Blindsided

Chapter 14: Spread

There was weird energy throughout the apartment as little Bakari made his way inside after returning from a fairly good day at school. He was bussed home, and the school bus conveniently stopped right in front of the apartments he lived in. He laid his book bag on the table and called for his mom, who had stopped greeting him at the door as of late. He weaved through the space, checking in the kitchen first, then the bathroom, before he cautiously pushed his parents bedroom door open. He didn't like the change in her behavior as She'd been cooped up in their room a lot, and didn't bother to watch their favorite tv shows with him anymore, but she was still his mother whom he loved dearly.

He saw her sprawled sideways across the bed on her stomach with her arms touching the floor, a behavior that even at his young age he knew was odd. "Mama, what's wrong?" He asked as he rubbed her head, causing her to lift it slightly to view the concern on his face.

"Ummm--she hummed--Mama's sick baby."She grumbled and he pouted.

"Sick? Is there something I can do?" He politely asked and she nodded.

"Ummhmm, do mama a favor and go next door to Ms. Cynthia's and get my medicine for me. She'll know what you're asking for. Take that $20 out of my purse over there."

"Ok. Hold on. I'll be right back!' He announced as he dug through the leather to fish out the cash before fleeing out the door. He frantically knocked until the middle aged woman opened the door nonchalantly, disregarding the urgency in his energy.

"Boy what you want?" She hollered as she puffed her half smoked cigarette.

"My Mama said she needs her medicine. Hurry, she's really sick."

"Sick? Aw hell-- she waved him off dismissively--How much you got?"

He handed her the $20 and she inspected the quality of it before she backed away and slammed the door in his face. He was just about to go back inside his apartment until she came back with a baggie of a white substance that he knew wasn't anything good. She stuffed it in his hands and curled his fingers around it before she nudged him from her door.

"Ok, gone 'head now."

He turned and bolted back into the room where his mother was sitting up on the bed. He gave her the substance and she kissed his forehead as she held his chubby cheeks in her hands."Go to the living room. I'll call you back soon so we can watch cartoons, ok?"

He nodded an 'ok' and left to pull his school work from his book bag that she was required to look over before he started his homework. Being a straight A student, he never had to be instructed to do his homework, he wanted to get it out of the way first before he rested with his favorite people until bedtime. Only lately, he saw less of his working father while his mother became 'unusual'.

Half way through his work he heard his mother curse, something she barely did and it concerned him enough that he slowly walked back to her room to check on her. He found her sprawled across the bed again, and this time he panicked.

"Mama, are you ok?!"

"Yes baby. Can you pick that up for me? Just wipe it on your pants." She instructed as she pointed to the syringe with the needle attached and he frowned wondering why it was even in the house along with other odd items. He only saw things like that at the doctor's office.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes, and immediately he felt sad. She didn't look like his usual bright mommy. Her light had dimmed and even the cadence of her voice changed, it was weird for him. Even with the noticeable changes, she was still his mother, so he picked it up, wiped it on his pants, and held it out for her to take it.