5:35 A.M
Hearing the some glass from the living room break caused a 9 year old Jai'lani to jump up from her sleep.
"Hoe where the money at?"
"I dont have no godamn money!, get the fuck out my house" she heard her mama Julia screaming
Her alarm clock read
"7:04 " pm
As she crept out of bed she was so confused on why her mother was even home she usually didnt stop working the streets till it was time for her to be leaving the house for school. More importantly she wondered why she was yelling. She still knew to be quiet because if her mama caught her in her business she would try to beat the black off her ass like she often did.
Creeping up the hallway hiding behind the wall before the entrance to the living room. Lani watched the scene before her unfold right in front of her eyes.
The house had been turned upside down and the coffee table had been shattered with her mama's body laying on top. She could see from the distance she had blood coming out of her head. Trying to hold back my tears and not make any noise Lani watched her mama struggle to breath and fade in and out of consciousness.
There were two men standing in the living room dressed in black with ski mask over their face one was standing over Julia with a gun and the other one was in the kitchen going through the drawers. The one with the gun looked scared to death and couldnt stop shaking.
"RICO ! come help me move this box and stop acting like a bouncer"
The one with gun huffed and puffed into the kitchen.
Lani rushed over to her mamas body. Lani admired her mamas features and sometimes wished she could look like her.
Thats one thing nobody could ever take away from her she was a beautiful woman with hazel eyes that lit up a room but to Lani she was looking in the eyes of a stranger. For as long as Lani could remember she was left to raise herself all Julia did was work the streets and drink. When they were out in public Lani wasnt even allowed to call her mama just Julia so it stuck with her.
She looked weak like she had no more fight in her.
" Ive never been the best mother I could be to you and im sorry. Never be anything like me. Its more to life than using what u got to get what u want. I want you to get out of NOLA and make something of yourself dont look back. Ever."
"Mama dont leave me . Hold on , I can get a doctor and you gone be ok"
"Go back to your room and get in the closet don't come out until the laws come get you, "
"I love you mama"
For the first time ever I was about to hear my mama say she loved me until I heard the voice of the men coming back.
"Go Jai'lani hurry up" "
Lani took off to her room and closed the door locking it while her heart was beating a 100mph.
"Im tired of playin wit dis bitch . Off her ass Rico"
"Nah man thats not what I came with u to do. This wasnt the fucking plan we was supposed to get the money and dip what the fuck."
"Nigga just stop acting like a pussy and off the bitch"
"Dawg fuck that lets just leave while we got a chance"
Lani listened to the men go back and forth .
"Nigga fuck that. Acting like a pussy"
Julia stared at the gun barrel ready to take her last breath.
Three gun shots went off
Pow
Pow
Pow
Rolling over to snooze her alarm that read
"5:04 a.m."
Jai'lani sighed and hopped down from her bed and her little ass almost broke a bone. Running into her bathroom she knew she only had 30 minutes before she needed to be on the road and on the way to the hospital.
Turning on her shower and waiting for the steam to fog up the mirror Lani put her hair into a ponytail and stripped. Steppin inside the shower she lathered her lofa with Dove Soap making sure to scrub every inch of her body. After being in for about 12 minutes and rinsing all the soap off she turned off the water and grabbed my towel.
She started picking up her pace so she wasnt pushing for time. Doing the usual routine of brushing her teeth and lotioning her body before slippin on her panties and her bra. Running through her closet she didn't feel like dressing
" I guess blue scrubs are the choice for today." She thought to herself
Running downstairs with only 10 minutes to get on the road lani grabbed her bowl with cinnamon oatmeal and apple slices and her purse. With car keys in her hand she locked the door and unlocked her car and started it pulling out of the drive way.
While on the road she zoned out like she always does on the way to work thinking bout how she had come a long way at 19 she was on her shit. Lani worked her ass off for the lifestyle she thought she wouldn't have until atleast 30. She graduated high school at 16 ,lucky enough to skip two grades which was very rare where she was from which was Louisiana, New Orleans.
Lani grew up around shit that most people only see in movies. The hardest part about growing up was your friend could be with you one moment and dead the next. The part of New Orleans everybody likes to remember is the music , the food ,and the culture. A pretty picture right? Life is not as pretty as people like to paint it to be.
Lani often sometimes wondered if her life would be diffrent if Julia was still alive. Every week it was a different dream about her death and she didnt understand why.
Pulling in the hospital parking lot she exited her car with her belongings she walked in ready to clock in to her happy place.
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So what yall think about Jai'lani ? Or the first chapter so far? Leave feedback .
