The Plug's Daughter by Nika Michelle

set in. How in the hell could I keep something like that from him? Damn, it was hard, but I was determined not to cry again. I had to do whatever was necessary to make sure that Trell didn’t succeed in his plan and my father never found out about us. I had to let go of that emotional shit and show that nigga Trell that I was Mendosa’s daughter and I didn’t take no shit either.
    *  *  *
    After sending Keys a text letting him know that I’d made it safely and I’d call him later, my phone rang.
    “Mother, how are you?” I asked with a cynical edge to my voice.
    The two of us had always coexisted, but never really were close. My mother’s past was layered in dysfunction and she’d pushed the same bullshit into my life. When I was a little girl she never hugged me or told me that she loved me. I got all of my affection and validation from my father. In my mind I didn’t think she cared about me one bit.
    “I’m well and yourself?” She sounded bitter and resentful although she tried to disguise it.
    “Could be better actually.”
    She cleared her throat at my sentiment.
    “Hmm, well, I was just calling to check up on you and shit. Uh, has anything…happened?” She asked sounding concerned, but I didn’t know if she really was.
    “No, as a matter of fact, the crazy shit I’m going through right now has nothing to do with what happened in Miami.” It just slipped out, but I didn’t plan on divulging the details of my problems with Trell to my mother. She held on to whatever information she wanted to hold on to, but she would surely tell my father about that.
    “What? What the hell’s going on Jasenia?”
    “Nothing. I’m fine. Nobody’s coming after me…if that’s what you want to know. What about you?” Saying too much over the phone was not a good idea.
    She was staying in a nice, Spanish style vista in Puerto Rico. We’d both fled from Miami in an attempt to stay alive. The business of prostitution was just as ruthless as drug dealing and I’d learned that shit the hard way. Neither of us wanted my father to know about that either. My mother knew that my father would never approve of what she’d asked of me.
    “Things seem to be fine on my end.” She sighed. “How’s your father?”
    “He’s ok. He’ll be here in a little while. He has to make sure I’m in a safe area. Security and a gate are not enough.” I let out a sarcastic laugh.
    I wished I never gave Trell the gate’s security code. It was ironic that my father was so over protective, but he couldn’t protect me from the shambles my life was in now.
    “Well, you know how your father is over you. You’ve always been his world.” She sounded resentful as hell when she said it. “Just make sure you keep your mouth shut about what happened. It’s no telling what he’d do to me.”
    For some reason I didn’t feel sorry for her. Not one bit. Yet and still, it was my fault that I’d fallen for her bullshit manipulation. I’d let her convince me that doing her bidding would be worth my while.  Well, it wasn’t. Now I was running away from some shit that I could’ve avoided. Maybe being away from her all those years had been the best thing for me. Being exposed to that bitch had ruined my life. I only dealt with her because, after all, she was my mother.
    “He won’t find out, if you deal with it like you said you were going to.” I was frustrated because I was on the run for my life because of her greed.
    “I’m dealing with it. It’s just not as easy as I thought it would be.”
    I was already tired of the conversation. “I’ll call you back mother. Just do what you said so I can go on with my life.”
                  “Well, I’m sorry if life isn’t all bubble gum dreams and princesses like your father led you to believe. I always tried to show you tough love so you’d know how to deal with shit like this!” She huffed.
                  “I can’t believe you woman!” I calmed