It's Above Me Now.

4: Oh, Hey Mama

"There ain't gonna be no busting of nothing, and make this the last time you speak to me like that young man." Ruben responded firmly. "I sent my guys out to fetch your birth certificate and to get in contact with your mother. All of this will make sense soon, son. Now sit down, take a drink if you need to, and relax!"

I huffed, and started pacing back and forth. Ruben was on some bullshit. That's exactly all the fuck it could be. He wanted me to be against Karin so bad that he'd lie about some shit like this. It wasn't a secret. Karin was messy and evil and completely and utterly unbalanced, but I knew her. I knew her. And my gut wasn't allowing me to believe anything Ruben was saying. I refuse to comprehend it.

"Yo, that's some OD shit man." Dylan said quietly.

"I know he lying." I snapped. "Look man, I know you don't want me fucking with Karin but tearing her apart because of some frivolous situation y'all had in the past isn't going to make us any closer."

Ruben shook his head and laughed in disbelief. "I find your loyalty so amazing. Don't get me wrong, but you're so naïve. Chance I get it, you don't know me, but I know Karin. Way more than you ever will. I'll be in my office until the receipts return. We can even take a DNA test if you like since the feeling of doubt has now entered. But don't leave, Chance. I can't protect you if you do."

Ruben glared at me intensely one last time before he disappeared to a secluded room. I wasn't putting nothing past him. Now was the time to bounce.

"Please tell me you don't believe this motherfucker." I announced as soon as Ruben was out of sight. "He's probably calling someone to come kill us. Or maybe he's calling Karin to have some kinda showdown. Let's go Dylan, this some bullshit."

"Man, would you kill that noise and stop acting like a lil bitch?" Dylan said, stretching out on a sofa. "Where we gonna go, dawg? How are we gonna go? Ruben's drivers don't seem too pleasant, and I sure as hell ain't walking. You're all over the place right now. Your pops swooping back in your life got your feelings all discombobulated. Let's just stay the night and deal with it in the morning. I'm tired."

"Man, who the fuck you think you are? My therapist?" I snapped. "I'm being smart and calculated unlike you. We gotta think like these folks so we don't get caught up! Now let's go!"

Dylan looked at me like I was straight up tripping, and rested back more comfortably on the sofa. Within seconds his eyes were closed and I knew he was out for the night. I was annoyed, because now I couldn't leave. There was no way in hell that I was leaving Dylan here alone. I guess I was stuck here now.

I sucked my teeth at Dylan's light snores and roamed around the extremely huge house. This place was a palace indeed. And although I held myself to a standard, this wasn't for me. Not because I felt like I didn't deserve it, but it was all too soon. Life was supposed to be a gradual, smooth transition and this change was happening way too fast. It just didn't feel right. I wished my first foster mother Margo was still here. I'd be able to call her and talk this through. She died when I was ten after being stabbed to death by her ex boyfriend and her passing still impacts me to this day. She was a beautiful soul who didn't deserve to go the way she did. I wish I could talk to her right now about this fucked situation. Pretty sure she'd be able to shed light on this whole thing.

My feet were beginning to get tired and I didn't even cover a quarter of the place. There were different sets of staircases leading to various parts of the house and I was in no mood to start exploring. I needed answers. I had a list of never ending questions. And as I noticed a picture frame of Ruben and a woman who could pass as my mother, more queries were beginning to pile on.

I took the picture out of the frame and turned it over, looking to see if there was a date or any type of information I could use. Frowning in disappointment, I turned it back around and studied the photograph carefully. Ruben and the lady had the same chocolate skin but dissimilar features. They had on matching suits and were smiling as if they had just won the lottery. Was she my mother or was that his girlfriend? Was Ruben and my mother even still together? Was this woman in the photo his sister or a long lost love? Oh, the questions.