Jeffrey stared at the receiver in his hand as though it had grown a mouth, hands, and legs. He felt like he had been slapped as the breath left his body. Married? Mom? Why? He was the man of the house, wasn’t he?
He took care of things. He watched out for Joycie. He even had a job running errands for Eddie Purdie, the thug who lived in that real nice brownstone down the street from their apartment building. How could she do this?! They didn’t need a man in their house. He was the man of their house.
“Why?” Jeffrey intoned the word. He felt dead inside. This Samuel guy was all right but Jeffrey didn’t need a dad in his life. For thirteen years, his mom, sister, and he had made it by themselves. They didn’t need some man coming into their lives trying to be the man of the house and a dad to him and Joyce.
“Why, Mom? I’m the man of the house. You’re always saying how I keep things in order. Why?” Jeffrey repeated. He needed to know the answer, but at the same time, didn’t want to know.
“Honey, it’s not about you being the man of the house. I love Samuel. He loves me and you and Joycie. He wants to help take care of us, Jeffrey. Don’t you understand?” Ree asked, hoping and praying she could help her son see her side of the situation.
Samuel motioned to her to let him talk to his new stepson.
“Jeffrey,” Samuel began. “Son, please don’t think I’m coming in trying to change anything in your life. I just want to make it better for you, Joyce, and your mother,” he explained to the wall of silence on the other end of the phone line.
“First of all,” Jeffrey said, immediately belligerent, “don’t call me ‘son.’ I am not your son. I am not anyone’s son except my mom’s! Understand?” He challenged Samuel with what little authority he could muster to his voice.
“Yes, Jeffrey, I understand,” Samuel answered. It was wiser to give in until he got on better footing face-to-face with Jeffrey.
“Second of all,” Jeffrey shouted in rage, “we were doing just fine before you came along. I was taking care of things for my mom. We don’t need you, man!” Tears began to roll down his face. Dashing them away with the back of his hand, Jeffrey squeezed the receiver, wishing it were Samuel’s neck.
Standing behind the boy, Homer put his hand on Jeffrey’s shoulder in support. Jeffrey shoved the phone into his grandfather’s hands and ran out of the house. Homer took the phone. He knew the boy was hurting. He also recognized that Jeffrey would need time to sort things out on his own.
“Samuel,” Homer said into the mouthpiece, “don’t worry, son. And tell Ree not to worry, either. He’ll be fine. Let me go to him. I’ll get back with you. OK?” He felt a strong urge to pray before he went out to the boy.
“Daddy,” Ree cried into the phone as she took it from Samuel. She knew her son was hurting. “Daddy, what should we do?” she asked, feeling the distance between her and her son right now.
“Honey, don’t worry,” assured Homer. “I’ll take care of this. Just enjoy yourself with your husband. We’ll talk more about this,” Homer said, ending the conversation.
Ree and Samuel looked at each other as she hung up the phone.
“Babe …” Samuel looked at his new wife, her cheeks stained from the tears she shed for her teen son. “All we can do is pray and ask the Lord for guidance. He hasn’t failed us yet,” he assured her as he took her petite hand into his.
“Jeffrey, Pops said for us to come straight home from school today so we can pick mom up from work and go to dinner,” Joyce reminded her twin.
Jeffrey had acted strangely ever since returning from down South. He acted as though he hated their new stepfather Samuel Jenkins. Joyce was crazy about him. He was so funny and helpful most of the time. And he always brought a smile to their mother’s face.
“He’s not my pops and I’m not going straight home. I’m not going to dinner with ‘the family’ either,” Jeffrey said sarcastically. He voiced his displeasure at having to play the happy family with this man who had come to take over as man of the house.
Jeffrey refused to attend the wedding when his mother and this man came to Alabama to pick them up after summer vacation. He hadn’t said two words to his new stepfather in the four weeks they had been back at home. He wasn’t planning on saying anything to him at all except, “Get lost!”
“I’m tired of him trying to tell me what to do. I didn’t want Mom to get married in the first place. I will never accept it,” Jeffrey said, argumentative and petulant at the same time.
Jeffrey had not accepted Samuel. He was doing everything he could to drive Samuel away. Nothing seemed to work. He began hanging out more with Eddie Purdie and his crew, taking on more responsibilities as a runner for Eddie’s organization.
Bankrolling about two grand a week, Jeffrey kept the money hidden in his room until he needed it. He was one of Eddie’s best couriers and his weekly pay showed it. None of the other couriers made as much as he did. He had plans for this money.
