Warren.”
“No problem.” He patted me on the shoulder before
walking out.
I sat there amazed at the difference between Sean’s
raging personality and Warren’s calm one. Warren was warm and
inviting, while Sean was cold and disconnected.
When the men left to play ball, Roman came
upstairs with me. I knew his little antsy body was bored, and
although I was tired, I took him to the park anyway. Long summer
days meant more time for play. After he played for a while, we
stopped by Burger King on the way home for vanilla shakes.
When we got back to the crib, Sean was
sitting on the couch wearing just a pair of blue jeans and some
Nike sandals, which meant once again, I got to see his hairless
chest.
“Hi, Daddy.” Roman said cheerfully, but I
could tell Sean was salty about something.
N ow what did I do wrong?
“Roman, go to your room,” he demanded, and
Roman went upstairs sad-faced.
Sean then turned his full attention to me.
He didn’t budge from the couch, just sat there like a king and
said, “I called here ten times…ten times with no answer.”
“Why didn’t you call my cell?”
“I don’t have your cell phone number. Where
have you been, Monica?”
“I took your son to the park. What’s
wrong with that?”
Sean jumped off the couch and walked towards
me. By now, I was so sick of the drama. I thought this job was
going to be easy, but it seemed to be getting harder by the
minute.
“You should at least have enough decency and
respect for me to tell me where my son is! Don’t…you…ever…leave
this house again…without telling me where you’re taking him! Is
that understood?”
I had to think carefully before I answered.
I couldn’t disrespect the man in his own house, but I was ready to
snap. I had to say something. He just couldn’t keep dishing out
slick comments and think I’m just going to be quiet and take
‘em.
“Well, you could’ve taken him to play
basketball with you. Then you won’t have to sit around the house
and wonder where he is.”
“Yeah, I could have taken him. That’s not
the point. What I’m telling you is that when you leave this house,
I need to know where you are. Do you understand that?”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
I left him there and went upstairs to tuck
Roman in. Then I went into my bedroom to take a deep breath and
calm myself down. I took the hair bow out and let my hair fall into
my hands before sitting on the bed to massage my scalp and ask
myself why I agreed to take this job. When I went to the kitchen to
get a glass of water, Sean was sitting at the table eating some
seafood he had apparently ordered since the sacred stove couldn’t
be touched. He didn’t even bother to taste the food I cooked.
When I saw him sitting there, I wanted to
run back upstairs. I’d had enough from him and didn’t want any
further confrontations. His eyes followed my every move as I walked
in the kitchen, while I pretended not to see him.
“I know you don’t like me, Monica, but you
don’t have to make it so obvious,” he said with a mouth full of
shrimp.
Here we go, and I didn’t even start it
this time. I think it ticked him off more when I didn’t
acknowledge him.
“Did you not just hear what I said?” he
asked.
“Yeah, I heard you. I just chose not to
respond.”
“Well, I want you to respond to it.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what humans do when someone
says something to them. They talk back.”
“I’m not in a talking mood tonight.”
He looked at me like I was disgusting to
him. To me, Sean was a prick who got everything he wanted and
demanded that people bow down in front of him because he looks good
and has a lot of money. Not me. I bow down for no man.
“See, that’s what I’m talking about,” he
said, sitting his bottle of water on the table. “You got a serious
problem. Why can’t you just try to compromise and get along with
me?”
“What? Sean, I try my best to be nice to
you. You just make it
“No problem.” He patted me on the shoulder before
walking out.
I sat there amazed at the difference between Sean’s
raging personality and Warren’s calm one. Warren was warm and
inviting, while Sean was cold and disconnected.
When the men left to play ball, Roman came
upstairs with me. I knew his little antsy body was bored, and
although I was tired, I took him to the park anyway. Long summer
days meant more time for play. After he played for a while, we
stopped by Burger King on the way home for vanilla shakes.
When we got back to the crib, Sean was
sitting on the couch wearing just a pair of blue jeans and some
Nike sandals, which meant once again, I got to see his hairless
chest.
“Hi, Daddy.” Roman said cheerfully, but I
could tell Sean was salty about something.
N ow what did I do wrong?
“Roman, go to your room,” he demanded, and
Roman went upstairs sad-faced.
Sean then turned his full attention to me.
He didn’t budge from the couch, just sat there like a king and
said, “I called here ten times…ten times with no answer.”
“Why didn’t you call my cell?”
“I don’t have your cell phone number. Where
have you been, Monica?”
“I took your son to the park. What’s
wrong with that?”
Sean jumped off the couch and walked towards
me. By now, I was so sick of the drama. I thought this job was
going to be easy, but it seemed to be getting harder by the
minute.
“You should at least have enough decency and
respect for me to tell me where my son is! Don’t…you…ever…leave
this house again…without telling me where you’re taking him! Is
that understood?”
I had to think carefully before I answered.
I couldn’t disrespect the man in his own house, but I was ready to
snap. I had to say something. He just couldn’t keep dishing out
slick comments and think I’m just going to be quiet and take
‘em.
“Well, you could’ve taken him to play
basketball with you. Then you won’t have to sit around the house
and wonder where he is.”
“Yeah, I could have taken him. That’s not
the point. What I’m telling you is that when you leave this house,
I need to know where you are. Do you understand that?”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
I left him there and went upstairs to tuck
Roman in. Then I went into my bedroom to take a deep breath and
calm myself down. I took the hair bow out and let my hair fall into
my hands before sitting on the bed to massage my scalp and ask
myself why I agreed to take this job. When I went to the kitchen to
get a glass of water, Sean was sitting at the table eating some
seafood he had apparently ordered since the sacred stove couldn’t
be touched. He didn’t even bother to taste the food I cooked.
When I saw him sitting there, I wanted to
run back upstairs. I’d had enough from him and didn’t want any
further confrontations. His eyes followed my every move as I walked
in the kitchen, while I pretended not to see him.
“I know you don’t like me, Monica, but you
don’t have to make it so obvious,” he said with a mouth full of
shrimp.
Here we go, and I didn’t even start it
this time. I think it ticked him off more when I didn’t
acknowledge him.
“Did you not just hear what I said?” he
asked.
“Yeah, I heard you. I just chose not to
respond.”
“Well, I want you to respond to it.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what humans do when someone
says something to them. They talk back.”
“I’m not in a talking mood tonight.”
He looked at me like I was disgusting to
him. To me, Sean was a prick who got everything he wanted and
demanded that people bow down in front of him because he looks good
and has a lot of money. Not me. I bow down for no man.
“See, that’s what I’m talking about,” he
said, sitting his bottle of water on the table. “You got a serious
problem. Why can’t you just try to compromise and get along with
me?”
“What? Sean, I try my best to be nice to
you. You just make it
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