“Let’s go Ma.” I snatched my purse and keys from the nasty table where my mother sat.
“Are you upset with me Marlene?” she questioned, grabbing her things following me out of the door and to my car.
My father left me this run-down place to open up a business, but when I met my husband who was twenty-five years my senior and was already rich, there was no need for me to stay in little ol’ Spartanburg and open up a damn thing. The only thing Ross Reynolds required of me was to stay pretty, spend his money, open my legs at his request, and open my mouth at his command, so if it worked for him it sure as hell worked for me.
I was beyond pissed that my mother got me involved in her and my father’s bullshit. I mean, I knew eventually my father would be caught red-handed with his hard-on in his hands, but I never thought it would be with that hoe Karmen Howard. Karmen made me sick. She had always been a thorn in my side since I was a kid. We always had classes together for as long as I could remember and she was forever bullying me and whoever else she could. One thing she told the truth about was no one, and I mean no one, ran her bougie ass. Her parents couldn’t do shit with her. She had a mind of her own and Karmen never cared who she hurt to get what she wanted.
Her parents weren’t rich, but they were well off; therefore, she and her sister Kashae always sported the latest of everything. I’d admit, I was jealous, but most kids were of the famous Howard sisters, as they were often referred to. But the way Karmen set out to be a bitch was just terrible. She would always take someone’s money, knock their books out of their hands and watch them pick them up, or she had no problem extending her foot when someone walked by. She got a kick out of humiliating people. And now here she was doing the same damn thing to my mother.
Indeed, it was without a doubt my father’s fault for messing with Karmen and my mother’s for putting up with it. My father’s old ass knew better, but he just got off on younger women. Oh, you thought Karmen was the first? Nope! My daddy was a hoe and my mother has known it her entire married life. So, I had no clue why she constantly chose to put up with his ass. If my mother only grew a back bone, she’d be hell. It was sad she didn’t realize that with everything she knew about my father, she could destroy his ass. And I wish that she would, but she loved my father’s dirty drawers. He’s always treated her like trash, but becoming senior pastor at that church that Karmen’s father left to him gave his ass the big head, making him treat my mother even worse than he already was.
My mother didn’t really have anybody she socialized with because my father was afraid if she got close to anyone they might brainwash her into leaving his sorry behind. So, it left me as her listening ear. I didn’t work nor have kids, so she called me often crying on the phone about the problems with my father and like most times, I shrugged it off, until she mentioned that damn Karmen. There was no way I would let her run over my mother like that. She needed to sit her hoe ass down and leave these married men alone. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard about her going outside her marriage, but I never had any proof about it.
Adonis Nash was the guy everyone wanted and gawked over but somehow, he chose the stuck-up Karmen Howard to marry. Adonis was always easy on the eyes and his bad boy demeanor was what drew most of us girls in. I didn’t think he finished high school, but from what I heard, he was holding down a great job as a financial advisor, so he had to finish. Not planning to stay in town long, I had to do some digging to see if that hoe had any skeletons in her closet. I refused to let her make an ass out of my mother.
“I’m not mad Ma. I just don’t get it. Why are you staying with him?” I pulled away from the vacant building, easing onto the highway heading back in the direction of my parents’ mini-mansion.
“He is my husband Marlene.” She sniffed and I reached inside my console handing her a tissue, noticing she was shedding tears. I never meant to be harsh on my mother but it sickened me that she was so weak.
Ugggggg!
“And he is my father, but if I thought I could kick his ass and you not disown me, I would.” She busted out in laughter.
I was glad to hear her laugh. She had been so sad lately and I hated it.
“I appreciate you coming to see me about me honey, but this is my battle now.” She blew her nose.
“I’ll always come see about you Mama.” I patted her knee.
“Have you heard from M.J.?”
Just the mention of his name made my mama sad. M.J. was Maddox Wells Jr., my brother. He was the eldest of us two, but he left right after his eighteenth birthday. He said there was no way he could sit around and keep watching what Dad was doing to our mother without murdering his perverted ass. His words, not mine. I couldn’t imagine how hard it had to be on my brother as a boy to watch someone and not just anyone, but our father mistreat his mother. He couldn’t take it. My brother packed up all those years ago and never returned.
At first he’d accept our mom’s calls, but when she called and was crying he told her to lose his number until she left our father. He thought he was making a good choice, but I told him she still needed him.
“We texted before I got here yesterday and he sends his love,” I lied, keeping my attention on the road.
“Quit lying Marlene.” She chuckled.
My mother could read me like a book.
“I’m sorry Ma.”
“Don’t be Marlene, it’s not your fault. Your father needs to stop his nonsense before he loses all of us,” she mumbled.
This was the first time I heard my mom mention anything about leaving my father.
Smiling to myself, maybe my prayers were being answered after all. But even if not, before I returned to my New York life, I wanted to see what I could find on Karmen. Come hell or high water, she would leave my family alone.
Someone had to knock her off that high horse, and I was just the someone to do it.