HeartBreaks & Promises

Chapter Thirty-Five

Brandon

My naked toes combed through the fur of the shag carpet placed strategically next to the king sized bed. I watched closely as my mom took down a painting off the wall and sat it down on the floor, revealing a iron safe embedded into the tan wall.

"4-5-7-8." She mumbled to herself, not quietly though. She either wanted me to hear it or she wasn't worried about it. A quiet beep signaled she entered the right code and she gripped the handle and pulled it back. Quickly, she motioned for me to come closer.

Following her orders, I took the few steps required for me to be standing right next to her. "This is all yours now, Brandon." She announced. To one side of the safe were stacks of money wrapped tightly in bands, seemingly fresh from the bank. To the left of the money were a few items of gold jewelry. To the left of that, was an assortment of drugs.

I'm not stupid, and I'm not clueless. I'm naive like my little brother and sister, either. I know what my mom does. She sells drugs-and she's damn good at it too. One of the top lords in Orange County, if not the whole state of Florida.

"What do you mean?" I asked cluelessly.

"I have to leave, got in some trouble with a few people." she informed me, not one ounce of sadness apparent in her words. She seemed...nonchalant...careless.

"Are you coming back?" I asked, my palms sweating profusely in the pockets of my gym shorts.

Without wasting a second to answer me, she shook her head. "Nope. I can't. I'd get killed if I did."

I don't understand. She has to have had problems with people before, and she never left us. What's different now. "You can't just get someone to handle it?"

"It's not that simple, B."

"Are you gonna tell them?" I asked, referring to Taj and Kammi. I didn't have to tell her that though, she knew.

"That I'm leaving, yes. That I'm not coming back, no." She spoke as she began taking the items out of the safe, throwing them onto the bed. "They're just kids. They won't understand."

She huffed and wiped her forehead once she was finished, her other hand gripping her waist. Suddenly, she put her attention on me, I was just standing there like an awkward turtle. Smiling, she grabbed my face and patted both of my cheeks with her dainty hands. "But you, you're mature, you understand."

No I don't.

"You have to pick up where I'm leaving off. I trust you to do this Brandon, don't let me down. This," she motioned to the items sprawled out on the white comforter. "is your life now."

I had no choice but to pay close attention to her instructions on how to run a drug empire-from the basics to the politics of this business. Like she said, this is my life now. It wasn't an option.

I couldn't help but to be enraged as I listened to every stupid ass drug dealing word she threw at me. She's more concerned about a fucking legacy than her kids. I'm fifteen, how the fuck am I supposed to take care of a nine and seven-year-old by my damn self? Yeah, I've babysat multiple times, but that's so much more different than actually raising them.

A couple months down the line, how the hell am I supposed to explain to them that their mother-our mother-is still away? When a couple of years past, what am I supposed to say? 'She'll be back soon?'. How could I say that when I know for a fact it's not true?

How could she just leave us like this?

The hardest part of that day-the worst day of my life- was having to watch her lie to them saying that she'll eventually be back. Actually, even harder than that was having to wipe of their years for the following two weeks. They were so young and fragile, they needed her.

But since her bitch ass wanted to dip, I was left to pick up the pieces. Their lives were in my hands, so I made sure they had something to go for. Something more powerful than any amount of drugs or money. I made sure Taj focused on his studies, since I could always tell that that's what he loved; learning. Kammi, she got put into basketball when she was five, but I made sure that that became her main focus, she didn't object since she loved it so much. When Taj was having trouble with his projects or his math, I was there. When Kammi was crying her eyes out every time she lost a basketball game, I rubbed her back and took her out for ice cream; I was there. I was there through everything, the puberty, the fighting, everything that my mother skipped out on, I was there. And it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy explaining to them why she wasn't around. Taj definitely took it the hardest since he was the closest to her. For some reason, he started to shut me out once I told him, maybe because I painted her as a bad guy. But shit, she was in this situation. Kammi felt the same way I felt though, which was surprising to me. To say she hated her would be an understatement, but I can't even blame her, because I do too.

The only thing I'm glad for is that she introduced me to this game. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to clothe myself or Kammi and Taj. I wouldn't have been able to feed them. I wouldn't have been able to pay for all of Kammi's AAU and basketball related events. I wouldn't have been able to pay Taj's college tuition upfront. And furthermore, I wouldn't have been able to provide for my own girl and daughter. So, I give her credit for that.

But it's still fuck her. Forever and always.