Kent Markham glanced at his wife as they sped along the highway, then in the
rearview mirror at his sleeping thirteen-year-old son. They were on their way to a new
destination and he had taken a new job that would allow him more involvement in
raising his son, their son. His life had been devoted to working, earning money and
getting them established but after twenty years of a great career, he was, actually, they
were venturing out on their own to build their own business and the plan was for Kente
to be part of that.
Cina was an amazing mother and always had his back but the thing was she was too
soft with Kente and far too indulgent and that wasn’t her fault it was theirs. The other
day, when he told Kente to do something, he looked to Cina and he knew it was time
to father and daddy at the same time. Feeling Cina’s eyes on him, Kent focused on her,
smiling into her eyes. At forty-five she was even more beautiful to him than when they
married when she was twenty-five.
“What are you thinking Kent?” Cina asked. Tickled, he smiled because she had
always been able to sense when he went deep.
“I was actually thinking about Kente. He’s thirteen and I can see how tied he is to
you. That’s not a bad thing…”
“But…” Cina said with some umbrage.
“But, he needs a firmer hand and to spend more time with me, doing…”
“Manly things, Kent?”
“Well, yes, if you want to put that title on it. You are an amazing mom, but you
overindulge him. That boy has on about three hundred dollars in clothes and shoes
right now and when I feel like sending him to his room, I know it’s better to send him
to ours, considering all the stuff he has in his. So yea.”
Kent watched Cina’s face tighten at his words because he knew he touched a soft
spot.
Cina felt because he was a great student and close to his family that was all that was
necessary but the truth was he had been remiss and it was time to step up. What was
going to occur over the next five years was as much for Kent as Kente.
Reaching for her hand, he squeezed it.
“Cina, I need your support on this. This will also give you an opportunity to do the
things you want to. You had thirteen years, let me have the next five. Can you do that
for your man, your baby’s father?” Kent asked. Cina didn’t turn to look at him but she
relaxed, a bit.
“Don’t I always support you?”
“Always…”
Kent turned up the music, paying attention the traffic. Kente, who wasn’t really
sleeping, frowned, wondering what that meant.
NKLC Magazine | 31