I.S.O.L.A.T.E.D

I.S.O.L.A.T.E.D * The Grand Hustle*

After that night we went home leaving Antonio there, he wasn't ready to come stay with us so he had to stay in the hospital. I was pretty upset I didn't know what to think. I was stuck taking my mom home and the whole ride, she didn't say a thing she was just riding along, it made me wonder "Is it me?" but then I thought , no shes just really tired , I would be too if I had to wait 30 minutes just for them to pull a baby out of me.

I helped my mother into the house and sat her down gently on the couch , she didn't ask for much just for some water and some quite time. I was upstairs writeing in my jorunal my dad gave me when I atleast knew how to write. I looked at it and smiled knowing my dad is proably smiling over me and saying "Baby girl you can fly , maybe not that high but you can fly and you will reach your limit", I remembered he always use to tell me that before I went to bed at night, he always made me happy.

I drew and wrote in my jorunal , I smiled and hung up the drawing I made. It was stick figures only not to much, I did my best. Lets be real i mean I couldn't draw even if God asked me to paint a excact repluca of the mona lisa. I unbuttoned my button down shirt and put a picture of my dad on my heart and started to say " I will fear no evil , I am me , I have rights to what I have become , I am a star I believe in courage and I believe in life for all creatures. the devil has not pact on me. I am a princess" a little quote I made when I was ten and in the 5th grade.

I walked down stairs to see what my mother was doing , she was knocked out on the couch so I took the pride to cover her up and make dinner for her. The only thing I knew how to cook was ramen noodles i'm not much of a cook , but I know how to pop poptarts in the toaster and cook that. I finished cooking ramen noodles , but then I thought " Nah im not about to serve this to my mother , i'm gonna order her a pizza" I say to myself. I pick up the phone and make sure i have the money , i order that pizza and they should be here in 20 minutes. I sat next to my mom and started rubbing her back , she looked uncomtorable. " Avanna baby , call Marcus tell him the baby is here" she said sitting up and streching her legs. i did wanna slap her and say " are you nuts!" but I didn't , so I called him and he didn't answer. " momma he didn't answer , do you want me to try again?" I asked " no baby , just forget it he aint worth talking to anyway" she said cracking her back as she got up and wobbled like a duck to the kitchen.

" Mom , I want to know how much is it to bail ?" I ask sitting at the kitchen table, she looked at me and with her hand on her hip " baby I don't know , when ya father was in jail I bailed him with 300 dollars to bail , because I was carrying you" she says wipeing down the counter. I stoped and asked her , " momma , what if I wanted to bail someone" I said looking , and hopeing she wasn't gonna catch an adittude. " Hun you can do what you feel is right , if you feel that Prince shouldn't be in jail , then you bail him. But if you feel he needs to be in there , he needs to stay were he is now" she says sitting down on the chair holding her back. She just seems so old now, " but momma , Prince is everything in my life , and what I would hope for him to be , he dosen't need to be in that cell with a whole bunch on fruit loops!" I said with a tone , " hey hey! , now you watch your tone , now if you wanna bail Prince , so be it but don't come crying to me when you aint got the money cause i'm telling yah now child! , I aint giving it too you!" she says to me and gets up walking into the living room.

I stopped and tried to think how was I gonna get the money to get Princeton out of jail?, it's not as simple as it seems its really actually difficult. I walked upstairs and shut my bedroom door and picked up my cellphone and called Raquel , she had money and tuns of it!. " Hey chica! , hows it going!" she says yelling threw the phone , " Hey Raquel , I need money" I say biting my nails in nervousment, " for what chica? , why you need money?" she askes "well you see Prince needs to be bailed as soon as possiable , but it takes $500 dollars to bail him" I say holding my forehead " Chica! , I will help you with everything you just need to see me after chruch tomorrow!" she says with exciment in her voice. " Alright thanks Raquel" I say hanging up. I jump up and pace my own room, my mom calls me down stairs because the pizza man arrived. It tottally! slipped my mind! , " Avanna! , come pay for this pizza! , you aint that crazy honey" she says walking back to her room. I ran down stairs and paid him $13.94 and took my pizza upstairs and watched tv.

That next morning I woke up in my bed with the pizza box on the floor , the sun was shining in my room and I streched out. Since my mom gave birth yesterday she is on her personal break from work, I know she is happy. I walked down stairs scratching my head and saw her eating bacon and eggs. " Goodmorning momma" I say hugging her " hey baby" she says kissing my cheek , " now did you find out how you gonna get the money for Princes bail?" she asked , I looked at her and sat down " yeah i'm suppose to be going with Raquel today to get the money right after she comes from church" I say with a side smile on my face , knowing my mom doesn't like the idea of Raquel helping with the money. " Avanna , you listen and you listen real good cause i'm only gonna say this to you once, you better do well and stay out of trouble cause I only took you so far, now you wanna get yourself caught up in trouble , then you do that. But don't cry momma! when you get in jail for trying to get someone out of jail , do you understand what I just said?" she says pointing to me , " yes momma , I understand I have full resposabilty of myself" I say nodding agreeing to what she said.

I kiss her on the cheek to let her know I understand. I head upstairs and take a nice shower and get dressed , I had on nothing fancy just being me. I walked outside to the Shady Lane park were i always meet her. " Chica! whats up girl you look good you ready to get some money?" she says rubbing her hands together winking at me. I stopped and looked at her " Raquel we are gonna make this money right?" I ask pointing at her " yes chica! I wouldn't lie to you , now this is all you gotta do " she says holding out something in little small like glass tubes with a red cap on the top of them. Mind you we are at Shady Lane this is the hang out spot , but also the spot where people get arrested , or even worse, end up dead. " Chica pay attetion , don't fade out on me girl" she says snapping her fingers in my face. I looked up at her nodding. " Now all you gotta do is wait for the person and hand this off to them" she shows me the small glass tube and puts it in my hand , " Raquel what is this?" I ask , I held it up " Chica! no no don't hold it up , you keep it on a low" she says pushing my hands back down and putting her right index finger to her mouthin a shhhh kind of way. " Raquel this isn't right! , what is this?" I hold it up to her face , " Chica this is what they pay for! , this is how you make the grand hustle chica!" she says nudging me. I look at the tube and then look up at her. " This isn't making money this is selling drugs!" I say throwing the small glass bottle at her, " Chica! whats wrong with you , are you on something? , listen either you in or you out think about Prince he would want you to do this for him" she says. She had a point for once I was doing this for someone not just for fun.

" You do have a point" I say tapping my foot looking at her , "right! chica , i'm always right and your with me trust me with this grand hustle , nothing can stand in the way of you--" she pauses , as she sees the guy that paid her for the drug and he gives her $100 dollars on the spot. " Aye thanks papi! , and your money" she contiunes showing me the money and smirking to me. What in the world have I gotten myself into?