Chapter Twenty-seven
Ke’yoko pulled her car into the garage, got out, and walked over to the same box where she kept her hidden pictures. She dug her hand to the bottom of the old clothes and pulled the pictures out and began looking through them, just like she’d done at least once a month to keep reminding herself how no-good her husband had been since the beginning of their relationship.
Ke’yoko stared at the picture of Bo and his wife with Ja’Rel and some chick. Ja’Rel was bent over, kissing the stomach of this pregnant broad. When Ke’yoko had first hired the private investigator all she’d wanted was to find out if Ja’Rel was messing around with the woman. Ke’yoko found out a little more than what she had bargained for. She found out that not only was Ja’Rel messing around with the chick in the picture, but the baby she was pregnant with was his as well. The PI had pictures of Ja’Rel going into the hospital with balloons, teddy bears, and flowers for three days straight. Ke’yoko also got pictures of Ja’Rel taking the broad and the baby home in her car. Now of all the disrespectful things Ja’Rel could have done to her, riding your side chick and your illegitimate baby in your wife’s car took the cake.
Ke’yoko was so hurt when the PI had given her the pictures because not only did this broad have his baby, Ke’yoko was pregnant as well and Ja’Rel was spending all his time with his side chick and their baby, while she was at home alone. When Ke’yoko was lying in the hospital having a miscarriage, Ja’Rel was nowhere to be found. Nadia and Ka’yah called him several times trying to reach him but couldn’t. Ja’Rel didn’t find out about his wife’s miscarriage until the next afternoon. She had lain in the hospital overnight by herself completely emotional and mind racing. It had been almost two years to the day that Ke’yoko had found out about Ja’Rel’s child. Even though the thought of Ja’Rel having another baby ate Ke’yoko up on the inside, she’d made a promise to herself that she would keep it a secret until the time was right to uncover all of Ja’Rel’s bullshit; and his time was almost up.
Ke’yoko walked into the house and looked around to make sure Ja’Rel wasn’t home, before walking into the kitchen and calling her brother.
“Wassup, sis,” he answered, happy to hear from her.
“Wassup, baby brother? How you been?”
“I’ve been good. Just tryin’a get settled in our new house,” Kailo said.
“Oh, you moved outta the dorm?” Ke’yoko inquired.
“Yeah, sure did. I had to get out of there.”
“Well, it ain’t nothin’ wrong wit’ that. So how’s school anyways?”
“Ummm, I kinda dropped outta school,” Kailo said and waited for his sister to explode.
“You did what?” Ke’yoko asked rhetorically.
“I dropped outta school,” he repeated.
“What the fuck you do that for, boy?”
“Look, sis, I never wanted to be an attorney. That was father’s dream, not mine. I only went to college because he was paying for it. After he passed, I decided to do what I wanted to do all my life,” Kailo explained.
“And what’s that?” Ke’yoko asked.
“I’m in the process of opening up my own pet store,” Kailo said happily.
“A pet store?” Ke’yoko frowned. “What the fuck?”
“Yes, a pet store. It’s always been a dream of mine, ever since I can remember.”
“What does Chad think about you quittin’ school and openin’ up your own pet store?”
“Chad was very supportive of me quittin’ school and startin’ my own business,” he replied.
“And what if your store is a flop?” Ke’yoko said, not trying to rain on her brother’s parade, but trying to be realistic about the situation and see if he had a backup plan.
“We’ve discussed that, too. I told Chad that if my store doesn’t generate money after two years, I’ll sell the business and go back to school,” Kailo said.
“Okay, that’s smart. Well, at least you put some thought into it and have a plan. Good luck,” Ke’yoko said.
“Thanks, sis.”
“Maybe I can come buy your nephew some goldfish or somethin’.” Ke’yoko laughed.
“Nephew?” Kailo asked happily.
“Yes, nephew.”
“Another boy, huh? That’s so exciting,” Kailo said. “I know we better get an invitation to the baby shower!”
“Trust me, y’all will.”
“Okay, sis. Well, I hate to rush you off, but I really need to get this TV mounted on the wall.”
“Okay, but before you go let me ask you a question,” Ke’yoko said.
“What’s up?”
“Didn’t you tell me you done an internship in high school at the Cleveland police department?”
“It was somethin’ like an internship for one of my classes. Why, what’s up?”
“I bet you know a lot of dirty cops then, don’t you?” Ke’yoko inquired.
“Dirty ain’t the word.” Kailo laughed, thinking back on all the dirty deeds he was involved in at such a young age.
“Ummmm,” Ke’yoko said. “Are you still cool wit’ any of ’em?”
“Oh, yeah, I got a lot of good friends who work there. The chief and his wife flew out to Massachusetts to party with me and Chad a few times. Why you ask?”
“Ke’yoko, you home?” Ja’Rel called out.
“Shit, let me call you back, Kailo,” Ke’yoko said before pushing the END button on her phone.
“Who was that?” Ja’Rel asked while walking into the kitchen.
“Kailo,” she replied.
“Oh, your queer-ass brother,” Ja’Rel joked, and was the only one who laughed.
Ke’yoko rolled her eyes and walked out of the kitchen.