BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  "Look, don't come up in here with no shit now! Ain't you got some nerve? You got a job yet? Hell goddamn naw, too busy got yo'ass waitin' on me! Further more, don't worry about where the hell I get my shit from! You ain't my damn wife! Not yet you ain't!"

  "Ain't you some shit, where the hell you been? You ain't come by the house since that last money you sent, just gone call me - talkin 'bout, I'ah get with you later, maybe, I don't know. Shit, all this time, you better know somethin'!"

  "Excuse the hell out'ah me, I been busy gettin' shot and shit, recouping and er'ythang, do you mind?"

  "Nigga don't act like you was at death's door! Hell, a shot in the arm and side ain't no big deal, you still alive ain't you? Just loss a lil'blood. You still looking good, fine ass." And just like that, she turned on a dime, "You ain't miss me baby?"

  "Like a mo'fuckin' diaper rash!"

  She laughed walking towards him, "You so crazy, you know that? You know I be puttin' up with some shit from you. I ain't come by here to fight, come to check on you, give you a lil'lovin'. You know you want some, don' you?"

  "Hell naw, I'on want shit. Yo'ass here about nothin' but some money, broke ass."

  "Am I your woman or not?"

  "Yeah right, I thank we need to be working that "not" out for a while. Untangle this shit, cause ah - you ain't no benefit to me, no how."

  "Benefit how? I could be a benefit you get your shit straight. I could be here with you; taking care of you."

  "I'on need no woman taking care of me, I can take care of my damn self. Clean my own shit, cook my own food. And hey, if I need to, walk my dog, myself, see what I'm sayin'? Shit, damn straight there."

  "Now you know it ain't the same, now is it? You need to quit actin' all crazy. You don't mean it."

  "I damn sho'do. I'm serious as a goddamn heart attack! Tired of you talking shit, taking advantage; and I can tell you now, an occasional piece of ass ain't worth it, fuckthat!"

  "What done gotten into you all'o'sudden? Why you bein' all mean to me?"

  "Call it what you want. Seein' my life pass before my eyes, shit, when you about to die, makes you take stock of yo'shit. Like me and you for instance - ain't nothin' but some bullshit."

  "Bullshit how?" She asked, growing worried.

  "Do you - in any way, form or fashion, give a shit about me?" He asked.

  "Max, stop trippin'. I love you."

  "Bullshit! You a damn lie! Don't tell me that shit! I laid in the hospital two damn days, which day was you there? Not nam'goddamn one of'em!"

  "I ain't have no way to get there."

  "Another damn lie, yo'ass get around everywhere else you wanna go!"

  "Who was gone keep lil'Kenny?"

  "Shit, you could have brought him with you; I give you more money for his lil young ass than his sorry ass daddy do, Big Kenny, the sorry ass bitch!"

  "Baby you need to calm down, gettin' all upset. Give me a chance to tell my side."

  "What the hell you gone say? What can you possibly say? No you don't! Dry yo' eyes, don't try that crying shit on me, goddamn crocodile tears! And don't be trying that bullshit 'bout being pregnant either, I ain't fallin' for that one either."

  "I wasn't even thinkin' that Max, never even crossed my mind. If I was though, you would be the daddy anyway, because I ain' been with no body but you. That's the truth."

  "Em hm."

  "Baby for real, come on now, don't be mean like that. I know I be talkin' some shit sometimes-..."

  "All the time."

  "Now you know doggone well Max, if I was any other way, yo'ass be bored in no time, wouldn't you?"

  "Hell naw!"

  "Quit lyin' - come on now, let me take care o'you. I need a little attention sometime too. I been missing you so bad."

  "I was gettin' ready to work out."

  "Shoot, I can give you a work out. That what you want? We'ah work up a damn good sweat, shit and you know this. Ain't that right?" She purred, running her hand down his chest and then into his shorts. There wasn't much he could do about his reaction to being stroked. "Ah shit now, look at this, you can't tell me nothin' - dick all hard, look at all this. Yeah, you wanna work out all right."

  His pelvis moved upward, causing his erection to glide up and down in the circle of her palm, "Yo'nasty ass." He panted.

