The Ex-Con

Chapter 15: Where Were You When I Needed You!!

Friday January 4th, 2008

7:30am

Tahime

I stared outside of my bedroom window at the neighborhood, just thinking to myself about everything that's been happening in my life. I'm still trying to figure out why Angelo was at my doorstep and at the same time i'm wondering what kind of trouble he could have gotten into. The early morning sun rose as all of those thoughts were on my mind.

"What's on your mind young'n?" Reggie asked as he was walking by.

"A lot Reggie, A lot."

"Well let me tell you something young'n, when it's a lot weighing on you it's always good to go and address the source of the problem." He told me.

"Yeah, you're right about that reggie and that's what i plan on doing, it's just i got to figure out how to approach that situation in the first place, i don't want to say or do anything to make the situation worse you know?"

"Yeah that's true and i agree with you on that."

"Yeah, so what i'm going to do is head over to my sister's house and address the situation." I told him. I got myself together and I headed down to Cherise & Derrick's place over on South Lowe street & West 73rd street.

I got there around 8:20am and when I did I knocked.

"Who is it?"

"It's Tahime." I said, as I heard a sigh come over the voice on the other side of the door. Next thing i know the door opened up. "Hey Angelo can we talk?"

"No, the last thing i want to do is talk to you." He told me.

"That's still your dad Angelo." Cherise said, coming up behind him.

"But auntie...."

"But Auntie nothing, go talk to your dad." She said as she pointed to the living room.

"But..." Next thing I see is Derrick smacking Angelo in the back of the head.

"You heard your aunt Angelo, go sit down and talk to your pops." He said, then he turned to me. "Hey Tahime, you doing okay?"

"I'm doing as okay as I can be. Thanks y'all." I said as I walked in and went to the living room, Angelo slowly followed and sat across from me in the recliner. "Son, we need to talk, let me start."

"No, let me start. I don't need you, i haven't needed you for the past 18 years or so and i don't need you now!"

"Then why did you show up to my porch the other day huh? Why did you show up looking the way you did? You need my help son, you know you do, i want to be in your life."

"You wasn't in my life for 18 years!"

"That's bullshit! Cherise and Derrick always came to visit and they brought you, you stopped coming when you was 14, I've always wanted to be part of your life, look i was young, i was stupid, i got involved in some shit when i was young, if i could go back in time and change it i would, i'd do things over again, i'd do things the right way, i'd be in your life son, i mean that. But look, this is where we are now, so we have to build the foundation from here, from the ground up, we can't change the past, but we can work towards a better future, not only for me but for you." I told him.

"Damn you!! Damn you for coming back into my life!" He yelled as he got up. "I wish you could have stayed gone. I wish you could have stayed out of my life. Why couldn't you... WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU!!" He dropped to his knees sobbing. (Whispering) "Where were you..."

I got up and walked over to him and got down on one knee and sighed. "I'm sorry i wasn't in your life then. I regret every single day I wasn't there for you...but we can work towards building a relationship." I told him. "Trust me." I said as he looked up at me. "Trust me."

As we hugged I heard a phone, I looked at him and got off of me, he went into his pocket and answered the phone.

"Hello?" I seen him talking, I couldn't make out the voice on the other end of the phone. "Alright, yes sir, I'll be there in a second." He said. "I'm just taking care of some things at home. Alright sir I understand." He said as he got off the phone. "Hey I'm sorry but I have to go."

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Nothing, just something I need to take care of." He said.

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yeah I'm sure, look I got to go." He said as he got himself together and headed out the door.

"Wait where are you going?" Cherise asked him as he left. She walked over to me. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, he got a phone call and the next thing I know he needed to go, I couldn't make out who he was talking to but he kept calling the guy in the other end of the line sir." I told her.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." She said.

"Me either but all we can do is wait and see what happens sis." I said.

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11:30am

Roderick

I've had a lot on my mind over the past 24 hours. I'm back at my house just thinking about things. Things are just going through my mind, i ain't gay, i ain't a fag, i can't be, that's not in my blood, i'm a G, i'm a O.G. I ain't no punk!! As I laid back on my couch I looked at my phone as it rang.

"Who the hell could be??" I said as I looked on my phone and I saw it was Darius/Rook. I debated whether i should answer or not and against my better judgement i did.

"Yo what's up?"

"Not much, just checking in on you, seeing what's going on, and what you're up to?"

"Not much, why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out again today?"

"Oh no, i have some business to take care of."

"Really and what type of business could that be?"

"Nigga what you think?" I said, as I laughed a little bit.

"Roderick, when are you going to get away from Maurice's grip man? You know how smart and passionate you are bro? You have a bright future ahead of you if you use your head man."

"You're funny you know that Darius, real funny."

"I'm not trying to be, i'm being serious man..."

"I know but i'm comfortable here."

"See that's the thing, it's like you're not trying to listen to reason, that's going to end up being your downfall you know that right? After everything that happened with me i left the game, hell i left Chicago, i want the best for you." He told me. "But then again if you won't listen to me then who will you listen to you know? That don't mean i love you any less. Anyway i got to get ready to head to work, I just wanted to call and check on you before i did." He told me. "I love you dude, later." He said as he hung up.

"Fuck!!" I yelled as i hit my fist against the wall beside me.

I sighed and got up and went to the bathroom and then came back, I heard the phone ringing and speak of the devil, it was Maurice.

"Hey Maurice what's up?" I said as I answered the phone.

"I need you to make a run for me. Be here in 20 minutes, and i mean 20 minutes on the dot." He said as he hung up the phone.

"Awww shit!! Here we go again." I said as i got my keys and hopped in the car and headed to his place. I got there about 15 minutes later and I knocked on his door. One of his guards opened the door.

"Aww Roderick welcome, Maurice has been expecting you. Right this way." He said as he guided me down the hallway to Maurice's office.

"Hey you're just in time." He told me. "Look i need you to make a run, and while you're at it, i need you to show my new employee the ropes." He told me. "Now this guy, now this is like family to me, Angelo come here." He told him, I looked at the guy like I had seen him somewhere before, he looked familiar. "Angelo this is one of my top employees, Roderick. Roderick, this is Angelo, treat him as if he was a family member of yours, and keep him safe." He said as he smiled.

End Of Chapter 15