by Dynah Zale
Garrett twisted his head around until he faced Mecca. He walked over and stopped her arm mid-air from painting. “What is this?” He pointed to the shocking color on the walls. “Let me speak to you outside.” Mecca knew Garrett would want an explanation, and she didn’t like to argue in front of the children. She dropped her paintbrush in a nearby pail. They stood just outside the door.
“Pink?” Garrett was fuming. “Pink? You bought pink paint!”
“It’s not pink. It’s fuchsia.” Mecca corrected him, but by the look on his face she knew he wasn’t concerned about the correct color name. “Garrett, I took him to the store and we looked at several different color samples. The boy likes fuchsia. I tried to get him to pick a nice blue or green, but he insisted that fuchsia was his favorite color.” She sighed. “And if that’s what he wanted I wasn’t going to tell him he had to pick another color when I had already said he could choose any color he liked.”
“I would have.”
“I know you would have, that’s why I was glad you weren’t there. Listen, we need to be supportive. If he can live in a fuchsia room then I don’t know why we can’t live with his decision.”
Mecca stepped back towards the door. “Are you still coming in to help us?”
“No, I’m going downstairs to get something to eat and then turn in for the night. I had a long day.”
“Okay, we shouldn’t be much longer.” Mecca went back into the room.
“Where’s daddy?” Imani was always very inquisitive. “This morning he told me he was going to help?” Blair was also curious why his father wasn’t joining them.
“Your dad is tired. He’s not going to be able to help us, but there is no reason why we can’t finish this up ourselves.”
Blair looked down at the ground. He wondered what the real reason was behind Garrett’s absence.
Mecca hoped he didn’t hear them talking. What she wanted most was for Blair to feel like he was part of the family.
Chapter 29
One week later, Garrett slipped on his brown loafers in a hurry to finish dressing. He was running late. In fact the entire Dunn household was off to a slow start that morning. Mecca slept through her alarm, Imani refused to get out of bed and Blair rushed to get ready for his first day at his new school.
Joye Anne scheduled Garrett for a host of meetings that day. Fully prepared to start his day, Garrett ran out of his bedroom. His first task for the day was to drop Blair off at school.
On his way to the stairs he bypassed the bathroom; his eyes did a double take. He stopped and stepped back.
Blair stood in front of the bathroom mirror with an aerosol can of hair spray two inches away from his hair. He pressed down shooting fumes into the air. He choked a bit and stepped back to avoid any more contact.
“Boy, what are you doing?” Garrett had never used such a sharp tone with Blair before.
“Oh, hey dad.” Blair was so excited about going back to school that he didn’t notice his father’s disapproving face. “I’m trying to spike my hair.”
“Is that some kind of new hair style the fellas are wearing?”
“Sort of; not many kids wear their hair like this but I saw it on a music video.” Blair smiled at himself in the mirror with approval before plastering gel to the sides of his hair.
“Blair, don’t be long.” Garrett said. “I don’t want you to be late.”
“Okay, dad.”
Garrett hustled down to the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee and sidled up close to Mecca as she pulled strips of bacon out of the frying pan.
“No.” Mecca knew exactly what Garrett wanted before he even spoke a word.
“Come on Mecca, you know I’m running late this morning.”
“Garrett, I’m sorry, but you’re gonna have to take Blair to school like you promised. I have to run Imani to the bakery. I promised her teacher I would bring in cupcakes for her class. I still have to dress and feed ‘Lil Garrett; not to mention the speech I have to give for the Ladies Auxiliary later this afternoon. I’m still not sure what these women want me to say.” Mecca was running around the kitchen and talking so fast that she was out of breathe.
Garrett rubbed her back, “Okay. I’ll drop him off.” Garrett could see that his selfishness was taking a toll on her. She did everything he asked of her; took care of the kids, gave speeches, even took in his son. Sometimes he neglected to realize how much of a burden it was being a councilman’s wife.
She looked around behind Garrett. “Where’s Blair? His breakfast is almost ready.” She went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice.
In a cynical manner Garrett replied. “He’s upstairs, spraying his hair with hair spray.”
“Oh! That’s why he asked if he could borrow my hair spray.” Mecca pulled drinking glasses out of the cabinet and placed them on the table.
“Do you think it’s normal for an ten year old boy to use hair spray?” Garrett couldn’t shake this nagging feeling over what he saw upstairs. “I mean, when I was a kid, the only guys I know who put that kind of stuff in their hair were sissies.”
“You’re over reacting.” Mecca poured herself a cup of coffee. “Boys experiment, and he’s at that age where his appearance matters. He wants to look good to the girls.”
“I understand, but doesn’t he want to look good to the girls; not look LIKE a girl.”
“Garrett.” Mecca said in a chastising voice, as if she were talking to one of the children. “If Blair’s behavior is really bothering you then perhaps you should consider spending a bit more time with your son, instead of putting in long hours at the office.” Now Garrett heard an edge to Mecca’s voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Garrett was caught off guard by Mecca’s words.
“The children and I are used to you being gone half the time, but this is all new to Blair.” She waved her arms around her. “It’s unfair for him to have an absentee father living with him.”
