"Ma, I don’t want him around right now. I need to rest and I don’t need him stressing me out," Persha answered.
"Stressing you out? Chile, Please! He’s the father of your child. What happens here has as much impact on him as it does on you, I don’t like this one bit. If he ain’t around when you need him, then what’s gonna happen when this child is born? I don’t like this, Persha."
"I know, Ma. I know you don’t like it, but trust me; he’ll be here soon. I hope I have the baby before he gets back actually."
When the door opened, Persha saw Kori with a pissed off look on her face. Cricket was close behind. She was hoping for a distraction, but something mild, like someone offering to take her mother to the cafeteria for a snack.
"Look, I don’t know who told you it was okay to come here, but she’s about to have a baby right now!" Kori screamed after the stranger who strutted into the room without waiting for an invitation.
What now? Persha thought. She didn’t need anything else weighing on her mind or her heart. The last thing she needed was more confusion, especially with her mother standing so near.
The little blonde man who had intruded into Persha’s room looked around the hospital room. "Ms. Persha Townsend?" he said. He looked like he wasn’t quite sure who might answer.
"Yes?" Persha said as she eased herself up in the bed. Looking at the I-V in her arm, she tried not to move too quickly.
"You’ve been served!" he screamed as he dropped an envelope on her bed and quickly dashed out of the room. At the door, Kori and Cricket stood speechless. Paula, was confused.
"What the hell?" Persha said, then catching herself and looking towards Paula. "Oooops! Sorry, Ma." She reached for the envelope but it fell to the floor. By the time her mother reached down to pick it up, Cricket and Kori were both standing next to her bed.
"What’s that?" Cricket and Kori asked in unison.
With an off-hand shrug of one shoulder, Perhsa reached for the envelope her mother held. She sniffled, and ripped the top open. Pulling the legal document out of the envelope, she grew more curious with each movement.
"OMIGOD!" Her eyes widened in horror as she read the document. With her mouth hanging open, her heart skipped a beat as she continued reading. "OMIGOD!" she squealed again.
"Baby, don’t say God’s name in vein," Paula said as she smoothed out the wrinkled sheet.
"What is it?" Kori asked. Not waiting for Persha’s answer, Kori and Cricket moved closer to the bed.
With her eyes filling quickly with tears, Persha’s lips started quivering. She swallowed dry and hard and then mumbled, "Kelsa’s suing me and some man named Antwone for ruining her marriage with Clarke!"
By the time her head started spinning, her doctor and the specialist had appeared.
"Ms. Townsend, it’s time to go," Doctor Blendshe said.
Persha was embarrassed. She was hurt and confused. She wanted desperately to get up from the bed and go find Clarke.
Why was this other guy being sued too? Persha thought. She had so many questions and so many fears, but she had to be strong. Everyone would say it’s for the baby, but how could she be strong for him when she couldn’t be strong for herself.
A part of her was glad she was being taken into the delivery room. She needed to be alone and away from everyone, even if alone meant being surrounded by a group of strangers. They wouldn’t know why she was crying. They’d think she was crying for the baby, the baby that she was sure wasn’t ready to come. But the doctors said their tests indicated otherwise.
Just before the doctor closed the door, her mother squeezed in and said, "I’m her mother. She needs my support."
Persha kept thinking about the papers. When they talked about the epidural, she wasn’t even listening. She remembered her mother asking a few questions. But her mind was on the document she had been served. It mentioned something about Kelsa and Clarke‘s divorce filing. And it was Kelsa, not Clarke, who requested the divorce.
How could that be? Persha thought. Clarke had told her that he had a lawyer. He said they were taking care of his interests. Clarke said it was Kelsa who was trying to hang on. But if that were true, why did she finally decide to ask for the divorce now? And what about that nurse? She saw the way Clarke looked at her. The passion was all but burning in his eyes.
The next thing Persha knew, she was groggy, but after a few minutes of blurry vision, she was seeing clear. Persha turned her head and saw her mother, Cricket and Kori sitting in the room. When did I get back to the room? Is it over? She wondered. Where’s my baby?
