Misunderstood

Prologue

         Prologue

"I'm not lying Keith, I promise I don't know that man." I heard my mom yell as I walked into our home from basketball practice.

"Why was you smiling so hard in his face then?" Keith my mother's longtime boyfriend yelled with a lot of bass.

I sigh dropping my Nike duffle bag on the floor. Texting this broad I mess with from time to time to see if I could come through and chill with her since it was going to be one of these type of nights where they argued all night long.

"I was just being friendly Keith, Damn ch-" was all I heard before I heard a loud thud.

"Joyce are you fucking stupid!?" Keith yelled and I could hear soft tears. I immediately tensed up trying figure out if this man really just put his hands on my momma.

My mom and Keith argued all the time but to my knowledge I never knew of him putting his hands on my mom. I was always at basketball practice or out doing my own thing most of the time anyway. I ran up the stairs and stood by the door to make sure I wasn't tripping.

"Keith I promise I d..."

"Bitch did I say you can speak?" I heard say followed with another loud hit.

I banged on the door as my blood boiled.
"Open the door!" I yelled trying twist the lock.

"Maauurice bbaby, go to your friend house for a minute. I'm okay..." I Heard my mom say stuttering a bit.

"You don't sound okay ma." I said still trying to twist the locks.

"Boy didn't she say she okay. Mind your fucking business!." Keith yelled just before I heard more hits, this man was going to act like I wasn't standing outside the door?

Hearing my mother cry and yell in pain did something to me. I don't remember what came over me but after kicking their bedroom door down and seeing my mother kneeled down with bruises and blood all over her face made my blood boil.

"Are you fucking crazy boy?" Keith asked as I sent a mean right hook to his jaw.

"Maurice stop don't kill him, I don't want you to go to jail." I heard my mom say as she pulled on my shoulder trying to stop me.

Coming back to reality I realized I had black out. Keith was passed out on the floor with blood all over his face and I had his blood on my shirt and hands.

"Mama you okay?" I asked not caring about the stinging pain in my hand.

"Yes baby, I'm so sorry." My mom cried hugging me and I see the blue and red lights outside the window indicating the police were outside.

The Next Day

Since it was summer I had no school. I still had basketball practices and training on certain days because that's what the best did. No days off when you passionate about something.

I stared at the ceiling in my room thinking about the events that occurred the night before. Keith was not dead unfortunately but he was definitely in jail but who knows for how long. My mom confessed that Keith had always put his hands on her, it wasn't the first time. I don't know how all of this happened and I didn't know. She's been with this man since I was 10. I guess she was just good hiding it.

"Maurice wake up." My mom came into my room frantically.
"I'm up." I looked over at my alarm clock that read 3am "wassup mama?"

"Pack all of your shit up now and let's go." She said turning my light on throwing me a couple garbage bags.

"What? where we going?" I asked getting up confused.

"Just pack I'll explain in the car." She said clearly rushing me.

"I know you not running from his punk ass, I already handle that."

"Maurice I'm not going to tell you again." She sigh, ignoring me cursing .

Deciding to just follow her orders I packed all of my clothes and shoes in garbage bags. After about an hour I seen my mom grabbing money from out of the back of the closet stuffing it in her purse.

I carried our stuff to my mom old car as she rushed into the car. "Why are we leaving?" I asked as she started the car up.

"Baby listen, I been planning on leaving Keith for awhile now but after he hit me in front of you yesterday and seeing you black out the way you did...." she wiped some of her tears that started to fall. "It was the last straw... I have an old friend in Atlanta that going to let us crash for a couple days while I get some stuff together."

"So we're moving to Atlanta?"

"I don't know yet." My mom shrugged as she jumped on the highway. I had never even been outside of Virginia. I had so many questions but decided to just let it go looking over at her swollen face. I didn't really want to leave because my whole life is here but I also wanted my mom to feel safe, but we'll see where this goes .