by D. Camille
“Where’s your mother?” Josiah asked, ignoring the boy’s question.
Javon looked at Kenya, then back at Josiah.
“What you want with her?” he asked.
A second later, Ms. Wilkins appeared behind Javon.
“Move Scooter, let him in.” She told her son. “I asked him to come here.”
Javon turned back to his mother angrily. “You called him? You called this nigga over here for me?”
“I’m not getting ready to fight with you!” Ms. Wilkins yelled. “I didn’t want to call the police!”
“Call the police!” he yelled. “I ain’t even do nothing!”
“You’re trying to hurt Dameon.”
He frowned. “Ain’t nobody gonna hurt that little bitch!”
“Watch your mouth!” Ms. Wilkins yelled.
Seeing enough, Josiah stepped inside the house and Kenya followed, closing the door behind her.
“What is going on here?” Josiah demanded, looking at Javon.
“Man, she tripping!” Javon snapped.
“Where is Dameon?” Kenya asked, looking around the room.
Ms. Wilkins answered. “He’s in his room.”
“Is he alright?” Kenya questioned, concerned.
“Ain’t nothing wrong with him,” Javon replied. “He just a little ass Momma’s boy.”
Josiah stepped to Javon. “Didn’t your Momma tell you to watch your mouth?”
Javon looked at Josiah. “This my house.”
Kenya watched Josiah, wondering how he was going to handle this.
“You pay bills here?” Josiah asked.
“I don’t got to,” Javon told him. “I run this.”
Ms. Wilkins yelled, “You don’t run shit, Scooter! I told you that.”
With his eyes on Javon, Josiah spoke to Ms. Wilkins.
“I think Javon needs to be removed from the premises.” He explained. “He’s clearly a threat right now to both you and Dameon.”
“Removed?” Javon echoed, stepping closer to Josiah. “By who? Not you.”
Ms. Wilkins put a hand to her mouth and Kenya’s heart began to race.
Josiah looked down at him. “You think you the man here?” he asked in a low voice.
“Don’t no other man live here.” Javon answered.
“Okay then, so check this, man to man…” Josiah began. “When you boss up to another man, and step into his face, you just asked to get your young ass whipped all over this house.”
Kenya blinked, along with Ms. Wilkins. Dameon came into the room and saw the scene.
“Ms. Barrett? Mr. Webber?” he asked confused.
Josiah and Javon continued to stare down one another, as Kenya rushed to Dameon.
“Are you okay?” she bent to look into his face.
“Why are you at my house?” he asked. “Am I in trouble?”
“No, you’re not in trouble.” Kenya assured him.
Ms. Wilkins kept her eye on Javon on Josiah, hoping that this wouldn’t escalate any further.
“You can’t come in here, threatening me!” Javon said angrily.
“Who’s going to stop me?” Josiah countered. “You?”
Josiah stepped closer. “I eat little dudes like you. Now try me.” He paused for a moment. “This your house, right?”
Javon licked his lips nervously.
“A man don’t let another man walk in his house and punk him.” Josiah taunted. “And a man, doesn’t run over the women and children in his life.”
Shaking his head, Josiah finished. “You’re not a man Javon. You’re a boy, stepping out of his lane.”
Dameon held on to Kenya, as everybody watched what would come next.
“Get out my house,” Javon told Josiah.
“I will, but you’re leaving first.”
Chapter 6
Monday morning, Josiah and Kenya sat in Ms. Adams office. The older woman looked at one, then the other, with a look that wouldn’t be described as pleasant.
“So, you two have become the black Bonnie and Clyde, huh?”
“Ms. Adams…” Josiah began.
She put up a hand. “Please, Mr. Webber…allow me to continue.”
He quieted. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I see that you have bonded in your efforts to assist Dameon Wilkins and his family.”
Both remained silent, but shared a quick look at one another.
“Yet, if I recall, I specifically asked Mr. Webber to not visit the Wilkins home again…” She looked at Josiah.
