“Why did we have to move away from Dad though? Is it because you got a divorce?”
“Dad has a lot going on right now. He’s not able to work, and neither am I, so we have to live in Grandma Viola’s house for a while. You love Lakeview. I think it’s gonna be fun being able to see your cousins and get outside more. Remember fishing in the pond in her backyard last year?”
“Yeah, but Dad was with us. Dad makes everything fun.”
“So, you’re saying I’m not fun?”
“You’re mom fun. That’s for like going to dinner and the movies and stuff. Dad likes to do fun stuff like climb up on stuff and play basketball.”
“I can shoot hoops.”
“Yeah, but you’re trash though.”
“Oh wow, my own son from my womb that put stretch marks all over my body and still sleeps in the bed with me when there’s a thunderstorm had the nerve to call me trash.”
Not caring to spare my feelings, he shrugged. “You kinda are, Mom.”
“Suit yourself then. Thankfully, your cousins don’t live too far away. You’ll get to play with them as much as you want.”
“Lil’ Harry plays on a team at the rec center down there. Can I play too?”
“We’ll have to talk about that when you correct your behavior. I’m not rewarding you for acting out.”
“I promise I’ll do better.”
“Don’t tell me. Show me, Cameron. I would love to give you anything you want and let you do whatever your heart desires, but you have to work with me, baby. I understand that you are having a hard time, but can I tell you something?”
“What is it?” my son asked, leaning forward in his seat to get closer to me.
“I’m having a hard time too. I want to make this transition as easy as possible for you. It scares me that I don’t know how to reach you sometimes. I know we’re making a lot of changes really quickly, and it’s probably confusing and scary for you. Guess what? It’s confusing and scary for mommy too. I need you to help me by not getting in trouble for doing senseless things like shoplifting. If you’re having some big feelings, talk to me. Even if you’re angry with me, talk to me Cam. Tell me what’s going on. I can take it. I’m counting on you to be the young manI know you can be. I’ll do anything you ask of me as long as you do what you need to do.”
“OK, Mom.” He nodded as he sat back in his seat.
“I’m counting on you, Cameron.”
“I got it. Just watch.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
As much as I hoped and prayed that my son’s behavior would improve, I knew that I needed to look into putting him in therapy. I wasn’t interested in having him medicated; I just knew it was probably a good idea for him to have someone to talk to and vent to that wasn’t family. The divorce wasn’t the only thing plaguing my poor son. Lately, he had more questions for me than I had answers. When the dust settled, I would probably seek the same for myself.
Aside from theobvious effects of moving and having to start over, things were going pretty good in my new place. I loved the peace and tranquility of returning to somewhere that felt like home. It was so nostalgic living in my grandmother’s house that I could barely stand it. I loved being there.
I’d grown up twenty minutes away. The old adage was true. There was no place like home. It was good being close to my mom and brother although I hadn’t seen much of either of them yet.
My mom had gotten married and moved in with her high school sweetheart about four years ago. It was sweet, and I loved to see how happy he made her. Plus, having a man got her off my back.
When I got to town, I hit the ground running. It had been six days. I had been going nonstop for six days. I had little to no time to eat, make sure Cam was fed, had done his homework, and try to get some rest before I was up and at ’em, hitting the ground running again.
I refused to let my mom’s offer to make sure we were good as long as we moved home, to extend further than opening grandma’s house to us. I needed to get some funds coming in as soon as possible. My mom had been more than a godsend when she offered to register Cameron for school as well as drop him off for me every day on her way to work.
There was an after-school STEM program that he was literally begging to get in. I was glad that he’d found something he liked. At the same time, he had already gotten into a fight by his second day at his new school. If it were anything else other than something educational, I would have told his little ass hell no. It was science though.
My hope that finding something constructive to interest himself in would help him channel some of his energy in a positive direction was short lived. Cameron didn’t even give me time to fill out the registration forms and permission slips before he got in trouble in school again.
As I raced down the back roads from Lulaville, I cursed Kendrick and myself with everything in me. Kendrick wasn’t solely to blame for the turmoil in our lives. I’d been too complacent. I should have been diligent about where the money came from and where it went. I trusted him to take care of things. There was no reason for me to think I couldn’t trust him. He was my husband. I was a good wife.
Now my son and I had been uprooted from the life he knew, and I had to leave ten minutes before my third interview this week even started due to Cameron being sent home from school.My car was on two wheels as I barreled onto the street where my son’s school sat.
