Anita and her son both entered the house looking exhausted, looking like they'd just had a mother-and-child misunderstanding. Dean reluctantly dropped his school bag and then sat beside Jerry, who was eating a snack and watching a movie on Netflix.
"Welcome, guys," was the only thing that came out of Jerry's mouth.
Dean cleared his throat to make it obvious that he needed attention, while Anita walked over to the dining table and kept her mind busy by just searching through her handbag for nothing.
"Uncle Jerry, could you come pick me up after school tomorrow?"
"Well... hmm... probably," Jerry shrugged.
"He is not your driver, lad!" Anita interrupted.
"But máá, you act all pissed off every time you come to pick me up at school," Dean frowned.
"It's not healthy for either of us, school is stressful too, you know," he added.
"Jerry has been busy these days," she pouted.
"Hmm... not really, bae... I have supervisors I pay to run my business till I can be available," Jerry shrugged.
"What's wrong with me picking my son up after school? I'm just trying to have some time with my kid... lad... hmmph... son," Anita paused, looking at the two guys staring at her, confused.
"Máá, yesterday you got pissed, we only talked once, and that was in the car. Today, all we talked about was the nudes those girls sent to my WhatsApp," Dean paused.
"Like you're avoiding me or something," he sighed. Anita looked at Jerry. Jerry knew the boy was right.
"Shut up," she whispered.
"I'm trying all I can to make you happy, so many children wish they had a mother who gives them the attention you're getting," she went on to say.
"Anita, you need to calm down," Jerry advised.
"You are not his father, so stay out of this discussion."
"Alright... I think I'm heading to the kitchen, I find it therapeutic... I should let you and your son talk," Jerry smiled.
Anita's pride didn't back down much, she watched Jerry take his leave, then looked at her seventeen-year-old son, and the way he was looking at her told her she'd messed up.
"Okay máá, turns out a white old man has been checking up on me. I found out today... maybe it's Mr. Cole," Dean shrugged.
"I love you ma... you are the most important woman in my life... just to make that clear," Dean pecked his mother and left.
Anita felt heat run through her body, she struggled to sit on the sofa. Apart from her rude words to Jerry... her son seemed to be making inquiries about his father... at least from what he'd said... she would lose him faster than she imagined. And Jerry, he had left quietly, her son's best friend.
The next day at school, once classes let out, Dean sat at his usual spot waiting for whoever it was that would come take him home.
"Home indeed," he puffed.
Being the dream of almost all the girls in his school, Dean had a lot of girls to avoid, and it got worse after his mom seized his phone, so for some reason the spot under the tree had become the safest place for him.
Dean had natural curly hair plaited all back, the plaited tail swinging when he ran, and the little loose hairs at the front and back would stick when he sweated... nothing more perfect, as far as the girls in his school were concerned, than his sweaty definition of hot. He could swear he'd heard the girls talk and giggle about his skin and white teeth, his spotless face, no wonder Anita was so protective.
"Hey Dean, guy! Looks like your mom's stepped down," a noise distracted Dean.
"Pheew, yeah, looks like my ride is here," Dean heaved a sigh, then picked up his school bag.
He paused for a while — Jerry had come to pick him up from school? Awesome! And the other car hadn't come around either! Probably the day was good for him.
"Your second spy ride is parked over there," Tari smirked.
"Just when I thought I could finally breathe without suffocating," Dean frowned.
He walked over to Jerry's car, but before Jerry could utter a word, Dean excused himself with a frown, and that was enough for Jerry to realize he was angry. Jerry moved quickly to run after the lad and try to stop him from doing something crazy.
"Well, at least if you wanted to spy on someone!!! Don't make it fucking obvious!!!" Dean yelled as he moved closer to the car, picking up a big stone along the road.
He hit the car with the stone, and in the process, a man opened the driver's seat door, trying to calm Dean down and show concern over the damage he'd caused.
Jerry got there in time to hold Dean and try to calm the stressed teenager down, a crowd was forming outside the school premises too, and he had to make sure it wasn't mistaken for a fight.
"Young boy, I'm sorry, but no one is spying on you!" the man apologized, he was dressed like a chauffeur.
"You are not the one I want to talk to, sir, let your boss come and face me!!" Dean's voice shook.
"That's enough!!!" Jerry held his face, looking into the lad's eyes.
"Go get in the car, or your mom hears about this!" he added.
"She'll hear about it anyway, the whole school is out and watching!" Dean yelled, fighting his tears as he walked over to Jerry's car.
"And don't worry, Bro Jerry, máá will be proud of me," he pouted.
"She won't be proud, lad, you caused a scene," Jerry sighed.
"Someone was in the back seat," Dean whispered.
"I think I hate my father already!!" he screamed.
Jerry helped him into the car, the boy was having a hard time, he could see it written on his face, he hugged him, and that only drew out a squeak of a sound — Jerry knew it was tears, and he held him. After calming his woman's son down... and dealing with the scratch Dean had left on the car... Jerry had a mess to clean up.