Page 21 of Taming a Menace
“I hear you.”
“I pray that you find the same thing one day.”
“Naw, man. You can have that. Kannon told me you were whipped, but he didn’t say you were delusional too.”
“I’m sure he figured you knew that part already.”
“True. Well let me get home and whip up some breakfast. This might be my last good breakfast for a while.”
“Well shit, after I let the groomers in and check on the pits, I’ll slide through. I’m hungry as hell.”
“Bet.”
I got out of bed bright and early whistling a song that I couldn’t get out of my head as I made my mom breakfast. Knowing that my freedom was hanging in the balance took my appetite. I was too nervous to eat.
“Look at my handsome baby up cooking breakfast,” my mom sang as she walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Ma.”
“You’re up early. You must not have had to work late last night.” She observed.
“No, ma’am. I had a dinner party to cook for.” I filled her in.
“Oh, that’s good. So you’re building your client list back up?”
“I’m getting the word out slowly,” I assured her.
“When we go to church Sunday, I’ll have them make an announcement that you’re back in business.”
“I wasn’t planning on going to church Sunday, Ma,” I contested.
“The Lord don’t ask you for but one day out of the week. You think you survived in them folks’ prison all that time because you’re such a bad ass? There are a lot of bad asses six feet underground right now. The power of my prayers brought you back home to me safe.”
“I don’t deny that, Ma. I appreciate every single one you said for me. All I said was I hadn’t planned on going to church. It’s my only day off. I wanted to sleep in.”
“You won’t have to pull them late shifts too much longer now. That’s why I want to get the word out that your business is back up and running. You know there are a lot of people that will need someone to cook for their weddings and events that come to church.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You don’t have to come to both services. Just come with me at eleven thirty. You’ll be back home by one. They need to see your handsome face.”
“I’ll be there, Ma,” I vowed.
“Good, ’cause I can’t drag neither one of your heathen brothers with me for shit.”
“Do them church folks know you still curse like a sailor?” I asked, laughing when she threw a dish towel at me.
“The Lord knows my heart, boy. Anyway that’s why I keep going back so I can repent and grow.”
“That ain’t what I asked you, lady.”
“Yes the hell they do know I curse. I will curse one of their asses out in the name of the Lord if they get wrong. Don’t mess with me early in the morning, boy.”
“You know I gotta make up for lost time,” I teased.
“Well you’re on a roll this morning. Lord knows I missed your aggravating self,” my mom said, moving closer to wrap her arms around me.
I kissed the top of her head, putting the spatula down so that I could hug her back. Hugs from my mom always felt therapeutic. She sacrificed so much for me and my brothers when she was left alone to raise us. I would never get tired of showing my appreciation.
