Daymir #2
When he’s ready, he heads to the kitchen to grab his lunch kit and a bottle of OJ.
I step back to my room to check on Imani.
Although I hate to wake her, I need to tell her that I’m leaving.
So, I creep into my room and over to the bed.
Then, I lean in and kiss her cheek a few times.
Her body squirms a little then she opens her eyes, barely.
“Hey,” she mumbles.
“Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t want to wake you but I’m bout to take him to school. Stay and go back to sleep. I’ll be back,” I say and she nods her head, closes her eyes, then turns.
I walk out and close the door. DJ is sitting in the living room, waiting on me.
He stands when he sees me and walks to the door.
I join him and grab my keys from the ceramic bowl on my console table.
We leave then head to my ride for our thirty-minute commute to his school.
We’ll spend another fifteen to twenty minutes in the car line.
Although there are buses for Einsteins, about eighty percent of the students are car riders and that line is usually long as fuck.
“Dontay said they got boats and race cars there, daddy,” DJ says excitedly.
He’s been hyped all week. One of his little school friends, Dontay, invited him to his birthday and it’s being held at a new spot on the northside, Blast!
Fun Center. According to the invite, the spot has indoor and outdoor shit for the kids to do.
It has arcade games, go-karts, bumper boats, kid rides, mini golf, and batting cages. We are heading there now.
“Yeah, I saw. You gone drive?” I ask him.
“If they let me,” he says with a laugh.
“They will; kids can drive the go-karts there. We gone race.”
“Is Miss Imani gone race too?” he asks.
Just like she captured me, Imani has won DJ over too.
He really likes her and every time she’s over to my place or we’re at her crib, he has a blast and getting him to go to bed is a task.
So, when he got the invite, he asked her to come with us and thank God she said yes.
I love my son’ he’s not the problem. I just know I can’t handle a room full of six- and seven-year-olds.
“She likes to race. I’m sure she will.”
“That’s why she drives that fast car?”
“Yea.”
“I wanna get a fast car when I get big too,” he says.
“How you gone buy that car?”
“I’mma be a fire fighter and make a million dollars,” he says and I chuckle.
“I don’t think they make a million dollars, son.”
“But they still make a lot of money,” he quickly corrects me and I laugh more.
We are in Imani’s neighborhood and turning on her street.
When I pull into her driveway, DJ reaches for the handle then turns back at me.
“I’m gone open her door for her daddy when she comes out. Don’t get out,” he says and I smile.
My lil man is a gentleman.
“You got that. I’ll stay in here,” I tell him.
Smiling, he jumps out and runs to her door. I watch as he rings her bell and a few seconds later, she walks out, holding two large gift bags. They walk to my ride and he runs in front of her to beat her to my ride. Then, he opens the door for her to get in.
“Thank you,” she gushes.
“You welcome,” he says before closing her door.
“Hey, baby,” she says before leaning over and kissing me.
“Hey back. What’s in the bags?” I ask.
DJ gets in and closes the door. “Miss Imani, are those for Dontay?” he asks.
“Well, one bag is and the other is for you,” she responds before turning around and passing both bags to him.
He places both bags on the seat then stands a little to look inside. His eyes get big as fifty-cent pieces as he reaches into one of the bags. “Beats!” he yells. “I can get one?” he questions.
“Yes. That one is black and the other pair is silver. Which one do you want?” she asks.
“I’m keeping this one,” he says before plopping down in the seat with the box in his hand. “Can I open it now?”
“Yeah. They’re yours,” she tells him. Excitedly, he tears into the box and pulls the headset out.
“What do you say, man?”
“Oh, thank you,” he utters, totally distracted by his gift. I’m a little distracted and thankful too. It didn’t even cross my mind to get a real gift for the birthday boy. I was just going to shoot him a bill.
“Damn, baby, thank you. But why didn’t you tell me you were getting those. I would have given you my card.”
“Because I wanted to get them. Save your money for inside of this place. I plan on racing several times in those go-karts.”
I glance back and look at the big ass smile on DJ’s face then look back at her. “Thank you, for real. He’s happy as hell. I ‘preciate that so much,” I tell her before gently grabbing her chin. Then, I lean in and kiss her passionately. Her thoughtfulness means more than she knows.
“I got you for this though,” I tell her before backing out of her driveway.
