Watching from the Sidelines

Chapter 21

"Brit, do you know where Jarius is?" Raven asked Brittany.

"Him and Tony left and went somewhere a couple of hours ago. Tony said something about their little brother".

"What? What little brother? Their brother is dead." Raven said .

"Well that's what Tony said. Maybe he was talking about one of his homeboys or something", Brittany said walking off into the kitchen.

Raven's mind instantly began to wonder.

'Tony and Jarius don't have homeboys like that. At least no one close enough to call brother. I know Kenny's dead. Jarius came to me crying one night when we were younger saying someone killed him. Jarius , Kenny and I were close when we were growing up. I'm pretty sure Jarius didn't lie about his death. What if he did? What if Kenny's still alive somewhere? That's not possible. I guess I'll just have to wait until he gets back or until he calls -'.

She was interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

"Hello?" She answered quickly thinking it was Jarius.

"Ray Ray I'm out!"

"Mama?" Raven asked shocked, knowing only one person called her that.

"Hey Ray Ray! Mama's back!"

"Who is this? Stop playing on my phone. My mama is dead. This shit ain't funny", Raven said upset.

"Ray Ray it's me for real! Come open the door! I'm outside. Your mama ain't dead Ray Ray!" Angela yelled through the phone. She didn't mean to yell, that's just how loud she talked.

"What?" Raven asked running to the front door and looking out the peep hole.

And there she was, Angela Jones in the flesh.

"Mama!" Raven yelled opening the door and nearly knocking her over with her bear hug , "Mama, Trina said you were dead. She said you were never coming back", Raven said crying.

"No baby, Mama right here. I'm right here", she said rubbing Raven's back.

After hugging her for almost an eternity, Raven dragged Angela into the house. She had always seen her mother on drugs, so the Angel she was looking at now, she had never seen before. Her mothers clothes were clean, her hair was long and healthy, and her face looked radiant.

"Mama where have you been?" Raven asked.

"I've been in prison the last four years Ray Ray. I wrote you and Trina whenever I could once I got clean. I thought maybe y'all moved or something. The house was the first place I went when I got out. Trina ain't want nothing to do with me. She ain't as forgiving as you Ray Ray", Angela said.

"Mama, I don't know how forgiving I would be if you sold my body for crack", Raven said upset that her mother wanted to play victim.

"What? Ray Ray, I'll never do that to you".

"But you did it to Trina, and Trina did it to me!" Raven cried.

"Trina doing drugs?" Angela asked.

"She didn't do it for the drugs, she did it because she hated you", Raven said, "She hated you so much that she hated me", she cried.

"Ray Ray, I'm sorry. I didn't know Trina would do you like that. I always knew she was a little jealous bitch", Angela said.

"You're still the same. Trina didn't deserve to get raped by strangers Mama! Do you even hear yourself? Anybody in their right mind would be jealous! No one would understand why their mother, whose there to protect them, would allow them to get raped repeatedly. Mama you treated Trina like dirt, but you didn't do the same to me. That's why my own sister hates me. Not because of anything I did, but because of what you did. You made Trina hate me. That's why she treats me like shit and didn't care if I got raped or not".

"I can't take back the past, I can only work on the future. And with Trina, there is no future. It ain't nothing I can do or say to help take away all the things I done did to that girl. I was broken back then. But I'm trying to be better now. Let me be better Ray Ray. I'll apologize. But y'all ain't gone keep throwing my wrong doings in my face", Angela said.

"Where you staying?" Raven asked.

"I thought you'll be kind enough to let your mama stay for awhile", Angela smiled.

"Mama, No! I can't let you just stay in somebody house when I'm free loading myself", Raven said looking at Angela like she was crazy.

"Well, Trina won't let me in my own damn house, and I don't have nobody else. Ian trying to go back to the old me Ray Ray", Angela said.

"Well Mama, I don't know what to do. You're putting all this pressure on me, I'm only fifteen. I can talk to Tony and Jarius, but I can't promise you anything", Raven said.

"Talk to us about what?" JG said walking through the front door. His shirt was torn and dirty and he had blood stains on it.

"Jarius what happened to you?!" Raven asked running to the front door where JG stood, "Where were you?"

"It's a long story baby, I'll tell you later", he said kissing her on her forehead, "Now what's going on?" He asked walking into the living room.

"Ms. Angie??" He asked recognizing Angela, "I thought you said your mama was dead", he frowned looking at Raven.

"Nah, that's just some bullshit Trina told her. I been locked up the last couple of years", Angela said standing to hug Jarius, "Now the little bitch won't let me in my own damn house".

"That's what I was gonna talk to yall about", Raven said, "Mama ain't got nowhere to go Jarius".

"Oh, Damn", JG said stractching his head.