Shut Up & Listen

7. Until Tomorrow

August 21
9:32 AM

[ices, 46]

[mommy]

[]
Ices walked into the kitchen wearing a long flowy black sundress with flat brown sandals and slammed her cup on the counter beside her eldest son Jaleel, "Why you been so quiet?"

"I'm not."

"What is it? You sad about Black?" She asked, "You seen him? You know you can still go over there and chill with him."

He spooned his cereal, looking up at his mother. "I don't get what's different about this time? He didn't do anything any of us haven't done." He sighed, frustrated. He leaned back in his seat. "I just. I need a break, ma. I don't want to just keep going along with everything daddy say and do."

"Take one." She offered, "Take a long one. All the time you need."

"See, this is exactly wh—"

"I'm sorry. Jaji, talk to me. Okay, I'm your mother."

He looked up, head tipped to the side, silent.

"Jah." She said, encouraging him to speak his mind freely.

"He don't know what he's doing, ma. Black is different. Isn't that the whole reason behind him coming to live with us before? Now we're giving him back? He can't live there. With the woman his father left him for? Come on. It's not fair. And I know life isn't fair. Been hearing that shit my whole life. But this. This really isn't to Black or anyone else involved. Something doesn't feel right about abandoning him right now."

"That's how you feel?"

"That's how I feel."

"You feel like we're abandoning him?"

He nodded.

"That's fair. But it's not what's happening."

"Why can't I know what's happening?"

"Because it isn't solidified yet. I don't want to speak too soon."

"I'm scared for him." He admitted, sucking his teeth. He rubbed his eye slowly. "I feel like I failed him. I should've been there. I'm supposed to be there, every time. I wasn't this time or the last time. Now, I don't know where he is."

Ices' face fell. She moved closer to her son, "What?"

"Maverik called me. We've been looking everywhere for the past few days."

"Why didn't you call Mac?"

"You know why." He looked away not wanting to rehash his father's growing disappointment in him.

"He's fine." She assured him immediately, not wanting him to have to say anything to her husband about the situation adding fuel to an already brewing pot of lighter fluid. "Look at me. Your brother is fine. He'll come back when he's ready to." She pulled him in for a hug, "Come on, he's okay."