My shoulders rose as my chest caved in. “So, it’s true? Is he my father?”
Ma sucked her teeth. “That man ain’t your daddy. James is your daddy.”
I closed my eyes to the thought of my daddy. With my eyes still closed, I spoke. “Yes, James Bulb is my daddy and will always be my father. What I want to know is whether James Bulb is my biological father, or is this man Travis my father?”
Solomon’s hand was on my thigh. The beat of my heart caused pain in my chest.I can’t believe this.
With my eyes still closed, Athena’s voice rang out. “Yes, Travis is your biological father, and I am your real mother.”
It felt like I took my first breath since I asked the question. I felt the tears fall as my eyes opened. “What the hell? Why would you lie? How do I not know who my real father is?”
Athena’s tears cascaded down her cheeks. Brenda, since she wasn’t my mother, sat there with an attitude. I wasn’t sure why the fuck she had an attitude like someone had done this erroneous thing to her. No one said anything. “Don’t everyone talk at fuckin’ once!”
The server came back to the table. Solomon raised his hand. “Please bring out the shrimp, meatball, and wing appetizers for the table. That is all for now.”
Brenda sucked her teeth. Her eyes tightened as she glared at my man. “I was ready to order.”
Pastor Troy placed his hand over hers. “Darling, now is not the time. It is more important to straighten out the mess that was caused within this family. One that I am honestly surprised to hear about.”
My hand went to my chest. “Not BB keeping something from her precious side nigga turned husband. Would you look at that.”
She pointed her finger at me. “Look, lil girl, you do not call me BB. You don’t have that privilege. I am?—”
“You are who? My grandmother, because based on what Athena just said, you are not my mother.” My body turned toward Athena. “So, what happened? You took me from my father?”
Her head lowered with a nod. “Yes, I did, but it wasn’t my idea. My mother didn’t want to be embarrassed and kicked out of the church, so she made me. I wanted to leave you with your father, but she said that she would call the police on him and get him locked up for selling drugs.”
“What could a drug dealer do for a child? Please!” Brenda blurted. “Don’t put this on me because you were hot in the behind.”
Pastor Troy leaned forward on the table. “I’m sorry to interrupt here. Gorjess, first of all, I am sorry that this happened to you. I also want to apologize for my part in the affair that you acknowledged earlier. Before your father passed, we had a conversation and made peace.”
Brenda’s head snapped in his direction. “What do you mean you had a conversation with James? When did that happen?”
He glanced at her. “That does not concern you, BB. You don’t honestly think that I would have married you if I hadn’t had a conversation with him? BB, we had an affair.” He waved his hand. “None of that matters. I want to understand how it came about that Gorjess thought that you and James were her parents.”
“That is a good question, Pastor Terry. Also, I respect your apology to my baby. You didn’t have to do that,” Solomon said.
Athena was more ready to give answers than Brenda was. It must have been a weight off her chest or something. “When we moved from Charlotte to Macon, my mother thought it was best to start new. My father didn’t really want me to take you, but if I had to blame him for anything, it was for being weak.”
I listened to Athena, my mother, talk about the arrangement that her, her mother, and father had. I was at a loss for words. When I found my words, I had one question. “So, you kidnapped me from my father?”
“You were never his to kidnap. That drug dealer and my whore daughter lived to embarrass me. When I told James, all he had to say was let kids be kids. He actually wanted to get to know the hoodlum,” BB said with a snicker and head shake. “You got one thing right, Athena. Your father was a weak man.”
All I could do was shake my head. I looked at Solomon. “I want to leave.”
He leaned in and kissed my lips. Just as he pulled back, the waitress came with the food that he ordered. Solomon reached in his pocket and took out a wad of money, flaked off some bills, then handed it to the waitress. “This should handle the bill for these items. Anything outside of this is on the others at the table, as we are leaving.”
Pastor Terry cleared his throat. “Son, you don’t have to do that. I have the bill.”
“No, the least he can do is pay the bill. They asked us to come here,” BB said with high audacity and a death wish.
Her husband’s head turned slowly in her direction. The look that he gave her was not a very loving one. “Brenda, at this point, it is best that you choose silence. Your voice and words have not worked for you tonight.”
I stood after Solomon stood and extended his hand to me. We started toward the front of the restaurant. Before we made it there, Pastor Terry stopped us.
He reached out money that was folded to Solomon. “Please take this. As a man, I can’t allow you to pay for my meal.” After Sol took the money, he gazed at me. “Gorjess, again, I am so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I had nothing to say. He wasn’t at fault for this, so he didn’t owe me an apology. With that being said, I didn’t feel the need to accept it.
