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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Man, Who Doesn't Understand Men!


This is one of those rare free thinking post of mine. I don't do these much. Well I do, but I don't post them. It's been a minute since I posted. I think I am sinking into old habits. I really tried to be a more frequent blogger, but I can't blame it on the a aaa aaaalcohol...I can however blame it on the la laa llaaaaziness. I have a Music of the Moment post that is over due and I have some other things I wanted to talk about. My lack of blogging unfortunately has nothing to do with lack of content to write about I always have something on my mind, however I'm not always getting it out there.

I have something on my mind right now, that I just can't keep in.

Now this is very hard for me to say, but I just don't understand....MEN!

There I said it. Y'all don't know how hard it is as a man, to say I don't understand other men. I feel stupid...confused...I feel less than a man, because I don't understand other men. I have done some...well I have done some things in my life, since having sex with other men, but not a moment have I really felt less than a man, then now that I realize I don't get my own sex.

Let me lay it on the line for you guys, when I first started getting with men, I for some reason thought it was going to be easy. They are guys, I'm a guy, we are...most of the time going to be on the same wavelength. However silly me, that's not the case at hand.

Alright let me, let you in on a little situation, the one that is bringing me to my frustration. I just literally got off the phone with the office, of well a guy, that...well...well I don't know what you would call us or what we are doing. We are just good "friends." I haven't mentioned him to you guys as of yet. I have mentioned him to a couple bloggers. Anyway he has been in and out the picture for a couple months. Right around when I was posting the Von post. Von by the way is still in the picture....well, he is and he isn't, but that's another post for another day...I will explain. Anyway back to what I was saying. So I just got off the phone with "Dude"'s office, right....and his secretary once again gave me..."He is in a meeting would you like to leave a message on his voicemail?" question again. Today I gave her a "No." Now some of you maybe asking what's wrong with that, he is at work he might be busy or in a meeting. I would be cool with that if he told me this, but he isn't telling me SQUAT!!!

He has turned me into Kerry Washington in Chris Rock's "I Think I Love My Wife." That's how I feel right now. In the movie when Chris Rock thinks that his friendship with Kerry Washington's character has gone to far and that he needs to end their friendship in his own fashion. What does Chris Rock do to address the matter, he stops taking her phone calls. No cell phone...no calls at work...no contact at all....except Chris Rock's secretary tells Kerry that Chris is busy or in a meeting, would she like to take a message. Kerry keeps calling and he keeps ignoring her calls or telling his secretary to tell her he is busy. That's how I feel right now. Like he is avoiding my calls. Now the only difference is that Kerry Washington had some idea, as to what she did, to push Chris to that point. I for that matter don't know why or what I have done....

The more I can't get in contact with him the more I want to get into contact with him to figure out, what's going on. I have tried several times since Friday to get in in touch with him. Let me explain myself...I am by no means a Bug-A-Boo. I don't call guys like that. I don't sweating guys like that, and I have my reasons I especially don't do that to him. I called him on Friday and couldn't leave a message on his cell phone. I tried on Saturday and the same thing happen, so what did I do...I called his job's voicemail to leave him a message, to call me. Monday came around and I heard nothing from him. I call yesterday morning, and she gave me he was busy. I called him again right before lunch to see if he wanted to grab a bite. I know when he goes to lunch, because we have been to lunch together. He has in fact called me on his lunch break to talk to me the whole time he was at lunch. I talked to him as I was out across town. I only left two messages yesterday, but still I got nothing in return from him.

Now I know he has done this before, not to me, but to another dude. He called me once to tell me about how this other DL dude he knows keeps blowing up his phone, and how why don't people get the message that you are not interested anymore. He went on to tell me that the dude called him 14 times and left 14 messages. I asked why didn't he just answer one of the guys calls and tell him, that he wasn't interested at all. He explained it to me, that he thought that the guy should have understood that he wasn't interested in him, because he stopped answering his calls. I explained to him that it would be better for both of them, if he just explained that he wasn't interested anymore.

Here I am on the same situation, except he is doing it to me, now! I don't understand that at all. That is such bitch like behavior. He's acting like a little Pussy. I am man enough to take whatever is the reason. I am just so unbelievably angry. Not only has he dissed me without word, but he has turned me into a calling Bug-A-Boo Nag!! I hate that.

Yesterday on the last message I told him that. I said exactly.."You are not trying to do me like ole dude and avoid my call, are you? I don't appreciate that, if that's what you are doing."

No offense, but that behavior I expect from Women. Women do the stop talking and not give you a reason why. I mean I really would understand the situation more if it was from a woman. I mean this reminds me of a friend of mine from high school. We were really close and cool. There was just one thing, when she would get mad at me, she would just stop talking to me for no reason...well her reason, but not a good reason. Now she never avoided me, she just stopped talking. I would ask her a question, and she acted as if I said nothing. If I asked her if there was a problem, she would nod no. Now it got crazy, we remained hagging out with the same people, yet she would just stop talking to me in the group. For example, we never stopped sitting at the same lunch table. In fact she would sit right across the table from me eating her pizza or turkey club and not say boo to me. She would talk to the person beside me, beside her but never to the dude across from her....me. It use to piss me off royally, because I never got to find out why I was being shut out, just like now. However I just let it go until she did. It happen a few times during high school. One time it was something stupid, like I laughed at her in front of Freshmen. It was always something stupid like that. One time I admit I was insensitive and mentioned she was acting goofy and something about maybe it was her time of the month. I asked her politely if she needed some Midol. However that led to like a two month silent treatment. Now A grown man is doing the same thing to me, however I have been completely on some grown and sexy tip with him and nothing stupid out of my mouth. Our last conversation was cool.

The last time we talked everything was cool. I just don't get guys however. For some reason I got her, I don't get him. This is not the only time I have run into guy behavior, that as a guy I don't understand. Do y'all know I was so tempted to actually buy Steve Harvey's "Think like a Man, Act like a Lady," just to see what it is that I am missing. Do you know what that makes me or says about me?...I know what it doesn't make me a man, that I need a book to try to understand another nigga. Reading a book geared to women to understadn my own sex. This is just like another straw on that pesky camel's back, that I don't get men...it's so many things.

A part of me just wants to call and leave a nasty message, but that's just not my style. I don't leave nasty messages, but I am on that level right now. This is the guy who told me, that as DL men, no matter who we lie to, we must always stay on the up and up when it comes to each other!
However what is he doing but not being up and up with me!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Not ready to be an Orphan...Part II


I know I'm late on this, but this is in dedication of Mother's Day. I had decided to finish up on a post series I started last year. The conclusion to Not ready to be an Orphan Part I, since it was about my mother. Before the series...Are We there yet,Von, I received an email from a long time reader, but non commenter, about why I start stories in post and never finish or come back with the second part. This post is not only in dedication to the female motherer bloggers I know Southern Gal, Real Hustla, and Lady Nay, eventhough I don't think she reads my blog much anymore.I have enjoyed reading about O and Poca, and Ishmeal, and Real Hustla's other little girl, that I can't remember's name at this moment. I wanted to send out a belated Happy Mother's Day. I think Belated should be my middle name. Anyway better late than never right. I also wanted to send this out to one of my quiet blog readers Baij, who wanted to know what happen to my mother, if you are still out there, here it is, just as I had started many many months ago.


It amazes me how sometimes when you are going through something, you read something, or watch something, or talk to someone, that has a story that resonates with what you are going through at that same time. Well mine happen to be an episode of Frazier rerun. i happen to be watching this rerun the night before my mother's operation. In this episode Niles has some odd luck, some weird things happen and he thinks his chances have been to good, and based off something a friend tells him, he decides to go to the doctor. Well just like my mother he thinks everything is going to check out all right, but they find something on the test and decide that Niles needs to have surgery on his heart right away. Well in the follow up episode, that came on right after it, Niles is in the hospital, had has some flashbacks about other events that happen right there in that hospital, in his life. He describes how if hospital walls could talk what would they say about you.

Well, as I walked through one of the hospital's lobbies the morning of my mother's operation. I couldn't help think about that very same thing. Although this hospital has three different lobbies and main entrance. There Is one I remember always going into. As me and my mom and her surgery day entourage head to the set of elevators for her check-in I pass some club chairs that I remember sitting in one other occasion. Although from my mom's house, there is at least 4 hospitals I can think of off the top of my head that is in a 10-15 minute radius of her house, one being an university hospital, I can truly say I only remember experience with one hospital growing up. We lived in only two different houses, growing up, and they were only 5 minutes apart really. I was still in the same school district. Anyway as I walked into this familiar surroundings. I thought about my history in this hospital. As I was saying as I walked across the marble floors that morning and passed by the different sets of club chairs, I couldn't help but think about my experiences there. I started to think...really if these hospital walls could talk...

