"…LIES"

Two months had passed. Life had settled down since Jimmy's return. He had now gone from probationary status to being head mechanic at Dorsey's Auto Shop. Jey had now found fortune as well, for he had saved enough money (three years' worth) to start his own barbershop. It was located in his backyard storage house, but it was his business. Their youngest siblings were now coming around longer, even though Lynette still distanced herself from Jimmy. He knew that her dislike stemmed from more than just his absence, and he had an idea of what it was. So, he decided to confront her.

It was Saturday, and everyone had gone out to the steakhouse to celebrate Jey's and Jimmy's promotions. Airilyn had invited Tika to come along, easing Jimmy's anxiety. When it was time to pay for dinner, Jey had paid for his family and Airilyn. Jimmy, on the other hand, paid for the younger ones and Tika. However, Tika would not allow him to pay. "I got money. I'll pay for my food."

Jimmy playfully slapped her hand away. "Put your money away, girl. I got this." He proceeded to take out his wallet. Tika shook her head. "Jimmy, you guys don't have to pay my way. I can pay myself." Jey and Veronica exchanged knowing glances, while Tommy rolled his eyes. It was then that Veronica nicked Tika under the table, causing Tika to jump. Jimmy continued pulling out his money. When Tika, once again, tried to protest, he gently put his foot down. "Don't talk back to me, girl. Now you put your money up and let me get this." Tika hesitated, then relented. That was when Airilyn excused herself from the dinner booth, dragging her friend with her.

"Uh, what's up with you and my big brother?" Airilyn asked Tika, once they were inside the restroom—away from everyone else.

"What you mean?"

"My big brother ain't NEVER paid for no woman. What you doing with him?" Airilyn wondered with her eyebrows raised.

Tika's eyes bulged. "Mook! I ain't doing nothing with Jimmy!"

"Then how come ShaQuon's been stormin' around, talking about Jimmy gettin' with some schoolgirl bitch?"

"Mook, I am not trying to get into it with some ol' piece of trash over your brother," Tika said, wishing that they would end the conversation. She did not want to discuss Jimmy, even though she felt tingly whenever she was near him. Airilyn, seeing that Tika was embarrassed, continued. "He likes you, you know."

"Girl, get outta here with that," Tika said, dismissing her friend's claim.

"I heard him talking with Jey two months ago," Airilyn said. "He told Jey about ShaQuon coming to the shop. That's why I asked you about her—she's trying to get some shit started with you."

"I done told you I ain't trying to get in no mess. I don't know why all this is a big deal, anyway—I don't have nothing she wants." That was when Airilyn clenched Tika's hands. "Yes, you do. You got something that she could never have—you have Jimmy's attention. He talked about you with Jey—he was saying…" Veronica's voice interrupted the two girls. "I'll call you tonight and tell you," Airilyn promised.

Later that night, Tommy and Lynette were spending the night with Jimmy. Jimmy had looked forward to spending time with them. He had never really gotten to know them; they were toddlers when he was sent away at the age of thirteen. By the time he had returned at eighteen, he was already entrenched in the street life. By that time, his resentment toward his mother had filled him so much that he stayed away from everyone, telling himself that no one would want him around. That was when he had started really breaking the law—he just simply did not care about anything. Then came jail, and prison. Now that he was out, he realized that the toddlers he had left were now almost teenagers—and his youngest sister now hated him. As he was now sitting in his lounge chair, he made up his mind to talk with Lynette.

Lynette was sitting up in Jimmy's bedroom, reading. She was just about to begin a new chapter, when there came a knock on the door. Thinking it was Tommy, she went to the door and opened it. Shocked to see Jimmy standing there, Lynette quickly shut the door and wrapped her robe around her pajamas. Jimmy walked inside his bedroom. "We need to talk, Lynette."

"What you want?"

"Why do you dislike me so much? What did I do to make you hate me, Linnie?" Jimmy asked, using Lynette's family nickname. Lynette cringed at hearing him use it. "Don't give me that, Jimmy. You know what you did, and you know why you got sent off. Mama told me."

"Mama told you what?"

"Stop it! You know what you did! You tried to kill Tommy! You tried to drown him in the tub because you were jealous of him getting more attention than you and Jey! Mama said she walked in on you holding him over the tub!" Lynette yelled it all out for Jimmy to digest. He took Lynette by the shoulders and tried to explain, "Naw, that ain't what happened. I saved Tommy from getting drowned."

"You're lying! Mama wouldn't lie about nothing like that! My daddy said that he even took you to the ground after he took Tommy from you! Why would they lie, Jimmy?!"

Jimmy felt anger twisting his stomach. How could she let his baby sister believe that he had tried to murder his brother, knowing what really happened that day? It was not long afterward that police had barged into their home, dragging Jimmy away and sending him to a juvenile detention facility. With a public defender and no parental support, Jimmy didn't stand a chance in court. He was soon transferred to the boys' reform facility, where he experienced even more abuse and neglect. There was no actual "reform"; only training on how to become an actual criminal. It was the perfect place for a young, troubled Jimmy to allow his anger to fester, turning him into a bitter man…a bitterness that he still carried. Lynette saw her brother's face turn hard, then sad, and stopped talking. Jimmy spoke again. "Linnie, you been fed a lot of lies and you need to know what really happened. You and Tommy need to know what happened."

"Daddy told us what happened."

"You don't know your dad like we do—me, Jey and Mook," Jimmy said. "You don't know the hell he put us through, just because we weren't his and that he knew he could. The things he did to us…I don't even like talking about it now. He's the reason why you all were taken from Mama in the first place. After he damn near whipped Jey to death for telling me…" Jimmy stopped short, his eyes watering. He knew that he had almost said too much about something that he had promised never to tell anyone. Lynette, unfortunately, took this silence for guilt. "I knew it…I knew it was you."

"Do you actually think Aunt Gladys would let you two anywhere near me if I had tried to kill anybody, let alone my baby brother? Baby girl, I wouldn't never hurt y'all—I put that on everything!" Jimmy exclaimed. "I know what that feels like, so why the hell would I put that off on anybody else?" Lynette said nothing, but she only shook her head and shut the door in his face. Jimmy let himself fall back against the hallway wall, defeated. Mama and Marvin really did a good job, turning Tommy and Lynette against him. However, as he was walking back to his living room, he saw Tommy standing in the hallway. Jimmy quickly realized that Tommy had heard the entire conversation. The brothers stared at one another for a few moments. Then, Tommy spoke to him. "I believe you, Jimmy Boy. I know you didn't do it. I don't know who did, but I know it wasn't you."

Jimmy pulled Tommy to him and enveloped him in a tight, bear-like hug. "I'm gon' make this shit right, Tommy. I put that on my life; I'm gonna set all this shit straight."