  "Only for you baby. Come on now, let me take care o'this for you. You know you want me to, follow me." She invited, pouting, hand still holding him, leading him towards the bedroom. He followed still talking mess to her, even though he was following her, "I should put yo'ass out'ah here, that's what I should do."

  "Nigga you should be doin' exactly what yo'ass doin', following me into this room. It's been too long, I can't have you going around like this, shit. You know doggone well, I take good care o'my boo. If I didn't love you, would I be here now?"

  "If you didn't love yo'self some money so goddamn much, you wouldn't be here now. You only here to milk my ass."

  "Oh I'm gone milk you all right, but I'on wanna talk about no money, not right now." She murmured, stopping at the bed, pulling her blouse over her head and tossing it aside, then grabbing him to her, opened her mouth over his, kissing him. He pulled back a bit, "You ain't slick."

  "Shit, shows what you know, my ass is throbbing, wet, slick as hell. Quit fightin' with me man, and come on put this on me the way I like it."

  An hour later, they both lay in bed, recovering, playing, Max handling her the way she liked, doing the game of domination, when another knock sounded at his door.

  "What the - ? - now what?" He bounded up from the bed, grabbing his shorts slipping them on as he stood.

  "Don't be long." She purred, laying naked, content, she was back in his good graces again. Besides, as crazy as she could be with him, in her own way, she did love him. Had been faithful to him, wanting no one but him. She wanted them to marry, however, she hadn't clue of how to make it happen. She was what she was and only knew of one way to be. Most certainly, Moniqua suffered from a bit of greed. Making money by going to work made no sense to her if she could get what she needed from a good man. Maxwell as far as she was concerned, was that man. No matter how they argued and sometimes spoke to one another, once they climbed into bed, nothing else mattered. She knew when she was loving him, giving him her all, his shout of pleasure was real. Just as the incredible needs of her body was being sated. Laying there, she decided, it was time to stop messing around. She was going to have to get pregnant, one thing she knew, if he was willing to help her with Lil'Kenny, what would he do for his own.

  Maxwell stood at his front door, "Who is it?" He asked a bit brusquely. Now that she was there with him, in bed and willing, he wouldn't mind a few more sessions of some vigorous sex, and whomever was at his door, was not welcomed in view of that.

  There was some hesitation on part of the visitor, and then, "Your father, I knew that you were off work now and I thought-..." Oscar T. stopped mid sentence as Max snatched the door open, the look on his face one of shock.

  "Hell naw! How the hell? How you find out where I live?"

  "I have my ways. Are you going to invite me in?"

  "No, I'm not. Man what is your fuckin' malfunction? Why you keep fuckin' with me? What the hell I tell you at my job?"

  "This is not the place for this. Stop being rude and disrespectful, invite me in. We can talk inside."

  Maxwell laughed shaking his head incredulously, "Look here, this here, what I fixin'to'do, this rude, watch."

  {{ Slam }} The door right in his face.

  Oscar T. stood there a moment resigned to what it would take. He knocked again. "I can stand out here and knock as long as it's necessary. All I ask, is for a moment of your time. Surely you can spare me that?" He went on, continuing the knocking as he spoke through the door. "I'm your father Maxwell. Ignoring me isn't going to change that fact. Just so you know it, once I grow tired of knocking, I will simply get someone else to take my place. Even so, for the meanwhile, I will continue on, ohhh, I would
say, the next 20 minutes or more? Yeah, who knows, maybe even longer. I'm a pretty competitive sort, I may just stand here and see who can outlast who. I'm like that you see."

  Moniqua came out of the room with the sheet wrapped around herself to see Max leaning back against the door, with an exasperated look on his face.

  "Who in the hell is doing that?" She asked, staring at Max, wondering why he didn't just open it and let the person in.

  "Go back in the room." He ordered.

  "But who is that?"

  "What I say?"

  "You gone open the door?"

  "Get - in - the room."

  In a huff, she turned and made her way back to the room, grabbing her clothing from the floor, and then went quietly into the bathroom to wash-up and dress, her ears stretched the whole time listening for what was going on.

  The knocking continued.

  "Maxwell Franklin - your father - is getting bored with this game now."

