Daddy Taught Me Better (3 page)

CHAPTER 4 – APOLLO

Damn man, talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It seemed as though that was my story with Kasey since I first met her. When I saw Kasey walking up to the trap house, I was low key happy to see her. I always felt like she was made for me. My cousin just happened to beat me to the punch. She was way too much woman for my cousin Jaden. You can tell that Kasey was raised to be a virtuous woman, a woman of morals and standards. I can remember the day that I first laid eyes on her. My cousin Jaden asked me if I wanted to get some soul food from a little restaurant in Dade County called Fingalickin. They had the best soul food in South Florida. I had nothing to do, so I hopped on in his whip and took the ride with him. We had sipped on some Remy VSOP the whole way there so to say I had to take a piss as soon as we pulled up was an understatement. I immediately went to the bathroom as soon as I stepped in the restaurant without paying anyone or anything any attention. After I used the bath room and stepped out I made my way over to my cousin as seen him talking to the most beautiful girl I have ever encountered. She was one of those high yellow girls or as they say in the south a red bone, baby girl was stacked to the max, no BBW, however, thick in all the right places and slim where it was needed. When she laughed her eyes became chinky and she adorned the most beautiful set of pearly whites. Now don't get me wrong she was beautiful, but her inner beauty is what caught my attention. The way she stood was so poised, she was dressed seductively, but conservative at the same time. She had on a halter dress that fit all her curves to perfection, but instead of wearing the latest spiked

Louboutin’s, she decided to lace her feet with some High Top camel colored Giuseppe tennis shoes with a sweater tied around her waist. She held an aura of being regal. I laughed to myself because I thought there is no way someone of her stature would take my cousin serious. Jaden was a flashy dude, a real clown ass nigga. He always portrayed himself to be the man for the fame and bitches; when in all actually it was my work he was pushing. I didn't care about it because I liked to play the background. As I walked up, I introduced myself to the ladies and was informed that this beautiful woman name was Kasey and her best friend standing next to her was Nic. Nic was just as gorgeous in her own way, but you could tell that Nic needed a man to give her ass some get right. She could go from a Southern Belle to Queen Ratchet at the snap of your fingers. Jaden asked the girls to join us at our table along with paying for their food and they were more than happy to oblige. Neither Kasey nor Nic was shy about their food. They ordered the large Oxtail Special with all the fixings along with the large mystery drink.  Kasey really had herself together, to my surprise she was from Palm Beach County the same as Jaden and me. Kasey was studying for her MBNA at Florida Atlantic University. I thought for sure that after the game Jaden spoke to Kasey that she would turn down his invitation to attend the local block party with us that they were having down in the hood of West Palm. She shocked the hell out of me, how could someone that seems so well put together fall for all that bullshit he fed her. How in the hell Kasey been right under my nose this whole time and I missed her? When we made it out to the car and he suggested that Kasey ride with him so they could get to know each other better and I ride with Nic, I was pissed. I wanted Kasey for myself; I knew that she was the queen I had been searching for. Jaden and Kasey must have had one hell of a conversation because she been with him ever since. Now I am standing here felling like shit after the words Kasey spoke to me because this dumb ass Jaden couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. Kasey and I never had a disagreement, let alone spoke ill words to each other. The look she had on her face, the venom, hurt, and anger that she spoke with hurt me to the core. I think I was more hurt than she was from the scene that just unfolded.  I always tried to give Kasey words of wisdom and guidance when should would come to me about her and Jaden problems without appearing to be a hater. I would try to talk some sense into him, but like I said he was a straight up clown.

“Man what the fuck is your problem? You round here going bare-back with hoes now. Jaden you being real fucking reckless right now; you moving sloppy as fuck. A side-bitch should never know where the fuck you and your family lay your head at and she damn sure should never feel comfortable with stepping to your wife. When the fuck they added that shit to the playbook?”

“Man, what the fuck you mad for, that’s not your bitch? I believe that bitch got my last name and I been left my dick print on that pussy years ago. Kasey not going nowhere, she know what it is.” his dumb ass replied.

Let me put you up on game, your wife is you’re Queen and the throne is to be protected at all times, not just protect her, but protect her heart and soul. “Cuz your mentality all fucked up. How you address your wife, the woman that carried and birthed your twins a bitch? Nawl dumbass, you sitting here fucking around with all these scandalous bitches and going to lose the best thig you will ever have in your life.  A bitch that will suck and fuck in a trap house don’t give a fuck about you because she doesn’t give a fuck about herself if that’s how she carries herself.” I was really trying to give him some knowledge that he was definitely lacking.

