On Our Block

Chapter Nine

Amara  POV...

I sit with my mom at the ice cream palor drinking a milkshake while she eats some butter pecan ice cream.

Mom:So you want to tell me about the Oscar Jamal spoke of at dinner the other day?

Me:Uhh, not really...

Mom:I take it he's the one who you broke up with because of tyree kissing you at the game.

Me:Yeah...

Mom:So, what's wrong with him?

Me:What do you mean?

Mom:What's wrong with Oscar?

Me:Nothing...

Mom:Oh really?

Me:Really.

I look down at my milkshake and drink it as she looks at me.

Mom:Your my daughter, you never go for plain people everyone you date will have some type of thing going on. We just love trouble or the unwanted ones.

She's too good at this knowing shit. I take some whipped cream and eat it.

Me:Where do I start?

Mom:Well damn, it's that much?

Me:I mean I guess...

Mom:Well start with the most normal thing.

Me:He's 21 years old.

Mom:Okay ain't bad 5 year difference not bad.

Me:He's a Santos.

Mom:Okay he's a gang banger... Should have seen that coming.

Me:And he's my best friend's brother.

Mom:What did your best friend have to say?

Me:He was fine with it.

Mom:So what's the problem?

Me:I love Tyree, I was falling in love with Oscar but he does stuff that really gets to me.

Mom:Who?

Me:Oscar. He wants his brother to be in the gang but ma, Cesar is so bright and such a sweet boy it's ridiculous! Oscar had to join the gang because of how things fell for him but in all honesty? He has rank and if he did it right he'd be out. He's such a great cook ma, he's bright too. But he's street mentality is really messing him up.

Mom:Have you spoken to him about this?

Me:Yeah, but he gets mad, because he knows it's true.

Mom:It's crazy you're saying this when this is exactly what me and your father went through.

Me:You talked to grandma about it?

Mom:Girl her and my daddy but they both said to leave that bad luck where it was at before I have to bury him. But he truly fought to stay out of it. Until his uncle kept asking him to do runs with him and soon he became affiliated with them constantly getting ran up on because they seen him with them and soon his only protection was inside the gang. He protected me and you. He even fought his cousins because they tried to get you in but he wasn't having it. Until they pulled a gun on him and that's when we decided to move you.

Me:So it was hopeless from the start?

Mom:I mean based off Oscar's mentality if it's anything what I think it is? Yes if you have a child by him. But hey as people get older they change.