Young-Minded Hustler

by Tysha

  “Jay, did you hear me?” Brianna asked.

  “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  The sound of Brianna’s voice snapped Jayden from his thoughts. They were in his living room, studying for SATs and babysitting Princess.

  “What’s going on with you? Are you not feeling well?” Brianna was becoming concerned about her boyfriend’s state of mind.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. I just can’t concentrate. There’s too much going on right now,” Jayden replied somberly.

  “Are you still worried about Prince?”

  “Yeah, a little I guess. But he was cool yesterday when we talked. You know Prince, he’s keeping it together. It’s so unfair that I can’t visit my own brother.”

  “That is a stupid rule. You can’t change it so don’t waste time worrying about it.” Brianna smiled. She reached over and gave Jayden a kiss.

  “You know firsthand how twins are. You and Monica might be fraternal but you’re twins nonetheless,” Jayden said through a small smile.

  “Our relationship doesn’t compare to you and Prince.” Brianna shrugged her shoulders and twisted her lips. She and Monica were sisters but Brianna would not label their relationship as being close.

  In an attempt to relax his body, Jayden inhaled deeply. He had to figure out how to change his aunt’s mind about Quincy without getting his mother involved. Jayden knew the situation was volatile. Shy would explode if she heard the things her sister had said about her children.

  “My Aunt Tara won’t let Quincy have anything to do with me or my family anymore. She says my mom has done a horrible job raising us and that Prince is a bad influence for Quincy,” Jayden explained. He fought back the tears welling in his eyes. Jayden had to tell someone and he trusted Brianna.

  “Jay-Jay, I’m hungry.” Princess interrupted her brother’s conversation with his girlfriend.

  “What do you want to eat, little girl?” Jayden inquired while getting up from the floor.

  “Cookies and ice cream,” Princess said excitedly.

  “Nope, try again.” Jayden laughed.

  “You so mean,” Princess pouted. “I never get my way.” Princess plopped herself down on the couch next to Brianna. She crossed her arms and poked her lips out. It was her version of a tantrum.

  “Mom will be home soon and she’s bringing dinner. Do you want a bowl of cereal to hold you over?” Jayden asked.

  The mention of being treated to her favorite cereal put a smile on the six-year-old girl’s face. She raced into the kitchen with her big brother following her. Jayden never minded babysitting his little sister. No matter what was going on in his life, Princess always made him smile. Hanging out with two of his three favorite girls was nice, but it didn’t alleviate the pain of being banned from both his cousin and brother.

  Jayden returned to the living room to find Brianna thumbing through their collection of DVDs.

  “Don’t tell me study time is over already,” Jayden said, joining Brianna on the couch.

  “I just thought we could take a break and watch a movie. Maybe it will help you relax and clear your head. How long are you going to keep from talking to your mother about Tara?” Brianna kept her eyes on the movie titles when she spoke.

  “I don’t think you’ve met my mom,” Jayden joked. “You know how my mom is when it comes to her kids. I was hoping the situation would work itself out before my mom found out about it. My Aunt Tara is a trip at times but I never imagined she would tell Quincy he’s not allowed over here anymore. Apparently, I’m not welcomed at their house, either. Did I tell you that she said it wouldn’t be long before Prince’s ghetto ways took over my mind and that we’re both natural-born thugs like our dad was?” Jayden’s soul ached.

  “She said what?” Shy yelled, surprising Jayden and Brianna.

  Shy walked in just in time to hear of her sister’s latest antics. She was livid. Of all the things Tara had pulled over the years, she had gone too far.

  “Jayden, please tell me I heard you wrong. Your Aunt Tara didn’t really tell Quincy he’s not allowed at my house, did she?”

  “Oh, hey Ma.” It was impossible to hear the front door open from the family room. He hadn’t heard his mother come into the house and was startled by her presence “I was going to tell you about it tonight. Aunt Tara said Prince is a bad influence and you are not raising us right because my brother wouldn’t have so many character flaws. Quincy’s not allowed to be around us unless she’s with him,” Jayden further explained.

