Kenney: Still Waters Part 2

Chapter 26

**MATURE CONTENT AHEAD**

A few days had gone by before I saw Tiana again. I really didn't even have time to look for her, but I was checking in with mama and Charity one day when God just decided to throw me a bone. She was right there.

Right there.

My stomach flipped upside down as soon as I saw her, but I didn't show it.

Of course she was at mama's.

That's where she always was.

            "Hey." I knocked on Charity's door one time, like I always did before walking in, and stopped dead in my tracks. There she was, sitting on Charity's bed and taking Charity's braids out, chopping it up about boys like she and I hadn't just done the grown folks like three days before. I gave her an upward gangsta nod. "Waddup."

            She gave me one back and grinned, but didn't say anything. She probably didn't want to give herself away. Tiana's fingers never stopped flipping through Charity's hair, but I could tell she was shocked as shit to see me. It had been a while since I had been home. I wanted to talk to Tiana alone so bad, but business first.

            "Hey sis...let me holla at you for a minute."

            Charity sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes and sighed extra loud, but she also got up and came over to me.

            "What Kenney? Can't you see I'm busy?"

            "Hey," I put my hand gently on her arm to soothe her nerves before she could start popping off at the mouth. "You straight, Charity? Need anything?"

            "No..." I could tell she did. "Well..." She looked over at Tiana and then pulled me further out into the hall like she was embarrassed to talk in front of her. "We need some groceries, Kenney." I peeled $200 off and handed it to her. "And..." her hand went up to her head and she looked back over at Tiana. I know Tee peeped me handing my sister money, but she acted like she didn't see anything. Tiana knew what was up, though. She had been around us long enough. "I...want to get my hair done, too..." Charity looked at me like I wasn't going to give her the money.

            Trippin'.

I always gave her whatever she asked for, because she never asked for much.

            I peeled off another $100 and handed it to her. "That enough?"

            "It's...$150. Plus the hair..." She folded up the $300 that I had already given her and put it in her pocket.

            "Bullshit."

            "It is Kenney. They're micro braids." I looked into her eyes and knew that she was telling the truth. I knew how self-conscious Charity was about her looks, even though she was beautiful to me. She and Sammy looked just like mama and Aunt Jazz. They also had enough hair to not need fake hair, but I stayed out of women's business. Me getting in that couldn't go anywhere but wrong...

            I gave her $400 more. "Get mama's hair done, too. And Tiana's. Anything else?"

            "No..." her eyes shifted. "We're good..." She was keeping something from me that she wanted me to know.

            "What, Charity?"

            She looked back at Tiana again, and then walked further down the hall.

            "What?" I repeated, following after her. When she still didn't say anything, I helped her out, since I already knew what was up. I always knew what was going on with them. I had all kinds of eyes on mama and Charity. At all times. They just never knew that I was keeping tabs on them like that. "So...I heard mama got a new dude."