Coach Knowles

57

onika

Today seniors didn't have school so Amir was home all day. I didn't care because he's not like Imani and I don't need to chase him around the house like I would with her.

I was stressed so I was trying to relax and catch up on sleep when Amir knocked on my door.

"Come in!"

He came inside my room and closed the door behind him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I guess, there's not really anything specific wrong.

"I need to get a haircut."

"Okay, what's your question?"

"Can I take your car-"

"Boy. You must've lost your mind."

"You lied to me about my dad for 17 years."

I sighed and got out of bed, "I'll take you. That's your only time using that to get something out of me."

Both my kids are manipulative. I'm not prepared for Imani to grow up, I know it's gonna be bad.

"Thank you, I'll be downstairs." He smiled and left the room.

I got out of bed and put my Crocs on. I was already dressed so I got my keys and went downstairs.

Amir was already waiting by the door and when he saw me he opened the door and started walking out. I followed him and unlocked the door.

"Same place?"

"Yeah."

I nodded and started driving into the direction of the barber shop. It was a little far, we have to leave this town and go to the next one. My sons not getting his hair fucked up by these white people. No offense.

"I need a retwist too, yikes." He looked at his dreads in the mirror in front of him.

"Text that girl you always go to and ask her when she's available." He definitely needed one, I didn't want my child looking a mess.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"The girl who retwists my hair is the one I was going to prom with, I know Bryson already told you about that."

"Hm. Well I can do if for you, if you want."

"You?"

"You didn't even need to say it like that, I know how to do hair. I'll show you when we get home. Let me see."

I stopped at a red light and lifted his dreads up to see the sides. Yikes indeed, he needed a haircut bad.

"You look Jamaican, I don't know where you got that from." The light turned green and I put my attention back on the road.

"Was my dad Jamaican?"

"I... don't know, now that you mention it." I might believe that myth about Jamaican men not eating pussy then.

"Do I look like him?"

I don't like talking about him but I'm not going to tell him he can't ask any questions about his dad after keeping it a secret for as long as I did. I was going to suck it up and answer whatever he wanted me to.

"So much, you look just like him." Amir has my eyes but he has his dads lips, skin tone, nose, and basically everything else. Imani is most definitely my twin.

"Does that bother you? That you have to see the face of someone who did such bad things to you in your son?" Oh wow, we're getting deep.

"Not until recently. I've been with you since the day you were born, obviously, so I see more of my baby then him. But now seeing you doing some of the stuff you're doing and saying, it does trigger me a little bit."