Shut Up & Listen - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

MacArthur left the house to sit in the car and collect his thoughts. No one ever knew whether Black had been faking it or if he really didn't remember a lot of things that had either happened to him or happened because of him. Arthur had done everything in his power to protect his nephew and adopted son from what could eventually happen— exactly what happened today.
Feeling regret for the decisions he's made over time, he decided to call his brother. Reluctantly, he went to his contacts and dialed Maverik's number— something he hadn't done in the better of four years. Every so often, something would come up with Lonnie and he'd ask for his help which was usually met with an ambiguous "he's your problem now" response, followed by an ending of the call. So naturally, he avoided dialing the forty-seven year old's number. This time, however, he was giving his older brother no choice but to step in. He'd taken all Mav's battles for him since they were kids. It's time for him to step up.
The phone rang until the answering machine picked up which wasn't a problem to Mac. He was notorious for calling until someone answered without embarrassment. On the fifth try, the phone clicked, an irritated sigh could be heard on the other end. "Hello?" Mav said.
"Maverik, my brotha. How you feeling today?"
"Grand, why."
"Good. Can we meet?"
"If this is about your son—
"I know I took him in. It was to help you out. You know I'd do anything for you. But, I can't help but feel that that sentiment is not mutual."
"Of course it's not, cuz that's a stupid thing to promise." He said in a 'Duh' tone.
MacArthur sighed heavily, "Speaking of stupid. Your choices have come back to bite."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... something triggered Lonnie's memory. He remembers.... Everything."
"Fuck sake." He complained into the phone. The rustling of him gathering himself and some keys jingling could be heard in the background.
"I need you to help me figure this shit out, Maverik. He's the type of kid to either turn himself in or worse..."
"Worse? What can be worse than going to prison?" Maverik asked rather dumbly of no surprise to his younger brother.
"Taking yourself out of your own misery, Maverik. Suicide is the number one killer in his age demographic. It's higher than gang related violence. Then, on top of this, he's going through a lot right now in his personal life and I don't want either of these things to happen to my boy. And Maverik, These yo genes he got. You the reason he's like this and it was your decision to pretend nothing happened the first time."
"Oh fuck your dramatic ass, Mac. How is this my fault?" MacArthur laughed in response but only to keep himself from going off on his only brother. He sighed.
"It was your decision not to get him help. Therefore, you need to bring your ass to momma house in fifteen minutes, no less, or I'll be coming to disrupt your dainty little living arrangement that you traded in your first born children for."
He hung up before giving his big brother a chance to respond. Taking the long way there so he could call and check in with Jah.
"What's goin' on?" He asked Jah over the phone.
"Uh.. I don't think it's going away this time pop. He still remembering shit... even the kid."
"It's alright. Imma get it sorted out. Just keep an eye on em please."
"What you mean, sort it out?"
"I'm taking care of it. I'll be back. Call me if you need." He offered, hanging up on his first born son, Jah. Not too long after, he was pulling into the driveway of the old house where he and Maverik grew up with three other siblings, their mother (Ada Mae), and Maverik's father.
MacArthur walked into the brown bricked two family home finding his mother in the kitchen per usual. He hugged her and sat down, helping her pick the greens she was preparing.
"What brings you home?"
"I wanted to check in on you." He said, earning and upturned tooted lips from her. He laughed at her response. "Okay, okay." He said putting his hands up in defense, "I also needed a no man's land for me and your other son to meet. An even playing field if you will."
"And you figured he wouldn't get out of line if his momma is here." She chuckled, "Either way it goes, I'm happy to see my boys any time. I never see you anymore. How are my grandbabies ?"
"Not babies anymore." They both laughed. "Anyway, that's what Mav and I gotta talk about." Then he scrunched his face trying to remember something, "did anyone tell you about Damon?"
She raised her eyebrows, "Maverik's boy? Oh I haven't heard his name in many many years. He would be twenty two or twenty three now." She cooed.
"Well, you might find this to be good news.  One of Lonnie's friends had been friends with Damon since kids. Somehow the kid found out they might be brothers and brought them back together. Something out of a movie, if you ask me." He chuckled.
Ada, MacArthur and Maverik's mother, dropped the greens that were in her hands, wiping her hands on her apron to walk around the table to him. "My grandson is still alive and well?"
"And doing pretty good for himself. He's an artist, well known, has a college degree and everything."
She scrunched up her face, "well you seem to know so much about him. How long ago was he rediscovered?"
"I can't remember the date that I found out, momma. But almost a month maybe?"
She shook her head, walking slowly through the living room until she was faced with a photo of Dame as a young boy. She began to weep. Mac stood, going over to comfort her, she smacked his hands away, visibly upset. At the same instant Maverik had walked through the door. She put her hands up to them, " It's like we're not even family anymore. Just broken glass pieces of a once beautiful mirror that reflected our heritage and love. There's just too many secrets. Too many to keep with." She pointed at her two sons with something else in mind to say but decided against it as she walked down the long hall to her bedroom.
Maverik looked around the spick-and-span home before opening his mouth to his brother saying, "You been here five minutes and already made momma cry? Ain't nothing change, huh?"
MacArthur just put his hand up to his mouth, thoughtfully as he looked at the same photo of young Dame that his mother was just looking at. "Why you ain't tell her?"
