I reached over and turned the light on. Her hair was thick as wool but soft as silk andworn in large springy curls. Her cheeks were colored with rouge with brown liner on herlips. She had cold grey eyes, a light mustache and coarse hair that sprouted from her chin,like whiskers. She was wearing a shapeless muumuu, her arms were as flabby as wads ofchewed up bubble gum. She had shoulders like a college-line backer with giganticboobies that heaved up down with each of her breaths. Yes, now I could see why mymom wanted to stay away from her. She came off as being crude, with the mannerism ofa War Lord biker. I could only imagine her big ass glued to her sofa, guzzling beer by thecase and letting out belches that smelled like baby crap.
“Maria, why you coming in here and starting all this trouble?”
It was just a voice, Nico’s voice. Maria’s huge frame was blocking the door. Shemoved a little to the left, and I saw Nico standing behind her, wearing a terry cloth robe,knee high socks, and black penny loafers.
“Nico, I don’t want to hear shit about what you got to say. All I want is to get mygrandkids out of here,” Maria said while holding up her hand in disgust.
“Oh now you’re coming to get em? After I done clothed and fed their asses, youthink that you’re just going to come here and take over.”
“Nico, don’t talk to me like I’m a fool. I used to be your wife, remember? I knowthat you don’t give a shit about nobody, just yourself. You just use people.”
“Ah, so now you’re going to act all holy and shit. But your hands are just as dirty asmine,” Nico said.
“Yeah Nico and you’ll never let me forget it. But I’m here now and I ain’t going tolet anything happen to these kids.”
“Oh you’re here now. Where were you for the last six months when these kids whereeating out of fucking trashcans. I took them off the streets, fed em, clothed em, took theirasses to school, and this is the thanks that I get,” Nico said.
“Nico, just stop.” Maria said. She paused and was going to say more but Nico spokeup and started to walk toward her.
“Go ahead. Take em, and ruin more people’s lives. You come in here trying to savefolks, but all you’re going to do is fuck shit up. Because that’s what you are, a fuck up.”He ranted with spittle flying out of his mouth. Nico was rageful. His eyes were as big asgumballs and his veins were popping out of his neck. His hair was disheveled, with onlya few strands tucked into a ponytail. I was scared. I had never seen Nico like this before.He seemed to have transformed, like a werewolf howling in the night.
“You ain’t good at being a wife. You ain’t no good at being no damn momma, andyou ain’t even good in the fucking sheets.” He spat.
Maria just stood there, speechless. I just sat and waited for her to do something. Shehad about a hundred and fifty pounds on him. I wanted her to body slam him onto theground like a sumo wrestler. I wanted her to grab him in a headlock and beat his headlike it was a speed bag. I wanted her to knock him out with one quick bunch like MikeTyson. But she did nothing. She stood there. Then I realized that she was scared, of Nico.
“Get that fucking girl out of here and out of my sight. I don’t want to have nothing todo with anything that has your blood running through it.”
Maria looked at me and motioned for me to follow her. I quickly obeyed.
“Take that weasel ass motherfucker with you too. He’s worthless to me, just a wasteof egg and fucking sperm. Just like his momma,” he said.
I walked over to the closet to put on my shoes. I jumped when Nico yelled at me.
“Oh naw. Leave all that shit here, the clothes, the shoes, and the fucking jewelry.Your ass wanted to leave, so go with the shit you got on your back,” Nico spat.
I looked at Maria. She nodded for me to come on. I knew that it wasn’t a good ideato make him any angrier than what he was. I squeezed pass Maria and looked at Nico. Hejust stared at me, like I had betrayed him.
“You’re going to regret this shit,” he said while shaking his head.
I was pulled into the living room and outside the door. I was shoeless and wearingmy pajamas. I walked on sand and cold hard stones with my bare feet. Ali was directlybehind me, but I couldn’t see his face. We saw an old Buick Chrysler. There wassomeone in the passenger seat. I climbed into the car and realized that it was my momma.I burst out into tears and hugged her from the back seat. She was crying too as shehugged me back, stroking my hair and my arm.
“I’m sorry baby. I’m so sorry; I’ll never leave you again. I promise,” she said.
The ride back to Maria’s house was unsettling. No one said a thing. I kept looking atAli. He didn’t face me. Instead, he was staring out of the window. He had changed somuch. He didn’t smile half as much as he used to and his mood was always cloudy with achance of rain. I wanted my brother back. I wanted myself back. I sat back and realizedthat Nico had done something to us. We
