Chapter 23
I’d been back home for three days now and had been in my own little bubble. If it wasn’t my wife and my kids, I didn’t have much for anybody else. Was I being pissy? Maybe. Were my feelings valid? Shit, to me they were.
If I told Senior once, I told him a million times to stay away from my damn mama.
Some people would say that I went too hard about that woman but fuck them.
I was and always had been protective of her, even as a jit.
I knew she could take care of herself, but when it came to Senior, she was way too lax.
I knew my pops was a handsome, smooth muthafucka, that could sweet talk the panties off any woman.
And he could be that… just not with Stephanie
He’d been calling me since yesterday, but I really didn’t have shit to say right now. I told them I was gonna mind my business and that’s what I was doing.
After being cooped up in my house since I’d been home, I decided to venture outside today.
Currently, I was in the gym on the compound, getting a workout in.
Pops called me on my way over here and basically threatened to whip my ass if I didn’t present myself to him soon.
He said we needed to talk and it wasn’t a request. I didn’t wanna talk because I didn’t have shit to say.
The door to the gym opened and Smoke walked in. He made his way over to the weight bench where I was as Maceo and Steel walked in behind him.
“You still pissy?” Smoke asked.
“Fuck you,” I said as I curled the weights into my chest.
He chuckled. “You over here beasting like you have a point to prove.”
Maceo nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you gon’ feel that shit later.”
I did a final curl and dropped the weights before getting down to do push-ups.
“I’m fine,” I said after a few thrusts.
Smoke kissed his teeth. “You lying like a muthafucka.”
Steel put a foot on my back to stop me. “Take a break and talk to us.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it. Move your damn foot.”
He shook his head but moved his foot. I was laser focused on my reflection as they all stood around me. The doors of the gym opened and Titan and Quaid walked in.
“Sup, bitch ass niggas,” Titan said, slapping hands with my brothers.
“Sup, fuck nigga,” Smoke retorted.
“Hey, y’all,” Quaid greeted. His gazed dropped to me as I pumped my arms to lift my body in a quick steady motion. “Why’s he going ham like that?”
“He’s still in his damn feelings about his mama and daddy,” Maceo said.
“I ain’t in my fucking feelings,” I snapped.
“Then why don’t you wanna talk about it?”
“Cause I fucking don’t!” I hopped to my feet and stood toe to toe with him. “You take everything as a joke.”
“And you too damn serious.” He pushed me away from him. “Don’t be walking up on me like that, Stanley. I done told you, you ain’t finna lil’ boy me.”
“Y’all cut it the fuck out,” Smoke said, pushing both of us apart. “Shit ain’t even that serious.”
“You need a blunt, man?” Titan asked, pulling one from his pocket.
He lit it and handed it to me. I stared at him for a moment before snatching the blunt and taking a pull from it.
They all watched me while he retrieved two additional blunts, lit them and passed them in rotation.
A good five minutes went by before my nerves felt relaxed enough to take a deep breath.
“Senior is really fucking my mama, man,” I said.
They looked at me, then each other before breaking into laughter.
“That shit ain’t funny,” I snapped.
“Yes it is, cause that’s a grown ass woman,” Maceo said.
“Good and grown,” Steel added.
I took a long pull from the blunt. “I don’t care if she was old as Methuselah, I don’t like that shit.”
Titan kissed his teeth. “So, you mad because your mama’s getting some dick from your pops? Like, how you think you got here? The stork? They might be a little older, but niggas got needs, bruh.”
Steel shook his head. “You really are being a lil’ dramatic, Deuce. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time they got back together. Shit, the way you act, I see why they were sneaking around.”
“Right,” Titan said, pulling from the blunt. He snorted with a chuckle. “Wouldn’t be the first time they had an affair. Her and my mother in-law finally hashed that shit out. I thought for sure they were gonna be scrapping in Gram’s kitchen this past Sunday.”
“Hold the fuck up,” Smoke said, waving his hands. “Senior cheated on Ms. Maddie with Mama Steph?”
Titan reared his head back. “Y’all ain’t know that?”
“Hell nah,” Maceo said. “When this happen?”
“According to Mia, it ended right around the time she started dating Aaron. They kinda got into it in Paris and Mia finally asked him about it not long after we got back. He owned up to it.”
“Why you ain’t said shit?” Smoke asked
“Nigga, that wasn’t my business!”
“It wasn’t your business, but you just said it casually as fuck.”
