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Authors: Allison Hobbs
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the horror stories that Shane might tell the social worker flitting through her mind, Ms. Holmes gave him another nervous glance before ambling toward the front door.
Exactly an hour later, Ms. Holmes returned home. She was relieved to see that the social worker’s car was no longer parked outside her house. Carrying a single bag of unnecessary items purchased from the neighborhood dollar store, Ms. Holmes hurried up the steps and swung open the front door.
The boys were watching television. “How’d the visit go?” she asked in a false nonchalant tone.
“Fine,” Tariq said without taking his eyes away from the TV screen.
Shane looked at her and then dropped his gaze.
“Shane?” she inquired.
“What?” he responded in a rude tone, his eyes also glued to the screen.
The boy was so moody it wasn’t even funny. She took a deep breath. “How do you think the visit with the social worker went?”
“Same ol’; same ol’,” was his ornery response.
Despite the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, Ms. Holmes maintained a passive expression. “Well, did you talk about anything in particular?” she pressed.
“I said we talked about the same ol’ shit!” Shane’s voice was bitter.
Tariq and Ms. Holmes gasped. “Don’t use that language; this is a Christian home and you know it.”
“Whatever.” Shane rose and stormed outside.
Tariq looked at Ms. Holmes and then at the door his brother had just slammed. Confusion was written on his face and she knew Tariq expected her to give him an explanation. He wanted to know why she’d allowed his brother to get away with disrespecting her so badly.
“I’m going outside, Miz Holmes. Is that okay?” Tariq asked.
She nodded and hung her head in defeat.
When Tariq went outside, he caught a glimpse of Shane walking fast as he turned the corner at the end of their block. “Shane!” Tariq yelled, with both hands cupped at the sides of his mouth. Tariq ran to catch up. “What’s wrong with you, man?” Tariq asked, slightly out of breath, trying to keep up with Shane’s long, angry stride.
“She gets on my nerves, man. Always asking all those dumb-ass questions.”
“She was just being nice, Shane. What’s wrong with you? You’re the one who said we should treat her nice so we don’t have to move around no more. So why you starting all this trouble all of a sudden?”
As they neared Clark Park where a basketball game was in session, Shane stopped walking. “You right, man. Look, I’m gonna shoot some hoops. You wanna hang around or what?”
Tariq wasn’t good at basketball. “No, I’m gonna go see Shiree. Later, man.” The brothers slapped hands.
CHAPTER 10
LaDonna just happened to be walking through the park when she spotted Shane on the basketball court.
“Hey, Shane,” she said, smiling and waving as if they hadn’t recently been involved in a sneaker-throwing fracas.
Shane nodded and gave her a wink, which meant all was forgiven.
“How long you gonna be out here?” She hollered as Shane thundered down the court bouncing the basketball.
Shane shot the ball into the basket, slapped a few hands, turned in LaDonna’s direction, and yelled, “Hold up; I won’t be long.”
LaDonna, dressed in tight jeans, pranced happily over to a park bench and lit a cigarette.
When Shane finished playing, he approached LaDonna. His sweat-soaked T-shirt was draped around his neck. He sat down next to her; she kissed him softly and then placed her lipstick-stained cigarette between his lips. He pulled on the cigarette and blew out smoke. “How’s Easy? Y’all get back together yet?”
“Yeah, we back. Satisfied?”
“What kind of goodies does he have stashed up in the crib?”
“Weed, some bagged-up product, and a couple bottles of Henney. You know how we do. Me and my man like the good stuff,” LaDonna bragged.
“All right, let’s go to your place. Kick back, get high…you know how
we
do,” he said, mimicking her.
She
Exactly an hour later, Ms. Holmes returned home. She was relieved to see that the social worker’s car was no longer parked outside her house. Carrying a single bag of unnecessary items purchased from the neighborhood dollar store, Ms. Holmes hurried up the steps and swung open the front door.
The boys were watching television. “How’d the visit go?” she asked in a false nonchalant tone.
“Fine,” Tariq said without taking his eyes away from the TV screen.
Shane looked at her and then dropped his gaze.
“Shane?” she inquired.
“What?” he responded in a rude tone, his eyes also glued to the screen.
The boy was so moody it wasn’t even funny. She took a deep breath. “How do you think the visit with the social worker went?”
“Same ol’; same ol’,” was his ornery response.
Despite the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, Ms. Holmes maintained a passive expression. “Well, did you talk about anything in particular?” she pressed.
“I said we talked about the same ol’ shit!” Shane’s voice was bitter.
Tariq and Ms. Holmes gasped. “Don’t use that language; this is a Christian home and you know it.”
“Whatever.” Shane rose and stormed outside.
Tariq looked at Ms. Holmes and then at the door his brother had just slammed. Confusion was written on his face and she knew Tariq expected her to give him an explanation. He wanted to know why she’d allowed his brother to get away with disrespecting her so badly.
“I’m going outside, Miz Holmes. Is that okay?” Tariq asked.
She nodded and hung her head in defeat.
When Tariq went outside, he caught a glimpse of Shane walking fast as he turned the corner at the end of their block. “Shane!” Tariq yelled, with both hands cupped at the sides of his mouth. Tariq ran to catch up. “What’s wrong with you, man?” Tariq asked, slightly out of breath, trying to keep up with Shane’s long, angry stride.
“She gets on my nerves, man. Always asking all those dumb-ass questions.”
“She was just being nice, Shane. What’s wrong with you? You’re the one who said we should treat her nice so we don’t have to move around no more. So why you starting all this trouble all of a sudden?”
As they neared Clark Park where a basketball game was in session, Shane stopped walking. “You right, man. Look, I’m gonna shoot some hoops. You wanna hang around or what?”
Tariq wasn’t good at basketball. “No, I’m gonna go see Shiree. Later, man.” The brothers slapped hands.
CHAPTER 10
LaDonna just happened to be walking through the park when she spotted Shane on the basketball court.
“Hey, Shane,” she said, smiling and waving as if they hadn’t recently been involved in a sneaker-throwing fracas.
Shane nodded and gave her a wink, which meant all was forgiven.
“How long you gonna be out here?” She hollered as Shane thundered down the court bouncing the basketball.
Shane shot the ball into the basket, slapped a few hands, turned in LaDonna’s direction, and yelled, “Hold up; I won’t be long.”
LaDonna, dressed in tight jeans, pranced happily over to a park bench and lit a cigarette.
When Shane finished playing, he approached LaDonna. His sweat-soaked T-shirt was draped around his neck. He sat down next to her; she kissed him softly and then placed her lipstick-stained cigarette between his lips. He pulled on the cigarette and blew out smoke. “How’s Easy? Y’all get back together yet?”
“Yeah, we back. Satisfied?”
“What kind of goodies does he have stashed up in the crib?”
“Weed, some bagged-up product, and a couple bottles of Henney. You know how we do. Me and my man like the good stuff,” LaDonna bragged.
“All right, let’s go to your place. Kick back, get high…you know how
we
do,” he said, mimicking her.
She
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