Harlem Roses.

One

*Seven Months Earlier*

It was too early to be out here walking to the corner store, Khiry thought as she held onto a her grey cardigan as the chilly wind blew in. Her braids were up in a messy bun with a scarf wrapped around her head. She didn't care how she looked coming out of the house. She wasn't trying to impress niggas like the other girls out here.

As she got closely to the corner store, Khiry saw her dope slanging brother Rayshawn she hadn't seen in months chillin with his friends by his latest whip, a Mercedes. He looked over and saw her, but Khiry quickly bent her head down and walked passed him. He felt sorry, and he wanted to talk to her but he knew it wasn't going to happen.

The relationship between both of them quickly fell down hill ever since last year when he walked out on his mother before the drug addiction and two sisters to pursue a career as a drug dealer. By within two months, he was the talk of the hood. Sometimes, when Khiry was picking Kaidyn from daycare, he was driving a different whip ever week. He didn't care much about his family at all.

But after their mother got into crack, he saw his little sister working her back off for their little sister after their mother disappeared and became a dope fiend. It made Khiry angry she had nobody to turn to but her best friend Tamika, but she knew tamika couldn't be their most of the time cause she was going through hard times herself.

Khiry pulled the door open and the bell rang signaling she was a customer coming in. She looked over at the Muslim cashier who say in his chair behind the glass wall reading a sports magazine. He nodded at her as she walked passed into the grocery aisle. Grabbing a pack of noodles, cereal, milk, a family size chips, and a large bottle of water. She walked over to the cashier and he quickly sat his magazine down to assist her.

"That'll be $17.28." He said awaiting for his payment.

Khiry slipped the twenty dollar bill from her pocket and handed it to him. He accepted it and gave her back her change. Khiry grabbed the brown grocery bag and exited the store proceeding the same way she came from. She decided to cross the road to attempt from walking pass her bother cause she knew he was gonna try to talk to her once again.

Once the red car drove pass and the road was clear, Khiry walked over. She looked over on the other side of the road as she walked and her eyes connected with her brother's. She could see the look in his face as if he telling her sorry and he was. But she could care less, he didn't give a fuck then and why is he caring now.

Rolling her eyes, Khriy kept walking. The sun shun in her face as she neared the apartment building she lived in with her little sister who was on the balcony waiting for her.

"Kaidyn, get inside now! Khiry snapped at her five year old sister. Kaidyn quickly stood up from the chair and ran inside locking the balcony door. Khiry opened the building's door and the awaiting smell of pee and marijuana hit her nose making her twist her face up in disgust. She walked up stairs to the second floor and Kaidyn unlocked the door and stepped aside letting Khiry in.

"You know I told you better to not go on that damn balcony Kaidyn." Khiry scowled as she placed the bag on the kitchen counter. Kaidyn stood by the sink and watched as her sister rant on about her being on the balcony. Her stomach growled in hunger and she was more than ready to eat.

Khiry grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and placed them on the counter before pulling out the milk and Lucky Charms. She opened the cereal and poured little in each bowl before placing it on the top of their refrigerator. She then grabbed the milk and poured into the cereal. Kaidyn had already had her spoon in her hand and was ready to eat.

"Here." Khiry said, giving Kaidyn her cereal.

"Thanks." Kaidyn smiled before she ran off to the living room. Khiry grabbed her bowl and proceeded to the living room also. Before she can sit down and eat her cereal and watch morning cartoons, their was a knock at the door making her roll her eyes.

It was either her best friend Tamika or her crack head mother coming by to ask for money. Khiry walked over to door and unlocked it. She came face to face with Rayshawn. He had a couple bags by his side and a hopeless smile on his face.

"Why you here?" Khiry scowled.

Rayshawn deepened his smile. "Came to see my lil sisters."

Khiry folded her hands and leaned against the door. "We don't need you now excuse yourself."

"Wait, I know you don't like me at all right now but I can't stand to see you walking out here every now and then buying lil groceries that not gon full you and Kaidyn's stomach." Rayshawn spoke. "I got a couple stuff so you gon accept it?

Khiry sighed deeply and moved aside. Rayshawn smiled and grabbed the bags walking in.

"Brother!!!" Kaidyn yelled as she ran towards her brother. Rayshawn smiled and dropped the bags by the couch and picked up Kaidyn. He missed her and her wild curly hair she would have every morning.

Khiry closed the door and walked towards them and grabbed the bags and placing them in the kitchen. She unpacked the food stuff and placed them in the half empty cabinets. She placed the empty plastic bag in the small drawer and walked out to the living room.

"So why aren't you around so much Shawn?" Kaidyn questioned making Khiry mumbled something under her breath Rayshawn heard.

"I've been busy, but don't worry from now on I'll always be around." Rayshawn promised his little sister.

Rayshawn looked over at Khiry. "We need to talk."

Khiry hesitated and finally agreed. "Kaidyn go inside and watch tv."

Kaidyn did as told leaving Rayshawn and Khiry to talk. There was a few seconds of silence before Rayshawn spoke up.

"How's your job doing you? He asked.

"Fine." Khiry replied dryly.

Silence took over once again. Khiry didn't seem to be busy by the small talk as she focused her attention towards the tv.

"Look, I know you struggling and I w—,

"Look, Shawn I don't need your money we good." Khiry quickly spoke up.

Rayshawn deeply sighed. "Look, am not about to sit back and watch you stuggle on these bills with that lil money you earn!"

Khiry rolled her eyes. "That lil money still okay for me and Kaidyn."

"You ain't gotta lie Khiry, the niggas already telling me you almost got put out for missing two months rent so this is a way for me to help you get everything off your back."

Rayshawn placed the ten thousand on the table. He stood up and and shoved his hands in his back pocket. "I could care less about your attitude, but I care about my lil sisters and I ain't gonna let y'all be on a streets."

He gave her one last look and walked towards the door. Khiry looked away from the tv and down at the thick wad of cash. Ten thousand, Ten Thousand Dollars.

She picked it up and it was all in fives, tens, twenties, and fifties. She couldn't just leave the money their, this was gonna help her for the while. $700 towards the rent, $50 towards Kaidyn's after school day care, some more groceries, clothes for both Khiry and Kaidyn, the light bill.

She calculated how much she be left back in her phone. A whopping $7,013. She wished she wasn't such a bitch to her brother. And she still realized he cared. Thinking he was walking back to the store, Khiry quickly ran out and down the stairs. He wasn't there sponge she looked down the street. But a present was there in front of her.

A all white Mercedes, the same car he was with at the corner store. The key was taped to the hood and Khiry quickly peeled it off. It had a paper stuck to it.

"Now you got something to move around more."
-Shawn