Tears on a Sunday Afternoon - Michael Presley [43]
“Why are you rushing, Emerald?”
“Daddy, I need to use the bathroom,” he said before disappearing behind the entry door to the house from the garage.
Emerald had eaten two burgers along with a hot dog and had guzzled down a Snapple apple juice at the park. I told him that he would need to use the bathroom soon, but he didn’t believe me. He had already gone once at the park. I hung my bike over Emerald’s and walked into the house. When I got inside, he was just coming out of the bathroom. “Daddy, why doesn’t Mommy go riding with us?”
“Because she has other things to do, but I’m sure she’s taking you someplace this weekend.”
“Yep, she’s taking me to The Brooklyn Aquarium. She said they got a new whale and it’s a white one.”
“Wow, that’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“But, Daddy, does Aunty Annette have to go with us?” he asked, a strained expression on his face.
“I don’t know. Does she bother you?” My hatred for that bitch was all consuming, but I attempted to keep my voice calm.
“No, she doesn’t but Mommy’s always in a rush when Aunty Annette comes with us.”
“Well, I’ll talk to Mommy and ask her not to bring Aunty Annette. Okay?”
“Okay, Daddy. I love you. I’m going upstairs to get the word game you promised to play with me.” He rose from the chair and put the plate and cup in the sink.
I drank half of the water in the bottle. “Did you read your new book?”
“I started but I didn’t finish. I can read some of it to you when we finish playing.” He started walking up the stairs.
“Okay, Son, I’ll be right up.”
“Don’t be too long,” Emerald said at the top of the stairs.
“I won’t.”
I went up to his room a few minutes later. We played a Scrabble game and then Emerald read me a story. He had a little difficulty pronouncing some of the words but, all in all, he was way ahead of even the first-graders. After that, he fell asleep and I went back to my room to lie down.
The pain in my face was excruciating. I took my right hand and felt around my cheekbone. Blood was oozing from a gash in my face. It took me a few seconds before I was able to open my right eye. At the same time, I pulled myself up from the bed.
“I see that you’re up,” Malcolm said, his tall figure looming in front of me.
As my eyes became adjusted to the room, I saw him wiping the butt of a gun.
“What the fuck do you want?” I asked, a cornered and angry man. I could barely keep my eye open.
“Do you like punishment? Because you knew that this was going to happen.” He remained standing in front of me. “I know that life is difficult sometimes, but this one is all we have. And the most important thing is making our loved ones happy. Dora and I have been together for over forty years. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for that woman. We both love Emerald and, even though we don’t like what has happened to our daughter, we’re willing to deal with it.” He paused for a minute to catch his breath. “Dora wants a granddaughter. As for me, my grandson is enough.”
“So, why don’t you leave me alone?” I asked, wiping the blood from my cheek with the white sheet.
Malcolm exhaled loudly. “That’s your problem, Donald. You never listen. Dora wants a granddaughter, so Dora gets a granddaughter. You seem to have forgotten who you are. This isn’t a debatable issue. You have absolutely no rights here.”
“Everyone has rights,” I said.
“No, they don’t. Everyone thinks they have rights, but they don’t. I’m not here to discuss rights. You will impregnate my daughter.”
I was barely able to look up because my head was pounding. “Why don’t you do it?”
Malcolm moved swiftly for an old man or maybe I had lost too much blood from the cut under my eye. I didn’t see the gun coming toward my face. The impact sent me rolling onto the floor. I tried to get up quickly, but I couldn’t. I spit the coagulated