13
LaRhonda
The probability of Mr. Jeremy Hughes being the biological father of Aaron Williams is 99.9 percent. Therefore concludes that Mr. Jeremy Hughes is the father of Aaron Williams.
LaRhonda remembered reading those words on the paper Eric gave to her. She’d been avoiding Vincent’s calls for days. It didn’t help that Diamond was bugging the shit out of her to speak to him. LaRhonda had to carry her phone around with her just so she wouldn’t pick up the phone when his name showed on the screen. LaRhonda saved the number to her phone when she called so she wouldn’t think it was a creditor or telemarketer.
Guilt was killing LaRhonda slowly but surely. It kept her up at night and edgy during the day. She would stare at Aaron, trying to figure out whose features he resembled. Could I lie and get away with it?
Her back pocket vibrated. She pulled out her phone and saw Vincent’s name. Saying a quick prayer before answering she accepted the collect call.
“Oh, so you finally taking my calls now. What the fuck is the problem? Where you been?” Vincent asked.
“Trying to get a job, nigga. Remember you ain’t around to take care of us anymore,” LaRhonda said, lying through her teeth. She wanted him to feel like shit.
“True, true. Let me talk to Diamond for a minute,” he said.
LaRhonda called Diamond out the room and put her phone on speaker. “Diamond, come talk to yo’ daddy; hurry up.”
Diamond came rushing out the room with a big smile. She took the phone and walked over to the sofa.
“Where you think you goin’? That ain’t yours. Talk to him right here,” LaRhonda said, stopping her from moving.
Diamond wasn’t a stupid kid. She knew exactly what her mother was doing. She loved her father too much for him not to know the truth about where they were at. Diamond picked her words carefully as she talked to her father in front of LaRhonda. Her mother stayed close so only the “I love you’s” and “miss you’s” were heard. But before she handed the phone back Diamond mentioned that her favorite kids restaurant was nearby: Chuck E. Cheese’s. When she said it her father reacted instantly.
“Chuck E. Cheese’s, huh? Okay, baby, I love you and miss you. I’ll talk to you soon. Where yo’ mama at?”
LaRhonda knew that tone. He was ready to interrogate. She shooed Diamond away and took the phone off speaker. “Yeah?”
“Where you stayin’ at? ’Cause I know Chuck E. Cheese’s ain’t nowhere near yo’ mama house unless you got a car now.”
“I had to move, Vin. You already know what goes on at my mother’s house. Shit, you don’t even know how many times I had to go buy formula ’cause her ass or whoever she had over was stealin’ my shit. How long did you think that money was gonna last?” LaRhonda was happy to be talking about anything else but that piece of paper he got. She knew he got it because he talked to Diamond and didn’t want to talk to Aaron. He would usually talk to him over the phone even though Aaron couldn’t talk back.
“You didn’t answer my question. Where the fuck you at? Or maybe I should ask who you stayin’ wit’?” Vincent’s voice became irritable.
“I’m stayin’ in Marcy and I ain’t stayin’ wit’ no one.” LaRhonda tried to keep the conversation calm.
“How the fuck you get a place in Marcy? You got no family there. You only know niggas from over there. Now, I’ma ask you again . . . Who the fuck you stayin’ wit’?” Vincent took a deep breath, knowing that soon it was going to go bad.
“Vin, what the fuck you talkin’ ’bout, man? I already told you I ain’t stayin’ wit’ nobody. Shit, just leave it alone. Just know that your kids got a roof over their heads, which you can’t provide,” LaRhonda got snappy with him.
“Look, bitch—”
“Who the fuck you think you callin’ a bitch?” LaRhonda shouted.
“You, bitch! I only got one kid and you already know you can drop her at my mother’s.”
LaRhonda stayed silent. Here it comes . . .
“You fuckin’ bitch! I can’t believe I actually believed you wasn’t fuckin’ with dat fool! I wouldn’t be in this bitch if I knew Aaron wasn’t mine. I would have just taken my fuckin’ child and bounced long time ago. I swear to God I would have done that shit, Ronnie. You ain’t shit! You was gonna keep this shit up and make me fuckin’ think Eric was the only nigga you was fuckin’. Who the fuck is Jeremy, bitch?” His temper flared almost to the point of tears in his eyes.
She continued to be silent.
Angered more by her silence he unleashed, “You nasty-ass bitch. I’m ashamed that I had a baby with yo’ ass. I shoulda known you just like ’em other wretched bitches. You ain’t fuckin’ shit, Ronnie.”
She heard his hand hit the wall. From the sound it seemed that he may have hurt himself.
“Fuckin’ bitch!” he screamed loudly. “Ronnie . . .”
Words couldn’t form and leave her mouth fast enough before he started again.
“A’ight, you ain’t talkin’ . . .” His tone changed drastically; he even laughed a little.
LaRhonda shook her head in disbelief of how quickly his feelings changed. Just a second ago he was calling her all types of bitch. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to give him any more ammunition.
