Meanwhile an hour or so later, in the RV, Carl had taken possession of the caboodle box. He had been going through it and looking at photos of a pregnant fifteen year old Priyanka and subsequent ones with her in the hospital holding who he recognized to be a newborn Jagadamba. Her face really had not changed much. She still had an angelic thing going with her round eyes, full cheeks and lips. Her mother and stepfather had no clue she enlisted Siddiq to take pics as proof.
He had kept them. It was only before he left with Jayne and Bushrod on their Doctors Without Borders mission that he gave them back to her.
Priyanka told him she was ready to tell her twelve year old daughter at the time the truth.
Next, a picture of a young, dark skinned black man with one arm and a big, exuberant, downright beautiful smile caught his attention.
It was the same as Jagadamba's and Michonne's, C.J.'s, Achilles. Let's just called it the Anthony grin- half smirk, half chessy, all easy charm. He knew it had to be his father in law, Nimrod.
He bore and uncanny resemblance to Achilles. They looked so much alike it was creepy.
So, that is why Priyanka fell for him. It wasn't with him at all. It's all about Nimrod, Carl thought while he audibly said, "Hmmph."
Carl turned his attention back to her birth certificate.
He read her parents' names over and over.
Then he went back up to the name of the child.
"Alice? Jagadamba's a middle name?" Carl said in utter shock.
Priyanka spoke up, "Alice Jagadamba Boudica Richter. My mother wanted her to have a traditional Indian name. Alec was my Dad's name; it was a dedication. It also means nobility in German. She dropped Alice when she adopted her. I think she did it just to be cruel."
Maggie chimed, "She doesn't even know her real fucking name?"
"I got to tell you, Priyanka," Michonne began, "I never really liked your mom. There was always so totalitarian, unyielding about her. Phony. She was beautiful and smart. I see why Rod liked her. Sure all that money did not hurt."
"I am sure it didn't. But, for what it's worth, I believe they loved each other. As much as two selfish, conceited assholes can."
"You should know," Michonne grunted as she and Carl made eye contact in the rearview. He pouted looking at her. His heart was visibly broken to anyone looking.
Tomeka noticed forlorn Carl and asked, "Are you okay?"
"What do you care? King dumb darts, remember?" Carl lamented. He was in full self-pity mode. A place he often fought an invite to.
"What are you talking about? Boyardee said that. Not me. I thought it was mean."
Carl grunted, "I am supposed to believe you why? Jagadamba told me everything. How the two of you laugh behind my back during my p.t."
"She lied, short bus. She leaves the room so you won't be discouraged by her crying."
"Crying?"
"It breaks her heart to see you struggle."
"It does?" He softened momentarily.
"Yes. You know she goes out her way to hurt your feelings if you hurt hers. I figured that out about her the first day we met. I was nine. And you have known her for how long?" Tomeka scoffed.
Rick chimed, "That's true. I said something admittedly thoughtless to her. Hell, she made me cry when she retorted. She was ten. I am not ashamed."
Michonne laughed.
"She gets that from me. Sorry," Priyanka sniffled.
"So, everything negative about Jagadamba came from you. Figures," Carl said.
"Just like you when it comes to Rick," she replied.
"You got me there," Carl said.
Rick rolled his eyes in the rearview. His son saw and smirked.
Glenn said to Carl, "You are being a little hard on your dad, don't you think? You have put a lot on him these past two months. Imagine if this was you. The rate you are going it will be sooner than later. Three kids and step-kid. Dude, that's a lot."
Carl let out an dry chuckle then replied, "How can I say this politely? Uh, let's see. Ooh, I got it. How 'bout you mind your own fucking business and stay out of mine?"
"You can't talk to my husband like that, you little brat. He cares about your dad. Why don't you?" Maggie had wanted to call Carl out for awhile.
"Maggie, I have been wanting to say this to you since you caught me and Beth that time and the way you snubbed my wife the other day. Go to hell, Maggie."
"Not cool. Apologize to my wife," Glenn said.
Carl scoffed, "No. I am not some little kid who has to kiss your asses anymore. I am a man, too. I got pubes just like the rest of you do."
Everybody was taken aback by Carl's disrespectfulness. Except Priyanka. She thought it was kinda funny.
Rick stopped the RV.
"Carl, outside now," Rick said in his not fucking around voice.
Carl obeyed.
Rick followed him.
"I don't know what has gotten into you. But, it stops now. Enough is enough, young man."