“And the only thing I asked of Ms. Barrett, was a plan of instruction,” Ms. Adams turned her attention to Kenya.
She looked at them both again.
“Ms. Barrett, why don’t you begin?”
Before Kenya could speak, Josiah interrupted. “Ms. Adams, Ms. Barrett only became involved because of me.”
Ms. Adams gave him a look.
“Actually, I chose to help Mr. Webber, because I agreed with his reasons.” Kenya told her, and Josiah looked at her.
“What are you two doing?” Ms. Adams asked in agitation.
“If I may?” Josiah inquired.
“Please do…”
Josiah leaned forward. “When I went to Ms. Wilkins home, I met her older son, Javon. I knew that he was truant and a bad influence on Dameon. I offered to help Ms. Wilkins with her situation, and I’d planned to connect her with some resources this week, but I received an emergency call from her yesterday.”
Ms. Adams sat back and listened.
“After receiving the call, I shared the information with Ms. Barrett and she volunteered to come along in case I needed…backup.” He finished.
“What happened at the residence yesterday?” Ms. Adams inquired.
“Ms. Wilkins was having problems with the older son, and there were threats of violence.”
Ms. Adams lifted a brow. “So instead of contacting the police or CPS, you two decided to handle it on your own?”
“Ms. Adams, we all know what can happen when those agencies are called in,” Kenya began to explain. “Mr. Webber and I just wanted to see if we could solve the issues without causing more trauma to the family.”
“Which is not your jobs to do.” Ms. Adams pointed out.
They both nodded in agreement.
“Truancy and violence are two things you both are mandated to report.” She looked across her desk. “Yet, I’m not seeing anything from either of you.”
“That was my doing, Ms. Adams,” Josiah confessed.
The woman shook her head. “Where is the older boy now?”
“I called some contacts at a respite facility, who came to take Javon. He’ll spend at least a week there.” Josiah replied.
“And Dameon?” Ms. Adams questioned.
“He was quite shaken up by the whole scene,” Kenya stated. “He’s very attached to his older brother.”
Ms. Adams shook her head. “And Ms. Wilkins?”
“She was thankful.” Josiah replied.
“Yes, I got that message.” Ms. Adams frowned.
“But you don’t know what she might do or say at any given moment,” Kenya added, throwing a look at Josiah.
He agreed. “That’s true. She is a bit unpredictable and her home life is unstable.”
“This time, I’m going to make this an order.” Ms. Adams told them. “If you violate your reporting rules again, I will have to place you both on disciplinary action. Do you understand me?”
“Yes…” they both answered.
Ms. Adams looked at Kenya, then at Josiah.
“Ms. Barrett, you are one of my best teachers here at the Bantu Academy. I’ve never had a problem with your performance, and I don’t want to…”
“Thank you, Ms. Adams. I understand.” Kenya said softly.
“And Mr. Webber, the Bantu Academy is lucky to have someone with your knowledge and experience working with our boys, but I can’t have you running rogue.”
“I understand as well, Ms. Adams.”
Ms.
Adams began to write on a piece of paper. “Ms. Barrett, I’m removing Dameon from your class, and Mr. Webber, I’m assigning Dameon to Mr. West.”
Josiah and Kenya looked stunned.
“Ms. Adams, you don’t have to do that.” Josiah protested. “I’ve formed a bond with him that he needs right now, more than ever.”
“And the end of the school year is right around the corner,” Kenya inserted. “It wouldn’t be right to move him now.”
The principal looked up from her paperwork.
“I need to trust you two.”
“You can.” Josiah promised. “You have my word that I will check with you before I do anything else in regards to Dameon and his family.”
“And I will make sure that he does,” Kenya vowed.
Ms. Adams studied them for a moment. “I’m not going to ask what is going on between the two of you, because that’s not my business…but don’t lose your jobs, okay?”
Josiah smiled softly. “We won’t.”
