The Grove Chronicles

Chapter 42

Ezail drunk from his water bottle, after getting out of practice.  He couldn't wait to get home and just lie down. While walking through the door, Naya leaped on to his body. " Girl sit down yo......" " Get outta here fool!" he smirked. While turning the corner to lay on the couch, aunt Wandie  sat in the family room, with  a dismayed look on her face. 

" Yo wasup?" " Everything a'ight?" Wandie sighed. " So.....  making babies is a new sport for you huh boy...." Ezail seemed astray. "What?" " I mean, I was gonna tell you, I just needed the time." " Me and My-My was scared as a mutha yo." Wandie shook her head. " Scared huh?" " Put Naya away please." 

Ezail put Naya In her crate, in the basement. He went  back upstairs, planning to head up to his room. " Ayo I'm bout lay down." " Whoa, hey!" " What makes you think I ain't got nothing else to say? " Sit down now!"  Wandie protested. 

Ezail sucked his teeth. " Now, how you gonna raise this baby?" Wandie seemingly irked. " We're living pay check to pay check around here, and I know yo ass ain't got a single dime to yo name." Ezail puffed thinking, "I got more than  dimes."  

" Yeah but grandma had you at 17..." " Hell, she ain't even have a job, even after grandpa died."  " Boy, it was different in those days.... " at least they were married."  " Once a girl hit a certain age, she left the home to be wed... simple as that."  

" Now let me ask you........" " Do you love Esmyra?" Ezail chuckled. " Come on auntie man, why you gonna go there?"  " It's a simple question......." " Yeah I am." " I can't see myself wit nobody else." Wandie sighed. " You're young....." " This is only temporary, given the fact you two airheads don't know how a actual relationship works."  

" My whole thing is, a baby is in the way now..... the love will be a lot different." 

" How?" "If anything the love will be closer..."  " I may not wanted a mini family now, but hey I gotta take care of her and our baby... can't be like my father." 

Wandie groaned looking the other way. " Listen to yo self Bubba."  " Trying to control everything." " Baby boy you playing house, because it's hard for any teenager to run one."  Second of all, the NCAA gonna run for the hills, because of a baby." 

" Hell, let em run, I'll chase after em." Ezail giggled. " I'm not playin boy...." This is not a game, ones  future is not my responsibility."   " It'll be too much to bear, at this point." " Way too damn much!" 

Ezail shrugged his shoulders. " Look, I don't know

 what else to say auntie." " I'm a father, and that's all there's is to it yo."  " What can any of y'all do?" " Willie, Elroy, Janet, Ezail hell even Big Mama..." 

" Mmmm, this child fittin to learn the hard damn way." Wandie thought.   " Okay....."  

Suddenly the doorbell rung, followed by a two loud knocks. Wandie waked to the door swiftly, opening it sternly. Eduardo appeared in the doorway. " Hi, Wandie Harris?" " Yes, I'm Wandie....."   " I'm Esmyra's father, Eduardo, we spoke on the phone not too long ago." I need to speak to Ezail please..." " I think he knows, what it's about." 

Wandie grunted. " Yes, well I had a talk with him, and I think he's contempt with the whole situation."  Eduardo sighed heavily. " No disrespect Ms. Harris, I'm not....." " Ezail helped ruined my daughter's life. "  " My daughter was supposed to be somebody." 

Wandie puffed. " Okay, I understand Mr. Ivanez...... please come in." " Uh, want something to drink?" " No sweetheart, I'm fine thank you."  When Wandie and Eduardo circled into the family room, Ezail looked up seeing Eduardo. 

" Aw shit, here we go....." Ezail thought. " Eduardo had his usual stone face. " I can't seem to wrap my head around this..... " " I can't....."   " My Esmyra, had great grades......."  " She stayed involved in activities with her friends."  " I expected her to be pure until marriage, and give me grand children the right way." 

" But oh no!" " Oh no!"  " You come along with your baby faced charm, and hot shot jock attitude, making things difficult!"  

