::. Cymphony Cambell .::
I stormed into the bedroom, pissed off at Prince. How could you send a girl who has been through so much out on the streets? Proves how heartless he is and that's another reason why I hate his ass.
"You are not sending her out on the streets? The fuck is wrong with you? The girl got beat up and kicked out of a moving car."
"Cymohony do I look like I give a shit? Blame Kyree and them, they the one who brought her here knowing damn well ima take advantage of her." He shrugged, slipping on a T-shirt.
"You better leave her alone. I am not taking her shopping for no damn lingerie. I am going to get her some real clothes."
He came over to me with the demeanor to hit me. I held my chin up and dared him mentally. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me. "Hit me."
I was preparing for a fight. I had it up to here with his abusive ways. I grew up with my step father beating my mother. I was not about to sit around and take it like she did.
"Just do what I told you, alright? I already claimed her, so if she runs away and gets killed, she has you to blame."
He left the room. I rolled my eyes and went back to the room where she was. She lied down staring at the window. I could already see her tears.
"He's going to put me out on the streets, isn't he?" She looked towards me.
I nodded, "I can't do anything about it, unfortunately."
"You can't talk him out of it? Aren't you his girlfriend?"
"Yes but he doesn't listen to me, he doesn't listen to anyone. Prince is his own person and he does what he wants. I can't stop him from putting you out there, but I can make sure you won't experience the real thing."
"Huh?"
"I know people who can pick you up and keep you safe for about an hour. They'll pay you enough so you can give some money to Prince and keep some to yourself." She nodded.
"What if the wrong person picks me up?"
"Then your just going to have to deal with it. Believe it or not, I went through the same thing."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I got kicked out the house and I was left on the streets. He picked me up and I had to deal with it for awhile but eventually Prince took me under his wing."
"He must have really liked you to do that." I shrugged. I never thought Prince truly liked or loved me. I always thought he just got lonely and needed someone around.
"Nah, doubt it. His mean ass just can't keep company for a long time, so the people he chill with flee after awhile." I explained.
"He's that mean?"
"Vicously mean. I don't know why he gets like that, but all I know is when he's mad its worst. Stay on his good side and he'll be easy on you." I warned.
"Thanks. Question?"
"Sure."
"Do you like him?"
"Yeah." I shrugged.
"Do you love him?"
I paused and thought about it. I always tried to convince myself that I hated him with every fiber in my body, but in reality I was in love with him.
"You have no idea. I have to go check on my girl down at the bar. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"
She nodded. I left the room and made my way downstairs. I saw Prince getting ready to leave as well. "Where you going?"
"To see Jae. Haven't hit her up in a minute so we're going to catch up."
"Ight, tell sexy I said hey and tell Ray I said come through soon."
I ignored the sexy part and gave him a thumbs up before leaving the house.
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::. Ethiopia Charles .::
I walked inside my mothers room as she sat up watching television. She had a tray of food beside her with apple sauce, a much of chicken and beans and apple juice. She was hooked to a bunch of IV's and looked drained out. Instead of her natural glow of her velvet dark skin, she looked pale and lifeless. Her eyebags made deep patches beneath her eyes and her hair seemed much thinner. She never told me or Sudana what she was sick with.
"Hey momma." I smiled, dropping my bags on the floor and running over to hug her.
"Ethi! How come your now visiting?" She asked, very surprised to see me.
"Dad wouldn't let us come see you. Said he didn't want you to get us sick, too." I said.
She sucked her teeth. "Ugh. Should have divorced that man a long time ago. Never loved him. Best thing that came out of him was you and Sudana."
My mom came straight from Nigeria. Her parents moved here after a deadly disease broke out. She was twenty at the time. Her parents forced her to marry my dad, a white business man at the time. His parents didn't really approve of their relationship, but her parents would do anything for her to get a green card. Once they got married, my grandparents flew back down to Africa and left my mom here alone with him. She told me he would always climb on top of her at night after coming home passed midnight. He impregnated her twice, but according to him we were accidents. He didn't love my mother nor us. Glad his ass is dead.
"Mom..." I held my head down and fiddled with my fingers.
"What is it?"
"He tried to...rape Sudana last night."
Her she covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes arched down as she teared up in anger. "Get me the nurse, get me the nurse now! Now, Ethiopia, now!"
"Mom no."
"Yes! How dare he tried to rape my little girl?"
"Mom wait. He rapes me too...he's been doing it every night ever since you ended up in here. He kept a knife on him so if I tried to fight him off, he'd cut me or threatened to kill me. Since I'm the only one she has left, I let him. But then last night he went into her room and was about to get on top of her. The knife was right there...I had to mom, I had to." I started to cry in frustration in anger.
"Listen to me," She held my head up.
"You did the right thing. You protected your little sister and prevented him from doing it ever again. He's dead now, so the best thing you can do is stay away from the house."
"I already let Kyree take her to his place. I was about to head over when I was done visiting."
She nodded. "But one more thing, ma."
"What?"
"I kind of set his body on fire & destroyed any type of evidence in the house."
She sighed. "That's ok, Ethi. As long as you and Sudana are safe and sound. Not like I was coming back home, anyway."
"Mom, why you in here? What's the problem?"
"I have cancer, Ethi. Doctor said it's aggressive and kemo can only work for so long."
My eyes filled with tears. "Ma, why didn't you tell us? I would have snuck Sudana to come see you much more."
"I didn't want you guys to worry. I only have a few weeks left, Ethi. I hope you can bring her before I go." She smiled weekly.
"I will, ma." I leaned over and kissed her for head. "I will."
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