I leaned forward as my aunt Riana waded in a circle around me with the phone at her ear.

Extensions cradled over the sides of her head. She wore a blue blazer jacket over her white shirt that complemented the gleaming cyan stone earrings that rocked in tandem with her frustrated pacing.

This waiting was making me sweat. Aunt Riana decided to liberate me from my unfairly imposed iniquity when she looked down at me. "Here."

There was no way I was going to answer that phone, because I knew who was on the other line.

I groaned under my breath. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

She frowned and put the phone to her ears. Aunt Riana moved it and I heard a distant mumbling of sound coming from the phone.

"Take it." Riana gestured the phone toward me.

I finally took the phone. My sister appeared from behind my aunt.

"The hell wrong with you!" he shouted into my ears. I fidgeted to hear my father's voice. He continued with fiery pouring out. "You still a tief!?"

"No, it was—"

"I don't want to hear it! When I come down there, a kick me ago kick you inna you face, you bright and facety!"

I kept silent as my father unloaded every expletive on me in his tirade about how I was born lucky, how I was a waste of space, and how I wasted every opportunity given to me.

This wasn't new. I heard it all before. Then again, It meant nothing to me. I wanted to be left alone.

Only the last words registered.

He said, "We sent you to St. Elizabeth, so you can avoid the fuckery down here and you still find a way to create your own fuckery. Irwin, you want to go jail? You want to die?"

I rubbed my furrowing eyebrows. "No."

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"Then why you do that, you no love your life?"

I had not answered. It was not a matter of yes or no, for I wasn't sure about my 'yes'.

"Irwin, Irwin, Irwin—"

"Yes!" I replied.

"You have so much life to live. Find something to do, find a job."

A chuckle almost escaped me. "No job no da round here."

"So how your sister can find work?"

"Because she has a vagina, I do not."

Nodelyn gave me a disgusted scowl, but I ignored her.

"That is no excuse. You are a man, you are the one the ladies should rely on, and here you are doing nothing. You is a boy, Irwin, not a man. Honestly, I feel ashamed to call you my son."

My arms shifted inward as I straightened.

"You stab your friend in his back, you left the other fi dead and now you are stealing from hardworking people. Irwin, you are a piece of work. You are not my son anymore. It could not be my blood inna your veins. Put your aunt on the phone!"

I wanted to retort, but I just flexed my face in contempt and gave my aunt the phone. The chair softened to my back when I leaned back and breathed out. Scratching my head, I heard Nodelyn. "You ok?"

None of you people cared about me, so why ask? If I died tomorrow, all of you would have praised the lord, Jesus Christ that I was out of your lives. No, there was no way I was giving you ingrates the satisfaction.

All my so-called friends were snakes. Their eventual death moved me little. When they are stuck working menial jobs like fools to the Babylon factory, the future saw me cruising on a speed boat into the sunset with a box of money and a hot woman.

Idiots…

Like I cared about being anyone’s son, I was perfectly fine being fatherless. Not like he was in my life anyway for him to be talking like he should have been my father.

Where was he when I was hungry? Where was he when my mother left the coop?

Oh, right, he was shacked up with another woman and another son. I never needed you then, and he definitely was not needed now.

I gave her a roll of my eyes and fanned her off. "Go away."

Nodelyn gave me a once over and turned with disdain on her face. So I had no father now. Good, it was expected. I was used to people leaving and hating me.

"Okay, I understand." Aunt Riana laid the phone down on the table and sat down looking at me sternly.

"You have one week to find a job. You need to start contributing to this house. No second chances." Her eyes narrowed. "Plus, I will verify that it is honest money, you are earning. I will not take evil money."

I almost laughed. This was a huge pain. But I restrained the urge and nodded pertly. "Fine."

"Maybe you ca' join Malt football team, might knock some sense into you." Nodelyn sauntered away and left me stunted.

I snorted and kept my voice low. "I wouldn't be caught dead on that team. That will never happen."