A Lesson Learned

Chapter 19- On My Own

By the time they returned stateside, Darius had plans of digging into Ahmad and having Reenie occupy Taliah with setting up wedding appliances and baby gifts at their apartment. Darius was excited to see Ahmad, more excited than he would have liked but he tried to ignore how much he missed the man. Darius didn't even bother calling he just wanted to surprise him with a good dick down and maybe even go out to breakfast after. But what Darius found was an empty apartment that seemed to be unoccupied for days.

His eyebrows rose in suspicion and instantly went into living room couch for a gun, after searching room to room for any intruder he pulled on his cell phone and called Ahmad.

Ahmad didn't pick up so Darius left a message, "Nigga where the fuck you at, I'm at the apartment call me when you get here and hurry up."

Darius waited another hour before grumpily heading out to see of his neighborhood jumpoffs to fill in the void of his main nigga. As Darius headed to get his nut off, Ahmad ventured off to NJ via a bus from Times Square. He was good spirits about going back home to see his parents, figuring a face to face meeting had to patch up the rift between them. Ahmad had never been away from his parents this long, and knew somewhere inside his parents they missed him dearly. It seemed like the bus arrived at his stop at a recording breaking time as Ahmad got off less than fifteen minutes later.

He took a deep breath and walked up to the front door and rang the bell. He felt like a visitor ringing the bell to his own home when he had a key he used practically his whole life. But he didn't want to seem intrusive, and at the same time, he wanted to see the surprise look on his mother and father's face to see him at their door.

But when Arianna Franklin opened the door and recognized her only son at the door, all she did was frown.

"Hey ma," Ahmad sheepishly greeted.

"What do you want Ahmad?" She rudely responded glaring at him with distaste.

"Mom I came to see you and dad," Ahmad replied feeling hurt.

"Didn't you get the message that your father and I want nothing to do with you any longer?" Arianna asked holding the door as she talked.

"Mommy I'm so sorry I can explain," Ahmad apologized.

"Explain what Ahmad? That you threw your education in the fucking garbage? The nerve of you to show up at my door with an explanation three months later! We sacrificed so much for you and gave you whatever you had a want or need for just so you can throw it in our face and walk away from your future. You threw your father and my hard earned money for your tuition right out the window and for what, what god forsaken reason Ahmad?" Arianna grew livid.

Ahmad became flustered with shame, searching for the right words to tell her. He wished he could just tell her the whole truth, and explain to her how he foolishly sought after love. But instead he stood there and couldn't even look her in the eye.

"Mommy please, I made a huge mistake I want to come home." He pleaded.

"Ahmad this is no longer your home, your stupid ass needs to get your shit together on your own. You're grown enough to make your own choices and decisions and deal with the consequences of your actions. You want to be a man and take care of yourself then do it, but I am not about to accept you back into this household. You are gonna have to learn to be responsible for yourself without me and your father's assistance." Arianna scolded her son not budging from the door.

"Mom where am I suppose to go? I have no money, I'm you're only son. Don't do this!" Ahmad begged holding back tears.

"You lucky I didn't smack the black off of you for showing up at my door. You know what though? I don't care any longer, so many nights I wondered where you were and you never bothered to even pick up the phone and call me to tell me you were alright. No, Ahmad you will not cry or beg your way back into my house! Go back to where you ran to, to whatever friend or silly little girl that let you shack up with them! You're over 18 so I have no legal obligation to provide a home for you and you left on your own, so my advice is find yourself a job and learn to take of yourself, be a MAN, Ahmad." Arianna responded.

"Mommy please let me see daddy, I just want to come back home," Ahmad cried out letting a flow of tears fall down.

"No Ahmad, now please leave," Arianna said reaching to close the door.

Ahmad quickly opened the screen door and tried to squeeze through her.

"Mom let me in; I just want to talk to dad." Ahmad said believing his father was his last hope of restoring his family.

"Ahmad no! Lawrence come get your fucking son!" Arianna pushed him back.

Suddenly Lawrence appeared by her side as if he was an ear shot away the whole time.

"Son I suggest you back away and go about your business," Lawrence Franklin said in his heavy even bravado.

"Daddy, please just talk to me I just want to come back home. I want to go back to school too." Ahmad sobbed.

"You are not coming back into this house, and do you think I would even waste a dime on you at another school?" Lawrence rhetorically asked.

"Daddy this is the only mistake I ever made, I've always listened to whatever you and mom told me to do, I'm so sorry I dropped out. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I promise this little faze is over just give me another chance to make you proud." Ahmad pleaded.

Arianna eyes began to glaze over but she couldn't let her son see her raw emotion, so she quickly returned inside. Lawrence glared at Ahmad with wild eyes and started to get heated.

Ahmad rarely saw his father change emotions, and knew he should back up a few feet, but he wasn't leaving quite yet.

"Ahmad," Lawrence tried to continue at an even tone, "I'll ask you one more time to leave my house."

"Daddy why can't ya'll forgive me? I'm your only son, and your just gonna throw me on the streets?" Ahmad questioned.

"You damn right! After all we went through over your shit! Ahmad you're grown enough to leave and not explain yourself you better be grown enough to deal with the consequences! You have five seconds to get the fuck off my property boy!" Lawrence warned.

"Daddy you can't be serious?" Ahmad asked.

"FIVE," Lawrence started counting.

"Okay I'm out, I guess I no longer have parents huh?" Ahmad questioned stepping back.

"FOUR," Lawrence continued.

"Dad if I leave I'm never coming back you will never hear from me again." Ahmad warned.

"THREE," Lawrence said.

"I guess there's no such thing as unconditional love huh?" Ahmad said before turning and walking towards the street.

"TWO," Lawrence shouted as Ahmad walked off the property.

And as Ahmad walked down the street, Lawrence fought back tears as he watched his son walk out of his life.

"One," he whispered, "I only have one son."

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