7. Hades #2
She glared at me with tight eyes. “One of the caseworkers at social services that I was cool with told me about it. She didn’t tell me exactly who his mother was, but she did tell me that Dorian’s grandfather was some high-powered judge in Boston, Massachusetts.
After a little poking around, I figured out who it was. ”
“So, what? You found out who my parents were and adopted my son? Why move to Boston?” Jin’jer asked him.
Dedra glanced at Dorian. “I moved here because I figured they would want to get to know their grandson. I wanted Dorian to be closer to his mother and grandparents.”
Dorian’s face scrunched. “Ma, that doesn’t make sense. When you told me that she was my mother, you told me that the social services people said I was abandoned. If I was abandoned, why would you think they would want to get to know me?”
“I don’t know, Dorian! Excuse me for trying to make sure you know your roots. It’s not my fault that your mother abandoned you,” Dedra spat.
Jin’jer’s eyes turned into slits. “I didn’t abandon my son. I was told that my son died after birth. I loved my son and was prepared to take care of him.”
The waitress came back to the table with our food. Once it was set down and the waitress left, Jin’jer continued. “As far as you moving to Boston, did you ever get in contact with my parents? I know you never got in contact with me.”
Dedra took the time to drench her steak in steak sauce then cut into it.
I wasn’t going to trip about how cavalier she acted.
I wanted Dorian to see his mother in her true light if he never had.
Something told me that he knew she was shifty.
“I did get in touch with your parents. They weren’t happy, but such is life. ”
“Ma, what does that mean, such is life? Did you ever take me to meet them? I never remember meeting them,” Dorian asked.
She took a bite of her steak. With a mouthful of food, she said, “I took you over there and told you to say in the car. They had a fit when I told them who I was. I eventually left.”
“What made you eventually leave?” I asked. I started to hear what she wasn’t saying. Before she could respond, I held my hands up. “Actually, nah, I already know what it was. It was a money grab, right? You told them to give you some money and you’d disappear, right?”
Jin’jer laughed. “That sounds about right. They sure had the money to keep their little secret, or should I say mine. How much was my secret worth?” She took a forkful of her salad and put it in her mouth.
Dedra suddenly became timid. Dorian didn’t share many similarities with his mother, Jin’jer, but that scowl he wore was a twin to his mother. “Ma, did they give you money?”
“Yes, boy, that was the least they could do. When I adopted you, I stopped getting assistance from the state. I had to take care of you somehow.” When Dorian asked her how much they gave her, she glared at him.
“They gave me five thousand a month. How do you think I paid for all of those extracurricular stuff you wanted to be in?”
Dorian held his head down. This shit was sad, but I hated to say that I wasn’t surprised at the least. “So, something isn’t making sense.
All those years, you never said shit to him about who his mother was.
All of a sudden, you wanted to reveal this big secret.
What happened, they stopped giving you money? ”
There was no way this bitch just suddenly decided to have a heart and reveal this big family secret. I wouldn’t say that she didn’t take care of Dorian, because he didn’t look to be struggling. Now whether she took care of him emotionally was debatable.
“That’s exactly what happened.” Jin’jer answered my question. “If I had to bet, it was around six months to a year ago. Dorian, when did you start working?”
When he said that he’d been working for almost five months, Jin’jer and I laughed. “I think you told him hoping that he would go to his grandparents, they get spooked and start giving you money again. You adopted him because you saw dollar signs.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter what I saw. I took care of your son, so you should be thanking me.
Yes, I took money from your parents, and I used it to help take care of him.
It wasn’t like I went out and bought drugs with it.
Hell, they didn’t miss it, obviously. Dorian, you never went without, so don’t act like you did,” she scolded him.
Dorian stared at her for a beat before he responded.
“Ma, I never said that you didn’t take care of me, but come on.
I remember asking you since I was like twelve if you knew who my parents were.
All you ever said was that it didn’t matter because they didn’t want me, when the whole time you knew exactly who my mother was.
You could have told me, but you just kept getting a check. What kinda shit is that?”
Dedra threw her hands up. “Oh my God! Now everyone knows everything. Dorian, meet your mother. Jin’jer, meet your son. Happy now? Jin’jer, maybe you can help with some of his expenses since I’m no longer getting that assistance.”
“You call blackmail assistance, huh?” I asked incredulously. “I guess getting a fucking job was too much like real work?” Where are my sisters when I need them? I need them to come slap this bitch. From the expressions on Dorian’s face, I could tell that there was a shift in the atmosphere.