"Sorry for your lost…" the voice surprised him and his eyes followed the extended hand upward finally resting on the owner's face.
"I-I… Jayden…" He whispered surprised to see the teen standing before him. Jacob could barely see the young teen's face for the tears that glistened in his eyes. He reached into a pocket retrieving a handkerchief and then blowing his nose.
"Thank you… Thank you…" Jacob shook his son's hand and then stood.
"How have you been?" Jayden asked through gritted teeth. He couldn't believe the man had the unmitigated balls to act like he was happy to see him.
"I've been bless. Sit down… Sit down…" He encouraged as he signified for others to make room for the two of them. "How's your mother doing?"
"She's fine." Jayden cringed at his question and fought not to show his distaste for the man. How could he dare ask about his mother? All these years he's never wondered about her before.
"Who's this?" Asked his nephew David asked interrupting them.
"Of… Of this is your cousin Jayden, my son…" Jacob answered and Jayden couldn't help but cringing with resentment. How dare he call him his son; fake-ass motherfucker he couldn't help but thinking even though he restrained himself. He was only here for appearances and as soon as he put in a good one, he was out the door and would never ever see this phony bitch-ass man again.
"Cousin?" David asked. "I thought Markus and Dinah were your kids? You have another son?" He asked surprised at having found out. Jayden clenched his fist at his side; willing himself not to punch his father in the jaw. Right here at this moment, he was sure he had never hated this man this much than now.
"Yea… yea… your cousin Jayden… Markus and Dinah couldn't get away from school." Jacob found himself covering for his step-children and again Jayden wanted to punch this man in the nose. He still loved them bastards who didn't think enough of him to come and pay their last respect to the grandmother that they had known all of their lives.
"You'll come to the repast?" Jacob asked surprising Jayden once again. Suddenly it was then that Jayden realized the man was still holding his hand. He snatched his hand away from his and then glared at the man. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and Jayden swallowed the curses that he wanted to hurl at the man.