When the police arrived I was sat on the floor, in front of a body hanging from the ceiling. That was all it was to me, not my mother, not the only thing that I had left, just a body.
No tears fell from my eyes, no cries of pain. Just a blank face looking at the body looking down at me with a peaceful face. A policeman came up to me : Hello sir, are you injured ? Do you need help to move out of the room ?
I came back to myself and got up. I looked at the policeman, a strong black man, the kind of man you would not want to fight with.
- No sir I am fine, just a bit confused. I will move by myself.
He looked at me with a worried look.
- Okay sure, then I will accompany you to the police car, we will be taking you to the police station to ask you some questions and find you somewhere to sleep tonight.
Oh yeah... this is my home. I dont have anywhere to go now, they are going to make me go to my uncle's.
- Sure
Once in the car there was a woman sat in the front next to the black man. She looked strict but not scary, more like a single woman who has never met anyone who could put up with her. She turned around with a paper and a pen.
- How long have you been sat there ?
- About 10 minutes, the time that you got here
- You must be in shock
- Not yet.
- I see, did you touch the body
- The body ?
The woman throws me a weird look and the I clicked:
- ... no I did not.
- Do you have any other family around here ?
- No not in town.
- Okay, well we are going to continue this at the station and find you somewhere to stay.
- Thanks
- If you feel sick tell us and we will stop, I don't want to clean up your vomit?
We finally got to the police station and the 2 cops led me to a questionning room. The black guy sat down while the women stayed stood up.
- I will leave you now. The detective is on his way. I am going back to pick up some stuff for you, anything in particular ?
- No thanks just some fresh clothes.
- Okay I shall see you later.
We waited for a few minutes without sharing any words, not like I wanted too but I felt kinda anxious. The detective walks in while on the phone and sits down.
- Hey, listen now I dont care if you call me about all this stuff, it doesnt even matter anymore.... WHAT ?! Did you not just hear me ? I DONT GIVE A FUCK !.... Yeah well we can talk about this later, I have better things to do.
Wow I wasn't expecting that either, what is this station ?
- Sorry about that. So you are the one involved with the suicide ?
- Yeah
- You dont seem upset about it
- It hasnt sunk in yet
- I see, well I can't be fucked to do this completely so Im going to ask a couple of questions and then we can both get out of here okay ?
- Ok
-So what is your name ?
- Josh Winter
- How old are you Josh ?
- I'm 16
- Well I guess you witnessed what happened tonight, you found your dead mother hanging from the ceiling, agreed ?
- Yes, sir.
- Hm. You know what is weird ? That your mother had been hanging there for a week.
- Excuse me ?
- You heard me. She is in autopsy now so we will know about the circumstances later but in the meantime, when was the last time you went back home before tonight ?
- I was at home last night
- And you didn't notice something strange ? You know, LIKE A BODY HANGING IN FRONT OF YOUR DOORWAY !!
- Sir, if I would have noticed earlier I would have called the cops.
- Don't fuck with me, do you take drugs ? We found some in your house, heroine to be precise.
-.... Yes sir. What is the point of lying anymore ?
- Well at least you answered that one truthfully. When is the last time you saw your mother ?
- I haven't seen her in weeks, she was depressed after the accident.
- You mean the car accident
- Yes, sir.
- And you haven't seen her since ?
- No sir, she doesn't work and when I went and came back from school she was in her room I guess and same for the weekends.
- You think ? had you never checked if she was in her room ?
- No sir, she would bring back men sometimes to make money to fund my studies and food. I wasn't allowed to go in her room.
- Fair enough, did you ever see any of the men ?
- No.
- Well we found her phone so I can find out who they are by myself. Do you have any other family ?
- Not in town.
- Okay well here is the plan. You are going to stay at my place, I have a spare room
The black guy suddenly moves and hits on the table.
- SIR ! you cannot do this every time. He is only young and you live by yourself ! Plus any officer can't take in a suspect in there house, we aren't even sure if it was suicide yet !
- Excuse me ? You dare to tell ME what I can and can't do ?
- I am going to report this to the director. The black man leaves the room.
- I hate black guys, always full of themselves, I'm not racist just impatient.
-.....
- So is that okay with you ? You can sleep at my place, take a week or two off school to go to detox instead
- Whatever.
- Excuse me ?
- Yes sir.
