A Chance for Growth

Time to Grow Up

Two Days Later

Terrence groaned from the pounding at the front door. He looked at his alarm clock, seeing the dreadful time. 3:37a.m. He stumbled through the apartment, not opening his eyes all the way. He opened the door and leaned against the frame, keeping his eyes closed and not looking to see who was standing in front of him. "Boy I outta knock yo ass out! Get out the way so I can get inside!" Alice yelled at her son.

She swung her at him, hitting him on bare skin, being shirtless and falling victim to Alice's piercing hands. "Ma! What is wrong with you? Why are you here anyways?" He shouted out as he tried to defend himself. "You can't pick up a damn phone? You can't come home? I gotta get all my info from Junior since you hiding from me! Hearing you not only got a little hooch pregnant, you went and got an ugly white one pregnant! Have you lost yo mothafuckin mind Terrence! You fucked up your relationship with a beautiful black woman for Massa Tom's daughter!" Alice yelled at him, making sure he heard every word.

He winced when her hand came across his face. A red hot handprint stayed behind, along with the stinging sensation, giving him physical representation of the pain he had been feeling ever since Taraji made him leave. "Then I find out that you beating niggas half to death...Are you stupid? Your brother gets out and you want to go in. I guess you like locked doors. Fighting Rashad over shit that you should've addressed when he was at my damn house! What the hell is wrong with you!" She paced back and forth not even able to stand still to talk to him.

Terry sat on the couch with his head down, not answering his mother. "ANSWER ME NIGGA!" she shouted as loud as she could. He flinched and looked up, thinking about what he was going to say. "Ma, I don't have a reason to act right anymore. Taraji is everything to me and she don't want to talk to me, she don't want me to touch her, half the time she doesn't even call for me to watch Marcel when she wants to go do something. That's my son too! Then she got this nigga coming over and I refuse to let another nigga play step daddy to my son. I gave him life!" He started raising his voice, getting upset again about Deshawn coming around.

"So you mad that she is moving on after you decided to move on while keeping her running after you?" Alice asked, not feeling sorry for her son. "I didn't move on! And that's the other reason why I beat Rashad ass if we being honest. He been plotting to get me caught up so he could get with Raji. I was so fuckin stupid," he slumped into the couch. "Yeah, you were and you are. As much as you are trying to get Raji to come back, you got 2 kids to focus on. Stop worrying about relationships and start focusing on doing what you need to do to make sure your kids are okay. They are the innocent lives that you are responsible for," she calmed down.

He looked at her sideways in disbelief of her mood change. "You produced 2 kids within the same year. You did that, not me or Raji. So that means you need to get your shit together. It's time to be an adult. First order of business, you are calling that little trick to come over. I gotta meet this heifer who is carrying my second grand baby," Alice got up, walking to the bedroom. Terry went to stand up only to be told to sit back down. "This bedroom is mine tonight. You get on the phone and tell that hussy to get her ass over here," she demanded, giving him the "don't play with me" face.

He fell back into his couch and groaned. He grabbed the phone off the table and dialed a number. He stared at the ceiling, waiting for an answer. "Hello," Taraji answered groggily. "Hey Penda. I'm sorry for waking you, but mama wants to see you tomorrow. She's in town," he lied, hoping she wouldn't reject the invite. "Uh huh, okay. I'll come by," she yawned out. "Okay. I love you baby. Goodnight Beloved," he whispered. "I love you too. Goodnight Terry," she replied while sleep talking. He held a smile and hung up the phone. He knew she was sleep, but it felt good to hear her say that to him again.