Boys and Men

"Why you talking shit about me?" asks Spencer.
"Dude, I wasn't talking shit about you," replies Omar as he diverts his gaze and starts walking away.

Spencer follows him with the dog he is currently walking. He usually has two or three at a time, but this one’s alone. Lucky pup.

"You did! I know you fucking did! Calling me a little bitch and whatnot, saying I'm talking shit about Shawn behind his back. You little fuck."
"I wasn't! Leave me alone!" Omar starts picking up the pace.

"Why are you running, little bitch?"
"Leave me alone, Spencer!"

Omar breaks out into a full sprint back to his building, where he knows he's safe. As he gets in the elevator, he knows he's really done it this time. Talking shit about the beloved neighborhood dog walker, who happens to be the biggest kid on the block. And getting caught doing it. There’s a certified ass-whooping coming his way. Unless...

"Mommmmm! That kid Spencer is bullying me!" he says the second he walks into his apartment.
"Who?"
"The big ugly kid who walks the dogs."
"The tall one?"
"Yeah."

"What did you do now?"
"Nothing! he's saying he's going to beat me up."
"Why, what did you do?"
"Nothing!"

"People don't just beat people up for no reason. There must be some reason."
"He's just a bully mom! And the next time he sees me might be the end of me. Don't you love me?"

"Okay enough of this, you have basketball practice to get to."
"He's out there! I can't leave this house, it's not safe."
"I'll walk you, get ready."

Omar and his mom start walking the 4 blocks to Omar's basketball camp. They don't make it two minutes without running into Spencer. This time he has three dogs. Poor pups.

"It's you again! Ya, little shit!"
"Excuse me! Who do you think you are talking to?" interjects Omar's mom.

"I'm sorry miss, but me and your little boy have a little business to attend to. He has been saying some untrue things about me behind my back."
"So? That gives you the right to bully him?"
"It entitles me to a conversation at least."
"He doesn't want to have a conversation with you."

She grabs Omar's hand and pulls him ahead. Spencer picks up his pace to stay with them. The dogs follow happily.

"You tell your son to grow a pair and accept what's coming to him."
"Leave us alone!" she yells, almost to the point where the other people on the street can hear it.

"Wonderful, you teach your son to talk shit, then lie about it, and then run from it. Great job parenting you are doing miss!"

They come up to the end of the block. Spencer has stalked them the whole way. They cross, and Spencer finally relents. His Afghan Hound is methodically taking a dump.

Omar can't focus on a lick at basketball camp. All he can think about is the inevitable ass-whooping. Surely, he can’t walk everywhere with his mom, or could he...no, not reasonable. Oy vey.

At the end of practice, he spots his father waiting for him in the lobby.

"How was today?"
"Not great, Dad."

"Why, what happened?" Dad asks as they start walking home.
"That kid Spencer is bullying me. Saying he's going to beat me up."

"Who?"
"The big dog walker kid."

"What!"
"Yeah, he's a bully."

"Why does he want to beat you up?"
"Ugh, he's a bully! That's what bullies do!"

"Don't get excited Omar, people don't beat each other up for no reason."
"He was even hounding me and Mom when she walked me to practice."

"He did what?"
"Yeah, he followed me and mom till the end of the block."

When Omar and his dad get to their block they see Spencer walking two other dogs. But this time Spencer does nothing. Not even an attempt at eye contact. Perhaps Spencer had let the whole thing go.

"Oh shit! Let's get out of here, Dad!"
"Don't say shit."

Omar's father leaves him and makes a beeline for Spencer. He goes practically nose-to-nose with Spencer. Or more like nose-to-chest, since he’s a good foot shorter than this gargantuan child.

"I hear you've been harassing my son." Omar stops in his tracks. The dogs perk up in excitement.

"No sir! He has been harassing me!"
"He's half your size."
"You would be surprised at the power of the spoken word sir! Especially when they are coming out of your son."
"And did you harass my wife as well today?"
"No! I was just trying to explain what happened!"

Even from this safe distance, Omar notices Spencer getting a little fidgety. He tries to walk away, but his Border Collie won’t budge.
"Well! It was lovely talking to you, but I must get these guys back home.”

Spencer finally gets the stubborn dog moving after some desperate yanks. But the tables have turned on him; Omar's dad is now following him.

"Two things. One, whatever business you have with my son, I get it. He is a little shit. But if you ever even look at my wife with a bad thought I'll kill you and feed you to that dog...Two, whatever your issue is with my son, you will settle it with words, not fists, capisce?"

"Whatever you say, dude." Spencer tries to speed up a little, his stare glued to the ground. Omar's dad keeps pace.

"Do we have an understanding here?"
"Yes."

"Yes, what?"
"Yes, sir."

"Good. You're doing good, hard work here walking these dogs, my son could learn a thing or two from you." He firmly pats Spencer on the back and turns round. He then turns to his son, who had been sheepishly following about 20 paces behind.

"Omar, stop talking shit behind people's back, it'll get you killed."

With that, they walk back home and have dinner like nothing happened. But Omar sees his father in a brand-new light.

He had seen the hard-working man who got up early every day and made it to dinner every night. A smart man who did his job and lived his life with integrity. The hard man who parented him strictly. But he had never seen the other side of his father before, the side that didn't look in towards family, but out towards the world. The protector.

Holy shit, daddy's a badass.