Mama's Boy

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  “Thank you so much, Kay. I’m glad you invited me,” Gloria said, walking up.

  “Thank you for coming. I know this has been hard on both of us.”

  “I’m just glad to have my son home.”

  Jamal was home. Or his new home, rather, in Houston. With a little help from Kay, Gloria had gotten an apartment for her and Jamal and they were all trying to help him through this ordeal.

  She’d wanted him here tonight, but he refused to come.

  At first Kay was sad about that, but she hoped that in time, they’d have a breakthrough. Kay had broken her bond with her son and would stop at nothing until she got it back.

  Epilogue

  * * *

  * * *

  Regret was a powerful thing, and as he watched the streamers fall from the ceiling, the massive crowd cheering in delight and Kay Christiansen poised to deliver her acceptance speech, Elton Jones was filled with regret.

  Once upon a time, he was a very bad boy. His wife knew about Kayla. She didn’t know about the others. There were only a handful of them, but Elton felt the pain in his heart as he thought about what he took from them. He had tried so hard to live a righteous life. But something about the nectar of a young girl had turned him on. It wasn’t as perverted as it seemed now, because he was in his early thirties the first time it happened. And that girl—Patrice, a promiscuous sixteen-year-old neighbor—had pursued him. She’d flaunted her tight little body around him, told him that in “the old days,” women her age were already married, toyed with him, touched him, until he finally gave in.

  A slow pain filled his heart as he recalled how that became his justification for the next girl. Elton didn’t even remember her name, but she’d cried silent tears as he forced himself on her. She, too, initially wanted it and then right in the middle of the act changed her mind, but he couldn’t stop. Patrice had opened an appetite he didn’t know existed. The next girl had been a church member. She was sixteen also but had the body of a twenty-five-year-old. He’d justified that one by saying he wasn’t that much older than her. The way she’d cried, and gone from a sweet church girl to a rebellious teen, Elton had sworn he wouldn’t do it again.

  Then the devil led him to Kayla in that closet. He had no intention of doing anything other than chastising her, until her innocence seemed to call out for him. He’d decided to dance with the devil, not even wondering whether the other two girls would call for help, especially since . . .

  Elton’s thoughts trailed off as he heard a noise outside, then what sounded like a cat screeching. He stood and looked out the window. It was pitch black, but he saw the Parkers’ old cat scurrying across his yard.

  Elton closed the blinds and made his way back to his recliner. Kayla was still on the TV. She was giving a speech now. But he had no idea what she was saying. Her words wouldn’t register. When he saw her, how she’d excelled in spite of what he’d done, he thanked God for deliverance. Hers and his.

  When Kayla had turned up pregnant, Elton had taken that as a sign from God. He had accepted his son as his punishment for his sin and had prayed feverently for forgiveness. He had fasted. He had cleansed himself. And he had been delivered from the demon that caused him to hurt those girls.

  He did have an occasional desire, but when it came, he locked himself in his office with his Bible and prayed until it went away.

  And Gloria had never known.

  His wife had been right about one thing, God had forgiven him, but he had not forgiven himself. He was angry for what he’d done and had taken that anger and resentment out on his son. He hadn’t meant to, but he had.

  “. . . I’d like to thank my family,” Kayla said, causing Elton to turn his attention back to the TV. She was at the podium, smiling and looking happy. “My wonderful husband.” Phillip stepped up and hugged her. “And my children, Leslie, Ryan . . .” Then she turned directly to the camera and added, “And Jamal.”

  That brought a lump to Elton’s throat. Jamal wasn’t onstage and if Elton knew his son, it would take some time before he accepted Kayla. But Elton was just glad that his son was getting a second chance, even if that chance was without him.

  Maybe one day he could make amends with Jamal, maybe even Gloria. He’d written Jamal a letter, telling him how sorry he was for everything, begging for his forgiveness. He’d asked Gloria to give him the letter and she promised that she had but Elton had yet to hear back from his son.

  Gloria, on the other hand, did still call to check on him. The first time she did it, he had a glimmer of hope. But he had soon discovered that her calls were simply her nurturing nature, checking on his well-being. The love she had for him was gone. He could feel it every time they spoke. And for him, that was the ultimate price he paid for the sins he’d committed.

  Elton was just about to turn off the television when his doorbell rang. He looked out the peephole and didn’t recognize the young lady standing there. She was a brown-skinned girl, with a hat covering her wavy, shoulder-length hair. She was incredibly thin and for a moment, Elton wondered if she was a drug addict begging for food.

  She saw him through the peephole, waved, and smiled. “Hello. I’m your new neighbor from down the street. I was wondering if I could use your phone?”

