On the Run

Chapter 35

"Ya'll didn't see me here." I turned away from them and headed out the door. I belong in New York. Nothing but trouble comes from us being together. That's gone always be my shorty no matter what. 

"Yo Jamal!" A voice called as i crossed the street. I turned and looked back and saw the same young guy from the store.

"Wassup lil homie." I said. He jogged across the street to meet me. 

"I wrote this rhyme about you and Rich Porter and I want you to hear it." He sounded excited as shit. 

"What you know about Rich Porter? Nigga i don't even know much about the nigga." I laughed. Rich Porter is a big OG everybody looked up to back in the day in the Bronx. They say the movie Paid in Full is made after him.  

"I'm from the Bronx too but my mom moved to Atlanta about three years ago." He said. As he was talking i saw a girl walking along the sidewalk with her head down and her hands tucked in her jacket pockets. She looked like she was trying to avoid anyone talking to her. I knew that skinny figure from anywhere. I knew the long black hair that hung low. And i knew those brown eyes once they looked up at me.

She looked like she had saw a ghost. Maybe i was a ghost to her. Maybe i was even a memory to her. 

"Wassup Shorty." Was all i could think to say. I'm so stupid. I was supposed to make a grand entrance and sweep her off her feet but i didn't want to. I really didn't want her to see me. Her knees got weak and she fell out right there on the sidewalk. 

"I'll catch up with you another time homie. Let me take this chick home." I patted him on the back before walking over to Laney. I knelt down by her and scooped her into my arms. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked terrified. 

"Jamal?" She whispered. 

"Live and in the flesh shorty." I assured her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and lied her head on my chest.

"I've missed you." She told me. 

"Want to show me how much you missed daddy?" I whispered to her. I've been in prison for a few years now. I couldn't help but fantasize about getting pussy. Laney's pussy at that!

"Take me home." She told me. She guided me to the apartment she lived in and I knew she wasn't living out this bullshit. It looked like it was infested by rats and roaches. But I guess you have to get it how you live. 

Some people arent fortunate enough for this. I mean people are starving it here in these streets. I see homeless people outside of her apartment building right now. She hopped down and lead me up to her apartment.

"Don't talk about my living. I'm trying to make it." She said. Shorty know i aint here to judge. I just fuck with her the long way. Once she opened the door the first thing i saw was a big duffel bag on the table and a little boy on the couch watching cartoons. 

Damn

There was this feeling of grief. No one died, but my soul slowly drifted away from my body. My heart ached at the sight of the consequences of my actions. I knew I deserved every part of this karma. I just wish I would have kept walking. 

"Who's he?" A knot formed in my throat as I choked the words out slowly. Her eyes seemed unfazed at my obvious heart break.

"You've missed a lot." She explained. I had to take a seat so my knees wouldn't go weak. Everything was going in slow motion. 

"Are you okay?" She asked. I looked into those brown eyes and saw everything I missed when I was away. 

"That's your son?" I nodded my head over at little man. he looked at me and then to Laney.