Page 9 of Taming a Menace

“You won’t have to pull them late shifts too much longer now. That’s why I want to get the word out that your business is back up and running. You know there are a lot of people that will need someone to cook for their weddings and events that come to church.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You don’t have to come to both services. Just come with me at eleven thirty. You’ll be back home by one. They need to see your handsome face.”

“I’ll be there, Ma,” I vowed.

“Good, ’cause I can’t drag neither one of your heathen brothers with me for shit.”

“Do them church folks know you still curse like a sailor?” I asked, laughing when she threw a dish towel at me.

“The Lord knows my heart, boy. Anyway that’s why I keep going back so I can repent and grow.”

“That ain’t what I asked you, lady.”

“Yes the hell they do know I curse. I will curse one of their asses out in the name of the Lord if they get wrong. Don’t mess with me early in the morning, boy.”

“You know I gotta make up for lost time,” I teased.

“Well you’re on a roll this morning. Lord knows I missed your aggravating self,” my mom said, moving closer to wrap her arms around me.

I kissed the top of her head, putting the spatula down so that I could hug her back. Hugs from my mom always felt therapeutic. She sacrificed so much for me and my brothers when she was left alone to raise us. I would never get tired of showing my appreciation.

My brothers had already told me that she had a boyfriend, but so far, she was keeping him under wraps when it came to me.

I couldn’t wait to meet him and make sure that he was good enough for my mama.

I wasn’t having any old body sniffing up behind my girl.

I didn’t care what she had to say about it.

“What are you making?” she asked, releasing her hold on me.

“Salmon patties, grits, and eggs. I was trying to get it done before you headed out.”

“Looks like you’re right on time,” she noted as I started to make her plate.

“Looks like it.”

“Where’s yours?” she asked, knitting her brows together.

“I didn’t make enough grits and eggs for me. I gotta go see my parole officer this morning. Just thinking about having to deal with him got my nerves bad. I don’t feel like eating.”

“What does he want already? You just got home.”

“I got released from my anger management classes for missing too many sessions,” I revealed.

My mom sighed as she took her plate and moved to the table.

“Keywan, you know you can’t be fucking up like that. Them folks are just waiting on the perfect opportunity to take you off the streets again. They already think you’re a menace to society, baby. Don’t prove them right.”

“It’s those late shifts. I keep oversleeping. Other than that, I’ve been on the straight and narrow.”

“You might need to find something else to do while you’re waiting for your business to take off.”

“I’m working on it, Ma.”

I left my mom to eat her breakfast while I headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

My mom loved having me at her house full time just as much as I loved spending time with her.

At the same time, I needed somewhere that I could spread my wings.

I was sure her boyfriend hadn’t visited because I was living here. I loved and hated that part.

Now that I was home, I couldn’t get Iyla off my mind.

I laughed to myself trying to recall a time when she hadn’t been on my mind in the past three years.

Thinking about her had kept me sane through the darkest nights.

The tattoo of a crescent moon on my wrist was a constant reminder of the one I had no choice but to let get away.

It was a reminder that I had something to look forward to when I got out.

It didn’t matter if she had a man or not.

I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from getting to her.

Moon gave me a reason to fight the demons that were threatening to drive me crazy while I was behind the wall.

Knowing that she existed gave me something to look forward to.

That tattoo was a constant reminder of the woman who made me fall in love at first sight.

I’d read so many books while I was down that I started to paint a picture of the greatest love story ever told. My Moon and I were the stars.

I wanted her now just as much as I had the night we met.

My hunger for her wasn’t just because of the bomb ass sex.

She was captivating. Her smile, her laughter, and those damn eyes played on a loop in my head long after she’d left my presence.

Just thinking about her had my dick as hard as calculus by the time I stepped in the shower.

I felt like a sucker for going out bad enough to not press her for her number.

It wasn’t like I was an ideal candidate to be her man knowing that I was going to prison in a few days.

Still I should have gone harder. I didn’t even know her last name.