“Mecca, I have to campaign.”
“I realize that!” The conversation had now turned into a shouting match.
“What do you want me to do?” Garrett was furious.
Mecca shoved a flyer towards him. “In a few weeks the church is having a men’s shut-in. I think you should go.” Garrett opened his mouth to protest, but Mecca stopped him. “And take Blair with you.”
Garrett didn’t like being pressured into doing something, but in his heart he knew that Mecca was right. Since Blair came to live with them, he had barely seen the boy. He really hadn’t gotten a chance to get to know Blair the way he wanted to.
“Blair.” Mecca spotted him watching them from the kitchen entrance. “Come sit down and have breakfast.”
“Sorry.” Garrett grabbed Blair’s book bag. “We don’t have time.” Garrett held the door opened for Blair to walk through. “I’ll run through the McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast.”
They hurried out the house and once they were in the car, Garrett found himself at a loss for words. While waiting for the line of cars to move through the drive-thru, Garrett cleared his throat to break the silence. “So Blair…” Nervous, Garrett played with the radio dial. For some reason he couldn’t explain why he felt uncomfortable around his kid. Garrett glanced at Blair’s hair and figured his feelings could have something to do with his spiked hair do. Besides the hair Garrett thought the new glasses they had bought Blair looked nice on him. “Do you listen to rap music?”
“Not Really.” He replied. “Christiana Aguilera is my favorite singer.”
“I don’t think I’m familiar with any of her music.”
“I have her CD.” Blair dug down in his book bag. “Can we play it?”
“Sure.”
Blair slid the disc in. Then the six speakers pumped out the voice of a powerful diva. Garrett watched Blair snap his fingers, tap his foot and sing every word off the first track.
“Did you like it?” Blair asked his dad.
“Yeah!” G
arrett lied. “She sounds great.” Relieved, they had finally made it to the school. Garrett pulled his car into the student drop off area. “All right son you have a good day.”
“Okay!” Blair jumped out the car and ran into the building.
Blair found his classroom in no time. He sat at the first empty seat he saw. Then his teacher entered.
“Hey Blair.”
“Hey Uncle Richard! Oops.” Blair placed his hand over his mouth knowing he wasn’t supposed to address Richard as uncle at school. “I mean, Mr. Weaver.”
Richard laughed at his mistake. “Did your dad drop you off this morning?”
“Yes sir.”
Richard took books out his travel bag and placed them on his desk, “So have you and your dad had a chance to catch a game at Campbell’s field yet to see the Camden Sharks baseball team?”
“No, not yet.”
“I know he’s told you about all the crazy things we did when we were your age.”
“Nope.”
Richard walked around closer to Blair, “Well, what has he done with you?” Richard was now curious.
“I haven’t seen too much of my dad. He brought me to school this morning, but usually I spend all my time with Imani, Mecca and the baby.”
“Oh! Well, you know your dad is a busy man.” Richard made excuses for his friend. “I’m sure he’s going to take you out soon.” Richard plastered an artificial smile on his face.
In response to the sixty-second warning bell, students poured into the classroom. After Richard introduced Blair as a new transfer student, he wasted no time starting the day’s lesson. The first exercise he passed out required that each student pair up with a partner. The students gladly got up and choose their closest friend or buddy. Blair was the only student left without a partner. No one asked to work with him. The sadness from being ostracized was obvious in Blair’s eyes; one that Richard could sympathize with. It’s hard being the new kid in school.
“Blair, why don’t you go sit with Dontayé?” Blair remembered that kid from the rec center. He went over to sit next to him.
Dontayé was the proclaimed fifth grade bully. At five foot two inches in height he was the shortest kid in the class and the one with the biggest mouth. Every student in the class gave Dontayé the utmost respect, not because he was a bully, but because he was the only thirteen year old in their fifth grade class.
“Look at his hair.” Dontayé shouted out. “He’s a weirdo.” The entire class laughed at Blair.
“All right everybody settle down.” Richard tried to focus the attention off of Blair, but it was too late. It looked like his feelings were hurt.
The day passed by slowly. The final bell rang alerting students that their day was finished; kids raced out of their classrooms, but Blair took his time leaving.
“Hey Blair, if you can wait a few minutes, I can give you a ride home.” Richard said.
“That’s all right.” Blair lifted his book bag over his shoulder. “My dad is coming to pick me up.”
“Okay! Well, tell your dad I’ll call him later.”
“Okay.” Blair walked out the door.
Forty-five minutes later Richard strolled through the teachers’ parking lot going to his car when he noticed Blair sitting on the curb.
“Your dad hasn’t shown up yet?” Richard shouted to Blair from across the parking lot.
Blair nodded his head no. Richard didn’t try to make up any more excuses for Garrett. “Why don’t you come to swim practice with me and afterwards I’ll take you home. I’ll give your dad a call and leave a message on his cell phone.”
Blair agreed.
Since Blair insisted he didn’t want to be a part of the swim team, Richard suggested he take on the role of team assistant. He figured an extracurricular activity would help Blair to make friends more easily.
