With his hands behind his back, he eyed my desk with a look that made me want to go into protective mode.
“Josephine ever tell you she got her bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She even got her doctoral degree. Her pretty ass took courses in various branches of chemistry like organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and biochemistry. She even gained laboratory experience through internships; research was always crucial to her. That was her first love, until I dominated and pushed that shit to second place. While you at school wasting time, she’s in her books still. She has a strong love for it, so I don’t deny her of it. Besides, I’m busy in the streets all the time. As long as she knows when the king comes home, all the extra bullshit has to stop.” He snapped his fingers causing me to jump.
I wanted to tell him that I knew it all. Momma showed me her books, made me study them all. It’s one of the reasons why I was falling in love with chemistry, learning the science of it all thrilled me. Even when Pops taught me how to cook up crack, I made it into a scientific lesson. Because of momma, I was smart and advanced in my studies.
“That’s her lane.” He took a long pull from his blunt. His eyes were bloodshot red.
“Not yours!” His voice elevated.
His free fist swept across my lab desk in a blur. Glass tubes shattered on the ground. All my notes and books that I had been studying crumpled to the ground. I eyed the red liquid that bledinto the carpet. My already ruined volcano was now far from repairable. Angered stiffened me, why would he ruin my lab desk. It took me a month to create those red potions that soaked into the carpet now, with momma.
“No son of mine gonna be held up in this room acting like a fucking scientist. That’s some bitch shit; it’s reserved for your momma!” He barked out.
“You want to beat up on kids that can’t fight? Have your momma worried, calling me when I’m knee deep in counting my mu’fuckin’ moneys!” He snarled with rage burning in his dark eyes.
He stomped over to my bookcase that was packed with books that I studied and loved more than life. Raising his foot, he kicked it in. I watched the wood crack; my books collapsed down to the floor in disarray.
“This weak ass shit ain’t gone save you, Kenric! It’s not gone help you protect the board that I plan on giving you when I’m no longer here. When I die, you continue what the fuck I worked hard for!” His boots stomped on the books; he twisted his foot causing pages to rip from them.
Something inside of me snapped. The buzzing in my head roared louder than ever. My body moved on its own like it did when Larson ruined my volcano. I animalistically launched for him. My fists pounded against his chest as I screamed my hate for him through a sore throat.
“It’s mine! Momma gave it all to me! You can’t ruin my shit!” I cried hitting, kicking, and clawing at him.
I wanted to make him feel how I felt on the inside. I just didn’t understand what was so bad about me beating a boy ass at school. Pops taught me to protect myself always and demand respect from people first.
Pops didn’t bulge; he stood tall letting me wail on him. His jaw was set tight; his eyes blazed with twisted pride.
“You got fight in you,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Very good Kenric, but you ain’t gone waste your strength in power in no fuckin’ lab. You gone use that shit to make mu’fucka’s respect you.” He continued.
Tears blurred my vision. My fists hurt, but I kept swinging; kept screaming until momma burst through the door. Her scream ripped through me…
“Stop! Please, Kenny, and Kenric!” She pleaded.
Her perfume cut through the sour stench of rage in the air. She grabbed me, her arms wrapped around my small waist. She pulled me to her with all the strength inside of her. The slick smile plastered on pop’s face made me thrash and buck against her.
“You hurt my woman doing all of that, and I’ll break something on you, fasho.” He gritted out.
“Baby, stop, please,” Momma’s voice cracked in my ear.
“Respect your dad, and me. Calm yourself down. You’re in control always baby.”
I eyed all the damage as my chest heaved up and down. It was too late for respect right now. I was already gone. My chest heaved, my vision tunneled, it felt like my heart had split in half.
Fuck him! A voice roared loudly in my head. I was consumed with hate; it ate away at my young soul. My hands trembled as I looked at my pops.
“Let him go. He a man now. Let this lil idiot get down where he mad at.” He chuckled dryly.
“My word is law. School is a thing of the past. I’m his teacher, now. All of this bullshit that you pumping into my boy stops today!” He spat out bitterly.
Momma snapped her head toward him with tears welled in her eyes.
“He’s eight years old, Kenny! He’s not your solider out on the streets, he’s your son!” She cried, a low sob left her mouth.
Realization hit me hard, my age…It didn’t feel like I was eight years old at all. I carried the burdens and fears of a grown man. Momma’s words made the air vibrate, and for the first time, I saw Pops pause. Just a small flicker, in seconds his lips curled into a snarl, his voice thundered so loud, I felt them in my chest.
“Yes, he’s my son, Josephine. Mine. I own Kenric.” He clicked his teeth.