"What?"
"When you found Dame? Why you ain't say nothing to momma?"
"I mean, it wasn't nothing to me. He was never lost to begin with." Maverik said nonchalantly earning an irritated eye roll from the younger man.
"Now, what the fuck you going on about?"
"As his father, I'd always known where he was. Where he was moved to. Since it was a choice to give him up, I didn't have to forfeit those rights. Plus I had a friend who kept an eye out for him. I had to make sure he was good."
Arthur had half the mind to punch his brother right there in the living room but decided against it as he'd already caused enough commotion in his mother's home. He motioned Maverik to the couches where the two sat across from eachother.
Getting right to the point, Maverik's face turned sour at the thought of his other son who they'd met just for, "So, What happened this time?" He asked smugly.
MacArthur pursed his lips. "You gotta swear not to say no stupid shit to me while we here." He started, clasping his hands together as he sat on the plastic covered sofa. "Ion wanna have to beat your ass and make momma cry again."
"Nigga-"
Mac glared at him.
"Aight, damn. For momma sake, you know she getting old. She can't handle all that ruckus your kind brings around." Maverik said, taking a cheap shot at his brother's career. MacArthur rolled his eyes at Maverik's comment, looking at him with distaste.
"So, Lonnie?" Mav interrupted.
"Black." MacArthur corrected.
"Black?"
"That's his other."
"His other what?"
"We don't call it anything because he's never been tested. We didn't want him thinking something was wrong with him. Which would also have caused us to discuss what really happened that got the kids separated, which my wife and I didn't want to do."
"And now?" Mav questioned, leaning forward in his seat.
"Well, now that he's at a place of remembrance, I think it would be a good opportunity to get him looked at. But, I don't know how to do that without telling the people why we think something is wrong. I'm not letting him spend the rest of his life in prison for something that he can't control."
Mav smacked his lips, shaking his head, "See, this is exactly why he does the shit he do. You been coddling him since he was a baby. And you still doing it now. He's twenty-four years old."
"He's twenty-five," Arthur said matter-of-factly, "But, that's not the point."
"It is. He don't take responsibility for his actions and you painting this fairy tale ass picture that it's some other psychotic nigga living inside him making him do shit is insane. It doesn't help. He should be in prison!"
"Yo, you got all these great ideas about where I've gone wrong, what I should've or shouldn't have done when YOU should've been the one raising him!" The room grew silent. "And do we talk about what you did to cover up for him? Or just why we shouldn't let him go blameless for his actions?"
"I didn't have a choice."
"And neither did he."
Maverik looked away from his brother and his eyes fell on the tv in the kitchen which was turned to the news.
"Local Celebrity Luke James, legally known as Colin Adebanjo, son of the late City Councilman Cecil Adebanjo senior has been arrested. Videos of the twenty two year old repeatedly striking a security guard until bloody and unconscious have been circulating social media platforms."
"Ain't that Dame's friend?" Mav asked.
"What the fuck?" Mac mumbled as Cole's mugshot was plastered onto the screen of the news channel.
"Should we call Dame? See what's going on?" Maverik asked, standing up for a closer look at the television.
"More information will be reported tonight at eleven as we gain more intel on the story." The anchor woman  said, moving on to the next story.
"Dame said he ain't heard anything about it."
"You got connections at the station. I know you got officers in yo pocket.. you can get him out, right?" Maverik said sounding as if he were worried for the young man which bothered MacArthur to no end.
"You so ready to help another man's son but not your own seed." He mugged Mav up and down, "pitiful. Tell momma Imma see her later." He said walking out of the old family home. As soon as he started his car, he heard his phone ring. It was his mother.
"Hey." He said, "I didn't mea-
"Hold on, now. Let me speak first. I think there's something you need to know. Your grandfather, and my brother your uncle June June both suffered from mental issues, it runs in the family." Ada sighed, "Now, I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped on you and your brother, and I don't know all  about the goings ons of my grandbaby Lonnie, but I don't think it's a great idea."
"What's not a great idea?"
"Getting him checked out. They're going to lock him away. Uncle June June lived in an asylum for the last half of his life while they poked and prodded in the name of science and research or what ever." She went on, dragging out the last word, " I couldn't bear to see that happen to my grandbaby. I won't stand for it."
"Well what do you think I should do?"
"Bring him to me." She paused, waiting for a response. "I'll make sure Maverik stays around so we can all handle it together as a family, like we should have when the signs first presented themselves long ago. We'll lead with honesty and with trust while trying to rebuild our family."
"Wait, momma you knew?" Mac asked, referring to the occurrences of Lonnie's childhood that were swept under a rug.
"A mother always knows. Especially when her children do everything to hide something from her." She scolded. "What time will you be back around?"
"I'm not sure, I gotta help Damon with something first."
"Alright, I'll have dinner ready when you come back. Please bring my grandbaby Damon with you. I can't believe you. Ugh, my heart is so full and I'm relieved but I'm also extremely angry that once again secrets have become a norm among me and my children." She scolded.
"I'm sorry, momma. And hopefully you can forgive me."
"I'll forgive you when my eyes finally see his sweet face." She scolded through the phone before hanging up. He sighed, making his way to meet his nephew.