Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

2.

I walked to Ms. Townsend's classroom and knocked on the door. "Come in" was all I got. I told Trenton open the door and when we walked in we seen ShaMiyah building a block tower. "Keke!" She got up and ran to me and reached up like she wanted me to pick her up. "Now if you need anything dear don't be afraid to ca-" I nodded my head. "Yea Ms. Townsend. I know, but for now I wanna focus on doing what I can for us. I don't wanna bother you." She shrugged and hugged Trenton and me goodbye and she watched us walk to the end of the hall. When we got outside Trenton took off running. "Aye boy don't be running off like you crazy what's wrong with you !" He handed me what he had picked up. "What's that. It's shiny." I looked at him and my heart kind of softened. "It's 50¢ Trent. Daddy used to give me this everyday so I could put it in my pretty piggy bank." Trenton looked at me. "Keep that and put it in there." I looked down at the little boy and smiled again for once. "Nah Trent. It's yours. Keep it." I gave it back to him and rubbed his Afro. I grabbed his hand and we walked down the block. We stopped seeing so many bright signs and smiles as we got closer and closer to the not so sunny side we called home. We walked up on the stoop and I stopped to do a silent prayer because lord knows what we'll see behind this door. Once again Trenton opens the door and we all walk in. We walk up the stairs and I see our apartment door. I unlock it and I don't see my mother asleep on the couch. The TV's on but it's just the black and white screen. I put Miya down and walk to the back alone. I open my mother's door and see her asleep hopefully. I walk over to her bed and see a pill bottle. Empty. Please don't take my momma out like this Is all that's running through my mind. I make sure she's breathing before I walk out and tell them it's okay to move. Trenton finally notices my new shoes when I take them off. "Hey, where'd you get those? How come yours are all new and mines are all beat up!" I gave him the look and he knew that they didn't come honestly but he still looked down at his shoes before he went to the kitchen. "I'm hungry KeKe." I didn't like to lie to my brother so I didn't lie. We were all we had since daddy had died and momma turned to drugs for comfort. "Aye I got some money and a phone I'll get us some to eat with it. I hope we still have some money left." I called the pizza place from the phone and ordered. "KeKe, what we eating tomorrow." I hate we never know what we was gonna eat next. I bathed my sister , put her to bed and let my brother bathe before I took a shower and got in the bed. "Thank you for what we have. It's not much but at least you thought about us." Amen.