Dad Are You Listening?: There Is a Monster in My Closet

By Patrick Brown

Thirteen-year-old Jamel found the courage to confront his mom about his father selling drugs. This caused his mom to make a decision that would change their lives forever. Faced with the possibility of losing his family, Jamels dad had some tough decisions to make too. Through separation, he realized that there are other ways of making an honest living and, ultimately, what is more important in life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524532444

Patrick Brown

Patrick Brown is a former police detective who has worked with the Jamaica Constabulary Force in his homeland of Jamaica. He is married and lives with his wife and children in New York. He currently works in the New York State Penal System. He enjoys writing, traveling, and telling stories.

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Copyright © 2016 by Patrick Brown.

Library of Congress Control Number:               2016912874

ISBN:                      Hardcover                  978-1-5245-3246-8

                                Softcover                    978-1-5245-3245-1

                                eBook                          978-1-5245-3244-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/31/2017

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I am indebted to my wife, Charmaine, for her advice, support, and assistance and for sharing her teaching experiences with me. Thanks to my former colleague and friend, Detective Roy Martin, who saw the writer in me. Thanks to my children—Marlon, Deidre, Anika, Zachary, and Shannon—for listening to all my stories. I am grateful to my friends, Robert Smith and Robert Campbell, for their unwavering support.

Jamel is thirteen years old. He lives with his parents in the Harlem projects in Brooklyn, New York. His younger sister, Shantae, is nine years old. She stays with her grandmother who lives in a different neighborhood. Jamel see her on weekends, but they constantly talk during the week on the telephone.

For Jamel, that was not enough. He loved her very much and would like to have her around every day. He missed not being able to talk to her, and even though she was annoying at times, it still didn’t matter. He asked his mom why his sister could not be home with them and what sense did it make for her to be away when he was still there with them. His mom, Cindy, explained that she too wished that Shantae could be home, but they were not in a position to do so at the moment because there was a lot going on. Jamel went to his room and started murmuring, Everyone has their sister or brother to hang around them and have fun, and I don’t have mine. This makes no sense!

His mother replied, We would love to have her home, where she belongs, but as you see, this neighborhood has changed. Even though there are a lot of wonderful people in here with good intentions, a few of them don’t feel the same way. I can’t tell you everything, but things are not the way you see them. Grandma Celia’s neighborhood is much safer than ours, and I feel that she is better off there, and besides, I think she likes the company. Ever since your grandfather died, it has been lonely for her, and I am sure she feels better having Shantae around. We love her just as much as you do, but her safety comes first.

Jamel replied, So if you are so concerned about Shantae, why didn’t you send me too? You don’t care about me?

His mother replied, Jamel, where are you going with this? You know very well we love you both. You are our children. We do not split the love. We have love for both of you, so please, if you have those thoughts, drop them! There is a difference between boys and girls. Boys sometimes handle certain situations better than girls, and when your dad and I saw what was going on in the neighborhood, we had to make a decision. We spoke to your grandmother and asked her if she could allow both of you to stay with her for a short period until we get ourselves straightened out and are able to get out of the neighborhood. Grandma was only able to take one of you. We both decided it would be Shantae instead of you.

Mom, I don’t think Dad cares about us.

His mom opened her eyes very wide and said to him, Jamel, what makes you come to that conclusion? That’s not a nice thing to say with regard to your dad. You know that’s not true. Don’t you ever say that. I don’t know why you would even think that way.

Jamel replied, Mom, the reason why I said that is if Dad truly loves us, I don’t think he would be doing what he is doing. You know the truth. It’s just not right.

His mother responded, Jamel, what are you talking about? What’s the matter with you today? I think you are getting too grown for me right now, and you should watch your mouth before you say anything. You are going from one story to another, and I don’t think I like where it’s leading to. Please get to the point because I have no idea what you are talking about.

Jamel responded, "Really? Mom, you know what I am talking about. It’s about time you stop pretending as if you don’t know what he is doing. He has been doing it in front of you. So for you to stand there and say you don’t know is really not true. You know I would never disrespect you by calling you a liar, but, Mom, you have to own the truth. Why do so many people ring the doorbell for Dad? Are they ringing it to tell him they love him, or is he the superintendent of the building? Mom, I have seen the handshakes and the hugs, and I am sure it’s not because they are greeting him. You don’t think I see them handing him money in exchange for that little white packet? You need to give me more credit. I am thirteen years old. You both taught me to keep my eyes open and my ears clear. Mom, I am smart enough, and I know what’s going on around me, and I don’t like it. Mom, you really need to talk to dad. He is hurting us. I am not exaggerating. I am not trying to stir trouble. It’s real. Dad needs to stop selling drugs, and you know it! I love you guys very much, but if you don’t talk to him, I am going to run away, and you will never see me again. This is no place for me. I am sure you don’t want me to start selling drugs too. Is this the life you want for me and Shantae? I have been keeping this inside for a very long time. I can’t take it anymore. It’s driving me crazy, and I don’t know what to do."

Cindy almost passed out when she heard what Jamel had just revealed. Did Jamel really say that? You could almost see the color draining from her face. How was she going to get out of this one? This child had grown up before her very eyes and she didn’t realize it. God knows the thought had entered her mind over the years, but she had dismissed it because she didn’t want to face reality. What else did he had up his sleeves? Only God himself knew! The thought of him running away hit her like a ton of bricks, not to mention what he had just disclosed about his dad. Ever since he had started kindergarten, she knew that this day would come, but she wasn’t prepared for it.