be great parents. They'd never leave their children to fend for themselves. But alas, the babies were gifted to the unfit, while she, Deidre Clark-Morris, babysat.
2
M emories, like demons, kicked Kenisha around as she lay down on that hospital bed while this X-ray-looking machine sent radiation through the cancerous parts of her body. She felt weak and beaten as the ghosts of yesterday reclaimed her soul.
"Dynasty, girl, you ain't right."
"Ah, stop your crying," she told Kenisha as she raked the cards off the table."We won fair and square, and you know it."
Kenisha sat back and huffed."Just deal the cards." They were playing Spades. Terrell, Kenisha's boyfriend, was her partner. And Clyde was Dynasty's partner. Although the stiff way Dynasty was treating Clyde made Kenisha wonder if he was still her live-in boyfriend. She turned to Clyde."You need to stop letting your bad habits rub off on my sister. She was a nice girl before she started messing around with you."
Laughter escaped the mouth of three of the card players. But Kenisha noticed something akin to regret dancing around her sister's eyes. Dynasty's silence changed the mood.
Clyde either didn't notice that Dynasty wasn't on his team anymore, or he was playing dumb. He put his hand over Dynasty's and said, "Ain't nothing wrong with my baby. She knows how the game is played. You're the one who needs to keep up."
Dynasty pulled her hand from Clyde's as she smirked at Kenisha."That's right, baby sis, you need to keep up."
"It's like that? All right then." Kenisha turned to Terrell and said, "You heard 'em, right? So I need you to help me show these knuckleheads how the game is played for real."
Terrell kissed the deck of cards and then dealt them. He turned over the first round of cards so that everyone could see what the other player was dealt. Clyde got the three of diamonds, Kenisha got the ace of spades, Dynasty got the king of hearts, and Terrell got the little joker.
"It's on now," Kenisha said with glee. She thought for sure that she and Terrell would win this hand, but the rest of the cards didn't go in their favor and they lost that hand also.
Terrell stood and stretched his long, athletic body."Guess it's time to go. I got people to see."
Kenisha frowned as she cleared the table."Thought you said you were going to let that mess alone?"
He walked around the table, bent down, and kissed her forehead. "Girl, your man has gotta handle his business. How would it look if I let them thugs get away with creeping on my turf?"
Kenisha awkwardly pushed her big-bellied body out of her chair and stood."It would look like you had finally gotten your senses together. Like you were ready to grow up and be a father to our child."
Palming her belly, Terrell told her, "Girl, I'm gon' always take care of mine. Believe that."
Gently rubbing the side of his face, she tried again."I just don't want you to get hurt, Terrell. Every thug on them streets is not gon' back down just 'cause you're mean and mad."
He moved her hand from his face."Just have my steak ready when I get back here.come on, Clyde, let's go handle our business."
"I'll be out there in a minute," Clyde said.
Terrell walked out and got into the truck.
Clyde turned to Dynasty."Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Eyes downcast, Dynasty told him, "Nothing left to say."
"Don't be like this, Dy."
"It's over, Clyde. Just let me go, okay?"
He picked up a chair and threw it across Kenisha's living room. Dynasty jumped up and ran behind the couch.
Kenisha yelled outside, "Terrell, come get your boy!"
"You're not just gon' dismiss me like this, Dy. I've done too much for you."
With the couch between them and Terrell on his way back in the house, Dynasty let loose."Yeah, you've done a lot for me. But you've done a lot more to me. Don't you get it, Clyde? You ruined everything we had when you made me lose our baby."
"Why you gotta start with her? We've got things to do," Terrell called from the
2
M emories, like demons, kicked Kenisha around as she lay down on that hospital bed while this X-ray-looking machine sent radiation through the cancerous parts of her body. She felt weak and beaten as the ghosts of yesterday reclaimed her soul.
"Dynasty, girl, you ain't right."
"Ah, stop your crying," she told Kenisha as she raked the cards off the table."We won fair and square, and you know it."
Kenisha sat back and huffed."Just deal the cards." They were playing Spades. Terrell, Kenisha's boyfriend, was her partner. And Clyde was Dynasty's partner. Although the stiff way Dynasty was treating Clyde made Kenisha wonder if he was still her live-in boyfriend. She turned to Clyde."You need to stop letting your bad habits rub off on my sister. She was a nice girl before she started messing around with you."
Laughter escaped the mouth of three of the card players. But Kenisha noticed something akin to regret dancing around her sister's eyes. Dynasty's silence changed the mood.
Clyde either didn't notice that Dynasty wasn't on his team anymore, or he was playing dumb. He put his hand over Dynasty's and said, "Ain't nothing wrong with my baby. She knows how the game is played. You're the one who needs to keep up."
Dynasty pulled her hand from Clyde's as she smirked at Kenisha."That's right, baby sis, you need to keep up."
"It's like that? All right then." Kenisha turned to Terrell and said, "You heard 'em, right? So I need you to help me show these knuckleheads how the game is played for real."
Terrell kissed the deck of cards and then dealt them. He turned over the first round of cards so that everyone could see what the other player was dealt. Clyde got the three of diamonds, Kenisha got the ace of spades, Dynasty got the king of hearts, and Terrell got the little joker.
"It's on now," Kenisha said with glee. She thought for sure that she and Terrell would win this hand, but the rest of the cards didn't go in their favor and they lost that hand also.
Terrell stood and stretched his long, athletic body."Guess it's time to go. I got people to see."
Kenisha frowned as she cleared the table."Thought you said you were going to let that mess alone?"
He walked around the table, bent down, and kissed her forehead. "Girl, your man has gotta handle his business. How would it look if I let them thugs get away with creeping on my turf?"
Kenisha awkwardly pushed her big-bellied body out of her chair and stood."It would look like you had finally gotten your senses together. Like you were ready to grow up and be a father to our child."
Palming her belly, Terrell told her, "Girl, I'm gon' always take care of mine. Believe that."
Gently rubbing the side of his face, she tried again."I just don't want you to get hurt, Terrell. Every thug on them streets is not gon' back down just 'cause you're mean and mad."
He moved her hand from his face."Just have my steak ready when I get back here.come on, Clyde, let's go handle our business."
"I'll be out there in a minute," Clyde said.
Terrell walked out and got into the truck.
Clyde turned to Dynasty."Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Eyes downcast, Dynasty told him, "Nothing left to say."
"Don't be like this, Dy."
"It's over, Clyde. Just let me go, okay?"
He picked up a chair and threw it across Kenisha's living room. Dynasty jumped up and ran behind the couch.
Kenisha yelled outside, "Terrell, come get your boy!"
"You're not just gon' dismiss me like this, Dy. I've done too much for you."
With the couch between them and Terrell on his way back in the house, Dynasty let loose."Yeah, you've done a lot for me. But you've done a lot more to me. Don't you get it, Clyde? You ruined everything we had when you made me lose our baby."
"Why you gotta start with her? We've got things to do," Terrell called from the
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