Chapter Eleven – Saturday Morning
"Lee's here! Lee's here!" I heard Akira shout from the living room in the morning.
I closed the refrigerator door and glanced towards the front door. Lee was crouched down, waiting for an excited Akira to run into his arms. When she did and he picked her up, he approached me and planted a big kiss on my cheek.
"Morning, Mom," he greeted me. "Need any help?"
I poured some milk into each of the eight cereal bowls on the counter. "No," I replied. "This I have under control. What I need you to do is talk to Jesse. He won't speak to me."
"That's what I came for," Lee said. He put Akira at the table with the rest of the kids, placed a bowl of Fruity Pebbles in front of her, and headed for the stairs.
"Oh – Lee!" I called.
He stopped on the first step and looked at me.
"Thank you," I said.
He nodded and continued.
"Mom!" Cody shouted. "Tyson's shooting spitballs at me!"
I reached down and, with one swipe, took the straw from Tyson. He laughed and stuck his tongue out at Cody.
"Stupid dyke!" he hollered at her.
"Tyson Ryan!" I scolded.
"Well, she is! Chandler told me that dykes are girls who think they're boys – and they even kiss other girls!"
The rest of the kids erupted in an, "Ewww!"
Brandon came downstairs just at the right moment. He plucked Tyson from his seat, threw him over his shoulder, and carried him to the living room. Tyson kicked and screamed but Brandon did not ease his grip.
While the kids ate their breakfasts, I absentmindedly strolled through the house, alone with my thoughts, picking things up here and there. While doing this, Ariana asked me if she could go to Nichole's, and though I much rather would have had her stay home for once, I let her go. Chandler didn't even ask me if he could go to the mall with some of his buddies; he just told me he was leaving and left. And I didn't stop him.
"Lee's here! Lee's here!" I heard Akira shout from the living room in the morning.
I closed the refrigerator door and glanced towards the front door. Lee was crouched down, waiting for an excited Akira to run into his arms. When she did and he picked her up, he approached me and planted a big kiss on my cheek.
"Morning, Mom," he greeted me. "Need any help?"
I poured some milk into each of the eight cereal bowls on the counter. "No," I replied. "This I have under control. What I need you to do is talk to Jesse. He won't speak to me."
"That's what I came for," Lee said. He put Akira at the table with the rest of the kids, placed a bowl of Fruity Pebbles in front of her, and headed for the stairs.
"Oh – Lee!" I called.
He stopped on the first step and looked at me.
"Thank you," I said.
He nodded and continued.
"Mom!" Cody shouted. "Tyson's shooting spitballs at me!"
I reached down and, with one swipe, took the straw from Tyson. He laughed and stuck his tongue out at Cody.
"Stupid dyke!" he hollered at her.
"Tyson Ryan!" I scolded.
"Well, she is! Chandler told me that dykes are girls who think they're boys – and they even kiss other girls!"
The rest of the kids erupted in an, "Ewww!"
Brandon came downstairs just at the right moment. He plucked Tyson from his seat, threw him over his shoulder, and carried him to the living room. Tyson kicked and screamed but Brandon did not ease his grip.
While the kids ate their breakfasts, I absentmindedly strolled through the house, alone with my thoughts, picking things up here and there. While doing this, Ariana asked me if she could go to Nichole's, and though I much rather would have had her stay home for once, I let her go. Chandler didn't even ask me if he could go to the mall with some of his buddies; he just told me he was leaving and left. And I didn't stop him.