He followed her into the condo and flopped onto the couch while she went into the kitchen to cook for him. “She’s not going to be loyal now either. I just know she’s gonna try to make them think I wanted to do this. She’s going to blab about me…. Watch! But it’s not like I had a choice! He came at me!” Frederick said.
“I know, baby. But it’s okay. Mama’s already started proceedings to get your kid from her. If we got that kid, Talie’ll do whatever we say to do,” Mary said, with a cold edge to her voice.
“That’s true. She’ll do whatever she’s told to do then. She didn’t even want to come home with me when I went to get her. Can you believe that? Me?! Talie didn’t want to come home! Then I told her I’d just take the damn kid, and she changed her tune real quick. Stayed in line and did what I said after that,” Frederick said, chuckling. “Kinda like it when she’s toeing the line.”
“Well, you won’t have to put up with a woman not appreciating you anymore. She’ll be in jail keeping her mouth shut because we’ll have her brat, and you can find another woman.”
“But I want her,” Frederick whined.
“Why? She doesn’t deserve you, baby. She doesn't see all your potential, my beautiful boy!” Mary said, coming from the kitchen to hug him. “You need a woman that loves you and sees how wonderful you are just like I do, and is willing to take care of that kid, too. Because I’m not going to do it. I’m just getting her here to be sure her mother stays where she belongs so you have a chance at the life you deserve.”
“I don’t want that kid! How am I gonna live my life with her hanging on?” Frederick whined.
“Baby, listen to Mama when she talks. Find you a woman who loves you as Mama loves you and she’ll take care of the kid.”
“If I find a woman, she needs to take care of me,” Frederick said sullenly.
“Yes, she does!” Mary agreed. “Maybe your new woman will have a mama that can take care of the kid. Just make sure whatever woman you choose next knows her place and that she has a mama as loving as me so the woman will take this damn brat off our hands. And do not make another one, son! You can’t be the center of attention if you have somebody to take care of yourself!”
“I know, Mama. I know,” Frederick said. “I told Talie to get a damn abortion!”
“Lucky for us she didn’t, because now we can use that kid to make her keep her mouth shut. You have too much life to live to be answering for something that wasn’t your fault. If that neighbor had just stayed at his own house, nothing would have happened.”
“I know! It’s not like he had anything worth taking anyway!” Frederick said. “Then he barged into my house and I had to stab him, he was screaming about calling the police and where was his stuff, and I can’t go back to jail. I’m on parole!”
“His stuff should have been in the storage unit with all the rest of the stuff! Why you and your boys can’t just do as I tell you is beyond me. All of that stuff should have been wiped clean, and put in storage — it should never have been brought to your house.”
“I was getting to it!” Frederick objected. “And I did wipe it down. It would have got stored eventually.”
“Eventually isn’t good enough. It shouldn’t have been there long enough to be found,” Mary scolded.
“Lucky for me, it was. Dumbass moved it all to the shed, so her prints was on it. Made her look guilty, not me,” Frederick said chuckling.
“That much is true,” Mary admitted. “It’s gonna be okay, baby. You just have to be careful for a little while. Mama’s gonna sell that house as soon as the police release their hold on it, and I’ll get you a new one. In the meantime, you can stay here with me.”
“Mary?! Who the hell are you talking to?” a man’s voice called out from the bedroom.
“I’m talking to my son! Just go back to bed!” Mary answered, rolling her eyes.
“I’m not staying here with him, Ma!” Frederick said angrily, pointing toward the bedroom.
“You don’t even know him!” Mary said. “And he’s paying all our bills right now. I can’t