I would think it would say to me, You again?...long time no see. My how you have grown. boy time sure does fly...

This was the hospital that little over a couple decades ago my mother was told by my father you did good. That a nurse asked her, "...That's right, you haven't seen your son yet, have you? Now let me say this I see a lot of babies but I will have to admit Mrs. Black your son is the prettiest baby in the nursery right now." See back in the 80s when women had C-section, they knocked you completely out. Not like now, where from what I understand a woman's body is just numb from the neck or chest down, and they are awake for the whole thing. I was 6 or 8 hours old, before my mother saw me...
This was the same hospital where my father told my mother, to go down to the cafeteria to get him something, when I got my tonsils taken out. He wanted to be alone with me. As soon as she left, it was business time. We did what we did best negotiated. In order for me to be discharged from the hospital, I had to drink so much liquid. At that point I had drunk nothing, because it felt like razors going down. He knew me well back then, and propositioned me. If I drunk the required amount, I could rent 5 movies of whatever I wanted. I countered with 10. In the end we settled on 8 but I had to drink more than the required, to make him look good. By the time my mother got back all liquids had been consumed for the doctors. As crazy as it sounds for a 7 year older, I believe I ended up with everyone of the Police Academy movies...
This was the same hospital, where a year later, my grandmother visiting out from out of town, said she just didn't feel good and was rushed into the emergency room. Who was taken from this world, by God, that same evening, on Mother's Day...
This was the same hospital, a couple years ago, where a nurse asked my father was he alright?...and if he needed anything, to let her know and that she was going to leave the door open just in case..." This being after I snapped after another nurse and told her, "Yes he is fine, now leave us alone, now!" My heated words about things he had done in the past and after not seeing him for quite some time, filling the hallways, and scaring nurses...
This was the same hospital where the next day I finally let my years of anger towards him go, and forgave him...
This was the same hospital where one year later, I ran in and was greeted on those same marble floors and was told to sit in those same club chairs and told that, I was 5 minutes too late, and that my father died 5 minutes ago...

The stories and history of me and this particular hospital are endless and even more detailed. Even though it's a building I can't help but think of it as an old friend who has been watching you grow up and hold all your past. As we got onto the elevators, I couldn't help but think about what else journey the two of us will experience together. How else will it play a part in my life.

We go to the 4th floor, where my mother checks in. It's about 5:30 in the morning. One of the first surgeries of the day. I didn't sleep much the night before...well not at all to be honest. Had nothing to do anxiety or nervousness. Just wasn't sleepy, for some reason. Am attractive brown skin woman at the massive desk takes her into the code access doors and tells me and the entourage to wait 15 minutes. We all were quite, my family being completely quite is...well...it isn't completely normal, that's for sure. They same lady, not sure if she is a nurse or what, she is dressed quite professional and and stylish, comes back out to tell us we can go in, for a few minutes before they start prep and anaesthesia. We head back to where she is. She is out of her clothes and has on her hospital gown and laying out in a bed, in a prep area, with her anaesthesiologist. apparently talking to him about his career...how do I know, when I walk in she has to tell me all about what exactly he does, and for me to talk to him. Always on the hunt for a career path for me, that she thinks is mom approved and that she would want for me to have and pursue. To the very end she is worried about my future. Her words are always, "You are a parent to the day you die!" We all say a family prayer. That's when I can't handle it anymore. I look down at her, as my time back there is coming to an end, and we have to leave and it really hits me then, everything that is truly about to go down. This past several days, since the cauterization, I haven't got upset or cried, or thought really much at all about it. I felt almost numb. We just took care of business. She went through were all the import paperwork and insurance policies were. We went down the to do list she put together; shutters and doors painted, driveway reglazed, extensive cleaning. She said, that out of the normal company was going to be stopping by the house while she was in the hospital, and she didn't want things looking tacky. Of course she had to throw in, that if anything happen to her, she didn't want people saying she kept a tacky house. My aunt would add, "As if anyone would think of that from you!" Through all of this time not an inch of emotion from me. However realization finally hit me in this last minute, and I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down. I don't cry as much as an adult as I use too. I especially don't like to cry in front of others. I keep it together and in until i am alone, but you gets not show out of me. However I couldn't take it anymore and just broke down,I did one of those kid cries. As I was in the arms of one of my aunts, I mouthed to her, "Don't you leave me." She gave me what felt like the weakest smile that she could muster up and mouthed back "I'll try." Then she gave me that everything is okay smile, that I learned from her. I wiped my eyes and pulled away from my aunt, and told myself to get it together. I grabbed her purse, and the bag she had all the things she wore into the hospital, and we head back to the waiting area.

Sometimes I feel like things really do happen for a reason. The current one being me not sleeping the night before. As soon as we went back into the waiting, that was on another floor, sleepiness fell on me. There was several couches and we camped out and waited during the surgery. I had gotten some New blankets from the stylish sista who escorted, when my mother check-in, before going back to another floor. The only time I woke up was when we all went to the cafeteria for breakfast. The hospital has a McDonald's in it, but I wanted something different that a biscuit or hot cakes. I ate a waffle and bacon and cheese omelet freshly prepared the chef in the cafeteria, and went back up to her floor and went back to sleep. I was up worried or having my mind think about the unknown future or certainty. Here's the thing about bypass surgery, they actually take your heart out of your body and work on it. It's actually an amazing thing, when you think about it. They take your body down to a temperature of in the 60's I believe it is, I could be wrong, but I believe that's correct, and they take your heart out of your body. They cut you open, and open up your rib cage. They take a vein out of your leg and bypass reconnect heart with the veins over the blocked arteries. While under anything can happen, either a heart attack or stroke. The heart is what gives your body life. From 6 that morning, when we left her side until about 2:30 I was under, what felt like a deep sleep, except for the time we ate breakfast and the time the moved us to a different floor, where she had been moved. I was knocked out, in a peaceful sleep. I was woken up once and told that the had incurred a slight problem and had to go back in. Other than that it felt as if I had been drugged. I feel like that was all under a Divine plan. For the last few hours it was a little worry, because of the having to go back, because there was slight leakage of some sort. Still not quite sure what that meant.

Around 3, we got the call into waiting room, and told that two members at a time could come back to the double doors, where the doctor will meet us and see her. Me and my aunt Cece were the first two. As I walked down the ICU hall, and the doctor talking about what was going on I wasn't hearing a word he was saying. I needed to see my mother. As I walked into her ICU room, I was a little taken back, at what I saw. There my mother was wrapped up like a mummy by blankets and covers, with tubes and vets coming from her to machines. They had to have her covered up like that, to keep her warm after bringing her body temperature down so far. The only thing visible was right around her face.

After different rounds of two saw her for 5 minutes, the doctor told us the best thing to do is let her rest. He told us that there wasn't anything left for us to do at the hospital, and for us to go home and rest, and come back later that evening. He gave us the number to her private ICU nurse, and that we can call anytime we like and get a check up on her from the private nurse. We left and back around 8 that night, and still she had not woke up out of the anaesthesia. The nurse told us that everyone reacts differently and has different times of coming out of it. I call back at 11 that night, and she still was out of it. The next morning around 6:30, we get a call from the ICU floor, that around 4:30 AM my mother woke up. Her account is that two men lifted her up and shook her awake. The nurse insist that they never lift patience and shake them. My mother holds on to that feeling however. We I went back to see her, that morning. She greeted me with a weak smile. Her body was still very tired. It had been thrown a lot. I smiled and talked to her for a few minutes. She then mouthed to me "I didn't leave you." I mouthed back, "No you didn't."

The last few months of last year were kinda rough and rocky on her way back to recovery. I might go into some other time. This Mother's Day, I was quite thankful to have her. That I had another one to be with her and to show her how much I love her. I know there are many who can't say that. She is one of them.This Mother's Day was a particularly hard one. Although it was many years ago, as I said above, my grandmother died on Mother's Day. This year however Mother's Day was the exact day she died in May, over a decade ago. My mother says it may get easier, but never stop missing your mother, wants they are gone.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Chris Brown, You Can't Even Hold My Baby!


Okay I was writing and working on another post, that has actually been kind of hard for me to write about, but I think perhaps is needed for me to talk about, who knows. However that post will be reschedule for this post right here. This too is also delayed. I started writing this Saturday, but things came up...blah blah blah. I wouldn't be me if I wasn't a day late and a dllar short! So here is the post from Saturday.

Okay so today I've had a busy Saturday. Did a lot of things and tried to get a lot done today. Well, during my day today, there happens to be a certain subject that keeps resurfacing its ugly face, the subject once again is the Rhianna and Chris Brown, the saga. Now actually today, when I changed my Heavy Rotation and Moments on the right side panel, I was going to change my post signature and moniker "YB&DL has got Chris Brown's Back," to something else. Now I was only planning on having it up until April 6, which was his first court appearance, but decided to keep it until the whole thing went away. Here it is May and it's still not over yet. Today though I really was planning on changing it, because I was tired of seeing it. However today I keep getting, that whole saga, back in my face. I know everybody is so over hearing this, I know I am. However, people are still hanging on to their feelings about the whole mess though, and well I guess I am too.

