Page 13 of Ghetto Heartstrings

“I’m serious, maybe you should go back to Atlanta for a while with your daddy. It’s crazy out here without Perfect around to protect you from this crazy ass world.”

“You don’t even know my daddy. He don’t have nothing to do with this, and I’m not going back to Atlanta. I’m fine.”

Rasta was distracted by someone in the background that was trying to get his attention “Look… I’ll call you back, baby girl. Sleep tight,” he said, hanging up.

Brook’Lynn tossed the phone on the pillow next to her and rolled over. Fuck he thinks he is? she mumbled. She loved Rasta because he was Perfect and C2’s father, but she wasn’t with his bullshit; she didn’t need anybody dictating her life.

A few hours later, she was tossing and turning, when her mind started to play tricks on her.

She opened her eyes to Perfect sitting on the edge of the bed looking peaceful, wearing a grey fleece suit with the hoodie covering his head.

The look he gave her was a disapproving glare with disappointment behind his eyes.

“Perfect?” She sat up, smiling. “You came back baby? Oh, my God, I’ve missed you so much.” Her eyes watered up. “Why the fuck haven’t you called me?!”

However, Perfect wouldn’t move, nor did he seem enthused. “You wrong Brook, you dead ass wrong,” he said in almost a whisper.

“Perfect! What are you talking about? You’ve been gone for weeks, and you come back to tell me I’m wrong?” She felt herself getting angry. “What the fuck have I done?”

He shook his head in disapproval. “Holla at me when you ready to keep it real ma, I’m out of here yo. A nigga love you, but you dead ass wrong.” He stood up to walk away.

Brook’Lynn panicked. “Wait! Where you going?! Please don’t go… just talk to me!” She crawled across the bed, trying to wrap her arms around his body.

BLOP! Were the sounds of her hitting the floor waking her from her sleep. “What the…” She rubbed her head while squinting her eyes, straight up embarrassed that her dream caused her to wake up on the fucking floor.

She helped herself up feeling uneasy and dizzy, all of a sudden. She was glad she didn’t have to go to work because she wasn’t in the mood. She couldn’t even lie and say that shit didn’t spook her cause it did, like maybe it was a sign or something.

Picking herself up, she got herself together and checked her phone for the location that Brody wanted to meet her at, since he’d just flown down in the wee hours of the morning.

Him coming to her house wasn’t an option.

She grabbed her keys and headed to Jackson’s breakfast joint in Opalocka.

Brody was on his old turf, so that’s where they would have breakfast together.

Brook’Lynn wore her hair hanging with a middle part showing off her natural baby hairs.

She wore a pair of ripped capri jeans with a Chanel t-shirt and the matching sandals.

Her body smelled like cotton candy as her dark skin glistened in from the sun, giving off a more of a dark bronzer look.

She found Brody at a table in the back and took a seat across from him before removing her Celine shades. She had to admit her daddy was a fine ass man and she looked much like him, just the female version. Most of her features had come from him.

“I know you better get up and give me a hug,” he warned.

Brook’Lynn sighed and stood up to barely wrap her arms around him.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love him; she just never got along with him because he refused to try to relate to her life.

He thought that treating her like a slave would make her listen to him but, instead, it backfired, and she rebelled.

“Hey, sorry about that.” She sat back down.

Looking into the same exact eyes as his, he thought about how much he really loved his kid, but there was something he really wanted to talk to her about. “When you coming home?”

“I am home. Miami is home for me now. I hope you didn’t come all this way to convince me to come back.”

He crossed his hands in front of him on the table. “You out here all by yourself; I’m not feeling that shit.”

“I’m not alone,” she said, just as the waitress came and placed two plates in front of them both with cheese grits, corn beef hash, eggs, and toast.

She walked away again, giving them their privacy.

“Thanks,” Brook’Lynn mumbled to him for ordering one of her favorite dishes.

“Who you got? When the last time you went and saw yo Aunt Ruth? She’s the only relative you got here, and you don’t even see the woman.”

Brook’Lynn loved her aunt, but she was so caught up in life; she rarely made it to see her. “I’ll go this week. Maybe you should’ve had more kids, and then, I wouldn’t be so fucking isolated.”

Brody leaned back in his seat, chewing on some bread. “What if I told you that you wasn’t the only child? Don’t get it twisted; I was that nigga.”