“Classes will be starting soon, so I will let you go, but trust me…I am watching you.” Ms. Adams said, getting to her feet, and they followed suit.
“Thank you Ms. Adams,” Kenya said quietly.
“Yes, thank you.” Josiah echoed.
The two left her office and began heading toward Kenya’s room. Silently, they walked down the hall, and didn’t speak until they were inside her empty class.
Josiah looked down at her. “I’m sorry.”
She reached up to touch his face. “Don’t be. I can respect a man who believes in his principles even when his methods can be questioned.”
He smiled. “Sometimes my old ways of going against the rules, resurfaces.”
“Sometimes rules are made to be broken.”
“Can we hook up later?” Josiah asked.
Kenya nodded. “I’d very much like to see you later, and you owe me breakfast.”
“I am a man of my word.”
“That, I hope you are, Josiah.”
Lowering his head, he kissed her softly. “I’ll see you tonight, baby.”
Kenya watched him walk out the door in a dark suit and tie. She knew that sometime during the day, he’d ditch the jacket while interacting with the students, but either way, he was something very nice to look at, and she couldn’t wait to look at it tonight.
******
Josiah walked down the hall mad at himself. He’d landed this job and it was a feather in his hat. At thirty-three, everything he’d attained in life, he’d earned…the hard way. Now, he’d put his career and reputation in jeopardy, along with Kenya’s.
Telling himself that he needed to fall back and get his head together, Josiah rounded a corner and saw Mr. West.
“Mr. Webber,”
“Mr. West.”
Andre smiled. “I see you’ve been at Ms. Barrett’s side quite a bit.”
“Not the time, boss.” Josiah said, shaking his head.
“Hey, I’m just trying to help a brother out.” Andre continued. “I know how she is.”
Josiah nodded. “You know, can I speak to you in your office for a minute, before the students arrive? I want to share something with you.”
Andre agreed grinning. “Oh yeah. I mean, one brother to another.”
Together they headed to Andre’s office, located not too far from Josiah’s. Once inside, Andre turned to Josiah with a smile.
“What’s up? What can I do for you?”
The next thing Andre knew, he was up against the wall, with Josiah’s forearm across his neck.
“Listen to me real good,” Josiah said, on an angry whisper. “I’m not the one you want to play these fucking games with. Don’t let this suit give you the wrong impression. Now what you need to do, is focus on these kids here, and stop running around gossiping about Kenya like a little bitch…”
Andre’s eyes widened as Josiah continued the pressure on his neck.
“We good?” Josiah questioned pointedly.
Nodding as much as he could, Andre responded.
“I’m one second from not being here, so beating your ass would make it worth it…” Josiah said, then released him.
Andre reached for his neck gasping, as Josiah headed to the door.
Josiah stopped and looked back. “Now go tell that.”
Walking out the door, Josiah closed it behind him and went to his office. Seated in his chair, he dropped his head into his hands. He heard the words, he’d heard most of his life…
“You have to control your temper, Josiah…”
“Use your words, not your fists…”
“You’ll never amount to anything if you allow your anger to control you…”
Shaking his head, to clear away the voices, he began to work. Josiah had learned to control his temper, otherwise he’d have beat the shit out of both Javon and Mr. West. He’d used his words, and traded a forearm for a fist, because that had been a necessity. Andre West had been out of pocket, a little too long.
As far as amounting to something, yeah, he’d done that, too. Many people would think that being a Guidance Counselor to black boys wasn’t much, but to Josiah, it was everything. And he owed his life to the Guidance Counselor who’d saved him, James Burton.
******
After school was over, Kenya went to meet with her girls in Leslie’s room. She found Niyah already there and shut the door behind her, locking it, too.
“Should we be worried?” Niyah asked suspiciously.
“I need to talk, and I don’t want anybody just walking in.” Kenya explained, coming to sit with them.
Both ladies looked confused.
“What’s going on Kenya?” Niyah asked concerned.
