Life After College

Chapter 11

It had been six months since, now four year old, Damon was brought back home. Since then, we had installed a security system on our house and gotten a dog. I personally wanted us to get a cute bishon frise with its curly white hair or a brown fluffy chow. “My son is going to have a big boy’s dog, not some foo-foo lapdog.” Dicky said while all three of us were at the pet store.

“Aaaawww. But look at him.” I picked up the small white dog and held him to my face. But not too close. “He’s so precious.” Dicky rolled his eyes. I looked down at Damon. “Damon, do you like the dog?”

He scrunched his nose up and shook his head. “No. I don’t like him.”

I sighed. “Fine. What do you want then?”

He pointed. “That one.” It was an Alaskan malamute puppy. It was white and black and had the thickest pelt of fur I had ever seen. It was cute, but it looked like I wild animal.

“You sure you want that one?”

“Yes.” Both Dicky and Damon said.

“Honey, it looks like a wolf.” I said to Dicky.

“Oh, you’re just being soft. That dog wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

I sighed. “We’ll see.”

Dicky turned out to be right. “Benji” ended up being a good puppy. Relatively. We had the worst time getting that dog house trained. Have you ever woken up early in the morning and stepped in dog pee barefoot? “AAHH! Benji!” The dog, who had a bed in the kitchen, dashed out, into the living room and in a corner.

It was a hot, day one Saturday and Dicky took Damon outside to kick the soccer ball around. I believe he was really falling in love with the sport and wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to play with the pee-wee soccer team. It would be good for him, not just for the exercise, but so he could meet other little boys his age. He’s really too quiet at his age. Except for Sofia, he has no friends. Even his pre-school teacher, Mrs. Lansberry, thinks he is too quiet. “He’s not ‘interacting’ with the other children.” Is what she’d say.

I was sitting outside on the backyard deck watching them, when the phone rang. “Hello?”

“Drew? It’s me, Jessica.”

“Hey, girl. What’s up?”

“Oh nothing.” She said sounding very chipper as usual. “I wanted to ask you a favor though.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“You guys were planning on going out to eat tonight, right?”

“Yeah. We were going to take Damon to Chuckie Cheese.”

“Well, do you mind if Sofia goes with you? She hasn’t been out and about lately and she misses Damon. She’s always talking about him.”

Benji walked to where I was sitting and propped his paws up on the side of my chair, demanding attention. I rubbed his head. “No problem. You know we love Sofia. We’ll take care of her.”

“I know you will. That’s why I feel good about doing what I need to do tonight.” That comment puzzled me, but I didn’t think no more about it. “So, what are you fellas doing right now?”

“Nothing really. Dicky and Damon are in the yard playing soccer and I’m just relaxing on the deck with Cujo at my feet.”

“Mind if I come over. Daniel’s taken Sofia out and I’m bored.”

“Sure. Come on over. I need somebody to talk to besides the dog.” I hung up with her and after a few minutes, Jessica walked behind the house and sat with me on the deck.

“Hey guys!” She yelled.

Dicky tossed a hand up. “Hey Jess!” Damon waved his hand energetically. “Those two love some soccer, don’t they?” She said to me.

“Yeah.” I chuckled. “A regular David and Brooklyn Beckham.” Just then, Benji stumbled down the steps of the deck and ran out to them playing. He interrupted a kick Dicky made and attacked the ball. He must’ve thought it was going to hurt Damon or something. They both laughed and chased after Benji.

“So, how’s pre-school for Damon now? Made any friends yet?”

I sighed. “None that I know of. I just don’t understand where he got it from. I definitely was never like that when I was a child and his mother...........well, she’s a whole different story all together.”

Jessica laughed. “So how much more time does she have to go?”

“The judge gave her five years, so..............four and a half years.”

“They haven’t found her crazy boyfriend?”

“No.” I hissed. “Nobody can find the bastard. He’d better hope I don’t catch him though. I’ll do the same thing I did to Camile to him.”

Jessica giggled. “What did you do?”

“When I saw her in the police station after we got Damon back, I slapped the shit out of her.” Jessica laughed. I laughed too. It was good to laugh about it now, but then I was pissed. “I’m serious. I did. Dicky had to take me to the car, because I was going to kill the bitch.” Jessica bawled laughing. “Shut up.” I joked.

“I’m sorry.....I’m sorry. But that sounds incredibly queer.” Jessica said as she tried to catch her breath. “You were going to beat up a girl?”

“Hell yeah. It was only me. People wouldn’t mind so much if a gay man beat up on a woman. In their eyes it’s an even fight.” We laughed again.

“Mama!” Damon yelled to me from the yard.

“What, darling?!”

“I want something to drink!”

“Well, go in the house and get you one of those bottled juices!”

“I want you to get it for me!”

“Why?! Y’all ain’t done playing yet?!”

“No! Daddy’s gone to get the goal from the shed so we can play a game!”