  Max snatched the door open, "Your - ass - needs some help, for real man. Why'on you see somebody? Shit you can afford it, the best in the land. In fact, I suggest you get the best - 'cause yo'ass need the best, for real, that ain't no lie, you hear what I'm saying?"

  Moniqua eased open the bathroom door, ear right to the crack, listening to every word.

  "Have you finally given in? Are you letting me in now?"

  "No! I'm not!"

  "Close it back, I'll continue to knock. Next time you open it, mean business."

  "Man you ain't gone be standin' out on my door step doin' this shit, you know this is what is called, goddamn harassment!?"

  "Your mother would be ashamed of your behavior young man, treating your father this way."

  "Man, what I tell you about that?! You ain't my goddamn father!"

  "Deny it all that you want, but you know that I am. My eyes, my features, similar build and even strong hints of my blonde coloring." Oscar T. commented reaching up to touch Max's hair. Max knocked his hand away, "Man don't put your hand on me! I'on play that shit."

  Oscar T. sighed. "Let me in, or close the door."

  "Man get yo'ass in here! Shit! Crazy ass!"

  Smiling Oscar T. walked in with all the arrogant grace of nobility despite being the son of a coal miner. He looked around the apartment and immediately felt himself thrown back to his eventual visit to Bea Rose's apartment so long ago. Their son, seemed to have picked up her style of simplicity. He tilted his head up and sniffed the air, "Ah, so that is why you're dressed as you are, having sex are you?"

  "Yeah, exactly - I do that, you see. Some sex, that's for real what you interrupting, you mind?"

  "I sure hope protected sex." Oscar T. commented.

  "Aye listen up dog, ain't none of your business, right?"

  Ignoring that for the moment, Oscar T. turned in the middle of the living-room to see Bea Rose's picture sitting, centered on the entertainment console. He could not resist walking to it looking at her. Right away, his heart took off on him as he stared at her. He reached picking it up.

  Maxwell walked up to him, took the picture out of his hand and put it back where it had been sitting.

  "Look here dawg, Mr. Wherrington, get to the point. What do you want?"

  Oscar T. felt his chest burning from having her picture taken from him. He was thinking about all the time they'd spent together and he had not one picture of her. He wanted that picture. Tearing his eyes from it, he looked at his son.

  "I want to know you. Spend time with you. You're my son."

  "Look dude, that's your problem, okay? You had years motha'fucka' when you could have showed you gave a damn about me. Years goddammit. Now, 32 years later, you just gone up out of the sky blue, wanna know me? Well know this, I ain't interested. I don't care. What you want now, is your problem - it ain't my problem. Now I'm gonna ask you, for the last time, leave me the hell alone."

  Oscar T. stood staring at him, and then turned back to look at her picture again. The longing in his eyes could not be missed, lost in thought, her murmured, "I loved her. She was so ... good, gentle, smart. You..." He turned back to Maxwell, "...you're all that's left of her ... and ... I."

  Seeing that side of him stunned Maxwell, stunned him so he didn't know what to say.

  Oscar T. went back to the photo, picked it up again. "Please, let me copy this, please?"

  "Naw man, put that back."

  "I only wish a copy of it, I promise to return it."

  "No, you understand the word, no?"

  "I'll pay for it. I'll pay you for a copy, whatever amount you ask."

  Once more, Max stood stunned and out of sorts, thrown off balance by his pathetic request. Suddenly they both heard the bathroom door open and out came Moniqua with a big beaming smile right towards Oscar T.

  "Hi, I'm Moniqua, Max's girlfriend, nice to meet you." She held out her hand to him.

  Oscar T. looked at her and then down at her hand as if she'd just crawled up out of the sewer.

  Trying not to be too insulting, he took the very tips of her fingers and did a half hearted up and down pump of them and then released them right away, putting his hand down by his side, surreptitiously wiping them on his pants. Yes, she was thoroughly insulted - however, money had insulted her, and she could over look that. Maxwell on the other hand was embarrassed and pissed. Mainly at her, because he knew her. Knew why she'd eased out there to introduce herself, she could smell them dead presidents.

  "Can you excuse us please?" He asked Oscar without waiting for an answer. He grabbed Moniqua by the arm and practically dragged her off to the bedroom with her squealing, "What? What I do? wha's wrong with you?" He tossed her into the room, closing the door. "What I tell you? Why the hell you come out there? If I wanted him to know you, you to know him, I'dah introduced you."

