Worth

67

"Ms. Kim this food is amazing",Santiago said causing us to laugh. He was already on his second plate and although Santiago was skinny, he could eat like a fat person and never gain the weight.
"Thank you my dear. How was church?"
"It was great",I said giving a short answer.
I ate a fried plantain off the side of my plate and took a sip of my soda.
"That's good. So why are you not living in the house anymore Khia. Every time I come home, no one is here."
"Mom your really gonna tell that lie? I'm always here."
"The past couple of days I haven't seen you. This is the first time I'm seeing you for the week. If I didn't know any better, I would say you have your own apartment."
I swallowed hard as I could feel Santiago looking at me in confusion.
"Mom there's something I have to tell you",I started.
"Do you want to talk about it after dinner since we have company."
"He already knows."
"Oh God please don't tell me your pregnant."
"No mom. I'm not."
"Okay so what is it?"
"You know dad right?"
She motioned her hand to tell me to get to the point.
"He used to do something to me when I was little and you wasn't home."
"Okay",she said slowly.
"He used to molest me."
My mom was drinking her soda and she spit it out causing some to fall out onto the table. Santiago quickly got up and got a napkin for her.
"He did what to you?",she asked again.
"Molested me."
"Why? How? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't think you would believe me."
"Oh my God Khia. You let that son of a b.... touch you?"
"What was i supposed to do? He threatened me mom."
"Is he still doing that now?"
"No because i don't be here that often."
"My goodness. I'm so sorry I should've known. Come here honey",she said getting out of her seat to hug me. Santiago left the dining room and went to the living room giving us some privacy.
"So now that you know, I'm taking him to court cause I don't feel safe around him mom",i told her.
"As you should honey. We have to move he's not welcomed here anymore."
"Move where mom? We can't keep running away from him. He's gonna find us."
"What is he gonna do? Kill us? We're not safe in this town."
"Mom everything I have is in this town. I can't just move and relocate my entire life."
"So what do you want to do?"
"I already told you mom. I want him behind bars."
"But in the meantime, where are we going to stay honey?"
"Change the locks mom. It's not that serious."
"Like He can't just break-in. This is your father we're talking about."
"I'm gonna have to stay at Santiago's house then because I don't feel safe here mom."
"No you are not. He put this idea in your head?"
"No I'm just saying, I don't have anywhere to go and your never home like usual. If something happens to me I'll never forgive you. Your never around And that's why this even happened to me."
Just then I felt my mom's hand go across my face. I looked at her like she was crazy.
"Don't you dare say that. I was around. The person who wasn't was your father. How ungrateful could you be?"
"He did what he wanted because you was never there",I said strucking a nerve in her. She tried to slap me again but I ducked and grabbed my keys. Brushing past Santiago I told him, "let's go."
"What? what happened?",he asked standing near the door.
"Who cares. Let's go. I'll be back for my things in the morning",i yelled at him and my mom. Santiago hopped in the driver side of the car and backed up from the driveway. As he drove, I looked out the window and tried to not think about what just happened.
"Wanna talk about it?",Santiago asked.
"No not now."
"Ight",he said while driving. I noticed he past his house and took another route. I had no idea where he was going but at this point I didn't even care as long as it was far from my house. Santiago pulled up into the same hotel parking lot we been staying at and turned the engine off.
As he got out of his car, i told him, "you don't have to do this."
"Do what? I don't understand",he said getting back in the car.
"You can leave if you want. I'm not gonna force you to deal with this."
"Leave? I'm not following",he said looking at me.
"Leave tiago. Like break up with me."
"Why would i want to do that?"
"Because this is too much."
"So in the future when we get married, the good times and bad speech doesn't apply?"
"It's too much for me so I can imagine for you how it must be."
"This is just a obstacle we get over bae don't mean we quit."
"My mom slapped me",I told him cause I was not tryna hear no lovey dovey stuff right now.
"Why?"
"Because I basically told her it's her fault this happened to me."
"Do you honestly feel that way?",he said.
"Like 30% of it is her fault. She was never there. You see how I'm always home and she's not? That's how she was when I was little."
"But That's ya mom though. Of course she gonna be upset when you tell her that. It makes her feel like she a bad mom and I know that's not what you think of her."
"I just wish she was there. I told her I can't stay at the house so maybe I can stay with you & she got all defensive talking about no I'm not. And did you put that idea in my head."
"She thinks I'm behind this?",tiago said with a smirk.
"I don't know what she thinks."
"You know I'm only tryna protect you right?"
"I know that...but I gotta protect myself."
"What you mean?"
"I think I gotta find a apartment to live in. I've already been looking into it while I be at work",I said showing him a picture of a nice condo. Tiago took my phone and looked at it closely.
"Why it say 2 bedroom?"
"I need a roommate. I can't live by myself."
"Ight ight ight. I didn't think you took me serious about this whole apartment thing."
"Well I don't have anywhere to go. So it's either I stay home or get my own apartment."
"What's the difference if the cat can break into both?" He had a point.
"Let's not worry about it for now. You've had enough for today",he said opening the car door open for me. He locked the car door and grabbed my waist.
"Truth is i feel safe when I'm with you",i told him looking at him while the sun was shining in his light brown eyes.
"I'm glad you do babe. C'mon let's go inside and get some rest."