Page 6 of Rhyot & Nyelle (D-Ville Projects #6)

Chapter

Five

Rhy woke up for the first time in a while and didn’t hear the sound of inmates yelling or guards screaming it was time for a shower or chow hall.

Instead he woke up in the comfort of Ny’s living room.

Even the couch he slept on felt better than the flimsy thin layer they called a bed.

It never failed, Rhy was in the habit of getting up before seven a.m. and today was no different as he grabbed his phone and looked at the time.

The television’s volume played low but he knew from the sound it was cartoons.

His eyes scanned the room and he found Rhyelle sitting at her kiddie table to his left, wrapped in her blanket, holding her pink sippy cup, focused on her cartoon.

He didn’t know which show it was but the blue dog had her attention.

She must’ve felt his presence because she soon turned around. Her big, brown, curious eyes took him in. He understood he was a stranger to her. The two just stared at one another until Rhy’s voice broke the silence.

“Ay,” Rhyot said groggily from just waking up, “You up early, baby girl.”

Rhyelle didn’t respond, just continued to stare at Rhyot, which caused him to chuckle. He could tell off rip she didn’t just look like Nyelle, she acted like her too. And he loved Ny down so he already knew he was gonna love her too.

Rhyot got up and did a light stretch before he went in search of Nyelle which didn’t take long as he opened the door to her bedroom and spotted her with her bonnet half off and lips partially open.

He chuckled, being careful not to wake her, before returning to the living room to see Lil Rhy staring in his direction.

“You hungry, Lil Rhy?” he asked the toddler, even though he didn’t know how in hell to cook. He was at least going to try. Especially with his own stomach rumbling.

Rhyelle nodded slowly, like she was unsure of his cooking skills.

“I got you, say less.” Rhyot smirked, heading toward the kitchen. “Come on. I’mma whip us up something real quick.” He walked to the kitchen with Rhyelle’s chunky self wobbling closely behind him.

He picked her up and placed her in the high chair as he washed his hands before he got to work, moving around the small but modern kitchen.

He grabbed eggs, sausage, pancake mix, & hashbrowns.

He’d learned a lot from watching videos and also while incarcerated he made spreads.

However, he’d soon learn there was a difference.

First, he started with the eggs. He had a few hiccups, such as a few shells getting into the bowl, but he removed them with a fork.

He rinsed his pan and turned the stove on high, setting the pan on top.

He then grabbed butter and placed it inside the pan.

Next he grabbed the pancake mix and small bowl, carefully reading the directions before deciding fuck it.

He used a twelve ounce coffee mug as a measuring cup.

The mix was now watery, which he’d thought would be okay. He shrugged and proceeded.

He looked over at Rhyelle to see her happy and clapping her hands in anticipation of the food.

This motivated him to keep going, to keep trying.

Then he went for the hashbrowns, placing them in a pan, turning the oven on, and tossing them in.

He looked around the kitchen at the mess he’d made and sighed.

Finally, he got the sausage links and a frying pan, rinsing it off before placing it on the stove, the handle pointed inward.

He then put butter and sausages in the pan while moving around, putting bowls in the sink and food materials back in the right space.

The smoke coming from the pan with the eggs caught his attention.

“Damn!” Rhyot hissed, turning off the burner to stop the eggs from burning any further. “This shit can’t be that hard. Niggas make breakfast every day on TikTok.”

The smoke detector suddenly shrieked loud as hell.

“Aw, fuck!” Rhyot jumped back, waving a rag at the air like that was gonna help. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Rhyelle repeated, clapping her hands happily`.

“Noooo, baby girl, you can’t repeat that!” Rhy scolded softly as he continued to wave at the alarm, only stopping briefly to speak to her.

That was when Nyelle came flying out of the bedroom, bonnet tilted, eyes wide.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” she yelled over the alarm, looking from the stove to Rhyot then over at her happy toddler who continued yelling fuck while sitting in her high chair, clapping her hands. The whole scene was enough to overwhelm anyone.

“I was trying to make her some breakfast!” Rhyot barked back, frustrated as hell. He grabbed the burnt pan with a towel, tossed it in the sink, and flung a window open. “Baby girl said she was hungry, so I figured I’d chef something up. Shi…stuff just ain’t come out right.”

With just a shake of her head, Nyelle snatched the rag out of his hand, climbed up on a chair, and hit the reset button on the smoke detector. Silence filled the kitchen.

She turned to Rhy with her arms crossed and her face twisted up, trying to conceal her laugh. “Rhyot, you know damn well you don’t even know how to boil water. So what in your right mind made you think you could cook breakfast?”

Rhyot pointed at the remaining pans on the stove “Nah, I learned how to cook in the joint. It ain’t that damn hard.” He grew a bit defensive. He wasn’t the best cook but he at least deserved some credit.

Nyelle rolled her eyes so hard he swore they’d get stuck. “Just throw it away and I’ll figure something out!”

Rhyot did as she said without protesting. He watched as Nyelle grabbed a now upset Rhyelle from her high chair and stormed off.

They ended up ordering from Pancake House on the Munchies app. Rhyot had fried catfish, cheese eggs, grits, and home fries with a sweet tea. For Nyelle and Rhyelle they got sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches on white bread with sweet teas and a side order of cheese home fries.

After breakfast Rhyot quickly showered and put on a fresh set of clothes he had in his car.

Rhyot reached out to his Aunt Emma, known to the hood as Miss Emma.

She was a D-Ville staple really known for having some of the best drinks in Diamond Falls.

She was surprised to hear his voice. She informed him that she was headed out to buy supplies for the upcoming block party.

Rhy offered to take her and she agreed, letting him know she was getting ready.

