29
Brenda put food in Beyonce’s bowl. Beyonce was Persian—the outline of her face a dusty brown color that matched the color of her tail, while the rest of her body was white. She stood in full cat stance with her fluffy tail waving in the air, waiting for Brenda to move away so she could take advantage of the food and milk that had been set out for her. Brenda stooped down and rubbed Beyonce’s back. The friendly purr came on cue.
“What’s up, Mom?” Trevor asked, dashing into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of juice. He got a tumbler and poured juice until the glass was filled.
“What’s up with you, Trevor? Looks like you’re in a hurry.”
“Yeah, I’m going to Central’s game. Going to watch Asia and Nikki cheer.”
“You mean Afrika?”
“Nikki, Afrika, all the same person.”
The mention of Nikki’s name made Mimi’s reveal rush back to her. She wasn’t sure how she felt now that she knew that Nikki… Afrika, was Victor’s child as well as that of her best friend. She wanted to accept the situation as Mimi presented it, but the reality of it all made it a bitter pill to swallow. She jumped when the phone rang.
Brenda snatched the phone off the hook before Trevor was able to get it. She looked at the phone as if it was a foreign object and brought it slowly to her ear, sure it was Victor on the other end getting to offer up a string of lies as to why he didn’t come home. She sighed and then answered.
“Hello.”
“Mrs. Bailey?” said the gentleman on the other end.
“Yes, it is. May I ask who’s calling?”
“Yes, this is Sgt. Lewis from the Durham Police Department. We’ve apprehended a suspect in your hit and run…a twenty-year-old man without a driver’s license. We have witnesses that put him at the scene, and he’s confessed. I know that you are recovering, and we’ll drop by sometime this week and give you all the particulars for filing your insurance claim. We’re glad to have him off of the street.”
“Thank you for the good news,” Brenda said. “Thank you again for calling.”
“You’re welcome,” Sgt. Lewis said and hung up the phone.
Brenda put the phone down and stared off into space.
“Earth to Mother,” Trevor hollered.
“I was far away. Good news, though. They found the person in my hit-and-run accident.”
“That’s good news, Mom. Where is Dad?”
“I don’t know,” Brenda said matter-of-factly. “He didn’t come home last night.”
Trevor frowned. “He’s still up to his same old stuff.”
“What are you talking about, Trevor?”
“Mom, I’m not blind. Please. Everyone knows that your husband ain’t a saint.”
“Enough. He’s also your father.”
“Whatever. Don’t take up for him, Ma. He’s a snake in the grass. I didn’t ask to be his son, but I am. I hear what people say about him, and for sure, I see how he treats you when he doesn’t think anyone is looking. Please. I thought you would’ve dumped his ass a long time ago.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Mom, you’ve got to stop covering for him. It’s his dirt; let him climb out of the mud all by himself.”
“How long have you felt like this, Trevor? You’ve never said anything. You know that you can talk to me anytime.”
“I know, Mom, but what’s the use? Look, you want to hang out with me? I was going to hang out with a friend of mine from school, but I can hook up with him later.”
“You mean that, Trevor? You don’t mind being seen with your mother?”
“Mom, you’ve still got it going on. You look better than some of those twenty-year-olds.”
Brenda grinned. “So I’m still fine, baby?”
“Mom, you’re all that and a big bag of chips.”
“Okay, let me get my coat. I’m looking forward to hanging out with my son.”
“Great.” Trevor poured himself another glass of juice and held it in midair when he heard the door that led into the garage open.
“Trevor, what’s up, man? Where are you on your way to? Your mother here?”
“You’ve got a lot of questions for somebody who didn’t make it home last night.”
“And you better watch your mouth, boy, or you won’t be able to talk out of it. Who do you think you are, to talk to me like that? Ain’t none of your business where I’ve been, you got that?”
“Trevor…” Brenda began but stopped short when she saw Victor.
“Where’s everyone going?” Victor asked again.
“Trevor and I are going to Central’s football game.”
“Well, have fun.” Victor smirked, giving Trevor a beefy glance. “And Trevor, when you come home, I have some chores I need done.”
Trevor sneered. “I’ve already done my chores.”
“Good, but I have some other things I need you to do. Make sure you come home right after the game.”
“What’s up with you, Victor?” Brenda asked. “No one has seen you since yesterday morning, and now you come home trying to tell everybody what to do.”
“I’m talking to Trevor, Brenda. A father and his son. Telling my son to do a little work doesn’t have anything to do with you. Taking out the garbage and cleaning his room isn’t going to make him a man.”
Brenda pushed her hand in Victor’s face. “And I guess staying out all night without making a phone call to let me know that you were all right makes you a man? You need to take a bath because you reek of that ho you’ve been with. Come on, Trevor.”
Trevor moved past Victor and followed Brenda into the garage. Victor’s gaze burned into Brenda’s back.
“Your momma won’t be there to take up for you next time,” Victor said to the air. “No kid of mine is going to disrespect me.”
Hearing the car pull out of the garage, Victor pulled the gun from his coat pocket and laid it on the kitchen counter with a thud. Beyonce jumped, nearly spilling the remnants of her milk on the floor. Victor traced the pistol with his finger, picked it up, and held it in his hand. He held a pose, holding the gun to the side with his arm outstretched like he had seen on one of the gangster movies he had taken to watching.
“Pow, pow, pow,” Victor said out loud. “You didn’t listen to me, Mimi, and now you’ve got to pay the cost. My threats didn’t mean much, but this gun sitting upside your temple is going to do the talking. Don’t make me use it, bitch.”
Victor put the gun back into his pocket and went to his room.