  She heard the pain in her son’s voice. She knew how close Jayden and Quincy were. Jayden’s eyes watered when he told her what was going on. Sadness had washed over his face. Shy walked over to Jayden and gave him the tightest motherly hug she could muster. All she wanted at that moment was to take all of his pain away. Jayden’s emotional state was unnecessary. She was happy that Brianna was there with him.

  “Hi, Mommy!” Princess squealed. “I want a hug too.” She skipped over to her mother’s open arms.

  Shy bent down and gave her daughter a hug. She was furious. It took great pains not to show it. There were more pressing things that needed her attention before she dealt with her childish older sister.

  “I’m hungry and Jay-Jay wouldn’t fix me anything to eat,” Princess fibbed.

  “Ooh, Princess, you know that’s not true.” Brianna pretended to be shocked by the little girl’s false statement.

  “Hey, Brianna. It was rude of me not to speak. I’m sorry,” Shy said.

  “It’s okay, I understand.” Brianna smiled.

  “Come on, Mommy,” Princess whined. She took her mother by the hand and pulled her into the kitchen.

  Jayden felt horrible. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to overhear his conversation with Brianna. Jayden knew his mother would have gone off had it not been for Princess.

  “It’ll all work out. You can’t get distracted from your ultimate goal, though,” Brianna said while rubbing Jayden’s back.

  “You’re right but it’s hard to watch my family fall apart. Things have deteriorated overnight. There’s no telling how bad it’ll be after my mom talks to Aunt Tara. I don’t know what I’ll do if Quincy is snatched away from me forever,” Jayden said in a gloomy tone.

  “He won’t be,” Brianna promised, not knowing what else to say.

  “All I know is my mom does not play when it comes to her kids. My aunt would stand a better chance facing Laila Ali in the ring than going up against my mother. This isn’t going to end well.”

  “They’re sisters, how bad could it get?” Brianna asked naïvely.

  “Unfortunately, we’ll soon find out,” Jayden replied, and shook his head in distress.

  Chapter 15

  Is This Family Love?

  Tara was loading the dishwasher when screeching tires echoed throughout her small cul-de-sac. It sounded like the car had stopped in front of her house if not in the driveway. She looked out the kitchen window to find headlights beaming down the length of her driveway. Seconds later, someone began banging on her front door, shaking the frame.

  It had to be an emergency, and worry washed over Tara because Quincy was not home. She swung the door open to find her sister with a scowl on her face. Shy was obviously upset about something. Tara had a good idea about what.

  “What in the hell is your problem?” Tara asked sarcastically.

  “Funny, that’s the same question I was going to ask you,” Shy spat.

  Shy brushed past her sister in an uproar. She was full of venom and Tara was about to get bit. The sisters had their share of differences over the years but things had never dropped to the point of no return. There would be no coming back, no right turns, and no apologies to be made or accepted. Shy was incensed. She wanted to slap Tara on sight but also wanted to give her a fighting chance to defend herself.

  “When did your heart get so cold? How can you live with yourself?” Shy demanded.

  “What are you talking about?” Tara pret
ended not to know.

  “Naw, bitch, we are so far past that point. You told Quincy to stay away from my boys and me? You’ve made that declaration before but I’ve never taken it seriously. Despite whatever is going on between us, you’ve always left the boys out of it, at least after you calmed down.” Shy stood with her fists balled against her hips.

  “Look, Shy, I know you love him but Quincy is my son. He has a great future and I don’t want anyone or anything distracting him.” Tara tried to sound reasonable. “Besides, he needs to stay away from bad elements, family or not.”

  “Since when is Quincy and Jayden’s relationship a distraction?” Shy snarled.

  “Since it became apparent that my baby sister’s household is breaking down,” Tara snapped.

  Tara felt strong about her decision to separate Quincy from the bad air surrounding the McGee family. Relatives or not, Tara had to do what was best for her own family. She had asked Shy to let her raise Jayden shortly after Melvin’s death. Tara could see back then that Jayden was special and would be able to write his own ticket in life. She thought that by taking Jayden, Shy would have an easier time dealing with the traumatic state Prince was in. Shy had refused to separate her boys or to allow Tara to have any say in their rearing. Tara felt Shy’s strength was her greatest attribute and her biggest weakness.