“What exactly does an assistant do?” Blair was curious.
“Your job would be to make sure all the boys had fresh clean towels and you could help me track their swim time on the computer so I can see who’s the best and who needs help. Would you like that?”
“Sure.”
After practice Blair was picking up used towels and throwing them in the laundry bin when Dontayé yelled out to him, “Hey man, why don’t you come swim with us?”
“I can’t swim.” Blair’s response caused all the kids to laugh at him.
“I don’t know why he can’t swim.” Another kid tried to embarrass him. “He’s as big as a whale.”
Dontayé joined in, “With all that blubber he would probably sink to the bottom of the pool.” All the kids laughed at their jokes.
“You.” Richard pointed to Dontayé and his friend. “In my office now!” Richard slammed his office door behind them. Richard would not tolerate any more name-calling or insults. Since K’mar’s accident, Richard vowed to put a stop to all teasing.
Chapter 30
Over the course of several weeks, Blair settled in nicely with his new family. A daily routine of chatting with Mecca over tea in the mornings, singing duets with Imani in the afternoon and reading ‘Lil Garrett nursery rhymes at night helped Blair feel comfortable in his new surroundings. However, the only person missing was his father.
By talking with Blair, Richard got the feeling that Garrett’s absence hurt Blair much more then he realized. Scared that the void left by Garrett could cause irreparable damage Richard tried to spend a lot of his free time with Blair. They attended baseball games together, rented videos and went fishing.
The sun had set on another typical day in the Dunn household. After dinner, the family gathered around the television watching re-runs of The Cosby Show. Mecca sat on the couch holding the baby while Imani and Blair camped out on the floor.
“Did I miss dinner?” To everyone’s surprise Garrett was home, early.
“Daddy.” Imani squealed, leapt into her father’s arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Mecca smiled and the baby squealed with excitement at his father’s presence. The only lethargic reaction he received was from Blair. Garrett understood why Blair acted the way he did, but hopefully after tonight they would get closer.
“Yes, I’m home and I was hoping that Blair would accompany me to the Men’s shut-in at the church this evening?” Garrett felt good at the way his son’s face lit up.
“I’ll go with you daddy,” Imani said.
“No honey.” Mecca interceded. “This is for the guys only. You and I will do something together; just you and I.” Imani pouted.
“So, would you like to go with me?” Garrett asked again.
“I sure would.” Blair’s eyes beamed with joy.
“Well go change your clothes.” Blair raced up the stairs. “I’ll be waiting for you right here,” Garrett said.
It wasn’t long before Garrett and Blair entered the church sanctuary together.
“WOW!” Blair spun around in awe at the magnificent church. It was so big and the ceilings were so high. “I wonder if this is what heaven is like.”
“I’m sure heaven is much nicer.” Garrett steered Blair in the direction of Reverend Tomlin, but before they could reach him Garrett was tapped on the shoulder by Detective Hart.
“Can I speak with you alone?”
Hesitant, Garrett looked around suspiciously. “Blair, I’ll be right back.” Then they stepped into a private corner to talk.
“Raquel appeared in court today. You should have seen her pleading with the judge to let her go.” The detective chuckled. “She went berserk when she heard the list of charges against her; yelling and screaming. She even bit an officer on the hand. It took three cops to restrain her.”
“That sounds like something Raquel would do.” Garrett watched Blair talk with Reverend Tomlin across the room.
“Then instantly,” The detective snapped his fingers. “All her anger vanished and what was left was an innocent, quiet woman who humbled herself and politely asked the court to release her so she could take
care of her orphaned nephew.” He laughed to himself. “The judge saw right through her act and denied bail.”
“So how much time is she looking at?”
“The public defender said she could get at least fifteen years and she won’t be eligible for parole for the next seven years.”
“Great.” Garrett walked away, but knowing Raquel’s fate didn’t put him at ease the way he thought it would.
***
“I assume by the solemn look on your face that you were displeased with the news delivered by the detective?” Kiel asked.
“It didn’t bring me as much satisfaction as I thought it would.” Garrett admitted. “In fact I was having second thoughts about what we did to Raquel.” Garrett turned to God. “You have to believe that in my heart I wanted to absolve Raquel of the charges against her.”
“Then why didn’t you?” God questioned.
“I…I…I don’t know why.”
God slammed His fist against the golden arm of his royal chair. “Thy shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’” Garrett knew he was in trouble. “The ninth commandment I decreed to all of earth and you cannot explain to me why you stood by and allowed this woman to pay the penalty for a crime she did not commit.”
Garrett was quiet, but in his mind he argued that Raquel brought this on herself. Startled, he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard his voice expressing his thoughts over the airways of heaven, “Raquel had it coming for the way she treated my son and me. She blackmailed me and left my son home alone while she did drugs. God should be praising me for getting people like Raquel off the streets.”
Garrett was red from embarrassment.
“I warned you. You can’t hide anything from God. Even your innermost thoughts are exposed.” Kiel said.
“Do you feel I misjudged you and your treatment of that young lady?” God was serious.