Page 47 of When I Thug You Like That

“I listen to Mommy.”

“Yeah, you do, but today, you had your listening ears off. And playas fuck up, but I can’t have you not listening, champ.”

“Mommy too loud.”

“Did Mommy hurt your feelings?”

He nodded again.

“Okay. Daddy gon’ tell her about that. But you still gotta say sorry.”

He looked down at his hands. “I say sorry to Mommy.”

I put my hand under his chin to lift his head. “Don’t be sad. You were wrong. You own it, apologize, and we keep going. But I’ma hold onto this for now.” I picked the iPad up off the bed. “Build something nice, and I’ll be back, aight?”

“Okay.”

“Bet.”

I kissed the top of his head and left him to his project, closing the door enough to give me and India some privacy but still be able to hear him. Back in the kitchen, the cereal was cleaned up, milk put away, and the barstool pushed in, but the frustration still lingered in the air as India leaned over the island, typing in her phone.

“You better not be over there talkin’ about my son to your bum ass friends.”

She stopped typing and looked up at me. “First off, I’m not talkin’ about our son. I’m expressing my frustration to my mother. Thank you very much.”

“In that case, don’t be talkin’ shit about me or my son to your mother.”

“Whatever, Jay. Is he ready to go?”

“In a minute. What happened this morning?”

“What you mean what happened? Nothing. We woke up like any other day. He was a little bit cranky...”

“Because he went to bed late,” I interrupted her and leaned back against the wall.

“He went to bed late because he was up waiting for you.”

“I’ll eat that.”

“Exactly.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, like I was saying, he was a little cranky, but we still got through the normal routine. He asked for cereal, and I gave it to him. Even let him pour it himself because he insisted. He sat at the table, and I gave him his iPad to keep him company while I finished getting dressed. When I came back out, he hadn’t touched the cereal because he was locked in on the iPad. I went to take it from him, and he just flipped out, yelling and shit. Even snatched the iPad back. That’s how the cereal ended up on the floor. It went downhill from there.”

I nodded, processing what she said from her point of view and his before responding. “I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t give him the iPad first thing in the morning?”

“I didn’t agree to that. That’s something you said we should do. And just because it works at your house doesn’t mean that it’s something I have to do in mine.”

“And that’s your problem. You missed my whole logic behind what I said because you quick to think a nigga just tellin’ you what to do. The reason I suggested no iPad in the morning and why he has a timer on it is because I know how fixated he becomes once it’s in his hand. He don’t see nobody and barely hears you because that’s what he’s interested in. You using that shit as a babysitter. He got mad toys in his room to keep him occupied; he don’t always need that device. Then, instead of explaining to him how things are gonna go, i.e. the first then method that I went over with you, you went and took the iPad from him. That’s why his lil’ ass got to wildin’ out. It don’t make it right at all, and I spoke to him about it. At the same time, you as the parent gotta look at the scene you created.”

India’s head pulled back. “A babysitter? I’m using the iPad as a babysitter? What I’m not gonna let you do is sit here and insult me in my house.”

I sighed. “That’s all you heard?”

“That’s all I needed to hear, Jay. Like what the fuck?”

“Yo’ ass be buggin’ the fuck out. You literally listen for the shit that piss you off and dismiss everything else. That make sense to you?”

“It’s hard to listen to anything else when you come in here actin’ like you have a degree in autism, and I’m the dummy who can’t comprehend it. I know my fuckin’ kid, Jamison!”

“Aye, ion know how much understanding you think you gon’ get talkin’ to me like you don’t have no fuckin’ sense, but on some real shit, pipe the fuck down.” Although I wasn’t as loud as her, my tone had settled into something borderline dangerous.