Single Father

Single Father: Life Goes On

5 years later

***

David,

"I don't want to here it." I hushed Rashad, who brushing his hand against my shoulder. I snapped his hand away and walked to towards the front of my bar.

"It was only twenty dollars man! You actin like I took everything out ya register."

I ignored him and picked up two empty bottles of beer off the bar, disposing them in the trash behind me.

"You got five seconds to get the hell outta my club Rashad. I ain't playin" I mumbled.

Rashad positioned himself in front of me, I could see the remorse in his eyes, but I could also picture the grin of satisfaction when stole twenty dollars out of the register the other night.

"How a nigga supposed to feed his damn family. You barely pay yo employers here!" Rashad shouted in anger.

I wiped the surface of the bar with a dirty dish rag and bent down to collect wet, dirty dollar bills off of the floor.

"You feed yo family by workin' and askin' foe some damn help when needed. Not by stealing from the man who could've gave you an extra hand if you'd just ask." I sighed, I shoved past him.

Rashad paced around me, making me stop at a holt. I was about five seconds away from socking him in the mouth if he didn't get the hell out of my property.

"Please man I need this job." Rashad pleaded.

I twisted my mouth in a frown and glanced at him. My thoughts drifting one decision to another.

This wasn't the first time I had caught this nigga stealing from me before. I thought back to the time I caught him stealing a six pack of bud lights. The only excuse he could come up with was that he was going to eventually return the beers back in revenue. But I looked past that and gave him a second chance, allowing him to keep his job here. I guess that was a mistake waiting to unfold.

 He could've stole a dollar from me, and I would've been equally as pissed. It didn't matter how much the stole. Stealing is stealing. And I ain't about to have no thief ruining my business.

"Nah, you've broken my trust. You stole from me. Get yo ass out my club!" I pointed to the exit door.

Rashad stood there dumbfounded and bit his lip with panicked eyes.

"Do you need help?" I shoved him forward. I knew I shouldn't have placed my hands on him because that could've ended up in a full on fight, but he needed to understand this was my business and I was the boss.

 "There are two exits there and there. And then I got those fancy lit up exits over there." I gritted through my teeth.

Rashad nodded his head and looked down, twisting his tongue around in his mouth.

"Ight' I see how you do a nigga who's strugglin'. I ain't need this damn job anyway!" Rashad pushed by me, ramming into my shoulder. Walking towards the door.

"Yo club already draining. Everybody in Atlanta knows this place is wack. It's just a matter of time before this place gets shut down! You should've stayed yo ass in basketball. It would've done you betta" Rashad exclaimed, slamming the door behind him.

I sighed and took a seat down in a empty bar chair, scratching at the new growth at the tip of my chin.

"Don't listen to that dumb, broke ass nigga man, he don't know nothin." Jermane said while walking out of the kitchen cleaning a empty glass bottle.

"I know, just shocked that he stole from me. That's all." I stated with a heavy sigh.

Breaking my contract and quitting my basketball carrier was one of the hardest things I had endured. I couldn't remember a time when basketball wasn't in my life. I grew up playing it, and throughout my life it had made and everlasting presence.

But it was for the sake of my daughter. I wasn't going to let a sport override my relationship with my daughter. Sure it would've been easy to hire a nanny or a babysitter since I had the money.

But my daughter deserved a full time role model in her life. I wasn't about to half ass being a parent by allowing basketball to be the main revolving around my world. I was going all the all the way. Cause that's what my baby girl deserved.

After quitting my basketball carrier I got into business management and used some of the money from playing professional basketball to open a club in Atlanta.

I slapped my hands against the table and stood up.

"Ight we betta get cleaning all this shit. It's Friday. One of our most busiest nights." I reassured Jermane.

I started cleaning up around the club. Picking up broken pieces of glass, wet dollars, napkins, and everything else niggas threw at strippers.

"Where's ya baby girl at?" Jermane asked, wiping out some glasses.

I picked up some dirty napkins and threw them in the trash.

"Still at my mom's place. I am planning to pick her up tomorrow tho."

Jermane nodded his head. "You lucky you gotta mama like Mrs. Williams, man."

"Damn right I am."

I couldn't break the bends on putting facts together. My mom had been supportive throughout everything. Keeping Angel for me when time at the club absorbed my the majority of my time.

Jermane and I finished cleaning and we began setting up for tonight crowd, since Friday night's were always busy.

Nine o' clock rolled around before we knew it and the crowd began to pour in. I knew it was going to be a heavy and somewhat hard adjustment not having Rashad to work the register shift, but I was going to deal with it. 

"David!" I turned to the familiar sound of Jamal's voice.

"Hey wassup" I advanced towards him and dapped him up while also acknowledging his girl Emma by giving her a smile and hug.

Jamal and Emma were good friends of mine. Actually I think I could label Jamal as one of my best friends. He was one of the only players who didn't bash me about quitting the NBA and stuck by my side through the whole ordeal.

"Haven't seen yo' yellow ass in a while. Thought we'd stop by." Emma chuckled, intertwining her hand with Jamal's 

"Thank y'all for dat, it's been busy. Especially since I gotta look for a new employer now that I fired Rashad's ass." I sighed.

Jamal twisted his thick brows together. "The dark nigga with braids?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, I caught him stealing again. I can't have no thief in here ruining my business."

"Well were here to help, anything you need we got." Jamal stated. I grinned, I knew from the jump that Jamal would always be there for the longevity.

"Nuh uh I just my nails done, I cant be doing to much now." Emma flipped her hair and sucked in her lips.

"You can go work one of them poles then." I joked, earning a soft punch in the arm from her.

"Nah y'all just enjoy y'alls selves. Jermane and I got it." I reassured them before heading back over to the register and getting ready for the long night.