Battle Raging Within
“I want to see my daddy.”
Nina laughed. “You sound like you scared of the dark. You want a teddy bear, too?”
“Fuck you!” Eva gritted. “I want to see my daddy.”
“Fuck you! We ain’t got no daddy. We all we got.” Nina could feel Eva seething inside.
“Let. Me. Out!” Eva barked.
“You said you wanted to be dead, remember? Be dead.”
“Not so you could live!”
Nina laughed out loud, then said, “Don’t lie. You like when I’m in control, don’t you? You know why? Because I’m a bad bitch and you’re just . . . you.”
“Eva, who are talking to?”
Nina, standing in the open refrigerator door, looked over her shoulder at Mel, giving her an up and down gaze. Then she spat with disdain, “Nobody.”
Mel slammed the refrigerator, just missing Nina’s face. She glared at Mel, who stepped right in her face.
“Bitch, I wish you would,” Eva hissed coldly.
“You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Stay. Away. From. Bas,” Mel threatened.
Nina laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “Really? Wow . . . I guess I was the one raping him on the couch while his mother watched.”
Mel smirked coldly. “Bitch, you deserve it. You wanna be pretty? You wanna be trusting? Then that’s what pretty and trusting get you in this world,” Mel hissed.
“Whateva!” Nina spat, then started to turn away.
“I want you out of my house today.”
Nina stopped and turned back to Mel. She gave her a once over like a common bitch in the street.
“What’s the matter? Can’t handle the competition, mother?” Nina retorted, and the way she curled the “M,” there was no doubt in Mel’s mind that Eva was really saying fuck her.
Mel hauled off and slapped Nina so hard, she turned her whole torso. Nina recovered and went behind her back and came out with a snub nose .38 so quick, Mel didn’t see it until the steel kissed her upper lip like mwah!
“Go ‘head . . . slap me again. I dare you. . . No, I beg you. Please!” Nina seethed.
The look in Nina’s eyes froze Mel. This . . . is not my daughter, was all she could think.
For a moment, Nina stared at her unblinking. Then she shrugged, cocked the hammer, and hissed, “Fuck it.”
Simultaneously, Mel on the outside and Eva on the inside screamed, “Noooooooo!”
Nina strained to pull the trigger, but her finger wouldn’t budge. “Let go of me!” she gritted.
“No! You ain’t killin’ my mother!” Eva bassed firmly.
Never had Nina felt Eva’s strength. She was powerless to do anything.
Mel stood rooted to the spot and had no idea of the battle raging within her daughter.
“Eva . . . please . . . I–I love you,” Mel whispered.
“Lyin’ bitch!” Nina barked, wanting with everything to squeeze the trigger.
Everything, except Eva.
“No,” was all Eva said, calmly and evenly.
Nina’s shoulders relaxed, and a smile spread across her face. “You lucky she loves you, too,” she replied and turned away.
Stunned, Mel stood there and watched her daughter walk out. She didn’t know what just happened, but whatever it was, it left her wet . . .
From the pee puddle at her feet.