Twice as Hard - 4th Excerpt
TWICE AS HARD - (4th)
First Excerpt
Second Excerpt
Third Excerpt
Angela Williams was not in a very good frame of mind. She sat in the living room, crocheting and chewing gum. AJ knew his mother was in a foul mood as soon as he walked through the door. He could hear the staccato sound of gum popping between her teeth on every fourth chew. Angela could rip that cadence with an astounding rhythm, one that frequently made AJ want to grab a pair of drumsticks and start jamming on the nearest flat surface.
But this time, there was no cause for jamming. AJ intuitively knew that he was the focus of his mother's ire. Felix Crenshaw's pet name for his common-law wife was "Old Ironsides". It was never clear if Crenshaw coined the phrase in honor of the historically famous war ship, the detective character that actor Raymond Burr played on TV, or both.
Either way, the nickname fit, for Angela had a legendary temper and was tenaciously aggressive in the face of any argument (not that 'argument' was tolerated from her offspring at any rate!) Her first words confirmed his fears of confrontation.
"AJ, I got a bone to pick with you". Uh-oh. It's never good when she starts out so direct. How much does she know? He wondered. There was no way Lois would have garnered up the courage to call AJ's mother and tell her about the situation. She didn't have that kind of intestinal fortitude. Or does she? He sat down in a chair across from his mother and mentally mouthed Angela's own Expectations Mantra: "Hope for the best, expect the worst and be prepared for anything!"
"Yes, mother dear?" AJ combined affectionate terminology with what he felt was his most dazzling smile; instinctively understanding that charm which might not sway another was still a potent mix with one's mother.
"Don't you 'yes-mother-dear' me, boy!" she said, shifting her crochet work. "I got a visit from a truant officer today; why have you been out of school so much lately?"
A truant officer! AJ was outraged. How dare they! He was almost 17 years old now -. truant officers were for kids, not young men! He tried not to let his emotions show on his face. "Well, actually I've been trying to find a job, Momma."
"Why do you have to look for a job during class hours?" Angela's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Son, are you on some kinda dope or something? Why you need money so bad?"
"Drugs? Naw, Momma!" he sputtered.
"Boy, stop lying! I be smelling that weed on you sometimes"
"Aw, Momma, I been doing that! But that ain't dope - everybody smokes weed!"
"You ain't everybody! You are: Amos. Jerome. Williams. Junior." Each word was punctuated with superlative righteousness.
"I know my name, Momma. "AJ spread his hands. "What I mean is that I don't have a drug problem."
Angela looked at her son critically. "I'll be the judge of that. But still, your answers so far ain't good enough." She started enumerating on her fingers, which was really a bad sign.
"First of all, I know how important your education is to you - you been on the honor roll ever since you was a freshman. Secondly, you was so excited about going to Franklin, you dropped out of that fancy Catholic school so you could - "
"That was about money, Momma!" AJ replied hotly. "I couldn't stand seeing all that money go to them white folks while we ate beans and franks all the time! It was money and culture, because -
"Since when is it permissible to just interrupt your mother in the middle of a sentence, without even so much as an 'excuse-me-please,' young man?" Angela snapped, sending AJ back into a respectful silence. "My point is this: nothing makes sense about you not going to school so you can look for a job. I think it's time for you to tell me what's really going on."
"Momma..." AJ started and trailed off. "I, uh- this is hard to... well, it concerns Lois..."
"That girl trying to tell you she's pregnant?" AJ would never cease to be amazed by how fast his mother could deduce something from nothing. He could only nod his head, numbly.
"Boy, you ain't got the good sense God gave a gopher!" spat Angela. "That girl ain't a bit more pregnant than the Man in the Moon!"
"Momma, there ain't no such thing as a 'Man in the Moon'..."
"How do you know? You been up there?"
"No, Ma'am, but..."
"Then hush up; you might learn something." Yep, Old Ironsides is in full Battle Mode now. Might as well batten down the hatches and ride out the storm. "For a girl to tell a boy she's pregnant is the oldest trick in the book. She AIN'T PREGNANT!" Angela's voice dropped. "And if she is knocked up, it ain't yours."
"Alright Momma," AJ said, rising. "That's why I didn't even want to say anything yet. I knew you would be all about the negative. No solutions or anything like that - naw, not from AJ's mother; not for AJ!"
Angela was futilely trying to regain control of the conversation, but her own hot blood ran in AJ's veins. It was no easier stopping the son at this point than it would have been to stop his mother. Honor had been impugned, pride stepped upon and AJ was full of self-righteous indignation.
"But here's the deal, Momma. You're gonna have another grandbaby. You're only son's firstborn." AJ stood near the door now. There would be no maternal rebuttal for these words. "I only hope you get used to it before my baby gets here and be able to show him the same love you show Bonnie's kids. I just hope."
Then the door closed behind him and AJ could be heard speeding down the stairway, skipping every two steps as he often did. Seconds later, the downstairs door slammed with an angry, glass rattling bang.
Still in the living room, Angela Williams struggled with her own thoughts and feelings. That boy tries to do everything at breakneck speed. He's smart as the Devil, but he needs to slow down - he'll make better choices. I know he's trying to avoid making the same choices his father did, but this ain't the right way. She reflected on that last thought and, being a good Christian woman, muttered: "Lord, Help Amos." I'll have to let Felix talk to that boy...
And did another mental double take. But he's not really a boy anymore, is he? Every day that passed her son was less the child and more the man. That's supposed to be a good thing - but is it? Or am I the one with the problem - the problem letting go?"
She continued to think about AJ as she crocheted. The TV droned on and the sharp pops of Angela's chewing gum punctuated every fourth beat.
posted by JahStorm @ 11:56 AM
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