Banks Dynasty – Day 31.2 (Part 2)

Kai and I arrive home to see Harvey standing outside, telling me once again that he forgot his key.

Harvey: I swear it won’t happen again.

Prosperity: That’s what you said last time. But, I’m glad you’re here because I have something that I need to talk to you about.

Harvey: Okay. *suspicious* You’re not kicking me out, are you? You received my rent payment, right?

Prosperity: Yeah, I received it. It’s nothing like that. I think I found a new roommate for you – my brother, Merit.

Harvey: *relieved* Oh. I’ve seen him around. He seems cool.

Prosperity: He probably won’t be moving in until the weekend.

Harvey: I’ll get the place ready for him.

Prosperity: Thanks, Harvey.

Now that things are settled with Harvey, I walk over and work on my presentation until it’s as good as it’s going to get. Just one more term after this one, and I’ll have my life back. I can’t wait.

My presentation is complete, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. I retreat to my bedroom to finish reading a couple of chapters for one of my classes. Kai is in his bedroom working on something but joins me in my room with his dinner afterward. I’m glad because there are a few things that I’d like to discuss.

He sits in the chair and looks up at the picture that’s hanging on my wall.

Kai: It looks like splattered blood.

There he is with the morbid talk again. I thought he might have outgrown it. But now that I’m looking at the picture, I see that he’s right.

Prosperity: How was your last day of school? Your teacher sent me your grades – all A’s. I’m so proud of you!

Kai: Thank you. It was okay.

Prosperity: Have you remembered to use that deodorant I gave you?

Kai: Yeah

Prosperity: How do you feel about aging up tomorrow?

Kai: Okay

One-word answers. Is this the beginning of teenage indifference?

Prosperity: Come and sit next to me. I want to talk to you.

Kai comes and sits next to me on the bed. I save my place in my textbook.

Prosperity: Are you excited about going to Sulani with gran and pop?

Kai: Yeah, but I’m a little sad that you aren’t coming.

Prosperity: I am too, but you’re going to have a great time.

Kai: I know. It’ll be fun.

The grin on Kai’s face is hard to read. But it raises my suspicions a bit, and I think I know why.

Prosperity: Kai, are you hoping to see your father in Sulani?

The smile leaves his face instantly, replaced by the guilt of someone caught doing something they aren’t supposed to.

Kai: No!

He answers far too quickly.

Prosperity: I think you might be. I can’t stop you from wanting that. But, if you happen to see him, I don’t want you to be too disappointed if things don’t turn out the way you want. Okay?

Kai’s chin drops, and he suddenly becomes overly interested in staring at his hotdog. I open my textbook to reassure him that I’m not upset because he wants to seek out his father.

Moments later, after what I’ve said has sunk in a bit, he responds.

Kai: Okay, mommy.

He continues to sit there, and I continue to read. The subject is closed for now, but I’ll bring it up again once he’s had time to process what I’m trying to tell him fully. I shut my book and announce that it’s time for him to go to bed and for me to have a bath. He gets up wordlessly and follows me out of the bedroom.

I enter the bathroom feeling a bit uneasy at the possibility of Kai running into Craig in Sulani. I wonder if I should be there to buffer things just in case they go sour. Maybe I should cancel the whole trip altogether.

While I’m trying to decide how to handle it, Kai finishes up a few nighttime chores and goes to bed.

I soak in the bathtub for far too long for someone who still has an incomplete homework assignment. It’ll have to wait or go undone completely. Loneliness clouds my ambition. I realize what I need this weekend, and that’s time alone or in the company of someone who isn’t my son or my brother. It feels selfish, and I’m almost ashamed to think it, but Kai will have to go through with his plans alone.

I do my part to clean the house before I prepare a quick beef ramen meal. As I sit there alone, I realize that I’ve been suppressing thoughts of how I’d like to spend my weekend.  As soon as morning comes, I make up my mind to send a text to Mr. Washington informing him that my plans have changed.

(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)

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