Unfinished Business

Chapter 3

Ronnie

After walking around for two days and trying to find my family, yet there is something still telling me to go back to that house. I don't know if I should, but my moms always taught me to trust my first instinct and this my first.

I caught my first bus back uptown to the house Val sent the address to. I hope going here won't lead to any bad outcomes. I just can't imagine what's or who's inside of the house. What if Val had remarried after our divorce and has more kids? I know I am wrong what happened in the past, but that's the past right? I've changed. I've even apologized when everybody knows that ain't me. All I can do is shake my head at myself. I messed up.. I messed up really bad. I'm glad I taught my children to be careful with their decision making because your choices follow you for the rest of your life. Seems like I should've took my own advice.

I caught three buses so far and this is my last bus. This has been a long day of waiting at bus stops and catching buses, but you gotta do what you gotta do. The fourth bus pulled up at the stop which is mostly in the country. I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder walking up the bus steps when the door opened. I stopped putting my change in the machine, so I could walk through. I sat on one of the empty seats thinking about the first time I visited the house.

I hope this is the right house. It's big. Man maybe it's too big for my family to afford. I'ma just turn around and leave. These people don't want me in their yard.

I walked off the front steps back into the driveway. Why would Val send me the address then leave the house? When I was almost to out of the gate I heard the big door open.

"Ayo, you need something?" I heard a young man's voice, but he probably thought I stole something since I had this garbage bag on my side. I kept walking too embarrassed to look back.

SB

Lately, my moms ain't been herself. Whoever that man was he must've really meant something to her. This pass week has been unseemingly depressed. I can feel it around the house. Not only that I'm drained too. I'm drained from working and acting like I don't miss Nicki. Everybody knows she has my heart. I just can't stomach this. This is all too much.

I felt myself on near break down. I looked over at my moms who had done fallen asleep on our movie. A movie that I had even forgot we were watching also. I turned the television off, grabbed a blanket, and wrapped her up. I walked upstairs to my room and into my adjacent bathroom running cold water splashing some on my face and pat drying my face with the white towel sitting on the sink. I took a deep breath as I looked up slowly to be face to face with myself, my enemy, my friend, my soul. I looked into my own eyes and noticed that they didn't look the same. I even noticed my body a bit leaner, but I even forgot about my own coma that I had gotten out of a month ago.

Why did this have to happen to me? I remember when I first fell in love with Nick. Just seeing her face would make me smile as if I were a five year old going to get candy on Halloween. It wasn't even anything sexual or out of line. I just loved her. Her jolly spirit and even seeing her going to church or doing her own thing.

"Hey Nick, it's not too late for some ice cream huh? You know NY never sleeps." Nicki smiled and SB smiled.

"Sorry Safaree I'm really tired, ya know? The studio drains me." Nicki replied. SB knew she wouldn't lie and he knew how hard she had been working to keep up with the charts.

"Iight that's cool, I understand." SB said as he dropped his eyes. He walked Nicki to the car and on the way home Nicki had fell asleep in SB's arms. SB just watched this beautiful young woman he not only loved, but his best friend, sleep so peacefully and calmly. He rubbed her hair back out of her face and she opened her eyes. SB snatched his hands back and Nick looked up at him. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he knew the out come wouldn't be pleasant if he did so. The car had came to a stop and he grabbed her shoes, gave her her purse, and picked her up into his arms. He carried her into the house, locked the door, took her up the stairs, took her bags, and laid her down on her bed. He wrapped her up and closed the door to leave her sleeping. SB stood at the door listening to her sleep with his ear to the door. SB then heard a sudden foot step down the hall way. He stepped away from the door and acted as if he was coming out the room telling Nick goodnight. SB walked down the hallway to his room. On his way to his room around the corner he bumped into Nicki's brother My'Kiyah.

"What's up Safaree?" My'Kiyah said.

"Nothing at all my man you know getting in from the studio." SB replied.

"Is my sister ok? Where is she?" My'Kiyah asked.

"She's in her room , yea she's fine." SB replied. My'Kiyah smiled and walked into his bedroom.

"Woo," SB said as he closed his room door.

"What was I thinking?" SB thought to himself. SB took off his dirty clothes and shoes and headed for the shower. When he got out of the shower his room door was open and he knew he had closed it but he didn't remember locking it. No one really walks into his room, unless they have to tell him about a showcase he has to be in and he knew only Nicki would do that. So he kept his towel on and poked his head out the door, but no one was there all the lights were off. SB closed the door and there it was he saw a figure standing there behind the door.

"Boo!" Nicki yelled. SB fell on the floor with his eyes wide open and his towel fell off. Nicki took a big gasp and stared at SB's body. SB looked into Nicki's eyes.