"I tired of you and everyone else making this about you. I want something to belong to just me for a change. I get Priyanka more than I should. Sometimes, you get sick of sharing."
Rick scoffed, "That's fundamentally all life is."
Carl snickered, "Are you serious? If people liked sharing, war wouldn't even need to be a word. Divorce either. Hell, we wouldn't have taken over Alexandria or went and killed that outpost if sharing were a thing people were down for. Shit, the Governor and the prison. I could go on."
"All right. I will give you that. Still doesn't explain your nastiness. This is not like you."
"What? Everyone can gets to be angry but me?"
"I was willing to let that bastard comment go. Because you got a point. I should have brought her home. We are going to get her now. But, you need to check your attitude."
"But, what if I don't? Then what?" He got in his father's face.
"I remember when you were nothing more a than a busted nut. You challenging me?" Rick smirked.
"Take it anyway you want. And fucking eww."
Rick sniffed. He realized Carl thought he was unpunishable because he moved out and was starting a family of his own.
Rick cracked his neck then his knuckles.
He had a solution.
"I wonder how long it takes to get to the Hilltop by foot?" Rick asked.
Carl frowned and wondered what he meant.
Rick swiftly boarded the RV and closed the door behind him. Leaving Carl outside.
Carl beat on the door.
"Dad, come on," Carl knew an apology no matter how half ass would have gained him passage. His ego was like fuck that.
Rick proclaimed, "You are a man now. You figure it out. Why would you want a heartless bastard to drive you anyway?"
"Don't forget selfish," Carl exclaimed.
Then Rick drove off. Carly-Jayne had a shit fit.
"I want my papa. I want my papa, Grick," she was trying to say grandpa Rick but in her distress, it came out as Grick.
She undid her booster seat and ran for the door.
Priyanka jumped to her feet and caught her.
Rick said, "Papa has to walk. You will see him soon."
"I hate you. I want my Papa and my Momma. I hate you. You stupid," she growled channeling both her parents.
Carl saw them stop half a block down the road.
Glenn volunteered to take Carly-Jayne to Carl.
Rick, Michonne and Priyanka objected.
"We aren't far. We will likely find some transpo along the way. He doesn't need to be alone. And she is starting to get abandonment issues. That is not fair. We either let Carl back on or I will walk with him," Glenn wanted to take a stand even though the teen had been so belligerent towards him and his wife.
He wished he had done the same for Jagadamba.
"He needs to remember who's boss."
Priyanka also got out. She left Dare behind with Enid. Only a month old, she did not want him out in the elements.
She had the caboodle box with her.
Rick let them out and kept driving.
Rick wanted to teach his son a lesson or at least give him a real reason to be angry.
Michonne didn't approve of any of this.
A mile away, she said, "I think he has learned his lesson. Let's go get him."
"No, he has to learn. I can't tolerate him acting like a little shit. I don't care how many babies and wives and girlfriends he got.
Besides, this path is relatively clear. And there are lots of open fields. He and Glenn are weaponed up. They are fine. Carly-Jayne is safe."
He needs to respect me. Respect us. He is still a child."
"Only that he isn't," Michonne said.
"Since when?"
She had an invasion of dirty thoughts and memories about the younger Grimes that screamed man in full. She had to be pragmatic.
"Okay. He is not grown but he isn't a little kid either. There has to be a happy medium."
"How about him not being a complete and total dick?" Enid chimed sneering at Michonne.
She really did not like her but she saw a twisted sort of value to Michonne.
She was the only force capable of putting her and Jagadamba on equal footing.
"I couldn't have said it better, Enid. Besides, I thought you and Carl had a fight," Rick said turning to Michonne.
"Disagreement. I hurt his feelings but he'll cope eventually."
Aaron added, "Seems to me, all he does is cope."
Meanwhile, Carl, Carly-Jayne, Glenn and Priyanka were walking in silence.
Carl was carrying his spiritual toddler while Glenn had her supply bag.
Mister Rhee broke the silence.
"We are actually going through the same thing. First time fatherhood and relatively new wives. There is no reason why we shouldn't be besties going into this."
Carl felt compunction.
"I am sorry I went off on you like that. You just have to understand what a p-r-i-c-k my Dad is. He left my wife behind. He did it out of spite. Pure and simple. You thirsty?" He asked his stepdaughter.
Carly-Jayne nodded.
Glenn passed him the water.
