CAGED

Eleven

I am in my new room when Zuri's door opens. She walks down to my room, slightly opens the door and throws in her head. "Hey."

I wave in return and she goes out. Her footsteps move to the sitting room. I know she is about to watch that silly military movie where car burning looks like the fire is a ball beside the car.

Soon I hear the sounds coming from it - very noisy gun shots, bomb explosions and shouts which are too exaggerated and unnecessary.

I lie down and pull a pillow over my head. Before my eyes is a wallpaper of a popular musician. He is posed around a car without shirt and three women wearing just bras and panties. I don't know who started it but it was hard now to see a musician posed without nude women.

In Kent's room, he too had a wallpaper of a rapper covering every corner of his room. I have never understood the reasoning behind these wallpapers used to decorate a room like the drawing of Einstein. It seems to be a foolish attempt to idolize these men.

In my room at home, I had papers I put up on the wall beside my bed marked with the names of people that are better off dead. My mother's name was the first. I looked at the names written with just first letters whenever I woke up. They refueled my hate and anger. But I did not need a reminder of my past to be angry. It was just there in me - I was always angry within me.

I hear Zuri's footsteps return and I sit up with my teddy on my thighs. She parts the door and walks in then stops and takes in view of the place.

"It still smells like my brother but soon it will smell like you."

I do not even know any smell other than the smell of the teddy I am carrying that has wrapped itself around my nostrils and is stuck there. I also know she knows her brother's smell is best for this room.

She settles on the bed and raises her hand close to my face. I shift back, staring at her with wide eyes. "Are you looking for something?"

She smiles and takes back her hand. She is wearing a small knicker and a cotton jacket over a small singlet. I can see her butt cheeks from the shorts. It is almost as if she is sitting naked on the bed.

She pulls her jacket around her. " What about we skip work today? I want to take you somewhere."

I do not care about anything. I am not interested in going anywhere I do not understand. But I'm relieved; going to that lantern shop has been depressing.

I am supposed to answer her and she keeps looking at me with her head thrown to the side until I say, "okay."

She stands up and does that thing she likes to do - clapping her hands together while smiling.

"I'll come pick you after my tutorial."

Sometimes I want to ask her why she is going for tutorials. It is possible she'll not get into college and even if she got in, is it with the lantern money she'll pay through? It will be funny if she is hoping for a scholarship. Everyone is hoping for that these days.

I walk to the kitchen and stand close to the window where I see people moving about. Two little boys are running about. The second is pursuing the other that holds up a note that looks like money. He's holding it and running like it is a flag or a kite that he wants to fly away.

It is morning and the streets are busy. The jingles from the ice cream stands reach my ears. I move so I can see where it is. There are no customers yet but the seller is both energetic and excited; he is dancing to the jingles in front of the cooler.

The boys are still running around. A young man snatches the money from one of the boys and mixes up with the crowd. The little boy is standing at a place, confused and tearful. His partner takes him to his arms and keeps him there.