I sighed. “Excuse me.” I said to Jessica and walked back inside the house and picked up four juices. I handed one to Jess, carried one to Damon and Dicky, and kept one for myself. “So, where did Daniel and Sofia go?”

“He took her out for a father/daughter day. Which is rare.”

“Well, he’s trying.........I guess.”

“I guess.” Jessica murmured.

“Is something wrong, Jess?”

“No. It’s just going to take me longer to trust him again like before.”

I put my drink down and reached for her hand squeezing it gently. “You guys will be fine.”

She nodded. “We will be. And don’t worry about Damon. Sure he’s quiet and sensitive, but he will make friends. I have no doubt about that.” She smiled.

************

I had just finished dressing Damon in blue jeans, black polo shirt, and black Converse’s and dressing myself in jeans, a white t-shirt, and green track jacket, when Jessica rang the doorbell to drop off Sofia. “You be good, okay sweets?”

“All right.” Sofia smiled as Jessica gave her a big hug. The way she hugged her, you would’ve thought that was the last time she’d see her.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, mama.” Jessica kissed her on the cheek, waved at us really quick, then left. “Where is Damon?” Sofia asked me.

“He’s in the den with his daddy getting his hair brushed.”

Sofia walked off to the den and heard Dicky say, “Boy, you are really in need of a haircut right about now.”

Damon smiled in his father’s face. “No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.” He kissed him on the forehead and set him down off his lap.

Damon spotted Sofia and ran to her, giving her a hug. He only reached to her chest. His shortness probably came from me. I’m not that tall either. “Sofie!”

“Hey, Damon.” She said cheerfully.

I walked in the doorway. “Y’all gonna sit here and talk or are we going to go eat some pizza?”

“Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!” The kids cheered.

Dicky smiled and grabbed the keys. “Well, lets go.”

************

“Can me and Sofie go play?” Damon asked.

“Have you both eaten your food?” Dicky asked. They both nodded. “Damon, you only ate the toppings off your pizza. I’ve told you about that. Sofia can go play, but you got to finish your food.”

Damon grunted. “Mama?” He looked at me with sad eyes. He normally does that when he wants his way.

“You heard your father.” I bit my pizza. Sofia laughed and ran to play in the balls with the other kids while Damon sat and folded his arms.

“You keep acting like that, you won’t get to play at all.” Dicky said.

“Daddy!”

“I mean it, Damon. Every time you do that, you end up complaining you’re hungry thirty minutes later.” Damon sighed, then stuffed the pizza bread in his mouth quickly. Dicky sighed as if he was going to say something, but I cut in.

“Just go, Damon.” Damon took off. Dicky looked at me. “What?”

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You undermineded me in front of Damon, Drew.”

I shrugged. “So?”

“So? How is he ever supposed to take a little discipline and learn from it, if you keep letting him have his way?”

“Dicky, it was pizza crust. You told him to eat it, he ate it.”

“Yeah he did. But there was the attitude. That’s what I’m trying to rid him of.”

“He’s a little boy. He’s not in boot camp.”

“I’m not trying to make him think he’s in boot camp. There is nothing wrong with disciplining a child if he or she needs it. You’re just being too soft on him. Letting him run all over you. Like this morning when he made you get him a drink and just now with the pizza crust.”

“I’m not being soft on him.” I said defensively.

“Yes you are. He’s got you wrapped around his little finger. That’s why he’s always under you, never wanting to talk to anybody.”

“Oh. So you’re blaming me for him not having any friends?” He shrugged. “Fine.” I tossed my hands up in defeat. “We’ll try it your way then. See how he likes that.”

************

We made it back home some time in the afternoon and pulled in the driveway. After Damon and Sofia said goodbye, I walked her to her house. She knocked, but didn’t get an answer. *All the cars are here.* I thought. “She might be asleep.” Sofia said. “I know where the spare key is.” She looked under the welcome mat and plucked out a silver key and opened it. “Thanks for taking me, Uncle Drew.” She called Dicky and I ‘uncle’.

“No problem. Tell your mom I said hi.”

“Okay.” She walked inside the house and shut the door. I started to walk back across the yard to my house when I heard a very loud shriek. I ran back to the door and knocked loudly.

“Sofia! Sofia open the door!” I heard feet thumping and she opened the door, face red and tear streaked. She was crying hysterically. I could barely hear what she was saying. “Calm down, honey. What’s the matter?” She didn’t say anything, she just pointed to the bedroom. Jessica’s bedroom. “Go to my house, understand?” She nodded and left. I walked slowly to the door, my heart thumping so hard, I thought it was going to burst out my chest. My hands were shaking so bad, I could barely get a grip on the door handle. The door was cracked, so I pushed it open. “Oh my God!!”

Dicky burst into the house. “Drew! What’s going on?! Sofia was crying so............oh no.” He whispered. He saw me kneeled next to Jessica holding her close to me and crying. Her golden hair was covered in so much blood, you couldn’t tell she was a blonde. As well as her hair was covered, so was her shirt, pants, and carpet, all covered in crimson. In her right hand, was a small hand gun.


TBC.......