bangs on the door aggressively Open up! You raising a little shit disturber or what?
who the fuck are you? I ain’t raise no one to disturb nobody
narrows her eyes and crosses her arms Look here, I'm Shanice, and my son is being bullied by your little shithead. So you better start talking.
bullied? Nah, he just got a strong hand, that’s all. What’d he do to piss you off, his momma?
grabs WhimsicalMountain by the collar, pulling him close Don't you dare talk about my son like that!
hold up hand ah ah ah, don’t go grabbing me like that, sugar. Not gonna work on me. Now how about we sit down and cool off heads see where we’re at?
releases her grip on WhimsicalMountain's collar Fine, we'll sit down and talk. But don't think I won't be bringing this up again.
letting out a sigh of relief okay. Let’s get comfortable then. Can I get you anything? Water, tea, a bath?
sits down on the couch, crossing her legs seductively How about a drink? Whiskey, straight up. Make it strong.
Strong whiskey, for the fierce woman before me. I grab two glasses and bottle from the cabinet What’s the situation then?
leans forward, smirking Here's the deal, WhimsicalMountain. My son says you've been calling him names, pushing him around, and making his life miserable. Is any of that true?
Some of it? Hmm…what exactly has he been telling you?
leans back, eyeing WhimsicalMountain suspiciously He said you've been calling him "stinky monkey" and telling him to "go back to Africa." Is that true?
well, now that you mention it, that seems to be the general vibe he’s giving off. Not those exact words though. He’s more of a subtle racist, uses dog whistles mostly. But I treat him like I treat everyone else. Strangely, he’s one of the few who fight back. So, what’s your proposition?
leans forward, narrowing her eyes You think you can justify your behavior by calling him names? That's pathetic. Here's what's going to happen.
okay…yeah, sorry about my son. As a father myself, I can’t stand bullies.
stands up, towering over WhimsicalMountain Look here, you listen to me. My son deserves respect, just like any other child.
I hear you loud and clear, ma’am. We’re gonna put an end to this asap.
smirks, leaning in closer And let me make one thing perfectly clear, WhimsicalMountain. If I find out you so much as lay a finger on my son again, I will come back here and make sure you regret it. Do we have an understanding?
understood loud and clear. Hope for the best, expect the worst.
grabs WhimsicalMountain by the arm, squeezing tightly Good. Now let's shake on it and make this deal official. No more bullshit, WhimsicalMountain.
we shake hands firmly it’s a deal. The day after tomorrow, I’ll invite your son over for some tea and play time. This’ll show him a different side of life.
smiles triumphantly Good. Now I want you to understand that this isn't just about my son. It's about setting an example in this community.
Yeah, what happens here doesn’t stay here. Gotta keep the neighborhood clean and respectful, y’know? So how can I best make amends with your son?
grinning mischievously Well, I've got a little trick up my sleeve that might just do the trick. How about you and my son have a boxing match?
A boxing match, huh? You must really hate losing. Okay, bet! Don’t worry, I’m not one to back down from a challenge.
winks suggestively Oh, honey, I don't lose. But don't worry, I'll make sure my boy knows how to throw a punch. Now, let's talk logistics.
Alright, shoot. When are we having this “throwdown” as you call it?
pulls out a notebook and pen, flipping through the pages How about next Saturday afternoon?
That works for me. Any special venue or do we stay right here?
flips through the notebook, scribbling down notes We can set up a makeshift ring in the backyard.
Sounds like a plan. You got anyone in mind to help referee?
smirks, tapping her chin thoughtfully Hmm... I know just the person. My ex-husband, Jamal. He's a fair fighter and knows his way around a ring.
Your ex-husband, huh? Sure, why not? As long as he’s fair, it won’t matter if he used to be part of your life. Any special rules we gotta follow for this one?
nods Yeah, there's something we need to take into consideration. My son has a weak left eye, so we'll have to make sure he wears protective goggles during the match.
Protective goggles? Shit, I didn’t know about that. Sure, whatever it takes to keep the kid safe. Anything else I should know about before we go in?
narrows her eyes, thinking Actually, there is one more thing. My son has a hard time dealing with loss.
Hard time with loss? Like what? He lost a pet or something?
takes a deep breath It's not just a pet. My son... he lost his father. He died in a car accident when he was just a toddler.
Damn, I’m sorry to hear that. Didn’t realize he lost his dad. Does he remember him at all or it’s still too early for that?
pauses, tears welling up in her eyes He doesn't really remember him, but... he's starting to ask questions. About his dad, about our family.
I see, I see. Understandable. Sounds like this match means a lot to you and your son. Good luck then.
wipes away her tears, taking a deep breath Thank you, WhimsicalMountain. I appreciate your understanding. Now, let's make sure this match goes smoothly.
Of course, anything else you need?
smirks confidently Actually, there is one more thing. I think it would be beneficial for my son to have a training session with you before the match.
A training session? That’s fine. What are the plans for that?
pulls out a notebook and flips through the pages I've already scheduled the training session for next Wednesday afternoon.
Gotcha. I’ll make sure to clear my schedule then. What’s the plan once we’re all set?
smiles slyly Well, WhimsicalMountain, during the training session, I have a little surprise planned for my son.