"I didn't agree with it. All I saw was a scared pregnant teenaged girl. I said as much.
But, this is a lot for Rick."
"So? He never expected that I would have my own family one day? I thought this is what he wanted for me one day. What he's been fighting for? Me to have a life? I finally got one. And he goes out his way to try and sabotage it. That's what it is. It's not fair. I didn't sabotage him. And I could have made it hard for him."
A perplexed Glenn asked, "What do you mean?"
"When he and Michonne began their whatever it is that they have-"
"They are in a relationship."
"Whatever. I could have been a total s-h-i-t about it. I could've cockblocked and not gave him my approval. But, I did. Despite how I felt on the inside about it," Carl said not realizing he had spoken too much in front of the wrong person.
Glenn read between the lines while remembering what Enid told him weeks before. That Carl was in love with Michonne. He almost couldn't believe it even though hearing it from the horse's mouth.
"Heart wants what it wants. Besides, You got two beautiful girls in love with you. One even married you. The other is a like a sister to me."
Carly-Jayne had recently learned what married was from watching the Little Mermaid.
She asked excitedly, "Did you marry my Momma?"
"Yes, I did," he said proudly.
"Yay!" She kissed his cheek and hugged his neck.
He smiled. She genuinely made him happy and proud.
"Not so loud, little one," Glenn tweaked her nose.
"Okay, Mr. Glenn. Are you married to Ms. Maggie?" She hit at him. She thought he was cute.
"You can call him Uncle Glenn. And her Aunt Maggie," Carl looked at his friend with reverent acknowledgment of all they had been through together.
Glenn was honored.
Priyanka threw her two cents in.
"I guess you can call me Grams. I am your Momma's momma. Like Rick is your Papa's papa."
Carly-Jayne looked at her confused.
"Nuh-uh. You are her mean big sister. You are my auntie."
Carl told CJ to cover her ears, "You have no fucking right to tell her that. What is wrong with you?"
"I am tired of lying," she said.
"As if," Carl mocked.
Carly-Jayne said nearly in a panic, "Everybody's telling me to call them by a new name."
During this time, Jagadamba is merely half a mile down the road. She was putting the pedal to the metal. She even changed cars in case they decided to double back and snatch her up anyway.
Five minutes passed before she saw them on the road.
She came to a screeching halt.
Glenn recognized her first.
"Dude, it is your wife," her said.
"Well, if it ain't? I wonder if she is still mad?" Carl smiled despite how they left things.
Jagadamba saw him and flipped him off. However, she purposely did it with it with her wedding band hand.
He blushed and took his wedding ring from the necklace and put it on.
Carly-Jayne squealed for joy when she saw her mother.
"Momma!" She jumped out of Carl's arms and ran to the car. Jagadamba got out and met her oldest.
"Momma is so glad to see you. I love you," she cried kneeling to pick her daughter up and hug her.
"I love you, too, Momma. I can't breathe," she coughed.
"Sorry, baby. You are so beautiful," Jagadamba eskimo kissed her daughter.
Carly-Jayne took off her momma's glasses.
She gasped.
"What happened to your eye, Momma?" She had tears in her eyes.
"Nothing. I had a little accident," she looked at Carl. She realized he was bringing her daughter to see her.
She mouthed thank you.
"Happy birthday, Jagadamba," Carl chimed.
"Yeah. Happy birthday, Momma."
"Happy birthday," Glenn added.
Priyanka was about to say it, Jagadamba said, "Don't you dare. Not you, bitch."
"Ooh, bad word," Carly-Jayne said.
Jagadamba gave C.J. back to Carl and said, "We need get out of here. The Saviors are on the road. They stopped me."
"And they let you go?" Glenn asked.
"Not because anything I did. I prayed to God. Why are you guys on the road all exposed anyway? You have my daughter with you for crying out loud."
"My Dad kicked me out the RV. We were coming to get you."
"Douchery?" Jagadamba asked.
"Yeah. My Dad's."
"True. But, I meant you. Anyway, uh, let's catch up with them. We need to go home and plan our next move. They are gunning for us. Big time."
Both Glenn and Carl gave each other weary glances as they piled into the car.
Jagadamba instructed Glenn to take the wheel. She was not feeling well.
She got in the back of the car with her daughter. She lied her head down in her mom's lap.
Carl wanted to get in the back with her.
"Uh-uh. You get your ass upfront. I don't want to be next you," she said.
Carl obeyed.
