little short stories

He ain't mine

"why do you talk of him like this, why do you hate your dad so much?" His chair scrapes back as his booming voice travels through the room, my uncle obviously has had enough of me talking about his brother the way I do. Trying to remain calm I tightly grip my knife and fork. 

"I don't hate him uncle, just dislike him. You can't blame me though he just never around for me to see any other side of him" I feel the tension in the room rise. I ain't never had my uncle snap on me like that, tonight is different and I know everyone can feel it too. 

"So girl that's your father, I grew up with him I know him and I don't like the way you talking about him." Collin sat back down and continued to eat like ain't nothing happen. I felt my cousin squeeze my arm letting me know he got me.  

"you know your uncle right Alex, he is your father you will respect him and this family. Now sit down and stop acting like a brat he could of left completely and never have contact with you." My irrelevant ass aunty putting her two cents in like always pissing me off 

"yo unc better catch your sister" I'm fuming, how dare she come up in here running her mouth like she know shit, she don't know nothing. 

"Now listen here little girl, I don't know who you think you are but you better watch your god damn mouth talk to me. Respect your elders didn't your mother teach you some manners, no wonder he left her selfish ass" 

"nah who the fuck you think you are talking bout my mother, acting like you ain't got shit to hide, you ain't know nothing" 

"well please share what a hard life you've had, two parents, a house, a family. You got everything your spoilt ass needs" 

"You know what, you think but you don't know shit. I only have one parent and that's my mother who worked hard to raise me, didn't complain. She always tried her hardest to put a roof over my head and food in my stomach, so what if we missed a couple meals we still here ain't we? I had to watch her work like a damn dog day and night to get us to where we are now, she ain't have no help from her family, or you and definitely not from no man you so desperately claim is my father. Family don't turn they backs on each other or ain't that what you so famously preach? Then where were you when my stomach was empty and my back was sore from sleeping on the ground? Huh where the fuck were ya'll? what now that we got money and a name you want to claim me, nah it ain't work like that. My so called father ain't in my life, I talk to him twice every what,  year and see him every 6 years. Is that what you call a father? Can't even remember my birthday or my age, doesn't know shit about me except my birth name. Not even the name I go by, he ain't in my life. He keeps me and his other kids separated from each other. I only know their names, he keeps me away, hidden. He rejected me as his child and took claim on someone elses, what kind on Man does that. You see I don't hate him simply cause you need to know someone to hate them. You need to care enough to hate and frankly I dont care about that man. so yes that man might be someone father but he aint mine 

Oh girl dont get me started on you. Aunty or should I say Grandma, you had a baby at 14 and let your mama raise him like her own. Nah you see I know man you should really stop acting so high and mighty. You may have everyone fooled but not me so keep your nose outta my damn business. Uncle I got some love for you but you don't know shit and need to calm down before you get checked. 

Cuz the food was good but I think I overstayed my welcome" 

The whole table sits in silence as I leave. 

"The only family I got is my mums and the only reason im here was for Nanas burial. So have a good one"