Made In Compton

Chapter I

Zaria (a.k.a Trouble) P.O.V

-----"You gon have to stop runnin one of these days chile' it's not safe for that baby and you know it. This is Compton, California. A beautiful and smart chile' like you, is smart enough to figure out a way to get out before its too late, even if you've made dumb choices. It's easy for someone to take you out all it takes is a second and a gun, you and I both know that very well. Too well if you ask me." Mama J spoke to me as she was braiding my hair into two parts. I sat on the second step of her front porch playing with my fingers and paying close attention to my surroundings and just thinking. The sun was setting, the young girls on the street were playing jump rope and hand games, while the young boys bothered them by pulling the bows and ribbons out their hair. The older kids were braiding hair and playing street ball, the city rang with police sirens and train sounds, while dogs barked and car alarms went off. To me, the hood had never felt so perfect and looked so peaceful. It was the beginning of summer break and everyone was out. Either in shorts and a tank top, or gym shorts and no shirt.

Mama J was the hood's mother. She was the mother of anyone with or without a mother and everyone came to her for advice and to talk. About Anything. She fed you, bathed you, did your hair, gave you money,

a home and loved you. Anything to make sure you were safe and happy. She never told the secrets of one to another and she never judged you and was rumored that she couldn't have kids of her own and that's why she helped and loved us so much, guess that's why everyone loved her. She was about 54 years old and was rather beautiful for her age, standing at 5 feet 7, with a set of brown eyes, a mocha-like complexion, and her hair was always in a du-rag but she dressed with respect. Her lips were a pretty shade of red and her face was covered in freckles. She grew up in Compton and watched all of us grow up. I didn't realize she had left until she stepped back outside and said "Now, I want you to take this." Handing me a yellow heavy envelope. "W-why?" I said looking at her confused. "Chile' hush up and don't 'why' me, for I tap that ass and show you why. That right there is $97,000." I was shocked, not only because she never cussed or used profanity, but because that's the most amount of money I've ever heard of.

"Mama J I--" she cut me off. "Stop with all that stuff girl, now I want you to take this money and go somewhere else. Start new, start fresh. Go to church, get back in school. Take care of you and that baby. You might've made a mistake by getting pregnant young, but you ain't bout to make another mistake by letting that chile' get caught up in the system cause you lyin somewhere dead and raped up. It's a ticket in there for you to take the greyhound to wherever you please. Don't ask how I got the money, and don't ask why I gave it to you, but wherever it is you choose to go you must be gone by 9pm tomorrow night. You hear me girl?!?" Mama J spoke sternly, she was the only person who knew of me being pregnant at 15, I was only one month, and because of my size it was pretty hard to tell. I was an overweight 15 year old girl, standing at 4'11 with a face full of freckles. My hair was naturally a bright fire red color, and my eyes were Hazel-Grayish, a mixture of both my mom and dad eyes. I carried braces, making me embarrassed to talk most of the times because my mouth would sometimes foam, and I walked improperly because my weight was always on my feet. She hugged and kissed me on the cheek. "Now go, I love you girl, you were always my favorite. I will call you, you cannot call me. It's for your safety. May God be with you baby, I love you. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not beautiful chile' cause you something special, and one day somebody is going to see that." And with that she walked away and lightly closed the door in my face.

I never seen or heard from her again, cause she died of stage 4 cancer 2 weeks later.-----

😏😏😏