Struggling to Survive

Chapter 7

Nigel

After dropping Crystal off I sped home. I haven't been home in almost two days and I can only imagine what's been going on. My mom kept texting me to come home last night but I just ignored her. I know she gonna be mad as hell I'm not leaving with her. But I gotta be there for my dad. Not only is he losing his wife, but his daughter too. He can't afford to lose his son too.

   I pulled up in my driveway and saw our suitcases in front of the door. I got out of my car and ran in my house.

"Ma!"
My mom came from the kitchen with more bags and shook her head.
"God damn it! Nigel King Richards! I have been calling and texting for almost two days. I was worried sick. Now get your bags so we can go. Aunt Stacey is waiting."
"Ma wait I'm trying to talk to you." She shoved a bag in my hands and called my sisters name.
"Nyla!! Let's go! Nigel is here!"

Nyla came running down the stairs with tears in her eyes. She ran over to me and gave me a tight hug.
"Nigel I don't wanna leave home. I don't wanna leave dad." I rubbed her back.
"I know babygirl I'm gonna try to talk to mom. I'm not going so neither are you. We staying here with our friends and family and hopefully mom stays too." I gave her a kiss on the forehead and went over to my mom in the garage.
"Ma I'm not going." She looked over at me and laughed.
"Boy I don't have time for this let's go."
"Damn it. No ma! I'm 18 you can't force me to go anywhere with you. Nyla isn't going either. We don't wanna leave. And I'm not letting you take my sister. "

"Boy you are just as disrespectful as your ugly ass father. How dare you defy your mother. You and that little ass girl are coming with me. Your father took the best years of my life. I refuse to let him take my kids." I looked over at the bitter tired woman that used to be my mother. She had more wrinkles on her face than the last time I looked at her. She also has a few gray hairs coming in. My father really did take the best away from my mother but Nyla and I shouldn't have to suffer for that.

"Ma this is why dad did this to you. You don't listen. You make everything about you. Dad was truly in love with you. But over the years you became hard to talk to. You began to drink more than a glass of wine at night. You turned into a lush and denied it everyday. Dad wasn't the only one who took the best years of your life. You did it to yourself as well. Think about Nyla. How is she gonna benefit moving to the city? You're making life harder for everyone just cause you trying to run away from your problems. I don't know how and I don't know when but you turned into one of the most selfish people I've ever met. In that aspect of life, you and dad were made for each other."

I walked away and went upstairs to my room. Nyla was laying on my bed so I laid on the other side. Nyla was only 15 and had enough issues. She's been depressed for a little over a year since her bestfriend passed away. Nyla and her best friend were walking home when they got mugged. They shot her and her bestfriend but Nyla lived. Ever since then she's never been the same. I've constantly always tried to make sure she was never put in a situation that caused her stressed. My mom and dad never helped with that though. All they ever did was yell and throw things at each other. Nyla rolled over to face me.
"Nigel?"
"Yea?"
"You know mommy is still gonna make me go with her right?" I took a deep breath and rubbed my face.
"I know."
"Thank you for trying. I'm gonna miss you." I felt apart of me break and tried not to cry. I leaned over and pulled her into a hug. I considered my sister to be one of my best friends.
"I'm gonna miss you too babygirl."

After sitting in my room for about an hour I went downstairs to check on my mom. I felt bad for saying what I said to my mom but she need to hear the truth. She was sitting on the couch putting things in boxes.
"Since you're not coming with your mother can you help her pack?"
I grabbed a box and sat next to her. After sitting in silence for a while I decided to speak.
"Ma you can't take Ny with you. You know she needs me and needs to stay in a stable environment. Not around someone who drinks all the time." She shook her head and wiped her eyes. It was then I realized she was silently crying. I pulled her into a hug. And kissed her forehead.
"Ma please don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry." Seeing any woman that I loved crying, always made me get teary eyed. The pain and stress I've been holding in finally came out and I began to cry as well. I've only cried once before and that's when Nyla almost died last year when she got shot. My mom sat up and wiped my eyes.
"I know I haven't been the best mother. I've let my drinking consume my life. I love you and your sister so much. I love your father too. I'm not mad he cheated. He told me about it months ago. I'm not even mad I caught him with her. I'm mad that the decisions I've made in my life has torn my family apart. I'm not gonna force you or Nyla to come with me. Maybe I need this alone time. I'm just gonna miss my family so much." She kissed my cheek and went upstairs.
I finished packing her things for her and placed them in her car. Nyla and I gave her a hug goodbye and told her to call us soon as she landed. After watching her pull out of the driveway, Nyla and I went upstairs and fell asleep in my room.

A/N
I hope you enjoyed this chapter strictly focused on Nigel. I was thinking of making each chapter based on one character but I don't know🤷🏽‍♀️ I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Like, comment, and share you beautiful people 😊❤️