Now Priyanka was another matter.
"That bitch walks," Jagadamba growled.
Priyanka overheard and was visibly hurt by this.
She wanted to blurt it out but couldn't.
She realized the gravity of her actions. All of them. And she knew I am sorry was not going to cut it.
Carl and Glenn both gave each other a foreboding glare. What to do about the damage Priyanka had wrought.
Before either could present their case, little Carly-Jayne pouted, "Aunt Priyanka told me to call her Grams. She said she was your momma like you are my Momma. What does that mean, Momma?"
Jagadamba looked at her daughter like she was mistaken.
"What? Do y'all know what my little girl is talking about?"
Carl and Glenn looked at each other.
"She's your bio mom. I saw your birth certificate and the adoption papers. And she had pictures. Polaroids. Can't fake those," Carl said.
Jagadamba sat back in her seat. She had no idea how to react to this.
She settled on anger.
"Pop the trunk," Jagadamba growled again.
"Jagadamba, come on. Let her ride in the car," Glenn begged.
"No."
"It is a little hot today. She might get heat stroke. You don't want to kill her. Think about your brother."
Jagadamba hadn't thought that far yet but yeah, Dare was and had always been her younger half brother, her daughter's uncle.
"She's a cold blooded snake. She'll thrive in the heat."
Then Carl who was probably overidentifying with Priyanka took up for her.
"I have no idea how you feel, Jagadamba. Nor I am going to pretend like I do. But, you make her get in that trunk, anything could happen to her. And the very thing you don't want- her blood on your hands is what will happen."
"She has Mo's on hers."
"No. She doesn't. He knew she was your mom. Of course, he wanted you against your mom. You were murdering him.
He wanted to ruin your life from beyond the grave. Destroy your family. Are going to let that piece of shit to do that? Laugh at you in hell?
Or let your fondest wish get in? You're not an orphan, Jag. What better birthday gift could you possibly ask for? I would give almost anything to be with my Mom on my birthday. Any day," Carl said sincerely.
Jagadamba grunted and resisted the urge to cry. She was so tired of crying.
"Fine. She can get in the front. It's your lucky day, Carl," she patted the empty space beside her.
Carl got out the car. Priyanka had been listening and she whispered thanks in Carl's ear.
He nodded. Then whispered back, "I said it for her. Not you."
"Still," Priyanka said.
Twenty minutes passed.
Carl tried to touch Jagadamba's hand. She snatched it away.
"I am sorry, Jagadamba," Carl said.
"So."
"I went too far. I know."
"Yes, you did. But, I did, too."
"Yeah. But-"
"I am not talking about the garbage fire that is our relationship in front mixed company."
"It's not that bad," Carl said.
"It's bad. How could you say those things to me? Treat me like that? I ask you to do me one favor and you refuse."
"I didn't refuse. I just wanted you to see we can get through anything together."
"Is that why you brought creature along?" She said pointed at Priyanka.
"He didn't. I insisted, daughter," Priyanka said.
"I didn't ask you. And don't call me that," she kicked her seat.
Undeterred, "I want you to have this," she passed Jagadamba the box. She accepted it.
And didn't say another word to anyone. Nor did she open the box. She sat it in Carl's lap and clutched Carly-Jayne like a teddy bear.
Five minutes later, they came upon the RV. Glenn honked the horn.
Rick saw him and stopped.
"Told you," Rick said.
Michonne looked closer and saw her newly confirmed second cousin.
"Jagadamba's in the backseat," she said.
"Well, shit if she ain't," Rick smiled.
Rick got out the RV and walked to Jagadamba's side of the car.
He half smiled and batted his lashes at her. This was a flirt just as much as it was a nervous habit. He knew it disarmed people. Especially female people starting with his mother.
Rick reached into his back pocket. It was clearly a deck of Uno cards.
He knew this was one of a few good memories he and she actually shared.
In 2009, Carl, Lori and Achilles got the chicken pox. He, Shane, Priyanka and Jagadamba didn't. To while the time away they played Uno, drank red pop and ate grilled Johnsonville Better Cheddar franks.
Jagadamba let out a laugh.
"Happy birthday, baby girl," Rick said grasping her hand.
"Thank you."
"No. Thank you. You have given my son a sense of purpose I never anticipated to see in him. Especially this soon. There is no doubt in my mind, hell, in my heart how my young man feels about you and your little one. He refers to her as his first child. That makes her my oldest grandchild. Or is she my only?" He looked at her stomach.
