“Hey, honey, what are you doing calling so early?” I asked as I slipped out of bed.
“Sorry, Mama, I know it’s early. I had a bad day yesterday and I needed to talk to you.”
“Baby girl, you sound sad. What’s bothering you?” I asked, gripping the phone closer to my ear.
“Well, I went out to eat with Tasha yesterday and we ran into Mrs. Turner and a few of her friends,” Destiny began.
“She didn’t bother you, did she?”
“Of course, she started talking slick out her mouth. She was talking about me and then she started talking about you. Before I knew anything, I blacked out and hit her and then I spit on her,” Destiny said as her breathing became audible on the phone.
“Take a deep breath and calm down, baby girl. If you hit her, she must’ve been really out of line. It takes a lot for you to snap,” I said as I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. I went to the coffee pot and started brewing a pot.
“Mama, it wasn’t her talking down to me that bothered me. She was talking about you, calling us animals and her friends were cackling in the background. Before I knew anything I was all over her. But that’s not the worst part…”
“Oh my, what else could have happened, Destiny?”
“I got arrested.”
Upon hearing of my daughter being arrested, my back became rigid. I yelled, “I know like hell that old hag didn’t cause my baby to get arrested. I’m on my way to Miami now.”
“Mama, you don’t have to do that. It’s already handled.” Destiny tried to quiet my worries, but I was already too upset. I stormed back upstairs and entered my bedroom. John was sitting up on the bed on his elbows.
“Who got arrested?” he asked.
I raised a finger at John and whispered, “Destiny.” Then, I told Destiny, “Give me time to get dressed and I’ll be there to handle this.”
“Is that Mr. Turner? And if so, what is Mr. Turner doing at your house this early in the morning?” Destiny asked.
“Who’s at my house is not your concern, Destiny.”
“Well Tammy having me arrested isn’t your concern either, but you’re on your way,” Destiny said.
“Stop being a smart aleck. Are you at home now?”
“Yeah, Jacob brought me home last night. He’s going to talk to his mother today about having the charges dropped.”
“Destiny… Lord knows that woman is too old to be carrying on this way. She has no business running around picking fights with my child.”
“Will you tell me what is going on?” John finally asked.
I put my hand over the phone and told John, “Destiny got arrested for fighting Tammy.”
“Oh, Lord,” John said getting out of bed and rushing into the bathroom to get dressed.
“Mama, I didn’t call you so you could get hyped up. I have my own feelings I’m dealing with and I needed someone to talk to. I feel so bad for attacking her.”
“Did you attack her or did you defend yourself?”
“It was a little bit of both. She talked to me like I was the scum of the earth. She didn’t touch me, but her words hit so hard that before I knew anything I was on her like white on rice.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it. People will take you there. But hey, after a Baker beat down, I’m sure she’ll think twice before getting slick out the mouth with you again.”
“I do want you to come down here and stay with me for a few days,” Destiny said. I could hear in her voice how much she needed me there.
“Sure thing. I was planning to come for Montana’s party, but I’ll fly back with John today,” I promised.
“So that was Mr. Turner I heard?”