Innocence

12.Letting Go🕊

🥀J•E•S•S•I•C•A🥀

The meeting was over and everyone dispersed, "Come on Jess!" Hakeem waved me over.

"Where you two going?" His mother yelled from the kitchen.

I walked to her, "He's going to drop me off at my grandma's."

She turned on the stove, "You sure you ready to go back there?" She folded her arms.

I shrugged, I figured there was no better way to use this time than reconnecting with her. Today we were off, so why not? My grandma didn't know how Tyler was around that time, so it wasn't her fault. I understood she was always working or at church. When she was home, she was too weak to notice a thing. Irregardless I learned to hide the holes he punched through the walls and cover the bruises that paraded my body.

"Yeah, I have to get my clothes because I know it must annoy Moani that I borrow hers all the time." I explained.

She shook her head, "I wish Moani would complain about you borrowing her clothes." She rolled her neck. "Okay baby, just please be safe. If you feel you can live there again, you can, I'd understand." I nodded my head.

The thing was, I could never stay in that house again. I needed to be somewhere I felt safe and happy. This place felt more like home. Sure Moani and Hakeem invaded my space and could get on my nerves even though I had the highest patience, I still loved them.

This was a Family I always wanted to be a part of.

*^*^*

I waved goodbye to Hakeem as I stood on the front porch of my grandma's house. I knocked on the glass door and it creaked open. My grandma leaned on the door frame with a big smile plastered on her face. She aged so well.

"Oh, Jess!" She exclaimed with her arms opened wide and we hugged each other tightly.

I pulled away and touched her long silver plaits, "I see you need your hair braided again."

She lifted the frizzy plait and stared at it, "Oh yes dear, I can't braid like I used to. My lil' hands just cramp right up." She shook her head.

I smiled, "Don't worry granny, I'll do it." I walked into the house.

I loved to braid hair; it was one of my many talents. My grandma was the first client I ever had, and she would always be my favorite. Anytime I braided her hair, no matter how it looked, she would cheese genuinely and her skin would hold a fresh glow. That was the best part.

I sat on the sofa, and she went into the kitchen with her grey caddie. The house looked brand new. The floors were sparkling; she even fixed the holes that Tyler punched into the wall. There would've been no sign of us living here if it wasn't for the big family portrait hanging above the TV.

She pulled out an orange rat tail comb, "What are you doing sitting over there? The chair is in here." She tapped it with her comb. "I know you haven't been gone so long you forgot where everything is." She put her hand on her hip.

I smiled as I walked over to her, "No, granny. It's just the house looks so different." She sat down and I took the comb from her hand.

She sighed, "I used the leftover government money and as you can see, I put it to good use. I was hoping you'd come back home."

My bottom lip poked out, "Granny, I promise I'll always visit. I just can't live here, I always think about him." I admitted as I unbraided one of her plaits.

She sighed, "I'm sorry I allowed all of that to happen in this house. I was weak." She rubbed her temples. "It's inexcusable I—"

I combed through her wavy hair, "You didn't know and even if you did, it was nearly impossible for you to do anything sense you couldn't walk."