Journey Toward Me (Not Yet Edited)

Chapter 23: Sleepless Nights & Morning Flurries

####6:52A.M.####

Light shown in through the cream motel curtains willing me awake. I didn't know where I was as I looked around the unfamiliar room.

Two twin sized beds.

One dresser in between them with a lamp.

Cold tiled flooring so chill they'd make your teeth chatter.

This definitely wasn't home.

The man sat in the corner reading a book. The Quran. "Where am I?" I asked crawling into the opposite corner.

He looked up and stared at me for a moment."You look just like her." He expressed. He sounded different than yesterday. Less out of his mind.

"My mama?"

"Yeah." He replied dropping his head.

More silence as he continued reading and I observed my surroundings.

"Why have you been trying to kill me?" I asked. Since I was stuck here why not get to the bottom of things? Someone had been following me. Fact.

Mama had been hiding things from me. Fact.

This man claimed to be my father then kidnapped me at a park. Fact and Fact.

"Kill you?" He shook his head. "My fault. I sent somebody up here to watch yall but he got the wrong message. He thought I wanted to put out a hit. Look I don't wanna hurt you. I just wanna be in your life. You're my daughter." He said moving closer to me.

I pushed my body as close to the wall as humanly possible. No matter what he said he still scared the living hell out of me. But that didn't stop me from showing my poker face. "Don't wanna hurt me? Really? You yanked my hair, pulled me into a van, and kidnapped me. And obviously my mama doesn't wan't me around you for a reason."

"Yesterday that wasn't me. I was just upset. I'm sorry sweetheart." His rough hands stroked my cheek and I turned away from him.

Anger arose inside of me. If he was really my father how he claimed to be, then where was he all my life?  Why hadn't he been there? "Don't call me that. I am not your daughter."

I saw lightening flash in his eyes and for a moment I feared my life. "Essence don't play with me girl I'm trying to make it up to you."

"Kidnapping me is a great way to start." I replied sarcastically.

"Listen lil girl I'm not one to put my hands on kids but if you keep up with that sarcastic shit we gone have a problem." His nostrals flared as we competed in a heated starring contest. I was upset, confused, worried and relieved all at the same time.

Upset because he had his nerve acting like he had any authority after almost 17 years.

Confused because I'd yearned for a father all my life and now that he's here I wanted to shove him, push him away, and tell him that I loved him.

Worried because I didn't know him but I saw what he was capable of.

Relieved because in a way I did know him. He was my dad. It felt like that crater in my heart would finally be filled. No more feelings of nothingness. I was a gas tank finally being filled.

Still seething I sighed. "Alright man. Could I at least know your name? If I'm gonna be stuck with you."

"They call me Blu but my real name is Marc Cross.

***********

Amani's POV

####8:20a.m.####

I didn't sleep at all last night. I would close my eyes for about five minutes at a time and they'd always pop back open. Essence never left my mind. My grandmother's journals didn't help much either.