“Apollo go ahead with all that shit, you blowing a nigga high right now, Kasey already messed up the nut I was trying to get. Now I’m going to have the blue balls and I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do with this baby. When I catch Keisha I’m going to snap her fucking neck for this stunt she pulled tonight. I don’t even know this damn baby,”

“I tell you what the fuck you are going to do Jaden; you, your bitch and your baby about to get the fuck up out my trap right now. If you wanted somewhere to fuck and be a hoe ass nigga you should have taken your ass to Vegas and opened up a brothel. Shop closed for the night.” I told him.

“Damn Cuz, it’s like that? You just are going to stop a nigga cash flow on the weekend.” Jaden asked me.

I responded to him, “Nigga you not trying to make no money, you trying to make more babies on your wife going bare back on these hoes. Jaden cheating on a good person is like throwing away a diamond and picking up a rock. I’m done talking to you for the night, though, because you not going to learn until Kasey leave your ass for good and the cleanup man will be right there to pick up the pieces of her heart, now get the fuck out.”

I let my others workers know the shop was closing for the night. , “clean up and get up out of here so I can lock-up.” I couldn’t even think straight right now. I had to get in touch with Kasey; the thought of Kasey being upset with me and never speaking to me again was a feeling that I could not bear.

CHAPTER 5 - KASEY

I left out that trap house feeling worse than I did before I came. I speed walked all the way to my truck, I couldn’t let those motherfuckers see how bad they had just broken me. The tears that were ready to fall were trying to break like the River of Jordan.  Not only did this jackass have a baby on me, but I got to walk in and actually witness him fucking some random bitch I knew was going to take a toll on my mental state. It’s one thing to have that women intuition, someone telling you what they seen, but to actually see my husband in the act of adultery is an image that would forever be embedded in my head. I’m thinking about the image, but in reality, it was a nightmare. If I would have known when I woke up this morning that today would be the day that my husband broke my heart into a million pieces, leaving our marriage irretrievably broken, I would have prayed a little harder.

Oh, my goodness what is this going to do to my boys?
I thought to myself.

As a husband and man, Jaden wasn’t shit but he was for sure daddy of the year in their eyes. He always made sure for them and I’m not talking about in a materialistic way. He spent real quality time with them. Damn, fuck my life. Hearing Nic slam my door shut pulled me out of the thoughts that were racing through my head at the time. As I pulled the car into drive Nic attempted to make me feel better.

“Kasey don’t worry about that nigga, he didn’t deserve you no way. It’s his loss, not yours, you should have at least let me shoot that nigga in the pinky toe for hurting you like that.”

I held my hand up to let Nic know to stop speaking.

“See Nic that’s where you’re wrong at, it’s not just his lost. Nobody is a winner in this situation. I lost years of my life falling in love with this man, marrying him and gifting him two sons thinking that vows shit was true until death do us apart; what a damn joke. I’m so heartbroken to the point where I think I will be too scared to love again. My boys will no longer wake up and go to sleep with both of their parents in the same home. That little baby Jade didn’t deserve this either, she is innocent. What type of woman leaves their baby at another woman’s door step and Jaden dog ass wants to deny her. I know you were only trying to help when you spoke, cheer me up, attempting to make me think that things are not as bad as they are; however friend shit is fucked up. It’s so messy; I’m ashamed that I was a leading actress in this drama. Don’t try to cheer me up; I need to feel this hurt and pain. I need to face my reality head-on so we will never have this conversation again.”

Nic just nodded her head letting me know she understood what I was saying and respected my stand on the situation. I sat back in my seat and turned up the music. It seem like we got to Nic’s house in no time. I killed the engine on my truck while Nic and I just sat there in silence for a while.

“Hey Nic, do you think the boys can stay with you for the rest of the weekend? I need to take a minute for myself. You know see what my next move will be. My next move has to definitely be my best move. I need to just gather my thoughts together, have some me time to reflect, release and regroup.”

“Kasey you already know I got them; I love them like they are my own. I just want to ask you one question, though.”

“Why are you not crying? It’s okay to let it go. You know I gotcha girl. I’m here for you.”

