Obstacles | Keith Powers |

set it off

Keith

march 24th 9 a.m., saturday morning..
"Keith, there's a girl sitting on your bed." Kalani said from the living room as I was in the kitchen. Jasmine must be awake. I nodded at her and walked out the kitchen and towards my room.

"Jas, you up?" I spoke quietly as I slowly entered the room. I saw her sitting in the middle of my bed, with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She was crying and shaking. I immediately rushed over to her. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and held out her arms.

I held onto her like a baby as she cried on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and held her tightly.

"I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired." She cried.

"This man has taken away my innocence and any sense of sanity I had left. I can't take it anymore. I don't wanna live anymore." She said between her cries. I pulled her from my body and looked in her eyes. She avoided all eye contact with me and just continued to cry.

"Jasmine please don't say that," I begged, on the verge of tears. "I know the feeling. The feeling of 'what's the point?' The feeling of choosing to give up. But you can't give up. That'll give him the satisfaction of having that power over you." I told her, desperately. She shook her head vigorously and cried.

"I'm tired, Keith! I have been trying to stay strong for myself, for Chelsea, all my life, but I can't. I don't have any more strength left. I'm weak. I need to just leave, forever and don't ever return." She cried. I shook my head at her.

"What about Chelsea, huh? How would she feel if you left and left her there to deal with that, all on her own. To feel abandoned from the only people that were supposed to care for her?" I asked her. Her crying died down a little and she shook her head.

"Oh Chelsea... what kind of sister am I?" She mumbled, looking down. She placed her hand on her head and sighed.

"You're an amazing sister who's doing everything in her power to make sure your sister is okay. You don't give yourself enough credit, Jasmine." I told her, moving a curl out of her face. She nodded and sniffled.

"My head hurts.." She mumbled. I gently laid her back on the bed and jogged to my bathroom to get her an advil and some water. I came back and she took the pill, laying down.

"I hate my life.." She said. I sat on the bed next to her and chuckled.

"I hate mine too, but we're trying so that's all that matters." I said as I looked at her. Kalani busted into my room making Jasmine and I look in her direction.

"Keith, I'm hungry-- oh hi!" She exclaimed, looking at Jasmine.

"Hi pretty girl! What's your name?" Jasmine smiled, playing along.

"My name is Kalani. Are you my brother's girlfriend? He talks about you alot. He always says how you're so pretty and smart and--"

"Ahh, okay Lani! Let's get you something to eat." I said, stopping her. I quickly got up and led her out the room.

"I'll be right back." I said, chuckling nervously.

Jasmine

My life is a literal mess. I should just let Keith do his business with Ron and end our suffering all together. It would certainly make my life and the rest of Chelsea's childhood a lot better that's for sure. I mean, our mom would go to jail for sex trafficking and Ron would be either dead, or in jail for rape and assault and battery. Life would be good. Plus I turn 18 the day before I graduate and I graduate in 5 weeks so Chelsea would officially be my full responsibility.