Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

1.

"Hey! Young Lady In The Hoodie ! What's That Behind Your Back!" I looked at the man behind the counter with fearful eyes. I was scared. I didn't have time to think! All that came to mind was, "RUN!" I didn't want to steal it but - but - I was just so hungry! We didn't always have to steal food, or anything else we needed. We actually used to have those things. It wasn't much but it's better than what we're dealing with now. As I walk down the block to go get my brother and sister from school this white girl gives me this ugly look and she bumps shoulders with me and shakes her head. Knowing me, I wasn't gonna let that slide "Aye! Watch where you going alright. I know you ain't blind !" She looked like she was about to speak so I turned around with my arms folded giving her my full attention. "I always knew black people should walk in the road." That little comment right there had me mad! My jaw clenched fist were balled up and I felt like I could explode any second! "What's that you said? I didn't hear you." I squinted my eyes at her and talked through gritted teeth. I guess she forgot we still in Brooklyn. She laughed at me. "I said I knew all bla-" with that being said I'd heard enough. I had hit her right in her white nose and tripped her on her back. I took her phone, her shoes and her purse. Luckily she ain't from my part of town. Not like any white folk would be so I found money in her purse! "$20!! Wait til momma hears about this!" I started runnin'. I ran as fast as I could down the block to Trenton and ShaMiya's school! Once I got there I seen some little boys picking with my brother and having a real good time doing it. They were a little bigger and white. I ran over to my brother who'd looked like he was cryin'. My brother ain't no punk he only gonna cry if you say something real bad to him. "Leave my little brother alone! He ain't done nothing to nobody!" I looked down to my brother who was now hugging my waist looking up at me as I talked to the little white boys. "What are you gonna do?!" I squatted down to there level and smiled. "Do you want to be able to see your mommy today ?" They looked at me scared and shook their heads at the same time like I thought they would. "I think you should run because if you EVER mess with MY brother again you won't be able to." They took off running and went another way. "What they say to you huh?" He looked up and me and he had tears in his eyes. "It was about daddy Keke! He said momma gone be just like daddy." I didn't wanna think about it too much because then I was gonna cry and wanna break necks. One thing you don't do is mess with or talk bout my family! I wiped his tears and hugged him for a while and told him momma wasn't going no where! "Come on man. Let's just go get Miya outta there"