Ink Love

INKY 15 - PART 1

ACE'S P.O.V

My phone rang, stirring me from my sleep.

“Who in heavens name is calling me at this ungodly hour.” I turned in my bed, reaching for the phone on my bed side drawer.

The screen lit up in my face, blinding my gentle eyes. It was a few minutes past nine pm. I squinted, searching for the brightness to stop my phone from blinding me. I looked at the dim screen, Benson was calling me.

“Hello, B, what’s up? Why you pull up on a nigga this late?”  I yawned.

Benson had been more scarce in my life since he started this tutoring thing with Lauraine, I had confronted him once, and asked if they were shagging but Benson thought I was insane for asking.

Now, the only reason I could think of as to why my best friend was calling me in the middle of the night was for shagging advise. B never really did do or talk about the things we liked after Lauraine came into our lives. I know he was giving this new responsibility his all but I had feelings too and I was his damn best friend!

I listened for a reply but the line was silent. “Hey, B? You there?” I listened closer, waiting for a reply. There was nothing.

“B! This is not funny! I know you can hear me.” Still no reply. I sat up in my bed, worried. I listened closely and I could hear ragged breathing. I threw my blanket off me, grabbed a pair of B-ball shorts, threw on a hoodie and ran out my room to the parlor to get my car keys.

"And where are you off to in such a hurry, Ace Wright?" Mama lowered her reading glasses with a raised brow.

She was reading her Bible in the parlor. Her grey hair hidden under a turban and her reading glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. She filled the one seater, but most of it was just her floral night gown and her pillows she always carried around with her.

"I'm going to see Benson ma; I think something is wrong with him!" I scrambled through the glass bowl of keys, looking for my car keys. “Where are my damn keys!”

“Language Ace Wright!” Mama dropped her Bible on the side table beside her.

“Sorry ma, I just can’t find my car keys!” I poured the bowl of keys on the counter top.

“Pack those keys back, the car keys are in the kitchen.” Mama said. “You and your father would know where anything was if you helped around.” Mama put her hands on her hip giving me a ‘Don’t be silly child’ look. “Go get the keys and see if that poor child is okay would ya! And drive safe!"

"Yes ma, thank you! I'll be back soon!" I grabbed my car keys from the rack in the kitchen and sprinted out the backdoor. 

Mama had always been fond of Benson since we became friends back in kindergarten. Funny enough, Benson's mom and mine went to the same college so they saw each other once in a while but they became close friends when I and Benson became best friends.

I sped out the driveway and down the road to Benson's house. I kept trying to get through to him but he wouldn't pick up. Something was wrong. I reached Benson’s house, a few minutes later, running to the door, getting out the spare keys he gave me from my shorts but the door was open.

Seeing certain things hurt you but when I saw Benson, hurt just wasn’t the right word to describe what I felt. My best friend was on the floor in a pool of his blood, bruised and battered. He looked like a slave that had been punished by their master. I was furious, furious at Benson but my brain didn’t register that feeling because all I could feel were the tears falling down my cheeks.