He didn’t know how he was going to get rid of this Samuel Jenkins character, though. Although he didn’t want to hurt his mother, Jeffrey just didn’t believe they needed this man in their lives.
Jeffrey ran off down the street away from his sister. He wanted to get to Eddie’s so they could talk. Eddie was like a big brother to him. He helped him with his schoolwork. Eddie was really smart like that. That’s why he was such a good businessman.
“Hold up there, young blood,” Eddie said as Jeffrey charged into his apartment. Eddie lived in a super nice brownstone around the corner from Jeffrey’s third-floor walkup. 55 East 76th Street was like a palace to Jeffrey. Eddie’s lifestyle at the age of twenty-five was something Jeffrey hoped to climb to by the time he was twenty. And if he continued with Eddie, he knew he would reach his goal. He looked up to Eddie Purdie. Jeffrey knew Eddie would find a way for him to get Samuel Jenkins away from his family before it was too late.
“Hey, Jeffrey, what’s up little dude?” Eddie asked. He cared what went on with this young man who had become a big part of his life. “Somebody chasing you, boy?” Eddie asked, looking toward the door in case he had to make a quick move.
“Naw, just running away from my twin,” Jeffrey said, catching his breath and looking around to make sure they were the only two there in the ultra-modern apartment. As he looked at the furnishings Eddie had acquired over the years, Jeffrey dreamed more and more of becoming like Eddie, his idol, his mentor. “That man wants to go out to dinner as a family. I’m not going,” Jeffrey said defiantly.
Eddie considered his young friend and remembered twelve years or so ago when he was in the same predicament. He had never known his father. His mother was a prostitute and he was a surprise.
Dealing with the many pimps that came into his mother’s life, Eddie was determined to never be under the thumb of any of those so-called “uncles” or “father figures” his mother frequently brought home. He knew how Jeffrey felt. He wanted to help him take care of the situation. Jeffrey was very important to his organization. He didn’t want any flies in the ointment of the mechanisms.
“J-man, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” Eddie pondered how this would affect young Jeffrey and what his response would be. “There are ways to get this man out of your life if you are willing to take the chance of your mom finding out you are behind it.” Eddie offered.
“What, Eddie? What are you talking about?” Jeffrey asked, brightening at the mere thought of something to get Samuel Jenkins out of his life for good.
“Well, Jeffrey, if you wanted, we could arrange an ‘accident’ to happen to your stepdad. It could be either a drive by or someone could ‘rob’ him while he is on the train,” Eddie offered. He looked at Jeffrey’s face to see what emotions the boy experienced while considering Eddie’s proposal.
Jeffrey sat at the dining room table where all the drug transactions took place for this small-time drug lord. Eddie had at least $2500 a day, seven days a week, coming in. He paid his runners well for their efforts. In all the time Jeffrey had worked for him, only one person had tried to scam Eddie. Eddie quickly took care of the offender by having one of his goons break an arm and a leg on the scammer.
Jeffrey thought about Eddie’s offer. He could have it done and look clean to his mother. It was definitely something to think about. Having Eddie as a mentor, Jeffrey matured a lot quicker than some of the friends he used to hang out with. He had seen some things his mom wouldn’t even let him watch on TV. He knew about life and he knew about death. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted Samuel Jenkins out of his life bad enough to have him “accidentally” killed.
“Let me think on that, Eddie,” Jeffrey replied. He wasn’t sure but was willing to give it some thought. “Hey, I gotta go,” he said as he went back toward the front door of the apartment.
“All right, young blood. I’ll catch you later,” Eddie promised, answering one of the many phone lines around the dining room table.
Jeffrey ran down the stairs to the street. He really didn’t have to go since he wasn’t planning on going to dinner with his family. But maybe I will go, he thought. Maybe I will see something that will help me make a decision about this man, he thought as he jogged toward their apartment building.
Jeffrey arrived just in time to see his mom going through the front door of the building, two bags of groceries in her hands.
“Hey, lady!” he yelled across the street. “You want a hand with dose groceries?” His mom turned around and smiled in his direction. He had loved that smile for so long. It always brightened his day no matter how dark it was.
“Ooh, a handsome young man to carry my bags,” his mom played along. She daintily handed the bags to him and curtsied cutely. “Oh, thank you, kind sir. How gallant of you!” she exclaimed.
Jeffrey held the door open for her and grinned. The elevator was out again, as usual, so they headed toward the steps. He answered the usual questions about school, homework, and such. As they reached the third floor, the door swung open as Samuel greeted his bride of less than six months.
“I knew I heard that voice,” he said as he swung Ree off the floor.
