22 years ago....
"I'm not about to have you bring that thing into this house, let alone feed or take care of it", my stepmother yelled at my father. I stood behind the front door of the house, a scared three year old in a place he didn't recognise.
"He's my son Veronica", that's all my dad could say. "He isn't my son, so you can't expect me to raise him like he is. Plus you have a son, so I don't understand why you went out and made another one with that black bitch", Veronica yelled out. "Don't call his mother that okay", he responds. "His mother! Not me! What the hell Sam, couldn't you have at least slept with a white woman, at least so we can make it look a whole lot better for us! I want him gone", she demands him. "He stays whether you like it not Veronica", my dad yells back at her.
"Over my dead body is that potential thug staying in my house", she exclaims. "It's our house Veronica, and my son isn't going to be a thug", he tells her. "Well, we'll see about", she tells him. I hear her stamp her feet and walk off. She says one last thing as she goes up the stairs, "did you even think about how this would affect us, our image and your first son Ethan".
She left my dad alone in the hallway.
My dad opened the front door and went on his knee in front of me. "Hey there buddy. You look tired. Do you want to sleep now after your long trip", he asks me. All I do is nod my head. He grabs me and carries me in his arms.
"Okay buddy, we're going to sleep in the spare room tonight and then tomorrow you'll be getting your own room. How does that sound", he asks me. "Where's my mommy", I ask him in a teary voice. "Mommy is just out of town, but she'll be back real soon", my dad tells me. We head into the spare room.
"J! J! Yoo J", Trevor calls out to me. I soon snap out of my memory lane trip and look at him with empty eyes."Did you hear what I said. We'll do all the operations in the spare room of my apartment till we start making enough money to buy a proper place", Trevor reminds me. I nod my head and say, "cool".
It's been a month of us working on this app and we're so close to finishing it.
"Not how you planned to spend your Saturday hey", Eric said while walking past me carrying a box in his hands. "Hey it's like some sort of like family time together. Look even April is here, so it's a full house", Trevor tells Eric while pointing at April. Everyone is hard at work making every second count. Davey is on his laptop typing codes while Eric joins him to keep asking him, "so what does that mean". Leilani and April are sitting on the carpet drawing up designs and talking about girl stuff. And Lenny is basically the errand boy for everyone.
"Hey Lenny, could you please grab a ruler in my bag over there sweetie", Leilani asks him.
Trevor and I are standing by the hallway door overseeing everything. I tap Trevor by the shoulder and tell, "hey man, I never really thanked you for that little loan of money you gave me for my rent and to keep April and I going. Really appreciate it bro".
"Don't mention it buddy. What are friends for", Trevor exclaims. "I will pay you back as soon as I can", I tell him. "I know. But I hope it's soon; cause I won't be able to cover you guys this month. My parents cut my allowance for this month", he tells me. "They weren't too happy about the App I'm presuming", I ask Trevor. "What did you expect. But it's fine, I'm glad I'm finally being independent and doing something I actually want to do. I just hope this whole app thing works out in the long run. I'm not about to go begging at my parents for help", Trevor tells me.
"Trust me. This app is on it's way to becoming the biggest thing we've ever done", I assure Trevor.
"Yes I did it", Davey screams out with his fists in the air. "Did what", Leilani asks him with curious eyes. Trevor and I walk up to Davey to hear what's up. "I completed the coding for the app, now I just need to implement it with Leilani's design and we can get this bad boy up and running", Davey tells us."So like everything. The chain message blocking, sliding in Dms permission function and all that stuff. You've completed it", Trevor asks Davey. "You know it. This is my finest work. I need to call my wife and tell her the news", Davey says while grabbing his phone from his pocket and stepping out.
I look at Leilani and ask her, "and how far are we with that design". "Almost done. Really want it to have that sexy modern look, so every thing has to be perfect", she replies. "Damn right girl", April backs her up with a high five. I slap Trevor on his shoulder and tell him, "I told you, trust me".
April comes up to my side and puts my arm over her. I kiss her forehead.
"You guys really make a cute couple", Trevor exclaims. "Always have, always will", April tells him. "So when are getting hitched T", April asks him. "Me? I don't know, maybe someday. I'm just really enjoying this bachelor life", Trevor tells her. "I'm sure she's going to be a really lucky girl", April exclaims. Trevor just says, "Yep".
"And how about you Leilani", I ask her. "I'm just waiting for Lenny to freaking make his move already", she says while looking in Lenny's direction. Lenny's eyes open wide as he exclaims, "wait what". "Don't act so surprised Len. You've had a crush on Leilani since elementary I think. It's even more obvious right now", Eric says while he putting down another box. I add on by saying, "we've all been waiting for you and Leilani to be an item for the longest time. You guys are practically destined for each other. Your birthdays are literally a day apart, same first name initials and you're opposites so you're attracted to each other".
"Their birthdays are one day apart. How cute is that", April exclaims. Lenny starts acting shy as soon as Leilani looks his way again. "And you Eric, any lucky lady or guy", Trevor asks him with a laugh. Eric spares no expense and gives T a middle finger.
"My lucky lady is waiting for her knight in shinny armour to come and rescue her", he tells us all.
Trevor and I both say the name, "Mandy". "Who's that", April asks us. "Just some weird girl Eric has been eyeing for the past 2 years. She works at the bar, and has a serious gap", Leilani tells April. "If Eric is weird, Mandy is weirder. And that gap is more than serious then you think. It's a whole freaking gate", I announce.
"And all the things I could do to that gap. Might make a Kamasutra for that whole mouth", Eric states.
"Eeewww", the rest of us exclaim. "Leave me and my gap alone", Eric says. Davey walks in after finishing off with his call and states, "we talking about Gapy Mandy".
"Ey! Only I can call her that", Eric yells at Davey. "But seriously, are you willing to wake up to that gap every single morning", Leilani asks Eric. "I'll wake and to that gap every morning and smile because it's definitely going to be a good morning for me", he states.
While everyone is laughing at Eric's silliness, my mind goes back into a memory of a particular morning.....
"Good morning buddy", my dad says to me, "did you sleep well buddy". "Yes sir", I tell him while I sit by the kitchen table. "It's dad buddy. I'm your father", he tells me. "Unfortunately that you are," Mrs Baston says as she walks into the kitchen. " Veronica please", my dad says in a sharp tone.
"Why is that thing still in here, I thought you'd gotten rid of it before I woke up", she asks him. "I told you, that's not happening", he tells her. "Can't we pay for it to leave like that little hooker of yours", she suggests to him. "I told you no Veronica, and can you stop talking about my son's mother like that. And stop calling him it", he tells her in an angry voice.
"Well what's it's name", she asks him. "It's Jahmal", my dad tells her. "Well Jahmal. You're mother is a home wrecking whore", she says to me. "Veronica", my dad yells to her.
I ask my dad, "is mommy coming to see me today". "No buddy, but soon I promise soon. Now eat your cereal", he tells me. "Okay sir", I respond. Mrs Baston laughs and says, "you really expect him to call you dad with your whiter than snow ass".
"Veronica", my dad says in a heavy voice. "Who's this Dad", Ethan asks as he walks into the kitchen. "Son, this is your new stepbrother Jahmal. Come and say hi", he tells Ethan. Ethan takes one look at me then looks at his mom. He runs up stairs in a fit. "Crap! Look what at you've done Sam", Mrs Baston says as she runs after Ethan.
My dad holds his head and exclaims, "f*ck".
I look at him and from that very day onwards I knew there was no good morning in this house ever again.