Let me start with earlier today, when I went to go get an oil change and tire rotation. Well in the customer lounge and waiting room I decided to read some of their monthly subscription literature. There was the usual waiting room magazine's like People, Time, Readers Digest, US Weekly, and Home and Garden. However there was a couple unusual in my opinion like Vogue, Elle, and Vibe magazine. I thought that Vogue and Elle subscriptions were a little unusual for a auto and tire shop, then again it was in a suburban area, however that didn't explain the Vibe magazines. Now I have seen Ebony and Essence in certain places, the more...uh...white known black magazines, but the Vibe in the area I was in, just threw me. I decided to pick up last weeks copy of US Weekly, with Heidi Klum and Seal on the cover. They are apparently having baby number 4. Now this is completely off the subject but I have to comment on this for a moment. Now I get they have money and whatnot and Seal...loves when Heidi is pregnant, because he met her when she was pregnant, and she has been pregnant most of their relationship and she is never more beautiful than when she is pregnant...I heard him say that in some interview once after the last baby, but 4 babies is a lot nowadays. I sure he might mean it it, but Seal is trying to ruin Heidi for any other man, if they don't work out in the future, well at least for white guys. It's official he is turning her into one of those white woman who can never go back to white guys, because she has three or more biracial children. A white guy might deal with one or two, but three or more, we might as well issue her a black card because it's a wrap for white guys. I mean here we are at baby 4 and I'm sure it's not the last one, I feel it in my bones. I mean they are not giving her uterus much break either. The ages are 5, 3, 2 and one on the way. I'm sorry I'm sure they want a girl too, but I hope to God it's another boy, because the way she has those boys hair now, I would just feel bad if they had a little girl. I mean they have those boys running around looking straight like "momma do my hair!" I mean I sure a comb has never made its way into those Freddie from A Different World mops, they have on their heads. All I am saying is can you image the poor little girl with that wild do and older sis hair looking all in place.

Anyway back to the subject at hand. Well in this copy of US Weekly, there is a poll about Chris Brown. They have a picture of Chris Brown holding a fan's white baby, since the Rihanna Grammy "situation." That's what I'm going to call it a "situation." Anyway the question they asked or polled people, was "Would you let Chris Brown hold your baby since the domestic dispute?" or something of that nature, I can't quite remember the exact words. However what I did remember was that 67% said NO! Okay are you kidding me. I don't know what I find crazier the fact that they even asked that question to people or that 67% said "Hell Naw," and I'm sure that's how they actually answered the question. Is it really at that point. People are afraid for him to hold their babies. Its not like he is going to bite and beat a baby. When I think about this poll I think about a post I read on this celebrity blog,I guess you can call it. Another blogger turned me onto this site, it's not a gossip site but a celebrity news blog. They do interviews and show pictures, anyway the Blogger wrote about how earlier this month they sent out a "Happy Birthday To Chris Brown" on Twitter, and instantly lost 10 Twitter followers. I mean it was just two years a go he was getting a personal birthday call from Micheal Jackson on MY Sweet 16 show and now he can't get a simple happy birthday from anyone anymore. He can't hold babies and can't get a "It's your birthday!" anymore...I mean people truly feel like Chris Brown is a Monster!

After reading US Weekly, I moved on to Vibe magazine. I first read last month's issue with Keisha Cole on the cover and male model spread with Tyson Beckford and a bunch of hot negros in it. I then moved onto this month's current issue with Rhianna on the cover, with the headline "Rhianna & Chris What's Love Got To Do With It?" Referring to Tina Turner's 80's hit and the name of here autobiographically movie about her abusive relationship with Ike Turner. In the article they even refer to Chris Brown as a "New-school Ike" now was it not me that wrote a couple months ago about how Chris Brown is no Ike Turner. I knew it was coming in print soon enough, with that comparison. Now even though the article was about both Rihanna and Chris Brown, they just had her on the cover, I'm guessing they were to afraid to have him on the cover also. Fear that even the mere picture of him, would cost them sales. Jet earlier this month had him gracing the cover with Rihanna and now I here they are having sales difficulties...a connection perhaps? I don't think so, but ironic nonetheless. Let me first say that this has got to be the best article I have read on the Chris Brown and Rihanna situation yet. I left reading the article thinking I have got to start reading Vibe more often.


The article had so much in it, but I will try to sum it up for you.

I love how they start the article with a 2007 interview of Chris Brown. He talks bout being young and in the spotlight...."Being Young, you always have to have a wholesome image. But I'm not perfect, no body's perfect. I'm just a regular guy. I don't try to pretend like 'Oh, I'm so nice and I'm such a God'." He then talks about his tattoos that his manger was so mad that he gets. She feels every tattoo is another album sale lost. In the 2007 interview he describes the meanings of his tattoos. One being ninjas in dark to light. It represented his life and how he was a bad child doing wrong things but trying to follow his own path to the light. That he had demons as a child that he use to fight all the time. His demons was his hatred for his mom's abusive relationships boyfriends and step father. He goes on to say, "Seeing images like that as a kid, you want to inherit what you see, so he promised himself he would never that that kind of dude...How I'm never going to be that person that lets an argument get that that I would put a woman and child in that position." Demons I guess got the best of him that night in that car. The rest of the article was just eye opening. Even the background on Rihanna, was eye opening. What got me was that Rihanna's father the man who has been so vocal in the Rihanna camp and wanting justice against Chris Brown, is a man who has been addicted to crack for 25 years and who own daughter was so happy when he left her and her mother, when she was 14.

The rest of the article is a sorta rise and fall of the two. How they met in 2005, when they both were about to be signed to Def Jam at the same time, but she got signed and his A&R person got fired a day before he was to be signed. That A&R person would become his long term manager Tina. Let me just say this. After reading this article.I even more now feel that Chris Brown and manager Tina have been hittin' it for a minute now. From the time at Def Jam to when he got signed to Jive and released his album, he live with Tina Davis. I just feel it. They were shopping for music deals and she was teaching him how to work the media. It talked about them dating to that dreadful night.

There was something that caught my attention. When they interviewed some witnesses at the club where the Grammy Party they attended that night was thrown, they gave some interesting insight. The tension between the two started earlier in the day at rehearsal. Rihanna got very upset and a fight started in the dressing room earlier that day, about Chris hugging the club manger that he knew. Chris Brown's dancer's think Rihanna is crazy and insane flips out on him whenever her super jealousy comes out. They say there is two Chris Brown's the one who come out gregarious, joking, and performing, when he is by himself and other Chris Brown that comes in with Rihanna and doesn't move doesn't look anywhere but at her, that doesn't speak to anyone but her, and that is completely terrified to look in the wrong direction or talk to the wrong person. Now add that little combination to his other pressures and you have you boiling point.

The most insight full was Chris Brown's former bodyguard and Rihanna's current bodyguard, Chris Bush. Chris Brown gave him to Rihanna, I guess he felt she needed him more, as her 24-hour a day guard. He said that Chris was under so much restraints and pressure..."It's like caging a pit-eventually he's gonna lash out.I don't blame lil' homie. Whatever allegedly took place could have been prevented a long time ago, it just so happened to be this situation. It took place only due to repressed frustration. There is so many leeches around BOTH of them."


I feel he was under so much pressure. He has to be one thing, that his manager is trying to portray. He has to be one thing for everybody pushed by his manager and one way for his girlfriends, he has parazzi after him, whenever him and Rihanna are together they have people following them with cameras, add that with her being the crazy jealous girlfriend, who probably wants to smell his dick when he comes in to see if it smells like another women...and who wants to bet she has done that at least once. The boy exploded that night! I once again feel like this is not a case of on going domestic abuse like Ike Turner, but a case of over aggression getting quite out of hand!

After reading this article to be quite honest I felt bad. By the end of the article when Chris Bush, said they were the two of the most kind hearted people who in the industry, but were just thrown into turmoil, I just wanted to hug both of them. I really do feel sorry for both Chris and Rihanna, more for Chris than Rihanna however. She seems to be moving on going to rock concert the Met Gala and whatnot, seen all over town. Chris on the other hand is being portrayed as a potential baby beating man, can't get a happy birthday nigga sitting on a bench.