She’d been renting the house that she lived in, so I didn’t even know where to find her three years later.

That night, things were different. I understood that she was going through some shit. So was I. Now I was free and ready to get my life together so I could look for the woman of my literal dreams. I had to get Franklin off my back so I could move freely. I needed to get out of my mom’s house.

The main reason I hadn’t actively been looking for her was because I didn’t have my own shit. If I had my own place, I would have been a little more aggressive in my pursuit of her. It was going to be hard as hell to keep a woman like that if I had to fuck her in my mom’s house.

That thought alone reminded me of how ready I was to get back into my own space. Not that I hated living with my mom, but I hated living with my mom. Depending on how the conversation with Franklin went, I planned on asking him about the procedure for changing my address.

Replays of Iyla’s snug pussy massaging my dick gave me enough fuel to rub out a quick nut before my shower. By the time I was showered and dressed for the day, my mom was gone. I had a little time before I had to go see Franklin’s soft ass, so I texted my brother to see if he was at work.

I wasn’t a pet lover as much as him, but I liked going through to check things out. I would probably even buy a dog from him once I got settled in at my new spot. The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind good before my mom’s dog Sarah came running out and hopped on the couch.

“Uh-uh, get your ass down,” I fussed as I plopped down on the other end.

Her little bad ass ignored me as if I hadn’t even opened my mouth.

It’s not like I expected her to listen. She didn’t listen to anybody but my mom.

Stretching my legs out in front of me, I put the TV on some sports highlights and kicked back.

The repetitive highlights did their job of putting me to sleep.

All I needed was a short nap since I would be up half the night working.

I jolted awake when my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost nine. Raising up, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

“Son, I need you to be on time to see your parole officer,” Kross fussed.

“Um, I’m pretty sure I learned how to tell time when I was five.”

“You’re talking to the man who taught you how to do it.”

“I appreciate that, bro, but I got it from here.”

“I can’t fucking tell. You got your ass on your shoulders because you got kicked out of your class for being late. We need you to do everything in your power to stay the fuck out here, bro.”

“I don’t need to hear that right now, Kross. I’m in a shitty enough mood.”

“When are you not?”

“Well this is not the exception. I’m walking out the house right now to go see Franklin’s dog ass.”

“Let me know what I can do to help,” he offered.

“Aside from going into sniper mode and taking him out while I’m in his office so I can remove whatever files he got on me?”

“Aside from that. I’m trying to stay on the right side of the law as much as possible. I advise you to do the same.”

“I’m working on it, bro.”

“In the meantime, be on the lookout for a few calls. A couple of Doc’s associates have been looking for someone with your expertise.”

“Cool, if I make it out of the parole office, I want to swing by and holler at you about something. I have an idea I want to run by you.”

“ When you leave, just come through.”

“Have them horses put up. I don’t feel like they remember me. The bigger one was grilling me like hell the last time I came through.”

He laughed. “My dogs have excellent memories. He ain’t forgot none of that shit you used to talk.”

“Whatever, man. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way.”

I raised my arms over my head, stretching as I stood from the couch. There was no use in prolonging the time. I found it was best to face your obligations head on. If I had to go back to prison over a stupid ass class that wasn’t even benefitting me then that was just what I had to do.

As much as I hated to go back to prison, I was ready to put all this shit behind me so I could live my life.

I was tired of being under somebody’s thumb.

I didn’t see why I had to take the class anyway.

It would be different if they actually worked.

None of the things they told me to use as coping mechanisms had ever worked.

At this point, I was comfortable staying away from people as much as possible. There were a select few that knew how I moved. Those were the only people I needed to see on a regular basis.

For whatever reason, when I worked private jobs, I was usually able to temper my mood enough that I could tolerate people.

It was working for and with other people that irked the hell out of me.

My late shift at Sonny’s kept me hidden in the back where I didn’t have to deal with anyone unless they came to the back fucking with me like ol’ boy had a few nights ago.