Persha reached down to touch her stomach. But it was flatter than before. Not completely gone, but the baby was no longer inside of her. She immediately sat up in bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.
"Ma! Where’s my baby?" she asked. "Where’s my baby?" Every eye in the room instantly dropped to the floor.
~ Clarke
Clarke Sr. dropped his son off at the hospital’s entrance while he went to park. Walking out of the elevator, Clarke was hoping he’d get into Persha’s room before Menehsa’s evil ass showed up again. As he walked, he searched the halls with his eyes, eager to make it to the room before he might be spotted. Man he was sick and tired of these bitches!
So far, real good, he thought as he rounded the very last corner. Only a few steps from her door, when it looked like he’d make it okay, a voice called out to him.
"Mr. Hudson?" he heard someone call.
Clarke stopped in his tracks. For a second he just stood there, not acknowledging he’d heard his name.
"Mr. Hudson," the voice repeated.
Clarke finally turned to see Persha’s doctor. "Yes?" he answered, feeling relieved that the doctor was alone.
"Have you talked to Ms. Townsend yet?" Doctor Blendshe asked.
Clarke shook his head and thought that if this quack didn’t let him go, he’d never get a chance to talk to her.
"I’m just getting here. Why? Is everything okay?" Clarke said as his jaw tightened. He wanted to finish the conversation inside the room and not in the hallway where Menesha could possibly notice him.
Doctor Blendshe looked down at the floor and then back at Clarke. "There is a problem, but I think we need to discuss this with you both."
Clarke really didn’t care what was wrong. He was just thinking about how much this crumb snatcher was going to cost him every month for at least the next 18 years. His mind was made up. He’d see Persha through the mess, but the minute she and the baby were released, he was outta’ there, Even if that meant he’d have to get a roommate.
When he walked into the room, he sensed the tension immediately. Everyone grew quiet even though he knew they had been talking prior to him entering because he had heard voices as he approached the door.
Clarke lifted an eyebrow when he spotted the older version of Persha. Their likeness was somewhat surprising to him. She was sitting off in the corner with Cricket. When he walked all the way in, they all got up as if they were ready to throw down. He immediately turned his attention to Persha. He wasn’t looking for drama. He actually wanted to avoid it at all cost.
"Aeey! Whassup, Persha?" he said as he thought about how bad she looked. Her face was all fat, shit swollen all over, and even though her stomach wasn’t as round as it was before, she was still big as hell.
"Is this him?" Paula screamed.
"Ma! Please don’t!" Persha begged.
"Persha, baby you’ve been here all day giving birth and where was he?" Paula shouted. "He comes strolling in here like he owns the place and didn‘t even ask how you‘re doing." Clarke looked toward Persha. She closed her eyes.
"And let’s not forget the gift we received a few hours ago," Cricket threw in.
Still uninterested in what they were bickering about, Clarke was hoping his father would come in soon. He could use the help. He felt himself breaking out in a sweat, but he wanted to remain cool.
"Hey, Doc, what were you talking about out there? I really don’t have time for this shit in here," he said casually, lifting his shirt as he rubbed his stomach. He was full and could use a nice long couch.
"What? Boy, didn’t your mama teach you any manners?" Paula said, stepping toward him, but Kori gently pulled her back.
"Ma, please don’t!" Persha begged, cringing at the scene.
"I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so rude. He didn’t even attempt to introduce himself or even apologize for not being here when you needed him most. He’s just Gawd awful!" Paula spat.
"Ma! I don’t need this right now. Please. You know I have a lot on my mind," Persha said nervously.
Paula started biting her bottom lip. Cricket rubbed her back, and Kori didn’t say anything.
"Let’s not forget why we’re here," Doctor Blendshe said, looking around the room. "We’re still not out of the woods just yet. The baby is grossly underweight and his lungs aren’t fully developed." He flipped open the folder he’d been holding. "Normally, we would’ve tried to prolong the pregnancy, but at this point, it could have put both mother and child at risk, so we felt the Caesarian section was necessary.
Clarke looked up and said, "Baby? Oh snap, she had it already? Does he look like me?" he asked casually, already thinking two steps ahead of the game.
