Ave Maria

Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Healing [2]

Myles Brown | South Central, CA

This morning I had very seen Darren so distraught in my life. For as long as I have known him, he was always very put together but this was a different side to him I was terrified of. I could hear the pain in his cries and that just broke my heart. I held him for an hour as he cried. He even managed to cry himself to sleep and I had to call Chris and tell him the he wasn't feeling well.

Currently we were sitting in the back of an Uber to my mother's house—well grandparent's house in South Central. I was born here but was raised mostly in Virginia. Reason being my mother was surrounded by drugs, gangs and immense violence all her life and my father didn't want that for me so I would spend 85% of my year with him. My mother and my grandparents didn't like that my father had primary custody over me and immediately classified him as better than or above them. In some instances he was but that's because he fought for me and my betterment as a black man in America. I was grateful for what he did and I was able to be a part of two different sides of reality. I learned a lot growing up and I'm still not done.

The Uber came to stop outside of the two story house I was accustomed of seeing. We got out and walked the up the steps to the front door.

"Myles are you sure I should come in?" I looked back to Darren and he had an uneasy look on his face. "Just ignore them and you'll be good." I gave him a reassuring smile then pushed the door open.

A fog of weed fumes came rushing through the door and I just knew that my cousins Chino and Marley were hot-boxing. They weren't allowed to smoke in the house but of course they had no respect for anyone or anything. I walked into the house and closed the door once Darren entered.

"Myles is that you!?" My mother yelled through the house. "Yeah mom!" I yelled back. I walked into the kitchen where her voice echoed from and found her in nothing but boy shorts and a bra.

"Where's your clothes?" I asked her. "Mind your business. Where the fuck were you all night?" She asked. "I was with Darren last night. I crashed at his place." I shrugged my shoulder.

"You fucking niggas now Myles? That's what we doing now?" I was honestly lost for words. Stunned couldn't even describe how I felt. "So a fag is what you are?" I quickly shook my head to say no. "Mom stop jumping the gun." I backed away from her.

All I came here to get was my gift for Royalty's birthday and my costume for the party. I didn't think I'd enter an interrogation room and homosexuality was the grand topic.

"Nigga don't tell me shit!" She pushed me out of her way and got into Darren's face. "You corrupting my son? I could smell the faggot in you as you walked through the doors." She spat at him.

"Aye ma! That ain't cool." I pushed her back from him. "I don't want you around him Myles!" She ordered but she had no authority over my life.

"Oh so now you care for me?" I tilted my head to the side. "I do care—"

"Only when I put money in your account every month! You coming at him was uncalled for and just rude! I swear I hate this family so fucking much and now I can finally see why dad left from the jump! Y'all are so quick to bring people down just so you could feel important but guess what!? You still are fucking trash at the end of the day!" I snapped at her.

I walked out of the kitchen and jogged up the stairs quickly to my room. I placed my costume in my bag and also packed a few extra clothes since I most likely will stay at Chris' for the remainder of my time here. I didn't feel the need to be in a house with people who don't care for me unless it benefits them.