They say God works in mysterious ways, I never believed it until right now when my car wouldn't start. I tried to start the car again and all I got was clicking. Now I was even more pissed than I was, I hit my steering wheel and just sat there with Tion.
"Seven listen I know what your thinking right now and I know exactly how you feel, but we have to play this differently now. I mean we have kids and I'll be damn if I let anybody hurt any of them, let's just calm down and think this through because you rushing over there is going to end one of two ways either with you dead or you going to jail. Take a deep breath and let's talk." Tion said, I looked at him and could see the anger in his eyes.
"T' you got a plan don't you?" I asked, Tion didn't say anything but he did smile slightly.
"Seven I've been thinking about what dad said and at first I didn't agree with it, but now the situation has changed maybe just now and until we handle this situation I think you need to send Ala'ven to stay with Alana's parents." Tion said looking me in my eyes and truthfully that hit me harder than anything.
"So you're saying that I should give my son up?" I asked hurt. "So you're telling me that you would send T.J. and Taryn to live with Mireya's parents?"
"Honestly if it meant I could protect them then yes because their safety is more important than my pride." Tion said honestly. "Seven let's go back inside and try to get to know our brother."
"I don't think he likes me. I mean the way he looks at me is like he wants to kill. I don't know what's wrong with that dude it's like I punched his grandma or something." I said laughing.
"I don't know just give the nigga a chance." Tion said.
We walked back inside and everything seemed pretty normal, Amir was talking to Dallas, Zaire, Dalisa, and Zakiya. Tiana was smiling up in Dominic's face he looked at us and looked guilty about something. I was starting to get a headache, everything in my life that could go wrong has so far. I decided to go up to my old room and lay down when I heard something that stopped me in my tracks.
".......... so what month are ya'll having the wedding?" Tiana asked Dominic. I turned and looked at them and neither one of them looked up.
"I don't yet Tyson wants to do it in the summer. I guess so everybody can be there. I know I'm taking him to New Orleans to meet my family during Mardi Gras." Dominic said, I guess they didn't realize I could hear them, I sat there for a second and realized I was actually happy for them. I walked upstairs and into the room with my son who was sound asleep, I walked over and gently picked him up.
"Ala'van you're the best thing that's ever happen to me. My life has been nothing but bad luck until you, and if anything ever happen to you I don't know what I'd do. Maybe your Uncle Tion is right maybe you'd be safer staying with the your grandma and grandpa." I said, Ala'ven moved around in my arms and started to wake up. I knew he wanted to be fed so I grabbed his bottle and kept talking. "You wanna hear the story about your mom?" I asked as if he could answer me.
"Your mom was for a lack of a better word she was crazy. She used to always call me in the middle of the night with some strange craving and me being the good guy that I was would always get it for her. You have her eyes and you get that same goofy look when you're sleepy." I felt the tears start to come as they always did. "She gave me the greatest git ever and I couldn't save her, I failed both of ya'll but I know she loved you and she's smiling down on you right now." Ala'ven had fallen back to sleep and I put him back in his crib, I laid in my bed and closed my eyes thinking maybe..........
The next day Zakiya said she was going to watch all the kids, which I wasn't comfortable about but my dad insisted he wanted to send the day with all of his sons. Great just what I fucking needed a day with the same dude that set me up. Amir really didn't say too much he just kinda sat off to the side and watched us, to be completely honest I wasn't feeling his attitude at all. So when my phone rang it gave me a reason to walk off and do my own thing, I looked and saw that it was Monroe calling.
"What's up?" I said with a smile.
"Nothing much getting ready for swim tryouts." Monroe said seriously. I don't know why but I found that funny. "Don't laugh because I'm going out for the swim team." Monroe said laughing too.
"Nah I'm not laughing at you, it's just I don't think I've ever met anyone that did swimming as a sport. I actually think its kinda cute." I said licking my lips.
"Swimming is the best work out there is, it hits every muscle and you're not sore afterwards, well not as sore as you would be if you went to the gym." Monroe said.
"True but that shyt is tiring I mean swimming laps back and forth, I couldn't do that shyt." I said find a empty seat and sitting in it. "So how have you been?"
"Busy I go to school during the day work at nights and if I have time in between homework and work work, I'll go to the gym. Luckily I'm off the next few days so I can go get ready for these damn tryouts." Monroe said.
"So what kinda work do you do?" I asked, for the longest time Monroe was quit.
"So you know you're the only person that call's me Monroe all my other friends call me Money." Monroe said, I laugh slightly at his weak attempt to change the subject but I was going to let him slide for now.
"Because like you you said your 'friends' call you Money, I'm trying to be more than that." I said before I could stop myself. Monroe was quiet and that gave me enough time to think 'where the hell did that just come from?'
"Seven I......... I'll call you later." Monroe said hanging up before I could said anything else. I didn't know what it was about Monroe that had me doing things I've never done before usually I'd get to know a dude first but with him I just wanted to jump in heads first and damn the consequences.
"What you over here looking like a love sick puppy for?" Dallas said walking over to me and sitting down.
"Fuck you Dally." I said laughing. "Why aren't you over there with our little brother?" I asked seriously.
"Because he has a smart ass mouth and fucked up personality. If I didn't leave I probably would've ended up fighting that little dude." Dallas said seriously.
"How's Tion and Zai' handling it?" I asked.
"That's the thing they actually thinks he's funny. Like I would ask him a question and he'd gie a smart ass remark, Tion and Zaire would start laughing and shyt. But when Tion or Zaire ask him something he goes into great detail with his answer. I think he's purposely trying to piss me off." Dallas said.
"I guess we should try and give him a chance, I mean he is our brother." I said looking at Amir and Tion's interaction. I felt a pang a jealousy watching Tion and Amir but brushed it off. "Let's get over there before they come looking for us." I told Dallas.
"Seven can I talk to you for a second?" My dad asked as soon as we walked over. I figured I play nice. We walked a short distance away and he started talking about exactly what I thought he was going to talk about. "So have you made up your mind about Ala'ven?" I stood there stuck because even though I knew what he was going to ask I still couldn't answer.Yes or No?