  He frowned. It was late for folks to be knocking on other folks’ doors, but then he let her in. Jasper seldom got new residents.

  “I’m sorry. They haven’t installed my phone yet and I need to call a friend and give her directions,” the woman said.

  “Oh, okay. Well, I’m Elton Jones. Reverend Elton Jones,” he said, stepping aside. “Come on in. The phone is in the living room.”

  “Thank you.”

  He directed her to the phone; she picked it up, dialed a number, then mumbled off directions to their street.

  “So you moved into the Pearsons’ house? I didn’t even realize it had been leased. The sign was still up there today,” Elton asked after she’d hung up.

  She nodded. “Just trying to get settled in.” She shifted again. “May I trouble you for some water?”

  “Sure,” he said, making his way out of the room. “What brings you to Jasper?” he asked from the kitchen. “This isn’t exactly a thriving metropolis.” He laughed as he handed her a bottled water. He gave her a hard stare. “Are you sure you’re new around here?” he said. “You look familiar.”

  “Yep, this is my first time in Jasper.” She unscrewed the cap, then took a sip of the water.

  “Well, what brings you here?”

  “Business,” she said.

  “Oh, okay. What kind of business you in?”

  “Score settling.” She finally seemed to relax as she set the water down on the table by the front door. It wasn’t lost on Elton that she hadn’t bothered to use a coaster.

  “Score settling?” he asked, sliding a coaster under her bottle. “Never heard of that. By the way, I didn’t get your name.”

  The woman took a deep breath, then slid her hand into her jacket pocket.

  “You gon’ tell me your name?” he asked again.

  The woman didn’t say a word as she slowly slid her hand out of her pocket.

  Elton’s eyes bucked at the .32-caliber pistol pointed at him.

  “My name is Maxine,” she said, “Maxine Lewis.”

  Elton took a step back. “Wh-what are you doing?”

  “I told you, settling the score.” She stepped closer to him. “Do you even know who I am?”

  Elton was so scared he couldn’t reply. Of course he knew. He hadn’t seen her in years, but he knew. He just couldn’t believe he hadn’t known when he opened the front door.

  She let out a maniacal laugh. “Oh, I see by the look on your face, you remember. Do you also remember how I cried when you raped me? I felt worthless. I didn’t know how to bounce back. I told my mother and she blamed me, called me a who
re, because she had her eyes on you. Do you know what that does to a child? Not only did you rape me, but my mother blamed me for you two not being together. So it messed our relationship up. How crazy is that?” She released another pained laugh.

  Was a twenty-year-old deed really about to come back and haunt him?

  “You . . . you seemed fine,” he found himself stammering.

  “Fine?” she screeched, jabbing the gun in his direction. “You call getting on drugs, drifting from one worthless job to another, one no-good man to another, fine? The only reason I didn’t get pregnant as a teen was because I refused to let another man touch me!”

  “Look, I’m sorry,” Elton said, eyeing her strong hold on the gun.

  “Sorry?” she cried. She had started sweating and it was making Elton nervous. “I know you are sorry!”

  “No, I’m sorry I hurt you.” He stepped toward her. “But you don’t want to do this.”

  She jabbed the gun again. “Back! Get back! I knew what you were going to do to Kayla that day you caught us smoking. I even asked her when she came running out of there in tears, but she acted like I was crazy. Everyone acted like I was crazy!” She took a deep breath, like she was trying to calm herself. “You know, I used to dream of ways of getting revenge on you. I’d given up until I ran into Kayla in a restaurant. Then I read the newspaper. The whole story about your son and my old friend Kayla, and then you became my mission. And now I’m here.”

  “Wh-what do you want from me?” Elton stammered. “I told you I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want your tired-ass apology. I want revenge,” she snapped.

  “Maxine, God has—”

  “Shut up!” she screamed, putting her other hand on the gun. “Don’t you dare talk to me about God. What kind of God lets you be His spokesperson?” She raised the gun and pointed it at his chest.

  “A forgiving one,” he said.

  The gun trembled in her hands as she said, “Then I hope He forgives me, too.” And then she fired one fatal shot.

  GALLERY READERS GROUP GUIDE

  Introduction

  When a news station runs a video of a black teenager shooting a white police officer in Jasper, Texas, Gloria Jones instantly recognizes the face of her son, Jamal—and fears for his life. As a hotbed of racial tension tracing back to the 1990s, Jasper is far from a safe haven for accused killers, and Gloria knows the dead police officer’s family and colleagues will be out for blood.

