Chapter 25
Troi
Rocko was eating his favorite take-out Chinese food from Rose Garden. The way he was gulping that cola to wash down his mouthfuls had me staring at him. He seemed fidgety and nervous. More drama was brewing; I could feel it. Whatever Rocko had going on made him antsy, something I had rarely seen in him.
“I called my mom and told her I was here,” he said. “She can’t wait to see Niara tomorrow.”
“That’s good. I’m sure she’s going to enjoy her.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for Heather to drop off Niara?” he asked with his eyebrows raised. “I mean, if you feel uncomfortable, I completely understand.”
I shrugged and replied, “It’s fine, Rocko.”
He nodded his head as he took another forkful of chicken chow mein.
“I got some things I really want to talk to you about,” I said. “Can I ask you something?”
He looked up from his plate, frowned, and replied, “Depends on what you going to ask.” It was like him to answer like a smart-ass.
“Rocko, we’ve never had a heart-to-heart about many things concerning your personal life without you lying. I’m hoping you can tell me the truth now.”
His eyes softened while he leaned back in the dining chair. He burped. “Excuse me.” He hit his chest a few times before drinking his soda. “What’s on your mind, beautiful?”
“If you still want to marry me, like you say, then I have to know everything about your past relationships. I want to talk about your other baby mamas.”
He studied me for a moment, and I could see the internal debate he was having with himself, but I gave him a stern look. I wanted him to give it to me straight.
“All right. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he said.
“From the beginning, and you better not lie to me ever again about anything.”
“I promise.”
“Okay, so let’s start with Heather. How’d you meet?”
“You gonna get mad if I tell you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I won’t get mad. I want to know the story.”
“I’m quite sure you’re about to get mad. You always get mad, and then I would be putting my business out there for nothing. What you want to know this shit for?” He shoveled more food into his mouth.
“Because I need to know. It’s like I need a better understanding of why they are the way they are with you, and why you are the way you are with them. Are you going to tell me or not?”
He folded his arms. He didn’t start speaking again until all the food in his mouth was chewed and swallowed. “I met Heather on the first day of school when we started high school, so, like, ninth grade. She was a chubby, short thing, but she was fly. She was always up on the fashion tip and had this long hair that went past her bra strap. Skinny bitches were jealous of her because even though she was chubby, every boy liked her. She was tough, had to be, since she was raised in the Sunnydale projects like me. I stepped to her ’cause I could tell she had a thing for me. She smiled whenever I was near. Heather was so down for me off the top, day one. She did whatever I wanted her to do. When she got pregnant, I tried to do right by her, but I was in the streets hard. I had to move to Sacramento to get away from the heat in San Francisco, and then I met you, and you know the rest.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a baby on the way or even a girlfriend when we first met?”
“I wanted to impress you. I loved Heather, but there was something about you. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings or yours, and I couldn’t tell either of you what the deal was. Even though she had been so down for me, I wanted to be with you. She was having my baby, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity with you.”
“Did you ever question whether your daughter was yours or something? Because I don’t see how you didn’t say one word to me.”
“Heather was a good girl. She didn’t get down like that. She was too madly in love to see anyone else.”
I hesitated before I asked, “Do you still love Heather?”
“Am I in love with her? No. But I’ll always have love for Heather. She’s my first. We’re in a good place now.”
“Good. Now, about Mai. Why’d you even go there with her when we were still together?”
“I ask myself that question every single day. Mai is one of them loudmouthed broads, you know, a bitch who thinks she can have any nigga she wants. She was only sixteen when she first walked up to my car and asked me to take her and her friend to the mall. No matter how much she flirted with me, I didn’t give her the time of day. It wasn’t until she was almost nineteen, and you and I had been fighting tough. That’s no excuse, but I used that to fuck around with her. She lied about being on birth control. That was my fault. Now she’s my worst nightmare.”
“Do you love her?”
