymond declared. Trent was horrified enough. He could tell because since the moment
Trae had approached them Trent had a tight grip on his leg. “These kids don’t need to here you talking like that. You boys go ahead and get in the car, take Trent with you.”

“Where in the hell do you think that you taking my boys?”

“What’s it to you?” Trevon snapped.

Before Raymond could stop him,
Trae went ballistic and charged at Trevon grabbing him by the neck and lifting him from the ground.

“He’s just a kid man, let him go” Raymond said trying to pull
Trae away from Trevon. 

“Who in the hell do you think that you talking to faggot boy? I’m still your daddy. I brought you in this world and I can damn sure take you out.”

That’s when Tremaine Jr. started jabbing his father. “Let my brother go” He was screaming.

“Daddy
stoppppp” Trent cried fearfully.

Raymond was finally able to break
Trae away from Trevon. Trevon fell to the ground gasping for air. “What is your problem man?” Raymond roared. “That’s a kid you just treated like a grown man. You lucky I’m a Christian because I’d show you what happens to Grown men that likes to pick fights with boys.”

“He wants to talk to me like he’s a grown man.
I’m going to treat him like one” Trae shot back.

Tremaine
Jr. was helping his brother up from the ground. “You’ve never given a damn about us and now that you see another man over here you want to run over here and play the daddy role. You are nothing but a sorry excuse for a man and I’m glad that you left.” He shouted.

Trae
tried his best to charge Tremaine but Raymond had a lock on him that he couldn’t break away from.

Trent had been screaming the entire time.

“Let him go because I’m going to say what I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. What kind of man walks out on his family? What kind of man beats a woman? What kind of man treats his family the way that you’ve treated us? What kind of man comes home from work and doesn’t say two words to his children? You’re not a real man. Most men want their children to see them as their hero. You’ll never be my hero. Heroes have noble qualities. The one thing that you lack. I never want to be like you because you’re not a real man. Real men take care of their families, no matter how tough things get, they stick around. They don’t run away like a scared little boy.” Tremaine continued.

“Boys go and get in the car” Raymond insisted.

Trevon straightened his clothes before he headed to the car. His brothers were tagging closely behind him.

“Look man I think that you just need to go home and cool off.” Raymond suggested.

“Are you fucking Brandi?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business”

“It’s a simple question. Are you fucking Brandi are not?”

“Brandi and I are just friends?”

“Just friends huh? I bet you’re trying to fuck her. That’s about all she’s good for”

“Look man whatever I
gotta’ go” Raymond said and turned to walk away

“
If you wanna’ fuck Brandi just make sure that you don’t do it on this property. I’m the man of this house.”

“Oh yeah” Raymond said turning back around. “Exactly what part about you defines a
man. The part where you used to beat the mother of your children or the part where you walked out on her with three children? Let me guess it’s the part where you treat your children like crap? I’m just confused about what it is about you that makes you feel like you are a man.”

“So what she’s just sitting around telling you lies about me”

“She hasn’t told me anything. Your son just told me everything that I need to know.”

“You know what? You can have Brandi and those whack ass kids. I don’t want to have anything to do with them anyway. After a while you’re not going to want Brandi anyway. She’s as worthless as a penny with a hole in it.
I guess that’s fine with you considering you’re just trying to get a piece of ass. I must admit, you playing the game well?”

“This is not a game. I’m not trying to screw her or use her. I’m just trying to be there for her because that’s what she needs right now but just so you know when I’m intimate with a woman I don’t just have sex with them, I make love to them. See that’s the difference between a man and a boy” And he left
Trae standing there.

****

“The lump came back as Cancerous. We’re going to want to act aggressively.”

The lump came back as
Cancerous?
Those words seem to play over and over in Brandi’s mind.

She squeezed
Trevon’s hand tighter, he’d been holding her hand since the moment he’d walked in the room. She glanced over at Tremaine Jr, who was sitting in a wingback chair over by the door. There was a similar look on each of their faces. It was fear. Nothing could have prepared them for those words.

She thought about Trent, the youngest of the three, and how she might not live to see him grow up.

“You are still in the early stages but you are going to need at least six weeks of chemo and radiation.” The doctor continued.

Chemo?

His words pulled her back and she stared at the Indian man dressed in black slacks and a white coat standing before her. The gaze was empty…and distant. She couldn’t fathom what scared her the most, the cancer or the chemo treatment? Everything that she was going through seemed to start pacing through her mind all at the same time as if each situation was in a race to see who’d win first place in destroying her.  Everything was beating her down.

The hurt slid off her face as she shed the tears that were begging to be freed from her eyes. She was numb. The shock of it all had a tight grip on her tongue and she couldn’t talk, although a million questions were bouncing around in her crowded mind.

Cancer
?

“I know that this is a lot to take in but early detection is the best cure. Treatment options are a lot smoother when you find out in the early stages.”

I have cancer

Brandi was thinking about how her life had been flipped upside down once again. She was thinking about how hard it was going to be to battle this disease alone. She was thinking about how difficult it was going to be to stay strong when her body was so weak. She was thinking about all those years she’s wasted loving a man who’d never love her with even an ounce of the love she had for him. Most importantly she was thinking about life and how she’d taken it for granted.

With trembling words, she asked. “Am I going to lose my breast?”

“I recommend that the breast be removed immediately”

“Do you mind if I have a few words with my kids please?”

“Go ahead, I’ll make another round in about thirty minutes we can discuss treatment
options  then.”

When the doctor walked out of the room Brandi stared in silence fighting to keep her tears from falling.

Tremaine walked closer to the bed and sat down at the foot. “I’m going to be here with you every step of the way. You don’t have to do this alone. I’m going to stay out of trouble. I’m going to get good grades. I’m going to make you proud of me mom. I promise. I want you to stay strong. We can’t lose you mama.” He lowered his head and sobbed.

“And I’m going to pitch in more around the house. I’m going to cook dinner when you’re too tired. I’m going to makes sure that Trent gets a bath. I’m going to be here for you mama, like you’ve always been here for us.”
Trevon cried.

“Why does it seem that bad things always happen to us?”
Tremaine blurted.

“Maybe this is God’s way of bringing us closer. God knows what’s best for all of us.”

“Are you scared mama?” Trevon asked.

“I’d be lying if I said no. I have a huge challenge ahead of me.” Brandi said.

“I’m scared mama. I don’t want you to die mama.” He cried.

“I want you two to lis
ten to me. It’s okay for us to be scared. But it’s not okay for us to worry. We have to believe in God and his will. If we’re going to worry we shouldn’t pray and if we’re going to pray we shouldn’t worry. That’s what you’re grandmother has always taught us.”

“What if they don’t get all of the cancer? What if you don’t make it?”
Tremaine asked.

“I’m going to be just fine. I want you to remember that even when I’m gone I’m always going to be right here.” She said slightly tapping his chest. “You know what the good thing is?”

“What’s that?” He asked.

“When I’m having a bad day I’ll have my three wonderful boys to lean on.” She smiled.

****

It was after midnight, but Brandi couldn’t sleep. She was standing at the mirror in her bathroom gazing at the image staring back at her. The breast augmentation was scheduled in a few weeks and she was worried about how she would look without her breast and no hair.

Since her hair was probably going to fall out any way, “What the hell, no guts no glory” She said and pulled open the top drawer of the sink vanity. She grabbed the pair of scissors and cut the first clod of hair out of her head. “It’s going to fall out anyway” I should probably use the clippers; she thought and pulled them out of the drawer.