Side Chic 3 (The Ratchetness Continues) (7 page)

             
"Don't try to move." Nelle told me. "I hope that no good son-of-bitch rots in jail!"

             
“He'd better hope like hell that he does.” Nelle's husband Corey said as he walked into the room carrying their one year old daughter Korey. “He'd better pray that they give him a life sentence because if he brings his ass back to Boykins, I've got something for his ass!”

             
“Corey calm down.” Nelle told him.

             
“Nah, fuck that! That nigga ain't have no right putting his hands on Mia or Mina! He's a straight fuck-boy...a motherfuckin' coward!”

             
“Corey, chill out. Remember that your daughter is in the room...watch your mouth!”

             
I watched as he paced back and forth. I could see the anger in his face and I knew that he wasn't joking about Mello's ass being his if he saw him. “Man, I don't like that shit at all! Did you see the bruises on Mia's neck? If I don't get that nigga first, Ron gone get his ass!” He said referring to Mia's boyfriend Ron. “You can bet your last dollar that he's going to get his! That's a promise.”

             
I felt bad about what Mello had done to Mia because I felt that it was my fault. She'd only been trying to help me and now look what had happened. “Did the police arrest him?” I asked. I thought that I'd heard Nelle say they had but I wanted to be sure. I was silently praying that they had because I didn't want Corey or Ron to get in trouble. It was worse enough that Mia was hurt because of me.

             
“Yeah, they arrested him. By the time that they arrived he’d left the salon walking but I gave them a description and they picked him up down the street.” Nelle informed me.

             
I closed my eyes and let out a breath of relief. “Good. How is Mia doing?”

             
“She's good. They checked her out and found that there was only bruising so they released her. She and Ron left about twenty minutes before you woke up.”

             
“Oh okay.” I felt a little bit better knowing that Mia was alright.

             
There was a soft tap at the door and then the door opened slowly. A middle-aged nurse wearing dark purple and yellow scrubs walked into the room. “Hello, Ms. Jarrett. My name is Sandra and I will be your nurse. The doctor will be in soon to talk with you but everything looks fine. You have severe bruising to your back and face. He's a little concerned about you being knocked unconscious so he wants to keep you overnight just to keep an eye on you."

             
“I can't stay overnight. I need to go home.” I objected trying to sit up once again but again pain shot throughout my entire body. “I need to go home and get my daughter.”

             
“No Mina, you need to stay right here so that the doctor and nurses can keep an eye on you and make sure that you are okay. You won't be any good to Simya anyways. You can’t run behind her in the shape that you're in. She’s fine right where she is with Ms. Joanne.” Nelle interrupted. “I’ll stay with you if you want because you don't need to leave here.”

             
“Nelle, you have a family. I can't ask you to stay here with me.”

             
“Girl hush, you are my family too.” She turned her attention to Corey, who’d finally stopped pacing and was sitting in the corner holding a sleeping Korey. “Baby, you don't mind me staying here with Mina do you?”

             
“Nah but I'm going to either need you to come home first thing in the morning to get Korey or I'm going to have to bring her up here because your mama is still out of town.” He explained.

             
“That's fine. I can come home first thing in the morning because I will have to come and take a shower anyways.”

             
“Alright.”

             
Nelle turned her attention back to me. “Well it's settled, you're staying.”

             
“Thanks Nelle but...”

             
“But nothing.” She cut me off. “You’re staying and so am I.”

             
I knew there was no use in continuing to argue with her so I decided to let it go. Besides my mouth and face were too sore to continue to try and argue with her. I turned my attention to Sandra. “I guess, I will be staying.”

             
“Good.” She smiled patting me lightly on my foot. “We just want to make sure that everything is okay before we release you. I’d feel so horrible if we released you and then you went home and something happened to you that we could have prevented.”

I gave her a slight smile
. “Thanks.”

             
“Oh no need to thank me, suga. I’m just doing my job.” She checked my vitals and then told me that she would be back a little later.

             
After she left Corey stood to leave. “I’m going to get out of here and go put my youngin’ to bed. I’ll see you in the morning baby.” He wrapped his free arm around Nelle, pulling her to him and then leaned down and kissed her. “I’m going to miss you being beside me tonight woman.”

             
“Awwww…I’m going to miss you too baby.” She kissed him again. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed her daughter on her chubby cheek and told her she loved her.

             
Seeing the affection between her and Corey made me feel empty and depressed. I envied what they had together because I’d wanted that for so many years. I wondered why Mello and I couldn’t have that. Why did he have to be the way that he was? Why couldn’t he try harder to be a good man to me and a good father his daughter instead of being the abusive monster that he’d become? I eyed Nelle and Corey from where I lay in my bed. I couldn’t help but wonder what she had that made him so crazy over her.

             
“Alright you take it easy Mina.” Corey said glancing back at me as he was walking out of the room. “I hope that you feel better.”

             
“Thanks.” He left closing the door behind him. “Girl, you sure are lucky. You found a good one.” I told Nelle.

             
“Hmph…he wasn’t always like that.” She replied. “You remember all of the shit that I went through with him and that crazy bitch Amy.” She shook her head as she took her seat back next to the bed. “We have been through a lot but I will admit that it wasn’t all in vain. I think he and I both learned some very valuable lessons through it all. It definitely brought us closer and I think that it made us appreciate each other more.”

