Page 46 of Ony If It’s You

“Thank you, JV.” She hugged my neck tightly before I placed her on her feet then turned to her mother who was still seated. Pulling her up, I closed her into a hug then leaned down to kiss her lips.

“No stressing and no hard work, baby.”

“Okay, daddy.” She rolled her eyes and squealed when I gently bit her neck.

“Keep on.” I smiled. “Call me when you get to work. If I don’t answer, call Pres’s shit.”

She nodded and grabbed Jocey’s hand and headed out with Si and I following.

Granny said she’d hang around until one of us made it back to take her home.

After getting Si settled in his seat, the two of us headed out with Lil Baby on full blast. The music was interrupted shortly after by a phone call.

I took a peek at the dashboard and noticed that it was Ms. Phyllis, so I hit decline.

When she called the second time, I declined it and turned on my focus.

I didn’t want to talk to her and she wasn’t going to be blowing my shit up.

Pres’s car was in the parking lot along with a few others when I pulled up.

I went around back to park so Si and I weren’t bum rushed by fans.

Everyone in town pretty much knew who I was and had been around me, but that didn’t stop them from crowding a nigga’s space and shit.

Also my little man was with me, I didn’t want anyone getting close to him and shit.

“He just pulled up; I have to go… I will talk to him… Look, I’ll do what I can, baby. I have to go.”

For the second day in a row I found myself posted outside of a door eavesdropping on a fucking conversation. This wasn’t as bad as the other, but it had my interest piqued because I knew he was talking about me, but to who? And the nigga was calling her baby; yeah, he had some explaining to do.

“Are we gonna go in, JV?” Si’s little impatient ass asked, giving us up.

“That’s you nephew?” Pres asked as we entered. “Si, my man!”

“Hi, Uncle Pres!”

“I hope you came ready to work!”

“Always ready!” Si shouted and darted off toward the gym.

The two of us followed him to the front where he was already at the bench, ready to get his small hands taped up. I set my stuff down and got my li’l homie right before having Pres do the same for me.

Today was going to be an easy training day.

We were just working out. We started with pull-ups and chin-ups.

It was funny to see Messiah doing it because he always tried to go as hard as I did and worked as hard as I did.

My li’l man was for sure going to be a problem when he was old enough to actually get in the ring and shit.

The rest of the day consisted of push-ups, jump rope, sprints, crunches, all the shit that I was for sure would have made Si tap out, but my boy hung in there the entire time. I even let him put his gloves on and hit the bag for a little bit.

Once we were done for the day, the three of us cleaned up and started toward the back.

“Your woman called a few times while you were working out,” Pres said.

“Yeah, I told her to hit your line because I knew I’d be busy. I just wanted her to check in and shit.”

He nodded and held the door opened for Si and me to exit. I helped Si into the backseat and got him settled before I shut the door and rounded the car to the driver’s side.

“Nephew, let me holla at you for a second.”

Opening the door, I tossed my bag inside then turned to face him.

“What’s up?”

“It’s about your mama.”

My face immediately frowned up and my body tensed. I knew he was talking about Ms. Phyllis, but this was the first time that he’d referenced her as my mother.

“I don’t know where you’ve been all these years, Unc, but a nigga ain’t ever had a mother and that shit ain’t changed.”

“JV, it’s a lot that you don’t know.”

“And you do?” My brows pinched together as my head lowered. “You know all of the shit that I don’t and you haven’t said shit? That’s who you’ve been talking to, whispering on the phone and shit.”

“She wants to talk to you, JV. You should allow her to explain…”

“Why?” I barked, cutting him off. I had to look in my backseat to make sure that Si wasn’t listening, but I saw his little ass was fast asleep. “Phyllis had plenty of time to explain shit to me, but she played in my fucking face, so naw, I’m cool on it.”

Turning, I started to climb in my car, but I froze when he started to speak.

“Your father would have taken you and she would have never seen you again.”

My body went rigid at his words. I knew it was some shit with them, but I didn’t think that it would be him threatening to keep me away from her.

“Fuck you mean she wouldn’t have seen me? They in a whole fucking relationship.”

“Not by choice, Javyous,” he said and sighed. “Look, it’s a lot you don’t know or understand…”

“Then make me understand, Pres,” I spat, cutting him off. “All y’all mothafuckas just talking in fucking circles.”

“Believe me, I want to, been wanting to, but it’s not my place. Call your mother.”

Briefly, I tore my eyes away from his as I contemplated.

Livid was an understatement to what I felt when it came to Ms. Phyllis and my pops, but something in me was telling me to take Pres’s advice and call her.

Something was up with their asses and it seemed like the only way I was going to get answers or get to the bottom of things was to hear her out.

“Aight, but I’ll do it on my own timing,” I finally said.

“That’s all I ask.” He nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you next week.”

The charity event was set to take place in a few months, so I was going to take the next few days off just to chill and then go hard in the gym.

I needed to kick shit with my family and get shit situated with my mother, but I needed to be prepared for this too.

It was for charity, but the opponents and fights would be very real.

All charity meant was that all proceeds were going to the local children’s hospital.

I sighed just thinking about what I had to fucking look forward to.