Okay I'm always apparently missing a Chris Brown spotting. The other week, My cousin called me and told me he saw Chris again. He is either seeing him at the gym or at the mall. Anyway he called me as said "Oh by hte way I saw Chris Brown the other day."
"Oh yeah, what was he doing?"
"Just chillin"
"Chillin?...chillin where?"
"Chillin on a bench."
10 second pause
"What do you mean chillin on a bench?"
"I mean he was just sitting on a bench"
Another 10 second pause
"Are you telling me Chris Brown was waiting on a bus bench?"
"No he was not waiting on a bus, he was just sitting on a bench at the mall"
"You sure he wasn't waiting on a bus, things are mighty bad lately?"
"I'm sure, he was just sitting there looking sad"
"Don't people be looking sad when they were once driving a Lambo and now are sitting on a bench."
"Don't worry, I saw the blue Lambo in hte parking lot of the mall"

Now I have heard on the radio and online, that they are both going through emotional things right now. Both are taking to alcohol, to heal their wounds. Rihanna drinking Vodka like it's water...don't know how much that is true. Chris loosing 15 or 20 pounds. I don't know, but my heart goes to the both of them. People say they want to be famous and they want this and that kind of life. Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for, because there might be strings attached.

All I know is let me run into Chris Brown he would certainly get a ear full out of me. I truly have ideas for him, to turning his life around and this situation. Let me just run into him one time on a bench. He would thank his lucky stars. That's all I have to say, that and apparently YB&DL has still got Chris Brown's Back!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I'll Be Your Diamond Boy


"I'm your Diamond Boy
The one you put the rock on
I'm your Diamond Boy
The one that you quit the game for"



If none of you recognize these revised lyrics, than I guess y'all don't check out my "Ah That's My Jam" of the Moments, at least to hear them once. This is the hook for Ryan Leslie's "Diamond Girl" with a little twist from me. It was like my Jam a few months back I believe. I don't know why but this song has been running through my head lately. It's what actually inspired this post, well sorta...at least the title anyway. To be honest what really inspired this post, is the fact that...well I just had a birthday. Not going to say when, but it was this month. I didn't post about it, like I didn't last year, because I don't like to talk about my birthday. I have my reasons. I will get to them in a minute.

Here's something funny, twice this month, I've heard from people, who find out my birthday was this month, something on the line of..."Dang...your birthday is this month, every person I've met who was born in April, have been some arrogant people" Okay how are you just going to group us all like that. You didn't think I was arrogant before you found out, did you? Well maybe they did and just ignored it. This has not been the first time I've heard the comment. However this comment is usually followed after hearing I'm an Aries. I remember this one conversation a few years ago, with some co-workers of mine. When one of them found out I was an Aries it open up this flood gate.

Co-worker 1: "You are an Aries?...Oh that makes so much sense now"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Co-worker 1: "Well when I first met you, I thought you was an uppity little negro!"
Me:"What?!"
Co-worker 1:"Yeah I was like look at this nigga acting like his shit don't stink."
Me: Mouth gaped open
Co-Worker 2: "You too...I thought I was the only one who thought that!"
Co-worker 1: Laughs "No you were not alone"
Co-Worker 2: "When I first met Young I was like...uh attitude...excuse me for breathing"
Co-Worker 1: "Won't he though?...all cold acting and chili...nigga think he cute or something... with that face of his that he makes"

Meanwhile my head is flying from one person to the other just speechless as they compare notes and memories about how cold, uppity and arrogant they first I was, as if I'm not standing right there. I have to admit I had never heard this about myself before then. Let me just say this job I first started when I was a senior in High school. Co-worker 2 was a female part timer like me and Co-Worker 1 was a full time department supervisor.

Co-Worker 2: "Yeah he was, but now that I know him, he's a sweetheart! I love him!"
Co-Worker 1: "Yeah he aight...I guess. Still acts like his shit don't stink sometimes" and Laughs

Let me just say this. I know when to turn it on and off. Sometimes it's a lot easier to turn it off than to turn the "Boy you so crazy" on. When I go onto a new job, that gets turned off quick, fast, and in a hurry. So yes I might come off quit, aloof, and distance. I think it's the dumb folk, that come onto a job, acting like they no everything, and how everybody operates. I don't I am in feel you out mode with my co-workers and I am in getting myself settle vibe. I am like that in a lot of situations, where I am not the most comfortable. now when need be I will turn the charm button on and smile and give you warm, but if not necessary, then you don't get it.

I will admit I cam be a bit bougie and uppity at times. There I said. I know me. I am not the nigga you call to keep it real...to keep it street...to keep it hood! You call me, you will get "Oh man naw I can't do the keeping it Hood tonight. But yo call me next week when you want to keep it Bougie, I got you on that, for real...aight then see you then!"

Anyway I don't really like to celebrate my birthday, because I feel its another year older and another year I haven't made it to where I'm suppose to be in my life. I remember, I believe it was 8th grade, when we had to write out out 10 or 15 year life plan and goals. My my age now I should have finished my Bachelors Summa Cum Laude, and either working up that corporate ladder or working on my Masters or MBA. I should be in a serious relationship with my college sweetheart and either married or engaged. I read at the time that most people find their spouses while in college. So I figured I would find the future Mrs. Young Black by then. In a few years I would be working on baby one, but have a new dog by now. That was the plan, and I really thought that was how it was going to play out. Look at me now. On my umteenth major, still working on getting that one done...be lucky if I graduate Thank U Summa Lawdy! Master or MBA yeah right! Not sure what I want for my career path. Not doing bad on the job front but not a career as I would say. No need to discuss that whole getting married crap, you know how that's going. The future Mrs. Young Black, yeah right! I guess I feel like I'm not fulfilling my potential. I was at city Hall a few weeks ago taking care of some business, had to file some papers, anyway I saw a friend from high school. When I saw her with her business suit and a briefcase, it made me want to go the other way. She wanted to work in the government, she was in the Model UN and other things, and guess what...she works in the government. I feel like I'm all over the place however. And another birthday rolls around and...well kinda a failure...I'm no where near my plan. I know plans change but....ehhh

Wow how did that happen? How did I go from talking about being a diamond boy to a pity party. No matter if I am where I want to be at 23 or not...I will always be a Diamond Boy! To be honest I think that fits me. I think the diamond is classic style and timeless. I think that's me...lol I can't image any other birthstone. It's simple in composition, but when the light hits it, can't nothing beat it reflection and shine. And no that's not arrogance, just calling it as I see it! A diamond means "Everlasting love"...now if that doesn't scream me then I don't know what does people. A diamond is versatile, and like me You can dress me up and you can dress me down. There is some birthstones that is either or. You really can't dress down Sapphires or Ruby, how can you dress those things down? Then take the Peridot and the Citrine, those are hard things to dress up. However every Socialite and Rapper can tell you you can dress a diamond up or down. It means strength and invincibility...I mean hello! I am like the diamond I endure in your hearts forever...forever and ever?...FOREVER!! I feel very diamond like, I feel its me!

I feel that's the only upside to being born in April. I mean the whole pollen thing is so not me. I mean if y'all could see my eyes right now, good lawd. Y'all would be like, "WOW, now were you born with red eyes or are those contacts?...and why is you crying, did your dog die?" The sunglasses get there wear out of me during the Spring for sure. I embrace the April Showers, that is me! I'm mean I'm not exactly a spring guy other than that. I love the warm rain. Any who here is my rambling post to the month of April...I was all over the place wasn't I...hmmm

I am your Diamond BOY!!!!!!
and yes my stuff don't stink...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Prayers for Pops and Soulchild vs. Slim

My Prayers Goes out to The Family of
David "Pop" Winans Sr.
(April 8, 1934 - April 8, 2009)
I would like to send out my prayers and condolences to the Winans family. This month they lost their patriarch, David "Pop" Winans Sr, at the age of 74. I always considered the Winans, as the Gospel Jacksons. I know how crazy that sounds, but every one of them can sing. I mean they are truly a legendary family. I mean every one of the can sing and is talented. It only seems like yesterday that I saw all of them in the Together We Stand Tour. Where Pop and Mom Winans along with The Winans, BeBe and Cece, Daniel, Angie And Debbie, and Winans Phase II all performed together in concert. I'm glad they were able to come together before the two major deaths in the family. It was truly an amazing and anointed concert. However that was like in 2003 actually I believe. Even though Pop was the patriarch of the family his son Ronald preceded him a few years ago. I love pops and Mom Winans. I actually remember Pop and Mom Winans first album, like from the early 90s, maybe even late 80s, I'm not sure, I just know I had to be real little. It was during the dreaded tape cassette period. I actually remember one song, from when I was real little. It was a song with them singing and reminiscing about when their children were little, and gospel music around the house. I think they had little kids or their own grad kids singing in the background. I remember them on the Stellar Awards, on the rotating stage back then too, not sure what they were singing, but I remember it. Anyway just doing a little reminiscing of my own...Pop Winans will be greatly missed, not just by his family either.