Maybe if the baby wasn’t his he’d be able to walk away from this thing without any scars. He was hoping he’d be able to reason with Persha before she left the hospital, but not with the lynch mob standing by.
Again, Clarke looked toward the door. He wanted his father to come in. He needed help and he needed it quickly. At least his pops could put this old hag in her place. He wasn’t worried about Persha or her friends, they knew better.
When Clarke looked her way, Paula rolled her eyes and shook her head. Clarke could care less; he just wanted to see if the baby looked like him. If he didn’t, then he’d walk out right away. And even if it did look like him, he might have to request a blood test, just on GP (General Principle).
He just needed his father there to back him up.
~ Persha
Just when Persha thought things had finally calmed down, her mother spun around. She was waving in her hand the legal documents Persha had received before going into deliver.
"What’s this all about?" Paula turned to Clarke and snarled, leaping out of Kori’s reach.
Clarke looked up at the papers then back at Paula’s face. He sucked his teeth and turned back toward Persha.
"Young man!" Paula shouted. "Don’t you hear me talking to you? I asked you a question. Don’t you turn your back on me," Paula screamed.
Closing her eyes, Persha wanted to evaporate. Could this get any worse, she wondered. And why didn’t Cricket or Kori drag her mother away. Didn’t they know when to step in and help? Running the tip of her tongue over her lips, Persha tried to count to ten. Maybe once she opened her eyes it would only be her, Clarke and the baby in the room.
"My daughter is being sued because of you! I want to know what you have to say about this!" Paula said.
Before the words fell from her lips, Persha knew they were coming. Paula despised being ignored, and Clarke didn’t know, but he was only making matters worse. When he didn’t say anything, Paula walked up on him.
"Your wandering hands need to be dipped in the blood of Jesus," Paula said, "and those hands will turn into praising hands. This-" she waved the papers. "This is nothing but the devil at work. And you need to drop to your knees and beg for forgiveness. You have no integrity; no morals."
Clarke turned to find her too close. He backed up and looked over at Cricket and Kori and said, "Y’all need to do something about her. A brotha don’t know how much more he can take."
Persha started praying. She didn’t know what else she could do. Once Paula started quoting scriptures, it was all over. She wanted to tell Clarke to just agree with what her mother was saying and save them the entire forthcoming sermon.
"Ma?" Persha tried to no avail.
"This is what happens when you neglect to treat your body like the temple that it is," Paula preached to her daughter. "You are a virtuous woman. You’ve got to maintain your Christ-like character in a contrary community."
Clarke closed his eyes and then sighed. "Why don’t I leave?" he offered as he headed toward the door to leave the drama behind him, not realizing that it was already shackled to his feet, and it was sure to follow him with every step he took.
~ Clarke
"Please! Don’t leave. Think of our baby, your son!" Persha pleaded to Clarke as he opened he door to exit out of the room. He turned and looked into Persha’s eyes just as he was about to close the door behind him. She had never seen that look in his eyes before, but something told her she had finally reached him.
"The doctor needs to talk about our son, so let’s hear him out."
Persha had had enough. She didn’t need to see her mother
looking at Clarke with daggers. They needed to talk to the doctor and they needed to do it alone.
Looking up, Persha took a deep breath and said, "Can you guys all leave the room please? I think Clarke and I need to hear what the doctor has to say. We need to work this out."
Paula, Cricket, and Kori all looked at each other, and then back at Persha. "I think we need a few minutes alone. That’s all I’m saying. Maybe you guys can go see the baby."
"That’s not a good idea," doctor Blendshe interjected.
Persha made eye contact with him. She didn’t need any more bad news. Silence blanketed the room until there was only the sound of the door creaking open. Persha welcomed the distraction.
Standing there was a gentleman who looked somewhat familiar to Persha, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him before. He was wearing a pair of white linen pants and a matching shirt. All though the cloth was freely flowing around his body, you could see his muscular shape. His skin was the color of burnt yellow and his eyes were dark brown. The scent of his cologne followed minutes after his arrival.