Page 31 of Terrez and Shalene
“What you know about this?” I asked.
“Girl, you ain’t the only person with old school parents. I may have grown up in the projects, but my momma still played her old school music. I grew up on Blue Magic, The Commodores, and Ready for the World,” he let me know.
When dinner was done, a spread of oxtail, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and cornbread laid in the middle of the table. Ever since I could remember, both of my parents enjoyed cooking. It was very normal to come home from school and see my father in the kitchen after a long day of work instead of my mother. My father’s dad was a Jamaican man who moved to The States as a young adult looking for better opportunities. Diamond Falls was where he met my grandmother Tina. My dad liked to keep the traditional Jamaican dishes going. Even till this day.
Conversation flowed effortlessly between Terrez and my father. They talked like they were old friends and even spent a few minutes alone in my dad’s man cave. I also got more comfortable being back home as time went on. I was able to give Terrez a tour of my old bedroom and even look at a photo album my dad made for my mother. It felt good to see my dad in good spirits and I could tell he’d been looking forward to me being here. Now, it was approaching nine o’clock and we were preparing to leave.
“Let me keep my grandbaby. She hasn’t any time with her pawpaw in weeks,” my dad stated as he picked Amayah up.
“You don’t have to, Dad. I’m sure you’re tired. You know she has an unlimited amount of energy.”
“Shalene, please. You forgetting I raised you. Your butt was the poster child for the Energizer Bunny. She’ll be fine. I’ll take her to that bear store in the mall your mother used to take her to,” he stated, referring to Build-A-Bear Workshop.
“So you’re keeping her until tomorrow night?”
“Come get her Sunday after church. Maybe we can do Sunday dinner if you’re up to it. I’d also like to meet Terrez’s mother sometime soon.”
“We can arrange that. She loves Shalene, so I’m sure she’d like to meet her family as well,” Terrez countered.
My dad wanting to keep Amayah for the weekend was perfect. Terrez and I had plans tonight, so Pat’s mother was going to keep her for me. However, I’d let my dad keep her with no hesitation. When Terrez and I left out the front door, Amayah and my dad waved us off and didn’t go back inside until we pulled away.
“I fuck with your pops. He’s a cool ass dude. He’s not one of those aggressive types of men, but he still let it be known he doesn’t play about you or his granddaughter. Your baby daddy better tread lightly around that man,” Terrez informed me.
“I know. My dad is more of a silent but deadly type. I’ve seen him in action a few times growing up. He’s very good at keeping that side of him contained.”
“True shit.”
“Thank you,” I said lowly.
“For what?”
“For coming over there with me. I wasn’t trying to cry as much as I did but it still hurts. I’m glad I did it though. I truly missed my relationship with my father. But also, thank you forputting the battery in my back to go in the first place. Had you not made me realize things from a different perspective, there’s no telling how long it would’ve taken me to go back home. I feel complete now. Well, as complete as I’ll ever feel.”
“I got you, baby. I told you from day one I got you and the princess. I don’t give a fuck who’s doing what. You and Amayah got someone who’s gonna be there no matter what. Your grief will never burden me. I’ll just love you harder on the days it seems to be too much. You got my word as a man, as your man.”
The rest of the ride was filled with listening to the rappers Terrez kept in heavy rotation. This right here was why I was shocked he knew any old school music. We pulled up to a bar that was in the cut. It was hidden in plain sight with nothing else around.
“This is one of the spots me and my boys like to come and chill.”
“This is where DP hangs out?”
“Not all of us. Most of the niggas do their own shit and go to other places, but this is where me and the men I hang around like to come. It’s still open to the public, but it’s usually more gang members than anything. Just know you’re safe. Every man in here has a minimum of one gun on his hip. So don’t be alarmed.”
Just as I was about to open my car door, Pat called me and said she was having trouble finding the place. After guiding her to us, I saw her car pulling into the parking lot.
“Girl, I’ve been living in Diamond Falls my whole life and never seen this bar back here. Never even heard anyone talk about it,” she said as she walked up to us.
“That’s what I told Terrez. But we were never on this side of town. There’s a lot of things I’m seeing for the first time on the south side of the city,” I admitted.
After introducing Terrez and Pat to one another, the three of us headed inside. The dimly lit bar was filled with smoke in the air and at least six pool tables that were fully occupied. The DJ was playing “Wipe Me Down”,the bass so loud I could feel it in my chest. Looking around, I noticed most of the men were dressed in black and white. Even Terrez.
“What y’all want to drink?”
After getting me and Pat’s drink requests, he went to the bartender and ordered.
“Girl, I forgot to tell you, he has a friend who wants to see you.”
“What? Wanna see me for what?”
