Soul Cry: The Ten Year Girlfriend (7 page)

“ Okay girl. You may see us over there too.” Shavon said. Her ear was already pressed to her cell phone calling her man.

I crossed the street and sat on the bench outside the smoothie shop to call Katrina. I turned on my cell phone to find six more text messages from Roderick and two missed calls from Katrina. I pulled up her number and pressed the call icon. Katrina picked up on the first ring.

“ About time your ass called! I was getting worried. Girl that nigga Roderick is going crazy! It's a good thing I dropped you off as early as I did because he was over here an hour after I dropped you off at the bus station.”

“ You didn't tell him where I was going did you?” I asked nervously. Katrina talked a lot of shit but she did have a tendency to crack under pressure. Not to mention the fact that Roderick had a way of getting what he wanted out of people. He didn't even like Katrina and had expressed his dislike for her. Roderick attempted to drive a wedge between our friendship from the start of our relationship. He'd make claims she wasn't the type of female I should hang around and that she had a bad reputation around the neighborhood.

I wasn't trying to hear shit he had to say about Katrina. At that point Katrina and I had been thick as thieves for three years. We'd met our first day on the job at the exclusive boutique La Deaux. We were the only two black employees working there and quickly became inseparable. It wasn't long before we both decided to move out of our parents homes and got a place together. I was more than ready to leave my fathers home. I'd moved in with him when my mother passed away  the summer before I entered the ninth grade. My sister and I both came to live with our then estranged father in California. As soon as my sister turned 18 she took off and moved back to Cleveland,she'd never really taken to California. I stayed but my father and I had a strained relationship at best. Besides it's not as if his new wife had ever really wanted my sister and I there anyway. Truth be told, my father was the reason I was so adamant about marriage. My father had never married my mother even after two kids with her. My mom loved him till the day she died and I hated him for it. He'd come visit us in Cleveland and my mother would still sleep with him. I vowed as a young girl to never allow that to happen to me. I wanted a complete family, I wanted to be married to my childs father. This was one of my main issues with Roderick, I refused to have a child with him until we were legally married. When I left the hospital with my baby to go home, we ALL had to have the same last name.

“ Well don't tell him anything. He's been blowing my phone up! I've had it turned off though. As soon as I get to Cleveland and get settled down I'm going to change my number. Anyways girl I only have less than an hour before we leave here. I'm going to run in this shop,use the bathroom and get myself something to drink. When I get to my sisters I have to tell you about these two ladies sitting next to me on the bus.” I said laughing “ Girl they had me feeling some type of way for MILES! But they turning out to be cool the more we talk.”

We talked a few more minutes before I hung up and walked into the shop. About ten minutes later LaDaya and Shavon joined me. We all grabbed drinks and a snack before heading back to the bus.
Damn,
I thought every stop we make has this bus filling up. I'd anticipated some of the stops to cause the bus to be crowded but it was a full busload each stop  we made so far.

“ Awww shit!” LaDaya whispered as she grabbed Shavon's hand and commenced to knocking her knee against mine. I looked up to see a fine ass brotha standing right next to me in the aisle taking the seat directly across from me. I knocked LaDaya right back. Even though the last thing I was interested in was a man, I couldn't deny the brotha looked good. Smooth dark chocolate skin and a head full of waves,thickly groomed brows framed his eyes.

“ Hello. How are you ladies this evening?” he asked with a smile showing two deep dimples in each cheek. I was tongue tied for a moment but LaDaya and Shavon weren't.

“ Heeyy!” they said in unison. LaDaya's gap teeth and Shavon's golden grill were on full display.

As he sat down in his seat I caught a whiff of his woodsy,spicy scented cologne. Damn! I was a sucker for a good smelling man. I just smiled at him and didn't say a word.

Before I knew what was happening Shavon was leaning forward in her seat introducing us to the new passenger.

“ We're good! I'm Shavon, this is my best-friend LaDaya...,” she said pointing to the middle seat where LaDaya couldn't seem to stop grinning “... and this is our new friend Amina!” she said. “ We're all on our way to Cleveland, how about you?”she asked with no shame about
just
how nosy she sounded. I was embarrassed as hell.