Almost moved to tears, she replied, "First. Not only," letting them both know she was still pregnant.
Carl exhaled loudly. He did not realize he had been holding his breath until that moment. Rick had been, too.
For all his bluster, Rick wanted his grandchildren.
"I hope they are girls. Carl would be a pretty little girl or girls. As it is," Rick said.
"I know, right?" Jagadamba agreed.
"All in all, I only want to apologize to you for leaving you behind. I took the news you and my son getting married hard. The news of the babies even harder.
I only wanted Carl to regain some semblance, a modicum of his childhood. Or teenagehood. But, that is not what he wants.
He wants to be a man. Your man. I accept that. I promise you, Jagadamba and you, too, Carl, for the matter, that I will not interfere with y'all's relationship unless one of you asks me to. I want my family. I need my family. And thanks to you and Enid- I got more family than I could ever asked for. Grandbabies are a blessing from God. Every time, I doubt Him, God shows up and shows out.
So, again, I am sorry. Do you forgive me?" Rick was so sincere that butter would not have melted in his not mouth.
She opened the deck of cards and said to Rick, "Okay, Dad. Is it okay if I call you that?"
"Yes, I would be honored if you did," he teared up.
So did she. They hugged.
At that moment, both Priyanka and Carl could barely conceal their jealousy. They wanted her forgiveness, too.
But, more than that, Carl was surprised by his father's words. He knew he meant them. It almost made him feel like a shit for how he had spoken to him earlier.
However, he was still wounded by his father's relationship with Michonne and his lack thereof.
Back to Rick and Jagadamba.
When they separated, she told him about the Saviors.
Rick was concerned but reticent. He didn't want to believe her.
He related the news to the rest of the gang.
"We should turn back," Enid said. In spite the fact her personal life said differently, she liked to avoid trouble.
Maggie was incredulous like Rick.
"Is she sure?" Maggie asked.
"They took her weapons, her meds, Carl's iPod apparently. But, the guy saw her sonogram and took mercy on her. On us," Rick said.
"I doubt very seriously all the Saviors share that sentiment. Especially after we did. We killed a lot of them," Maggie said a matter of factly not realizing the gravity of what she just spoken.
Rick sighed wearily.
"Why is there always so much going on?" He asked.
"We show up," Maggie said.
Jagadamba, Carl, Glenn and Carly-Jayne all piled into the RV. Priyanka stayed behind. She was to follow them in the sedan.
Enid and Jagadamba made eye contact. Jagadamba felt guilty about keeping the marriage from her. Enid became angrier than she wanted to be when saw them together.
If she could have snatched their souls out their bodies with a glare she would've.
She shot up and stormed past them. She almost knocked Jagadamba down.
The couple went after her.
"Enid, we three need to have a conversation. I know-"
"Go bite a dick, you backstabbing cunt. She really is your mom. But, at least she is straight forward about her villainy. That I can respect."
With that said, Enid got into the car with Priyanka. She got into the back with Dare nestled against her chest. She was crying.
Priyanka said, "I remember the first time you met my daughter. My daughter, I am not used to saying it out loud. It's guttural."
"Do you have a point? At least now I know where she her longwindedness from."
"You went by Grace then. You were a Make A Wish child. And was at Ronald McDonald house. Meeting her was potentially your dying wish.
My point is. I know how much she means to you even if she doesn't. And I am sorry she hurt you."
"You are terrible at comforting people. But, A for effort. You get it. Never meet your heroes, right?" She sniffled.
Back in the RV, Tomeka was taken aback when she saw Jagadamba's eye.
"I hoped I would never see you with another one of those," she said touching Jagadamba's face.
"Another?" Carl asked with concern.
Jagadamba turned and looked at him like he was the stupidest thing that ever lived and snarled, "Cort scalded my back with a mixture of salt, oil and water. Because why not? When I tell you I am cursed, that is not something I say lightly. My life with Cort was in many ways worse than it was with her father. It was pretty fucking awful!"
Carly-Jayne whined in her mother's arms.
"Sorry, baby. Momma didn't mean to scare you," she paused and kissed her daughter on the lips.
She cooed, "I love you, Momma."
"I love you more, baby. I love you more," at that moment Jagadamba felt overcome with the truth of her parentage.
"Take Carly-Jayne," she said on the verge of hyperventilating.
As soon as Carl took her. She fainted.