             
“Yeah…I wish that Mello would’ve learned something after all of these years and all of the shit that he has put me through.” A tear rolled down my cheek and I reached up and wiped it away. “I have tried my best to stick with him no matter how bad shit has gotten because I understand the pain that he has gone through and the pain that he is still dealing with but that hasn’t gotten me anywhere. It’s like he can’t see how much I love him or that I am here for him regardless of what. I’m not against him or out to hurt him…yet and still he’s constantly hurting me. I just don’t understand. Then when I finally get tired and walk away, this is the result. I just don’t know what to do!”

             
“First of all, calm down. Don’t get yourself all upset.” She replied sympathetically reaching over and wiping my tears. “You’ve done all that you could do for him. You’ve done too much if you ask me. Your only mistake was, you should’ve been left a long time ago and stopped feeling sorry for him. Yes, it’s sad the abuse that he suffered as a child but that is no excuse for him to turn right around and do that to you and his child! He has sense enough to know that he didn’t like having someone knock him upside the head and treat him like shit! So why do it to the people that he claims to love? I’ll tell you why because he has no idea what love is! He doesn’t even love himself because if he did he would get some help and deal with those demons that he’s been carrying around for years so that he can be a better man and parent than his parents were! Life is too short for the bullshit, Mina.” She said looking me directly in my eyes letting me know that she was speaking from her heart. “You took the first step by getting your baby and leaving but the key is to move forward and don’t look back. I know that you still love and care for him and that’s natural. It’s not possible to be with someone that long and then leave and not still have feelings for them but in this situation it is in your best interest to love him from a distance! Move forward with your life and find someone who will love you and treat you the way that you should be treated. You deserve to be loved and pampered. Not only that, but Simya deserves better than that. Don’t allow her to grow up watching her daddy or any other man beat on you or her because she will start to believe that’s how a man is supposed to treat her. You don’t want that for her.”

             
“You’re right. I don’t.” She got up from her seat and leaned over the bed and gave me a hug. “Aaahhhh…”

             
She quickly jumped back. “Dag, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She looked concerned. “Are you alright?”

             
“Yeah, I’m okay.”

             
She sat back down. “I just want you to know that everything will be fine and if you need me, I’m here for you regardless of what it is that you need.”

             
“Thanks cuz.”

             
“No problem.” We continued to talk and I told her about me bumping into Tremaine earlier and giving him my number. “Tremaine Jefferson?” She asked giving me the screw face.

             
“Yes, Tremaine Jefferson. Why are you looking at me like that?”

             
“Girl, what is wrong with you? I know that I just got through saying that you need to move on but not in that direction. Tre is a straight up dog! That dude has slept with almost every chic in Boykins and all of the surrounding areas.”

             
“Nelle, he’s slept with quite a few but I think that you are exaggerating a bit.” I tried to laugh but it hurt too badly.

             
“Exaggerating my ass! Tre is a dog!” She folded her arms and swiveled her neck at the same time. “Not only that but I know you don’t want to have to deal with Kisha and or his other babymama, Lala. He has too much babymama drama. Don’t get me wrong, Lala ain’t a bad person. I used to do her hair a while back and she seems like the laid back type but it may be a little different dealing with her on a more personal level. Kisha on the other hand. She has become a hot mess since she left Tre! I hear that heffa is off the chain! I heard that she whooped Lala’s ass while she was holding her baby in her arms!”

             
I rolled my eyes up in my head. “And…what does any of that have to do with me? Tremaine is single and free to talk to whomever he wants and so am I.”

             
She looked at me like I’d said something wrong. “Mina listen, no offense or anything but you and I both know that you can’t fight. So I am trying to warn you before you get your little ass into something that you can’t get out of! And honey there ain’t no need in calling me because I refuse to be somewhere helping you fight over a bunch of foolishness. I have a child to raise. I can’t be getting locked up.”

             
“Whatever.” I snapped becoming defensive. “I’m not scared of Kisha or Lala! They don’t own Tremaine because they have kids with him!”

             
“Okay but don’t say that I didn’t try to warn you.” She told me getting up and walking over to the window.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes as I lay there thinking about Nelle’s warning. I would never admit it to her but I knew that she was right about Kisha being a problem and maybe even Lala. I’d heard how silly some females could be when they found out that they’re babydaddy had moved on with someone new. I didn’t want any problems with Kisha or Lala but both of them needed to realize that Tre
maine wasn’t their property.

All of a sudden Nelle’s head snapped around. “Hold up! Mina aren’t you and Kisha some kin on your daddy’s side?”
              Her question caught me off-guard because I hadn’t expected that to cross her mind. Like I said before, Kisha and I didn’t claim each other. Hell, we barely even saw each other and when we did, we spoke and kept it moving. “Girl that mess doesn’t count. We are like fourth cousins or something.”

“It still counts Mina!
” She all but screamed. “Uh-uhh, you don’t need to mess with that boy. He has kids by your folks. That’s just nasty! You’re not supposed to lay-up behind your folks. You are doing way too much.”

“Nelle, chill out.” I was starting to regret ever saying anything to her about Tremaine. “You are taking this thing and running with it. I only gave him my number. Who’s to say that anything will come of it?”

She rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. “Girl stop playing stupid. This is me that you are talking to. I know that you are grown and that I cannot tell you what to do but all I see coming of this right here is trouble. Take my advice and don’t mess with Tre. Find somebody else.”