My first canidate for "Battle of the R&B Crooner" of the Moment is Musiq Soulchild's "Onmyradio." I have every single Musiq Soulchild CD's , including when he cut the Soulchild off during the "Soulstar" album period. This is classic music from Musiq. However I'm not going to lie his first single, "Radio," was a bit of a change for him, and I liked it. It was a heavy hip hop/rap beat, kinda hard up tempo sound. I think that people would be very surprised about this change for him. I liked it, I would kinda like to hear more of this from him. It had kind of a crunk sound to it. Anyway I don't really have to say what my favorite song on the album is, my previous "Ah That's My Jam" of the Moment, "Ifuleave" featuring Mary J. Blige. This goes down as one of my favorite duets for the both of them. Some other shining songs for me was "Sobeautiful" another soft and touching love song. Another song that got a lot of play from me, was "DearJohn." In this song Musiq breaks up with his girlfriend in today's new Dear John letter way, via the cell phone. I think its kinda funny, even though I'm not sure it's suppose to be. Overall the rest of the album, is kinda the classic deep and moving Neo-soul classic vibe.

VS.


My second canidate for "Battle of the R&B Crooner" of the Moment, is Slim's "Love's Crazy." My cousin was in my car, when I was playing this, and he said one funny but real thing. He said, "If this is Slim's solo album, then he must have been 112, because this sounds just like a 112 album!" The truth to it is that out of 112, Slim did have the most distinctive voice, you may not always know whether it was Q, Mike, or Daron singing solo, but you always knew when Slim's high falsetto voice, was singing. Slim's "Love's Crazy" album very much seems like an extension of an 112 album. I think personally Slim's voice distinguished 112 from other 90s R&B groups. His first solo effort, to me was a very good one. He had a nice compilation of high tempo and ballets. Some of his shining moments was his first single, "So Fly" feat. Yung Joc. and "Good Lovin" featuring Fabolous and Ryan Leslie. His duet with Faith Evans, "So Gone" was definitely a good one, I think it would have made a perfect third single, release for his album. I think my favorite would definitely been the midnight storm-esque, "Bedtime Stories," a great song to make love to. It just had that flow and sexiness. His voice never really changes from his high tempo to his slow jams, but he works both successfully.


I really don't have a winner between the two, Musiq and Slim both had decent albums. Is it the best work from either one of them?...hmm I wouldn't say that. It however is Slim's first solo effort, so I have no solo music to compare it to. However I wouldn't say this is Musiq's best work, still good music nonetheless. I will say this, I think I played Slim's album a little bit more than Musiq's.



Most people, when you mention the group Playa, don't remember them. Whenever I tell someone about Plays,I alwasy get..."Who?" Playa was a group from the mid 90's. They only put out one album, although rumors are that they recorded others. If you remember when Missy Elliot and Timberland first came out, they had their clique called the "SupaFriends." Well, that consisted of Playa, Ginuwine, Missy, Timbaland, the Late Great Aaliyah, Magoo, and Nicole Wray, they were always in the videos together and whatnot. Playa was one of the prodigy's of music, in my opinion, most talented yet unfortunate gems Jodeci's Devante Swing. Playa along with Missy, Ginuwine, and Timberland, all were developed under Devante. However they never produced any public music under him. Well, Playa's "Cheers 2 U" is for sure one of my favorite albums by a male group. I love this album. It really some up my general taste for music. It's rare that I skip any songs when I listen to this album. As much as I like this album, it's hard to name my favorites, because I like the vibe of the whole thing. I would have to say though, my truly favorite song, would have to be the collaboration, with one of my favorite artist of all time, the Late Great Aaliyah in "One Man Woman." I really love this song. Off the top of my head though "Miss Parker" featuring Miss Elliot, is definitely a good one too, a great mid-tempo song. The album self title track "Cheers 2 U" and Together would have to round it out too. I am without a doubt a fan. They really don't make boy bands like this anymore. I really wish they had put out their other albums.

Although I am a fan, and a big music head. I never put together that Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, was the Static of Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" song, until late last year. Static Major died last year, I forget from what, but I think it was of natural causes. He was only in his early 30s too. he died young, and I don't think we truly saw his full potential and talent. I am really sadden that Static died before his solo album was released. I am looking out for it. He produced "Lollipop" and he produced and wrote several hits for Ginuwine and the late great Aaliyah, by the way, that is how I will always refer to her. Maybe now the unreleased music from Playa will be released in a tribute album.



My "Ah That's My Jam" of the Moment, Bobby Valentino's "Beep" featuring Lil' Kim, Ludacris, and Lil' Wayne, was definetely that song that had me on fire everytime, it came on the radio or I was in my car. Just makes you want to let your windows down, and crank up the volume.


My "Ah That's My Jam II" of the Moment, Jazmine Sullivan's "Lion, Tigers, and Bears," this song speaks to me on so many levels. I guess I really relate to what she is saying. I might not be scared of this and that, but I am scared of loving you. Love is very much a scary thing.

My Inspirational Music of the Moment, is Kierra Sheard's "Bold Right Here." Kiki truly continues the Clark legacy, with this CD, and does it well. All though this is like her forth CD, she hasn't lost it yet. In fact I think she is getting better. You would think that the young gospel singer would loose their message and the love of God, trying to cross markets and targets, but she doesn't do that at all. I don't think she compromises herself or her message from the Lord at all. She has praise songs and soul stirring songs all on here. Now granted on the first few songs like, "Won't hold Back," "Wave Your Banner," and "Boyfriend," you might question is it a gospel album or an R&B/Pop album based off of the beat and hooks. However you really have to listen to the words. I love "Boyfriend," which is a song about how unlike a man who wont return your message and a mans games, GOD is the best boyfriend you will ever had. How her boyfriend, GOD, is her best friend and the one she can always count and her true love. I think it's cute.

Her first single "Praise Him Now," is so Clark Familyish. I actually thought it was her mother, Karen Clark-Sheard, the first time I heard it on the radio. It is a very powerful song. Rounding out my favorite songs I would have to say "Love Like Crazy," even though it doesn't really sound like a gospel song at all. I definitely recommend this album for those who are a little nervous about traditional gospel. You can jam to this and get an inspirational message. Your jamming might turn into a shout.

Friday, April 17, 2009

I'm 1 years old, Happy Bloggerversary..Time to get that haircut!


After reading my fellow blogger, Fuzzy's last post about his 3 year Blog anniversary coming up, I thought about mine. I remember that I had my first post last year around Easter. I doubled checked and realized that I missed my First Year Bloggerversary last month. Easter was in March last year, so on March 22, I missed my one year mark of my DL journey chronicle. I'm really bummed about that, but I guess late is better than never. It fits me well. I'm late for everything else, why not this. Anyway, I know Fuzzy is doing the "Ask Me Anything Question and Answer" post, and I know others do that also for their anniversary or birthday, but I'm going to do something a little different for my first blog anniversary. I'm going to talk about one particular subject...Barbershops!

Yes, I said barbershops. Okay...early last year, I happened to be reading and commenting on a particular website forum, that is geared to an audience of...shall we say, minority men, who may or may not be curious about sex with other minority men. Yeah, that sounds good. Anyway, one particular discussion was on barbers or barbershops, can't really remember. I think it had something to do with sexual feelings or sexual actions with a barber...well, most likely anyway. Well, someone on this particular post, posted a link to a page about the same subject. I clicked the link, and was escorted to a blog page, with a post called The Shop.(Click to read that post.) That page happened to belong to, That Dude Right There, of Getting Myself Together. Well I enjoyed that post and continued to read other post and then his current post of his, early last year. After that I started checking out other bloggers, who was commenting, and then began reading their blogs. It wasn't to much longer, that I became addicted and sucked in by the blogger world. One day I decided that I was going to start my own, and want was the big journey that I was going through personally, and the rest is Young, Black, and Down Low history. I really believe if it wasn't for me reading the simple post about another black man's experience at a barbershop, that spiral, from a forum thread, that led me to "The Shop" post, I might not have my personal outlet and confidant, my blog right now.

