“When we get Islah back,” Amir stated low, “we are gonna have to bring her here.”
I nodded. “The first night home, we will come here.”
We got seated at our table, and I ordered us some drinks while Amir picked the appetizers. Once everything was put in, the waitress was gone. Amir started to show me pictures of photos that people did for him with his mom.
Amir was handling things better than I thought he would, not that I ever wanted this shit to come into his life, but we were living in the middle of other people’s actions.
“Did you know that I am strong so that you don’t have to be?”
That made him stop and look at me for a second.
“What do you mean, Dad?”
Before I could respond, the waitress came back with our drinks. As she sat mine down, I picked it up and took a sip before I responded.
“Meaning that it’s a lot going on in our life right now. You don’t have to be happy all the time if you don’t want to, because I’m damn sure not.”
Amir nodded.
“I have random times when I’m not happy; it’s like my brain is thinking about Islah, then my mom, and having to go to her service. I am a lil’ scared about seeing her one more time. Grandma said she is going to make sure Mom looks pretty.”
I smiled. “I know she is, and you don’t have to worry about being scared. You will be surrounded by family, everybody who loves you.”
“You are going to be there, right?” he asked me.
I paused. I had never been to a funeral of somebody I killed, but I was living in a time when everything I was dealing with was new for me.
“Yes, son, I will be right there beside you.”
He smiled. “Well then, I have nothing to worry about and don’t need to be sad, plus Mom and Islah wouldn’t want that for me.”
I nodded. “You are right, my smart boy, you are so right.”
After a while, our food came. Amir scarfed it down like that nigga was trying to get his weight up. I kept checking my phone, feeling a phone vibrate on me, but it wasn’t my phone. It was Jada’s, and without her face, I couldn’t get into it.
We finished dinner, and Amir asked for another steak to take home. Once that was boxed and handed to us, we walked out with Amir walking a lil’ way ahead of me, giving me time to check Jada’s phone.
Gio had called her five times back-to-back, even sending a message that said to call him.
I had to think.
I slid the phone back in my pocket and unlocked the car.
On the way home, Amir talked, and I thought about that damn phone. I needed it unlocked.
After a short drive, we made it home. Amir was still hyped, and I loved to see it. He opened the door, and before he got fully out of the car, I said.
“Aye, your grandma wanted to know your mom’s code on her phone. They can’t get in it, do you know it?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but don’t get mad, it’s our bday, 1213.”
I nodded with a smirk. That bitch was crazy.
“Thank you, son, I’ll tell her.”
I handed him the keys to the house.
“Give me a second, I need to call Keith. I will be in there in a second.”
