Behind Closed Doors: My Life As Ke'Ladriah Wallace

25

"Okay we're here." Ms. Crenshaw tried to make sure my uniform was okay. "Hey! I'm already late." I shooed her away to the stand to get the ticket laughing, while I went to the locker room. "Wallace you're late. Well, I know I don't have to worry about you. Just you know, the basics. Focus." I can honestly say everything is going good for us. Everything is juts peaceful. No beatings. No drugs. I have good grades with no suspensions. My sister is 6 now, Trenton is 9, and I, I am 16. I looked down at my laces, then up at the people on the bleachers waving and cheering. Then the gun went off. "Go" hoots and hollers coming from the crowd as I kept my place in 3rd. On to second place, I was neck and neck with Jasmin Sullivan. Head of the team at Parker High School. Yes, as you guessed I am on the track team. I decided that after all those situations I ran from I could put my speed to use. So in that case, I've been running since eighth grade. I sprinted my way past Patricia Jefferson, yeah that's Mrs. Jefferson's daughter. "Sorry Patricia, I need that trophy to match my others." She laughed. "I thought you liked eating my dust." I laughed and kept running trying to pass her. Even though we were on different teams we were good friends. "She has done it again! Ke'Ladriah Wallace!" I heard the man on the microphone say. We walked over to the trophy table taking a picture with our trophies. I walked over to Trenton who was waving me over. "Wow, Ke'Ladriah sweetie I thing were gonna need a bigger trophy case if we keep letting you run. I laughed and side hugged her then picked up my sister who was sticky with cotton candy before we started walking out of the crowd with Trenton holding my trophy. I heard faint panting behind me and we all turned around, to be greeted by a face I barely recognized after four years. "Mommy!" ShaMiyah tried to reach for her when she walked towards us, but I reminded her. "Angela? What do you want?" I questioned with my sister on my hip. She stood there shocked, just as Ms. Crenshaw was. "I seen you out there." She managed to get out. "Okay?" I responded dryly. "I just wanted to congratulate my big girl on her big win-" I stopped her with a hysterical laugh. "Que left you right ?" I smirked putting my sister down signaling everyone else to excuse themselves. "Look, Ke'Ladriah I'm so sorry, just will you please forgive me." I laughed at her, but tears were forming. "Yeah, I know, but you see momma, there's this thing called forgiveness, and I learned about that in church. See what you did to me, only made me stronger and look what I'm doing, positive things. Ms. Crenshaw had been an excellent mother figure to us all. She taught ShaMiyah to tie her shoes, Trenton how to respect adults and me how to be positive and not linger on the past. She's done a lot of other stuff too but I can't name all of that. Anyways, I just want you to know that your forgiven, now if you'll excuse me Ms. Wallace, I have to go celebrate my big win." I turned to walk away from her hearing her sobbing and commands for me to come back. I just kept walking with my head held high thinking of all the positive things in life.