Jeffrey observed his mother and this man Samuel Jenkins as they interacted. His mom seemed so happy. He loved to see her smile. Over the years, Jeffrey knew it hadn’t been easy for her as a single mother. She always had to work so hard to support him and his twin. But as a courier for Eddie, he had it covered.
Jeffrey had found a way to access his mom’s bank account and add money every once in a while. He added it in small enough amounts so she wouldn’t get suspicious. It worked out well. When it was time to buy presents and stuff, he always told her he had a little knock-around job giving him enough for the presents. He enjoyed being the man in their little house. He enjoyed taking care of his mother and sister. He didn’t see why they needed this man to do anything. Jeffrey wanted to get rid of him.
“Jeffrey, go change clothes,” his mom said, breaking through his reverie. “We’re going out to dinner this evening as a family.”
Jeffrey had to admit his mother had never looked prettier. Since Samuel Jenkins had come into her life, his mom had lost the worry lines. She actually smiled now. But Jeffrey wasn’t going to let that stop him from doing what he felt he had to do—get rid of Samuel Jenkins.
Destroyer observed the interaction between the boy, his mother, and his stepdad. He knew he only had to push a little for Jeffrey to go over the edge.
“Hatred,” Destroyer called to his minion waiting patiently for the right time to come forth with this family.
“Yes, my lord Destroyer,” Hatred replied, bowing before this powerful demon. Like his name suggested, Hatred hated everything and everybody. There was no loyalty or love anywhere in his slimy stinking soul. He intended to keep it that way for all eternity.
“Throw something at the boy. Cause him to make a decision about getting rid of the man. Fill his heart with such hatred for the man he will forget about his love for his mother. Cause him to do whatever it takes to get the man to leave their home. Do you understand?”
“Yes, lord Destroyer. I will empower him with raw hatred for this man, such hatred he has never felt before in his short, pathetic life, my lord,” Hatred promised.
Hatred moved toward the boy and whispered in his ear, “Don’t you want to have dinner with just your mom and sister?”
“Mom, why can’t you, Joycie, and I go out to dinner alone? We haven’t spent any time together, alone, since we came back from down South,” he asked, completely ignoring Samuel.
Samuel stood back, knowing where this conversation could go if he were to step in. He decided to let Ree take care of it. He understood why the boy disliked him—he was a man. The boy felt he was the man of the house and that was the way it should be. He didn’t know what to do because he really wanted things to work out with Ree and the twins.
“Jeffrey, Samuel wants to take us out as a family, honey,” his mom explained, flashing her eyes, trying to help him understand. Marie wanted this family thing to work out. She had dreamed of a man such as Samuel coming into her life to help her with the children and to have a family. Now that he had, her son didn’t like him. And now that she was …
“Mom, why do you keep trying to make us a family with this man? I neither trust nor like him and I wish he would go away,” Jeffrey yelled at his mother. Ree was taken aback. Jeffrey had never yelled at her before.
Samuel stepped forward now. This boy was yelling at his beloved wife. That, he couldn’t bear.
“Now, son,” Samuel began. Jeffrey cut him off before he could go any further.
“I am not your son!” Jeffrey countered, fire in his eyes. Hatred welled up in his heart as he thought about Eddie’s suggestion. Jeffrey made his decision—he hated this man enough to see him gone.
Suddenly turning sweetly to his mother, Jeffrey asked, “Mom, can I change in a few minutes? I have to go do something really quick.”
“Sure, son,” Ree said, glad the fire was out for now. “Just hurry up, OK?”
“OK, mom,” Jeffrey promised as he ran out the door of the apartment. He hurried around the corner to Eddie’s brownstone apartment, hurrying so he wouldn’t change his mind. When he arrived at Eddie’s door, he knocked on the door once and walked in. He had it like that with Eddie. “Eddie,” Jeffrey called, not seeing Eddie in the living room. “Eddie, it’s me, Jeffrey,” he called again.
“Hold on, J-man,” Eddie called from the bathroom. He stuck his head out the door with toothpaste around his mouth. “Hold on, little dude. Let me finish up in here,” Eddie said, closing the door.
Jeffrey hung out in the living room waiting for Eddie. A bundle of nerves, he clenched and unclenched his fists as he thought about the retribution he was about to shower on Samuel Jenkins. He would show him who the man was.
As Eddie walked into the living room, he could tell his young friend had made up his mind. He had already contacted the thug who would do the job because he knew how much the boy hated his stepfather.
“Eddie, I want it done,” Jeffrey said, lifting his head boldly, making eye contact with his mentor.
As he made the request, Jeffrey realized there was no turning back. He wanted Samuel dead.