  "You ashamed of me or somethin'? Why didn't you call me out and introduce me? That's your father?! You told me you didn't know who your daddy was, he - that man, is your father? Oscar T. Wherrington? Why you been lyin' to me?"

  "You know what, you fuckin' up! I ain't got to tell you shit! Besides, it ain't you, its him! I'on want shit to do with him! I'on want you to have shit to do with him, understand me? Now you got one of two choices, stay in here, or hit them steps. Which is it gone be?"

  She backed up to the bed, sat down, crossed her arms and legs, making her decision clear.

  "Don't come out of here again, less you goin' home." He warned heading back out into the living room.

  Going back before Oscar T. he went right into getting rid of him, "Look man, let's get this over with quickly-..."

  "I want a copy of this picture."

  Max then noticed he had it again, "Mr. Wherrington, you startin' to get on my nerves, for real man." He took the picture from him again, "As for a picture of my mother, naw - you ain't gettin' that. If you don't have one already, tough shit, you ain't gettin' it from me."

  "I'll give you $10,000 dollars for a copy of it. Come on, you can use $10,000 dollars."

  Staring at Oscar T. Max stood straight, squared his shoulders and spoke as he figured most familiar to Oscar T. "My mother - is not for sale! Understand? Money does not buy - everything - can you understand that, sir? Now either you leave, or - I lose patience with you. Which will it be?"

  Oscar T. smiled, "So you are educated? Very well spoken, so the other guy, he's just for the hood I see." He proceeded to nod his head thinking, "Very well, I've worn out my welcome I see."

  "Shit, you did that before you stepped through the door."

  "I'll be back." Oscar T. warned.

  "See you next year." Max went to the door opening it for him to exit.

  "$20,000 for the picture..."

  "Goodbye Mr. Wherrington."

  Not happy, Oscar T. finally strode through door, his mind already on the next plan of attack.

  "Can I come out now?" Moniqua asked smiling.

  "Yeah, he gone. Look I gotta get in the shower, funky as hell." Max mumbled walking towards the bathroom. />
  "Want me to cook you something to eat?" She called waking across the living room, eyes on the picture of Bea Rose.

  "Naw, we'll go out and get something. Pick up Lil'Kenny, he probably hungry. I know yo'ass ain't cooked nothing at home." He called back, stepping into the shower.

  "Okay," She answered distracted, "He'll like that." She added, picking up Bea Rose's picture. "$20,000 dollars huh? You must'ah been one good piece'o'ass. Long dead and gone, and still the man want what he want." She smiled.

  Chapter 233

  The boys had been running around the house and playing as if no emergency had ever taken place earlier. Knowing that the evening was growing late, Crystal and Angela herded them into the bathroom for their baths. The moment Crystal lifted Darren from the bath water, he took off, laughing like the carefree happy child that he was. Naked, wet and hyper wanting to play.

  "Darren! Get your butt back here boy!" Crystal called to him from the upstairs bathroom. She was trying to dry Isaac off when Darren made his escape and sprinted out the door, laughing with his little feet flying down the upstairs hallway for the stairs. Angela was off after him, laughing, calling, "Darren! Get your naked butt back here little boy!"

  He was heading down the stairs, hand on the rail, one step at a time, Angela behind him as he tried going faster but he was headed off by the appearance of Ben who jumped into view with a wicked laugh, growling like a bear at him. Darren stopped, mouth open wide laughing as he was scooped up from the stairs by Ben who lifted him into the air. He wiggled and laughed out of control as Ben made his way back up with him, "You're wet as a jelly fish! Get back up here and in there and get dried off, pajamas on!"

  "NO!" Darren laughed after Ben put him down in the bathroom. He was trying to get back out, but Ben kept blocking him by standing in the door, jumping from one side to the other, keeping him from escaping. His giggling baby laughter was so infectious he had Ben laughing right along with him as he tried to get past his right leg, then the left, and then tried to duck down to get out through the gap between Ben's legs but Ben was ready, no chance.

  "Darren! Get over here, get your jammies on, runnin' round nekkid wit' yo'willy out." Isaac fussed at his little brother.