Black Wynter 2 "Quiet Storm"

Chapter Forty One

"Kennedy! Kennedy! KENNEDY!" five year old Quameek called to his sister over and over. Nine year Kennedy appeared in their bedroom doorway. "What?" she asked him. She had been up in the living room, sneaking and watching porn on the adult channel. "I peed in the bed again," Quameek told her.

Kennedy sucked her teeth and walked further into the room. "Take off your clothes and get into the shower, stupid," she said to her brother. A timid Quameek got out of the bed and did as he was told. He removed his clothing and stood there, shivering.

Kennedy stripped the sheets on their bed and then she turned to look at her brother. "What are you doing?" she asked him, after watching him tremble for a couple seconds. "I'm c-c-cold," Quameek stammered, his chin chattering.

Dropping all of the pissy sheets onto the floor, Kennedy walked over to Quameek and yanked him by the arm. "C'mon. You have to take a bath, Meeky," she said to him. Quameek followed his big sister into the bathroom and he let her bathe him to the best of her abilities.

"You need to stop peeing in our bed, Quameek. You know we don't have a lot of sheets," she told him. Quameek bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Kennedy," he apologized to his sister. He hated to make her upset with him. "It's okay, Meeky. Just try to wake up and go to the bathroom next time," Kennedy had said in a lighter tone. "Okay," Quameek said back in a squeaky voice.

He looked down at Kennedy as she washed his legs and suddenly she was no longer nine years old. But twelve and when Quameek looked up again, they were no longer in their bathroom.

They were in their elementary school playground and Quameek was now eight. He was whining. "Kennedy, they took my ballll," he cried to his sister. Kennedy's eyes immediately narrowed. "Who took your ball?" she asked, aggressively. With a wobbly finger, Quameek pointed at a bunch of eighth graders who were making fun of him for being a crybaby.

With a huff and putting some pep in her step, Kennedy strutted over to them. "Give my brother back his ball!" she barked at them. They laughed some more and tried to taunt Kennedy for defending her brother. "What are you? His mommy?" the boys teased.

Kennedy placed her hands on her hips. She didn't at all appreciate not being taken seriously. Without warning, Kenny sent a swift kick to the ringleader's genitals. Doubling over in pain, he dropped the ball and it bounced over to Kennedy. She caught it. "Stop bothering my fucking brother!" she hollered, making her way back over to Quameek.

She tossed him the ball. "Now, you stay over here where I can see you," she instructed him. Quameek caught the basketball, looking down at it in awe. He couldn't believe Kennedy had gotten it back for him.

When Quameek looked back up at his sister to thank her, they again where somewhere else. They were back home in their living room and the ball had disappeared from his hands. Kennedy was fifteen and Quameek was now eleven.

Kennedy paced the living room floor, deep in thought. There was absolutely nothing in their refrigerator to eat and both their stomachs were growling. Kennedy was only concerned about Quameek though. She had to make sure that he ate. "Fuck it," she finally said. "I'm going to the store," Kennedy announced.

"But we don't have no money," Quameek reminded her. She glared at him, making him close his mouth immediately. "Don't worry about that. I'm going to the store," she said. Then, she grabbed her jacket and ran out the door. Quameek had never gone to the store with Kennedy that day, but for some reason he was able to see Kennedy as she made her way to the deli.

He watched her step outside of their apartment and watched her as she quickly made her way to the store at the end of their block. Kennedy stepped into the store and crept her way to the back. Moving fast, Kenny grabbed several bags of chips, cookies and juices, stuffing them all into her shirt.

Walking back to the door, (it obvious that she had taken something) a heavy set man who worked at the store stopped her. "What's in your shirt?" he asked Kennedy. Kennedy sucked her teeth. "Nothing!" she snapped, clearly lying. The man reached for her, but Kennedy yanked away. She ran around him and darted out of the store.

"Get back here, you little fuckin' heifer! I'm going to call the cops on you!" he called after Kennedy. He didn't bother chasing after her, because he weighed too much and he knew Kenny would more than likely out run him. "Just leave it alone, José. That's Tatiana's daughter. Those kids are probably hungry," Quameek heard the store owner comment.

Kennedy returned to their apartment all out of breath. She dropped everything that she had stolen on the kitchen table. Quameek's eyes lit up. "Woah! How'd you get all that?" he exclaimed. His sister always seemed to work miracles for him. "Don't worry about it, Meeky. Just eat," she had told him, as she opened a bag of Cheez Doodles for herself.

Without a second thought, Quameek got up and ran over to the table. He was ready to dive into those goodies. He opened up a juice and a pack of cookies. He started chewing and when he looked over to Kennedy to thank her, she was gone. His house had turned into a church.

Quameek looked down at his own appearance and saw that he was himself again. He was no longer five or eight or eleven. He was he, as himself today, in an empty church. He looked around and spotted Kennedy at the alter. She was in a wedding dress.

It was just the two of them at the church, so Quameek slowly walked over. He was not sure at all what was going on. He made it to the front with Kennedy, her back was still turned to him. "Kennedy," he said to his sister. She turned to face him and Quameek was blown away at how beautiful she looked. She looked like an angel, so pure and so divine. There was a glow about Kennedy right then and there, that she had never normally had before.

"What are we doing here?" he asked her. "We are at my wedding," Kennedy let Quameek know. Quameek looked around, again. He was beyond confused. "But nobody is here," he pointed out to her. "I know. Nobody came to my wedding," she said.

Suddenly, everything began to make sense to Quameek. He understood everything completely and by now, he knew that he had completely fucked up. He had played the victim for so long in his life, that he never realized that some of his issues he had brought upon himself. Case in point: choosing to not forgive his sister. He now knew why he was where he was. "I didn't come. I'm sorry," he let her know.

Kennedy stood there at the alter in her all white gown, just looking at her brother. "Do you know why you're here?" she finally asked him. Quameek nodded his head. "Yes. I've been very ungrateful. And envious of people. I carry a lot of hate in my heart," Quameek told his sister.

"And I'm sorry, Kennedy. I really am. I never realized how hard it was for you, growing up. Raising me. Taking care of me. Doing the best you could when you never even had to. You were just a kid, too. Then the one time you needed me, I didn't even come to your wedding to give you my blessing. I'm so sorry," Quameek apologized over and over. Tears were falling from his face.

"You are forgiven," Kennedy said, her voice powerful. He looked at her, again. "What now?" he asked her. Kennedy gave Quameek a smile. "It's up to you. You can let go now if you want. Or, you can return," she told him. It was like Kennedy was speaking in codes and riddles, but Quameek understood everything that she said perfectly.

"Return? To what? I have nothing to return to," he said. Kennedy didn't say anything, she just kept watching him. She waited for him to make his own choice. "I want to let go. I've had enough of it all," Meek told her, his eyes still full of tears. Kennedy smiled at him, again. She moved to the side and behind her was a bright light. It called Quameek to walk into it.

He stepped forward toward it. It was so inviting and the closer he got, the better he felt. He felt happier with each step he took towards that light and he knew that it would all be over soon. Just before he could walk directly into the light, he turned to Kennedy. She looked at him, with watery eyes. That's when Quameek knew that this was all a figment of his imagination. Because Kennedy never cried or had tears ever.

"What about you, Kenny? You coming?" he asked her. Kennedy nodded. "I'll be there soon. I promise, I'm right behind you. I just have a couple things to take care of over here," she told him. He nodded. "Okay. I'll see you soon," Quameek spoke. With a smile, Kennedy nodded back. "See you soon," she said back. And then Quameek stepped into the light and he was gone.