The Crossroads

People Don't Matter

From the journal of Kai Parker

I'd like to say that I shouldn't have ended up where I did, like every other black boy in the hood back home. I thought I was different but ain't nobody different to these people. I was a senator's son down to the last name but in the eyes of the law I was just another nigga. A thug who couldn't contain his hormones enough to listen when a girl said no. How could I have thought I'd be above the law when the color of my skin made me below it. And they say black privilege exists...only privilege I have is money but when it came down to it...I was just another set of bars or a bullet away from being just any other black boy. Talent Wasted.

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News article posted by www.AJC.com

Subject: Senator's Son Released for New School Year

Date: April 24th

"Formerly accused rapist Kai Parker is released from Metro Regional Youth Detention Center nine days after alleged victim, Elizabeth Sharp announced that the young man had in fact not sexually assaulted her...

Senator Martin Parker has yet to release a statement, however, a source has told us 'it is too late in the school year for him to be readmitted to school, he will be in attendance for the 2017-2018 upcoming school start'..."

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KAI

On Monday morning I didn't even try getting ready for school, time had flown by too fast and all I could remember from it was me stepping out of the jail doors. I was exhausted in every way a person could be exhausted; mentally, physically, emotionally. I didn't even know what I was tired of...

Maybe it was the thought of walking down the halls of Crossroads again, seeing all those friends I thought I had who didn't visit me once when I was in that place. Only faces I saw was my moms' and sister, carrying a new excuse of why my father couldn't spare a second to come and visit his son. I knew they were disappointed in me. I could see it in my mom's eyes, I knew she cried whenever she left me but Daysha was different, she always acted like she was the older sibling. Had such will about her, she didn't look at me like other people did. She looked with bright, brown eyes of admiration as if I were some type of role model. As if I couldn't do any wrong. 

Whats worse she reminded me of my former self, back when I was worth the praise. Daysha spent our meetings telling me about what was going on outside, I listened. Didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't care.

"Moms and dad are letting me go to Crossroads!" she told me one day.

"What you wanna go there for?"

"What you mean I been wanting to go there for a minute."

I rolled my eyes trying to hold back a laugh from the look on her face, "nothing, it's just that I hoped you'd find somewhere better to go than that."

"You used to love Crossroads, what's wrong with it now?"

"Nothin', nothin.'"

"Aw don't do that, Kai."

"How's Yaya?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"She's good she starting elementary this year"

"Wow, she growing up can't believe it's been almost a whole year--She probably don't even remember me..."

"Of course she does, that's your sister. She talks about you sometimes."

Daysha crossed her arms over her chest looking around at the other kids, "Mama told me they dropped your time to a year, is it true?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be leaving here in a few months."

"Are you excited?"

"I guess. I don't really know what Imma do when I get outta here, it's been so long."

"It's only been a year, Kai," she grabbed my hand from across the table, "you know nobody believes you did it right?"

"Could have fooled me, they talk about me like I'm a monster," I shook my head, my own tears ringing in my ears as I looked away. I hated her to see me cry.

"It don't matter...people's mind can always be changed."

It took me no time to find out that wasn't true even after Elizabeth told everyone she was lying, I was branded. Stuck with a horrible reputation and a crumbling future. My sister never stopped believing that I could change everyone's mind but their faces when they saw me, how they pushed their children behind them when I walked by, she'd never understand...she'd never be in my shoes.

With summer over I felt worse than ever, like someone poisoned me, like I had swallowed bleach. "Kai," Daysha yelled before inviting herself inside my room, "mama said she'll drive us on the first day, be ready in thirty minutes."

I almost forgot, moms always drove us to school on the first day.

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AJAH

"Ma!" I yelled swatting her hand away from my face and turning on to the main street, "I'm driving dang! Okay Imma crash your car!" I looked up at the road finally settling down from the adrenaline rush, sighing as I watched the Crossroads Academy sign coming closer into view. My mom didn't seem to notice my rapid decline in behavior and I had no intentions on letting her see it. I smiled as she turned to me, "you better not crash anything...if you were smart you wouldn't even get a scratch on it . This gonna be your car after graduation."

My eyes shot open as my head jerked around to look at her, the car swerved a brief moment, a car honked it's disapproval somewhere in the distance as I half looked at the road and half stared at my mother. "You're not serious!" I shrieked, excitement bubbling over in my chest, "mom! are you for real?"

She laughed nodding her head, "if you can get your grades back on track."

J Cole sang Tale of Two Cities on the radio.

"You know I will-"

"I'm gonna need a little more than your word, Ajah."

"Ma, I promise I'm gonna do better." I promised, feeling every bit of the sincerity in my own words, now it was just about mama seeing them. My palms began to sweat as I thought about today. 

Lord, don't let me get into too much trouble.