  “I never claimed to be a perfect mother. We all make mistakes, including you. You try to present yourself as flawless. My children are as loved as anybody else’s. Prince, Jayden, and Princess are my world. I would die for them all. I’ve sacrificed my life for them so don’t you dare stand there and judge me.” Shy was infuriated by her sister’s snobby attitude.

  “ Why is Prince locked up if he’s so loved? You know this is your fault, don’t you?” Tara said snidely.

  “Tara, I’d be careful if I were you. Be real careful,” Shy warned. “We may be sisters but I will beat the shit out of you in your own house, trust that. Prince is no different from any other teenage boy struggling to survive, especially where we live. He’s made some bad choices but so did you,” Shy said cunningly.

  Shy and Tara faced each other with mixed emotions. Love versus hate. Looking into her sister’s eyes, Shy knew they would never be close again. Tara had cut her too deep far too many times. Betrayed a number of hurtful times because Tara chose friends over sisterhood, Shy felt it was time to let go of their one-sided relationship. She was no longer going to be the only one putting forth effort to have a friendship. Shy was done.

  Sisters knew things about each other that no one else would ever know. That’s the way it was supposed to be. Shy and Tara were no different. Tara just had more secrets to hide.

  “I’m all Prince has. Not you, our half-brother, your fake-ass husband, or anybody else who claimed to love my sons embraced him when he needed it. You and that judgmental asshole you’re married to stood on the sideline watching and waiting for Prince to fall. If anything, you and his uncles failed him. The people in his life who mattered talked about him instead of talking to him. Prince watched his father be shot down and your resolve was to turn your back on him.” Shy wagged an accusatory finger at Tara.

  “This is the problem, Shy. You get defensive when it comes to Prince,” Tara said matter-of-factly, as if she wouldn’t do the same if Quincy were being degraded and insulted.

  “No one else is protecting him. Prince is just as much your nephew as Jayden is. You need to remember that,” Shy exclaimed.

  “I never said he wasn’t. I love that boy. He’s just not on the right road,” Tara replied with attitude.

  “So instead of helping me you’re going to leave him out there lost?”

  “Face it, Shy, your son is a thug,” Tara barked.

  “Fuck you, Tara!”

  Tara got scared. She knew her words had gone too far. Shy was a mother lioness and Tara had no doubt that her sister would hurt her without a second thought.

  “Shy, it’s just that we feel—” Tara began.

  “We feel? We feel? I knew Bruce’s holier-than-thou stick in the ass was behind this,” Shy said angrily.

  “He’s my husband, Shy,” Tara said almost apologetically.

  “He’s a hypocrite, Tara.”

  Tara had to admit that Bruce was a dictator. She usually had no say in the decisions he made regarding their family. Tara ultimately went along with what he wanted to keep him from going upside her head. Bruce was a mean person, plain and simple. Tara liked her big house and luxury car so she dealt with her husband’s shortcomings. There was no way Tara could maintain the lifestyle she was accustomed to on her own.

  “But he’s still my husband,” Tara replied.

  “And he’s not Quincy’s father,” Shy countered with bitterness.

  Tara felt as though the air had been knocked out of her. She was exasperated. Tara never thought Shy would ever play that trump card. Shy had Tara at a loss for words.

  “If you want to keep that piece of information between the two of us, I’d rethink my position on keeping our boys apart,” Shy threatened.

  “How dare you?” Tara cried.

  “How dare you treat my kids this way? Like they’re throw away parts of your life. You want to act like an enemy, so be it. You fuck with mine, you had better be ready to stomp with the big dogs. I’ll protect mine by any means necessary. That includes cutting my sister off at the knees.” Shy was ready to go to war if it meant taking Jayden’s pain away. “You can’t fuck with me, dear sister. I’m not that bitch to be fucked with, remember that.”