Now here is the really funny thing. I just got off the phone tonight, with a guy, talking about barbers, I haven't told you guys about him yet. He is brand new dude, and I will get to writing about him soon, but I have a feeling, everybody is going to have strong feelings about him. However I have a feeling he is going to be in my life for a minute, I just get that feeling. Anyway he asked me about where I go to get my haircut done. I told him about the little spot I go. From what I gather he is a little unhappy with his barber, not because of his barber's skills, but because of his personal feelings for his barber. Apparently he is attracted to his barber, and he is afraid that his barber might figure it out. This is even more of an issue, because his barber is 17, and he finds his feelings to be really inappropriate. He told me he even wears sunglasses to hide his eyes, when the barber is cutting his hair. He was telling me about his barbershop past, and it seems he likes going to guys, that are attractive, or has one sexy dude in the shop. Here's the thing, I think there is a lot of DL or Out men, who are the same way. I am not, well I don't think so. I'm very sensitive about my hair, I don't mind seeing a cute face, but I care about what my hair looks like after the cut, THE MOST! However I am finding, that not all men are like that. Now I'm about to throw out a theory, I'm a little afraid since I haven't tested it out yet. I just thought about it right at this moment. I'm brainstorming as I type this, so y'all get to be a witness or in on my flowing thoughts. My thesis is...I wonder if you can tell if a man gets down with other men, based on his barber. If he only gets his hair cut by attractive men, does that mean he get down with men then? Hmmmm Now the only way for this theory to pan out, you will have to know what a man's barber history was, and what they looked like. Unless we look at it the other way. Instead of looking to see how cute the barber is, and that meaning the client is gay or bi; lets look at to see how ugly the barber is, and that meaning the client must be straight. That makes sense, right? So here's my thesis, if the barber is ugly, then you know the man in question (the guy getting his hair cut), must be straight and doesn't get down! I will work the kinks out of that theory later, it was just off the top of my head.

The barbershop I go to now, I've only been going there for a couple of years. Before that shop, I bounced around from shop to shop, from barber to barber, from hole in the walls shop to other hole in the walls shops. Before then I went to one barbershop for about 12 years I believe it was. Now that was true loyalty. I loved that shop. Nice clean classy black establishment. It was completely different from the shop I was used to, as an even smaller child, with my dad. It was a barbershop, that was appointment oriented, but walk-in accepted. I hated that sitting and waiting portion of the barbershop experience before then, and even now, that I am back to that. Anyway my barber of 12 years, truly just upped and moved to another state without real notice, and that left me out in the cold; bouncing from one barber to another. The barbershop I go to now, about 5 minutes from me, unlike my old barbershop, that was 25 minutes away, is just convenient. I just picked some place that was quick and easy.

Now let's get to my current barber, T. I have been to pretty much everyone in my barbershop at least once. I settle, on because I thought he was a cool nigga and funny. he cut my hair pretty decent, and at the time, I thought he had the least customers. Now it seems he is the one with the longest wait. He is the youngest in the shop about 24, and has every other young nigga as his barber. Here's the thing, I wonder if my barber gets down?

Now I think the barbershop, is like the army. They have a don't ask don't tell policy going on. Even if a nigga comes in, with another guy, who obviously is his boyfriend, none says anything. Not because they don't care, but its an awkward no one says anything moment. I saw it once, it wouldn't be so bad, if boyfriend say in the sitting area like everybody else, with the girlfriends, fathers, and single mothers. No boyfriend takes a chair and sits it right besides his man in the barbers chair, like someone was going to steal him. You know how you can feel no one saying anything on purpose, even when the love birds leave. It's very much like the army. I think even so with barbers. Now I understand that their are so out barbers, or barbers, who are rumored to mess around, but most of the time I think they are on the DL or Discreet tip. Here's why I think its like that. Getting your haircut, if you think about it, is very soft and tender moment. It's the only time, where another man, can touch another man's head. Move his head, lift his chin, run his fingers through his hair, and it not really consider gay actions. Some might think, if the barber is gay, then his actions would be consider moves...stupid, but I'm sure someone would think the nonsense.

Now my thoughts on T. is very circumstantial, but hmmm. Okay well the first one, is very immature on my part, and stupid, but had me thinking. His favorite places, that he talks about all the time, DC clubs and Atlanta. Those are two of his favorite places, both are heavy gay and DL hot spots. I know Atlanta has been the new black hot spot for a while, and Black Hollywood, but considered a Gay Mecca now too. Second he really has no girlfriend of heavy affection. I hear about a couple girls, but he really doesn't date like that. Not like the others who always talking about sex or their steady woman. Next the lip gloss situation. I think he wears lip gloss. now I don't mean chapstick or Vaseline, I mean something with "Watermelon Splash" or "Very Berry Sexy", in the title. The first time I noticed it, I thought he must have just eating some fried chicken or something, you know how barbershops and beauty shops are, they always have the around the way food hook up. After a couple of visit, I started to think, well am I always coming after he eats. That is until I beat him, one morning getting to the shop. In fact I had to call him at home, and wake him up. When he gets to the shop, first thing in the morning, lips just glossing. I started singing Lil' Mama's song "Lip Gloss," in my head. My lip gloss is cool, My lip gloss is poppin' all the boys be stoppin' Everybody else seems not to notice it, but his lips, be shining like new money! Lastly, a friend of his was making a movie. he does local directing and self produces his own movies. T was suppose to play a character in the movie. Well, T had a real problem one day with script. It was a horror movie or something, a DL think T was one of the killers or something. I don't know I wouldn't buy the movie, when it was done. Anyway t, had a problem with a part in the script. His character supposedly likes blood or something, he was suppose to lick the blood off of a face of a guy he just killed. Well, T had a real problem, with him having to Lick another mans face. How it was gay. He seemed to be protesting it a little to much. I stepped in the conversation, while he was cutting my hair. I told him that no one was going to think he was gay, just because he licks another grown mans face in a movie, its acting. I explained how Will Smith played a gay person once, and no one thought he was gay, and I listed other actors like that too. He just wouldn't see around people think he was gay by doing that. He eventually did it, but he made the biggest racket about it...that left me with the Hmmmsss.

Now I wouldn't care about it so much, his personal business is his, that's my motto, but I think I'm starting to feel him. I wasn't before, but now I think I am, the longer he cuts my hair. He has a Jason Weaver thing going look. Jason Weaver from the "Smart Guy" show and "Drumline" and "ATL." T also has dimples on both chicks, that you can swim in. Now I never have those haircut experiences, That I hear some men have, where they feel the barbers penis on their arm or shoulder, while they get a cut. Everything always seems normal, but my 6th sense...the DL sense...tells me that I might be onto something. just like my bones say that the other barber in the shop, has had a guy as a sexual partner at least once. The other barber, he has all these tattoos, and comes off as the shop ladies man whore. He is your typical ex prison, now current barber. Straight thug...with the wife beater or basketball jersey on and the sagging pants. I mean I have truly seen his draws and ass...I mean full ass more than I've seen my own. You can't tell me he hasn't had his dick sucked by a good two men before, and you can't tell me T doesn't want to...mister this isn't lip Gloss, it's chapstick.

The Barbershop...The new don't ask, don't tell policy upholder!

Happy Belated BLOGGERVERSARY to ME!!!! May the next be better!!!!!!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Are We There Yet,Von?...So That's Your Baby Mama?


Okay well lets wrap up this long ass story, I have other things to talk about. I really thought I was going to be able to write this whole thing in one post, here I am on my third post and still trying to finish this story, but this is it!

So opens the door, and there she was. Then there she went, as soon as she opened the door, she took off. Leaving me and Von standing there, both not knowing what to do. Were we suppose to follow her, or just wait in what appeared to be the washroom/ pantry/ place where they put the garbage bag, before they take it to the dumpster room. We both stood there like two fools, not knowing what to do. I whispered to Von, "Are we suppose to wait here, or follow her?" He whispers back to me, "That I would know better than he would." Annoyed with his nonsense, I whisper back, "She's your baby mama, why would I know more than you?" Here we are standing by the washing machine and what appears to be last nights trash bag, debating in a whisper about who should know what to do. I swear when you hang out out with foolery, you eventually become your environment. We are interrupted, by Von's Baby Mama, when she tells us we can come into the family room and sit down, if we want. Guess that solved the debate. We go into the family room, or should I say, we followed her voice. At this point this broad has yet to turn on a light. Got us trying to feel our way around, like Ray Charles. I stand there for a minute, waiting for my eyes to adjust. I follow Von. we walk through the family room entrance. Von finds the sofa, and sit. I find the chair closes to the washroom and sit. Meanwhile Baby Mama goes into the backrooms. To be honest I can't remember her name, I think it started with a T, but I really didn't care enough to remember, so we will just continue to call her Baby Mama. Anyway, she leaves us, to go back to the bedrooms. Me and Von continue to sit in the dark. It's still quite early in the morning, and the sun hasn't made a peak yet. Both of us, just quite. Baby Mama, comes back out and still I can't see what she looks like. She walks passed me and goes to the flat screen t.v. It's near me. She turns it on, and that immediately lights up the room. Now I can finally see where I am at, and see her. She bends down to the DVD player, and I can see more of her than I imagine. All I see is booty and thong. She is wearing what looks to be low ride jeans and a red thong up on her hips. My first thought was I wonder who she wore this Little number for...me? I mean I have to admit, this girl had a ample backside, it truly wasn't being contained my those jeans. I just stared as it's up in my face, as she is trying to put a DVD in. I mean I got a full view, just booty and a little red lace triangle gripping for life. Truly not the booty I image seeing when this night started, but it was still a show none the less. She turns around and I finally get to see this chick out.

