Hear Me Sin

Chapter Eleven

"Are you and French thinking of children?" Kendra asked, it was her way of asking about her son without trying to be too direct. She didn't want to seem like she personally cared about his life that much, but she was still a mother so she did.

"French said no, he doesn't want any." Uki said, her attention now on the large yellow plastic bowl that contained a bunch of fruits. She used her index finger to play around with the bowl.

"No?" Kendra asked with furrowed eyebrows, pausing her cleaning session as she stood upright with the mop in her hand. The house smelled of strong Pine-Sol. 

"He said it'll be too painful. He doesn't wanna a constant reminder of me."

Kendra frowned, she found that odd. Usually in situations like this the other person would make sure they would want something important from that person. "And how do you feel about that?"

Uki wasn't offended, she understood it wasn't anything to do with her. He just wasn't strong enough to look into the face of someone he would have to see for the rest of his life. If anything she was worried about how French would take her death. She hoped his life wouldn't spiral out of control. That was what she was more worried about these days. Not her death, but how he would be after the fact.

"I don't know...but I understand his reasonings." She said, glancing back at her mother in law who looked at her sadly before going back to moping. 

French's father wasn't in his life, he was the type that had a hundred different kids everywhere. He was known for getting females pregnant left and right and being nowhere to be found. He knew who his father was but could count the number of times he saw him on one hand. Kendra was a single mother when it came to French and raised him on her own from birth with no help.

"How are you and your little brother lately?"

Emon came around more but it still wasn't consistent. It was much better than before, they hung out once or twice every few months or had conversations on the phone for hours at a time the once in a while they got into contact, but other than that he was still young, being up and down the place.

"He's doing better, still running around trying to find himself I guess. But we speak and hang out when he remembers me." Uki joked. 

Kendra was about to say something funny but jumped, startled by Uki's sudden violent coughing. She looked over at her, seeing her tapping her chest as she coughed uncontrollably. She ran over there and pat her back, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. Once she calmed down Kendra got her a glass of water. She sighed, placing it in front of her. Uki picked it up and drank from it as silence filled the kitchen. Kendra stared at her daughter in law pitifully. Uki instantly placed her head back on the table once she had drank some of the water.

"Ma...before I go I want you to promise me something."

"Child stop talking like that," Kendra said, she herself knew death was approaching but she didn't want to deal with it either.

"Repair your relationship with French, you guys need each other."

Kendra closed her eyes for a split second before opening them again. It was a soar subject for her. "Uki—"

"I know Kendra, but he's still your son. Let God deal with him, we all have too answer to the man above some day. But you be there for him, please. For me..."

Kendra bit her bottom lip and looked away; not saying anything. 

For the rest of the day the two bonded, Uki eventually moved from the kitchen and to the couch where they watched talk shows, listening to the latest celebrity gossip or watched movies. She had spent six hours at the house when French pulled up. He called Uki's phone, never getting out the car when he came in front of Kendra's house.