My Hood Love (London)

Chapter 11

Imani

"The ambulance is coming," I lift his head up onto my thigh "just stay awake please. Please."

He looks at me. He's too weak to say a thing. But he keeps shaking his head. He wants me to leave. He wants me to leave him to die here so that I can live.

"Jamal," I cry, he can't die. His eyes drift off as he lets go. "Look at me. Look at me Jamal, please. Look, here."

He looks at me and holds onto my arms and then my face. "Stop crying..." he whispers but how can I. The ambulance finally arrives. They take him inside and I sit beside him in the back. I sob and cry and hold onto his cold hand. Please don't die Jamal. Please.

***

I'm sitting outside his room now. The nurse told me he was basically seconds away from dying when they came. That broke my heart.

I'm on the phone to my mum, still crying. My eyes are puffed up and they sting from all the endless tears. "I'll be there soon love." She says and I hang up.

They said I was allowed to go into the room a while ago. I know I should but it hurts so much.

I stand up and walk in. He looks at me sleepily.

"Why are you awake?" I ask.

"Waiting for you." He says weakly. My heart man.

I take a chair and sit next to him. He reaches out for my hand.

"Why're you lookin like that?" He asks and I cry again.

"Don't cry darlin, please, look at me, I'm fine."

"I thought you stopped getting involved in all o that...you said it stopped being as dangerous as it was before." I say through the tears.

"That's why they shot me." He says and my heart sinks and I cry again.

Jamal

"Rafa..." I whisper and kiss my teeth "stop crying, babygirl, Rafaella, I'm okay."

"You're not Jamal," her voice cracks, my heart breaks "you almost died." Seeing her cry is more painful than a bullet. She holds onto my hands and sobs with her head down.

I look at her sadly. I never wanted her to see such a thing. I swore I'd protect her from these ends, from myself. And she's wound up here crying her heart out at what she's just seen. I never wanted her to ever see the type stuff I've seen. Not a single bullet, let alone a bullet hitting my back.

"Let's just leave." I say and she looks at me confused.

"What?"

"Like, let's just leave this place. When I'm all better, and alevels is over. Let's run away."

She nods slightly.

"We'll take your mum, the cats. Let's just leave."

"And go where?" She asks softly.

"California?" I suggest "I want you to still go to Berkeley."

"And what would you do?" She asks.

"Doubt I'll be playing football for a long time after dis. But I'll find my way. It doesn't matter anyway, we've gotta get out Rafaella."

She nods. "Alright then. But after you're better. And after school. Fine."

***

I been lying in bed for three days. They said I can check out at the end of the week, with crutches as I might be weak or some shit. I don't listen to them. Rafa does though. And I listen to Rafa.

Rafaella walks in. "I told you to stop bringing me school work." I complain and she gives it to me anyway.

"I got you a special consideration." She mutters.

"What's that? Like a chocolate bar?"

She laughs at my stupidity. Makes me smile. I haven't seen her smile or laugh in long.

"No...as in, when the examiners are marking your papers, they'll know that you got shoot two weeks prior. And they'll consider that, when marking it."

That's kinda weird. But very sweet on her part. "Thanks love."

"Oh and I got you..." she says going through her bag, she hands me a small box "this."

"What is it?" I ask, taking it with a smile. She ain't ever bought me nothing. I wanted it to stay that way. She makes me stuff, food, love letters, cute shit. But just her presence is enough. It's the biggest gift of all.

I open it and smile at her.

"It's a chain," she says "look under it."

I look and laugh. It's us. When we took photos in a photo booth in Brighton. A silly one and a serious one. She looks gorgeous in both.

She helps put it on my neck. Gold chain. "I ain't never takin this off." I whisper. It's expensive, I can tell.

She hands me a box of food what she made. She made me cinnamon buns, my favourite.

I kiss her on the forehead as she sits beside me. "My angel." I state and kiss her cheek. She giggles. I love that sound.