Okay, let me say once again, that I have met some of Von's other girlfriends. Not by choice EVER, always like this an unwelcome surprise. They were nothing serious, but still I didn't want to meet them. I'm not even sure if he had sex with them, but he had sex with this one. The evidence was in the other room. I don't know what I expected, but not sure if Miss Junk in the Trunk 2009, is what I expected. She was a dark brown skin cutie, not exactly chocolate, but around there who was about 5 foot 9 or 10 with long legs. Both her and Von kinda tall. She had these things on her head, not exactly corn rows, but something like that pulled pack into a ponytail on the side, with crinkles. She had the big gold hoop earrings to finish the ensemble out. The first thing she says is "Hey boy!" I knew instantly she wasn't talking to me. She said it with a look on her face, like she hated him, but her delivery was in a sly way filled with lust and love, like she wanted to jump him right there. I knew right then, that this was going to be a long visit. I just shook my head, and contemplated to myself, how do I get myself into the situations. how did I end up going out for a booty call, and end up roughly 150 miles away from home, In the deep Virginia country. In between the guy I was suppose to being booty calling it with and his baby mama, who looks like she could tongue him down right now. She pulls her eyes away from him long enough to introduce herself to me, and to thank me for bringing him. She leaves the room again. I turn my attention to the screen, it was a nice size t.v., about a 37 or 40 flat screen. Enough to really light the room up. I look all around. Not a bad double wide at all. Large family room, that leads in to the kitchen with breakfast nook, and leads into the dining room. All over the walls are paintings, with scriptures or biblical sayings. Behind me on the wall, is some sort of rug hung up, with a picture woven on it and yet another scripture woven into the weave. I see several group pictures of a girl and two boys, however the girl doesn't look like Baby Mama. Pictures of angels and Black Jesus are scattered among things, to finish the decor. I look at the screen and the intro credits, state that she put in a Tyler Perry play DVD. Yep this is going to be a real long visit!

She comes back out, this time though, with a baby in tow. A little brown skin baby boy about 6 or 7 months, with a look on his face, like he just woken up. His eyes wide open, and just looking back and forth between me and Von. I wish I can say I am kidding, when I say the way he was looking at the two of us back and forth with those eyes, I just truly knew he was thinking...This heifer done woke me up now, so which one of you is my daddy? I kept looking at him, like don't look at me. Baby Mama sits down on the sofa, beside Von and finishes dressing the baby. She is putting socks on him, and finishing buttoning up his one piece jumpsuit or whatever. He is just sitting in her lap. Von takes him out of her lap. She is protesting and warning Von, that he doesn't like new people, especially men, and is probably going to cry. Well I'm all for it, as soon as Von has a little father son time, the sooner, we can get out of here. I already warned Von before we came inside, that he had 15 minutes to bond with his son, grab a picture, before we had to go. I sat my cell phone out on my lap, and the clock starts now. As much as she warned, he didn't make one peep. Once again I chopped this up, to maybe he knew that this man was he daddy, and he felt a connection, and no need to cry.

I turn my attention back to the t.v. screen. Its Tyler Perry stage play, that I had never seen before, but some how felt I had. It was called, "Whats Done In the Dark", I think...I'm not sure, but it took place in a hospital, however the plot was very familiar to "Meet the Browns", the movie. The main character was just like Angela Basset character with the son, who plays basketball and gets shot, with the over the top no good dad, who won't support. I have said it once before, and I will say it again Tyler Perry stuff is same story, different plot. Meanwhile, back at the happy little family on the sofa. She is laughing and joking about how Von has gotten Blixtex all over the baby's face, kissing him. Before we came in Von used some of my Blixtex and put it on him lips. He was complaining about his lips being chapped. She thought this was so cute and funny...and Haha...and you so crazy Von...and blah blah blah. I on the other hand was steadily counting down. He has 10 minutes now. Von takes out his phone and then begins to take pictures of the baby, with his son. I go back to watching the movie, the David Mann character, Mister Brown has just popped up on the screen. I am interrupted, when I here Von say, "Yo Young, don't you think that... such in such...is a girl's name?" I can't remember the baby's name either, right now. I think it was Jaden, or Layden, or Kayland...I don't know, something she said her and her cousin came up with. I wish this was the first time I have heard of someone coming up with a name in a group discussion with a cousin, but it wasn't. I just responded "I don't know". I really wanted to say, I really don't care, but I'm not outwardly rude person, I have home training. My mama taught me well. I just have internal rudeness, if people only knew what I was really thinking. I took this little time to ask Baby Mama, what was up with her and the time and direction discrepancies going on. She blames part on her cousin, she said that she had only comes to the city a few times every now and then, when she visit her aunt. She gets up and goes in the back to see what is holding her cousin up. She informs me that she will be out in a minute. I'm thinking, why do I need to see her, unless she has some better reason, why they don't know how to give good direction.

She goes in the back once again, to get her cousin. I sit there and look at Von, and the baby..uh I guess playing. I think Von was trying hard, but baby wasn't in no playing mood at that point. however we ever he saw Mister Brown show up on the screen his head would turn at light up in amazement. What can I say even babies love buffoonery too. Baby Mama comes back out with Baby Mama cousin. It was the girl from all the pictures, Baby Mama, must live with her and her family, some thick little girl with braids and I mean girl, because she looked to be all of 16 or 17, not sure, she could have been older, but I don't think so. Now call foolish, but for some reason, I think she brought her out here, for my benefit. Company for me, while her and Von, got cozy. I was not interested in cousin reject, so if that was the plan to detract me, it was stupid. I'm sure she was nice, but no thank you. I then began to grill cousin, or her jacked up directions. I was pissed about tonight and I proceeded to take it out on her. I know not her fault, and she quickly was one to state that. She then threw it back on Baby Mama, I then proceeded to rip her a new one. Asking her, why did she have Von to believe she lived in the 'Burg. I had been in the home for 10 minutes, nice Young was gone now, I had been polite long enough. She said she never told him she lived there, she always told him she lived in the country. She thought he knew. She then proceeded to say, that it's no but a 45 minute drive. Once again, what is up, with people and their timing. By no means am I a slow driver. I have the tickets to prove it, but even without the direction mishaps, this was a 2 hour drive regardless. I then tear her down on the nonsense that she must be thinking, about how 150 miles could be driven in 45 minutes. I kept getting, well that's how long it tkes us bull shit. She then mentions, that she was in the city, a few months ago, to see a pediatrician there, because the hospital where they live messed up the babies circumcision.

That litte bit of information, stops me right in my tracks. I ask her how did they mess up his circumcision. That to me seems like a one time chance. Not something you mess up and try again next. She goes on how they didn't do it right, and her aunt brought her to our city, to get a pedetrician there to fix it. She informs me, that it happened to her cousin too, and he had to come to our city to fix his...uh forskin issues too. I'm thinking ouch and what the hell. She goes on to say how she need to have it done, before she starts college. I look at my cell phone and it's now 5 minutes after cut off time. We need to be out now. Von has taken his pictures seen his baby, gotten blixtex on his little cheeks, time to roll. However when I look at Von and him holding his son. I feel guilty. That Maury Povich new chick feeling pops up again. I don't want to that person, that stops a father from spending time with his child, I have persoanl feelings around that subject. I then think to myself, well we have driven this far, might as well let him spend a little more time with his son. I think about what the Baby Mama, said about school, and I ask her about it. She just finished high school a month or so before the baby was born, and starts community college soon. I ask her about how hard it was to be pregnant in high school. I had a couple girls be pregnant when i was in high school, some it was hard,a nd some it was easy. I rememebr this one girl Cassie, it was a little hard, but she was really smart, sweet, and funny, and so many people made it easy for her. I believe we had a baby shower at school too, plus one outside. For some others it was not like that.
Baby Mama said, "It wasn't hard at all. In fact a lot didn't even know until I was 7 months pregnant and about to graduate. Hell I didn't even know until I was 4 months."
A little confused at that answer, I responded, "Um I'm sorry, but don't girls know a lot sooner that they are pregnant?"
"Well see what had happen was, I was on the shot. The shot takes your period. So I didn't have a period for 12 months. By having no period, I didn't think about being pregnant."
The journalist in me then started coming out, "Well, when you realize that you were past your 12 months, didn't it hit you?"
"Well, I wasn't going to go back on the shot, so I didn't even pay attention, to when my shot was suppose to end. I was like it don't matter when the shot is suppose to wear off."
I look down at the baby in Von's hands, and I say, "Apparently is did make a difference."
She looks down at the baby, and it hits her what I'm talking about, and starts to laugh. I'm thinking to myself Dang they just let anyone have babies. She then says, "I guess you are right....but at first I thought it wasn't going to make a difference, until I found out I was pregnant. Then when I found out, I was shocked. My mother wanted me to get an abortion."
"I'm sorry, i didn't know you can get an abortion at 4 months?"
"Yeah, some places do second trimester abortions, not many places though>"
"Wow...and what stopped it?"
"I didn't want to abort my baby, so I changed my mind."
She then goes on to talk about how at first her mother was mad and whatnot, thinking about kicking her out. Then her mother forgave her, for not having the abortion, and been there until the baby was born. She moved out though, because she said it was to crowded with her and the baby, and her mother and siblings, plus her mother's boyfriend and his kids too. She moved in with her aunt and cousins here.