“Nic it’s a time and a place for everything and right now is not the time. I was a mother before I was a wife. I need to go in there, let my boys know that they will be staying with you for the weekend; give them a couple of kisses and a huge hug. I will not approach my boys with a tear stained face, red puffy eyes and let them see the hopelessness that I feel within myself right now. Nawl, my kids, will never have the image that their mother was weak as hell about a man. I’ll pass on that shit.”

After I spoke my peace, I grabbed my door handle to exit my truck.  Nic and I met up on the sidewalk walking up to her doorway when she grabbed me, hugged me and whispered in my ear, “I got your back Kasey, you’ve always had my front and you don’t have to weather this storm by yourself.” I shook my head up and down letting her know I understood what she was saying.  I think Nic really needed that hug for herself because when I hurt, she hurt. She never was one to allow me to fight my own battles. I knew if she could take this pain away I would never know what heartbreak was.

We stepped into Nic’s house and began yelling for the boys. The house was completely silent. We climbed the stairs and to our disbelief, all the boys were already sleep. I just whispered to myself “Thank You, Jesus. The boys were sleep so I didn’t have to face that eternal battle as well tonight. I informed Nic that I would be cutting off my cellphone for the weekend, I would text her when I decided what hotel I would be going to with my room number so that she could reach me to be able to talk with the boys or if an emergency came up. We hugged again and I exited her house wondering how the hell I got to this place.

CHAPTER 6 - KASEY

I hopped back in my truck, speeding off to my house. I needed to make it there to pack a bag just in case Jaden was going to try and come there thinking he would be able to whisper some sweet nothings in my ear and I would forgive and forget all in the name of love, marriage, kids and all that other shit. I cut my time in half, running in the house, grabbing my Louis Vuitton duffle bag, throwing some toiletries and a couple of lounge wear outfits. I didn’t plan on going out once I checked in so it wasn’t like I needed anything major. Once I got done packing, I grabbed my duffle bag and made it downstairs to the kitchen, fixing me a strong alcoholic drink for the ride to the hotel. I thought to myself, who am I kidding? I’m going to need the rest of this bottle because I was going to have me a full-fledged pity party tonight. I threw the bottle in duffle bag along with chaser. Tomorrow, I’ll adjust my crown, pull myself together and plan the future for me and my boys. As soon as I got in the car I knew I was headed to The Marriot Resort on Singer Island. I always loved going to the beach to think and meditate. Something about the water calmed my soul. I valet parked my truck and went to check-in. I informed the front desk person if someone calls and ask for me by name they are not to patch any calls to my room. Only calls that need to come through are if they already knew my room number. She assured me that it would not be a problem. I looked around the lobby while the front desk lady input my information. I couldn’t help but to think, damn I wish there was someone in here I could have a one-night stand with. Just to hold me and make the pain go away and tomorrow I would tell Jaden how I fucked the soul out of a complete stranger and we were now even. Now that’s some payback for your ass.  Once I made it into my room, I texted Nic my room information and told her I was okay and would call her tomorrow.  I stripped out of my clothes and made me another drink. I put my IPhone 6plus into the I-Speakers and cut Pandora on the Monica station. I was ready to deal with all these emotions that embodied in me. When I got done with my third drink, I guess you could say that I was officially drunk. I felt I was cried out. I was now heavy in my feelings and just needed to talk to my dad. I picked up the phone and called my parents’ home. I pulled myself together like nothing was wrong once I heard my mom answer, we exchanged pleasantries. I informed my mom I needed to speak with my dad. I knew better than to tell my mom about what had transpired because she had no chill factor. I know Jaden hurt me, but I didn’t want him dead, hell he still needed to be a father to our children. Once I heard my dad’s voice I just broke down again.

“Daddy I lost myself, I lost my family, and I lost my husband. Daddy Jaden has been having affairs all around town with different women and he made a baby with one of them. Having a baby on me is the ultimate betrayal, I’m done with him. I will never take him back. Daddy, you said God would never put more on me that I could bare, but I think this cross is too heavy to carry. I don’t know how I’m going to pull through this.”

“Kasey calm down. What are you talking about? Where are you? Do you need me to come to you?”

I began to tell my father everything that transpired today; by the time I got done talking I think I was about to hyperventilate. Hearing myself tell my father about Jaden indiscretions had me thinking this has to be a dream, it couldn’t be real. This was actually my reality. The phone line became completely silent, so I looked at my phone and then my dad’s voice came booming through the phone line.

