Darius
BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!
“DARIUS!!”
The sudden awakening was not what I had anticipated on a Sunday morning as I lay in my bed, my mother hovering over me with TaMeeka and Angie in my doorway.
Fuck. Me.
I was so happy about TaMeeka saying she’ll be my girlfriend that I neglected to tell her the real truth about Angie and me. All school year long, Angie urged me to tell TaMeeka the truth. I finally had to face facts with the both of them in my face.
“DARIUS!! Who are these girls at my house on Sunday morning?! Were y’all trynna do something that the Lord wouldn’t approve of?!” my mother queried angrily.
“No ma’am!!” we all exclaimed in fearful unison.
Estelle Price was a bible quoting God fearing Sunday school teacher, widowed when I was 5 years old. Left with the task of a single mother thrust upon her at the tender age of 27, my Mama didn’t take no mess!
“Or did that already happen?” My mother’s glare was deadly, aimed solely at me.
“Mama, you’re gonna be late for church. I’ll go with you next week, I promise,” I said as I ushered my mother out of my room.
“Leave that door open, Darius. Put some clothes on! And get those girls out of my house!” Mama said on her way out.
“Why are y’all both over here? Y’all know my Mama don’t go to church until now! And why are y’all here together?!” I demanded answers since I’ve never liked being caught off guard. Snatching a pair of sweatpants off the floor, I covered my morning erection.
Both of my girlfriends are here. Slim chance either one will be down for a quickie after this little discussion.
“I have an idea of why she’s over here but she ain’t supposed to be from what you told me, Darius,” TaMeeka said with her hands on her hips, glaring at Angie. “As for why I’m here, it’s none of her damn business!”
“If y’all discussed what y’all were supposed to, I am just as welcome to be here as you are, TaMeeka,” Angie said with a smile.
Looking from Angie to me, TaMeeka asked, “What the fuck is she talking about, Darius? What were we supposed to discuss? You chose her instead of me?!”
“Baby, I want you,” I said to TaMeeka. “I love you but…”
“Darius, I’m pregnant!” TaMeeka exclaimed, cutting me off.
I’m gonna be a daddy?!
The silence in the room grew as I tried to find the right words.
“I don’t want to choose but if I have to… I’m going with my family. I’m sorry Angie but TaMeeka is pregnant with my baby and you know how much I want to have kids. I choose TaMeeka.”
Both women were stunned. TaMeeka looked shockingly at Angie while Angie glared at me.
“Darius, you said we all were gonna be a family!” Angie snapped. “You said you talked to her about it and she’s just thinking it over! Why are you leaving me?!”
“What the fuck are you talking about?!” TaMeeka snapped at Angie. “He can’t be with you AND me. He chose ME! Get the fuck over it!”
Angie stared at me. I know she wanted me to explain on her behalf but I didn’t know how to tell her that I couldn’t find the words to tell TaMeeka about…
“He can be with anyone he wants as long as we all know and give consent because we practice polyamory! I knew he wanted you. I even encouraged him to go after you because…” Angie stepped toward TaMeeka. With a gentle stroke to my girlfriend’s cheek, Angie said, “I like you, too! I’m the one that wants you to be with us!”
TaMeeka lurched backwards, bumping into my dresser. “The fuck are you talking about?! It’s bad enough you’re fucking every dude in the hood! Now you’re switching teams?! Darius, how could you even be with this ho?!”
“STOP CALLING HER A HO!” I bellowed, shocking TaMeeka into silence. “I’ve been trying to keep you both happy because I love you both but I’m not trying to be the reason for all of this fighting!” Looking at Angie, I said, “Let me talk to TaMeeka.” With a soft kiss to my cheek, Angie left the room.
Putting her hands up in front of her, TaMeeka began protesting. “Nothing you can say will make me say yes to whatever you two have cooked up. Count me out, Darius! I’ll have this baby by myself!”
As TaMeeka attempted to leave my room, I grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto my lap as I sat on my bed.
“Baby, I love you but I love Angie too and I want to have you both!” I confessed.
Rising abruptly from my lap, TaMeeka turned toward me. “What the fuck?! So you expect me to be OK with you cheating on me with her?!”
“It’s not cheating if everyone knows what’s going on and if everyone agrees. Angie and I practice polyamory,” I explained. “To the outside eye, it looks like cheating but Angie knew I wanted you. I want my women to know about each other!”
“Nuh uh, Darius. I don’t share my man. Either you choose me or lose me cuz I’m not down with that poly-whatever-it-is!” TaMeeka snapped.
Just as I expected, I couldn’t convince TaMeeka to agree to a polyamorous relationship with Angie and me so I made the hardest decision for my life at that point: I broke Angie’s heart.