Storm (interracial)

Stormy Seas Chapter 1

For as long as I could remember I was told I was going to be nothing. My mother never went a day without reminding me that I was the bane of her existence. To her I am a constant reminder of why my father left her for another woman. I guess I'm also the blame for her drug abuse and her alcohol problem. She says from birth I caused a huge storm in her life and thus my name. I was her punching bag, her maid, slave, you name it I was it.  It's amazing I was never raped with all the men that went in and out of this house. She was extremely jealous of my youth. She figured if her johns saw me they would want me so when they came over either she locked me in the basement or put me outside on the streets. It just depended on the John who came over and her mood.

Now I'm 25 with no education with minimal skills with no home but a park bench when I'm lucky. Sometimes I get at least one meal a day at the soup kitchen but most days I go without. You wouldn't imagine how many homeless people in New York fill the soup lines fighting for a hot meal. Jobs are so far and in between, its even depressing thinking about it. Some days i wonder why was I even born cause this hand that I was dealt was so unfair. I never stood a chance in this cold world. But yet I still smile cause its all I can give the world.

Rushing to get to the soup line one morning I turn the corner to run smack dab into the most beautiful sight I've seen in my life. He stood about 6'3 with the most beautiful, piercing green eyes I've ever seen. His skin was olive in color that was complimented by his thick shiny black hair. The way he was dressed screamed money. And to my surprise he helped me off the ground and had more concern about me than the coffee that I just spilled all over him.

I immediately began to apologize and he tells me in a smooth but oh so sexy voice, "Its okay it's only coffee don't worry about it."

This shocks me because most people I've encountered would have lashed out at me. He then asks me were was I running to and hesitantly I tell him where. Strangely he does not look at me in disgust and to my surprise again he asks, "let me get you something to eat and I will not except no as an answer." I nod and say thanks and he says, " where to?"

Here we are sitting at a McDonald's eating breakfast, well me cause he doesn't once touch his food. He looks at me for what seemed like hours before he asks, "So tell me a little about yourself." I was so caught off guard that I couldn't stop the blush that had my whole face hurting. I'm black but my skin color is a caramel looking color so I'm sure he noticed but kept it to himself.  

"Well my name is Storm and i was born and raised in the bronx.

"And ."he says. I look up at him and say there's not much else to tell. He looks bewildered.

"Well how did you become homeless?"

The dreaded question that I'm sure most homeless people dread well at least me of course. I reply but hesitantly, " I been on these streets since I was 15.

In my mind I'm like please kind sir no more questions and what do you know he asks, "Where you a runaway."

I shake my head no in response and say, "I had no choice my mother died of a drug overdose and since their was no one to take me in I made the streets my home in fear of being put in foster care or worse."

He just stares at me for what seems like an eternity and says, " let me buy you breakfast tomorrow same time." And before I could even get out a reply he gets up and puts some money on the table and say, "And I won't take no for an answer and get yourself a warm place to sleep tonight." And just like that he was gone. I pick up the money when I feel he's out of sight it then that I see that he has left behind 800 dollars in one hundred bills. Tears fell down my face.  What a nice man.

Maybe this is a sign for brighter things to come I thought as I walked to a hotel to get a room for the night. I felt like today I accomplished something. I managed to fill out a few applications online for a job at the library and I even managed to get a job through the temp service. I was on cloud nine and I wasn't this happy in I don't know in how long.

As I was walking  past an alley way I heard a man's voice. It sounded as if he were pleading with someone for some extra time. So because I'm human I look into the alley. And then it happened. It was silent but I heard it nonetheless. It was one shot to the man's head. I was froze cause of who I saw with the gun in hand. I really was not prepared for what I saw at all and I've seen plenty.  It was the nice man from earlier who was the shooter and he saw me. The look he had was filled with malice and evil. And I ran like there was no tomorrow. I didn't have a plan where I would hide but I did know that I couldn't stop running. But I didn't get far cause I was hit by a passing car. I got up limping and the driver was trying to see if I was alright but all I had on my mind was to run. So much for my good day. I was growing fatigue and my leg was in pain but yet I still ran until he cut me off.  I don't know where he came from but he appeared out of the thin night air. 

"Don't make another move Storm." Is what he told me. All my years of surviving these streets it was about to come an end. I thought of nothing cause I had nothing and in that moment I wept. No one would miss me and no one would care. He aimed the gun at me and I faded to black.