Wifey 4 Life by Kiki Swinson Page A

me like I was a fucking ghost.
    “Are you all right?” I asked him.
    Instead of responding to my question, he spoke into the receiver
    of his cell phone. “Eh, yo, homeboy, let me call you back in a few minutes.”
    Then he shoved his phone into his pants pocket.
    “I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
    “Nah, you a’ight.”
    “Well, the reason I came looking for you is because I wanted
    to talk to you while the kids weren’t around.”
    “What’s up?”
    “Can we talk out here?”
    “Yeah, but close the door behind you.”
    I closed the door and stepped onto the front porch. Standing
    only a foot away from me, Tony gave me his undivided attention. I cleared my throat
    and said, “Look, Tony, I’ve known you for about the same amount of time as I knew
    Rhonda. I’ve always treated you and Rhonda like family. Now I know that it’s been
    a while since I’ve been around, especially since I’m the godmother of those kids
    in there, but as long as I stand here breathing, I would never do anything, nor
    have I ever done anything to put you, those kids, or Rhonda in a predicament that
    would harm any of you. Now I know Rhonda is gone and we can’t bring her back, but
    I swear to you that it wasn’t my fault she got killed.”
    Tony smiled. “I can’t believe you believed what Li’l Tony said.
    Kira, I don’t blame you for Rhonda’s murder.”
    “But why would he make that type of comment?” I asked. His words
    had really hurt me.
    “He must’ve heard bits and pieces of my conversation with Shannon
    and got all mixed up. I mean, that’s the only way I can see it. But you really shouldn’t
    let what he said bother you, because I don’t feel that way about you at all.”
    Tony seemed sincere in what he was saying was, so I let what
    Li’l Tony said to me ride. I was glad I got that shit off my chest, so now I could
    move forward.
    As Tony and I continued to converse, Meagan opened the front
    door. “Daddy, Li’l Tony turned the TV channel while I was watching
Hannah Montana
.”
    “Tell ’im I said he better turn the channel back or I’m gon’
    beat his ass!”
    “OK.” Meagan dashed back into the house.
    About five seconds later she came running back outside. “Daddy,
    every time I turn it to channel twenty-nine, he turns the TV back to what he wants
    to watch.”
    Tony asked me to excuse him and then stormed into the house.
    Meagan and I followed. He chastised him, and the kids finally calmed down.
    A few minutes later Tony told Meagan and Li’l Tony to get ready
    so they could leave to go over to their grandmother’s house.
    “Are you talking about Rhonda’s mom?” I asked.
    “Yes. I told her I would bring the kids over for a visit today.”
    “How is she doing?”
    “She’s fine. Wanna ride over there with us?”
    “How long do you plan to be there?”
    “Not long. I’m really just gonna drop off the kids.”
    “I don’t wanna go over Grandma’s house,” Li’l Tony said. “I wanna
    stay here.”
    “Me either, Daddy. I wanna stay here with you.”
    “Well, I ain’t gon’ be here. I got to go out for a while.”
    “Well, can we go with you?” Meagan asked.
    “No, you can’t.”
    “I don’t wanna go with you. I just want to stay home so I can
    play with my Xbox game.”
    “Well, that’s not happening. Both of y’all are going to your
    grandmother’s house, and that’s it. Now get ready because we’re leaving in five
    minutes.”
    Li’l Tony and Meagan both dragged themselves out of the living
    room and headed upstairs to their rooms to get what they were going to need while
    at their grandmother’s house.
    I stood there in amazement. I wanted to applaud Tony for acting
    as mother and father since Rhonda’s passing, for his efforts to keep his family
    together. But then I figured he knew he had done something right, because his children
    definitely listened to him.
    A few minutes later everyone stood in a huddle at the front door,
    ready to leave. I stood among