The Urban Daily

Chapter 6

Chasity 

“We’re so behind on rent, where am I supposed to get a thousand damn dollars from?” I heard Ma ask herself as she sat at the kitchen table. There were bills scattered all over the table along with a four function calculator. Seeing my mother so stressed out made me hurt a little inside. She had just come back from rehab for her drug addiction a few weeks ago and to be bombarded with all these bills must’ve put a huge weight on her shoulders.

After seeing my mother so strung out on heroin and witnessing her shooting dirty needles up her arm, I was more than ecstatic when she decided to admit herself into rehab. Pops gladly took Christina and me in while she completed the year and a half program. I didn’t know where her sudden addiction came from, but I was glad that got herself together for Christina and me. I just hoped that she didn't relapse because of all the stress she was under.

“Everything alright?” I asked my mother, walking further into the kitchen. Pulling up a chair, I sat down and glanced at the different types of bills. Electric, gas, light, cable and medical insurance. They were piling up by the second and it was then when I realized the measly $500 dollars that Chance was giving me wasn’t enough.

“I’m fine baby.” She lied, sighing loudly. “These bills here are just stressing me out. I was not expecting to come home to all of this at all. It’s only a constant reminder of how broke I am and will continue to be.” Her gaze shifted from the table to the floor and so did mines as I came up with a suggestion. Maybe I could ask Chance to double my pay and maybe he’ll be caring and understanding enough to actually do it, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up just yet. Chance was a wishy-washy person, so it was no telling whether he would do it or not. There was one way to find out though.

“Well don’t let it stress you out too much Ma. Remember what the therapist told you at rehab. But I’ll be back in a little while; I’m going over Katrina’s house.” Giving her a kiss on the cheek, I stood up from the table and grabbed my scarf and jacket off the coat rack before leaving. Instead of going to Katrina's house like I told my mother I would, I started walking in the opposite direction towards one of Chance's trap houses. I carefully walked up the creaky, wooden stairs that led up the front door and started knocking.

“Who is it?” I immediately recognized the voice as Pablo’s. Pablo and Chance were close friends, more like acquaintances, and Pablo was in with the illegal shit that Chance was doing. Pablo chilled here most of the time to make sure that everything was running smoothly. He opened the little slit in the door and peeked out just to make sure. Closing the slit back up, he unlocked the double locks and opened the door up, but just a little bit.

“Why you here?” He asked me, the attitude evident in his voice. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood to be dealing with him and his hundred questions right now. Since we’ve been broken up, we just haven’t been on the best of terms so every time we're around each other; we always ended up in some type of altercation.

I scoffed, smacking my lips. “It doesn’t concern you, so why you askin’? And while you’re minding your own business, you can step to the side and let me in.” Without waiting for him to move out the way, I pushed the door open and walked in, heading straight to the back where Chance’s office was. The door was closed, so I knocked a few times and waited for the right away to come in.

“It’s open!” I heard him answer. I walked in and in an instant; I was smacked with a cloud of marijuana smoke. Sending myself into a coughing frenzy, I used my hand to fan the smoke away from me. Chance was sitting in his swivel chair, feet propped up on the cherry wood desk, with a blunt sticking out between his lips.