Hear Our Cry

Vivyana's Cry

South Central 1993

I sat in the bathroom staring at the test with my mouth agape, I heard the door close  hearing the heavy footsteps of my father.

"Vivyana!" He spoke in his thick Jamaican accent, I scurried up hiding the test under the cabinet fixing my pants, I came out the bathroom.

"Yes papa?" I came around the corner and saw him standing in the kitchen looking over bills. He looked up at me as I came into the kitchen his face went from a worried frown to a smile.

"Hello, where's ya momma?" He said setting down the bills, I shrugged and he sighed.

"Want pizza for dinner?" I nodded feeling the craving come on

"With ice cream and a Coke." He looked at me raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe a bottle of ting, I don't trust Cola since da 70's gyal." He said picking up the keys to his car, I grabbed my windbreaker following him out the door, I saw my friends across the street jumping rope and waved at them as I got into his 1993 BMW 325i. He turned up the radio as Murder She Wrote blared through the speakers, I looked over at my dad and wondered if my child would look like my father, broad shoulders, darkskinned man who stood at a towering height of 6'7 with a deep bellowing voice that made a presence no matter where he went. 

I sighed  and put my hand on my belly thinking to myself, the night went on as I thought about what I would do with my life, would my parents still love me? Would Greg claim our child? Would he keep slinging dope or settle down and get a nine to five. I grabbed my pager and paged him 911, I got out of bed and snuck out of my room down the hall to the front door, I heard my fathers loud snore coming from the living room as Jamaica football played against Puerto Rico, I opened the door slowly and snuck out onto the porch and crept my way down the stairs and ran down the block to the playground, I looked around and saw Greg sitting in our spot waiting for me, I walked over to him and cleared my throat, he turned and looked at me we both instantly smiled as his eyes had the deep look of love and lust like he was engulfed in that feeling.

"What's the 911 baby, you okay?" He said wrapping his leather jacket around my shoulders, I weakly smiled and slipped the jacket on.

"I got something to tell you G, but first I gotta know, do you love me?" I said quietly, I looked down as he watched my body language. 

"Yo come on V spit it out." 

"G I'm pregnant." I looked up at him and he looked at me, it was quiet as I watched him look around then up at the sky and mouth something to himself.

"It's mine?" He said looking at me finally, I glared at him and hit him in the chest.

"Yeah it's yours! You the only one I been with G!" I hit him in the chest and he grabbed my wrist.

"Yo chill, I'm just checking." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"How you know for sure? This ain't no like Jamaican lil magic feeling shit." I scoffed and rolled my eyes again crossing my arms.

"I took a fucking test." Jamaica magic feeling shit, the fuck? I thought to myself. He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

"I ain't ready for no damn baby V, I'm  only 17 and you're barely 16." He said.

"Well we laid down and made it now we can stand up and take care of it." I said with an attitude. 

"We not ready for no damn baby V!"