Not only was he gonna take his aunt out and get her the supplies she needed, but he was also going to do a little shopping for Lil Rhy.

One problem though… He didn’t know a damn thing about shopping for a toddler. Hopefully his aunty would be able to help him out.

Rhyot pushed the cart through the aisles of Walmart like he was on a mission, and in some ways, he was. He pulled out his phone and pulled up Nyelle’s contact. He sent her a quick text.

Rhy: Call me real quick.

“What now, Battle?” she asked, calling him by his last name. Her voice blared through the speaker of his iPhone while she held Rhyelle in her lap.

“Man, look.” He turned the camera toward the baby section. “I’mma grab baby girl a couple fits but I need her size.”

He trekked over to a shirt with glitter letters on the front and placed the shirt in the cart before moving on to find a pair of pants to match.

Nyelle burst out laughing. “Rhyot… that is size 6T. She only eighteen months. Why you tryna dress her like a first grader? Where is Aunt Emma? I thought she was with you?” she quizzed with a raised brow.

“She is here but I wanted to try and get some shit on my own,” he defended. “Can’t I just buy the shit ahead of time?”

“Not when the pants gonna be falling off her ass for the next five years. Put it back.”

Rhyot cussed under his breath, tossing the items back on the rack. He grabbed another outfit, a sparkly tutu skirt. “Aight, this shit straight though.” He felt confident that he’d just found a dope fit.

Nyelle leaned closer to her phone, trying to get a better look before she popped off. “My daughter is not about to look like a damn princess running around the projects.”

“Man, your ass don’t like nothing,” he muttered, scanning again. He got a lot of things Nyelle stated would look cute on Rhyelle but also ended up throwing Minnie Mouse socks, a pack of bibs, and glow-in-the-dark sneakers into the cart just to spite her.

“Why does she need bibs? She don’t drool anymore,” Ny asked, knitting her brows together out of confusion.

“Who said the bibs were for her ? Have you seen the way you drool in your sleep?” he asked, his tone neutral.

Ny squinted. “Boy, fuck you,” was her only response, which caused Rhy to burst into a fit of laughter. Ny hung up feeling annoyed.

Rhyot continued his store run with his aunty while hitting up three more stores looking for more mason jars for the block party. Rhyot exchanged a series of texts with Ny regarding things to get for Lil Rhy.

Ny: Not you trying to buy my baby smh lol

The text made him smile before he shot back a text of his own.

Rhy: lmao Nah. I’m trying to spoil her… big difference

Ny: Mmcht …well, don’t be doing too much. I don’t want her thinking that you Superman or some shit.

Rhy: I’m better than Superman, baby. I’m Big Rhy

By the time they were done shopping, his car was packed with all the things Aunt Emma needed plus all the toys and clothes he got for Rhyelle. It almost looked like he had pulled a lick. He chuckled at his inward joke.

He first pulled to the side of Aunt Emma’s building and helped her bring her belongings in, then made his way to Nyelle’s building, carrying all of the large bags in his hands, refusing to make more than one trip.

Nyelle was at the door waiting, her arms folded while dressed in a romper. Rhyelle peeked from behind her legs. She danced with excitement as soon as she saw Rhyot carrying all the bags, like she knew they were for her.

“Rhyot,” Nyelle whined, “You said you were buying a few things, not the whole damn store.” She shook her head as she opened the door wider and he made his way inside.

“I couldn’t fit the entire store in my car, otherwise I would have.” Rhyot shrugged, causing Ny to shoot him daggers as he dropped the two, heavy ass bags on the couch. “Got Aunty her shit and I couldn’t forget about baby girl.”

Nyelle went through the bags one by one, pulling out the stuff she agreed to while they sat on FaceTime earlier and the stuff she didn’t recognize or approve of, like the rainbow tutu, size 5T sparkly leggings, a pack of Minnie Mouse socks, fruit snacks, a doll stroller, and a Nerf gun.

She looked up slowly as he chuckled in amusement at her confused expression.

“What is she going to do with a damn Nerf gun, Rhyot?” She held it up for him to see.

Rhyot smirked like the answer was simple. “Shit…protect the crib. Gotta train her early.”

“You know what?” Nyelle squinted as she looked like she wanted to throw it at him. “You’re stupid.”

Rhyelle walked over to the leggings and fruit snacks, snatching them up before holding the box of fruit snacks toward her mother for her to open. “Mine,” she said, not really leaving the statement open for question or debate.

Rhyot crouched down, staring Rhyelle dead in her big, brown eyes. “Yeah, baby girl, it’s all yours, whatever you want.” Rhyot then stood, taking the box from her and opening it. After he opened one of the pouches, he handed it to her.

That tough front Nyelle tried to put up cracked and she was cheesing, unable to contain her excitement. Rhy wasn’t the best with children but she could tell he was trying. That’s all she could ask for.

She shook her head before she mumbled, “Mhm, spoilin’ her already…” But her voice wasn’t hard anymore.

Rhyot took a seat on the couch before staring at Rhyelle as she focused on eating her fruit snacks then turning his gaze on Nyelle who already had eyes on him.

“Told you, Boogs, I got y’all. I mean that,” he stated with sincerity in his eyes. The look in her eyes was one he couldn’t really read. She looked as if she wanted to cry but quickly pulled it together.

“Next time, don’t buy my daughter no ugly ass leggings,” she muttered, but she didn’t move to take the leggings from Rhyelle either.

Rhyot just chuckled as his heart swelled. He was proud of making Lil Rhy and Ny’s day, even though the day started with him almost burning the kitchen down. The smiles that both girls wore made up for the mishaps that happened this morning and he honestly knew in his heart it was all good.