Pieces of Me

by Aubry J.

“Tell me you love me, Cross. Tell me you won’t ever leave me. Tell me you don’t regret us. Tell me we will always be.”

“Tell me you love me, so I won’t have to kill every muthafucka on this earth that looks in your direction. Tell me you love me so I can walk out of this house tonight knowing that you just saved the fuckin’ world from my wrath!”

“I love you, Mecca Strong.” Tears fell from my eyes, and I didn’t stop them. “I’ll love you forever, and that still wouldn’t be enough time.”

Loyalty ain't always loyalty; sometimes it's jealousy hiding behind fear.”

“Cover him, lord. He isn’t perfect, but he was made for me. He is my protector, lover, my other half. I pray to you now just like I do every time he steps away from me. Allow this man to come home to me tonight and every night after. In your name, I pray. Amen.”

All my cousins dealt with it in their own way. Krude withdrew into himself for a while, only opening up to Madea. Exodus became the boss of everything, having to know everyone’s moves at all times. Judge kept his head buried in a book. Mercy spent all her time on the basketball court. Psalms grew her flowers and plants. Corinthians learned to cut hair to keep busy. And I tried my hardest to cling to my parents. It wasn’t until two years later that I found out they’d turned to drugs to cope.

“The next time I gotta lie to your man, I’ma beat your ass,” she said, putting the phone back in her purse. “That man ain’t all in there, and you know it. Playing with my fuckin’ life like this is crazy.”

“If she wants his death on her hands, that's her business. Who am I to stop their tragic love story?”

“Madea!” he yelped as she squeezed her legs tighter. “Get this little spider monkey off me!”

“You gonna be nice to us now?” Mercy taunted as they started to go down. “Yeah, that’s right. Go night-night, little buddy.” “Okay, Melvin, let him go,”

“This is just rebuilding our foundation. I’ve loved you since I met you. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“That’s Mr. Nigga Ma’am right there,”