While I head to the fun center, she actually gets his Beats and sets them up for him.
She connects them to his iPad and he puts them on.
He stays quiet for the rest of the ride.
He doesn’t even lift his head up until he feels my Yukon start to slow.
We are at Blast! but there’s a small line of cars to get into the main entrance.
He removes his headphones then sits all the way up so he can see out the window.
“It’s big,” he marvels.
“Yeah, really big. It looks like an amusement park. I didn’t think it was going to be this huge. Is this place new?” Imani asks.
“Yeah. It’s pretty new. I don’t think it’s been here a year,” I say.
The car line starts to move and I drive into the large parking lot.
It looks packed as hell so, I let Imani and DJ out at the entrance then scan the lot for a space.
I luck up when I see a truck backing out on the second row and I pull in as soon as he’s out.
When I make it to the entrance, I find DJ and Imani in the line and join them.
As soon as we walk in, I’m instantly reminded why I’m so appreciative of Imani for coming.
Bad ass, loud ass kids are everywhere. DJ spots a few of his classmates and tries to run towards them.
Imani grabs his hand, calms him down, then we walk over to the party area.
DJ finds the birthday boy so we journey to the main table and introduce ourselves.
“Thank you for coming. Dontay talks about DJ all the time,” his mom says.
“DJ does too. Thanks for the invite.”
“Of course,” she says then hands Imani a black wrist band for DJ and a card. “This gets him a ride on the go-karts and one on the bumper boats and the card has twenty dollars of play. We are meeting back here at one-thirty for pizza, hot dogs, and the cake.”
“And where do you want his gift?” Imani asks her.
“I’ll take it and put it on the table,” she says and DJ hands her the bag. “Thank you.”
“You welcome. Where’s Dontay? He left.”
“Probably back in the boat line.”
“Can we go now?” DJ asks me.
“Yea, let’s go.”
“Where do we get the bands for the outside rides?” Imani asks her before we walk off.
“There’s a cashier booth at the door before you head out back. You can pay separately for the go-karts or boats, twenty each, or a hundred dollars for unlimited rides today.”
“Perfect,” Imani says then we follow the signs to the back.
There’s a small line at the cashier. DJ’s so ready to get out there with his friends; he’s practically bouncing as he stands. “Won’t you get the unlimited bands for us and I’ll take him out there so we can find his friend and get in line,” she says.
“Yeah, daddy,” DJ cosigns and I agree.
They walk out the door and I stand in the line.
My cell vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out.
It’s a text from my attorney, Victoria Yates.
She handles family law and was referred to me by the Powers’ attorney, Miles.
We met last week and she agreed that I should file for sole custody of DJ.
I was concerned about my past and time inside but she assured me that current stability is definitely more favorable than his heroine addict mother who abandoned him.
Yates: The petition has been completed and file. To be safe, I filed here, in Texas, and in Pennsylvania to cover all bases. We will attempt the mandatory service required by law but we already discussed that with her current MIA status, this will be the longest process.
Me: Perfect. Did you get her grandmother’s address? I sent it to your assistant.
Yates: Yes. I received it. Thanks, and I’ll keep you posted.
Me: Thanks
As I place my cell back in my pocket, I feel a sense of relief.
DJ is exactly where he needs to be, with me.
I only want the best for him and that doesn’t include Makenna.
She’s still in the streets and her grandma hasn’t heard or seen her since they left here.
Her phone is disconnected and she hasn’t made any attempts to even call DJ.
I even put fillers out back home in Philly and no one has seen her either.
“Do you mind if I skip?” a soft feminine voice says from behind me so I turn around. “My daughter and husband are next in line for the bumper boats and I haven’t paid yet.”
“Yea, go head,” I tell her then nod for her to walk in front of me. Ther’s only one other person ahead of me.
The lady steps in front of me and is at the window in less than five minutes. I’m right behind her. I buy three green unlimited bands and another arcade play card then find them outside in the bumper boat line. DJ is chopping it up with two other little boys as they wait.
“Three bands?” Imani questions when I hand them to her.
“Yeah. I’m sure he’s going to want to do this and the go-karts more than once.”
“I didn’t think about that. You’re right,” she says. She places a green band on DJ’s wrists then attaches one to me and herself. “We’re next. They let twelve in at a time for five minutes.”