Learning the Cabrera Culture #wattys2018

Hide and seek

The metal bench with the thin layer which I suppose was supposed to be a mattress digs into my back and I lay on my side.

I rest my hands under my head watching the roof with gum peeling off it and grey mould creeping it's way up the walls across the ceiling which once used to be a white canvas but was now looking the the underneath of a high-school desk.

I wonder if January is crying or if Darius is hurting her like he hurts Sammy.

No, January probably told mom as soon as I got arrested so mom's probably looking after January.

I let out a loud heave through the strangling silence of this night of unjust. The officers would give me dirty looks and sneers.
But I was born here, they had no right to judge where my parents were from.

I did belong in this country.

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I heard the clank of the metal and my heart rate starts to rise.

Are they going to release me?

The officer walks in whacking his baton across his hand whilst approaching me.
"Its visitor time," he says with a sneer.

I get up and follow the officer who was double my size width wise. I am lead to a chatty hall surrounded by guards and desks. Everyone else has already started, and I am shown to a desk with January already sat.

"Jojo I'm- how are you?" I ask holding her hand.

"Mi fantasma, I'm good but how are you?" There was smudges of grey under her eyes as if she hadn't slept. This was not good for the baby.

"I'm fine, does mom know?" I ask. She nods that makes me sigh in relief.

"She believes you didn't do anything wrong over her brother.Uncle Yoandri said he's going to bail you if you get charged but he's trying to get Darius to drop charges at the moment." She says dryly. I could see the tears dwell on her waterline.

"I have my appointment tomorrow for the baby," January looks down at the floor.

I wish I could attend.

"Take my mom with you, she's amazing." I say rubbing her hands. She massages her temples with both hands.

"What if something is wrong?" She says tearfully.

I lean to hug her but then a guard screams "no contact!" I shoot him a glare.

"I'm sorry, please update me." I say before the bell goes off.

My guard walks up to me wrapping his bulging fingers around my arm squeezing it tightly dragging me to my cell. I don't look back to January I don't want her to see me in pain, and the guard physically kicks me into my cell.

"Have a nice dirty Mexican." The guard shouts then chuckling as he locks my door.

"January!" I scream as loud as I could before the tears came gushing down my face. The guard bangs telling me to keep quiet but I ignore him.

Hours pass, feeling like days I finally get my food delivered to me. Get a bowl of fruit which was different to the mush and spicy brown water I was served yesterday. I was served by a blonde woman who doesn't leave after she passes me my food.

"I bear good news." The woman smiles. The first smile I had since I entered the cell that reeked in urine.

"Your father is getting the bail papers even though you haven't been charged." She smiles. I almost drop the strawberry from my mouth, and my eyes well with tears.

"Sorry?" I ask so she can confirm.

"Your father is going to bail you out." She smiles wider. I talk to her a bit more about what happened and then she leaves me, with a tiny ray of lingering hope.

The next day when January comes I greet her with a smile but she looks as if she's on the verge of tears.

"She's gone." January whispers, before her face gets damped with tears.

"Who is?" I ask search her eyes for an answer.

She hits her trembling lip, then whispers Sammy. My chest starts to rise with anger but I try an control it when I remember where I am.

"Darius says if we find her, he'll drop your case. I've looked everywhere including all her friends houses, your relatives houses, public places nothing. Aunty Dana looked everywhere too." She wipes her nose on her sleeve. I wanted to hug her but I couldn't and it was torturing me seeing her like this but I couldn't do anything.

"He won't harm her." I say in attempt to reassure her.

"Won't he? Won't he Yoan? He's a killer. He has no heart, you think he's going to stop for his daughter. No, he's an animal Yoan. An animal." She scoffs.

I didn't know what to say. I wanted Sammy to get found for her safety and not to get released. I would stay jailed just so she can be safe.

The smell of the cell made staying there unbearable as I had to take limited breaths. Why couldn't life just be perfect for once? Why did I need to be thrown a load of problems.

I'm not Spiderman. If I had powers it would be easier, but I had no powers. I was boring me who just had to grin and bear it.

There's another knock at the door and I scream 'what?!' to them like an annoyed older sibling. Poor person was startled as they took a moment before they entered.

"Your case has been withdrawn, you are free to leave." The woman lefts me out and leads me out of the station, after I sign the required paperwork.

I rush home via taxi in the clothes provided by the jail before I left. When I get home, Darius opens the door as he waited my arrival and walks me in.

"Where is she?" I ask through gritted teeth and tighten fists by my side.

"You tell me." He smirks.
"January?!" I call out making sure he hadn't taken her too, but no response. I search around the house and every step I take my heart beats faster.

"She's gone to Dana's to look for Sammy." He sits with his head in his hands with a playful smirk.

I reckon it's futile to fight with him. Just as I'm about to leave Darius speaks up.

"I finally found something worth fighting for, you are not taking her from me." He says before I slam the door shut.

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Authors note: if you have trouble imagining Darius type Ned Porteus on Google images. Y'all won't know who he is, but he suits the role.