" I let you in in my home, lying to my damn face about not being a hoodlum in the street!" 

Ezail sighed rubbing his hands together. " A'ight man, you said whatchu had to say..."  " Problem is, you don't  know me from a box of  glazed doughnuts."  "Sure you know my name, and I play sports that's it....." 

" I'm out here on the block, to protect my rep." " Our original mission, was to protect the hood."  "Oh bull!" " Kids are dropping like flies, over non sense!" " Protect the hood  my ass!"  Eduardo exclaimed. " Now you got my disgrace of a daughter in the mix." 

Ezail sucked his teeth shifting his eyes.  " Listen, yo daughter made her own decision to join the female set, not me."  " Esmyra can be stubborn, we  both know this sir!"   " Funny she said the same thing, did you convince her to defend you?" 

" What?!  "No!" " Bottom line is that, I love Esmyra..." " She's the only one who loves me for me and not cuz I can throw a pig skin, or jump 43 inches off the ground."  " Now that she has my daughter, it's my job to protect them."  

" Y6u can't even protect yourself young man!" " Your aunt Wandie provides a roof over your head!"   " So....." " So what!" " I'm still out here, gettin things done!"  " Esmyra is my responsibility too!" " She may represent yo legacy, but she just gave birth to mine, and It's time you recognized!"  Ezail barked.

Eduardo then approached Ezail closer. " Unless you held Esmyra in your arms, provided a roof, paid her doctor bills, bought food and clothes, don't tell me about responsibilities...boy!" 

" This is why I threw her fast behind out! " Kids nowadays think they know it all!" 

Ezail's jaw dropped standing up. " What the fuck for?!" " My girl and daughter livin out on the street?!" " Talkin bout me bein a non protector, they out on the street, cuz of yo ass!" " Nothin, but hypocritical shit!"  

Now, both young and older man, were in each other's face hurling curse words. Aunt Wandie quickly hopped in, trying to mediate the situation. 

"Okay stop it, please!" she shouted. " Oh save it Ms. Harris!" " This kid is outta control!" " Don't even let me hear you're on the Eastside boy, ever!"   " Keep yo muthafuckin tone down at my kin, and I go wherever I damn well please!" " I.S.S. state claim all over the Grove!"  

Eduardo suddenly yoked Ezail up by the collar, with once again fire in his eyes, like the situation with Esmyra.   " You already ruined my household, don't ruin my neighborhood....  "Paganas Immundos!" ( Filthy heathen!) 

Ezail proceeded to push Eduardo off, then hitting him with a right jab knocking him to the floor. "No es nada sucio sobre mi!" ( Aint nothin filthy about me!) " That's right I speak spanish too.... surprised, huh?!"  Ezail barked. 

" Okay, enough!" " Mr. Ivanez  you better leave!" Wandie said helping Eduardo up." I can let myself out, thank you." Eduardo abruptly left out the front door.  

" Boy are you crazy, why'd you hit him?!" Ezail then grimaced. " Kind of question is that?" " He gonna come up in here, all spit and fire, actin hypocritical and shit."  " Man can't even deal with his own child, so he take the easy route out." 

" Besides he lucky he wasn't on the set, otherwise he'd be dead......." " However cuz he my child's granddad he get a pass"  " Shit, I gotta look for My-My and the baby."  " I'm outta here yo." Ezail said leaving the home. 

As he walked to the driveway, his uncle Elroy walked up after getting off the bus, from work. " Yo you good neph?" " Naw, see y'all niggas later!" 

Elroy entered the home confused. " Damn sis what's up with Deion Sanders ?" Wandie shook her head. " This boy done became a father, with no damn plan....." " I tell ya, if it one thing it's another..."  " Word?" " I told that little nigga, them spanish broads be fertile." Elroy giggled. 

" Well, it gotta end somehow, can't be havin babies up in this house." " There was something about that Esmyra anyhow..." " She better not be trapping my nephew.... uh- uh." 

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