𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭

01

"You ready to go now?" My brother asked me without looking up from his phone.

"Mhen wait, I ain't about to let you rush me just cause you wanna go suck on Janie's face," I mugged him picking up my last suitcase and then my phone case.

"Say something again I dare you," My brother argued getting all up in my business. I eyed him up and down but kept my mouth shut.

"I thought as much," He said smugly. "You was tryna trek there this morning."

I rolled my eyes, picked up my phone charger and walked the short jorney to his car packed in front of our two bedroom apartment.

My brother took his sweet time strolling out of the house and then locking up.

"I can't believe the cops gave an idiot like you custody over me," I commented, sucking on my front teeth.

"This same idiot been paying your bills for the past three years," He boasted with a bright smile. I shrugged while I connected my phone to the cars Mp3 player clicking on the first song I downloaded the night before.

"You know, you been extra saucy since you woke up," He commented as he reversed out of our garage and into the main road.

"I'm finally free yo!" I exclaimed ignoring him and pushing my head outside the car's open window.

"Whatchu talking about?" My brother asked, I watched him drag me back into the car using my shirt. "Listen, you bout to video call me every morning when you wake up and every night before you sleep."

"I ain't about to do shit like that, this why I'm leaving your sorry ass," I mugged folding my arms across my chest.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and rumpled my hair with his free hand. "I'll miss you bob," He said sincerely.

"Nigga I'm grown," I grumbled pushing his hand out of my afro natural hair.

"Don't go searching for no ghetto ass boys. I know I didn't give you that talk cause obviously I can't," He said sucking his teeth.

"Amma end this before it gets awkward," I spoke up looking out the window.

"No, I need to do this bub," He dragged his hand across his face and strained his hand on the car's wheel. "I don't wanna hear nothing about you hanging around with no guys. You're only finna spend Three months with aunt May, please don't fuck up our reputation," He said seriously.

"I'm bout to do a lot more than fuck up our reputation," I murmured.

"Whatchu just say?" My brother asked eyeing me up and down.

"Focus on what you driving Amir," I yelled when I saw a car speeding our way. He quickly looked forward and swerved to the right just in time.

"Jeez aight, I heard you," I said holding my beating heart with both hands.

"Good."

"We almost there, close your eyes and have some sleep," He said rubbing on my hair again.

I leaned on the head rest and closed my eyes allowing sleep to overtake me.

"I know I never tell you or show it but I love you Amir and I preciate everything you done do for me since mama died and papa went to jail," I sleepily said swiftly closing my eyes so I didn't see his reaction.

"We're here Imani," Amir's quiet voice woke me up from sleep jerking me forward slightly.

"I've already parked your things out of the car, remember if you ever feel uncomfortable you know what number to call," he said. He turned around and opened my door so I could get down.

I glanced around and noticed the white monotonous houses, white fences, green grassed lawns and took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready to go back home with you now," I said seriously meeting Amir's weirded out stare.

"We talked about this Imani. It's just for a little while. I was gonna loose custody of you either way," He smiled sadly and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"I can call you whenever right?" I questioned suddenly feeling nostalgic.

"I expect you to call me whenever," He said causing us to both laugh.

"There's my two favorite people in the world," My aunt May said coming out of the house with an apron tied around her waist.

"I heard you're pretty well to do now Amir," She said keeping her well practiced smile on her face which looked more fake than sincere.

She hugged him tightly and let go only to glance at me. "Jelani, you look so grown, you're even more beautiful than your mom might I say," she said in the same bubbly tone. I could feel my insides boiling already. Amir hit me with his feet when he noticed and I visibly calmed down.

She hugged me too and let go, soothing the wrinkles on her dress "Come on in, your cousin is waiting," she smiled at both of us and then pointed at the house behind her.

"I'll have to pass aunt May, I got alot of stuff to handle with work back home," Amir said. I gave him an 'are you serious' look and he held my hand apologetically.

"That's okay, we promise to take good care of Imani," She said fussing over me. She draped her arm around my shoulder.

This woman whom I had never met before in my life.

Amir gave her a weak smile and dropped a wad of money in my hand before he got in his car and drove off.

Aunt May immediately dropped her hands from around my shoulder and walked into the house without glancing back at me. I sighed and picked up my luggage from the pavement where Amir had kept it dragging it into the house which was identical to the fifty eight houses surrounding it.

I closed the door behind me to the sight of Aunt May standing next to a girl of about ten who had her hair in pigtails.

"First off, your brother din give us that much money so we gone need some of whatever he gave you if you want food on your table." She folded her arms across her chest and held her hand out.

I placed my eyes in sliths and looked her up and down. "Can't say I didn't expect this," I said sucking my teeth.

"Bitch whatever," she said taking the money from my outstretched hand, she took off her wig and apron and dropped them on the floor next to where I dropped my shoes neatly.

"My husband has important guests over regularly, we can't associate ourselves to drug dealers so your rooms in the basement," she said simply, she walked down the stairs and I followed her imagining if she would die if I hit her head with my heavy suitcase.

"It's a little dusty, but it'll do. Y'all are ghetto rats normally, I don't think it'd matter so I didn't bother cleaning it up," she said with an attitude. I nodded my head and glanced at her again just to make sure she was the one who welcomed me and my brother seconds ago.

"Here's some ground rules," she started dusting an imaginary smudge off her dress.

"You do not leave this estate, ion wanna see you around no boys, my husband should never ever see you, infact he shouldn't even know you exist, you do as I say,. Last but not the least, your job in this house is to take care of my house and my daughter. In order words you're to work as a helper until your time here ends," she said in one breath. She turned around and walked up the stairs before stopping abruptly and glancing back at me.

"One last thing, you tell your brother anything about this and I'll ensure he ends up in jail. Don't think I don't know he keep you in the same house where he keep the drugs he sell on the streets." She smiled sweetly and closed the door behind her leaving me in the dusty moldy room I had to leave in for the next three months.

"Our reputations' already fucked up Amir," I said to myself looking up at the creaky rotating ceiling fan.

"Where's the harm in fucking it up some more?" I smiled to myself and stood up from the bed throwing on a pair of shorts and a matching crop top shirt. I locked the door to the basement and sneaked out using the window.