She sighed. “Girl…everything.” She turned to Leslie. “Before I forget, congratulations on the baby. Niyah told me you and Caelum announced it yesterday. Sorry, I couldn’t be there, but my day was thrown off schedule.”
Leslie smiled. “Thank you, Kenya. We’re excited, and I missed you at the announcement.”
“Where were you?” Niyah asked. “I tried to call.”
“Listen to this,” Kenya told them. “I went out Saturday night with Josiah Webber.”
Leslie smiled. “Oooh…Mr. Webber.”
Kenya looked at her. “Anyway, Sunday morning, he got a call from the mother of one of our students. She was having problems with her older son, and asked for Josiah’s help.”
“Sunday morning?” Niyah questioned.
“Keep up with the story, I’m a grown ass woman.” Kenya told her, then went on. “So we get there and the boy is like all up in Josiah’s face, and I thought they were actually going to fight.”
“Mr. Webber fought a child?” Leslie asked worried.
“No, he didn’t. In fact, he handled the situation perfectly.” Kenya replied. “He put that little dude in check, then called and got him into a respite counseling program.”
Niyah looked impressed. “That was a good idea.”
“Ms. Adams found out that we were there yesterday and reprimanded us both.”
“Why’d she reprimand you?” Leslie asked.
“Earlier in the week, she had banned Josiah from visiting that home, and I was only supposed to write a new instruction plan for the student…and we didn’t file any reports.”
“How’d she know you were even there?” Niyah questioned.
“Ms. Wilkins had left a message for Ms. Adams, thanking her for her staff arriving yesterday.” Kenya frowned.
“She dimed you out to Ms. Adams?” Leslie asked.
“If it weren’t for those boys…” Kenya shook her head. “She really needs some parenting help.”
“But you can’t risk your jobs,” Niyah told her.
“We know that.”
Niyah looked at her. “So what are you going to do?”
“Do what we can within our limits…we have to.” Kenya said quietly.
Leslie had a thought. “You know, Kenya, Caelum and I know some sisters who run a non-
profit that helps black parents with parenting their children. I can give you their information.”
Kenya nodded. “It’s worth a try, because it’s not working for her right now.”
“Their program is top notch.” Leslie assured her.
Niyah then lifted an arched brow. “So what’s up with you and Mr. Webber?”
Smiling, Kenya replied. “Girl…”
“It’s always a good story, when it starts like that,” Niyah said, in anticipation.
“We had dinner, and then I told him to seduce me.”
Leslie blinked. “I need to add that to my list.”
Kenya continued, “Then he officially ended my Man Ban, with a performance that has me wondering what the hell was wrong with me, for starting one in the first place.”
“That good?” Niyah questioned with a look.
“That. Damn. Good.”
Leslie listened intently to the woman talk.
“Then what happened?” Niyah prodded.
“It got real…like real, real….”
Both women frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Kenya sighed. “This man wasn’t just trying to get inside my body. He got into my head…”
“Details…girl…” Niyah said, gesturing with her hands.
“He figured me out.” Kenya announced. “Peeped my game…”
“Caelum says that game recognizes game…” Leslie said, nodding her head. “He was talking about C.K.”
They both looked at her, then Kenya sighed.
“I’ve never had a man, take the time to look into my psyche like that.” She shook her head, trying to clear it. “Josiah is the perfect intellectual thug, and I find that so damn sexy…”
“I told you he was your type.” Niyah said smugly.
“You were right…this time.” Kenya rebutted. “But, you also liked Mr. West.”
All the women frowned.
“That’s before we really knew him.” Niyah defended.
“You don’t know Josiah.”
Niyah agreed. “You’re right, but it sounds like you’ve gotten to know him, and you like what you see.”
“I mean, the brother is everything…I certainly can’t deny it.”
“Why am I hearing a ‘but’?” Niyah asked, with a frown. “Don’t do it, Kenya.”
Kenya smiled. “I tried it though…”
“And what happened?”
“He shot it down, like a sharp shooter.”