“I never loved her. I care about her because she’s the mother of my son, but I don’t love her. She’s like a rebellious child.” He got up from the table and wrapped his arms around my waist. “You and I, though . . . I fell in love with you at first sight, and I’ve made major mistakes in our relationship, but I know how to fix it to where we can be brand new all over again, if you let me. This time, I won’t lie. I won’t cheat. I won’t play any games.”
“What if you go to prison? Then what? Your children will be hugging their daddy from behind bars. That’s not a fair life for them.”
“I’m not going back to prison or jail, not if I can help it.”
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Were you there when that kid Greg Young was shot?”
I stared into his eyes, and he stared right back at me without blinking. His expression didn’t even change.
After I had heard Mai mention Greg Young’s name, I had Googled him. He was murdered a couple of years ago, and the case had never been solved.
Just then, there was a knock on the front door.
“Are you expecting company?” he asked, looking as if he was relieved that he didn’t have to answer that question.
“No.” I frowned, wondering who was at the door.
“I should’ve brought my gun,” he said, removing his hands from my waist.
“What? That’s not necessary. It’s probably Heather, with Niara,” I said.
“Not that fast. She won’t be here for another thirty minutes.”
I went to the front door, but he gently pushed me to the side so he could look through the peephole first.
“It’s my mom,” he said, opening the door, with confusion all over his face. “Hey, Mama. What you doing here?”
“Is there anywhere we can go and talk, Rocko?” she asked in a trembly voice.
“You guys can talk in the kitchen,” I said.
I led the way and motioned for her to sit at the table.
As soon as she sat, Rocko questioned, “What’s going on?”
She seemed hesitant, as if she couldn’t find a way to say what needed to be said.
“I can go in the bedroom, so you two can talk,” I said.
“No, sweetie,” she said. “You should hear this.”
My heart started beating faster as I sat across from her.
“The police came to my house, and they’re looking for you, son.”
Rocko groaned, as if nothing was new. “What they want now?”
“Something terrible happened to Mai.”
Immediately, his body got real stiff. “Something terrible like what?”
Tears appeared in her eyes as she took a deep breath.
My already drumming heart started beating harder, and the pit of my stomach was filling with fear. Rocko’s body stiffened as he stared at his mother.
“Mai was killed in a house fire tonight.”
“What? Where? Her mama’s house?” he quizzed, frantic.
I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand.
She shook her head slowly. “No. She was in some abandoned house off Lemon Hill. Someone called the police when they saw the house on fire. They found her burned body bound to a chair. The police came to my house, and they need you to go down to the station.”
Rocko groaned again. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, son.”
“Why they want to question me? I wasn’t anywhere near Lemon Hill today.”
“The police were acting like they think you’re a suspect or something, without coming out and saying it. When’s the last time you seen her?”
“Earlier today I went by the condo I put her and my son in. I’ve been with Troi since then. Mom, where’s my son?”
“No one knows. The police are looking for him.”
“Mai didn’t leave him with her mom?” he asked.
“No. Her mother doesn’t know where he is.”
Rocko covered his face. “No. This can’t be happening.”
“This is crazy,” I said. “Rocko, you have an alibi tonight, so you’ll be fine if you go talk to the police.”
“I’m not going anywhere near the police station. Them fuckers will try to twist shit, like they always do. I gotta find my son.”
“You know where to find him?” his mama inquired.
There was another knock on the door. I jumped a little, because it startled me. Rocko and I stared at one another, and I prayed it wasn’t the police. I started to get up, but Rocko put his hand up.
“I’ll get the door,” he said. He went to the door and stared out the peephole. “It’s Pop.” He opened the door for him.
“You hear about the fire?” Rocko’s father asked as he stepped inside.
“Yeah, Mama just got here and told us.”
They walked into the kitchen.
“Hey, Roy,” Rocko’s mother said.
“Hey, Mint,” Rocko’s father answered.