“A’ight, let me get comfortable . . . Oh, Ronnie, you can’t actually think I was just gonna sit back and let this play out how you want it. Oh, hell no. You see what you don’t know is after Aaron was born I stepped to Eric like a man and told him we needed to take a test. He agreed, but then I got locked. I got the word out that I wanted to talk to him and we did. Man, oh man, you played me like a motherfuckin’ fiddle. But what he said made sense. There was no reason for me and him to want to kill each other. It was you who deceived the both of us. I know where you at in Marcy. You stayin’ at Eric’s mama’s house.”
LaRhonda’s jaw dropped. What the fuck is happenin’ right now? She continued her silence, plopping down on the sofa.
“Cat still got yo’ tongue? That’s okay, I got phone time. A’ight, so now you wonderin’ how’d we figure out Jeremy should be tested. Well, let’s just say your birthmark is in a spot that gets people talkin’ about a lot of things. It just so happened that Eric said something out loud when Jeremy’s demo was playing in the background. I picked up on it when I heard, ‘she taste so sweet, her mama stamped her wit’ a strawberry on her pink peak.’ You the only female I have fucked wit’ who got that kinda birthmark on the inside of they shit. Eric felt the same way I did: ain’t nobody gonna know that unless they fuckin’ you. You wanna start talkin’ yet?” Vincent waited for a response.
She bowed her head and whispered into the phone, “It was a one-night stand, nothing more. It was a mistake. Eric was drunk that night and passed out. I started to drink more; then Shotta walked in with some weed and more liqs. I was so drunk, I can’t even tell you how we ended up in the bathroom fuckin’. I didn’t think that he could be the father ’cause I only fucked him once.” Her tears dried up at this point.
“Is that right?”
“I swear I didn’t even think of him in this equation. He was nothin’. He ain’t even here no more. Eric showed me the DNA papers. I didn’t want to believe it. After he showed me I haven’t seen him. He said he was gonna still help me, but I ain’t call him to ask for nothin’. Vin, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. Please forgive me,” she pleaded.
“Forgive you? Right now I don’t give two shits ’bout yo’ ass! I want my fuckin’ daughter at my mother’s house by tomorrow and forget about her. I swear, Ronnie, if she ain’t there I’ma make sure I get somebody to find you and kick yo’ ass every time you leave Marcy,” he demanded.
“What the fuck are you sayin’? You think I’ma just drop her off just like that and have nothin’ to do wit’ with my own daughter? What kinda fuckin’ shit they got you smokin’ in that bitch? Yo’ mama ain’t gonna go for that.” She tried to remind him that his mother never liked her or his daughter when they stayed over there.
“Trust me, my mother will welcome her granddaughter as long as yo’ ass don’t have nothin’ to do wit’ her.” Vincent’s anger reappeared.
“Whateva, Vincent . . . I ain’t payin’ yo’ ass no mind ’cause you, my friend, can’t do shit. You must’ve forgotten you live in a six-by-eight iron cage. You gots no rights right now.” LaRhonda swallowed her fear and continued, “Trust me, ain’t no fuckin’ judge givin’ you my child. Nigga, you got five years, and shit if you really want me to go there I will.”
“Bitch, don’t threaten me. You right, Ronnie, I can’t do shit, but my fuckin’ lawyer sure as hell can. What you think ’bout that?”
“Well, I hope he can beat ’em charges I’ma put on yo’ ass. Domestic violence charges is a bitch especially when proof is showed. So why don’t you come at me from a different angle. You want me to drop her off at yo’ mama’s for a few days or for the weekend I’m cool wit’ that. But don’t think I’ma just give you our daughter. You must be out yo’ fuckin’ mind,” LaRhonda said with no apprehension of what he would do to her.
“Charges? Bitch, you got no proof. No pictures, hospital stays, or witnesses, just yo’ word against mine. With your type of friends and family it’ll be easy for my mother to get custody. So if you want to go there we can. Now drop my daughter off at my mama’s tomorrow and then we can talk about your role in her life.”
There was a click heard.
“No, this nigga did not just hang up the phone on me. If he think I just giving up my kid he betta have a good-ass lawyer,” she said, wanting to throw her phone clear across the room.
She sat there with her mind spinning a mile a minute. If I charge his ass it could tie him up for another two, three years at most. Can I get enough money up to bounce to the south and start a life there? Damn, I could use some weed right now.
The knock on the door made her jump up a bit. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She looked through the peephole. LaRhonda was happy to see a familiar face; she opened the door. “What the fuck you doin’ here?”
Keisha entered with a partially smoked blunt in her hand and a great big smile on her face. “Wanna smoke?”
“Hell fuckin’ yeah.” She quickly left Keisha to get her flip-flops.
Keisha stayed by the door and sparked up in the hallway.
After a few minutes LaRhonda returned. “You won’t believe the type of drama I just went through. This came right on time.”
“Man, I just found out some shit that may get my pockets a little fat. But it’s on some real bitch-ass shit. I gotta make a smart move.” Keisha passed LaRhonda the blunt.
After another blunt and conversation about each other’s dilemmas they both came to the same conclusion: they both needed Shawna to complete their plans.