The Bastard

Anything can happen! You best believe that shit. But what one should do is never be surprised by what transpires. One is only accountable for their own actions. For anothers'...shiit! Fuck that shit! Yao Ming? And it is still...A Beautiful thang! Oh, yes it is My Dear Sweet Sistahs and Brothahs. Check it out...

The Bastard

“Listen, Niggah. And since the subject came up. Have you really looked at Justin? I mean look at him man. Really look at him?” Chris had said to his brother Rene.

“What do you mean Cee? Of course I look at my child. The fuck that mean anyway man?”

“Can we talk Ren? I mean we been here,” Chris tapped his heart with his left hand index finger, his right hand holding a Camel Light.

“Of course we can talk. We always talk. I hope there isn’t anything that we cannot talk about.” Rene said confusingly, not knowing where the conversation was headed, but wasn’t particularly fond of the course, given the topic of note, his child.

Chris took a long pull on the Camel light, thunked his ash, motioned as if he was cracking his neck on both sides, and with each deep bend either way there were two or three loud pops that sounded off.  Rene shook his head and smiled wondering how Chris was always able to do that, and now that he thought of it, Chris only did it when it was something of concern he had to take care of or speak of.

Chris righted his head and expelled slowly and began talking as the smoke was still trying to make it past his lips, “I’m glad we feel the same way about each other. I wouldn’t even had brought it up, but a Niggah got four years. Four,” Chris held up four fingers to emphasize the number stated, “After four My Brothah, that’s it. It’s eighteen years of a sentence.” Chris stopped and waited to get a response, any response out of Rene, to make sure he had Rene’s full attention from here on out.

“Okay,” Rene said bewilderingly, “Now that you have me totally confused. What the fuck are you talking about Chris?”

“Listen brah. You got until Justin is four to contest any paternal obligation. After that, you can kiss the baby, because you just bought someone else’s. For real!”

“What?” Rene said still confused because now the topic had gotten kind of ugly and he was trying to recover so he could think straight.

“Listen, Ren, everyone in the family has said it. We just cooler with each other than with the rest of our Brothers. I wasn’t going to say anything, I thought after awhile you would see it for yourself, but damn! You got six more months Brah and that child, you can like it or not, by Indiana Law subsequent to four years, no matter who the biological Father is, I know its not you, you will be paying for that little bastard. Straight up, for the next eighteen years and beyond, kid. I’m just telling you. I knew no one else had said anything to you about it. You know how we are? Can’t talk about shit amongst ourselves. I made up my mind I was going to say something to you because damn a deadline is coming, kid. You better recognize,” Chris took another long pull on the Camel Light and watched his brother’s face turn from confused, to understanding what Chris had finally brought into the conversation. He should have known bad news from the cracking of Chris’ neck before this conversation even began.

“Are you suggesting, Justin is not mine?” Rene asked Chris not mad but in an absurd questioning tone.

Chris exhaling a cloud of smoke as he spoke again, “Quite frankly, hell no! Rene, listen, I know you always wanted a boy and all that. I know that. But your wife has had an affair and has fucked around on you. The proof is in the pudding. All you have to do is get a paternity test, divorce the bitch, fuck the child, that mah fuckah ain’t your responsibility, Niggah. Plus, she either still is, or at the very least, has. And fuckin’ anothah motha fuckah without a rubber, while a person’s still married, that ain’t wise if you are a husband cheating, let alone a wife, that is just damn stupid. I’m just saying that because not only can a woman bring home a disease, but somebody else’s, as in your case, offspring. You do what you want Brah and I am going to get off this subject. But you know how I roll brah. You have been my favorite brothah out all twelve of us. I know you Niggah. And I know you deserve better than the shit you will be taking for the next eighteen years if you take on that. Fuck that bitch! The worst thing a woman can do is blame another child on you.”

“Hold up Chris! What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck has happened to us in the last ten minutes man? Is this a joke? Calling my wife a bitch, my child a bastard…”
Rene almost at a loss for words, Chris had never spoken like this toward him, they would cuss at one another like they used to do, the idiosyncratic ways they took into their adult life from the hood, it didn’t mean shit either. But this was personal and he didn’t know what the world had happened? (to be continued...)