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On the Sunday before my start date, I was so overjoyed with a new sense of restoration that I decided to treat the kids to dinner at Long Horn’s.
Although I enjoyed the meal with my children, it wasn't the same without my wife being present. I told her she could cut back on her hours since once again, I was gainfully employed, but Jena, being such a workaholic, stated that she wasn't trying to hear all of that so soon. Nevertheless, I decided I would surprise her at her office with a prime rib dinner, a garlic butter baked potato, and Caesar salad on the side. Chantel fell asleep in the backseat on the way there while Cameron sat next to me in the front. He was preoccupied texting some girl on his Kik app, so for the moment, I paid him no mind.
Halfway there, I was in the turning lane of a six way intersection waiting for the green arrow when I just so happened to glance over at Cameron's phone. Let me tell you, I saw the biggest set of boobies on the screen. "What the hell, Cameron? Whose hooters are those?"
Cameron had this embarrassed look on his face as he tried to exit out of the picture and open a different app to throw me off. "Huh Dad? Boobies? I was just looking at the new...."
"Son,” I cut him off, “let me stop you right there. You don't have to lie to me about anything. I was once your age, and I know you’re going through a phase where you're exploring the entire concept of sex. Shoot, I'm almost twice your age, and I'm still exploring it. Now I know what I saw on your phone; I just want you to tell me the truth. Trust me, I'm not your mom, I’m just another one of the guys. You can talk to me, and it’ll stay between me and you," I assured him as I looked in the backseat to ensure that Chantel was still knocked out.
I could sense he was apprehensive about being honest with me because up to that point, Cameron had been a mama's boy, but I had every intension on changing that. He looked like he was about to speak, then suddenly, some fool with road rage started blaring his horn because the green arrow had finally lit up. I mashed on the gas to make the light before it turned red, and I appeared to have lost the momentum with my son. I say that because after I was distracted by the horn, he seemed to have quickly gone silent on me. For time being, I decided not to probe him and wait for the very next opportune moment.
Once I had arrived at Nate E. Gray and Associates LLC. I double parked in front of the building because I didn't wanna leave the kids unattended for too long. Besides, on a Sunday, the building was virtually empty. "Hey Cameron, sit tight. I'll be right back, and don't be blasting that music. You're sister is still asleep. You hear me?" I commanded as I cut on my hazard lights to signify to the building security that I wouldn't be staying long.
"Huh? Oh yeah, okay Dad, I will," Cameron muttered as he continued to bury his face in his phone.
I was in a fantastic mood as I grabbed the take-out bag and strolled into the lobby. On my way up on the elevator, I thought to myself, My life ain't as bad as I thought. I heard an awesome sermon at church, had a delicious meal with my kids, and I was finishing up my day by seeing my lovely wife. God really is good; nothing could disrupt this mood that I'm in.
Boy, was I completely wrong about that. I'm talking about soon as I got off at the ninth floor, I heard a man yelling obscenities at the top of his lungs. As I got closer to the office area, I identified the unknown man's voice as Carlton Bergstrom. "I can't believe you would do this to me. After all my years of coaching and training you on how to be successful in this company. I gave you tips and pointers on how to climb the corporate ladder, and this is how you repay me? If you think you're gonna take my job, you are sadly mistaken. I should’ve taken you to my office and bent you over my desk like all the other colored cunts who have passed through this office. I don't know why I ever saw potential in you. You stole my position, you ungrateful black bitch!"
That's when I lost my cool and went off. "Did you just call my wife a black bitch? Dude, you need to back your ass away from her before I wrinkle up that suit to match the wrinkles on your damn face!"
"Oh baby! I'm so glad you're here. I thought he was gonna hit me; I was so scared!" Jena professed as she darted to my way and stood behind me, now cowering in fear.
"Now repeat yourself again. What the hell did you say to my woman? You should've bent her over your desk? You got a lot of damn nerve talking out of the side of your neck like that. I swear you're lucky I just got born again, because of this was a few weeks ago, you would be bent over your desk picking up those dingy dentures in your mouth. How the hell you got false teeth but you still got an overbite and a big ass gap?" I barked as Carlton took refuge behind a nearby desk.
"Now listen here boy. You're the one that's lucky that we're north of the Mason Dixon, because I know some places in the south where coloreds like you would still get strung from a tree just for talking to a white man in that manner. That's what's wrong with you people. You don't know when to shut your damn mouths and to respect the pioneers of this great nation. We gave y'all a negro president, now y'all walking around with your heads held high. But I'm not worried, because Trump is gonna straighten y'all asses out right along with those damn Koreans.
“You need to sit down and be humble, and I may let you wash my car or even edge the sides of my lawn if you're still looking for work. After all, I'm the one who’s been feeding your family. You need to take some tips from your wife. Tell your husband how you were running around like a good little servant. 'Yes, Mr. Bergstrom. Oh yes, right away, Mr. Bergstrom. No, I don't mind staying late, not at all, Mr. Bergstrom.' Hell I had her trained better than my Labrador retriever. Didn't I, Jena?"
"Alright that's enough! I've heard enough of your racist propaganda. You're talking about the Mason Dixon line, lynching black people, and you're a Donald Trump supporter. You talking all that tough white power trash behind that desk. Why don't you come on this side of the desk and say all that smack dead in my face, since you wanna sell wolf tickets? Better yet, bring your big bad ass over here and put your hands on me since you think that you're David Duke or somebody," I invited as I was consumed with rage.
"I ain't afraid of no big lipped, nappy headed, watermelon eating, two pack shaker rapping, planet of the apes looking coon monkey loving, jungle bunny. Now get your ass out of my office you dirty, stinking swamp donkey!" Carlton hollered as he began grabbing items off the desk and tossing them at us.
"Ouch! You little punk ass bitch! I know you didn't just hit me with a metal stapler and a damn tape dispenser. I'm about to staple your loose neck meat ass to the damn carpet!" I roared as I flipped the entire desk over with malice.
"Whoop his racist ass baby! He almost hit me with that damn keyboard! Good thing I ducked!" Jena cheered me on as she started throwing stuff back at him.
Carlton's face became crimson red as he raised his hands in submission and exclaimed in a more tamed voice, "hey Malcolm, no need to resort to violence. Please forgive me. I'm just a little disgruntled, right now. I've had a very trying day and I..."
"Oh! It’s so funny how all of a sudden you remember my name. See now Carl, you just made me disgruntled, and as trying of a day that you've had, you're gonna be trying to get my foot out of your ass in a minute, you living corpse looking motherffff..."
"Malcolm, don't even waste your energy on him. He's not even worth it. I'm done with my work for tonight. Let's just go home, honey. Besides, God is watching over us and His wrath is greater than our own," Jena declared as she started gathering her belongings.
Carlton scoffed. "See that's what's wrong with you people. You're always thinking that some mystical being is watching over you. Well, guess what? There isn't?"
"That's where you're wrong, Carl. God is always watching and apparently, so is building security," Jena informed him as two security guards came rushing into the office area.
"Mr. Bergstrom, you're building access has been revoked by management. You are trespassing on private property. We need you to vacate the premises now," one of the guards announced as the other one snatched him by his arms and led him away.
"Let me go. Why are you treating me like a criminal? The black guy is the one who threatened me. You're gonna hear from my lawyers about this matter, I promise," Carlton screeched as the elevator doors closed.
Jena and I chuckled all the way to the lobby. Then she gave me an unexpected smooch and swore she would never take me for granted again.