  Poised and determined Houston prosecutor and mayoral candidate Kay Christiansen jumps at the chance to put Jamal behind bars but discovers that a dark part of her past has resurfaced, potentially jeopardizing the case, the election, and even her marriage. In Mama’s Boy, ReShonda Tate Billingsley shows us yet again how morally ambiguous a high-stakes situation can be—and how an individual’s resolve can pave the way to redemption.

  Discussion Questions

  1. In chapter one of Mama’s Boy, the author introduces us to one of the main characters, Gloria. How would you characterize the relationship she has with her husband, Elton? How is her view toward her son’s predicament different from Elton’s?

  2. Why does Kay feel so confident that her son would never be in “the wrong place at the wrong time”? How has her life up until this point influenced her outlook on crimes among young men?

  3. Do you think Elton was right to turn his son in? Was he thinking about justice, trying to protect himself, or trying to protect his son?

  4. Kay and her husband, Phillip, have a seemingly perfect marriage and household. What were your initial impressions of Kay’s family? What do you think it’s like to have the same job as your spouse?

  5. How much of an influence do parents have over their children? What kind of things were outside of Kay’s and Gloria’s control in Mama’s Boy?

  6. How would you have acted if you had been in Kay’s position after Elton raped her? How do you think a situation like that should have been handled by the adults in Kay’s life?

  7. Do you think Kay’s allegations against Elton would have been taken more seriously if he had not been a pastor? Why do you think Maxine’s and Kay’s families treated them the way they did?

  8. Do you think Elton deserves forgiveness from his victims or from his family? Why or why not? Do you think he deserves forgiveness from God?

  9. Do you think Camille was justified in placing blame on Kay and Ryan for her own son’s choices?

  10. We eventually learn the complicated reasons why Pastor Jones heavily resents his son, Jamal. Would he have been more forgiving of Jamal’s act of self-defense if he himself had never committed a crime?

  11. Is there any crime or act you consider unforgiveable? If so, what is it, and why?

  12. In the epilogue, we see Maxine carrying out her own version of justice against Pastor Jones. Do you think it’s ever acceptable to carry out vigilante justice against a person who never paid for his or her crimes? Why or why not?

  13. In what ways does Mama’s Boy explore the nuances of morality—­religious, legal, political, and personal? What happens when people interpret everything in terms that are black and white, and absolute?

  Enhance Your Book Club

  1. Through the power of social media, racially motivated violence has been brought to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. With your book club, select a recent police shooting of a black person that’s occurred within the last five years and analyze it. What legalities existed that allowed or did not allow the police officer to shoot? How did social media impact the way the case was handled? Do you think there’s ever a justification for shooting someone who’s unarmed?

  2. Have you ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Take turns describing an incident where misfortune led you down a certain path. How would your life be different if it hadn’t happened?

  3. Have each book club member share a plan to reduce juvenile crime rates within their city as if they were mayoral candidates. Make sure they address socioeconomic and racial disparities within the community. Vote for your book club “mayor” based on the best plan.

  4. Visit the author’s website, http://www.reshondatatebillingsley.com, and select another Billingsley book for your reading group. Compare and contrast characters and themes with those in Mama’s Boy.

  About the Author

  © Rochelle Scott

  RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY’s #1 national bestselling novels include Let the Church Say Amen, I Know I’ve Been Changed, and Say Amen, Again, winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. Visit ReShondaTateBillingsley.com, meet the author on Facebook at ReShondaTateBillingsley, or follow her on Twitter @Reshondat.

  FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: authors.simonandschuster.com/ReShonda-Tate-Billingsley

  MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT

  SimonandSchuster.com

  Also by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  What’s Done in the Dark

  Fortune & Fame (with Victoria Christopher Murray)

  A Family Affair

  Friends & Foes (with Victoria Christopher Murray)

  The Secret She Kept

  Sinners & Saints (with Victoria Christopher Murray)

  Say Amen, Again

  A Good Man Is Hard to Find

  Holly Rollers

  The Devil Is a Lie

  Can I Get a Witness?

  The Pastor’s Wife

  Everybody Say Amen

  I Know I’ve Been Changed

  Let the Church Say Amen

  My Brother’s Keeper

  Have a Little Faith (with Jacquelin Thomas, J. D. Mason, and Sandra Kitt)

  And check out ReShonda’s Young Adult titles

  Drama Queens

  Caught Up in the Drama

  Friends ’Til the End

  Fair-Weather
Friends

  Getting Even

  With Friends Like These

  Blessings in Disguise

  Nothing but Drama

  We hope you enjoyed reading this Gallery Books eBook.

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  Gallery Books

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people,

  or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

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  First Gallery Books trade paperback edition July 2015

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