One Step Closer

OSC/ Twenty-Six

One Step Closer/ Twenty-Six

                               Alonzo stood there, in his Calvin Klein grey plaid suit, blue spread collar shirt, and black and blue geometric silk tie…his hands were in his pant pockets, as he paced up and down the courtroom hallway. His mother reached out at him, but paused, short of taking hold of him. His father looked up. “Alonzo…sit down. Stay calm,”

                              “Your father’s right,” said Fred Cedarman, as he walked up, with his briefcase and all. Fred Cedarman, was the attorney that they had gotten for Alonzo when he first sought custody of Kylie. He lived in the neighborhood, and was a very outstanding legal representative, helping a lot of the falsely accused, troubled youth. He adjusted his glasses. “You gonna wear a hole in those nice shoes,”

                                Alonzo gave a forced smile. “Sorry…I’m just really nervous. I’m used to havin Kylie in my life now, and I can’t see myself being without her. She needs me,”

                               “After going through the police reports, and getting counter claims filed, there is no assault or battery charge- you were merely defending yourself. The only charge they have that can stick is the possession of illegal firearm, and I’ve had that lowered to a first offense…you’ll most likely do a month of probation, and that is over,” said Cedarman. “But Ms. Crawford is pushing the transfer of custody, claiming you purposely hit her,”

                                Alonzo rolled his eyes, sighing…it was expected that Tracey would push it. “I knew she would,”

                                At that moment, Tracey walked up…she had a blemish beneath her nose, where Alonzo had punched her, making her nose bleed. She also had a black eye, and a bruised right cheek…she wore an off-white tiered belted knit dress, with an earth tone open placket cardigan on. Her hair was pulled back into a tail, even though there were a few strands in her face. Alonzo sighed into himself…he had never wanted things to go as far as they did. Even though Tracey was everything he hated, at the end of the day the fact remained, that she was the mother of his child, and he never meant to hit her…he never even saw her coming.

                               She shied away, as her parents walked up- her mother Elaine, who had very little to want to do with Tracey during the pregnancy, and had often referred to Kylie as a “nigger baby” or a “nigglet”. Elaine had the same dirty blondish hair as Tracey, but her face was weathered…she had the same bluish-grey eyes also. Then there was Tracey’s “supposed” stepfather, Brian Hunt- his skin too looked leathery, and red…Alonzo hadn’t been around him too many times. When he was around, Brian was usually drunk, and fighting with Tracey’s mother…she would eventually call the sheriff, and Brian would leave before they arrived. After a while, Alonzo just eventually stopped coming around them…

                                  Elaine started at him through heated eyes. “You ever touch my daughter again, and I will fuckin kill you! You had no right, hitting her like that!”

                                  Alonzo’s mouth dropped open, as Cedarman had motioned to him to stay silent….Alonzo dropped his head.

                                  “Why don’t you come over here and hit on me, you fuckin pussy, hittin on a defenseless woman!” grunted out Brian, as he tried to walk around to Alonzo. Cedarman kept obstructing his path, as Alonzo’s father jumped up. “Are you threatening my son?”