Journey Toward Me (Not Yet Edited)

Chapter 18: The Folks

Ms. Hazel Keeton's POV

I stared at the cold piece of steel that sat idle on my nightstand, one of fifteen that I possessed all together, and thought about what happened last night. It was the first that I'd bought after fleeing to Milwaukee. I never had to use it or any of the other guns until last night's car scare with my daughter Essence. I was still on edge and felt like I needed more protection. Protection not just for me but my children. They were my everything and I couldn't let anything happen to them. I WOULDN'T let anything happen to them. Especially not because of my past.

My past. The very thing that brought me here in the first place. The very thing that I strived so hard to keep a secret. Nobody needed to know who I was before. Not even my eldest daughter. It was for her own good. Besides, I'd started a new life. I was different now. I truly was.

Analyzing the recent scares, I hoped and prayed my past, what I'd been running from all my life wasn't finally catching up with me. Hoped and prayed I didn't have to uproot my family again in a full fledged race against the old me. I hoped and I prayed. Prayed and I hoped. This was all just a misunderstanding.

"Mommy! Mommy!" My five year old son Terry burst into my bedroom without warning making me jump and toss the gun in its rightful place.

"What boy? What's wrong with you?" I asked slightly startled. The boy was extremely over-dramatic. Just like his daddy. His daddy ugh. Boy was that a long story. One night of a celibacy relapse gone wrong and out came Mr. Terry Johnson Jr. himself stutter and all. I had my mistakes but I loved my son something special. Didn't matter how he was conceived. He was still my boy.

"Essence actin like a th-th-thot! She won't give me the remote! I w-was watching S-s-spongebob." He expressed flailing his arms around like a referee.

"Boy what I tell you about using that word?" I scolded.

"Sorry Ma b-but I was there first!" He pouted.

"Essence!" I hollered.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Come here.'' Soon after I heard her footsteps nearing my bedroom.

"Yes Mother?" She said in her sweetest tone batting the long eyelashes she got from her father. She wasn't slick and I wasn't born yesterday. Her tactics would not work today.

"Give T.J. back the remote."

"But-"

"No buts."

She shoved the remote in his tiny chest. "Here crybaby." She rolled her eyes and walked out of my room.

Terry gave a triumphant toothless grin. "That's what's up Mama."

"Boy get out of here before I change my mind." I warned tapping him on the behind so he could go back in the living room. He dashed out the room and flopped on the living room couch.

I gave a nostalgic grin. Seeing my children interact sometimes made me wish I had a sibling to lean on. Someone to talk to. Times like these I missed Mama Jones. She wasn't my real mother but she was better than the one God gave me. God how I missed her and that good southern cooking.

I tried pushing my past all the way in the back of my brain. It was called a past for a reason. I needed to remind myself that every once in a while. Right now, it was time to get ready for work. My second job to be exact. I hopped in the steaming shower, the only place I could really think and got dressed. Pulling up my work pants and adding the last dab of makeup Essence appeared at the bathroom door.

"What do you need baby?"

"I umm need to talk to you." She replied leaning against the door frame.