Daymir #3
Still holding her wrist, I ask, “What happened to you?”
“Life.”
“Why the fuck would you fuck with H? Has he been around that shit?”
Im really the fuck blown. Makenna using and turned out on heroin seems unreal as shit.
She always had her shit together. She did nails at one of the popular shops in Philly, rented a nice apartment, and drove a nice car.
I paid her bills when we were together but before me, she was handling her shit. She was together, not like this at all.
After snatching her arm back, she quickly covers it back with her sleeve, then she folds her arms across her chest. She inhales lowly but exhales loud as hell. She looks around as if people are watching then leans in on the table.
“I was going through, but I’m not anymore. Well, at least, I don’t want to anymore. I’m going to rehab. I’ve been before but this program is different. It’s six months and I need you to take care of our son.”
There’s no hesitation in my voice or my answer. He’s my son, which means I’m gonna take care of him without a doubt.
“Where is he?”
“With my Maw Maw she’s had him the past two years but she’s really sick and can’t do it anymore.”
“And he has a fucking daddy. She doesn’t have to do it anymore. He’s mine and I’ll take care of him. Are they in Houston?”
“No, they’re upstairs,” she says, and I’m on my feet in the next two seconds.
“You should’ve led with that fucking shit. I wanna see him and get him right now.”
“Daymir, wait. This is hard for me.”
“Makenna,” I grit then lean back down to the table.
“Real shit I don’t give a fuck how you feel right now.
Honestly, this should be hard for you. You kept my son for me.
You’ve been living this fucking lifestyle that could have put him in danger.
Get up; let’s go to this room so I can get my son.
All that other shit you’re talking about doesn’t matter.
I’ve waited six years because you kept him from me.
I’m not waiting no fucking more. Let’s go. ”
She glances at me briefly, but then she stands and rushes past me.
I follow her to the elevators and we head up to the seventh floor, riding in silence.
When we reach the door, she places her hand on my chest, then has the nerve to say, “This is just till I get my shit together; six months and I’m coming back for him. ”
Her words are falling on my intentionally deaf ears. I’m not trying to hear this dumb shit at all. He is staying with me. There’s no telling how much damage she’s done to him with her drug addiction. I’m not gonna let her do any more damage. Besides, he’s a boy; he needs his father in his life.
“Daymir,” she says.
All I say in return is “Open the door, Makenna.”
Her shoulders deflate and she releases a heavy side before turning towards the door and lightly tapping on it. A woman’s voice calls out from the other side.
“Kenna, is that you?”
“Yes, Maw Maw open the door.” Seconds later, I hear movement then the door opens. Makenna’s grandmother, who I’ve never met, is standing with a cane and staring with her mouth partially open. “I know,” Makenna utters.
“DJ is his twin,” she finally gasps. “Hey,” she says and I nod.
While I was raised to be respectful, I don’t have time for pleasantries. I just wanna see my son. So, I keep my response short.
“Hey. Where is he?”
“Asleep in the room. He ran himself silly and is knocked out. Come in,” her grandmother says.
Makenna creeps in and I’m right behind her.
“Is all his stuff here?” I ask as I walk towards the bedroom.
The hotel room is a small studio suite with a kitchenette, a small living room area, and a bedroom.
There’s an open suitcase on the table in the living room area and a few toy trucks and a small basketball in the corner.
“Yes, but hold up,” her grandmother insists so out of respect I stop walking. “What are you about to do?”
“Take him with me,” I declare.
“You can’t just do this like that. We are all DJ knows,” she pleads.
“That’s because of your granddaughter,” I spit.
“I know,” her grandmother sighs. “Lord knows, I know. But can we please sit down and talk for five minutes at least. My leg is killing me and I don’t like looking up at you. My neck is starting to hurt,” she says with pleading eyes and a smile, trying to loosen the tight ass tension in here.
“Okay. Five minutes,” I concede. I’ve lost too much time already.
Her grandmother ambles to the sofa and gingerly sits on it. When she’s seated, she taps on the cushion next to her then motions for me to sit. Makenna walks to the small kitchenette and stands away from us.
“I raised that baby,” she begins. “Makenna tried but she got caught up in Houston and got on that mess. I didn’t know at first because she was still working.
I thought she was just tired so I would keep DJ.
Of course, I didn’t mind. He’s my grand baby and I love him.
But Makenna started dropping him off and would be gone for weeks. ”
“Maw Maw, he doesn’t need to know all of that.”
“Yes, he does because all of that is why one of the reasons DJ doesn’t like to sleep in the dark and hates being left alone. His daddy needs to know that if he’s gonna be taking care of DJ. He has a right to know everything,” her grandmother snaps.
“Is he okay?” I ask.
“He never saw me use,” Makenna utters.
Without even acknowledging Makenna’s declaration, her grandmother answers me, “He’s perfect. He just doesn’t like the dark or being left alone. He’s supposed to start first grade this year so you’re gonna have to get him in school. I don’t know when it started here.”
Shit, I don’t know either. I’ll figure this shit out though. I’ll figure all of this out for him.