“Look, it was years ago. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Shit, I assumed everybody knew and y’all just acted like it didn’t happen. You know Maddie don’t fuck with y’all’s mamas like that like that.”
I chuckled, but nothing was funny. I warned Senior to leave my mama alone, especially if he didn’t have good intentions for her.
“So how long was this going on?” Maceo asked.
Titan looked at me. “I don’t feel like I should say anything else. This nigga fucking eye is twitching.”
Maceo waved him off. “He’ll be okay. Ain’t shit he gon’ do ‘cause he bet not put his hands on my daddy, I know that much.”
I shot him the middle finger as I took another long pull of the blunt.
Titan shook his head. “Like a year, man. Look, Deuce. You gotta let this shit go, bruh. They looked happy as hell on Sunday. I don’t think I’ve ever seen your pops look more like a sucker than when it comes to your mama.
They are getting older and I’m sure both of them are lonely in those big ass houses by themselves. Let them be.”
I outed the blunt and tucked the unfinished roach behind my ear.
“Respectfully, my nigga. Ain’t nobody asked y’all for advice or input. That’s my fucking mama and if I say a nigga don’t deserve her, then that nigga don’t deserve her. Point fucking blank. I don’t care who it is, especially y’all’s daddy and father-in-law.”
Maceo shook his head. “Look man, Senior and Mama Steph have something none of us understand. It’s not for us to accept ‘cause they are gonna do what they wanna do. As much as you love your mama, you don’t want her to be happy?”
“Y’all blowing my high, so I’m finna go.”
I didn’t give them a chance to say shit else to me before I was walking out the door. I was done with this workout and this conversation.
When I walked into my house, I fully expected to go straight upstairs and shower.
Instead, I was met with my wife chopping it up with my father in my living room.
The kids were at school, so it was just the two of them.
He didn’t have a reason to be here right now, letting me know this was an attempt to make me talk.
Salima looked up and smiled when she saw me.
“Hey, Deucy. How was your workout?”
“Fine, love. I’m going to take a shower.”
I started to walk off but Senior stopped me.
“So, you don’t see me sitting here?” he asked as I attempted to walk past them.
“I didn’t invite you here.”
“Deuce!” Salima scolded. “Don’t act like that.”
“He’s your guest. Not mine. Y’all be good.”
“Stanley!” she snapped, jumping to her feet. She rounded the couch and stood in front of me with her arms crossed. “You got me fucked up if you think you’re gonna dismiss me like that.”
“I didn’t dismiss—”
“Furthermore!” she said, raising her voice.
“You aren’t gonna dismiss this man like that.
That’s your father, Stanley. The only one you’re ever gonna get.
Like damn. I knew you could be slightly overbearing but come on.
You’re walking around here mad at the world because he and your mama have something going on.
Get over it! You’re acting like a fucking child. Let those grown ass people be happy.”
She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me over to the couch where my father was.
“Sit down,” she demanded, pointing at the spot.
I kissed my teeth. “Man—”
“I said sit the fuck down!” she yelled.
I fell back on the couch. She huffed and brushed her hair from her face.
“Got me raising my voice and shit, knowing I don’t even like to get like this.
” She turned to my father. “Daddy, talk to your son. I have a meeting with a client. When I’m done, I’m going to pick the kids up and we will be over for dinner with you and Mama Steph later.
” She threw me a look. “All four of us.” She stooped and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby girl.”
My wife glared at me. “You better talk to him and you better be in a better mood when I get back here with your kids.”
She mushed my head before stepping over my feet, grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the front door. I shook my head as I sat up. Pulling the blunt from behind my ear, I retrieved my lighter and sparked it up.
Beside me, Senior chuckled.
“You are more like me than you care to admit,” he said. “Salima is just like your mama. The only woman with the ability to gather me and put me in my place.”
I snorted. “Too bad you don’t know how to stay there,” I muttered.
To that, I was met with a hard slap to the back of my head.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” he snapped at me. “Now I promised your mama I wouldn’t put my hands on you, and I’m trying to keep that promise. You’re gonna sit here, shut the fuck up, and listen. You understand me?”
I kissed my teeth. “Man, go ‘head.”
He sighed heavily. “I don’t owe you an explanation, Stanley.
I don’t have to justify a damn thing to you regarding me dating your mother.
But you’re my son… my first born. I love you and your mother, and I don’t like this shit going on between us.
This talk ain’t changing the fact that I’m where I want to be, but maybe it will clarify something for me. ”
“I don’t know how many other ways I can clarify this shit for you, old man.”