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"Mama." I shook her lightly, taking the cigarette out her hand, ashing it.
I shook her a little bit harder and she looked over at me.
"What Dakota? The hell you want?" She asked irritatedly, sitting up.
"Don't take my cigarette out my damn hand, it look like I was done to you?"
"Uhm, no?"
"What you want? I gave you enough money for this week so what the fuck is it?"
"We ain't got no more food and Zeke and I needed some money to go cook."
"Zeke old enough to be working, why he ain't got a job? Always asking me for some damn money. Do it look like I got some money to give y'all? Where Khalil? Tell that nigga give y'all some money for some food. I ain't got shît to give. Especially to you."
Feeling a familiar pang in my chest, normally I would've cried, old me would've. But that's how it was with mama, she stopped caring. She gave up on us, she gave up on me but I didn't care as much as I used to.
"Khalil, he's at work. He don't get off til' eleven tonight."
"Looks like y'all ain't gon be eating until eleven tonight then." She rolled her eyes before turning back over, with her back facing me.
Sighing, I went to my room that I shared with karma, seeing her laid out in the bed with her hand on her stomach.
"What mama said? She said gon' get it? My stomach touching my back." Karma whined.
"We gon' eat. Just not at this very moment. Where zeke at? He left?" I asked sliding on my black strap sandals I had gotten from Walmart.
"He said he would be right back, he had to meet up with him girlfriend."
"Some damn girlfriend." I mumbled.
"It's cold outside?"
"I mean I'm guessing since we in the middle of October."
"Ever heard of climate change?"
"Nope."
"Explains your lack of sense. Well I'll be back. Don't do nothing stupid. You know yo' mama get irritated easily."
"I wasn't. I was going over to Mateos house anyways." She rolled her eyes at me.
"You too young to be going over to a boys house. What the hell."
"Am not. Ain't like we doing nothing. That's just the only friend that I have."
"Mhmm. Make sure you here before zeke gets back. Don't know how you gon do it but try."
"Where you going? Why you over here asking me questions."
"Off to mind my business, hopefully to get us some food. Yo trifling ass mama won't feed us. You know she back basin'?" I asked her rhetorically.
