Page 10 of Off the Charts
“Your mother is grown son. She can handle her own battles!” he responded sharply. That made me jog the rest of the length of the stairs but before I could say anything, he placed Zion on his feet. “I’m sorry son. I’m just?—”
“Disappointed, I know.” Zion’s head dropped.
Solomon lowered himself into a squat, placing his hands on Zy’s shoulders. “Shocked, not disappointed. How about you go get a popsicle from the man cave while I talk to your mom?”
Solomon had yet to break the ice to Zion and while I knew Victor was in the house, my rule still stood. He was not to be around our son until he was honest with him about their relationship. The man cave was right downstairs after entering the home, so he wouldn’t be interacting with him at all, or at least I hoped not. Zy looked at me and I offered him another nod.
“We won’t be long, baby. You go downstairs and come right back out. You hear me?” He nodded, before stepping into the house.
“This type of shit wasn’t happening when he was staying under my roof. What niggas have you had around my son?” Solomon hissed as soon as the door closed.
“I’an come here for that. I came here to talk about our coparenting. Our son was being bullied.”
“Bullied?” He looked at me in disgust. “And you knew this and decided to tell me today?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhaled. “I found out today. Zion has been so quiet about everything and apparently, this has been going on for some time now, even when we were together. He’s at an age where he needs men in his life. He’s only nine with a mentality of a 14-year-old. What you and I have going on has nothing to do with our child. Zion needs us both, Solomon.”
He scoffed. “I give you five thousand in child support every two weeks. Is that not enough? What else do you need? Huh?”
All the nice shit went out the window. “Nigga, you think I give a fuck about your funky ass ten thousand a month? That shit goes to his college fund that you no longer contribute to, and the rest sits in my savings. I’on need shit from you, but Zion does. You are missing the point,” I stressed. He continued to look at me unfazed as if he had better shit to do. “You so caught up in your own bullshit that you don’t see the bigger picture. He needs his dad! He needs for you to be more present in his life! A lot of things I’ve been stepping up for in your place, but as his mother, there’s only so much I can do. The other day, he asked me what blue balls was, and I had no way to describe that shit. I called you. No answer. I came up with the dumbest, most kid like response and that wasn’t enough. He still questioned me. So maybe, just maybe, if you’ll get off your knees long enough, you’ll see that you are needed. You were once a great father. I know he is still in there somewhere.”
Solomon’s nose flared so hard it looked like it would separate. “I’m a good fucking father, Jersei! You know that.”
“You were,” I emphasized. “But your priorities have changed. If it doesn’t have anything to do with that man, you don’t care. Zy has become a task for you, but parenting is a full-time job even when they’re an adult. You have thrown in the towel early. You haven’t seen your son in what… over three weeks and one of the first things you do is yell at him in a time where he needs you, you pushed him away.”
He released a breath. “It’s not intentional.”
“That’s not an excuse, Solomon. I’on get to wake up and choose when I wanna be a mother. It comes with it. I shouldn’t have to beg you. It should be you who is explaining to him how the world views men whose skin is darker than sand. It should be you teaching him the importance of being a black man and how strong y’all really are. Yes, I affirm him every single day and night, but it hits different coming from a man who was once his age.”
He held his hands up. “I don’t want to hear all that Black Lives Matter shit right now. Is there anything else you want?”
“Wow.” I took a step back in utter disgust. Times like this, I wish I had a hitman to beat his ass until he was cripple for a few weeks. “Mutha’fuckas like you don’t realize that the cupcake phase only lasts for a little while. The same people who have been in your life will be the same ones who remain after your lover walks away. By then, if it’s too late for you to be in Zy’s life, then that’s on you. I won’t do any extra convincing to our son when he says fuck you. Step up, Solomon. Be the man he needs you to be even though you want to switch roles right now.”
“I’m where I want to be and I don’t think you like that, Jersei. Victor and I are good, and we always will be. My son and I have a good relationship. He understands.”
Solomon’s mind was made up and there was nothing I could do to change it. Continuing this conversation would do nothing but piss me off more, so I decided to wrap it up.
“Okay, Solomon,” I peered around him waiting for Zy to open the door.
“Hopefully one day, you’ll have a taste of the happiness I do,” he pressed.
I fanned my hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah. Nigga fuck all that. You’re so blinded by bitterness that shouldn’t even exist. Just don’t try to drop your nuts when you see another nigga doing what you won’t.”
Solomon stepped forward. “Another nigga?”
I smirked. Although my roster was crystal clear, it humored me that he’d moved on and expected me to stay stagnant. “Yes, another one. Actually, I may have lost my touch, so if I need some throat refreshing lessons, I’ma call you.”
Solomon’s mouth fell open but before he could respond, the front door squeaked open, and Zion appeared with a popsicle in hand.
Solomon ruffled his curls as he stepped past him. “Hey son. What you think about playing the game later today?”
Zion looked at him then shrugged. “That’s cool, I guess.”
“Cool, then maybe we can go to the park later this week.”
“I have school, but that’s fine,” he looked up at me. “Mom, can we go now?”
A look of defeat settled on Solomon’s face. I didn’t think what I’d just told him would boomerang so fast, but I was glad it did. Solomon felt that he was untouchable in a lot of things, him and our son’s relationship being one of them.
