Authors: Braya Spice
Dear Drama (9 page)
Chapter 10
I smiled and tiptoed into Sierra's room. It was Christmas morning. I was so excited to see her open her gifts that I woke up before she did, although she swore that she would wake up first.
One of her feet was hanging out of the blanket. I started tickling it. I laughed when she pulled it back. “Sierra.”
She groaned and turned in her sleep.
I started tickling her again. “What happened to you being awake first, huh?” I asked.
She started laughing and turning her body in different directions to get away from my fingers. When I stopped tickling her, she sat up in her bed and said, “Merry Christmas, Mommy!” She looked super happy.
“Merry Christmas, Sierra. You ready?”
I shouldn't have said that. She leaped from the bed, squealing, and ran out of her room and into the living room.
I followed after her, excited to see the look on her face when she opened her gifts. I grabbed my disposable camera off the coffee table and started snapping pictures of her as she opened her gifts. I was so relieved that I was in a position to get her gifts. Thank God. When my car broke down, I had to dip into my Christmas fund. But I was still able to get her some nice things. I had asked Greg for some money, but he told me no. Sierra screamed when she opened her Bratz doll. She was obsessed with them. She also unwrapped a beauty parlor where she could sit in front of a mirror and do her makeup and her hair, her own karaoke machine and, of course, an Easy-Bake Oven. For me it was a blessing to be able to provide her with things that put a smile on her face.
I had expected Greg to call me the night before, asking if he could see Sierra on Christmas Day, but he never did. I didn't want to be a total bitch to him, so I was planning on calling him to see if he wanted to spend a couple hours with her.
I couldn't wait to show her what Kendra and her godmother, Creole, had got for her.
“Thank you, Mommy!” she exclaimed.
“You welcome, but you know you not done yet, right?”
“I'm not?”
I pulled another gift out from under the tree. It was from Kendra. It was a pair of cute hot pink roller skates.
While she opened those and screamed, I went to the living room closet and pulled out the Barbie electric jeep.
Fucking Creole,
I thought.
She knows how to come through.
Fucking Creole,
I thought.
She knows how to come through.
Sierra went insane when she saw the jeep. She started running around the house, screaming. It made me crack up.
“Mommy, can I ride this now?”
I chuckled and said, “Go put on your house shoes and you can go.”
She raced in her room, and within seconds, she came out with her slippers on.
I pulled the jeep outside and sat it in the grassy courtyard. There were other kids outside playing with their toys. Some were riding scooters and bikes, and some were busy showing other kids what they had gotten for Christmas.
So many girls ran up to Sierra to see her jeep. She smiled excitedly and slowly pressed the gas pedal.
“Hold on to the bars, Sierra,” I advised her.
Soon she got the hang of it.
I went inside quickly to grab the cordless phone out of the kitchen. I attempted to call Greg, but I saw my number was still blocked. I sat on the porch and watched my daughter. Although this was the second year that Greg and I had been separated, it still got me depressed. The last thing that I ever wanted for Sierra was to have a broken home. Especially on Christmas. I hoped her dad at least called her before we both got dressed and went over to my mother's house for Christmas dinner. I was more than willing to stop by his house and let him spend a couple hours with Sierra. But something told me I wouldn't hear from him. Luckily, Sierra was too occupied with her toys to really care. Or at least she pretended that she didn't.
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It seemed like Greg had dropped off the face of the earth. He never called on Christmas or any time after that.
What a piece of shit,
I thought.
Just to teach me a lesson, you would miss Christmas with your firstborn.
What a piece of shit,
I thought.
Just to teach me a lesson, you would miss Christmas with your firstborn.
It took Greg a good three weeks before he came begging for me to let him see Sierra again. First, he started with phone calls, asking to speak to Sierra and telling her that Angel said hi. Then he popped up without calling.
Sierra was at the kitchen table, doing an ABC's work sheet, while I worked on an essay for my literature class. The teacher was a real pain in the ass and made us do essays every damn week.
When I heard the doorbell, I went and answered the door, and he was standing there.
I took a deep breath so I stayed calm. “Greg, didn't I tell you not to pop up at my house without calling?”
“Why you got a nigga in there, around my daughter?”
“If I did, what would you do?”
“I'd put a bullet in his head, that's what.”
“Okay. It's time for you to go.”
But he could have bitches around my daughter and it was A-OK? He was such a fucking hypocrite.
“No, I'm just bullshitting. Let's start over please!” He looked super distressed at the thought of me closing the door in his face.
I took a deep breath and nodded, even though the threat he had made was so disrespectful and uncalled for.
“How are you doing?”
“Greg, what are you doing popping up at my house without calling?”
“My bad. I just wanted to give you the outfits Angel bought for Sierra. She said she hopes you reconsider and let me start picking her up again.”
He handed them to me.
“I don't have a problem with you getting Sierra, but I should be able to call you, and secondly, no one should be talking to our daughter that way. I also feel that if you have someone living with you or staying over when my daughter is there, I have a right to know, as you would like to know. And I thought it was real pathetic that you didn't even have the decency to call and wish Sierra a Merry Christmas.”
I felt like I was talking to a slow person. This stuff I was saying was common sense. But not with someone like Greg. He just didn't seem to get it, but I hoped the tough love I was showing him made him get it now. My daughter meant the world to me. I refused to let anyone mistreat her. If that meant that Greg wouldn't be in her life to protect her, then that was how it would have to be.
“Look, about Christmas. I didn't have any money to buy her anything, so I was too embarrassed to show my face over here. As far as the other stuff, I understand. Look, I already talked to Angel. She gets it now, and she is sorry. She was just having a bad day. And I should have told you she was living with me. She is. But, Allure, damn. You don't have to make shit hard on me when you see me trying to change. I don't even post up over here anymore like I used to, out of respect. I know you fucking with other men, but do you see me tripping?”
