Hear Our Cry

Our Cry

South Central 2012

I cleaned the blood off Quay's hand looking at him holding in my laugh.

"You don't have to fight everyone Q."  I said throwing away the bloody cotton balls, I looked over Q's appearance and realized he was still sort of angry, he unballed his fist and looked up at me as his face began to soften.
"He disrespected you Nan, he deserved it."  I shrugged and bandaged up the cut above his eyebrow and threw away the scraps from band aids, I took off my gloves and threw them away also.

"Let's start our homework." I said grabbing his arm and leading him to my room, I shut the door locking it so nobody would walk in, even though no one paid me any mind. I grabbed my backpack while he pulled out his Algebra text book and notebook, I grabbed mine also.

"I can't wait till next year! we're going to be sophomores!"  I said excitedly thinking about how this year was almost coming to an end  and he nodded yawning and writing down the equation into his notebook, I watched him looking at how he scrunched his eyebrows together when he tried to focus and how his tattoo on his arm made his arm look somewhat buffer, I sighed loud and started to copy his work, he looked over at me and covered his paper.

"You wanna be a doc right? Better do ya own math."  He said and I pouted sticking out my bottom lip.

"But it's hard." I complained.

"Listen Miss Drug Lord Princess, do ya own work, I don't even think I'm doing this shit right."  I rolled my eyes, I hated when he called me that, I honestly didn't think my mother and G's marriage would last this long, all he did was beat on her if she got out of line or spent too much money and brought women into the house,  I would never be like my mother, she's only still with him for the money, I bet when he died she wouldn't get a dime. I stayed quiet scooting away from Q and looking over the equations trying to remember how to solve it, he sighed and pulled me to him.

"Sorrrryyyy Nani." He said in a baby voice cooing in my ear.

"Whatever Q, it's fine."  I started writing down random things because I didn't know what to do, he peered over my shoulder and smacked his lips.

"Do you need help? That's all wrong." He said taking his pencil and erasing my work,  I rolled my eyes and smacked his pencil away,  I did need help but I'd never admit to needing help or wanting help from anyone.

"Whatever, fine, I won't help."  He said turning his back to me and continuing his work.

A glass broke somewhere in the distance and we both looked up, I heard my mothers scream and heard a loud thud, closing my eyes tight I sighed and unballed my fist looking at Quay, he nodded and I crawled to him as we laid back and he held me close and tight while singing a lullaby to me to drone out the noises, I listened to his soft singing voice sooth my inside pain while he slowly stroked my hair and kissed my forehead as I fell asleep on his chest with him holding me, I never wanted it to end.

"I love you." He spoke quietly.

"I don't know how to feel that, love." 

"I'll help you."

I grabbed his hand and held it thinking about what love could possibly feel like, only person I ever thought I loved was Tottie, but he told me he hated me, so how was it love ? I didn't understand what the human race felt love was, I didn't know, I would never feel that type of feeling until somebody helped me or showed me and I knew if anybody besides Tottie could do it, it would be Q.

I woke up to banging on my door and sleeping on Q's  chest. I looked at the time and it read 1:30am I gasped and shook Q.

"Wake up." The banging on my door continued. I got up and cracked the door open seeing Tottie.

"Hi Tottie." I smiled surprised he was at my door.

"That little boy still here?" He asked glaring at me, I nodded.

"We fell asleep doing homework, can you drive him home?" 

"What the fuck you got niggas in your room for?! With the door locked!!" He bellowed at me. I looked down feeling my eyes well up with tears, okay I was a bit sensitive, but I remember times when my brother cared about me a lot and he talked to me, not times like these so it hurt me to see things came to this. Q came up behind me opening the door more, I looked at them two stare each other down glaring. 

"Like she told you man, we fell asleep studying, that's it, that's all." Q said. 

"Get the fuck out my house lil nigga." Tottie said lifting up his shirt showing off the .30 on his waist, I stepped between them. 

"Tottie stop it." I said putting my hands on his chest. He shoved me away.

"Stop fucking calling me that yo it ain't my name!" Q pushed him away from me.

"Don't touch her like that dawg." The door down the hall opened and Big G came out. 

"Y'all making all this god damned noise in my house, what the hell is going on now?!"

"Nani had this nigga in the house, in her room with the door locked." I looked down and Big G stared at me, he called his guard to lead Q out and told Tottie to go to bed.

"Nani follow me." He said walking to his office, I slowly followed him to his office looking down at my feet counting my footsteps, one two three four .. we stepped inside his office and he closed the door and took a seat at his desk. 

"You're like what... 13 Nani?" He asked lighting a cigar leaning back in his seat, he waited for my response puffing smoke in the air towards me.

"Turning 15 in two days Mr. G" I responding not making eye contact with him.

"You been hoeing around?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

"No." I retorted offended. He chuckled and nodded taking another puff of his cigar.

"I'll have a talk with little Quay Johnson, until then I'll make sure Roscoe keeps a very fucking close eye on you." He said glaring into my eyes. I shifted from one foot to the other and looked away. 

"Can I go now?" I asked quietly.  He began to put out his cigar out in the ashtray and pulled out his pistol. 

"Yes." He turned his chair around towards the big window that over looked the city and took another long drag of his cigar letting the smoke fill the air, the scenery of this reminded me of something straight out of The Godfather .