Page 91 of Heart Of A Goon II

“You were just telling Granny that you were going to move back home and get clean. We don’t need to live like this, Ma,” I pleaded with her to understand.

I had grown tired of the broken promises she made to me. All she did was come through on everything she promised my father.

“Is that so?” He looked at her, as he patted his pocket.

She held onto the wall tighter, as she looked at his pockets. “No, baby… I didn’t say that. My mom wants me to move back, but I told her no.”

Her mouth was salivating at what he had in his pocket. “You leaving me, Inez? Thought we were a family?”

“We…we are family, Ry.” She was literally shaking in front of me in her clothes from days ago, and that stench that seemed to follow her everywhere.

“No the fuck we are not. You keeping her high so she doesn’t leave you is not a fucking family!” I roared.

“I keep you high, Nez?”

“No, baby… never.”

She would have told him that he looked like Jesus, if he asked her.

“Nah, I think you believe that Inez… I could leave. Don’t need to be here,” he threatened. Something that he always did whenever he was losing control.

“Then leave,” I called his bluff, no longer caring about him being here. He needed to leave, and we would be better off without him. We always were better off when he wasn’t around.

Life was better when he was gone. She was better. The first few days were always rough, but I was there to help. Eventually she turned it around and we were good.

Ken would help us with bills until she got on her feet. I missed mom being bright eyed and bushy tailed. Making pancakes in the morning, although they were gross. She could never make them like Granny.

“No, baby, don’t listen to him… stay here,” Mom begged him, as he stood with a satisfied grin on his face.

He was happy that she was pleading with him, needing him, and wanting him to stay. “Put him out, Inez.”

She choked down her words and looked at me through misty eyes. “He’s our baby.”

“That little nigga is your baby. He been walking around here sizing me up like he pays bills. Ever since y’all moved into this bitch with me. Always bragging about what your fuck ass cousins could do. Who taking care of yo bitch ass now?”

“Not you, bitch.”

“Ramelle, stop!” My mother raised her voice, which she never really did. Her voice was always so soft and low.

“Fuck him, Ma… we don’t need him.”

“I need him, Ramelle… shut the fuck up!” she screamed, as my father looked on with satisfaction.

He was glad that she was choosing him over me. Since I had been born, she had chosen me over him, and I could tell it made him resent me. I forced her to tap into the good that I knew was still inside of her, while he would rather her wither away because he wasn’t shit.

“You need me. Your fucking son! You don’t need this nigga!” Emotion entered my voice as I stared at her.

How could she be considering putting me out? I was her own flesh and blood and had been through everything with her. We grew up together, and she was considering putting me out for him.

“Baby, you need to stay with Granny for a while… we need to fix this family,” she spoke, as she reached out to my father.

He kissed her lips, as she held onto him. “You need that medicine, baby… gonna make you feel real go⁠—”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore and punched him in the mouth. It sent my mother falling backwards on the couch and left him standing there holding his face. Blood poured from his mouth, as I stood ready for anything. Since I had been old enough to walk, Goo had taught me how to handle mine. He said there wasn’t nothing worse than a man who couldn’t hold his own.

My father nodded his head. As if he had been waiting his entire life for this moment. The moment to beat his son like he had stolen something. In his mind, I had.

Her.