September 13, 2001
"Georgia, you can't keep doing this drugs, not around Keith." Ruby scolded her younger sister as six year old, Keith, sat and watched his mother sniff another line of cocaine. He wasn't aware of what it was, for anything, he knew it made her happy after his father randomly disappeared.
"Leave me alone, Ruby. Let me do me, I'm fine." Georgia spoke harshly. She's been trying different drugs for a while, over a year.
"She's happy." Keith bursted in their conversation, sitting on the sofa. Ruby and Georgia turned their attention to him.
"See, my baby boy knows. I'm happy, see?" Georgia smiled before lighting up a cigarette after finishing her lines of cocaine.
"No, Keith, she's not happy. These things aren't making her happy, they're making her crazy and it's killing her." Ruby harshly said causing the six year old to pout, almost crying.
"Don't you cry, boy. You hear me!?" Georgia yelled at him. Keith nodded, and held it back. One thing his mother taught him to do was never cry. It was hard to hold things in. Even as a six year old, he would have to cry behind closed doors. "Why would you tell my boy something like that, Ruby?"
"Because it's the truth. You're having this boy walk around here thinking your happy when you're really not. You're killing yourself slowly but, surely." Ruby informed her sister of these things. Georgia just didn't care. "I'm taking Keith to live with me."
"Yeah, okay. You really think you're taking my son away from me? You must've lost your damn mind." Georgia laughed.
"You need help and I'm sending you to rehab."
"I ain't goin' to no rehab and you ain't takin' my son." Georgia stood up quickly yet, aggressively.
"I am taking legal action, Georgia. You're going to rehab and don't argue with me on this. Keith, go upstairs and pack a bag." Ruby instructed. Keith hopped off the chair on his way to do so, sadly.
"Boy, get back here! Don't you dare!" Georgia yelled at him, making him stop and pout once again. "And don't you cry either!"
"You call him boy! You won't even call him by his name. Keith, go pack a bag." Ruby instructed again, a little calmer this time. He followed her instruction only and hurried and went up stairs.
After closing the door, he grabbed his book bag from the closet and began putting in random pieces of clothing. He was crying while doing so, just silently. His mother and aunt were still arguing even after he went up stairs.
After an hour, Keith finished packing and crying as well as getting it together to show he wasn't crying. He came downstairs with a jacket on and his book bag on his shoulders. His mother sat on the sofa still smiling a cigarette. Ruby was furious and ready to go. She didn't even give Keith the chance to say goodbye to his mother. They simply left her doped up, unbothered on the sofa.
December 25, 2011 - Ten Years Later
Keith spent Christmas morning with his Aunt Ruby, Dante, and his little cousins ranging from the ages of four to ten. Instead being engaged in watching his little cousins open presents, he sat on his sidekick phone texting all kinds of girls from school.