“Damn it Kasey, where the hell did I go wrong with you. I know you my baby girl, but girl or not I didn’t raise know damn punks. You damn right you lost yourself if you think that this is more than you can bear. Having a baby was not the ultimate betrayal. When he told you I do and swore to God to forsake all others and never had any intentions to be faithful was the ultimate betrayal to you, himself and, more importantly, God. You can’t think the ultimate betrayal was him having a baby from someone else besides you. You need to be thanking God he exposed that no good bastard to you now instead of wasting more time on a dead end marriage.”

“Daddy I can’t believe you are saying this to me right now.” I cried into the phone.

“Don’t you Daddy me; I’m not going to sugarcoat this for you. When did you lose your self-worth Kasey?  What was so great about him that you left your values at the door? Oh, I got it; you decided to have kids and marry a man with no values so therefore you yourself became valueless. Raising all of you I did the best I could to demonstrate how a man was supposed to treat his wife. Never once have you seen me disrespect your mother; raise my voice at your mother. We ate dinner together every night; we had real family quality time, but, more importantly, we prayed together. Therefore, we stayed together. I don’t know if your ass got it confused because Jaden was able to afford you the finer things in life, as your mother and I did; but baby girl you missed the mark. You married who you wanted, not the one God ordained for you. You settled for those damn red bottoms, Gucci and all that other new shit I can’t even pronounce just to keep a husband that you had to share with Lord knows how many women.”

“Daddy it wasn’t always like that, when I fell in love with him he reminded me a lot of you.”

“Kasey don’t fucking insult me. Jaden couldn’t hold a candle to me. I see I’m going to have to speak to you as a man and not your father. You have seen me get up and go to work every day. I earned the fruit of my labor. See I didn’t mind chasing that slow nickel and building where I could always make sure my family had. Jaden is too busy chasing that fast quarter; that money could be here today and gone tomorrow.  Any man that can’t see the potential in his wife and discourages her from fulfilling her own dreams is a selfish bastard and does not have her best interest at heart. Jaden has not grown into his manhood and may never will. See Jaden has the mentality that a hole is a hole and the dick has no eyes. Jaden has not been affected by his actions. What I mean is there has not been any repercussion he has suffered from you. You basically gave him the green light when you allowed him to cheat on you, buy you something expensive that you didn’t need and then you okay in the morning.”

“Daddy your right, everything you said is nothing but the truth. You have taught me better than to be a doormat for any man. I knew that man was cheating the whole time and I turned a blind eye thinking that one day he would grow up and change, that it was just a faze. I wanted my boys to grow up with both parents in the home. You know from the mouth of a drunk speaks a sober mind. I had allowed that man to become before anything on this earth, his happiness meant more to me than my own. You know the elders always said raise a child up in the ways and they will never depart. I admit I did stray, but my roots grow deep and I will pull it together. Tomorrow is a new day, new possibilities and a chance to start over. I’m taking my life back daddy. I am going to start by loving myself, because I know if I love myself I will never let any man or woman for that matter bring harm to me physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

“Kasey I’m going to need for you to sleep that liquor off because I knew you had to be drunk calling me with that dumb shit about losing yourself. You know me and your mom got your back. Pray about it and leave it there. Everything will work out for your good. By the way, where the hell was my grandchildren when all these shenanigans were going on?”

“They are staying at Nic house for the weekend.”

“Un huh, I bet Nic was riding shotgun with your ass the whole time with that damn pistol in her purse. I swear that there is really a Madea somewhere in the world and she is related to Nic.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment my Dad said. He was a hot mess, but he was the truth.

“Okay Daddy, I’ll call you tomorrow, thanks for talking to me.”

“I know I was little hard on you Kasey, but I only want what’s best for you. Always remember that a person that doesn’t know their worth will never know yours. Therefore, the longer you hang onto hope that they will finally see your worth is the moment you to start to depreciate in value. Love you baby girl, say your prayers and get you a good night’s rest because I expect you and the boys over for Sunday dinner like always. It’s not the end; it’s just the beginning to a new chapter in your life.”

I told my Dad goodnight and did as I was told. As soon as my head hit that pillow I was out for the count. After tonight, there won’t be any more tears. I know I’m in for a long emotional battle within myself. Being with Jaden is equivalent to me waking up and brushing my teeth. I didn’t just make him my whole life, Jaden was my way of life. I’ve heard that old habits die hard, so I guess you can consider me in Jaden Rehabilitation because that chapter will be closing.