I'm trying not to sound like I'm crying lest my mom never tell me about anything thats going on at home. I mean since freshman year all I would wanna do on the phone calls is shoot the breeze and keep in touch with what is going on at home, you know the normal stuff: the random little girl secrets your cousin will tell you, some outrageous reasoning your lil cuz had, who was sick, who had a new girlfriend etc...I've never had these convos with mom...
So I'm crying as I ask, "Mom does he know what they do to kids on the street? Does he know what they do to little boys." Even though he is 15 thats how I see him as a little boy as someone who could be my son, after all I raised him part time every evening after school...when older ppl tell you I changed your diaper, for me that was not a one-time event it was Mon-Fri from 4-8PM my bedtime. I changed and played with you while your mom caught up on the laundry or took a nap, or a shower, cooked dinner, washed her hair or just got a chance to sit.
And I love you dearly and for the last 6 years since I left for school it's like your big cousin has just dropped off the face of the earth. The annoying big cousin who demanded a hug and peck on the cheek, the big cousin who would ask what YOU wanted for xmas instead of buying some crap, the big cousin who would take you to the movies and endure sitting in the very front row cuz you thought that was the best seat in the house, lol then we would have KFC after and even though I love your brother and sister the same yet differently you must know that you were my favorite. You were the first with your long Sampson-like ponytail and cherub cheeks, an Aquarian like me and sensitive oh so sensitive and oh how you longed to be just like Daddy and seek his approval...Too bad too late he realized that to be the disciplinarian he didn't have to shout. I know you tried to be a brave boy but when you are 6 and acting up and someone that is 6' 3" bellows at you all you wanna do is run and hide, all you wanna do is bite your fingernails to take away from the nervousness.
As much as I tried to explain to you that he loves you, as much as I tried to let you into the secret that neither of your parents are much of a disciplinarian it just fell on your dad's shoulder's since he is more imposing... you could never believe me that he is the Teddy Bear I espoused him to be.
I'm not blaming your dad totally cuz your mom left some gaps in there too but you know what I am blaming your dad because I feel just as abandonned as you. How DARE he cheat on your mom...
HOW DARE HE JUST MOVE OUT LIKE THAT AND LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE
HOW DARE HE ABANDON HIS FAMILY LIKE HE NEVER HAD ONE ACTING AS IF BEING IN TOUCH BY CELL PHONES HE PROVIDES IS THE SAME AS COMING HOME SEEING HIM EVERY MORNING AND NIGHT
HOW DARE HE LEAVE THE HOUSEHOLD WITHOUT A CAR TRANSPORT
HOW CAN YOU BE MARRIED NOT DO ANY PROCEDINGS FOR A SEPARATION AND LIVE WITH AND FUCK ANOTHER WOMAN.
YOU HAVE 3 KIDS AND A WIFE
HOW CAN YOU NOT CARE BECAUSE IF YOU CARED YOU WOULD HAVE STAYED
IF YOU CARED YOU WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT LIKE THIS.
No one even told me this... I mean my ex tried to tell me but because I knew my uncle...I said you're mistaken, things get taken out of context...even if he flirts with her (your mom) she is married too she wouldnt entertain anything remotely like that.
Well how wrong was I.
Your mom left your stepdad and is now with my uncle and somehow I think both parties are still married with no thought of divorce procedings.
I guess you see Yasmin as some bitch that took your dad away but I've known her for years and loved her.
This situation is so fucked up.
Was it while all this was snowballing you decided that you were fat.
I never remember what I blog so maybe I spoke about this before but if not here it is.
You had your baby fat you hadn't even hit puberty yet, you were up to my chest barely and now your head is inches above mine...could you have given yourself a chance to grow?
No you made the leap to high school and was so out of depth. Dad's van that you thought was so cool when you were young you realized was just a bread van...cuz he is a baker, you didn't have a Sega or Nikes or any other of the brand name stuff ppl had, you didn't look poor you just weren't blinging, worse yet your cousin (older by 2 years) who you were friends with ever since was blinging in the popular crew at school and ignoring you.
What's a boy to do? Re-evaluate himself and see what he needed to change to gain friends because noone was there to tell you it will get better, that kids your age are superficial and that things like these would actually help you to make REAL friends not the "good time friends".
So you decided that you were fat that you had a belly which you did, but with the years I had on you I knew that there would be that summer that you would just shoot up and blossom throwing off that little bit.
But no you devised your own solution and started pinning your vest to the inside of your pants to give the idea of a flat not bulging front and belted your waist so tightly....(sigh) and belted your waist so tightly you cut yourself and doing this continually for an entire school year that cut healed eventually as a huge piece of growing flesh about six inches long and so thick. The cut pained you and you walked differently because of it but you still continued to do it b/c you were insecure about yourself because so much was going on in your home environment that you could not control. It was only because of that cut and the pain it caused that your dad noticed you wincing at certain times...holding things differently, being awkward when you lifted stuff.
And now you walk around bare backed unabashed with that reminder and I never asked you how you got it but it was your dad that told me about it...
I know you don't know that. So if he was somewhat at home then and it took him an entire year to realize what you were doing to yourself what about now when he is around less because he is tending to two households?
