Page 35 of Quasim: King Inferno

“Please,” I heard him whisper behind me as I watched his mother continue to scratch her arms.

“Why you sending him to his uncle, Thea?”

“I’m going to get clean for my boy… got to do right by him. I want you to be proud of me, Quasim… be that mother that you always speak of me being.”

I ain’t never spoke on her being any kind of mother because once shit started to slip, I noticed the kind of mother that shewas. Thea always thought I was going to give her a lecture about getting clean and being better, and that wasn’t my ministry. I wasn’t about to tell a junkie a damn thing except to get the fuck away from me.

“Where you going to get clean?”

“Um, some treatment center in Mexico. Eli, you’re only gonna go for the summer… you’ll be back here when school starts.”

“Then let him stay with me.” I suggested.

“Oh, no… I couldn’t ask that of you, Sim. I know you’re busy and have a lot going on.”

I plucked her in the mouth again, and she bounced back and tossed her arms up. “You don’t know what the fuck I got going on because last I remember; I don’t speak to you about my shit. I told you that I will keep him for the summer, so go and get clean.”

Thea was shipping her son away because Leon was probably complaining, and she couldn’t get high and do what she wanted if she had to keep an eye on him. Her ass wasn’t going to get clean, and she damn sure wasn’t sending him to some uncle.

She stood there debating as if she gave a fuck. “Quasim, I appreciate this. I know my boy looks up to you and I need to get clean.”

“Elijah, go to the guest room,” I told him, and he let go of my pajama pants and rushed off to the guest room.

I probably should have told him that before I plucked his mother in the mouth. Thea tried to look behind me, and I stood in her view. “You not going to get clean, so why you playing with me?”

She let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t have to lie or pretend to get clean. “He’s so much... always got some questionsand asking me to stop being sick. This is my life, man. I’ve tried to get clean and it’s hard. I want what’s best for him, so a friend of mine in Phoenix offered to take him.”

“A fucking friend?”

“You a fucking friend and you’re offering.”

“One that would kill for that boy… including you.” I smiled, and she looked at me like I was a demon. “I’ve been taking care of him while all you been doing is getting high. You think shipping him off to some random ass friend’s house in another state is smart.”

“Um, yeah.”

I shook my head. “I’m keeping him for the summer, Thea. Don’t think I’m doing you a favor because I’m not. Consider me doing myself a favor because I know you’ll do something with him that will have me killing you.”

She swallowed hard and looked at me with misty eyes. “I love my boy, Quasim.”

“Yeah, and you love that shit, too… probably more than him.”

She continued to hug herself while she stared up at me. “Can I bring him some clothes and things over to make him comfortable.”

I laughed and slammed the door in her face. What the fuck could she bring over that would make him comfortable. The only time he was comfortable was when he was under my roof. I witnessed him take that sigh of relief as his shoulders relaxed and he was able to be innocent.

Elijah peeked from around the corner, and I waved for him to come toward me. “I bet not ever see you touch drugs in your life. Your mother is sick and it’s because of drugs…hear me?”

He nodded his head. “Yes, Sim.”

I kneeled down and looked him in the eyes. “I haven’t done this in a long ass time, so we gonna help each other this summer… all I ask is that you’re honest with me, Elijah. Tell mewhen something is wrong. Remember how I said I would always help you and come after you?”

He nodded his head slowly. “Yes.”

“How can I do that when you’re not honest with me… don’t make sense, right?” I smiled and held my hand out.

He ignored my hand and hugged me tightly. “Thank you.”

The emotions filled into my chest as I hugged him, knowing that I was saving this boy. Something that I couldn’t do for my own daughter. “You never have to thank me… we gonna get haircuts today and then I need to stop by my tattoo shop for a second.”

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