He smiled showing off those deep dimples again.

“ Nice to meet you all. I'm Rasean. I'm headed to Cleveland as well.” he stated stretching one of his long legs into the aisle. The bus had taken off from the station and was back on the road.

“ Girl that nigga is fine!” Shavon whispered from her window seat loud enough for LaDaya and I to hear.” I almost forgot I was engaged. Anyways back to this hot tea you were pouring for me a LaDaya! Because where you left off, yeah that negro cut a fool with your ass on day one.  He also laid the pipe to your ass so good you couldn't resist that nigga!” she said snickering loudly.

I busted out laughing.

“ I thought you would have let this go!” I said cutting my eyes over at her.

“ Hell no!” they both shouted.

LaDaya shook her head and turned to me.

“ Uh-Uh baby. My Pandora can wait! The story was just warming up.”

“ You were just getting started. Besides, I need to know how this went on for ten years.” Shavon said snapping her fingers.

I took a deep breath quickly thinking of where to begin.

“ Okay well like I said. Outside of that first night when he was tripping with me,things between us were perfect. Until we hit our third year together...”

* * * *

R
oderick pulled into the gas station slowly approaching the pump. It had been a long day but we'd had a blast at Disneyland. I loved going to amusement parks and Roderick had surprised me this morning by whisking me away for a day of fun. The day had gone better than I could have ever hoped. While sitting at the top of the roller coaster Roderick pulled out a three carat, princess cut diamond and asked me to marry him. While everyone else was screaming from the thrill of the ride, I was screaming with joy. I was so in love with Roderick and I knew we were meant to be together forever.

I glanced at the backseat which was now filled with stuffed animals he'd won for me during the day. Roderick cut his eyes and me and laughed.

“ What the hell are you going to do with all those?” he said stifling a laugh as he stepped out of the car.

I looked over at him and smiled.

“ I'm keeping all of these in our garage. Nice and safe until we have a baby and then they're going in the baby's room.”

“ The baby huh?”

“ Yep. I'm hungry babe, I'm going inside to get a slushy you want one too?” I asked grabbing my purse.

“ Yeah I could go for something cold. Get me the usual.” he said grabbing the pump to fill up the tank. Before I could walk away from him I couldn't resist running around the car and jumping into his arms showering him with kisses.

“ I love you so much! I can't wait to be your wife Roderick.”

Roderick kissed me deep and slow before breaking our kiss.

“ You know that ring ain't shit to me right? You've been my wife since the day I met you. You know that right?”

Tears sprang to my eyes,I could only nod my head yes.

“ I'll be right back.” I whispered. I couldn't wait to get home and make love to my man.

I walked inside the store browsing through the selection of snacks. I couldn't make my mind up on what type of chips I wanted.

“ Amina?”

I looked up to see who was calling my name shocked to see me ex-boyfriend Marquise. I broke into a grin. It was nice running into him even though I knew I was the reason we'd lost touch. He'd called me many times three years ago but I just felt it was best for us not to speak too much since I'd just met Roderick and he'd made it clear from day one he didn't want me speaking to any men,let alone my ex-boyfriend and the only other lover I'd had.

“ Marquise! Hi, how are you? How's your family?”

Marquise walked over and gave me a  long, tight hug. I tensed up a bit not because he'd hugged me but the last thing I wanted was for Roderick to see me in the arms of another man. I relaxed a bit, after all Roderick was pumping the gas across the parking lot.

“ Everyone’s good. They ask about you all the time. I'm glad to see you're doing okay since you can't call nobody or return a phone call.” he said smiling. Even though I wasn't interested in Marquise in the least anymore it was good to see he looked as good as ever.  He seemed happy. The last three years since I'd seen him had obviously been good to him.

“ I'm sorry Marquise. I just got caught up in life,work and I've been seeing someone pretty seriously as a matter of fact I just got engaged today...,” I said feeling silly about my shady behavior toward him. I knew Marquise and his family cared for me deeply. I felt ashamed of myself for turning my back on them so easily. His mother had treated me like her own child which had meant the world to me since I'd lost my own mother when I was 14. I'd cut them out of my life for someone who at that time I'd just met. Granted Roderick is my world now, but when I turned my back on my friendship with Marquise I didn't even know Roderick. I regretted making that decision.

