Page 16 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Who got you cheesin’ like that?” They demanded, trying to grab my phone, but I was quicker than them.
“Y’all are so nosy,” I said, standing up and grabbing my purse. “That was Dr. Holloway. Samaj is getting discharged today.”
“Today?” Winnie jumped up. “Girl, why didn’t you say that first? You need to get to the hospital! I know he ready to come home.”
“I can drive mysel-” I started to say until Halo cut me off, reminding me of the fact that I no longer had a car.
“With what car?” Halo reminded me. “Telly is in a junkyard somewhere. Come on, I’ll take you.”
Halo and I slid in her car, and I wanted so badly to tell her more about Malik, but I kept it cool, because she’d go running her damn mouth or being extra.
Twenty minutes later, I was walking through the familiar halls of St. Ambrose, my heart doing something stupid in my chest at the thought of seeing Malik again. A whole week of phone calls and text updates, but seeing him face to face? That was going to be different. I wondered if this was his normal way of handling business or if me and my son were special. I smiled at the thought. And Samaj caught it.
“What you smiling about ma? I ain’t seen that smile in maybe forever.”
“This is my normal smile.”
“Nah, hoe that smile is called blushing. Let me find out,” Halo joked, popping Pringles in her mouth.
I was helping Samaj get settled into the wheelchair when I heard the voice that still haunted my nightmares.
“Damn, son. Look at you.”
I froze.
“I know you fucking lying to me,” Halo hollered like she had no damn sense, but she was right. The devil was a liar, and ain’t no way this man had the audacity to show up here talking about ‘son’. I almost swung Samaj’s hospital issued water jug upside his head,but I remained stoic. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my mood shift. We didn’t need him then,and we didn’t need him now.
He looked exactly like I remembered. It seemed nothing had changed. Still tall, still as handsome as the day that he got me pregnant while I was supposed to be studying for exams. But now there was nothing there, nothing that gave me good feelings or vibes. I could’ve gone the rest of my life never seeing him again.
“Dad?” Samaj questioned, sitting up.
“Hey, boy. Heard you got yourself banged up pretty good.” Ashe stepped into the room like he’d been called personally, likehe had any right to be concerned about the son he’d abandoned before his first birthday.
I went back to helping my son get into the wheelchair. I had no time for Ashe. I didn’t want to speak. I didn’t want him even breathing on me. As far as I was concerned, he was dead to me.
“Y’all headed out?” he asked, attempting to help me.
“Yes,weare. We are headed to the home I’ve provided for him for seventeen damn years while you played hide and seek. What are you doing here, Ashe?”
He opened his mouth to say something smart but then closed it. He could tell I wasn’t in the mood, by my clenched fist and annoyed tone. I’d eat his ass up and spit him out if he tried anything with me.
“My son’s in the hospital. No time than the present to get my shit together.”
“Your son?” The words came out sharp enough to cut. “Your son? You haven’t been his father. You don’t get to claim him now.”
“MiMi…”
“Don’t.” My voice was deadly quiet. “Don’t you dare call me that. You lost the right to call me anything other than my name the day you walked out. I honestly don’t want you talking to me at all.”
Samaj was looking between us, confusion and hurt written all over his face. “Ma, it’s okay. I invited him.”
“You what?”
“I texted him when I woke up. Told him about the accident.” Samaj’s voice was small, apologetic. “I thought...I thought he would want to know.”
Ashe stepped closer to the bed, reaching out like he was going to touch Samaj, and I moved without thinking, putting myself between them. I didn’t want him near my son.
“Don’t get your head knocked off in here. I don’t care what he asked you to do. You go through me. Period. The same way you contacted him you could’ve contacted me. I’m not for the games, Ashe.”