  Shy stormed out of the house, leaving Tara standing in shock. Tara was speechless. She felt on the verge of having an anxiety attack. If her secret were to surface, her entire world would be destroyed. She had been dependent on someone her whole life. Tara was not like Shy; she didn’t have the strength to be a single parent. As far as Bruce knew, Quincy was his son. Tara vowed to take her secret to the grave and that is what she had every intention of doing.

  Tara feared the repercussions would be more than she could bear should Bruce ever discover the truth. The impact on Quincy’s life would be irreversible. She had to figure out a way to change Bruce’s stance on keeping their son away from his cousins. Tara sat down and stared out the window as tears streamed down her cheeks. Memories of that regretful time in her life washed over her. If only she could reverse the hands of time, she would have made better choices when she was younger. All Tara could think of was all the if only’s and what ifs. She’d cheated on Bruce after he joined the Marines and left for basic training. She’d slept with at least five men in a six-week period. Based on probability, Bruce could not be her son’s father. Truth be told, Tara wasn’t sure who fathered her only child. For the sake of everyone involved, Tara selfishly went with a lie that best fit her own needs. Bruce was able to provide for her and the baby. He was a mediocre husband but a good father and wonderful provider. Tara’s life was comfortable and she wanted to keep it that way.

  Chapter 16

  Recoil

  Once he accepted his reality, Prince got in line with the program and abided by the rules as outlined. Shy had pointed out the wasted time he spent fighting an unbeatable opponent. The rules were set in stone way before his stay behind bars and they would remain in effect way after his release. Prince agreed with his mother’s logic and canned his rebellious attitude. Life had become much easier since doing so. The appearance of surrender to the system got the staff off his back and the teachers on his team. The weeks had crawled by at a snail’s pace. Prince was finally adjusting to having his civil liberties temporarily taken away and time was passing a little faster without incident.

  “Mr. McGee, stay behind after class. I’d like a minute of your time,” Mr. Karl requested. Karl Wilkins IV didn’t look much older than his students. To bolster a rapport with the kids, the teacher allowed them to address him by his first name. It was Mr. Karl instead of Mr. Wilkins for the at-risk teens.

  “Yes, sir,” Prince replied.

&nb
sp; An hour later, Prince sat in the empty classroom, waiting to hear the reason for keeping him behind.

  “I’ve been seeing great improvement in both your work and attitude, Mr. McGee.”

  “I promised my mom I’d do better,” Prince responded.

  “It makes me wonder why you weren’t regularly attending school before trouble found you,” Mr. Karl pondered.

  “Things are different on the streets.” Prince lowered his eyes when he spoke. He was trying to make changes but had to adjust his thinking one step at a time.

  “It’s obvious to me that you are very intelligent. You have great potential, but for some reason, you’re selling yourself short,” Mr. Karl tried not to sound preacher-like.

  Prince had no response to the compliment. He was so used to the negative things people had to say about him that flattering remarks made him uncomfortable. Prince gave the young black man a smile. He sat half paying attention to the encouragement his teacher was trying to offer him.

  “I gather life hasn’t been easy for you. I’d like you to keep in mind that only you control your future. There is a different world waiting for you somewhere outside of Youngstown. You have to believe in yourself,” Mr. Karl said sincerely.

  “Yeah, I hear you, man. I mean yes, sir,” Prince corrected himself. He didn’t want his teacher to feel disrespected. “My mom says the same thing. I’m working on changing my life. I want my mom and brother to be proud of me.” Prince began gathering his things. “Good looking out, Mr. Karl.”

  With that being said, Karl watched as Prince walked out the classroom door. He was not done with his best student. Not by a long shot. Karl Wilkins IV had lost his only son to senseless violence eight years ago. Not long after, he and his wife divorced and Karl fell into a deep depression. Therapy and soul searching led Karl to his life’s calling: saving at-risk boys within his community. Teaching had become his saving grace. Prince was the first student he encountered who reminded him of his deceased son. Mr. Wilkins felt a strong connection with Prince. He could see success in Prince’s lost soul. Karl knew it was his responsibility to help Prince heal from what ailed his young heart.