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“Hey, it’s me,” he said.
“Hey, what’s up? I was expecting you about ten minutes ago. Did you make a stop or something?” I asked as I opened the closet door and shoved the vacuum inside the tight space.
“No, well it’s—I’m not able to get the kids. I won’t make it today,” he blurted out, causing me to look upstairs where at least one child had an exorbitant amount of joy about spending time with a man who would so quickly let him down. Eva would be okay with this change in plans, but Kevin would be crushed.
“What do you mean? All Kevin has been talking about is you taking him to this game. Why did you tell him about it, if you were just going to flake out again? What am I supposed to tell him now?” I asked the barrage of questions as tension flared and raged through my body. “Wait, why the hell won’t you be here? And this had better be good!”
“Melody has something she wants me to do with her, and I have to be there for her,” he said with his deep voice cracking a little. “It’s not something the kids can come to, so it won’t work out this weekend. I’m sorry.”
Wow, what a crockpot full of uncooked bull.
“This is the second time you’ve brushed them off on your weekend in the past month. If you can’t get them on your weekends, why don’t you just give up custody so I can plan things for them that won’t leave them hurt and disappointed? Besides, that would free you up to take your young girlfriend to all of her debutante balls and pizza parties that you need to,” I said, fully aware that it was an extremely petty thing to say, but I was tired of both Rodney and Melody toying with my children’s feelings.
“I’m not going to go there with you today, Tameka. I got shit to do,” he said.
“What am I supposed to tell your kids? That you’re sorry that you choose your skanky girlfriend instead of them?” I grated out through clenched teeth as I was trying hard to whisper-talk so Eva and especially Kevin wouldn’t come out of their rooms. But It was hard not to lose all civility with Rodney.
“Tameka, it’s not like that. And stop calling her names.”
“So that’s the only part of this you’re willing to defend? That your whore you left me for, and thankfully so, isn’t a skank? How about you prove it and tell her to be an adult for once and go to her event alone because you have to be there for your children? Tell her that and see what she says. I bet she says something a skank would say.” I felt the urge to toss my phone, but held my composure enough to tell him off.
“Tameka, for once, don’t give me grief. That’s all you do,” his deep voice bellowed through the phone with condemnation. There was a time when the crisp boom of his voice would have me climbing walls, and now the sound was like nails on a chalkboard, severely annoying.
“How am I giving you grief when you’re the one that just called and said you were on your way? Now, the kids are packed, and you call back and say y
ou’re not coming to get them. They’re going to be disappointed, especially Kevin. Did you ever stop and think about him, for once?” I asked, and a slight thumping on the back of my head let me know I had to end this call soon because Rodney was driving up my blood pressure.
“Just tell them I had something come up. You’ll think of something. You always do,” he said nonchalantly before there was a long pause on the line.
I took a deep breath, deciding what I would tell our children about their father being MIA this weekend.
“I’m not covering you this time, Rodney. I’m done doing that for you. Today, you will tell them that you can’t make it because Melody had something come up, and she’s first on your list of priorities. Either you will tell them, or I will.”
“You’re blowing this out of proportion, Tameka. Half the time Eva doesn’t even want to come over here, and you know Kevin will be over it in an hour, but what more should I expect from you than all of this drama?” he asked indignantly. “That’s why I started seeing Melody in the first place if you want to know the truth.”
Good God Almighty, please help me not to lose the last piece of my mind. This man is a true test to everything decent, I prayed silently.
“Rodney, let me tell you what is out of proportion. You call to say you’re “on your way” and to have your children ready for you, only for your girlfriend to decide she has a need that needs to be met, and you forget all about your kids. It’s also out of proportion that your son thinks the world of his father who’s told him he’s going to a baseball game, but he’s not because ‘Melody has something to do!’” I mocked the way his voice trembled when he said Melody had something she wanted him to do with her.
“Just tell the kids I won’t be there, Tameka.”
“No, you tell them! I spend day-in and day-out taking care of our kids, and you barely keep your weekend obligations because of your teenage girlfriend, and now you—”
Rodney blew out a harsh breath and growled, “She’s not a teenager. You know what, I don’t have time for this. I’ll get them next weekend.”
“You’re not about to keep getting their hopes up, so next weekend is out,” I yelled. “Don’t even think about showing up here or I will call the police.”
“Tameka, don’t be stupid,” he said. “I’m sorry being stuck with the kids is messing up your plans for the weekend, but you don’t need to take it out on me for next weekend.”
“First of all, I’m never stuck with our children. They are mine, and I take care of them without anyone telling me to do so. Second, next weekend is not your weekend; this one is so Don’t. Show. Up. Here. Next. Weekend. Period,” I said with finality and disconnected the call feeling angry that I let him get me so upset.
How dare he say I felt stuck with my own children? I never complained about having to be there with our children. My only complaint was them being stuck with a deadbeat dad that I propped up for far too long as my equal as a parent.
I turned to go upstairs to my bedroom, and that’s when I saw Eva standing at the bottom of the stairs looking just as upset as I was.
“He’s not coming, is he?” she asked, her tiny voice cracking a bit.
I shook my head. “No, he’s not.”