Truthfully, since I lived on the east side of Long Beach and everybody knew everybody, it wasn't hard for Greg to find out my business. And not that it was his fucking business, but I wasn't seeing anybody. But Greg had been like that since we were together. He had always sworn up and down that I was fucking everybody. He was crazy. And since he was with Angel and he was marrying her, or so he claimed, why the hell did he care what I was doing? I thought.
“See, here you go. You just don't get that my business is my business, and as long as I take care of Sierra, my personal life is separate. I don't have to explain it to you. Go home, Greg. I'll call your girl, and we can have a talk. If we can come to an understanding, then I have no problem with you taking Sierra this weekend.”
As I closed the door in his face, I heard him mutter, “Damn.”
I peered out the window and saw him walk away. I locked the door and walked into the kitchen. I watched him get into his car and drive away.
Sierra was still at the kitchen table. “Sierra, look at the two outfits your Dad's girlfriend got for you.” If she was trying to be cool, then so was I. I didn't want any problems at all with her, because it would affect Sierra.
“I don't want to,” she said sharply.
My head snapped back from surprise. She had never used that tone before. I sat down next to her. “What's wrong?”
She stopped writing and kept her head down.
“What? You can't look at me now? What is wrong?”
Suddenly Sierra started crying.
“What is it, baby? Why are you crying?” My eyes watered. I didn't know what was wrong, so I couldn't help her.
“Angel hit me.”
“What!” I exclaimed, nutting up. “For what?”
“I didn't come fast enough when she called me. She used her boot.”
“Sierra, why didn't you tell me? I always told you that if any man or woman touched you in an inappropriate way or hurt you, you had to let me know. Was your daddy there?”
Her voice cracked. She took a deep breath and said, “She told me if I told you, she would fuck me up again. 'Cause she didn't like me, anyway. Daddy was gone, and she told me not to tell him, either.”
Tears poured from my eyes now. I felt like shit for not knowing anything about this. All this time had passed, and she had gotten away with putting her hands on my child. And Greg was leaving my child alone with her.
I grabbed my purse and told Sierra, “Come on.”
I hightailed it over to Kendra's house because her house was closer to where I lived. She was sitting on her porch when I pulled up. I leaned over and unbuckled Sierra's seat belt and said, “Sierra, run to Kendra and tell her I said for her to keep you for a few minutes. I'll be back soon.”
Once Sierra was safely in Kendra's arms and Kendra waved at me, I peeled out and busted a U-turn. Since Sierra was no longer in the car, I drove sixty miles per hour on the streets until I was at Greg's apartment. My plan was to whip his ass and hers. Her for doing the shit and him for allowing it to go down. I just might get my ass whipped, but still I had to prove a point.
Don't fuck with my child!
I knew there was a reason that Sierra didn't like this bitch!
Don't fuck with my child!
I knew there was a reason that Sierra didn't like this bitch!
Once I made it to his door, I swung my foot back all the way and kicked it. “Open up, muthafuckas!” I kicked over and over again.
Then I backed up and looked up at his bedroom window, searching for movement. I saw a chick peer from the window. I couldn't see what she looked like, but I assumed it was her.
“Come outside, bitch!” I yelled. I rushed back to their door. I banged on it and kicked it. Greg must still be gone, I assumed, because he would have been out there with quickness.
She opened the door and faced me. I remembered the picture Greg had shown me, and I knew that this was her.
She had a look that said, “Bitch, I'm not afraid of you.”
And to be honest, I figured she wouldn't be. If my own child's father didn't respect me, why in the hell would she? He probably talked about me like I was a dog to this girl.
With a phone in her hand, she said, “Bitch, if I don't want you calling my house, I damn sure don't want you coming to my doorstep. Go before I call the police.”
She had me fucked up. I slapped the phone out of her hand and slapped the shit out of that bitch all in one swift movement.
She screamed, and before she could retaliate, I gripped her hair and dragged her from her steps into the street.
“Somebody help me!” she yelled and tried to fight me off. But I had too much anger and adrenaline pumping through me to release her.
I shoved that bitch back sharply with an open palm. She staggered back fearfully, and I rushed her with my two fists, drilling her face with my left and following with my right.
Her punk ass tried to duck and scream, but I still got her.
“Bitch, don't you ever hit my child!” I swung again and struck her in her temple.
She swung blindly at me. I took a step to the side and punched her again in her mouth, busting her top lip. Blood splattered on the street. Soon people came outside and a crowd encircled us. I gripped her weave and smacked her in her cheek. That hit caused her to fall backward onto the pavement.
I took a deep breath, walked over to her, and spit in her face. “Bitch, I'll die for my daughter. Don't you ever in your fucking life put a finger on my child. Now, call the police, and I'll call, too, and tell them you whipped my child with a boot. Who you think they gonna be more sympathetic to you or me, bitch?”
As I walked off, I couldn't help but feel equally responsible for this shit. I should have questioned Greg about this chick the moment he told me about her. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he would tell me if he had someone living with him or even around Sierra. I was far too lenient, and that had put my daughter in harm's way. I couldn't let anything like that ever happen again. Judging from the fact that she would put her hands on a three-year-old, she truly had to be a piece of shit. If I was able to forgive myself for that mistake, it would take a long-ass time. I didn't know if I was going to let Greg see Sierra again after this. He should have been more aware and more careful about the company he kept, especially around his daughter. And if I did let him see her again, that bitch would have to be out of his life.
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