By this time the cousin had taken the baby out of Von's lap, went and changed him, and had him in her lap. Von starts talking about what they had to eat. He was hungry. Baby Mama said nothing, if he wanted something to eat go to the store. I had to be honest,I was a little bit hungry myself, not that I would eat anything here, but not the first one of them had offered us a glass of water, tea, soda, kool aide, and this definitely seemed like a Kool-aide type of family. We are from the south, but there was definitely no southern hospitality going on up here. We had driving half the night to get here. I think offering a glass of water was in order. Every time Von mentioned something to drink, she said go get it yourself. She may have thought that was cute, but I didn't. Von, kept mentioning, how he doesn't live here. Needless to say, while we were there nothing was drank or eaten. Von eventually turns to me and says, when we leave, can we grab breakfast at McDonald's, and I agreed. I looked at the Cousin holding the baby, and while texting or doing something on her phone. She fuses at the baby for drooling on her phone, however never goes to get a bib. It's time for me to see this baby now, up close and personal. I ask the cousin, while she goes to get a bib, let me hold him. She gets up and sits him on my lap. She takes this as her que to bow out,I certainly hadno interest in talking to her, and made that clear, and she had see the baby's fatehr, so she went back in the bedrooms, never to be seen again except, when she came back out in pajamas to get soemthign to drink. Von and baby Mama, are in their own world on the sofa. The baby is looking at them...uh wrestle. Literally wrestling on the couch. Von was tickling her and messing with her. The baby just looks at them, and looks at me. I'm thinking to myself, yep, that's your parents!

I pick the baby up, and I'm looking at his face. Trying to see, if I see Von at all in him. I heard once that a child looks like it's father as a baby, it's mother nature's paternity test. Maybe that's a little old folk saying, but I was trying to see for myself. As I was looking into his face. His little bright eyes was staring right through me. He had finally woken up. He was smiling at me. I was ignoring it first, just trying to see if I saw Von at all in him. I kept thinking, well obviously he must have gotten his complexion from his mother. His little brown skin was nothing familiar to Von's light skin red bone complexion. I then started to think well maybe his head was shaped like Von, kinda round oval shaped. Then I thought his cheeks were chipmunk-ish like Von's, but maybe all baby's are. I was looking at nose, ears, everything up close and person, as he just looked into my eyes and sometimes laugh. Something about him I liked, just like his father. I thought maybe he was Von's baby after all. For what seems to be forever, we just stared at each other. I had him standing up in my lap. I was softening up real quick, I loved this baby, suddenly. I think he liked me too. Once again Baby Mama's theory was wrong. I was definitely new to him, but not so much as a whimper out of him. The only time his eyes would break from me, was when Mister Brown would pop back on the screen. I'm not sure if it was the vivid colors of his outfit or the crazy acting he was doing, that had the baby looking, but his little eyes would get wider. I was fun for him as well. I was the guy with all the zippers on him. He would just play with one zipper and then another. I had a bunch of zippers on my jacket. I had zippers on my Sean John Sweater also. Even when his eyes went back to the screen, he would feel all over my chest for a zipper until he found one and play with it, without his face leaving Mister Brown. When Mister Brown was gone, I had his full attention again. Every minute I was falling in love with this little baby in my hands. I couldn't understand it. You would think this was my first time with a baby. I see babies in my family, church, friends have babies, but something was different here. I can't explain it.

The way his eyes looked at me. At times it was as if we were having a staring contest. He would lay on my chest and just look at me as he fiddled with a zipper. I would stand him up, hold him in the air, squeeze his stomach, he would laugh like the Pillsbury dough boy, when I did that. Time just flew by, when it was just me and him. Every once and a while my concentration would get distracted when I heard a "Von stop it"..."Von, you so crazy"..."I hate you Von" every time sounding like a little school girl, in love. I would just ignore it and direct my attention back to little man in my arms. I couldn't understand what was going on with me. I thought I resented this little baby, but that wasn't it. In fact I didn't want my time with him to end. Time did fly by, before I knew it the morning sun was out. In the end I spent more time with the baby than Von did. I took pictures of him, with my phone. I pretended like I was making a phone call in case anyone was watching me. I might post them later. I sat him on my lap eventually. His right side of his body facing me. I faced him towards the t.v., while that right hand held on to a zipper. I finally start to get into the play, suddenly I felt a slump in my lap about 5 or 10 minutes later. I look down and the baby's head has falling forward. I was nervous at first, thinking well I should have supported his head. Then thinking, well he is at least 6 or 7 months old, he doesn't still need neck support, does he? He has falling back to sleep, without notice. I pick him up and turn him back towards me. He wakes back up from the moving and looks me in my eyes again. He lays his head on my chest, while eyes never break contact from mine. He just looks at me, until his eyes close again. He had an early morning. His sleep was interrupted. A minute or so later I feel him getting heavier. I can feel him breathing against my chest. He's out cold now. I love this moment, and for some reason I don't want it to stop. I continue to just sit there holding him. I get lost in thought. Maybe it's not the baby, or Von's Baby Mama, or even Von not telling me he had a baby, that upset me earlier, maybe it's jealousy that he had a son. I mean I know I'm not ready for one, or even thought about having one really, at least no time soon, but I loved the way this little boy, made me feel. Like I said though, I've been around babies, so this is nothing new, but he did something for me. I can't help but wonder will this ever be me. My thoughts are interrupted by Baby Mama asking me, was he asleep. I tell her he is. I continue to hold him though. I realize, that as much as I want this moment to last. I need to get back home, because I have a day ahead of me still, and Von has a bus to catch. I call Von's name, and he immediately asks, am I ready to go. I tell him yes. Baby Mama takes the baby into the back and comes out. Her face is looking all down and sad. They apparently only did it once, but she has felings for Von, I can see it in her face. My mom once told me that mothers always have a special part of them, for their child's father, no matter how much they dislike them. I hate it. not that she has feelings, but that I have to see her having those feelings. She once him to stay, and for me to be gone. I feel guilty. I tell Von, I'll wait in the car.

A few minutes later Von comes out. We takeoff down the road. A part of me, don't wnat to ask, because of what it might mean about me or my feelings for Von, but I do. I ask him, did he have a nice good bye kiss from her. he said "We had a nice good bye, but you know Young, I don't kiss." I did know this. I then tease him about his liking of the young girls. He is 21 and loves the little young immature girls. Yeah the had a grown WOMAN's body, but she acted to immature to me. He then says soemthign that shocks me. "What you talking about she's not young, she's my age!" I'm confused now. I mention about her just finishing high school. He then says, "I think she failed once or twice". I correct him, if she was 21 and just finishing high school, then had failed more like 2 or 3 times. I kept thinking, with them two as his parents, poor baby. I wish I could take him.

We stop at the McDonalds, so I can go to the bathroom, and grab us some breakfast. Von is on the phone arguing with his grandfather, about where he was all night, and how he better be back home, before his bus leaves. I leave him outside, before I went in I asked for his breakfast order. Forever the man/child, he ask for hotcakes and sausage. I tell him he can't have those. He will not be getting syrup all over my car. He then orders bacon, egg, and cheese, with no egg. I know already, how he doesn't like egg. I grab our food, and we head back down the road. It was alot easier and faster going back home than coming, now that I know where we are going. Like I said it was 2 hour drive straight through. After all of that I really wasn't in the mood anymore. i didn't feel like taking out any sexual frustrations on him, on any backroads. I knew I could get him, if I wanted to, but for some reason it felt inappropriate, to do anything with him. All the way back down the raod I struggled, with my feelings about the baby, about Von and my feelings for him. I was struggling, because I think I might have feelings for him more than sexually. This night proved that to me, some how. I was struggling, with what those feeligns were though. I thought about him being gone for a few months, and whatnot. It was a long thoughtful ride back home. Von was quit too at times I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or just thinking too. No cat skreeching singing this time, just quitness and music.

We when got back to his house. We wer quit for a while. He thanked me again, and told me how much it meant. He told me, he would call me, when he got there, and that I would be one of the people he stayed in contact with, while he was gone. I told him okay. It felt weird for some reason. It's not like he was going to be gone forever just a few months, but we gave each other a pound and he went inside. And I left.

Sorry for it taking so long, for me to wrap this up!