Still In

XXIV

Dave

I laid in fetal position on the ground as my mom beat me with anything she could pick up. It started off as a switch, then an extension cord, and, currently, a broom stick. I was more than positive that my body was black and blue. All I could do was block my face.

"What. The. Fuck. Did. I. Tell. You?!" With every word came a hit.

"Leslie. LESLIE!" I heard Greg yell.

Mama was pulled off of me and I was more than grateful. My body was pulled up off the floor and Greg carried me to the couch.

"Thank you." I groaned through the pain.

"Shut the hell up!" Mama yelled.

Greg sat next to me on the couch while mama was in a chair on the opposite side, tapping her foot. You could see the steam coming out of her nose like a raging bull. Pissed was an understatement.

"Now, can somebody explain to me why I just had to save my son from almost getting a broken rib?"

"Tell him, Dave! Or are you too hurt to tell him?"

"I-uh-"

"This dumbass had cocaine around my grand baby and he inhaled it! Poor baby was in the hospital for four days for observation! Had CPS call Tanya for her to find out. Why? Because his dumbass wants to run the street as Smoke, the fucking king pin instead of Dave, the grown ass father!"

I looked over at Greg and he had the same look in his eyes as my mama did when I first walked through the door. I closed my eyes and mentally prepared myself for him to take the broom from mama and hit me over the head with it. Nothing happened, though.

"Boooy, you better be lucky that you already one hit away from every bone in your body being broken. What the hell is wrong with you? Cocaine?! Around your children?! What did Tanya say?"

"She was beyond pissed, but she cussed me out in such a calm tone. Up until Dawn opened her big ass mouth."

"Ahhhh, that's the fucking problem." Mama said. "Ever since that little whore came into your life and in between your relationship, you've done nothing but go down hill."

"Ma-"

"David Khamere Jackson, I told you the last time we were at the hospital to get your shit together. Right or wrong?"

"Ma, I-"

"RIGHT OR WRONG?!"

"Right." I mumbled.

"I can't even begin to fathom what possessed you to have drugs just out in the open like that when your kids are there. Your sons are 6 and 11 and a half months. Both of them walk and touch shit that they have no business touching yet you have cocaine just sitting out. Why was it even out?! I'm a lot of things but your mama has been intelligent since birth. That shit should be PACKAGED and if it's not packaged yet, it should be in the damn warehouse."

"I-uh-Dawn-we-she-"

"Speak English, boy!" Greg and Mama said in unison.

Out of nowhere, Greg started chuckling. He shook his head and stood up placing his hands on his hips. Mama and I watched him in confusion. Then, he stopped and his eyes went dark again.

"David."

"Yes, sir." I said.

"You and that fast ass girl using drugs?" He asked.

"No, sir."

"Don't you lie to me, boy." His voiced boomed through the house.

"I'm not using drugs, sir."