All she could do was shake her head. “Well, if so, where this sibling at?”

“Right here in Miami, since you won’t bring yo ass home. Then, maybe you need to know, you got peoples, right here.”

Brook’Lynn turned her nose up. “Like I don’t get it, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Ain’t shit wrong with me, Brook’Lynn and that’s ya problem. The minute you accept that I’m yo daddy and you need to respect me, you’ll be well off. I told you not to come out here. I told you leave that nigga alone and he done fuck around and left yo ass; what you think I didn’t know?”

“Ain’t nobody left me!” She found herself raising her voice. “You always acted like you can make everything disappear! You can’t make my love life disappear though; my shit is solid!”

He smirked. “I can make anything disappear. Stop underestimating me. Get you a good nigga with an insurance plan and a 401k or some shit so, when I’m dead and gone, I won’t be tossing in my fucking grave worried about if my daughter is straight.”

“Didn’t you just say you had another kid?” she questioned.

“Kids,” he corrected her.

She dropped her fork on her plate. “And there’s more than one?” Shaking her head, she stood up. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“A boy and a girl.”

“Wait, so let me get this right? I have a brother and a fucking sister and I’m just finding out? Have you met them?”

“Your brother? Yes. Your sister? Nah, she doesn’t want to have shit to do with a nigga, since her people put all that whack ass shit in her head about me.”

“And they’re both here?” she questioned. She couldn’t believe this shit; her daddy never ceased to amaze her.

“Yep,” he confirmed.

Brook’Lynn took a twenty-dollar bill and placed it on the table. “I’m gone, daddy. I don’t have time for this.”

He glared at the money and couldn’t help but to laugh. “Baby girl,” he said while picking it up, stuffing it in her pocket. “Perfect is gone. He can’t make sure you’re straight no more, so you need to be saving every penny.”

It was her turn to smile. “That’s why I went to school and bust that shit down to get my own education, I can take care of myself.”

“Can you do the same when niggas start coming after you?” he questioned. He didn’t know who Brook’Lynn thought she was. It wasn’t shit that she ever did that he knew nothing about. He would give his life for his hardhead ass daughter, but she needed to learn.

She sucked her teeth, but her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. “What niggas?”

It was his time to stand up, instead of saying another word. He pulled out a wad of money from his pocket and dropped fifty on the table. Kissing his daughter on the cheek, he walked past her, leaving her standing there. “I’ll be here for a few days!” he yelled over his shoulder.

Brook’Lynn had to get her breathing together before she headed out to her car.

“Ruth…” she whispered to herself. Ruth was her great aunt, and it was true; she hadn’t seen her in forever because last time she saw her, she was acting all funny, like it was something she wanted to tell her, but was all caught up about it.

It made Brook’Lynn really uncomfortable.

Then, she couldn’t help but to think about what Brody had said about her having siblings.

Unknowingly, she found herself in Bunche Park on the same street that Ruth lived on.

Without her consent, her body did its own thing, turning into her driveway and throwing the car in park while staring at the powder blue house that was in need of a serious paint job.

She knew Ruth was home because her old Volkswagen was parked out front and she never really went anywhere. She forced herself out of the car and walked to the front door.

“Come on in child!” She heard Ruth yell from an open window before she even got the chance to knock.

The fuck she got? Three senses? She thought to herself as she turned the knob and opened the door. Immediately, the smell of carrot cake tickled her nostrils, as she pushed her way inside the neat home. All of Ruth’s shit was old, but that was the good furniture; the shit that could last for years.

Brook’Lynn followed the smell to the kitchen, where Ruth was standing there with her apron on taking a fresh carrot cake out of the oven.

Her extremely large ass and hips swayed from the side when she walked, and her grey hair was done up in some finger waves.

Ruth looked mean as hell, but she was as sweet as they came, and she didn’t play the radio.

“Hey Aunt Ruth.” Her mouth watered when she spoke to the woman who was just as dark as her.

Ruth turned around and smiled after she sat the cake on the counter to cool off. Looking into her niece’s beautiful face, she put her arms around her, embracing her in a hug. “The blacker the berry.”

“The sweeter the juice.” Brook’Lynn smiled.

“You’re beautiful baby.”

“I get it from you, auntie.”

“I know that’s right,” she chuckled. “Here, have a seat, you hungry?”

“Nah, I just had breakfast. I’ll take some to go for lunch, though.”