Atlanta , Ga.
The Carter G. Woodson House
Khalil
“My baby is moving into his dorm,” Gina said as tears welled up in her eyes. “Are you really 18? Are my babies really leaving me?”
Khalil folded and put away the last shirt he’d taken out of the suitcase.
“Ma, please lets not go through this again,” he pleaded. The entire ride from the house to campus had been racked with her cries. Khalil loved his mother, but was both ready and excited to begin his adventures at Atlanta A&T.
“I’m about to FaceTime your auntie Pam so she see can see you moving in, being all college-educated and grown,” Gina said as she began toggling through her phone before Khalil could interject.
“Ma, plea don’t do that right now. I really want to get this stuff unpacked and go meet Kingston- help him get situated and whatnot.”
“Oh boy just hush,” Gina snapped dialing the number, “It won’t take you but 2 minutes to say hello. Like you got so much to do.”
“Ma, I just want to get this done and go find -”
“Hello, hey girl!” Khalil’s plea fell on deaf ears. His mom’s best friend was on the phone and there was no way he would be able to get out of it.
“Girl, guess where I’m standing?” Gina asked.
“Where, girl?” Pam asked. “And hurry up because I’m in a meeting right now.”
“Girl,” Gina started, “I’m standing in Khalil’s dorm. He is moving in this weekend and I’m just trying to get through the day without crying!”
Khalil wanted to be annoyed but seeing how proud his mom and auntie were made him feel pretty good.
“My babies!” Pam shrieked. “Yall in college now! Wait…it’s June. Why so early?”
“Girl, you know they let them come before the fall now in some summer program. And the relays are this weekend, too so it’s just a lot going on right now.”
“Man, I haven’t been to The Relays in since what…1998? That’s crazy, G! Now put my baby on the phone.” Gina motioned for Khalil to come over handing him the phone.
“Hey, auntie,” Khalil said. His aunt Pam was one of his favorite people in the world. Whenever they talked, she always left his pickets heavier than their last.
“How you doing, baby?” Pam asked. “You’re moving into your dorm, now? You so grown! You and your brother! Where is he?”
“Dad is moving him in on the other side of campus,” Khalil answered.
“We’ll be 19 this year, auntie, Khalil answered, “When yall gone realize we been grown.
“Grown?” Pam repeated. “When you call me in few months to slide a couple of dollars in your account, I’m going to remember how grown you are,” Pam joked.
“Don’t do me like that, auntie,” Khalil said. “Now you now you can send me money anytime you want to, “ he reassured her. “I’m never that grown “
“Yeah, I bet you aren’t,” Pam joked. “Which reminds me, I need to send you and your brother something for graduation since I didn’t make it. Now pull the phone real close to you so your mama can’t hear me. You know she think I spoil you two. ”
Khalil’s phone vibrated on the desk. From where he was standing, he could see that it was his father. “Can you get that?” Gina looked at the phone and sighed deeply. “I really don’t want to talk to your dad right now, Khalil.’
“Mom, chill,” Khalil said, “he probably trying to see where we at so we can meet up. Can you manage to talk to him long enough to see where he and Kendall are?”
Gina looked at the “POPS” streaming across the front of Khalil’s phone. She huffed, picked up the phone and headed out of the room.
“I’ll be glad when they finally just divorce and get it over with,” Khalil confessed. “I’m tired of this petty shit, aunty. It’s been going on 2 months now. This shit is embarrassing.”
“I know, baby,” Pam said. “It’s a tough situation for everybody. Your parents have a lot of things to sort through. Put losing Uncle Tommy on top of all of that and I’m sure you can see why your parents are going though it. It’s going to take some time.”
“But why can’t they do this shit in private?” Khalil asked. “Why does everything they do have to be front page news?” Khalil sat on the bed to catch his breath. He felt himself getting upset the more he talked about the situation — a situation that had forced him to start college three months earlier than he had intended.
“Your parents have very public lives, Khalil.” Pam answered. “All of the nice houses, nice cars, paid vacations, and fly events ? Well…yall going through the other side of that, right now.”
Khalil sighed. “Can’t we just be a messed up family behind closed doors like everybody else?” he asked.
Pam smiled and dismissed the notion. “Boy hush,” she qupped. “Yall ain’t messed up. Ya daddy short as shit but that’s about it.” Khalil laughed. “You laughing but I’m serious,” she continued. “Be thankful you got your height from your mom’s dad because those Paine’s are some little ass men. You dodged a little sawed-off, stubble of a bullet, nephew.”
“Really, aunty?” Khalil said laughing harder.
“Yes, really.” she replied. “Now let me get back into this meeting. What’s your cash app id? I’m going to send you and your brother something while it’s on my mind.”
“Khalil1998.” He answered. “Hold on,” Pam told him. There was a brief moment of silence between them.
“I just sent 2 G’s,” Pam confirmed. “Let me know when you get it.”
“Damn, auntie. Two stacks?” Khalil knew his aunty had it like that, but he didn’t know his aunty had it like that.
“Boy, that’s for you to split with you brother. A little something for graduation and a few dollars for college. I love you.”
“I love you, too auntie.” Khalil answered. “And thank you!”
“You welcome baby, “Bye-bye.”
Khalil hung the phone. The “cha-ching” of the cash app confirmed his aunty had in fact, come through. Khalil’s attention was quickly drawn to what sounded like his mom’s voice outside of this door.
“Why is she so loud?” he said to himself as he entered the hallway. He could hear her voice but saw no signs of her on either end of the hallway.
“BUT WHY ARE YOU CALLING THIS PHONE?” Khalil could hear her escalating but still no sign of her. He begin to walk down the hallway toward her voice.
“IF YOU WERE SO CONCERNED FOR YOUR BOYS, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE TRIED TO START ANOTHER DAMN FAMILY, MARTIN!”
The tone in her voice was all too familiar. It was a tone she had taken with his father frequently over the last few months.
“DON’T CALL HIM ANYMORE!” Khahil picked up his pace down the hallway toward his mom’s voice.
“IT MEANS WHAT THE FUCK I SAID, DON’T CALL THIS NUMBER NO FUCKIN MORE, MARTIN!”
By now, people had begun to step out of their room to see where all the commotion was coming from.
“I AIN’T PUTTING HIM ON SHIT….HE WHEREVER THE FUCK HE AT….BECAUSE I FUCKIN CAN! ANYMORE QUESTIONS, MARTIN?”
Click.
Khalil walked in on his mother in the stairwel just as she hung up the phone.
“MAMA!” Khalil yelled.
Gina turned to face her son, her tone cold and flat. “I told you I didn’t want to talk to his ass, Khalil.”
