and crying. She won’t tell us what’s the matter.”
I pick Nia up and kiss her, and address all the kids.
“Well, I have to admit, children, it’s Daddy’s fault that Mom’s crying. Daddy might have to go away for a little while and Mom’s going to miss Daddy a whole bunch.
But I want all of you to know that Daddy loves his family very much and you guys mean the world to me.”
I put Nia down, sit next to Sierra and put my hand softly upon her shoulder. She turns her head away from me.
Joe, Jr. comes up behind me and embraces my neck.
“Daddy, can I go wit’ you?”
“Oh, me, too,” Vernie asks as she sits next to me.
60
Black Rain
Nia situates herself on my lap. “Why can’t we all go, Daddy, like we do when we go on vacation?”
I swallow hard, seeing the love my family has for me as Sierra sits up, wiping her face to see how I answer the kids, and I realize what it is I’m asking my family to sacrifice.
“Daddy will be working out of town. There are some bad men your father’s got to catch, and I have to help a friend out of trouble.” I look Sierra in the eyes. “Daddy promises to come home safe, and I’ll never take a case like this again. I just want you guys to know that I love you, and my world is nothing without all of you in it.”
“How long you gonna be gone, Daddy?” Nia asks.
“Baby girl, Daddy will not be gone that long. Just long enough to take care of this business.”
Sierra gathers the kids. “Come on, children, let’s go make some cookies.”
The kids get excited, race out of the room and down the stairs toward the kitchen as Sierra stops in the doorway and looks at me with sorrow in her eyes. “Joe, I hope you know what you’re doing.” She turns and closes the bedroom door.
I lie back on the bed with my hands behind my head and pray to God that I’m making the correct decision.
And for all the right reasons.
Vernon bursts through the door and startles me from my slumber. “What up, dawg? Damn, wake your ass up.
I can’t believe you didn’t hear me and the kids playing downstairs.You must have some heavy problems on your mind, son.” Vernon takes a bite into a homemade cookie.
The sweet chocolate smell fills the air.
Vincent Alexandria
61
“What up, bro? I must have fallen asleep. How long you been here?” I ask as I wipe the sleep from my eyes.
“At least twenty minutes, and I been here long enough to know that Sierra is pissed about something.
What you do, buster?” Vernon starts to work on the second and then third cookie. “Wow, these things are good,” he says, with his mouth full as he grabs my basketball off the floor.
“Dude, why is it that you automatically think that it was something that I did?” I ask as I pull on my tennis shoes.
Vernon tries to spin the basketball on his stubby index finger, but he has never been able to do it. His efforts have improved at this point. Vernon stands around six feet and is in great shape for his age of fifty-two.
“Because Sierra is downstairs with the kids baking cookies, and you got your punk ass sitting up here in your room like she got you on punishment, that’s why! Any more questions?” Vernon asks while he continues to fail miserably at spinning the ball on his finger as though he’s trying to imitate a very bad Harlem Globetrotter.
“C’mon, Vernon, why are you all up in my business?” I question as I head out of the room, grabbing the basketball from his grasp.
“Because that’s what friends do. Make sure we stay on our partner’s asses, so they’ll stay on the straight and narrow,” Vernon replies as he pushes me in the back toward the stairs.
Sierra is taking more cookies out of the oven when Vernon and I pass through the kitchen to get to the backyard.
The kids are at the table watching Fat Albert and the Cosby kids’videos while drinking milk and eating cookies. In kid heaven, they barely notice us as we pass by.
62
Black Rain
“Vernon, would you like
I pick Nia up and kiss her, and address all the kids.
“Well, I have to admit, children, it’s Daddy’s fault that Mom’s crying. Daddy might have to go away for a little while and Mom’s going to miss Daddy a whole bunch.
But I want all of you to know that Daddy loves his family very much and you guys mean the world to me.”
I put Nia down, sit next to Sierra and put my hand softly upon her shoulder. She turns her head away from me.
Joe, Jr. comes up behind me and embraces my neck.
“Daddy, can I go wit’ you?”
“Oh, me, too,” Vernie asks as she sits next to me.
60
Black Rain
Nia situates herself on my lap. “Why can’t we all go, Daddy, like we do when we go on vacation?”
I swallow hard, seeing the love my family has for me as Sierra sits up, wiping her face to see how I answer the kids, and I realize what it is I’m asking my family to sacrifice.
“Daddy will be working out of town. There are some bad men your father’s got to catch, and I have to help a friend out of trouble.” I look Sierra in the eyes. “Daddy promises to come home safe, and I’ll never take a case like this again. I just want you guys to know that I love you, and my world is nothing without all of you in it.”
“How long you gonna be gone, Daddy?” Nia asks.
“Baby girl, Daddy will not be gone that long. Just long enough to take care of this business.”
Sierra gathers the kids. “Come on, children, let’s go make some cookies.”
The kids get excited, race out of the room and down the stairs toward the kitchen as Sierra stops in the doorway and looks at me with sorrow in her eyes. “Joe, I hope you know what you’re doing.” She turns and closes the bedroom door.
I lie back on the bed with my hands behind my head and pray to God that I’m making the correct decision.
And for all the right reasons.
Vernon bursts through the door and startles me from my slumber. “What up, dawg? Damn, wake your ass up.
I can’t believe you didn’t hear me and the kids playing downstairs.You must have some heavy problems on your mind, son.” Vernon takes a bite into a homemade cookie.
The sweet chocolate smell fills the air.
Vincent Alexandria
61
“What up, bro? I must have fallen asleep. How long you been here?” I ask as I wipe the sleep from my eyes.
“At least twenty minutes, and I been here long enough to know that Sierra is pissed about something.
What you do, buster?” Vernon starts to work on the second and then third cookie. “Wow, these things are good,” he says, with his mouth full as he grabs my basketball off the floor.
“Dude, why is it that you automatically think that it was something that I did?” I ask as I pull on my tennis shoes.
Vernon tries to spin the basketball on his stubby index finger, but he has never been able to do it. His efforts have improved at this point. Vernon stands around six feet and is in great shape for his age of fifty-two.
“Because Sierra is downstairs with the kids baking cookies, and you got your punk ass sitting up here in your room like she got you on punishment, that’s why! Any more questions?” Vernon asks while he continues to fail miserably at spinning the ball on his finger as though he’s trying to imitate a very bad Harlem Globetrotter.
“C’mon, Vernon, why are you all up in my business?” I question as I head out of the room, grabbing the basketball from his grasp.
“Because that’s what friends do. Make sure we stay on our partner’s asses, so they’ll stay on the straight and narrow,” Vernon replies as he pushes me in the back toward the stairs.
Sierra is taking more cookies out of the oven when Vernon and I pass through the kitchen to get to the backyard.
The kids are at the table watching Fat Albert and the Cosby kids’videos while drinking milk and eating cookies. In kid heaven, they barely notice us as we pass by.
62
Black Rain
“Vernon, would you like
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