Hear Our Cry

Greg's Cry

South Central 1993

I stepped on the roach crawling across my floor  and shook my head picking up my duffel bag heading out the tiny room into the living where my mother sat on the coach nearly falling asleep.

"I'm stepping out ma." I mumbled stepping over my little sister's toys. 

"Where are you going Gregory?" She sighed exhaustively while rubbing her temples.

"Out ma."

"Out where!" 

"To see Vivy." Her face softened up, I knew she loved Vivy.

"Okay, tell her I said hello. I love you, be safe." I mumbled and left out slamming the door, I walked down the hall past the people crowding the hall way I felt somebody ram their shoulder into mine and looked up seeing my older brother, I sucked my teeth.

"What yo."

"Where you going?" He said stepping closer, I looked around and backed up taking a deep breath in.

"Out man, just leave me alone." I mumbled while adjusting the duffel bag on my shoulders.

"Aw, you gonna cry lil Greg?" He said bending to my level and getting in my face.

"Just move Gavin." I said looking down, he mushed my head back making me stumble and walked past me.

"Don't try to be a Big G." He said walking into our apartment, I sighed and fixed my bag walking down the stairs of the building.

"Ohh Gregory, how you doin' chile." I smiled.

"Hello Miss. Brown I'm good, how are you?" I looked at the bags in her hands  and helped her out with the bags carrying them to the top of her apartment.

"You're such a doll." She said once we reached the door I smiled and she let us into her place. 

"It was no problem, really." I said smiling.

"Well sit down sweety, let me get you some cookies and lemonade," she spoke as she walked to her kitchen and I sat in her dinning room chair looking around at all the pictures of her kids, her back in the day and smiled, she came around the corner holding a plate of chocolate chip peanut butter cookies and my mouth instantly grew watery, she'd been making these for me since I was a younger boy.

South Central 1981  (Omniscient)

Five year old Greg cried in front of his apartment door as younger Miss. Brown climbed up the steps to her apartment exasperated, she let out a sigh of relief and looked at the younger boy crying as she heard scuffling and screaming coming from his apartment.

"Hey little man, you ok?" She knelt down to his level and held her hand out to him, he sniffled and looked up at her with his big stormy colored eyes. He shook his head sadly while looking up at her, she extended her hand a bit more and he grasped onto her two first fingers with a hopeful look, she smiled a little.

"You like cookies and milk?" The little boy's eyes brightened up as he quickly nodded his head, she smiled showing her pearly whites that gave her deep melanin colored skin a bright glow to it. She stood up and he followed in pursuit as they walked down the hall to her apartment the aroma of cinnamon & cookies swarmed his nose as the sun blared through the open white curtains, the home was warm and bright with that pleasant smell of cinnamon and cookies that would forever give Greg the taste of a happy home.