Unparalleled Love

Chapter 4

Kinsley's POV

My flight landed a little over an hour ago. Camelia was the first person I called. She hasn't been answering the phone since we last spoke. I know i've been distant with her but I cant help that. My job sends me all over the world & Camelia hates it. Between sleeping in different hotels with thieving maids and random women annoying me trying to talk, I'm a little stressed. I didn't mean to speak to her like that, it just came out the wrong way.

Maybe I should stop by her place and surprise her. First I need to stop by Sams crib & pick up this package. Sam is family. No blood relation, but we grew up together & we always look out for each other. He's always been down for whatever, no matter what & vice versa. I love him for that. Camelia was actually the first and only girl that I've ever bought around Sam & if he was okay with her, then I knew she was a keeper.

"Ayee! Welcome back!"

Sam said. Smiling from ear to ear.

"Thanks man. Glad to be back!"

I replied while clapping him up.

"So I want to thank you for handling that for me.. I appreciate it."

Sam handed me a bag. I already knew what was in it.

"Oh, no problem bruh."

I humbly reassured him.

"Where that pretty lil' lady of yours at?"

Sam mumbled.

"What you worried about it for?"

I said giving him "the look" before we both started laughing.

"Oh no reason. You just always with her."

"Actually, I was going to make my way to her place as soon as I left here."

"Oh okay then. Tell her I said Hi."

He said, making his eyebrows jump.

"Aye boy, you know better."

I said before laughing & clapping him up again.

"Alright bruh."

I thought while going back to my car on how me & Sam would fight growing up. Even though he was bigger than me, I always had the upper hand. I would've never imagined that me & Sam would've made it this far.

Sam and I were once two goofy young boys from the block who stayed in trouble. We always skipped school and when we did go, we just caused trouble & tried to get at girls. It took the death of my big brother Khalid for us to realize we needed to get ourselves together. Khalid was only 2 years older than me but he was the man of my household. Our father was never in our lives. All we knew was what he looked like from a picture my mom had of him stashed away & we wouldn't have known that if we weren't snooping around to find clues whenever our mom was at work. My mother never spoke of him, & to this day she still doesn't speak of him. Khalid took on the role of my father when he was 14. Even though my mom had a job, Khalid did what he had to do to make sure our mama & I never wanted for anything. He went to school, cleaned up at home, helped me with my homework as he did his, and worked Monday through Friday. He wanted to go to college, he always spoke of it. His intelligence and athleticism bought him a lot of attention. During his senior year in High School, he was offered a full ride basketball scholarship to a good out of state college, but he turned it down. He never said why he didn't take the scholarship but I knew it was because he didn't want to leave my mother & I. It's crazy because Khalid did so much good & got killed doing just that.

He worked for a cleaning company & was working overtime one night at an office building. He was the only one there even though he was supposed to be accompanied by two other employees who were M.I.A. While he was cleaning he heard screaming, crying and other weird noises coming from one of the offices. He entered to find a woman being raped on a desk by a masked man. He attacked the rapist trying to assist the woman. She was able to get away and get help but while fighting, the rapist pulled a knife and stabbed Khalid in the heart. He was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

My mom cried for months. She wouldn't eat and started loosing weight. She wouldn't sleep either, and when she did, she cried herself to sleep. Me and Khalid were all she had. Even though I tried my best to console her, I was hurting too myself. Sam took it just as hard being that Khalid was like a brother to him as well. Sam was the middle child, and the only boy of 5 kids. He lived in a household with whatever man his alcoholic mother brought home during the week, his 2 older sisters, and his 2 younger sisters. After Khalid died, Sam got into a fight with one of his moms boyfriends and she threw him out. Being that he didn't know his father, or have any other place else to go, he came to live with my mother & I. We both were determined to finish school, and go to college because we knew thats what Khalid would have wanted.

To be honest, I didn't want to leave my mother either. But I had to do what I had to do. I made sure she was taken care of. I sent her money every chance I could even though she returned most of it. I made sure we spoke everyday. My junior year in college, she met a guy and they started dating. Even though I didn't like it, he made her happy. She was happy again and I was glad she had someone to keep her company. At my graduation party, he pulled me aside and asked for my blessing to marry my mother. 2 weeks later they announced that they were getting married. They've been happily married ever since.

I want to have something like that. Someone who'll make me happy. Someone who I can marry & spend the rest of my life with.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I had already made it to Camelia's condo. I didn't see her car in her parking spot, but I was already here & I wasn't driving all the way to my place. I let myself in with her spare key and locked the door behind me. I loved everything about Camelia's condo. The decor was just right. The way it smelled. Even where it was located. Its always spotless and comfortable. Even though it was just her, she had 3 rooms and 2 baths. The master bedroom, which contained 1 of the bathrooms. Another room in which she called her sanctuary. She had all types of sketches and pictures plastered across the walls, a vanity with all of her hair & make-up needs, and other random things which she liked to indulge in. The 3rd room was an extra/guest room. I spent more time at her place than at my own but she didn't mind. I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep. I took off of my shoes and laid down on her couch. The moment my face hit the soft cushions, nothing else mattered.