So after he stopped you from doing that was that when you decided you needed an overhaul thats when you decided to go on your shake diet and lose about 50 pounds. I almost didn't recognize you, the deep base the scraggles of chin hair, and the height.....you lost 50pounds and that's when nature decided you would have your growth spurt leading to an unnatural gaunt looking appearance. In my class in high school some guys did have that appearance but that was actually puberty, yours was produced by a confluence of experimentation that had me worried when I saw you but of course I couldn't criticize I had to say you looked great ... great as you are and that continuing the diet would make you look bad...that what you needed to do was probably eat more and lift weights to get buff...no cardio...I don't know what I was saying but anything to get him to stop his weight loss regime and eat food. I swear if he were as dedicated to studying as he was to losing his weight that singlemindedness would make him a dangerous force to be reckoned with.
So I left at xmas knowing everything was turning to shit but thinking hey its already there how much worse can it get.
And then you tried to run away getting on a boat to go somewhere with your cell phone but with no idea how to get to help?
TWICE!!!!!!
Do you know what they do to kids on the street?
Did you think about it?
Do you think that's what you are worth?
How did I go wrong? I feel like I failed you. How can you not see that you are a King in my eyes and worth so much more than that.
Now you have to see a psychologist. I saw one briefly when I was young and having Daddy issues I stopped because I never felt comfortable opening up and crying so I faked it and asked that it be discontinued and till this day I don't know if it helped me keep my sanity or just delay something...who knows what it is.
And now you are set back in life because you have gotten permission because of undue home stress you don't have to do your CXCs how ridiculous is that?
How did the family even engineer that. I know that they can't force you but you are not focussed and getting away with it once does that mean you will try again next year...and the way our society is having no passes relegates you to being a street cleaner, mixtape seller, natural oils and rasta hats seller along the street passing your days in seamless monotony.
At least they have a plan saving towards something, using it as a first step to something else. However, I can see you being comfortable there OR doing what your father did taking the family responsibility of the bakery and sacrificing your dreams.
Do you have dreams?
Are you afraid of wanting better for yourself?
Your grandfather died young from a heart attack and even though your dad was the second oldest (having an older brother) he stepped up to the plate managing the business and taking over while his younger sister sought her fortune in America and has a PhD and is now living in Italy with her son and Jamaican husband yet while when she was 18-25 living fast in NY running up all sorts of bills with the easily gained credit cards it was between your dad and your mom that constantly sent money for her to "be young" and discover herself.
Don't even let me talk about your uncle. I can't even come down on him...every one loves him but he's just selfish that's his personality it's a joke and doesn't stress anyone out cuz "that's how he is". He is the oldest but your Dad put in the work and made the life sacrifice. Maybe that's why your Dad feels no guilt now doing and being where he feels happy.
Where are you going?
I love you but where is your life going?
This just make me put more pressure to ask myself these questions and have answers because they are not helping you.
Because it is my duty and because I love you and want to help you.
Don't think that I don't care about your brother and sister but Cheneyse is playing the mommy game, spying on your dad and working both over to get material things so I don't think she is even focussing on hurt or abandonment, I think she is in the Goodfellas mode ie "FUCK YOU PAY ME".... and to her credit its working. Money to buy clothes, a post paid cell phone etc, no curfew, "friends" passing by the house to check her, and free reign to gossip about "big people business" not appropriate for a 13 year old to be up front and center in her parent's domestic business.
Then there is David, the little lion, he is the youngest and knows what is going on but he is so unaffected. Even when yall were young things that would make you self concious didn't bother him...he just is so certain of his being and his personality. He makes friends easily is a leader and has always been sure of himself at a young age and strangely enough has never seemed intimitated by you as an older brother. So David is the little lion always with his red, gold and green lion chain, putting fake earrings in his left ear, charming girls old and young alike (he really is a cutie) and basically has his own thing going on, the fact that daddy isn't there is a non issue to him. If he needs something he'll just call him up and leave a message. Seemingly unaffected I guess with time we will see.
So, in a nutshell thats what made me cry this morning.
I just feel like if I was there things could be NO things would be different.
I can't make my uncle stay with his wife, but I could definitely be an extra pair of eyes, an extra pair of younger ears willing to listen when you want to say stuff that you are not sure who its safe to say it to or how to express it.
Where are you going, what is going to be your life?
You are still young, it's not too late to begin to carve your path!
***POST EDIT
The only saving grace is his girlfriend. During xmas I went with him to the jewlrey store to pick out the gift with money he saved. And no he didn't get played he got a shiny thingy of equal value from her. I was glad when I saw that, it showed that he wasn't being used. He sees her all the time. She like him works in her father's business, a pharmacy, all along the same street. So as he walks to go work in the bakery he stops by and hangs out a little bit. I tease him about her, I ask him if he doesn't like girls with butt, cuz she is indian LOL. She seems to be good for him if through all this turmoil they are still together. I hope she gives him good advice, I know she can't make him not run away but I hope she's doing her part...some sort of stability in his life. I hope her parent won't interfere in their relationship whether racially motivated or because they see the relationship as toxic.
It's weird how everything could be falling apart in your life, but if you have love it makes it just a little more bearable.