Because of You

“Adele?”
“Yes ma’am?” I asked as I ran into my grandmother’s room looking at her as if she was crazy.
“What the hell is this?”
“Huh?”
“This child.” She held up a pair of my thong underwear as she was folding the laundry.
“Momma that’s my underwear.”
“Child that a piece of cloth and two strings.”
“I know Ma’ that’s what a thong is. Do you need my help?” I asked as I chuckled at my grandmother.
“Why y’all want to wear a piece of string in yo’ ass is beyond me child i just don't get it.”
“Nana I don’t wear them all the time just at work. The pants are cut so low I can’t wear regular underwear.” I said as she looked at me and frowned as I talked about job. She hated it but it was good money. I worked at a strip club as a bartender on the weekends and then at a club as a DJ. I didn’t let working at the strip club but let I said its good money.
“Momma do I need to help you with this?” I asked again as I looked at her frowning throwing my clean thongs in my basket.
“No I need you to go to the store and get the stuff that’s on the list.”
“MOMMA!!!!!”
“What Grayson?”
My two and a half year old son came running into my grandmother’s bedroom and grabbed my leg.
“What baby?”
“Look.” He said as he pointed to his hand and I noticed blood.
“Grayson what the hell did you do?”
I started frantically looking all over his body to see were the blood was coming from and noticed it was coming from the back of his head.
“What did you do boy?”
“Fell.” He said as if the blood didn’t faze him.
“Damn… Ma’ I gotta take him to the ER it’s not stopping.” I said as she followed behind me and grabbed Grayson’s diaper bag and our purses. We walked out of the house and she locked the front door and the bars and we walked to my 2004 Nissan Maxima and I waited for my grandmother to unlock my door.
“You just hold him baby and I will drove.”
“Nana…”
“Addie I’m fine.” She said as we both got into the car and she began to drive to the hospital.

~Two hours later~

“I’m glad he didn’t cut a finger off or something he would have bled to death. I hate county… if he was older I know we would have been in there for a long time.” I said as we walked towards the lobby when I woman stopped us.
“Adele Manchi?”
“Yes?” I asked as we turned around and looked at the woman.
“My name is Sarah Williams and I’m with Child Protected Services.”
“Are you serious? He fell off the couch… he’s a boy they do stuff like that… it’s the first time something like this has ever happened….you can’t take my baby…” I said as I started to fell the tears fall from my eyes.
“What? Oh no honey we’re not going to take your child from you… I’m your case worker and I needed to talk to you about some stuff.” She said as she walked closer and looked at me and my grandmother.
“My case worker? I don’t have a case worker.”
“Adele she was your case worker when you were a baby, she’s the one who called me to come get you when you were born.”
“Oh.” I said as she had us follow her to her office on the other end of the hall.
“Please sit.” She said as we both sat down and she looked at Grayson.
“That your son?”
“Yes.” I said as I smiled down and the handsome baby boy in my arms who was now looking around the room.
“Momma candy?”
“No Grayson.” I said as he frowned looking like his father and reached for my grandmother.
“She said no little boy.” My grandmother Beverly said as she looked at him with a stern look and he dropped his head.
“Well I saw your name on the board at the nurse station and I walked to just check up on you. I see you’re doing well for yourself.”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Bev she’s beautiful and I knew I made the right decision.”
“Thank you she’s going to school full time has two jobs and raises this little boy all on her own. I’m proud of her.”

We talked for a few minutes more and then I dropped my grandmother off and when to the store and got the things she needed. I was in line when I saw a girl I thought looked familiar.
“Sasha looks who’s on the cover of billboard.” I hear someone say.
“He makes me sick fuck him.” She said as I turned around and looked at her.
“Oh sorry… he didn’t hear me did he?” He asked as she pointed to Grayson.
“No.” I said as I turned around quickly and I could felt her burning a hole in the back of my head.
“Wait do I know you?”
“Nope.” I said again quickly and moved up in the line.
“Wait I do know you…. You umm…wait it’s coming back to me… Adele you’re Adele.” She said as she pointed to me.
“Yeah that’s my name.” I said trying to play like I didn’t know her.
“You are best friends with my ex.”
“Really who’s your ex?” I asked as I tried to keep Grayson covered from her line of view… because anyone that knew his father would know Grayson was his he looked just like him, he was his father all over and I knew she would hit the nail on the head.
“You don’t remember me?” She asked as I moved up in the line and Grayson started handing me the stuff to so it could get checked out.
“Thank you baby.”
“Welcome momma.” He said as he stood up the chart and wrapped his arms around my neck.
“He’s so cute.” She said as I turned and looked at her and it’s like the light bulb knew off in her head I could see it all in her face.
“Oh my God! Does he know? He looks just like him…. he’s gorgeous.” She gushed as her friend looked at me and then Grayson.
“Does who know what?” I asked as the girl at the counter keep ringing up my stuff.
“Momma looks…its daddy.” He said as he pointed to the Billboard magazine her friends reading and smiled.
“I see it baby and if you reference to my son yes he knows who his father is, but if you referring to the father no he doesn’t. I haven’t seen him since he leave me for you and your baby which by the way congrats on.” I said knowing she was never pregnant.
“It was a false alarm…but you should really tell him. He would be there and shit.”
“Could you not curse around my son and we’re just fine without him. It was good seeing you…” I said as I got my food stamp card out and swiped it.
“Sit down Gee-Gee.” I said as he sat back down in the cart and I walked out to my car. I put all the bags in the car and walked the cart over to the cart holder thing and picked Grayson up and walked back to my car and strapped him in. I can’t he was dumb enough to believe her and not me…. I thought to myself as I drove back to my house.

Adele

Grayson