She hadn�t talked to her mother since her father called her. She didn�t want to deal with it but it still kept gnawing at her and gnawing at her so much that she needed to get it off her chest.
�Hello?�
�Mother.�
�Darling, how are you?�
�How do you think I�m doing?�
�I don�t know. What's wrong with you? Are you ok?�
She couldn�t believe the nerve of her mother sometimes. She was going to act like she had no clue that she had turned Maleeyah�s life upside down.
�How could you give him my phone number?�
She couldn�t bring herself to say his name and she sure as hell couldn�t call him her father.
�Because he kept calling here and I was tired of it.�
�So you threw him off on me just because you didn�t want to deal with it?�
�You're an adult Maleeyah. Its your responsibility to handle this situation with your father. Do not try to imply that I�m being selfish. You're the one being selfish by hiding and leaving it for me to deal with.�
�I wouldn�t have to deal with it of you didn�t marry him.�
�You�re 26 years old. Whatever problems are going on in your life is not my fault. Now, I know its not your fault�what your father did to you�but its your dilemma to deal with. Your relationship with your father has nothing to do with me anymore.�
She couldn�t believe her mother could be so heartless about this to her. Of course she hadn't done anything wrong and she may be 26 but she was still the victim in this.
�What did he say?�
�Nothing worth remembering. He did say he made a mistake.�
Just thinking about his lame attempt to come back into her life made her eyes fill with tears all over again. Her father screwed up her life. He was probably the reason she had never had a relationship longer than eight months her entire life.
�What kind of mistake?�
�Walking out mom. That�s what he called it�a mistake.�
She could hear her mother sigh, �Darling, I don�t know what to tell you.�
�What was he? Why did you marry him? What was it about him?�
She and her mother never talked about her father. A few times after he left, like any curious eight year old she wanted to know where her father was and when he was coming back. But after awhile she knew that it wasn�t a good topic and she just stopped asking about him.
�I was twenty years old. I was living in New York, I was modeling around the world; my life was great. I met your father�at the time he was living in New York. He was ten years older than I was but we started dating and it was a world wind.�
She never even knew the age difference between her parents.
�After six months of dating he had been offered a big time promotion in the company but he would have to move to Atlanta. He would be opening a new division or something. I don�t quite remember and even back then I didn�t know too much. He asked me to marry him and my heart raced, I was scared, I didn�t know if it was a good idea but I did it. I left New York and I moved to Atlanta with your dad.�
The more she heard of the story, the more depressing it became. It made her realize she knew nothing of her family.
�I did a few modeling jobs, going back and forth to New York to do print ads and a few runways jobs. But then I became pregnant with you and Bradley wanted me to be the corporate wife and entertain so I gave up the modeling and going to New York and became a housewife.�
�Why did he leave?�
It was a question she never dared to ask once she came of an age to truly understand the answer.
�I really don�t know honey. He just said he wasn�t happy and he didn�t want to do it anymore. He filed for a divorce and moved back up to New York. The last I heard he ended up with the company in Japan. I don�t know what he�s doing, where he is or anything.�
She mumbled into the phone, �He's in Miami now.�
Her mother didn�t respond. She didn�t blame her; it wasn�t like there was anything to say.
�Mom, I�m going to get going. I�ll talk to you later.�
�Ok, bye darling. Feel better.�
She hung up. How was she supposed to feel better?
**
�What are you doing?� she exhaled into the phone.
Monica was out having a life; Ben was out having a life and she was stuck at home holed up in her room after her conversation with her mother.
�Getting ready for a date.�
Derek had a life too.
�What�s her name?�
�Celeste.�
�Sounds exotic.�
He simply laughed a little.
�What about Vanessa?�
�She�s in New York.�
�I thought you two were serious.�
�No, we�re just�it is what it is.�
�It is what it is? What does that mean?�
�Vanessa and I see each other, we have fun. I care about her, she�s a nice person but we�re not exclusive.�
�Does she know that or is she sitting at home being true to her man?�
�I really don�t know but whatever she�s doing that�s her choice.�
�Typical.�
�What does that suppose to mean?�
�You sound just like a man. Do whatever you want, woman be damned.� She realized there was a little bit of a harsh tone to her voice.
�Are you ok?� The caution in his voice was clear.
She sighed and ran her hand over her face. Here was a guy who had been nothing but nice to her and she was snapping at him for what her father did to her.
�Yeah, just a long day. I�ll talk to you later.�
�Alright, bye.�
It wasn�t enough that she was feeling down in the doldrums over her father but the sinking feeling got worse when the guilt she had for snapping at Derek was added on top of that.
045 | No Ordinary Girl