“ Congratulations! Well I can understand that we all have to move on. It's all good. I'm married now too,got a pretty baby girl.” he said smiling.

“ For real? Oh my God! Congratulations Marquise. I know you better have some pictures of the baby.” I asked excited for him.

“ Of course I do!” he said pulling out his wallet and showing off pictures of his beautiful wife and daughter. Afterward we hugged quickly and I promised to try and keep in touch. I paid for my snacks and drinks then walked outside only to find Roderick parked directly in front of the store instead of at the pumps.

I quickly got in the car,put on my seat belt and placed straws in our drinks. Roderick cut his eyes at me without saying a word as he revved the engine,backed up and sped through the gas station parking lot. We entered the expressway and Roderick never said a word to me.

“ Roderick slow down! You're driving like someone is chasing you. Slow down.” I cried, he was scaring me. He was damn near doing 100 mph on the expressway and was switching lanes back and forth like a mad man. I gripped the door handle to stabilize myself in my seat he was driving so fast.

“ Don't worry about how goddamn fast I'm driving. Worry about keeping your legs closed and draping yourself all over niggas in the store. That's what the fuck you need to worry about!” Roderick screamed at me taking his eyes off the road for a split second to throw me a death stare.

“ What? What the hell are you talking about?” I asked bewildered.

“ Don't play dumb with me. Who the fuck was that you was all hugged up with in the store? Yo' slick ass didn't think I saw you but I did. Is that what you be doing the minute I ain't around? All up on other niggas?” he spat.

I groaned inwardly. I'd hoped he hadn't seen the quick hug I gave Marquise but I hadn't done anything wrong. Roderick had made it very clear to me that he was jealous and wouldn't tolerate disrespect from the very first day I met him. In three years it had never been an issue between us but I wasn't going to allow him to make me feel like I'd done something to disrespect him when I hadn't.

“ What's the muthafuckin' problem? I don't fuck you good enough? Often enough. Hot ass. You better cool your ass down before I fuck you up Amina I swear to God.” he screamed. Roderick then grabbed the 32 oz coke slushy I'd bought for him,flipped the lid off and threw it in my face.

I let out a scream of shock as the icy contents of the cup slid down my face and down the front of my body. I burst into tears at the way he was treating me. I hadn't done anything. It took a moment for the shock to wear off but when it did my tears ceased and all I saw was red. I unsnapped my seat buckle and reached over with my fists balled and hit him everywhere I could. My  fist connected with the side of his face, his head,neck and shoulders. I was furious! Roderick did his best to try and hold me away from him. Steering the car with one hand,attempting to hold me off with the other.

“ Stop it Amina! You're gonna make us crash!” He yelled repeatedly.

We were right around the corner from his house...well our house now since he insisted he couldn't sleep a night without me and needed me there. I had to get away from him.

“ Stop this car and let me out.” I said quietly,seething inside.

“ I ain't letting you out on the side of the road! We're almost home then we can talk about this Amina. You fucked up. Just admit it.”

“ LET ME OUT OF THE FUCKIN' CAR!” I screamed repeatedly until he pulled over to the curb. I grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car. I glanced down at my hand and yanked the engagement ring off my finger and threw it inside the car.

“ Fuck you and your ring !” I screamed. I could see a look of shock cross his face but I didn't care.

I turned in the opposite direction he was driving so he couldn't follow me. Roderick tried to back up the car but had to quickly stop due to the oncoming traffic turning into the street. It gave me just enough time to get away from him. I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and called Katrina to come pick me up crying uncontrollably. I couldn't believe he would treat me this way and all I did was love his ass.

I successfully avoided Roderick for two days. I wouldn't answer his phone calls,text messages and had Katrina turn him away when he came to the apartment I once shared with her looking for me. After work I decided I needed to go over to pack up as many of my things as I could. I'd bought some underwear and a couple of bras but I'd been basically raiding Katrina's closet for three days and it was not working for me considering the fact I was much thicker in the ass and thighs than she was. I always got home before Roderick so I drove over as soon as I got off work to avoid dealing with him.