“I packed an envelope with his birth certificate, Social Security card, shot records, and records from his kindergarten school, Campbell Elementary. He’s a smart little boy.
He already knows how to write his name and count to one hundred, to ten in Spanish,” she gushes.
“My number is in there too, and I got one of those phones so he can call me on Time and I can see his face.”
“FaceTime, Maw Maw.”
“Well, he knows what I’m talking about. Call me. I’m gonna miss my little grand baby and he’s gonna miss me too.”
Her eyes gloss up with tears and my anger softens and so does my tone. This woman obviously has been taken care of my child and she loves him.
“He will definitely call you,” I assure her. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
“You can thank me by taking care of him. He deserves a parent that will put him first.”
“Maw Maw,” Makenna whines.
“Hush I said what I said. I’m praying that you get it right this time cause that boy needs his mama too.
” Her grandmother turns to me then place her hand on my leg.
“Now, I’m gonna wake him up. Then, we’re gonna all go to dinner together so we can make sure he’s comfortable with this and then you can take him. Alright?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agree.
While I have every intention of taking my son with me, it’s clear that his grandma loves him, has taken care of him, and knows what’s best for him.
Clearly, Makenna has been on that shit for a minute so I’m grateful for his grandmother.
She definitely could have had help from my auntie and cousins and financial help from me while I was locked but I’m going to make sure that’s his grandma is straight from now on. I owe her that.
She reaches for her cane and positions it between her legs. When she holds onto it tightly and tries to stand, I hop up and help her. I offer my arm for support and she accepts it.
“Maybe, I should go in there with you,” I suggest.
“Come on,” she says while nodding.
“I’ll stay here,” Makenna says but neither me or her grandmother acknowledges her. At this point, for me, she’s a non-factor. Not only did she keep my son from me but she hasn’t even been taking care of him.
When we reach the room door, she squeezes my arm then whispers while slowly shaking her head.
“This is her third time doing a program. I pray that she makes it but I don’t know.
DJ needs you. He’s getting too much for me and I don’t know how long the good Lord is going to let me stay here. Please, take care of him.”
“I will. And again, thank you. Whatever you need, I got you too for taking care of him for me.”
“Oh, I’m fine baby. I’m just ready to get back to Houston. This bus ride is going to be long though.”
“Ya’ll came on a bus.”
“Yeah, sixteen long hours. I’m stiffer than I normally am because of it.”
“Well, I’m sending you back on the plane. When you want to leave?”
“Once I see that DJ is going to be okay.”
“Then, you can leave in the morning. I got him; I promise,” I say, meaning that shit.
Just like DJ, my grandparents took care of me. My parents couldn’t get their shit together and I was left with my grams. I love them down for what they did for me but I always knew that when I had kids, I would take care of them. I would be the parent that neither one of my folks could be.
This situation is fucked up. Makenna keeping him from me is real fucked up and she’s fucked all the way up on that shit.
The person left in the middle is him and I have to make sure that he’s taken care of from here on out.
While I have no clue how I’m about to do any of this shit with him, I do know that I’ll figure it out, and that’s on everything.
After squeezing my arm again, she presses the handle on the door and eases it open. When she does, we see him, laying on his stomach with his elbows propped up and the mini version of my head, resting in his hands. My fucking heart stops and a wave of nervousness floods me.
I’ve been through some shit in my life. The streets are grimy as fuck and I’ve been in too many situations that I know only God saved my Black ass from.
I had the feds knock my doors down and raid my home with fifteen knock boys with weapons aimed at me.
I was facing up to twenty years. I pushed through all that shit and not once did I feel the uneasiness that I feel right now.
My life just changed in an instant. I have a son.
“DJ,” she says and he looks over at us. His light brown eyes light up and he hops off the bed and rushes towards me. His arms wrap around my waist and he holds on to me tight as hell. “I told you he was coming for you,” she says in a shaky voice. When I look over to her, she’s wiping her tears.
My arms wrap around him and I feel myself getting emotional too. The last time, I remember crying was when my grams passed and I was locked. That shit broke me and I cried. This moment is filled with anger and sadness like that day. This is a feeling I can’t fucking describe.
“Aye,” I muster as I tap his back. “What’s up?” I say then kneel down so we can be face to face.
“Hey, daddy,” he says, smiling. Hearing him calling me daddy, hits me hard as fuck and I damn near shed a tear.
“Hey,” is all my emotions will allow me to utter. My son, a mini replica of me is staring at me and looking back. Until this moment, I didn’t think that I could instantly love anybody but looking at him proves that I can. He’s mine and I’m going to make sure that he never wants for shit.
“My name is Daymir,” he says.
“I know; so is mine.”
“Yeah, that’s why Maw Maw calls me DJ. You can call me that too,” he says as a matter of fact. “I’m going with you? Maw Maw says I am.”
“You are. You cool with that?”
“Yes, sir. I’m cool,” he says as if his life isn’t changing just like mine. Our lives our changing but for the better, and that’s on everything.