Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

17

Ms. Crenshaw had this social worker coming to the school for me. I wasn't trying to tell nobody else my business though. The social worker stopped coming through thankfully and Ms. Crenshaw did too. She been busy I guess. She don't stop by my house and she barely answers after Angela and Que tried to attack her that day she came in my house and seen the bruises on my brother and sister. It's February and it's Valentine's day. I'm lucky we're out of school. Otherwise Jerome would probably want some Valentine's sugar. Usually around this time which is 10 am. My father would be telling us to come to the table and eat some of his "famous" pancakes and the rest of our breakfast. After that we'd start our long day being treated like princesses and prince by him. I really wish today was like that. I want things to back to how they we're! I dressed my brother and sister and tried my hardest to make our breakfast without interruptions. When we finally got to eat I heard arguing. I ignored it. "But I'm your wife! We are supposed to go places on valentines day." "You ain't my wife. You just some lady I met while me and my girlfriend was split up. That ring was hers now it's yours. It's not even a wedding ring. It's a ring from the carnival. And if I said we gonna stay here we gonna stay here. I don't wanna go nowhere and that means you can't neither." We giggled in the kitchen and I tried my hardest not to laugh really loud but hey, it was funny. "No. I wanna go somewhere!" Que burst out of the room and came towards the living room with Angela following him but he ain't come in the kitchen. "Okay if you want to go somewhere go by yourself!" He pushed her off of him and tried to open the door. "Please Que anything. I'll stay here all year if it makes you happy just don't leave me alone. I need you." I made a face in disgust. "In that case then good. I might be back." She pulled at his arm and he tried shaking her off but she didn't move. SMACK! He'd hit her again. Yet she still tried to pull him back. He hit her every time. She came at us screaming. "You stupid kids! I hate you and everything about each of you! Look what you did to Que. He left because of you! I hate you most Ke'Ladriah! Your stupid daddy made this happen! That's why I'm glad he ain't here no more. I hated how much he loved you! You make me sick!" I knew that the pills that were given to her had affected her mind badly but what she said scarred me for life. I told my brother and sister to come with me today because I didn't want her saying anything to them. We finished eating then I called Ms. Crenshaw. No answer. I called Ms. Townsend and got no answer. I even called Mrs. Jefferson and didn't get an answer neither. I guess they are busy with work or family or boyfriends. We just sat out on the stoop the whole day.