“A fit role model? What does that even mean?” Molson was caught off-guard. “So, you’re telling me I can’t see my nieces and nephew? I’m their uncle.”
“What is taking so long?” the door to the apartment opened, Jana coming to investigate. She paused when she saw her brother. “Molson.”
“Is this true?” Molson asked disbelievingly. “You don’t want me around the kids?”
Miguel and Jana exchanged looks.
“That’s right,” Jana briskly responded. “You have gang connections, you work at that chop shop, you’re always coming and going as you please while you mooch off people, you have a bad attitude. I’ve had enough. I don’t want your bad habits to rub off on the kids. I’m not having Jenny or Cara think that it’s okay to date a gangbanger. I’m not having my baby boy follow in his uncle’s footsteps.”
“The auto shop is legal. Everything we do there is legal,” Molson glowered. “I ain’t got no gang connections. If you didn’t like me dropping in uninvited, you could of just said something.”
“No gang connections?” Jana huffed sarcastically. “What’s with the tattoos on your neck? They’re gang tattoos. There’s a connection.”
“Maybe if you’d just ask, I’d tell you what they was about,” Molson returned angrily. “Instead you just assume you know. You think you know everything.”
“I know that you’re no good for my kids,” Jana responded.
“So that’s it,” Molson ground out. “You’re just kicking me out.”
“Yes,” Jana nodded. She sighed. “Molson, you’re not a teenager anymore. You need to stop rebelling against society, grow up and take responsibility for your life.”
“Grow up? Take responsibility?” Molson choked out the words. He thought this was something funny coming out of Jana’s mouth considering he was the one that was responsible for their mother and no one else wanted to step up. “I ain’t been doing nothing but being grown up and responsible for years. Who else looks after Ma? Don’t see you there. I ain’t never missed a day of work.”
“You mooch off of people, you couch surf,” Jana listed. “What is with the way you talk? I know you can talk better than this. I know because I half raised you. You just adopted the speech of those friends you used to have, those bums. Speak normally. Get your own place. Stop wearing scrub bottoms and hoodies. Get your tattoos removed. Then we’ll talk about your being in the children’s lives.”
“You sure you wanna lay down ultimatums?” Molson questioned. “Cuz maybe your attitude stinks and you should get a new one.”
“I have to do what is best for my family,” Jana told him.
“I thought I was part of your family,” he challenged.
“We need to get back to the party,” Miguel interrupted them. “The kids can’t be left unsupervised.”
“Tell Jenny I said happy birthday,” he said bitterly. Molson shoved the package at Miguel before he walked away.
